Hawthorne East provides affordable housing in inner Southeast Portland. Northwest Housing Alternatives acquired the building in 2013, preserving the Section 8 vouchers associated with the units serving seniors and disabled residents. The project was part of the Portland Housing Bureau’s 11x13 Housing Preservation Campaign, a program that identified 11 privately-owned affordable apartment buildings for renovation.

The seven-story building of reinforced masonry and precast hollow-core concrete floors was originally constructed in 1982. Site improvements include new landscaping, reconfiguration of the main building entrance for better orientation to SE 16th Ave, and a new accessible ramp at the south side of the building for direct access to Hawthorne Blvd and an adjacent transit stop. Exterior building upgrades include roof and window replacement, brick cleaning and repair, and installation of a new high-density fiber cement siding rain screen system. The units and common areas received modernized HVAC systems, new Energy Star appliances, LED lighting, and replacement of all plumbing fixtures with low-water-use fixtures. Interior upgrades include new flooring, carpentry, and finishes. An occupied rehab, the project succeeded in having minimal impact on residents, even as the team encountered unforeseen conditions during construction.