Final Mass Casitas put into place in SE Portland

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - After months of planning and building, Hacienda CDC’s final mass timber affordable homes were placed on their foundation Wednesday in Southeast Portland.

One three bedroom and two bathroom houses, and one studio style residence now sit on Southeast Liebe Street. They’re the last of six prototypes of a project Hacienda calls Mass Casitas. The other four homes are in different locations throughout Oregon.

Community Vision, a local non profit that helps adults with disabilities live independent lives, will be operating the location in Southeast Portland. Jennifer Knapp is the organizations Executive Director and Mass Casitas will truly help her clients live independently.

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“I can’t tell you how many people have told me this is ‘my dream to live on my own,’” Knapp said. “So to make that actually come true for a couple of people is going to be so fantastic.”

Knapp said they haven’t selected who will be living in the houses but her organization is close to finding residents. She’s excited to see the Mass Casitas in place.

“We got to see it at the port where they were built,” Knapp said. “But to now see it actually come to fruition is incredibly exciting.”

Leticia Cervantes is the Innovation Director for Hacienda CDC. She said they built all six Mass Casitas in less than four months at Terminal 2 in Northwest Portland. The material, mass timber, is more environmentally friend and more affordable for contractors. She said Mass Casitas could be a tool in solving Oregon’s housing crisis.

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“I see this as a tremendous opportunity of bringing more affordable housing alternatives for different scenarios, for people who lost their homes in the wildfires, and also people in urban areas that simple don’t have enough affordable housing,” Cervantes said.

Knapp agrees.

“This is one of the steps in the solution to this big crisis we’re all dealing with and this is new tool we have in our tool box,” Knapp said.

The final placement of the Mass Casitas is not the end of the project. Cervantes said over the next year they will follow the resident and see how the homes deal with their specific climate and if the homes work well for the residents. If all goes well Hacienda hopes to start mass producing Mass Casitas.

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