EAH Housing and Catholic Charities announced the agreement Tuesday. The transaction, which still requires regulatory approval, is expected to close in the second quarter of 2027. The portfolio includes family, senior and supportive housing across the Portland area, Happy Valley, Sandy, Eugene and other Oregon communities.

Catholic Charities CEO Kaleen Deatherage said the sale will allow the organization to concentrate on its social services mission and pay down debt. The nonprofit entered the affordable housing sector to help people, she said, and that purpose remains unchanged.

“What has changed is our understanding of where we can make the greatest impact,” Deatherage said in a statement. “Transitioning these properties to EAH Housing allows them to remain in the hands of a nonprofit deeply committed to affordable housing while Catholic Charities concentrates our resources and expertise on what we do best – walking alongside people who are vulnerable and helping them move toward greater stability.”

The deal has been in the works since January. Guardian Real Estate Services will continue to manage the properties. For EAH, the purchase marks its first entry into the Pacific Northwest.

EAH CEO Laura Hall pointed to Oregon’s housing crisis as a driving factor.

“Families and seniors across Oregon are being priced out of the communities they call home, and the need for stable, well-managed affordable housing has never been greater,” Hall said. “This expansion is a natural extension of our mission, and we look forward to listening to and learning from Oregon residents and partners as we build our presence in this region.”

The sale comes as affordable housing providers across Oregon face mounting financial pressure. Owners cite past-due rent, rising operating and insurance costs, and growing demands on property managers to address complex behavioral health needs. Those strains have pushed some nonprofits to sell properties or seek new revenue.

Last year, Reach Community Development, one of Oregon’s largest affordable housing landlords, struck a $12.6 million deal to sell 66 homes, saying the move would ease cash flow problems and help tenants become homeowners. Reach partnered with Minneapolis nonprofit Brick By Brick Housing Corp. and the national Housing Partnership Network to form Rose City Fund LLC, which is repairing and selling single-family, duplex and multiplex homes to new buyers, many of them current tenants.

The EAH acquisition keeps the 19 properties under nonprofit ownership, a outcome that housing advocates say is critical as Oregon struggles with a persistent shortage of affordable homes. The deal’s completion will depend on regulatory approvals expected over the coming months.