Located in North Portland’s Kenton neighborhood, Argyle Gardens provides stable homes and community-building opportunities to 71 individuals transitioning from homelessness. One of the first multifamily housing developments in the Pacific Northwest to be built mostly offsite, Arygle Gardens uses the cost advantages of modular construction, coupled with shared living arrangements, to reduce operating costs and keep rents affordable to people with extremely low incomes. For veterans who live at Argyle Gardens, 18 project-based VASH vouchers further offset housing costs. Residents of 36 SRO (single-resident occupancy) units live in six-person pods, sharing kitchen and bath facilities, and pay as little as $295 per month in rent.
More than a cost-saving measure, the cohousing model at Argyle Gardens offers residents opportunities for social connection and cooperation, serving as a healing antidote to the alienation of life on the streets. Owner Transition Projects, a nonprofit with 50 years of experience helping people transition from homelessness to housing, offers residents access to follow-up services designed to ensure that once housed, residents stay housed.