The city and its partners received the Building Tomorrow Today Award for its Mariposa Village affordable housing development at the Oregon American Planning Association (OAPA) Annual Conference and Award Ceremony in Seaside.
Hood River Mayor Paul Blackburn and Planning Director Dustin Nilsen at the Oregon American Planning Association (OAPA) Annual Conference and Award Ceremony in Seaside. The city received the Building Tomorrow Today Award for its Mariposa Village affordable housing development. Also pictured, at right, is ECOnorthwest Project Director and Senior PlannerBeth Goodman.
Residents have begun moving into Mariposa Village as the first two of six residential buildings have been completed. The entire development is expected to be completed by spring 2027.
The city and its partners received the Building Tomorrow Today Award for its Mariposa Village affordable housing development at the Oregon American Planning Association (OAPA) Annual Conference and Award Ceremony in Seaside.
HOOD RIVER — Mariposa Village, the City of Hood River’s newest affordable housing development, has received the Oregon American Planning Association (OAPA) Building Tomorrow Today Award for 2026.
Hood River Mayor Paul Blackburn and Planning Director Dustin Nilsen at the Oregon American Planning Association (OAPA) Annual Conference and Award Ceremony in Seaside. The city received the Building Tomorrow Today Award for its Mariposa Village affordable housing development. Also pictured, at right, is ECOnorthwest Project Director and Senior PlannerBeth Goodman.
Photo courtesy City of Hood River
The City of Hood River is named in the award alongside project funding and agency partners, including Community Development Partners and Columbia Cascade Housing Corporation.
Hood River Mayor Paul Blackburn and Planning Director Dustin Nilsen were present at the OAPA Annual Conference and Award Ceremony in Seaside to accept the award, which recognizes projects that implement community vision and plans, provide community benefits, feature creativity, and are relevant to planning throughout Oregon.
Mariposa Village demonstrates how a community’s commitment to meeting its housing needs transformed adopted policy and vision into reality. Initiated by the City of Hood River with the purchase of a 7-acre parcel for the purpose of developing affordable housing, the project represents more than a decade’s work related to policy planning, innovative funding strategies, infrastructure investment, public engagement, and public-private partnerships. Upon completion, Mariposa Village will deliver the community’s first new income-restricted affordable housing development in more than a decade, providing sustainable and stable housing for 130 families earning 30–60% of area median income (AMI).
“I am honored to receive this award on behalf of Mariposa Village,” said Mayor Paul Blackburn. “This project is a representation of what can happen when a community comes together to tackle an ever-looming housing affordability problem. We couldn’t have done this without our partners at Community Development Partners and Columbia Cascade Housing Corporation, among countless others, who joined us to bring this project to life. We hope that this further inspires other communities to work together to address housing availability and affordability with creative solutions.”
Residents have begun moving into Mariposa Village as the first two of six residential buildings have been completed. The entire development is expected to be completed by spring 2027.
Photo courtesy City of Hood River
The city leveraged $1.6 million in local resources to attract $54.8 million in outside investment, demonstrating innovative financing and strong public-private partnerships. Planning staff played a central role in coordinating agencies, funding, and implementation.
This project is the first time the city stepped into the role of housing producer, and the success of this project created a model for the city to explore future housing development opportunities and engage in partnerships with local non-profits.
Residents have begun moving into Mariposa Village as the first two of six residential buildings were completed. The entire development is expected to be completed by spring 2027, and, in addition to providing much needed housing, will connect the neighborhood with new multimodal transportation improvements and promote community resilience through sustainable building practices and environmental restoration projects.
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