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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (June 3, 1982)
Page 8 Section II Portland Obeerver, June 3,1982 City offers home improvement loans Are you a homeowner interested in im p ro vin g you r home? O r, do you have plans to weatherize your home? D o you need help financing these improvements? I f you qualify, the C ity o f Portland Development Commission has several housing as sistance programs that may fit your needs. Low interest loans are available in many o f the C ity's neighborhoods, ranging for 0 per cent to 11 per cent interest. Depending on fam ily size, family income and amount o f reha b ilita tio n the home requires, there are two basic types o f loans: 1) U p to $4,000 is available through the D eferered Paym ent L o an (D P L ) program for code compliance and weatherization improvements if the home is located in one o f the quali fied neighborhoods. C ity -w id e , $1,500 is available for emergency re pairs at 0 per cent interest rate. 2) Loans up to $10,000 are available through Housing and C om m unity Development (H C D ) and Public In terest L e n d e r (P IL )lo a n s , having varying interest rates and up to 20 years for repayment. For the Fiscal year beginning July 1, 1982, the Development Commis sion has budgeted over $4 m illio n for its rehabilitation program, pro viding funds to im prove over 900 homes. This year’s program also in cludes an additional $566,000 o f U r ban D evelopm ent A c tio n G ra n t (U D A G ) funding for special weath erization loans which can provide up to $10,000 to low and medium in come, owner-occupied residences at 4.75 per cent interest. This program is ointly administered by the Devel opment Commission and the C ity ’s Energy Savings Center, and is avail able city-wide. Since 1965, the D evelopm ent Commission has offered a series o f loan programs to encourage the re h a b ilita tio n o f ow ner-occupied homes. The Housing and Com m u- YilB* it A fte r verifyin g e lig ib ility , P D C will contact the homeowner bv letter and arrange a survey o f the property to determine what kinds o f repairs arc necessary. Based on the results o f this survey, the homewoner re quests bids fro m responsible con tractors and a final review is made to make sure improvements will be made within the loan budget. A fter loan documents are signed, p ay ments are m ade as w o rk is com pleted; fin a l paym ents are made upon satisfactory completion o f all fe * ! / ■ '/ ■ o f the work. A P D C Rehab Specialist w ill be assigned to each case and w ill be available to assist the homeowner throughout the rehab ilitation p ro cess, from filling out an application to assuring that work is complete. F or m ore in fo rm a tio n about P D C ’s rehabilitation loan program, or to find out about P D C ’ s other housing programs for low and mod erate income C ity residents, contact the Commission at 248-4900. BEFORE nity D evelopm ent ( H C D ) A ct o f 1974 made it possible for the Com mission to focus its attention on im proving the supply and quality o f housing for low and m oderate in come people through C om m unity Development Block Grant funding. Id entificatio n o f certain " ta rg e t” neighborhoods that would benefit most for a rehabilitation program furthered e ffo rts to revitalize and im p ro ve these neighborhoods, as well as the community as a whole. Since 1975, the D evelopm ent Com m ission has received and ad- ministreed low interest reh ab ilita tion lonas for low and moderate in come homeowners, as well as fund ing fo r extensive public im p ro v e ments, through the H C D program. Currently, the target neighborhoods eligible to participate in the program include parts o f St. ohns, Ports m o u th , Lents, C o n c o rd ia , and Sabin plus a ll o f K en to n , H u m boldt, Boise, Eliot, Sellwood-More land, Kerns, Buckman, Richmond, Sunnyside, H o s fo rd -A b e rn a th y , B ro o k ly n , K in g , V e rn o n , Goose Hollow and Creston-Kenilworth. D uring the period between 1975 and 1981,6091 housing units were re h a b ilita te d fo r a to ta l o f $ 3 7 ,6 1 1 ,0 7 0 . In the N o rth and Northeast areas o f the C ity alone, over 2 ,00 0 homes have been im proved under the H C D program. In addition, public improvements dur ing this period include 22 park pro- ects in 21 neighborhoods, over 5,000 street trees planted, home se curity assistance for 2,600 house holds, 419 blocks o f street and 3,000 feet o f sidewalk have been improved or constructed, and 6 m ajor sewer projects have been completed. A ll these e ffo rts have com bined to make Portland’s neighborhoods the most livable in the country. The bulk o f the H C D programs, however, focuses on single-fam ily housing rehabilitation. The purpose o f the loan programs are to bring homes in to com pliance w ith C ity codes in order to make them safe, sound and com fortable. The loans can be used to fix faulty wiring, bad plu m b in g , a leaky ro o f or poor heating. They may also be used for energy saving im provem ents and w e ath erizatio n . Some general re modeling is also allowed. Homeowners may find out if they are eligible for the program by first determining if they live in an H C D neighborhood and if they fit the in- come guidelines. They then should call the P D C H ousing Assistance O ffic e at 248 -4 90 0 or stop by at 1911 N .E . Broadway to fill out an application. r ■ r y r “Sun Space” 20% off regular price*! 