HIVE Groundbreaking: Building the Future of Attainable Housing Together
- Amy Snyder
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
On December 5th, something remarkable happened in Newberg. Despite the rain, hundreds of community members, partners, and supporters gathered to break ground on the Housing Innovation Village Experience (HIVE), a project that represents not just ten new homes, but a fundamentally different way of thinking about housing.
We're still moved by the energy of that day. Seeing builders, employers, city leaders, nonprofit partners, and neighbors standing together in the rain, shovels in hand, reminded us why this work matters.
Why HIVE Matters
HIVE is our answer to a question we hear everywhere: how do we build housing that teachers, healthcare workers, service employees, and other essential professionals can actually afford?
This 10-unit cottage cluster in Newberg is designed for households earning 80-120% of Area Median Income, the working families who are the backbone of our local economy but who too often find themselves priced out of the communities they serve. HIVE pairs thoughtful design with emerging building technologies to reduce construction time, lower costs, and deliver durable, energy-efficient homes that will serve residents well for generations.
A Real-World Laboratory
What makes HIVE special is that we're not betting on a single solution. We're bringing together six innovative builders, each using a distinct construction approach, all building side-by-side under the same conditions. This is how we learn what actually works, not in theory, but in practice.
Mods/HONE is using off-site mass-timber modular construction with MPP panels, bringing industrialized precision and energy efficiency to every unit.
HumanKind Homes is pioneering geopolymer concrete blocks designed for automated assembly, creating non-combustible structures that resist dry rot, pests, and water damage while targeting net-zero energy.
Elemental Building Technologies brings steel-frame modular construction optimized for automated production, combining low-maintenance commercial cladding with net-zero design.
Mahonia NW is scaling up panelized wood-frame construction to deliver flexible, accessible two- and three-bedroom cottages designed for residents at all stages of life.
Unbrick is applying cross-laminated timber through a precision kit-of-parts system that enables rapid assembly with an emphasis on accessibility and net-zero performance.
CedarStone is designing biophilic homes using prefabricated mass timber panels for quality precision, net zero readiness, and affordability.
Together, these builders prove what we believe deeply: there's no single silver bullet for housing affordability. But there are smarter, more intentional ways forward.
Housing as Economic Infrastructure
HIVE is produced by the Missing Middle Housing Fund in partnership with SEDCOR, with investment guidance from the Workforce Housing Investment Fund (WHIF), an advisory committee established by the Newberg Workforce Housing Consortium to steward a $3 million revolving fund dedicated to attainable workforce housing.
This partnership matters because it recognizes a truth that's becoming impossible to ignore: workforce housing isn't a nice-to-have. It's economic infrastructure. When employers can't find housing for their employees, when teachers commute an hour each way, when healthcare workers can't afford to live in the communities they serve, it's an economic challenge that affects us all.
What Comes Next
As we move from groundbreaking to building, HIVE will become a place where innovation meets implementation. We'll be measuring performance, documenting lessons, and sharing what we learn so that other communities can adapt these approaches to their own needs.
But more than that, HIVE represents something bigger: what becomes possible when we stop waiting for perfect solutions and start testing real ones. When we bring together builders willing to try new approaches, employers who understand housing as economic strategy, and communities ready to embrace change.
Thank You
To everyone who stood with us in the rain on December 5th, thank you. Your presence wasn't just symbolic. It was a statement that this community is ready to build differently, think differently, and create housing that is actually attainable for working people.
We are very grateful for our event sponsors, Summit Bank, PGE, and Higgins Signs. There are many exciting HIVE events on the horizon this year, including our VIP presentation in Spring and Consumer show in Fall. If you would like to be part of our growing group of event sponsors please contact Amy Snyder, amy.snyder@missingmiddlehousing.fund.
This is just the beginning. We can't wait to show you what we build together.
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