Mission and Overview

Mission statement

Northwest Housing Alternatives’ mission is to create opportunity through housing. NHA provides affordable housing options for families, seniors and people with special needs across Oregon.

Who We Are

Founded in 1982, Northwest Housing Alternatives (NHA) is the leading not-for-profit developer of affordable housing in Oregon. Our mission is to create opportunity through housing. To that end, NHA develops, builds, and manages rental housing designed for Oregonians with extremely limited incomes; most NHA households earn less than $16,000 per year. These homes help families live healthy and stable lives, allow older adults to age in place, and give people with special needs a dignified residence. Along with providing affordable housing, NHA provides services that connect tenants to critical health and community resources, work to prevent homelessness before it begins, and offer emergency shelter and services for families experiencing homelessness.

NHA is also a leader in affordable housing Preservation projects across Oregon. After being the first organization to use the Oregon Housing Acquisition Fund to purchase seven properties comprising 247 units of Section 8 Housing, NHA has gone on to pursue five additional Preservation projects. NHA is always working to enhance our portfolio’s sustainability and works closely with local partners to drive innovations in our field.

NHA Campus

Northwest Housing Alternatives’ state headquarters is located in historic downtown Milwaukie, OR. Our campus re-opened in July 2019 after being completely rebuilt from the ground up. The campus includes NHA’s offices, the Annie Ross House Family Emergency Shelter, and 28 units of permanent affordable housing.

NHA’s office is built to Net Zero Energy Building standards and features a 41.97kW solar array on the roof. Click to see the building’s current and historic energy usage. This solar energy project has been funded in part by Portland General Electric’s Green Future participants through the Renewable Development Fund.