Non-Profit Organization Dedicated to Student Success
Our Mission
College Housing Northwest is a non-profit organization that enhances student success by creating supportive housing communities, providing programs and services, and reducing the financial burden for students.
1969
Created by students for students, CHNW grows out of a 1969 Portland State University urban studies class examining the need for student housing near the University’s downtown campus.
1972
CHNW opens a brand-new 221-unit high-rise apartment building in Portland’s Goose Hollow neighborhood to expand the housing at PSU. The building, known as Goose Hollow Tower, is funded through a loan from the Department of Housing and Urban Development and represents CHNW’s first major asset.
1988
CHNW finalizes a lease-equity acquisition arrangement with the Housing Authority of Portland to renovate and manage three additional apartment buildings located near the PSU campus.
1999
Goose Hollow Plaza is constructed. Since then, CHNW has operated seven facilities (485 units) in Portland.
2006
CHNW opens The Gem on the Oregon State University campus, a 231-unit facility renovated by CHNW and owned by the University.
2010
The Board of Directors hires Dave Garnand in August to lead CHNW through a transitional period in the organization and to help identify a renewed direction.
2016
CHNW breaks ground on development of The Amy, a 141-unit facility on the south side of the Portland State University Campus.
2017
CHNW is ranked 10th among Oregon's “Best Nonprofits to Work For” in the large organization category.
2019
This year marks the grand opening of The Amy, a 141-unit facility on the south side of the Portland State University Campus.
2020
The Affordable Rents for College Students (ARCS) pilot program is created in collaboration with local colleges and nonprofit organizations to assist in providing housing with rental assistance for students experiencing houselessness and housing insecurity.
2021
College Housing Northwest acquires Curry Court, a 21-unit apartment community located close to Oregon Health and Science University and the National University of Natural Medicine.
2022
Pam Blumenthal is hired as the Director of the Affordable Rents for College Students program. Pam’s experience includes over 16 years at Portland Community College, where she built innovative programs that supported low-income students, foster youth, and other historically marginalized students.
2022
The 601 becomes College Housing Northwest’s first apartment community located on the east side of Portland. This student housing property was purchased to house and support students attending Mount Hood Community College and other nearby educational institutions.
2023
Connery Place is purchased in partnership with the Oregon Department of Human Resources and is strategically located one block from Portland Community College’s southeast campus.
Low Barriers to Entry
We do our best to make it easy for college students to find housing. Below are just a few of the low barriers to entry that help make this possible.
No first and last month's rent required!
No employment history or proof of income is required.
Rental history is not required - first time renters welcome!
We offer low move-in deposits and application fees.
We do not require a cosigner.
Partnership Opportunities
CHNW is seeking collaboration and partnering opportunities with higher education institutions and development organizations to construct or redevelop new apartment housing exclusively for post-secondary students.
CHNW’s 501(c)(3) status allows for the unique opportunity to bond-finance projects, requiring little to no equity and allowing Colleges and Universities to focus on education while still providing a close-to-campus housing experience for students.
CHNW is interested in purchasing apartment buildings in and around campuses that allow us to provide more affordable housing and targeted services to college students.
CHNW is interested in master leasing apartment buildings (The term “master leasing” is an industry phrase that could be rephrased for the lay person.) that are conducive to housing college students in the general vicinity of colleges. Our non-profit status allows us to pass our tax savings on to students in the form of enhanced services and below market rents.
CHNW is able to finance development projects utilizing tax-exempt-rated bonds, often with little equity requirements.
Mr. Rader has been a director since 2005. His professional experience is primarily in banking, from managing lending units to operational functions and product groups. Mr. Rader was Regional Vice President at Bank of the West, where he oversaw the Treasury Management function and staff for offices throughout Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada and California.
Bob Magnuson enjoys an extensive executive management background primarily in healthcare, private equity, and finance. He served in a variety of senior roles including stints as a company Vice-President, CFO, President and CEO across multiple domestic and international geographies. Bob holds a Bachelor of Science from The University of Oregon and a Master of Public Administration from Portland State University. He resides in Salem, Oregon with his wife Jennifer and their five children.
Diane L. Odeh is a PhD student at Portland State University studying social equity as it pertains to public affairs and policy. Diane first became involved with the Goose Hollow Resident Council in 2020 after being so impressed with how well College Housing Northwest supported student residents. She then became a CHNW board member in 2022 after serving on the CHNW Racial Equity Committee. With a decade of experience working with college students, Diane serves as an advocate for both traditional and non-traditional residents within CHNW.
Hollis (he/him) is a student affairs program coordinator and a 2020 graduate of Portland State University’s Master of Social Work program. In that program, he particularly became more interested in mezzo and macro-level social justice issues. He is currently a candidate in PSU’s College of Urban and Public Affairs where he studies nonprofit/public management and organizational leadership. Hollis has been part of the CHNW community since 2017 and a board member since 2018.
Laura Rosales is currently a Regional Manager with Prime Residential Property Management. Earning her real estate license in Texas in 1994 and completing her CAM Courses in 2001, Laura worked for R.M.I. Property Management as a Property Manager from 2000-2002. From 2002-2004 Laura was the Regional Training Director for the Texas region and from 2004-2007 she worked as a Regional Property Manager managing over 3500 units and over 10 communities. Laura moved to Washington State in 2007 where she continued her career as a Regional Property Manager through 2011 with Aspen Square Management and with IPM as a Portfolio Manager. Laura was also the Market Sales Manager at RentPath and a Vice-President with Templeton Property Management.
Tenisha Tevis is an Assistant Professor in the Adult and Higher Education program at Oregon State University. Empirically, drawing on her former administrative experience, she has improved the practice of higher education administrators, re-conceptualized theoretical frameworks, and given voice to underserved and marginalized populations.
Eva has a degree from Portland State University. She currently works as an analyst conducting various investigations for major international companies. Her involvement with CHNW goes back to 2016 when she was still an undergrad. Eva has been a welcome addition to the board.
Jennifer has spent much of her professional career working and volunteering in education. More recently she has worked for a non-profit that partners with schools serving low-income students to provide a reading intervention program with a focus on education equity. Jennifer earned a Bachelor of Science from Oregon State University and a Masters of Arts in Teaching from George Fox University.
Board of Directors
Have we mentioned that we’re committed to serving students? That mission runs deep through our entire organization. You can feel it when you meet our team, from community assistants to the board of directors, and you can see it in our community involvement. We walk our talk through collaborative service and professional excellence.
Fiscal Year 2022 Annual Report
Take a look at our 2022 Annual Report below. We take pride in the money we save students and keeping a high level of transparency in our organization.
