SALEM, Ore. — On Friday, the Oregon Housing Stability Council approved a significant $165 million investment to help address the affordable housing crisis. This funding will support the construction of eight new housing developments, delivering more than 550 affordable homes to communities statewide. These projects will include 465 new rental homes, 87 homes for low-income homebuyers, and offer rental assistance and support services for residents at The Commons on MLK in Eugene.
“We know there is more work to do, yet these gains show what’s possible when we work together,” said OHCS Executive Director Andrea Bell. “With each new home, we are building a brighter future for the state we love. A future where families won’t be forced to move multiple times in a school year to find an affordable place to live. A future where progress is driven by the community and supported by the state. A future where we bridge the gap between our current reality and our potential, making life better for all Oregonians.”
Development details:
Rental
Development name | City | Number of homes | Awardee |
Elmonica Station | Beaverton | 81 | REACH CDC and Mercy Housing Northwest |
Gussie Belle Commons | Salem | 120 | Green Light LLC and Seed of Faith Ministries |
Legin Commons | Portland | 124 | Our Just Future and Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon |
Marine Drive | Astoria | 33 | Clatsop Behavioral Healthcare and Edlen & Co |
Woodland Hearth | Tigard | 63 | Community Partner for Affordable Housing |
Colonia Libertad II | Salem | 44 | Farmworker Housing Development Corporation |
The Commons on MLK | Eugene | 51 | Homes for Good |
Homeownership
Murphy Crossing 2 | Bend | 74 | Thistle & Nest |
Thompson Springs | Tillamook | 13 | Sammy's Place |
These developments address a critical need for affordable housing and community resources. Many of the rental developments will include spaces for resident services, such as community rooms, playgrounds, and on-site programs. For example, Colonia Libertad II in Salem will offer after-school programs and financial literacy workshops to support agricultural workers and their families.
Homeownership developments, such as Thompson Springs in Tillamook, are designed with affordability and inclusivity in mind. Thompson Springs will incorporate universal design features to meet the needs of individuals with intellectual, developmental, and other disabilities.
About Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS)
OHCS is Oregon's housing finance agency. The state agency provides financial and program support to create and preserve opportunities for quality, affordable housing for Oregonians of low and moderate income. OHCS administers programs that provide housing stabilization. OHCS delivers these programs primarily through grants, contracts, and loan agreements with local partners and community-based providers. For more information, please visit: oregon.gov/ohcs.
LINCOLN CITY, Ore. — A wildfire survivor is finding hope after moving into a new affordable housing community on the Oregon coast. On Labor Day in 2020, Micheal Haft remembers he had just gotten off work when he saw a fire approaching his home. What turned out to be the Echo Mountain Complex Fire engulfed his home the next day after he and others in the area evacuated. He lost nearly everything.
“When I came home from work, the mountain was on fire,” Micheal said. “By about midnight, the whole mountain was lit up. Tornado fires came in with heavy wind. Homes were gone in a matter of minutes.”
After the fire, Micheal, who is a lifelong Lincoln County resident, moved from place to place, including living with one of his daughters and temporary shelters. Now, four years later, he has a permanent place to call home. He moved into the recently opened Wecoma Place – a 100% affordable housing development, that provides culturally responsive and support services.
“I’m a different person, a lot happier, meeting people. We might have some training here to teach me how to cook, because I don’t cook very well,” he said.
Funded in part by 9% Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Housing Disaster Tax Credits, as well as a wildfire and General Housing Account Program grants from Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS), Wecoma Place is one of the newest state-funded projects that gives preference to wildfire survivors.
“Micheal’s story shows us how local and state partnerships can work hand in hand to provide real housing solutions for Oregonians in need,” said OHCS Executive Director Andrea Bell. “We know there is still much to do, but with the opening of Wecoma Place and other wildfire-preference developments on the horizon, we are delivering progress.”
Micheal wants other survivors to know they’re not alone, that there are housing resources, people, and organizations who want to help.
“I hope some other people up in the mountain who are still looking for a home, I hope they find a home, because I know what it’s like not to have a home,” he said. “I’ve learned there’s always hope now, and I feel so much better that I have my own space, my own way of life.”
To learn more about Micheal’s story, hear from him in his own words in this video.
