Nonprofit begins construction of senior apartments in Felida after four years of planning

While backhoes collected dirt, community leaders celebrated a unique event that will help Clark County seniors age in place.

Four years in the making, a 65-unit affordable seniors apartment building has finally opened in Felida, northwest of Vancouver.

“This is a transformative moment for Clark County,” said Howard Klink, a board member of the nonprofit Specialized Housing.

Felida Park Senior Housing + PACE, 12314 NW 36th Ave., is led by Specialized Housing, an Oregon-based nonprofit that builds affordable housing for people with disabilities and seniors.

About 30 people gathered at the construction site Wednesday morning as children’s squeals and giggles echoed through the construction site. The site is located next to Felida Park in a tree-lined area. Transit nearby.

“This will provide a safe and welcoming place for our elderly neighbors to live and thrive,” said Senator Annette Cleveland, D-Vancouver. “We recognize that housing is health and understand that a coordinated and integrated approach to comprehensive housing and health services better serves our residents and provides a better quality of life.”

The project will serve people age 55 and older who earn less than 50 percent of the area median income, which is about $41,300 per year per person in Clark County.

The project is a first in Clark County as it will offer on-site services through the Program for Integrated Care for the Elderly, often referred to as a PACE facility. Medicare provides health and social services to people age 55 and older, including primary care, dental care, and nursing home care.

The three-story building will cost approximately $30 million and will include affordable one- and two-bedroom apartments.

Rents increase every year, but in 2024, apartment prices ranged from $663 to $1,106 for a studio apartment, according to Specialized Housing. Rents will be different in 2026, when the building is scheduled to open.

Affordable housing is a need our community lacks, officials said Wednesday.

Brian McCarl, executive director of Specialized Housing, said the nonprofit conducted a comprehensive market analysis and found there was a shortage of about 2,600 units in Clark County. McCarl said much of that demand is for affordable multifamily housing.

Of the 8,752 people who experienced homelessness in Clark County last year, 13 percent were age 55 or older. According to a previous report by The Columbian, housing costs, a lack of affordable options and a limited social safety net are reasons why seniors become homeless.

“Low-income seniors are the fastest growing segment of homelessness in Clark County. This will let us know that we are moving in the right direction,” McCarl said.

The project received grants from the Washington State Department of Commerce and the Firstburg Foundation. Organizations such as the Vancouver Housing Authority, Clark County Public Health and the Clark County Commission on Aging also helped lead the project, ensuring residents’ needs were met.

While the speakers were praising the new construction, a bluebird came down and settled on a pile of dirt at the site. The blue bird has long been associated with good health, happiness and hope.

“This is a community project and we hope it will add value and benefit to our community and the community as a whole for the next 75 years,” McCarl said.