HIVE is ALIVE: Attainable Housing Innovation Model Hits Full Stride
- Amy Snyder
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
Standing room only. That’s how the “Coalition of the Enthusiastic” showed up on March 19th to hear about our progress on the Housing Innovation Village Experience (HIVE) in Newberg.
Business leaders, community partners, elected officials, innovators, and newly interested attendees came to Autodesk’s 6th floor over breakfast to learn more about the future of housing. What they saw was a project that is no longer just an idea. HIVE has broken ground, momentum is building, and a new model for attainable housing is taking shape in the heart of the Willamette Valley.
A Vision for Housing That Can Scale
HIVE is more than a development. It's a demonstration - proof that collaborative partnership and different opportunities in housing innovation can reduce the time and cost to build. The ten middle-income units being built in Newberg are designed to be a template, one that can be replicated in communities across the state.
Voices from the Stage
Attendees heard from a passionate lineup of presenters.
Nathan Wildfire and Ryan Olsen of MMHF shared first history, and then progress on the project, including the site plan, unit renderings, and opportunities to support the development leading up to the public home show this Fall.
Erik Andersson of SEDCOR spoke to the regional economic stakes of workforce housing development.
Oregon House Representative Anna Scharf, who led the effort to secure $3M in state funding for HIVE, shared her passion for the project as well as her hopes for it to become a model for the state.
Nathan Young of Mods PDX | HONE talked about how HIVE will be a training ground for an innovative workforce development program with Building To Scale, the first builder-led residential construction training program in modular and mass timber developed in partnership with HONE and the Home Building Foundation.
Marcus Kauffman of the Oregon Department of Forestry and the Oregon Mass Timber Coalition spoke about the exciting intersection of mass timber and housing's future. Notably, half of HIVE's units will be built with prefabricated and modular mass timber products.
Innovator Showcase
Five housing innovators displayed their technologies at the event. Each innovator will be building at least one unit at HIVE.
CedarStone Design and Build – prefabricated mass timber
Mahonia NW – panelized construction
Mods PDX and HONE – mass plywood panels
HumanKind Homes - carbon-negative concrete, automated assembly, fire-resistant
Elemental Building Technologies - steel frame modular, fire-resistant
HIVE will also feature a Community Center building, jointly constructed by HumanKind Homes and Elemental Building Technologies with surrounding gardens.
Where We Are Now
HIVE broke ground in December 2025 and is moving full steam ahead toward its Fall 2026 Home Tour and Show, when all units are anticipated to be complete. There are four ways to get involved to support HIVE and housing innovation for our state. This will be a transformative model for reducing the time and cost to build more attainably priced housing. And HIVE will be the fastest subdivision ever developed in the state, with houses taking approximately 5 months from installation of utilities to the completion of nine homes.
The Four Opportunities to get Involved include:
SPONSOR. HIVE will be the first home show in the nation focused solely on housing innovation at middle-income prices. Our sponsorship goal of $500K will help support potentially scalable innovations that can make an impact on Oregon’s housing underproduction crisis. We are looking for brand communications partners, goods and service providers, donors, and sponsors who are interested in having a presence in the community for the home show and through private events.
INVEST. The innovators at HIVE represent the future of housing innovation in the areas of climate resiliency, modular construction, innovative and sustainable materials including mass timber, and automated assembly. Investing in these companies supports scalable innovation that addresses the housing shortage while solving the challenges of a shrinking construction workforce. Investment can be directly in the companies or their projects.
FINANCE. HIVE is seeking capital partners to accelerate the future of attainable housing. We will deliver a new, innovative model for community development for our workforce. We are seeking $2.5M in financing to support our innovators and ensure timely delivery of 10 innovative units.
BUY A HOME. HIVE’s 10 attainably priced units for middle-income earners are for sale. Choose the design that best meets your needs and enjoy living in the heart of Newberg, near George Fox University and Friendsview. Units range from 800 to approximately 1,500 square feet and feature 2-3 bedrooms and two parking spaces. Prices from the high $300’s – high 400’s.
A heartfelt thanks to our current sponsors and partners including SEDCOR, PGE, Summit Bank, SUM Design Studio + Architecture, Perkins Coie, Harper Houf Peterson Righellis Inc., and Higgins Signs.
The fastest subdivision in Oregon history is being built right now, and the doors are wide open as a sponsor, investor, financing partner, or future homeowner. There's a place for you in this story. We hope you will join us. Let’s build it together.
For more information, contact Ryan Olsen ryan.olsen@missingmiddlehousing.fund for development inquiries or Realtor Ben Nelson ben@assuranceteamrealestate.com for home sale information.
Contact Amy Snyder amy.snyder@missingmiddlehousing.fund regarding sponsorship opportunities.
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