New apartments for refugees, low-income families open in NE Salem
Refugee families from Syria, Eritrea and Afghanistan will be among the first to move into Blossom Gardens, a new affordable apartment complex that opened in northeast Salem this week.
The 90-unit complex is the first to be managed by Salem for Refugees, a nonprofit agency which has helped hundreds of refugees settle in the community since 2016.
The agency hosted a grand opening event on Monday, May 5, a few days before the first families were set to move in. The 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments include air conditioning, stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and bathroom mirrors with touch lighting that some guests played with, eliciting “oohs” and “ahhs.”
About 40 refugee families from around the world are on the waitlist to move in, said Sarah Crawford, the agency’s housing coordinator, and will go through an application process.
The apartments will offer supportive services for people who speak languages other than English. The agency’s clients will have priority for units, and they’ll work with partner organizations to fill others, she said. Anyone who meets income requirements can apply.
“We’ve been working so hard on this for so long,” Crawford said. “Salem needs affordable housing.”
To move in, residents must earn at or below 60% of the area median income, or $54,780 for a family of four. Nine of the 3-bedroom apartments are reserved for incomes of $27,390 or less for a family of four.
Rent for a 2-bedroom apartment would be limited to $1,233, according to state guidelines. The nine, lower-income 3-bedroom apartments would have rent limited at $712.
The total construction cost of $29.4 million was covered by a state grant. The property will have a playground, and on-site services for getting jobs, language classes, community spaces and mental health support.
Last year, Salem for Refugees resettled 400 people in Salem and Corvallis. When Salem for Refugees announced the project in December, Executive Director Luke Glaze said housing has been one of the largest barriers for resettlement.
Refugees are people who are in danger of persecution in their home countries, and are cleared to move to the U.S. by a federal process. A federal pause on incoming refugees is ongoing. Crawford said that pause has not yet affected this project because families in the community were ready to move in.
Contact reporter Abbey McDonald: [email protected] or 503-575-1251.
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Abbey McDonald joined the Salem Reporter in 2022. She previously worked as the business reporter at The Astorian, where she covered labor issues, health care and social services. A University of Oregon grad, she has also reported for the Malheur Enterprise, The News-Review and Willamette Week.
