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.
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development agency
I