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Wednesday, May 17, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
HousingWorks delivers
report to city council
By Sue Stafford
Correspondent
H o u s i n g Wo r k s , t h e
Central Oregon Regional
Housing Authority, is cel-
ebrating “40 years of foster-
ing dignity through hous-
ing.” Executive Director
Tom Kemper presented the
HousingWorks annual report
to the Sisters City Council at
their May 10 workshop.
Kemper reported that
HousingWorks currently has
100 housing units (apart-
ments, multi- and single-
family) under construction
throughout Central Oregon.
In January/February 2018,
construction will begin on
48 affordable apartment
units in Sisters consisting of
32 one-bedroom, eight two-
bedroom, and eight three-
bedroom units.
Of 949 total Sisters
households identified in the
2015 American Community
Survey (ACS) five-year
estimate, three percent have
a household income under
$10,000 a year, 26 percent
earn $10,000 to $25,000,
21 percent have $25,000 to
$50,000, 34 percent earn
$50,000 to $100,000 and
16 percent have a house-
hold income more than
$100,000.
Median Family Income
(MFI) for a family of four
in Deschutes County is
$63,800. To qualify to live
in one of the new apartments
slated to open in Spring 2018
or the current Tamarack
Village apartments, a house-
hold of four would have an
income of 60 percent of the
MRI, or $38,280.
An affordable rent is con-
sidered to be 30% of income.
Working at minimum wage
of $9.25 ($19,240/year) a
household could afford $481
New shop opens the door to adventure
By Jim Cornelius
News Editor
a month in rent. Twenty-
nine percent of Sisters
households make less than
$25,000 a year, according
to the American Community
survey. Rent burden is when
over 30 percent of income
is spent on housing costs.
Extreme rent burden is over
50 percent. In Sisters, 49 per-
cent of households are rent
burdened or extreme rent
burdened.
There are currently 488
renter-occupied housing
units in Sisters with 268
one-unit detached, 43 acces-
sory dwelling units, 73 two-
to-four unit structures, 46
five-to-nine units, and 51
mobile homes. The 48 new
apartment units will pro-
vide a welcome addition
to the housing market in
Sisters.
In Sisters, there are a
total of 18 Housing Choice
vouchers that serve 34 peo-
ple. Seventy-two percent
of all voucher holders are
elderly and/or disabled. The
average household size is
1.9. These vouchers help
pay monthly housing costs.
The average annual income
of voucher households is
$13,744. The housing assis-
tance payment is $492 a
month and the tenant por-
tion is $250. HousingWorks
pays out $8,861 in hous-
ing assistance payments
each month to landlords in
Sisters.
Sisters is a town for out-
door adventure. The trails into
the wilderness are all around
us, and it’s even taught
in the classroom through
the IEE (Interdisciplinary
Environmental Expedition)
class at Sisters High School.
Enter Sharri Bertagna and her
new outdoor gear emporium,
Hike-N-Peaks.
“When our kids went into
IEE last year, I saw a true
need for some outdoor gear
(in Sisters),” Bertagna told
The Nugget.
Bertagna is an avid hiker
herself, and with her son
Jonathan graduating this year,
she now has time to devote to
an enterprise of her own that
fits her passions.
“Jonathan is the climber,”
she noted. “He’s the reason
the climbing section came to
be.”
Hike-N-Peaks features
Metolius climbing gear,
and hiking equipment from
backpacks to water filters to
headlamps to trail shoes and
sleeping bags — all top-qual-
ity brand names like Osprey,
Salomon, Black Diamond
and Katadyn.
Bertagna has made an
effort to develop her own
niche rather than duplicating
FINEFURNITURE
Our new Nail Technician specializing in
Manicures, Pedicures, and Gel Nails!
R
Rendezvous
Salon
welcomes
PHOTO BY JIM CORNELIUS
Sharri Bertagna carries top-quality gear at a fair price at her new Hike-N-
Peaks shop on Hood Avenue.
offerings from other stores in
Sisters. For example, regard-
ing shoes and boots, “I had to
figure out what was not being
sold in town,” she said.
Her mission is simple:
Just help outdoor adventurers
have good, quality products.
That’s everybody from
Pacific Crest Trail hikers to
weekenders looking to sum-
mit Black Butte. She’ll be
working with the schools’
IEE and Eco programs, and
Cork
Cellars
Dinner Specials
Wine & Bistro
Free Wine Tasting, 5-7 p.m.
Friday & Saturday
Lilikoi Baby Back Ribs,
Tasty Thursday
Live Music
Billie Sue Baker
HALL
TABLE
S
New client Pedis start at $25/Manis at $15!
Call for your appointment
Fri., May. 19, 6-8 pm;
Rhonda Funk & Friends
Sat., May. 20, 7-9 pm; Bill Keale
541-280-3379
Above Cascade
Fitness
Adam Bronstein
Cra sman
By Commission
541-410-1309
SpringCreekWoodworking.com
ANNUAL IN-STORE ROCK,
GEM & FOSSIL SHOW!
Sat., May 27, 5-7 pm
Sun., May 28, 11 am-4 pm
Unveiling NEW, RARE & EXOTIC
fi nds from Indonesia, Russia,
Greece, Morocco, China and more!
• Allergies
• Insomnia
• Adrenal/Thyroid
FREE CONSULTATIONS
KIDS! Join our experts for
MEANINGFUL
MEDICINE
DICINE
A SPECIAL TOUR
Sun., May 28, 10 am
Kim Hapke, Naturopath
541-549-9388
221 W. Cascade Ave., Sisters
Sisters Art Works Building
JURASSIC JOURNEYS!
971-409-0908
Open Tuesday-Saturday 12-8 pm
391 W. Cascade Ave. | 541-549-2675
corkcellarswinebistro.com
Your Favorite Place to Play…
…Your Favorite Place to Work
Gallery
ROCKS
SISTERS!
will offer group hikes with
local leaders who know
Sisters’ backcountry well.
“I’ve hired a couple of
IEE interns for the summer,”
she said.
Students will be construct-
ing a Leave No Trace display
in the store.
Hike-N-Peaks is located
at 103-A E. Hood Ave. in
Sisters. For more information
call 541-904-0778 or find
them on Facebook.
Flexible Schedule
Competitive Pay Plus Great Tips
Sign-On Bonus • Free Golf • Free Pool Use
Free SUP/Kayak/Canoe Rentals
View available positions and apply online at
BlackButteRanch.com or call 541-595-1523