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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 8, 1995)
M arch 8, 1995 • T he P ortland O bserver P age A ò ^ o rtla n b (Observer Students Nationwide Go To NE Portland To Build Homes Portland Habitat for Humanity is a host location for the Habitat for Humanity International C ollegiate Challenge work program. During the weeks o f M arch 5, 12 and 10. 40 students from The University ofPenn- sylvania. The University o f Puget Sound, and St. O la f College arejoin- ing Portland Habitat in an effort to build decent, affordable homes with families in need During the day the students will be doing a variety o f tasks on the building sites in inner Northeast Port land. In the evening the groups will be staying at P ortland A lliance C h u rc h T h ree o th e r N o rth e a st churches, Fremont United M ethod ist Church. W estminster Presbyteri an Church and Rose City Park Pres byterian Church, will be welcoming the students by hosting potluct din ners. “ W e are excited to have all three Second Funding Cycle Of Housing Development Program C om m issionerG retchen M ill er Kafoury announced the second annual request for proposals under the C ity’s N on-Profit H ousing De velopment O perating Support Pro gram. This program provides fund ing for operating costs o f non-prof it organizations developing afford able housing. Up to $50,000 per organization will be allocated in a com petitive process. Funding is from the federal Community De velopment Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnership Programs. The g ra n t p ro g ra m w as c r e a te d last y e a r in re c o g n itio n o f th e e sse n tia l ro le n o n -p ro fits p la y in m e e tin g th e h o u sin g n e e d s o f lo w -in c o m e fa m ilie s. C o m m is s io n e r K a fo u ry sa id . "W e have re c e n tly seen a s ig n ific a n t in c re a se in the n u m b er o f a ffo rd a b le h o u sin g u n its p ro d u c e d by n o n -p ro fit d e v e lo p ers. T h is p ro g ra m p ro v id e s the sta b le fu n d in g th a t is n eed ed to m a in ta in th a t volum e and to fu r th e r th e C ity ’s a ffo rd a b le h o u s ing p ro d u c tio n g o a ls." T he pro g ram has a p ro p o sed b u d g e t f o r F Y 1 9 9 5 96 o f $ 6 0 0 ,0 0 0 . T he a p p lic a tio n d e a d lin e is M arch 30, 1995 and g ra n t a w a rd s w ill be an n o u n ced by m id -M a y w ith c o n tra c ts b e g in n in g Ju ly 1, 1995. Q u e stio n s a b o u t the p ro g ra m sh o u ld be d ire c te d to th e B u reau o f H o u s ing an d C o m m u n ity d e v e lo p m ent at 8 2 3 -2 3 8 6 . Habitat For Humanity Founder To Speak In McMinnville M illard Fuller, founder and president o f Habitat for Humanity International, the nation’s largest nonprofit housing organization, will visit M cM innville this week. Fuller will speak at Linfield C o lleg e’s M elrose Chapel at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. February 25. The speech is free and the public is encouraged to attend. Fuller will address the issue o f affordable housing and talk about the work Habitat is doing to address this problem in Oregon and around the world His speech will conclude a day long gathering o f Habitat sup porters. com m unity leaders, and housing advocates from across O r egon, W ashington. Idaho, M ontana, and Alaska. H undreds o f thousands o f Hab itat volunteers have built homes to gether with more than 34.000 fam ilies in over 1,100 U.S. cities and 43 nations. Habitat affiliates are build ing hom es in 27 Oregon cities. Port land H abitat for Humanity has built 15 hom es in inner Northeast Port land and plans to build seven more in 1995. Fuller founded Habitat for H u manity International with his wife. Linda, in 1976 in Americus, G eor gia He has received the Martin L u th e r K in g Jr. H u m a n ita ria n Award from both the State o f G eor gia and the Martin Luther King Millard Fuller Center. He continues to receive numerous honorary doctoral de grees and achievem ent awards for his outstanding leadership and con tributions toward meeting the goal o f elim inating poverty housing worldwide. Habitat for Humanity Interna tional is a nonprofit, ecumenical C hristian housing m inistry that builds homes in partnership with low-income families. Habitat homes are built with volunteer labor and donated m aterials and are sold to families at no profit through no interest loans. Habitat fami Iies must invest "sweat equity " hours to help build their own home. groups returning to Portland for a second year." said Cynthia Winter, acting director at Portland Habitat for Humanity , "because their energy