Neighborhood Notes

The Portland Hope Meadows foster care project is on the agenda for this Thursday's City Council meeting. The project would build a community of homes, on the former John Ball School site, where foster children would be placed with adoptive families to gain some stability in their lives.

According to the Portland Tribune, the decision before the City Council is should the city lease the property to Hope Meadows for $1 per year. Previously, the City Council said Portland Meadows could seek the lease after meeting a number of conditions, including raising a significant portion of the projects estimated cost of $12.5 million.

There is significant opposition from the neighborhood, including the Portsmouth Neighborhood Association. The opposition argues that North Portland already has too many social service programs and low-income housing projects, and that the City Council is ignoring due process by not including the neighborhood in the process and not considering any alternative use for the site.

The City Council is scheduled to discuss the lease Thursday, Oct. 2 at 2pm.

Related links:

Portland Tribune - Controversial housing project returns to City Council

The Sentinal

Portsmouth Neighborhood Association

Portland Hope Meadows

Generations of Hope

Good Growth Northwest