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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 14, 2016)
September 14, 2016 The Page 3 INSIDE Week in Review This page Sponsored by: page 2 L OCAL N EWS pages 6-7 O PINION M ETRO page 9 Photo by M ark W ashington J r ./t he P ortland o bserver Miracles Central, a new affordable housing complex in the Lloyd District opens to people impacted by homelessness, poverty and addictions. Pictured at Thursday’s grand opening ceremony are Robert Lyday (from left), one of the first residents to move into the 47-unit building, Michael Booker, Miracles Club executive director, and Portland City Commissioner Dan Saltzman. Housing Miracles Recovery-based groups open new apartment A Portland non-profit serving people impacted by homelessness, poverty and addictions, joined a drug and alcohol recovery-based organization focused on Port- land’s African-American commu- nity to open a new, 47-unit hous- ing building in the Lloyd District. The grand opening celebration on Thursday by Central City Con- cern and the Miracles Club drew a large group of supporters, includ- ing speakers J.W. Matt Hennessee of Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church and Portland City Com- missioner Dan Saltzman. Miracles Central, 1306 N.E. Second Ave., is a new six-story, $12.9 million apartment building that will include on-site support- ive services for residents includ- ing recovery support. It adds to the existing Miracles Club hous- ing stock which exists above the Miracles Club at 4200 N.E. Mar- tin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Ed Blackburn, Central City Concern executive director, said the expansion of housing services focused on local residents was a great example of community partners working together to fill a need. “We want to serve the people who live in the neighborhoods where we build. Miracles Central has diverse base of residents who C ontinued on P age 5 Section 8 Housing Wait List Opens Applicants have just 4 days to apply Arts & pages 8-12 ENTERTAINMENT C LASSIFIEDS C ALENDAR C ervante P oPe t he P ortland o bserver For the first time in four years, Home Forward, the low-income housing provider for Portland and Multnomah County, has opened the Section 8 waitlist to applicants in need. Also known as the Housing Choice Voucher program, the ap- plication window opened Tuesday by page 14 page 15 and will only stay open through Friday, Sept. 16 at 11:59 p.m. Be- cause of the relatively low turn- over rates in affordable housing options and the random lottery system of selecting new tenants, it will take from two to three years to fulfill new and older applica- tions, officials said. Not everyone who applies for a voucher will get one. Only 3,000 people who apply will make the waitlist. The last time the list was open in 2012, about 21,000 people applied. Qualifications for Section 8 in- clude meeting low income guide- lines, passing a criminal back- ground check and having at least one family member that is a U.S. citizen or legal resident. In order to meet income guide- lines, the household must earn less than 50 perfect of the average in- come. Those that have been diag- nosed with a terminal illness and have a life expectancy of one year or less can apply for Section 8 pri- ority status. Call 503-802-8333 for more information. Applicants apply online during this week’s application period. To apply and find information, visit homeforward.org/node/287/view.