PLEASE NOTE: The venue for the Jackson County public hearings has moved to the following location:
1st Phoenix Community Center
The Fellowship/Dining Room
121 W. Second St.
Phoenix
SALEM, Ore. – Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) has published a draft Action Plan Amendment for a $422 million disaster recovery grant and is seeking public input on the changes. Funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) is administered through a suite of programs, also known as “ReOregon,” that support individuals, households, and communities as they continue to recover from the 2020 Labor Day wildfires and straight-line winds.
OHCS is seeking public comment on the draft Action Plan Amendment, which reallocates program funds to create additional opportunities for renters and expands recovery options for Homeowner Assistance and Reconstruction Program applicants. A short summary of the key elements of the plan and the entire draft Action Plan Amendment is available for review on OHCS’ website at https://re.oregon.gov.
"We know those who are of low incomes were disproportionately impacted by the 2020 Labor Day Disasters,” said OHCS Deputy Director Caleb Yant. "These proposed program changes will create new programs to provide more resources for renters and homeowners such as rental and down payment assistance, and counseling services.”
Members of the public are invited to provide their input on the draft Action Plan Amendment through a 30-day comment period, during which OHCS will seek input through public hearings, online form, email, mail, or telephone. The hearings will include a short presentation by OHCS officials, followed by public feedback. Printed copies of the plan will be available by request.
The public hearing schedule is as follows:
1st Phoenix Community Center | McKenzie High School
| Gates Community Christ Church | North County Center |
Tuesday, Oct. 22 Wednesday, Oct. 23, in Spanish | Thursday, Oct. 24 | Monday, Oct. 28 | Tuesday, Oct. 29 |
Door: 5:30 p.m. | Door: 5:30 p.m. | Door: 5:30 p.m. | Door: 5:30 p.m. |
Public hearing: 6 p.m. | Public hearing: 6 p.m. | Public hearing: 6 p.m. | Public hearing: 6 p.m. |
The Fellowship/Dining Room | Old Gym | Sanctuary | Community Room 108 |
121 W. Second St., Phoenix | 51887 Blue River Drive, Vida | 40070 Gates School Road, Gates | 3788 SE High School Drive, Lincoln City |
For those who cannot attend in person, a virtual hearing on Zoom will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30. Please register to attend.
“We strongly encourage members of the public, especially direct survivors of the wildfires, to provide their input on how these program changes may affect their recovery,” said Neil Barrett, external affairs officer for Disaster Recovery and Resilience at OHCS. “The most effective policies are the ones informed by those with lived experience.”
All of the information presented at the public hearings will be available on the ReOregon website at re.oregon.gov. Spanish translation services will be available at all of the public hearings. Please email hcs_housinginfo@oregon.gov if you need special accommodations.
In addition to providing comment at the hearings, the public will be able to do so by:
All comments must be submitted to OHCS no later than 11:59 p.m. Nov. 8, 2024.
After the 30-day public comment period, feedback will be incorporated into the plan before OHCS submits it to HUD for review and approval, which can take up to 45 days. As required by HUD, OHCS will address all comments received.
To learn more about ReOregon programs, visit re.oregon.gov or sign up to receive e-mail notifications.
About Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS)
OHCS is Oregon's housing finance agency. The state agency provides financial and program support to create and preserve opportunities for quality, affordable housing for Oregonians of low and moderate income. OHCS administers programs that provide housing stabilization. OHCS delivers these programs primarily through grants, contracts, and loan agreements with local partners and community-based providers. For more information, please visit: oregon.gov/ohcs.
9 de octubre de 2024
Cambio de sede en el condado de Jackson; Se solicita opinión pública para una propuesta de Enmienda Sustancial al Plan de Acción de los $422 millones para la recuperación de desastres
Se programan audiencias públicas para los días 22-24 y 28-30 de octubre
TENGA EN CUENTA: El lugar de celebración de las audiencias públicas del condado de Jackson se ha trasladado a la siguiente ubicación:
1st Phoenix Community Center
The Fellowship/Dining Room
121 W. Second St.
Phoenix
SALEM, Ore. – El Departamento de Vivienda y Servicios Comunitarios (OHCS, por sus siglas en inglés) ha publicado una propuesta de Enmienda al Plan de Acción para la subvención de recuperación de desastres de $422 millones y solicita opinión pública ante los cambios.
El Departamento de Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano de Estados Unidos (HUD, por sus siglas en inglés) otorgo los fondos para la Subvención en Bloque para el Desarrollo de la Comunidad. El dinero se administra a través de un conjunto de programas, también conocidos como “ReOregon”, que apoyan a las personas, hogares y comunidades a medida que continúan recuperándose de los incendios forestales del Día del Trabajo de 2020 y los vientos en línea recta.
