Oregon Housing & Community Services (OHCS)

Over the next few months, we’ll be sharing more about some of the work we do that you might not immediately think of when you hear “housing and community services.” A lot of what gets shared when it comes to housing is often new developments. But there’s so much more to the story of making housing more affordable and accessible for Oregonians. What’s preservation, and why do we fund it? What do we mean when we talk about “weatherization”? How do energy services fit into affordable housing? Why are we funding modular housing right now? All these questions and more will be answered, so stay tuned! #GetToKnowOHCS

Wednesday saw an exciting groundbreaking ceremony for a unique new development. PCC Killingsworth, an affordable housing complex in NE Portland, will feature 84 homes and 3 early learning classrooms. The development is located at Portland Community College's new Opportunity Center where families living there will be able to pursue career, training, and education, all while having onsite early childhood education provided by NAYA Family Center. Oregon Department of Human Services will also have an onsite office for families, and next year Multnomah County Health Department will open a community health center. Huge congratulations to Home Forward and partners on this collaboration. This development demonstrates how we can continue to creatively think about housing solutions that holistically address the needs of Oregonians.

On May 29, Fair Housing Council of Oregon is hosting a training on “Fair Housing Basics.” Concepts covered include protected classes, red flags of discrimination, and disparate impact. Plus, there will be info on protections for people with disabilities, including how to write Reasonable Accommodation and Modification Requests. Don’t miss out! The training starts at 10am and lasts 2 hours. Register here: t.ly/Fqcow

Last week, Director Bell participated on a panel at the Oregon Alliance Panel. This event brought together organizations that serve children, youth, and families. At the panel, Director Bell got to talk about the recent launch of our co-location fund aimed at expanding access to early childhood education. These funds will help bring early childhood education providers to affordable housing developments, either onsite or nearby. The goal of the fund is to create or preserve 600 of these slots across Oregon. To learn more about the co-location fund and our recent partnership with BuildUp Oregon, visit t.ly/Q9qoY. Thank you to the Summit for having us!

Another critical #ARHRole is resident services. This one might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about who plays a part in affordable rental housing, but they’re essential to helping communities thrive. So, what do they do? 👔 Connects tenants to resources such as food, transport, jobs, counseling, and more 👋 Helps tenants approach property management 📋 Helps with eviction prevention and connects tenants to legal aid ☀️ Additional support for tenants to reach their full potential and thrive Learn more about affordable housing roles and responsibilities at t.ly/z7s_g.

OHCS staff at a booth for the Southern Oregon Coast Housing Summit. We're grateful to participate and connect with the community on regional housing solutions 🏘️ If you're still at the summit, come say hi!

As part of the $23 million in LIFT awards that were recently announced, $4 million is going to SISTERS HABITAT FOR HUMANITY to help build 24 new units of affordable housing. $10 million in total is going towards projects in Central Oregon. "It's a wide swath of people that are stuck in that scenario where they cannot afford to buy a house. We're going to make that opportunity available to these vital members of our community," Peter Hoover, executive director of Sisters Habitat for Humanity, said Thursday. Article: t.ly/qvbUf

ICYMI, the Homeowner Assistance and Reconstruction Program (HARP) is OPEN! If your home was damaged or destroyed in the 2020 Labor Day disasters and you still need to rebuild, fill out an Eligibility Questionnaire at re.oregon.gov to see if you qualify. HARP supports low- and moderate-income homeowners who still need to repair, rebuild, or replace their homes. 2020 Labor Day disasters included the Almeda, Archie Creek, Beachie Creek, Echo Mountain, Holiday Farm, Lionshead, Riverside and South Obenchain fires.

OHCS has announced the approval of almost $23 million to create 157 new homes for homeownership across the state. 30% of the projects will be in rural communities. 10 developments will receive funding from this round of awards, with locations in Newberg, Sisters, Medford, Hood River, Redmond, Gresham, and Corvallis. "Even in this tough economy, our imperative is to continue fighting to ensure that Oregonians can still realize the dream of homeownership,” said OHCS Executive Director Andrea Bell. Read more at t.ly/fLJL1.

Renters play a big role in the places they call home. Responsibilities of renters typically includes: 🏠 Takes care of the home, keeps it clean, sanitary, and free from damage, and disposes of garbage 🧯 Ensures smoke alarms are working and maintains any appliances in the home 🚮 Follows guidelines & takes care of community spaces 📢 Raises issues and needs to the property manager For a full list of who’s responsible for what when it comes to affordable rental housing, visit t.ly/z7s_g.