Avalon Drive Neighborhood
Project Overview
Avalon Drive is Big River Community Land Trust’s newest neighborhood-scale development: 42 homes for working families on 2.7 acres BRCLT owns on Avalon Drive in Hood River. The homes — a mix of 900 to 1,200 square foot townhomes and detached homes — will serve households earning 60–120% of area median income. A developer, architect, and general contractor are assembled, and the project is in active predevelopment; Faith Bible Church is carrying the land note.
Every home will be sold under BRCLT’s ground lease model, keeping it affordable for the buyer who purchases it today and for every family who owns it after them.
WHY IT MATTERS
30% of area residents spend more than half their income on housing.
The Gorge has lost half its kindergartners from local schools in five years.
It now takes 2–3x the income needed a decade ago to buy a market-rate home here.
Site Plan & Design
The draft site plan for the neighborhood is complete, laying out the homes, shared open space, and circulation for the Avalon Drive parcel. Our architect — Design Research Office — is working alongside civil engineer Klein & Associates to refine the plan as it moves through review.
Land Use & Permitting
BRCLT’s land use application is in with the City of Hood River. The review period is due to conclude by the end of January 2027.
Financing & Funding
- $2 million federal appropriation secured through Senator Merkley’s office.
- OHCS MIRL + DEQ funding in progress with the City of Hood River.
- LIFT Homeownership application opens September 21, 2026 (award notification expected November 2026), expected to cover roughly 60% of unit costs.
- $3 million remaining philanthropic gap — this is where additional donor and funder support comes in.
Together, these sources form the core of the capital stack for Avalon Drive. With the federal appropriation secured and the LIFT application underway, the $3 million philanthropic gap is the piece still open to be filled.
Development Team
- Development Partner: Edlen & Co
- Architect: Design Research Office
- Civil Engineer: Klein & Associates
- Construction Partner: CS Construction
- Land Partner: Faith Bible Church
How You Can Help
What makes this model powerful is that every gift continues to work. Investments are built into each home—so when a homeowner moves on, the same affordability passes to the next family. Your contribution rolls from one project to the next, creating impact again and again.
Together, we can build a more equitable, vibrant future—one where local families can put down roots and thrive in the Gorge for generations to come.
