The Nel, a new downtown Eugene apartment building from Homes for Good, was named to invoke a personal feel. It purposefully sounds like the name of a person, but it’s not based on a real person. Its origins can be found within the name of the street it sits on, Charnelton.

“It’s kind of cute and it’s very human and it’s easy to remember,” Homes for Good spokesperson Ela Kubok said.

In the coming weeks, the red brick building’s 45 studios will fill with people who have dealt with chronic homelessness and are in need of support as they seek stability and health.

The Nel, on 11th Avenue and Charnelton Street, is a Permanent Supportive Housing program, which means tenets’ leases last as long as they need and residents have supportive services available such as case management, health services, peer support, substance abuse treatment, and help finding employment. Laurel Hill Center will be the provider of the support services that aim to help residents stay in housing and achieve their goals related to self-sufficiency. Laurel Hill staff can be found on the bottom floor of the building.

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The building was designed with the trauma of homelessness in mind. There are big windows in the laundry rooms so residents can keep an eye on their possessions, bed bug-resistant mattresses and social spaces where neighbors can build community. The building is strategically located near public transportation, the downtown library, bike lanes and employment resources.

“We know that housing and health supportive services can help people heal,” Jacob Fox, Executive Director of Homes for Good, said. “That’s why buildings like this are a responsible investment for our community.”

As of June, there were at least 4,286 people experiencing homelessness in Lane County. The Nel will add 45 units to the county’s current inventory of 734 units of Permeant Supportive Housing.

Cost of the project is $14.5 million. Homes for Good was awarded funding by Oregon Housing and Community Services for 9% Low Income Housing Tax Credits in July 2020. Additional funding for The Nel came from the City of Eugene HOME Funds, capital support from Pacific Source and other public and private funds. Project Based Vouchers have been awarded for rental subsidies of all The Nel’s units. Lane County secures funds for the services.

Homes for Good is Lane County's local housing authority. Kubok hopes staff from regional and out-of-state U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development offices can take note of the partnerships that have made Permanent Supportive Housing projects like The Nel and The Commons on MLK possible.

“We have a very strong partnership with Lane County, and without them we are not able to really do Permanent Supportive Housing,” Kubok said. “Then there are other nonprofits that come together to help and I think that is what our area can show to some of those out-of-state leaders… our partnership is definitely unique, for the Housing Authority and the county to work so closely together to address homelessness, it’s special.”

People can get only get a spot at The Nel by referral. However, the opening coincides with the organization’s waitlist connect event, which began July 26 and will continue until Aug. 9.

For the first time, Homes for Good opened all 50 of its waitlists for housing programs around Lane County at once. This will include the Housing Choice Voucher program (also known as the Section 8), the Project Based Voucher program, Public Housing, Multifamily Housing, and Affordable Housing waiting lists. Staff have organized pop-up events around the county to talk to people about what waitlists they are eligible for and help people decide where they might want to live. There’s also phone support available at 541-682-2550 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day until Aug. 10.

Kubok said the idea came from focus groups made up of those who had previously applied.

“We asked them what worked and what didn't work because some of them got housed through the process and others were still on the waiting list,” Kubok said. “So, we'll just see if this has worked, if this has made a change or if we need to evolve that event into something else."

Applications can be completed online at https://www.homesforgood.org/. People can also go to Homes for Good’s office at 100 W 13th Ave, Eugene, OR 97401 for help and internet.

As of July 28, Homes for Good received 7,000 applications.

Contact reporter Tatiana Parafiniuk-Talesnick at Tatiana@registerguard.com or 541-521-7512, and follow her on Twitter @TatianaSophiaPT. Want more stories like this? Subscribe to get unlimited access and support local journalism.