All Residents living in Macdonald Residence receive Medicaid, something that’s been true from day one. Why is this model getting harder?

Michelle Meyer (she/her): Macdonald Residence Assisted Living is a unique facility because it’s a low-income tax credit property that houses a very vulnerable population. That means it doesn’t really have a viable source of long-term income. The state reimburses us for care services and staffing, but there’s a gap. We’re always pressed to do enough fundraising to keep up with long-term maintenance as the building ages, like replacing our roof.

But we’re also facing additional pressures today. Residents are now coming in with much higher needs than when we opened in 1999. That means we need a larger staff to serve the population living in our building and renovate the space to accommodate this larger staff.

It also means we can no longer get by with one 20-year-old elevator that we struggle to keep operational. When Macdonald Residence was built, we had fewer residents depending on power chairs for mobility. The wear and tear on the elevator is above and beyond what it was designed to take.

Additionally, this higher rate of Resident need, coupled with the realities of our Old Town neighborhood, makes me very nervous that we don’t have a higher level of safety. For example, the vestibule in the Residence has just one door instead of the double-door security system we need.

I was asked directly by a state employee recently, “Why don’t you have money for these needed upgrades?” I suppose they thought we should have been able to save enough from rent incomes over time for these types of things.

But that’s not really the way affordable apartment buildings are structured. The rents are so low they don’t cover the full cost of a building’s long-term maintenance. I suspect this is part of the reason why we’re not seeing affordable housing built at the needed rate—it’s just not a very attractive business proposition.

It’s only because of committed donors that Macdonald Residence has been a financial reality for over 30 years!

Has Maybelle Center received any money levied from taxpayers towards low-income housing and supports?

There’s a sense that businesses, individuals, and Oregonians in general have invested a lot toward low-income housing. We’ve definitely not seen any of those dollars.

Whether it’s true or not, I’d be lying if I didn’t say I hope somewhere down the road, funds will come to support the delivery of our services and building maintenance—especially Macdonald Residence. Even knowing they’re often very ‘expensive’ dollars, which are very, very laden with red tape reporting.

Was there a particular experience that led you to partner with Old Town non-profits to write the Oregonian Op-Ed late last year?

Every day, our Neighborhood Program reaches out to folks living in buildings throughout Old Town. We’re seeing so much trauma from social isolation and pandemic backlash being compounded with the isolation many were already experiencing before the pandemic.

I know we’re all tired of talking about the pandemic, but if we’re honest, we have to acknowledge the very real, long-lasting impacts. Some people we’re re-engaging with have unfortunately become very, very isolated. It takes more time and work to encourage them to engage and become part of a community.

Collectively, we’re also struggling with the Old Town neighborhood. There’s really no better way to put it than it’s “rough” right now. It’s certainly not the place most people want to come to work. So, on top of inflationary-driven cost-of-living adjustments, we’ve had to raise wages and offer more attractive benefits to attract and retain staff. Plus, we’ve had to incur costs for 24/7 security at Macdonald Residence so residents and employees feel safe—especially night-shift workers.

This all sounds pretty rough. Are there any glimmers of hope?

I’m an eternal optimist, and I definitely think there’s a bright side. Lately, I’ve observed a greater awareness that getting roofs over heads is not the whole answer. We need to be aware of the contributing factors to wellbeing, like connection and belonging, that are critical to a person’s long-term success.

And that’s exactly the conclusion Oregon’s First Lady, Aimee Wilson, made when she visited Maybelle Center this summer. Aimee recognized how unique our mission truly was and how it was an integral piece of the housing puzzle, especially for folks with severe and persistent mental illness.

So, it’s my job—and yours too—to ensure that there’s also a growing awareness of Maybelle Center and the role we can play as we look towards rebuilding Portland.