Construction on 15 more cottages in northeast Salem for seniors at risk of homelessness can begin immediately following a $50,000 donation from WaFd Bank.
The news comes only a few months after the United Way of the Mid-Willamette Valley’s Cottages United first opened its doors to residents. Ten cottages opened for residents 55 and older in May near Swegle Elementary on Market Street NE.
At the ribbon cutting, United Way of the Mid-Willamette Valley CEO Rhonda Wolf called the project “five years of a dream come true.”
She said people older than 55 are the fastest-growing population at risk of homelessness. Many are on fixed incomes that fail to keep pace with increasing rents.
The need in the community is enormous, she added.
In a recent survey of those homeless in the Salem area, 429 of the 1,683 people counted were 55 and older.
When a waitlist opened for the cottages, 150 people signed up within two weeks.
Each cottage has a kitchen, dining area, in-unit washer and dryer, bathroom and separate bedroom and small outdoor space.