Turning housing purpose into property outcomes.

Affordable Rental Units

Existing rental buildings can provide stable, well-maintained homes for working families and essential service workers who need housing that fits their income over the long term. Copia Foundation works with established multifamily properties to preserve rental availability, improve building quality where needed, and maintain homes that remain connected to employment, schools, transit, and daily services. The focus is practical housing security for residents who are too often priced out of the neighborhoods where they work and contribute.

Priority Population Housing

Some people encounter housing barriers that standard rental options do not address. Copia Foundation supports housing environments for newcomers, equity-deserving communities, and people navigating major life transitions, pairing appropriate homes with settlement support, tenant navigation, and connections to local services. These projects are designed to create a reliable starting point from which residents can establish stability, access opportunity, and participate fully in community life.

Adaptive Building Conversions

Underused buildings can become valuable local housing and community assets when they are thoughtfully repurposed. Copia Foundation explores conversions that add multifamily homes while creating useful civic space for residents, service organizations, and neighborhood-based initiatives. By bringing new life to existing structures, these projects can help strengthen local infrastructure, make better use of established urban areas, and support revitalization without requiring communities to start from scratch.

Mixed-Use Community Hubs

Housing is stronger when people can access trusted support close to home. Copia Foundation develops integrated spaces that combine homes with room for nonprofit organizations, social enterprises, and locally rooted services. These hubs help connect residents with the practical resources that support everyday life, including community programming, employment support, family services, and places to meet, organize, and participate in the neighborhood.

Project Updates

Copia Foundation supports developments that widen access to affordable homes and help communities remain rooted. The initiatives below describe the types of work Copia Foundation takes an interest in.

Affordable Housing with Resident Support

Sector
Affordable rental units
Engagement focus
New affordable housing supply, anti-displacement, and resident services
Project scope
New construction of a 142-unit multifamily development, including 18 permanent supportive-housing units
Geography
Cully, Northeast Portland, Oregon, United States

Las Adelitas is a 142-unit affordable rental community built on the former Sugar Shack site in Portland’s Cully neighborhood. Developed to respond to rising rents, displacement, and gentrification, the property serves people experiencing homelessness, working families, and people of color. Homes range from studios to three-bedroom apartments; 55 are affordable to households earning up to 30% of area median income, while 86 are affordable to households earning up to 60% of area median income.

Housing at Las Adelitas is paired with community infrastructure and on-site support. Eighteen homes are designated as permanent supportive housing with services, while wider resident programming focuses on youth and family support, housing stability, and economic security.

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Supportive Housing for People Facing Homelessness

Sector
Priority Population Housing
Engagement focus
Housing access and stability for people experiencing homelessness
Project scope
Acquisition and major renovation of a 14-room building
Geography
Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Montreal, Quebec

L’Anonyme’s Le 3629 provides 14 rooms in a high-tolerance community-housing setting for people experiencing homelessness who may not qualify for conventional public or community housing. Opened in 2021, the residence follows a harm-reduction approach: residents can access counselling and other supports when they choose, without being required to change their habits or enroll in a formal program.

Acquisition and major renovation transformed a building previously affected by poor conditions and criminal activity. The renewed property includes private rooms, a fully equipped shared kitchen, and meeting spaces, creating a more stable residential option supported by community, public-sector, and local political partners.

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Renewing a Social-Housing Community

Sector
Adaptive Building Conversions
Engagement focus
Renewal of existing housing and community infrastructure
Project scope
Comprehensive revitalization of a 185-unit housing complex
Geography
Saint-Michel, Montreal, Quebec

Habitations Saint-Michel Nord involved the revitalization of a 185-unit social-housing complex in Montréal’s Saint-Michel neighborhood. The work renewed aging buildings while retaining the existing number of homes, added third floors to eight buildings, and preserved original wood structures where feasible. Improvements addressed building-envelope and safety concerns while introducing brighter interiors, larger windows and balconies, and stronger energy performance.

A central pedestrian street, connected walking routes, and small public squares now organize the complex as a more open and connected residential setting. Rebuilt community spaces were moved to accessible, street-facing locations, including a local restaurant, daycare, children’s play area, youth center, and multipurpose room.

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