Affordable Housing at Montavilla UMC!

We are excited to announce that we are partnering with Leaven Land and Housing to build affordable housing on our property!

Our focus has always been to practice the neighbor-love that Jesus taught by responding to the felt needs of our neighbors.  We’ve done this by sharing space with neighborhood groups and nonprofits, providing a safe haven for our LGBTQIA+ neighbors, and various other ministries.
Now our neighbors need affordable housing. We can help make housing truly affordable by repurposing church land into space for the Church on the street level with apartments above.
70 Years ago, Montavilla Methodist Church realized that the old white church building was no longer serving the needs of the community.  So they tore it down and built the current building.  Once again, this old building no longer serves the needs of our community.  We are excited to serve our community in a new way!

Frequently Asked Questions

Are you tearing down the whole building?

Yes! Tearing down the building allows us to build more affordable housing!

When?

We are still in the pre-development phase and will update here as soon as the timeline is solidified!

Will you still have a parking lot?

Yes! We’re retaining the parking lot.

Will you be saving important items that have been donated over the years?

We have an experienced team of members committed to preserving the precious items that have been donated to and collected by the church throughout our rich history.

Who will manage the property?

A professional property management company, experienced with affordable housing, will be managing the property.

How can I get involved?

Come to Church – Sundays at 10am – We’d love to talk with you.  Visit this page frequently – we’ll share about public meetings and other details as they emerge.

Testimonials

“I’m a young adult, and I live with my partner and a roommate in a two bedroom apartment. It’s one of the cheapest apartments we could find, and I still pay half or more of my paychecks every month for rent, utilities, insurance, and Internet. Many people, who have it as an option, keep living with their parents because it’s too expensive to find housing. The church being taken down and affordable housing put up will help me and other people like me who are struggling. The building is old, full of asbestos, and in need of lots of repairs. With putting in affordable housing the church will still have church space, but there will also be more people getting helped and a bigger community forming in the same space. Helping people is one of the most important things we can do, and you never know when it’ll end up helping you out.”

 

The Land & Housing Coalition is a statewide collective that organizes faith-owned land for affordable housing. We mobilize land, people, and money toward reparations, counter narratives of ‘Othering’ in our communities, and grow a diverse base of leaders to change the broken housing systems pressing in on our neighbors. The member faith communities of the Coalition believe that our work can reverse our regional housing crisis if we commit in full faith to creative stewardship of our own lands and assets for diverse affordable housing.

Montavilla UMC is a longtime member of the Coalition. To learn more about how you can participate or support work like this across Oregon, visit the Land and Housing Coalition’s website or join our action newsletter.