20% oft regular price" through June 30 1982 Custom built on site |ust tor you Special design qualities tor tug tax credits from the government and helps heat the rest ot your home tor F R E E ' So the Sun Space is the one room that actually helps pay tor itsetf All worx and m aterials guaranteed by JA J the only firm that s been remodeling right here m town lor over 46 years 100% financing available Com e see the model at our show room For tre e estim ates can ZSS-441S V«« ow »nowoom I J X M S7nd*M □pwnMXytloe Sal » # ) Su« II »4 IVMOOtlMG CO » h tc itn f K itc h en s B ath ro om » R ep lace m en t W ind ow s Siding R oo m A d d itio n s I I I I I I I I I I SUN 7 SPRING Energy and the elderly What is good for the young and hearty in energy conservation is not nec essarily good for the elderly and the aging. A condition known as accidental hypothermia, a winter hazard for the old, could occur in the elderly even in mildly cool temperatures o f 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit. H ypotherm ia should be suspected i f any o f these signs are evident: bloated face; skin color pale and waxy, at other times oddly pink; trembling on one side o f the body or in one arm or leg, but no shivering; irregular and slowed speech; shallow, very low breathing that may be barely discernible; low blood pressure, and drowsiness, perhaps lapsing into a coma. However, the only sure way to detect hypothermia is to take the suspected victim’s temperature using a special low-reading clinical termometer whose scale goes below the usual low point o f 94 degrees Fahrenheit. D r. Robert N . Butler, Director o f the National Institute on Aging, in testimony before the U .S. Senate Committee on Aging, stated, " A shortage o f energy to m a in ta in proper in d o o r tem peratures, i f com bined with reduced ability o f older persons to compensate for temperature changes, can have devastating effects on the aged. Excessive heat can also create problems. There is a condition analagous to hypothermia known as Ayperthermia— heat stroke. Because o f the stresses imposed on the vulnerable elderly by heat and humidity, the informed and cautious energy managers in homes, hospitals, convalescent and nursing homes, should m ain tain tem perature and humidity at comfortable levels during the summer. W ith little or no addi tional expenditure o f energy, this can be achieved. IF ..^AiAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA^A MAKE A NEW HOME AT THE OLD ADDRESS WITH A NEIGHBORHOOD PROFESSIONAL Wm. D. Herboth Remodeling CALL: 289-1600 lnterior * Exterior Addition» • Weatherization» Roofing helps appearance Deciding to replace the ro o f on you r home isn’ t a lu x u ry. I t ’ s a necessity. Harsh weather, over time, makes shingles dry out, crack, curl or blow aw ay. Needless to say, a shabby ro o f detracts from your home’s appearance. The prospect o f reroofing isn’t as forbidding as it may seem. In fact, a wise choice o f roofing material can give your home a new and exciting appearance. As the largest exterior expanse of your hom e, the ro o f should be viewed as an investment rather than an expense. T o d a y ’s three dim ensional asphalt shingles, for exam ple, come in a variety o f a ttra c tiv e colors and are manufactured to last for many years w ith only m in im al m aintenance. Since asphalt shingles can often be applied over the old roof, the cost of a tear-off may be eliminated. Since it contributes so much to the exterio r appearance o f your home, the asthetic value o f the new ro o f ought to be considered. Chances are when your old roof was applied, your choice o f shingles was lim ite d . M o d ern asphalt shingles offer variety. New m u lti-lay e red asphalt shingles create depth w ith bold, attractive shadow lines. Available in p o p ular earthtone shades, these shingles serve to blend a home with its surroundings. For a d d itio n a l in fo rm a tio n on rero o fin g w ith asphalt shingles, send 35 cents for " A Homeowners Guide to Q uality R o ofin g ,” to the A sphalt R o o fin g M an u factu rers A ssociation, Box 3248, G ran d C en tral S ta tio n , New Y o rk , New York 10163. .. will give away a STORM DOOR with each order of STORM WINDOWS which totals s900°° or more! We do work fo r these companies: PPL, PGE and NW GAS CO. C o ll us b e fo re you b uy/ NORTHWEST ENERGY SYSTEMS 2005 S.E. 82nd, Suite 1 7950 S.E. Foster 775-2414
