We are so excited to start building at the site, but we have hit some delays due to the restrictions of our funding and some contaminants found at the site. In the winter of 2024, we were granted additional capital through the Federal Housing Trust Fund program to complete the project budget. This triggered the involvement of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) tp approve the project, in addition to receiving an approval of the site’s environmental review from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which we had already received. DEQ required additional soil and water testing of the site during wet and dry months, which pushed out our project and added unknowns to the site design. Results of these tests did not find substantial contaminants or sources, but did suggest the need for additional mitigation to ensure that soil vapors did not enter the buildings. As of September 29th, we have mitigation plans and testing data, but are waiting for DEQ approval and cost estimates before we can move forward. The additional costs for the testing and mitigation will likely be covered by a variety of government sources. While these delays are frustrating, we are still moving forward with the development of the site.
We are so grateful for the support we have received from the community. I am always available to answer any questions you have about our work. Please reach out if you want to know more about what’s happening.
Andrea Myhre
Executive Director
Corvallis Housing First
di******@*******************st.org