Seminar to study housing in Eugene
By PEART- BARKEN
Of the Emerald
John Wish’s class may have been left out of the
SEARCH bulletin, but seven students got the word and
are already at work on the seminar’s objective—to in
crease low-cost housing.
The class, in its third year although under a new name,
aims at building and rehabilitating living units specifically
for students and low income families. Wish, associate
professor of business administration, said in an interview
Tuesday.
Wish, who is clearly interested personally in the whole
problem of housing, says he will work with any student,
organization or person in the community to increase the
living facilities available.
GETTING READY PERIOD
The fall term class, which Wish calls “Preparation for
Field Work,” is designed simply as a period of getting
ready for the “real work” which comes winter term. Stu
dents, a group which he limits to 25, will first formulate
a workable plan to increase housing under the Federal
Housing Act—a plan which they will implement winter
term.
The project already has financial backing from four local
churches (which supported last year’s project) and Lane
Human Resources, said Wish.
Wish cited last year’s project, now operating as the
Eugene Non-Profit Housing Corporation, as a successful
model for this year’s class to follow. Just last week, the
corporation moved its first family into a new home—one
refurbished, yet under the corporation’s federally assisted
program, provided for the family at a rent within their
means.
With only a year’s work the corporation is not only
providing homes for low income families at reasonable
rates, but the business also owns 28 houses, seven of
which have been sold, and has another 28 under option.
LARGEST CORPORATION
“As far as I know, it’s the largest corporation of its
type in Oregon,” said Wish.
Last year’s class was the first to be conducted in the
Eugene area; however, the seminar, called “Consumer
Problems of the Poor,” has been conducted in Portland for
the past two years. A separate class will begin winter term
for work in Portland, according to Wish.
The Portland class was open to any project the students
decided would be worthwhile. “However,” Wish explained,
“I feel the housing shortage in Eugene is so critical, that
I have specified housing as the sole concern of this
course.”
Wish outlined the three class goals as follows: 1) to
get to know yourself, 2) to get to know others in the class
and 3) to understand what’s going on in housing in Eu
gene.
The class reading list includes such “texts” as “The
Martyred” and “One Flew Over the Cookoo’s Nest” which
Wish described as “unusual” and yet added that he hopes
they will “provide self insight of what the world is like
and provide a basis for arguments for the project.”
5 15 CREDITS
The class involves only an hour seminar fall term for
three hours credit held Tuesday and Thursday night at
8:30 p.m. in 101 Commonwealth. Winter term the course
can be taken for variable credit from five to 15 hours.
Registration for the class, MIT 407, is through the market
ing department.
Wish concluded that the course is not a “mickey.”
“Last year’s group was only successful because students
really got involved with the community. If we do any
thing, it will have to be through the students’ responsi
bility,” he said.
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