and enthusiasm is contagious.” Habitat for Humanity is a non profit housing o rg an izatio n that builds homes in partnership with low- income families. Habitat was found ed by Millard and Linda Fuller in 1976 and now works in over 1.100 communities in the United States and in over 43 countries worldwide. Hab itat homes are built with volunteer labor and donated materials and are sold at no profit, with a zero interest mortgage. Habitat families must in vest sweat equity hours to help build their own home. As the o ld est a ffilia te on the W est C o a st, P o rtla n d H ab itat has b een b u ild in g and re n o v a tin g h o m e s in N o r th e a s t P o rtla n d sin ce 1981. In 1995, P o rtla n d H ab itat p lan s to c o m p le te six to seven houses. C o lle g ia te C h allen g e: S pring B reak ‘95, an ev en t co o rd in a te d by the C am pus C h a p te rs D e p a rt m ent at H a b ita t fo r H um anity In te rn a tio n a l, w ill run from F e b ruary 19 th ro u g h A p ril 8, 1995. The C o lle g ia te C h a lle n g e p ro gram o ffe rs c o n stru c tio n w ork cam p e x p e rie n c e s to stu d e n ts at H a b ita t a f f ilia te s a ro u n d th e c o u n try . L ast y ear, C o lle g ia te C h a lle n g e '9 4 had o v er 4 ,2 0 0 p a rtic ip a n ts from 200 cam puses. M ore than $ 2 8 5 ,0 0 0 w as c o n trib u te d to the w ork o f H ab itat at 93 a ffilia te sites. The Campus Chapters depart ment was formed in 1987 and has provided thousands o f students op portunities to become a significant part o f Habitat for Humanity’s work worldwide. Home Inspections: Are They Needed? Y ou’ve found a great house. But it’s a few years old so you’re getting a professional inspection to avoid nasty surprises like a leaking ro o f or a foundation invested with termites. Yes, you are smart to get a struc tural and pest inspection. Trained inspectors can spot potential defects that will help you estimate repair costs, renegotiate the price or cancel the deal. But, according to the O re gon Construction Contractors Board, you're even wiser if you know a few other things about inspections. All structural, pest and dry rot home inspection services need to be registered with the board. A state consum er protection agency, the board regulates the construction in dustry and receives more than 400 claims a month, most o f them from homeow ners unhappy w ith their con tractor. The board resolves disputes be tween consumers and contractors who have a direct contractual agreement (an oral or written contract). The board cannot help you if you did not purchase your own inspection re port. D on’t rely on a report done by the seller's inspector. If, for example, the inspection comes back clear but you have a basement full o f water a few months later, you cannot file a board claim against the seller's inspector. The seller, not you. contracted with the inspector. And the seller has no inter est in filing a claim for a faulty in spection on a house they no longer own. The board recommends getting your own inspection. If you’re un happy with it, the board may be able to help you The board also suggests the fol lowing: • When you call the agency to check on an inspector or any contrac tor you’re thinking o f hiring, ask if they’re registered and if they have any open claims filed against them. If you hire an unregistered contractor or inspector, they’re working illegal ly and the board cannot help you later if you have problems. • Ask the size o f the bond the inspector carries. If it’s $2,000 and the inspector overlooks several large defects, your repairs may be bigger than the bond. • You should consider hiring your own inspection service rather than relying on the recommendation o f a real estate agent. • Have a written contract and read your contract carefully. Some inspectors try to add a disclaimer saying they are liable for no more Manufactured Homes Sales Flourish T he m a n u fa c tu red hom e in d u stry in O reg o n p o sted a s ig n if ican t in c re a se in sales for 1994. S ales and p ro d u c tio n o f new m an u f a c tu r e d h o m e s in th e s ta te c lim b e d to the hig h est level in 15 y e a rs , a p p ro a c h in g le v e ls not seen sin c e 1979. D u rin g 1994, o v e r 12,000 new m a n u fa c tu red hom es, to ta l ing nearly a h a lf b illio n d o lla rs, w ere b u ilt by the 10 fa c to rie s in O reg o n . T h ro u g h D ecem ber, O r eg o n m a n u fa c tu re rs in c re a se d p ro d u c tio n o v er 1993 fig u res, by 1 5.5 p e rc e n t. An e stim a te d 4,6 1 9 o f th e se hom es w ere sh ip p ed out- o f-sta te w ith a sales value o f over S 183 m illio n . T he s o u rin g