OHCS solicita comentarios del público sobre la propuesta de Enmienda al Plan de Acción, que reasigna fondos del programa para crear oportunidades adicionales para los inquilinos y amplía las opciones de recuperación para los solicitantes del Programa de Asistencia y Reconstrucción para Propietarios de Vivienda. En el sitio web de OHCS, https://re.oregon.gov, se puede consultar un breve resumen de los elementos clave del plan y la propuesta completa de la Enmienda al Plan de Acción.
“Sabemos que las personas con bajos ingresos se vieron desproporcionadamente afectadas por los desastres del Día del Trabajo de 2020”, dijo el subdirector de OHCS, Caleb Yant. “Estos cambios que estamos proponiendo crearán nuevos programas para proporcionar más recursos a los inquilinos y propietarios de vivienda, tales como asistencia para el alquiler y el pago inicial, y servicios de asesoramiento”.
Se invita a los miembros de la comunidad a dar su opinión sobre la propuesta de Enmienda al Plan de Acción a través de un período de comentarios de 30 días. OHCS solicitará comentarios a través de audiencias públicas, formulario en línea, correo electrónico, correo postal o teléfono. Las audiencias incluirán una breve presentación de parte de funcionarios de OHCS, seguida de comentarios del público. Se podrán solicitar copias impresas del plan.
El calendario de audiencias públicas es el siguiente:
1st Phoenix Community Center | McKenzie High School (Preparatoria McKenzie) | Gates Community Christ Church | North County Center |
Martes, 22 de oct. Miércoles, 23 de oct., en español | Thursday, Oct. 24 | Monday, Oct. 28 | Tuesday, Oct. 29 |
Puertas abren: 5:30 p.m. | Puertas abren: 5:30 p.m. | Puertas abren: 5:30 p.m. | Puertas abren: 5:30 p.m. |
Audiencia comienza: 6 p.m. | Audiencia comienza: 6 p.m. | Audiencia comienza: 6 p.m. | Audiencia comienza: 6 p.m. |
The Fellowship/Dining Room | Gimnasio Antiguo | Santuario | Sala Comunitaria 108 |
121 W. Second St., Phoenix | 51887 Blue River Drive, Vida | 40070 Gates School Road, Gates | 3788 SE High School Drive, Lincoln City |
Para quienes no puedan asistir en persona, se llevará a cabo una audiencia por internet en Zoom de 6 a 8 p.m. el miércoles 30 de octubre. Por favor, regístrese para asistir.
“Animamos a los miembros de la comunidad, especialmente los supervivientes de los incendios forestales, a compartir su opinión sobre cómo estos cambios que estamos proponiendo para el programa pueden afectar su recuperación”, dijo Neil Barrett, oficial de asuntos externos para la División de Manejo y Recuperación de OHCS. “Las políticas más eficaces son las que se basan en las experiencias vividas”.
Toda la información presentada en las audiencias públicas estará disponible en el sitio de internet de ReOregon, re.oregon.gov. En todas las audiencias públicas habrá servicios de traducción al español. Si necesita algún servicio especial, envíe un correo electrónico a hcs_housinginfo@oregon.gov.
Además de presentar comentarios en las audiencias, el público podrá hacerlo a través de:
Todos los comentarios deben enviarse a OHCS antes de las 11:59 p.m., 8 de noviembre de 2024.
Después que termine el período de 30 días, los comentarios públicos recibidos se incorporarán al plan antes de que OHCS lo presente a HUD para su revisión y aprobación, lo que puede tardar hasta 45 días. Tal y como exige HUD, OHCS dará seguimiento a los comentarios recibidos.
Para obtener más información sobre los programas ReOregon, visite re.oregon.gov o inscríbase para recibir notificaciones por correo electrónico.
Acerca del Departamento de Vivienda y Servicios Comunitarios de Oregon (OHCS)
OHCS es la agencia de financiación de viviendas de Oregón. La agencia estatal proporciona apoyo financiero y de programas para crear y preservar oportunidades de vivienda a precio asequible y de calidad para los habitantes de Oregón con ingresos bajos y moderados. OHCS administra programas que proporcionan estabilización de la vivienda. OHCS ofrece estos programas principalmente a través de subvenciones, contratos y acuerdos de préstamo con organizaciones locales y proveedores comunitarios. Para obtener más información, visite: oregon.gov/ohcs.