Oregon Expands Affordable Housing for Seniors Yet Thousands Still Stuck on Waitlists
Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) is pushing for affordable and accessible solutions for Oregon’s older adult population.
House Bill 3589, which establishes the state’s Senior Housing Development Initiative, recently passed the state’s House of Representatives, allocating $24 million for new affordable housing opportunities for older adults, but many seniors end up on long waitlists.
Oregon Initiatives For Senior Housing
Oregon’s elderly population is growing, and with it, the urgent need for accessible, affordable housing. Difficulty with daily activities inside the home increases sharply with age, affecting more than 20% of those aged 75 and older.
Source: Oregon Housing and Community Services older adult housing update (Dec 26 2025) citing Urban Institute and University of Michigan data
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The Urban Institute and University of Michigan found that 98.5% of people aged 50-64 live in homes without accessibility features such as grab bars or ramps, and 40.5% say they can’t afford to modify their homes.
In addition, research by OHCS found that in Oregon, roughly 75% of extremely or very low-income households of people ages 55 and older reported being rent burdened in 2023, spending over 30% of their income on rent. Older adults with disabilities are significantly more likely to face severe rent burdens.
One project underway is Meadowlark Place in downtown Beaverton, co-developed by Community Partners for Affordable Housing (CPAH) and DCM Communities. The project will include 104 units of older adult housing, but is only expected to open its doors to residents in 2027.
The hidden problem is the waitlist bottleneck. Even seniors who qualify for help often cannot get it because housing vouchers and affordable apartment waitlists open briefly, then close, and use lotteries, so timing and luck decide who gets in.
Oregon Senior Housing Waitlists and Eligibility
Home Forward has waitlists for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, and for many apartment communities it owns or operates, but tenants must also meet specific income and other eligibility requirements before getting on a waitlist.
| Item | Current status | Key detail |
|---|---|---|
| Housing Choice Voucher waitlist | Closed | Last opened April 2025 / notices began the week of Nov 3 / selection is random |
| Voucher issuing | Paused | HUD shortfall status for 2025 / no households can be selected from the HCV waitlist while shortfall continues |
| Property based waitlists | Closed | Home Forward says it opened 11 property based waitlists last spring / notices are sent to all applicants |
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) indicated that the HCV program is in a shortfall status because costs exceed the federal funding allocated to Home Forward for 2025.
The HCV waitlist – last opened in April 2025 – is now closed. Home Forward began notifying applicants in early November and sent notices to everyone who applied to one or more waitlists.
But placement on the waitlist does not guarantee immediate housing assistance/ The issue of HCVs depends on limited federal funding and the availability of resources. Home Forward can’t give applicants a specific timeline for when they will be offered housing assistance.