sa le s v o lu m e c o n firm s the p re d ic tio n m ade by in d u stry a n a ly sts in Ja n u ary o f last y e a r th a t the m an u factu red h o u sin g in d u stry w ould c o n tin u e to g ain m om entum th ro u g h the year. In fa c t, in 1994 m ore m an u fa c tu re d hom es w ere sh ip p ed n a tio n a lly th an in any year in the last 20 y e a rs, re fle c tin g the trend o f m a n u fa c tu re d hom es b e c o m ing the fa ste st grow ing ty p e o f h o u sin g in the nation COMMISSION MEETING Date: March 15,1995 Place: Sheraton 1 lotel Columbia Rm. A 8235 NE A irp o rt Wav Portland, OR 97220 ' Time: 7:00 p m . Commission meetings are open to the public. A complete agenda is available at PDC or by calling 823-3200. Citizens w ith disabilities may call 823-3232 or TDD 823-6868 for assistance at least 48 hours in advance than the price o f the inspection. • Many home inspectors are well- qualified, having been certified through national inspection programs or community colleges. Others have gained inspection skills working as a building contractor. Oregon, howev er, does not require inspectors to have any formal inspection training or knowledge. Besides calling the board and the Better Business Bu reau for complaint information, con sumers should ask inspectors for their qualifications and call references. • A clear inspection report does not guarantee the house is sound or that you will not encounter any prob lems. Some defects cannot be found without tearing apart the structure. The board reminds consumers that they are purchasing an opinion and that reports done by the seller’s and buyer’s inspectors are sometimes very different. B o a rd a d m in is tr a to r K en Keudell says the board has experi enced an increased number o f claims filed against inspectors and the “po tential for serious problems is a real one “ If someone buy s a home based upon an inspection made by the sell er's inspector, but discovers serious defects after moving in, they could HOME BUYING ANI) SELLING SEMINAR Next two meetings: March 13th - Monday 6:30-7:30 p.m. Community Center: 4219 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. (Corner of NE Skidmore and MLK) April 10th - Monday 6:30-7:30 p.m. Police Community Center; 449 NE Emerson Melvin Broadous have several thousand dollars worth o f repairs and the board may not be able to accept their claim .” K eudell says potential home buyers need to check with the board and hire only registered contractors. “Registration doesn’t guarantee that a contractor will do fool-proof inspection. It does guarantee con tractors have a bond and liability insurance - financial protection for homebuyers.” Consumer can file a board claim within a year o f the inspection for negligent or improper work or breach o f contract. The board receives more than 1.000 phone calls a day so if you reach a recording, leave your name and number so you can be called back. Call 378-4621, extension 4900 to check a contractor’s registration status and bond. IF you feel you have been damaged by an inspector or contractor, call extension 4974 for a claims form and packet. The board registers more than 35,000 contractors. The agency re ceives no taxpayer money and is ful ly funded by contractor registration. Dad's OU Service Speedy Service Friendly Call For Quote Come to one o f the FR E E informal meetings and you will be able to find out what it takes for you to buy a home or sell the current home you have. For more information and RSVP, call Melvin Broadous, 626-4600 x405. VISA heating oils Best Cash Prices 104 NE Russel Portland. OR 9 7 2 12 282-5111 Earn $50,000 a Year as a Union Journeyman Electrician respect— due a highly skilled union craftsman. It's not too good to be true— but you've got to have what it takes. Beyond the basic qualifications, you've got to have a desire, a positive attitude, and the ability to stick-with-it. The Metro Electrical Apprentice ship Training Program is Actively Recruiting Minority Applicants If you do, you could get into one of the most prestigious electrical training programs in the nation— located right here in our Northeast neighborhood. Plus, you'll earn as you learn, receiving an increasingly higher wage as your skills grow. So that when you graduate as a journeyman electrician, you'll be earning the money— and the We place a high value on the benefits of a diverse workplace. We strongly urge you to call or stop by for complete information. Call (503) 287-0756 for a free brochure. M etro E lectrical T raining C enter 5600 NE 42nd at Killingsworth PDC is the C ity of Portland’s urban renewal, housing and economic development agency I
