Alberta Alive fosters a vibrant community with sustainable, affordable housing that serves Portland’s historically Black Northeast neighborhoods. The two-site development – including the Ronnie Herndon and Paul Knauls buildings – offers 21 family-sized units and 31 veteran units alongside multiple recreational spaces, providing a shared community for underserved individuals and families.
With an emphasis on sustainability and resiliency, Alberta Alive’s interactive grid and central heat pump water heater system help residents save energy and money during peak demand when energy costs are higher. In addition, the tanks can be filled with water and preheated to act as insulation, providing reliable hot water even if the grid goes down or there’s a scheduled brownout.
As temperatures increase each year across the Pacific Northwest, Alberta Alive is a force for environmental justice by providing the comfort of efficient cooling and heating to those living in affordable housing. Energy Trust is proud to support this project that provides relief and comfort to its residents, allowing them to invest more time in the greater community.
“[The Community Development Partners] had a vision that this project could help reverse gentrification in a neighborhood that has witnessed pretty dramatic changes over the last several decades.”
– Rosanne Lynch of Access Architecture