While this post is about a community success in Eugene, I’m sharing it as an example of what works when government and other organizations genuinely empower community-driven policy and actions.
The following was posted in the May 2026 issue of the Jefferson Westside Neighbors eNews.
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| Ollie Court Grand Opening Innovative Affordable Housing and Early Learning Center Opens in JWN On a sunny breezy April day city and county leaders, staff, residents, and neighbors gathered at Ollie Court for its grand opening. Ollie Court is 80 units (163 bedrooms) of affordable housing and an early learning center located on W. 14th Ave. near Chambers. Ollie Court is perfectly situated in our walkable neighborhood near schools, churches, parks, mass transit, and shopping. It has been a long process bringing this innovative project to fruition. In 2012, Paul Conte, then Chair of the Jefferson Westside Neighbors (JWN), collaborated with Richard Herman, who at the time was Executive Director of Metropolitan Affordable Housing (now Cornerstone Community Housing), to engage the community in support of a “multi-generational, family-friendly” subsidized housing project at what was known as the old Naval Reserve site. Later, JWN Chair Steven Heider fought to keep the city of Eugene from selling off that property. Fast forward to 2019, Homes for Good (HFG) Director Jacob Fox reached out to JWN Chair Ted M. Coopman about building permanent supportive housing at W. 13th Ave. and Tyler. The result was the Keystone Apartments and start of a productive relationship between HFG and the JWN. After an unsanctioned homeless camp at the old Naval Reserve site devastated the neighborhood during COVID, the JWN Board decided to revisit affordable housing at that location and began the complex process of revising the neighborhood refinement plan to allow that use. The state and local government finally caught up with the need and changed land use rules that allowed for affordable housing without changing the zoning. The JWN reached out to Homes for Good about developing the property. That discussion led to a happy stakeholder alignment. Homes for Good had been eyeing that site, and neighbors wanted the site filled, expressing a desire to see an early learning component. Early Childhood CARES, which provides early childhood special education to infants, toddlers and preschool age children and Head Start. already had began a discussion with HFG about integrating early learning and childcare in affordable housing. The JWN facilitated the public process at the Eugene Faith Center. The JWN, Eugene Faith Center, Chavez Elementary/4J, the Unitarian Universalist Church, Ward 1 City Councilor Emily Semple, and County Commissioner Laurie Treiger coordinated to support the project. The Eugene City Council approved the project with no one testifying in opposition, a tribute to good public process. Ollie Court is a major milestone in the evolution of affordable housing and providing support to families with children. The process that brought together stakeholders, especially neighbors, in addressing our city’s most pressing needs illustrates how collaboration based on mutual respect, listening to neighbors’ concerns, and getting stakeholder buy-in can deliver needed housing. Neighborhood associations like the JWN are a linchpin in this process as we are positioned to build mutual understanding as well as manage public involvement, mediate conflicts, and foster solutions via Good Neighbor Agreements like those in place for the Keystone and Ollie Court. This is how we build inclusive communities where people want to live. |
Here are two resources for how another community-drive project succeeded.
Bullet lists of citizen empowerment activities.
Comprehensive report on multi-neighborhood process that received national recognition.
Compare these process to the secretive, closed-door way that the SROA Administration and Sunriver Design Committee conduct major updates to the Sunriver Rules & Regulations and the Design Manual.
Sunriver owners aren’t empowered from the very beginning of these processes. Instead, the updates are “fully-cooked” before owners even are informed about what’s proposed.
SUNRIVER NEIGHBORS 
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