Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1998)
’ . » t i ‘ i i « MN m n M U U <. ..’ j «.' • L-*.*«; r . ; . / • ' • / ’ t.: ■■»■{■: Z, » A P R IL I , 1998 Page A6 ¿Ein- |Jnrtla»iî> (iDhscruer (Tl{c ^ o rtla n b w bseruer $$$ Available For Home Improvement Grants and Subsidized Loans Most homeowners are unaware that regardless o f their income there are Federal, state and local programs that will help them repair and re model their homes. Government at all levels recog nizes that neighborhoods are the ba sis o f life in our country. When a neighborhood deteriorates, many things happen both physically and socially. W hen the hom es look shabby, a neighborhood seems more attractive to crime and criminals. An area in decline is like a spreading cancer. As homes become shabby looking and in need o f maintenance, the residents lost their desire to keep up the neighborhood. Streets become receptacles for trash, schools lower their standards and very quickly the selling price o f home in the area drops sharply. This accelerates the These programs are not restricted to low-income people, slum areas or urban neighborhoods. Owners o f single or multi-family dwellings are eligible. While the grants to not have to be repaid, most o f the loans offer low or no-interest, long terms and low payments. Some o f the other hom e im p ro v e ments covered un der these programs are: attic and wall insulation, new win dows, outerwall sid ing, security doors, and locks, windows guards, sidew alks and masonry work, bathrooms and kitchens, electrical and plumbing, new roofs, gutters, and downspouts. Consum er Education Research cycle o f degeneration. In order to keep and maintain the nation’s housing and neighborhoods, government at all levels have pro grams to give homeowners money (that does not have to be repaid) for repairs or to lend them money at below market lev els or at no inter est. In many areas utility companies will either do en ergy conservation work free or at low cost and in other places will lend h o m e o w n e rs money at no inter est to pay the contractor o f their choice for the necessary work. In addition there are tax incentives to promote efficient energy use. ADVERTISE in (Cl]e |J o rt lattò © bscruer Call us at 288-0033 Centei, a national non-profit con sumer group formed in 1969, has just published the 192 large-page, 1996 edition ofConsumers Guide to Home Repair Grants and Subsidized Loans which lists over 6,000 sources of loan and grant programs offered by Federal, state and local government, utility companies and others; typical programs offered and the how to qualify. Form letters for inquiries to these loan and grant sources are in cluded as well as detailed instruc tions on determining your debt-to- income ration for eligibility. ($19.95 plus $3 p&h from CERC GRANTS, 1980 Springfield Ave, Maplewood, NJ 07040 or 800-872-0121). More information can be found on the W orld W ide W eb h ttp :// w w w .p la n e t.n e t/c e rc .o r E -M ail cerc@ planet.net. D o y o u needl a b r e a k i n y o u r lo n g d i s t a n c e ra te s Ì ONE PLUS CALL DIRECT CALLING CARD f'* 1 I FREE DIGITAL MOTOROLA PAGER ’ ‘ ‘ ’ / ». 'z ,< Every ntker O ne Piui O a ll from komri, 1 rn M inute« or lx*«« will r oil <5 C e a is a M inute. AH otker callo will r.oal I Q C c a Q a M inute. 2 4 H ou rs a D ay, 7 D ays a W eek A n y w h e r e in (h e U S A H' Oregon Investors Fund Critical Affordable Housing The Oregon Corporation for Af fo rd ab le H ousing (O C A H ) a n nounced today the closing o f O r egon Equity Fund 111 fo r$ 2 6 million, achieving a total o f $63 million since the inception o f the Fund in 1993. These new resources will finance m ore dw ellings for O regonians throughout Oregon. More than 1,500 Oregonians now live in safe and af fordable housing than did five years ago when OCAH was founded as a result o f the first two funds and the combined efforts o f OCAH and its partner investors. The latest round o f financing is com posed o f com m itm ents from Wells Fargo Bank for $10 million; Fannie Mae for $6 million; Standard Insurance Company for $5 million, and W ashington Mutual Bank for $5 million. Standard Insurance Com pany, Fannie Mae and Washington Mutual Bank participated in the early Funds I and II. First Interstate Bank participated in Fund I. Wells Fargo has increased its predecessor’s com mitment to Oregon families in the subsequent Funds. “ I his is unprecedented in the field o f affordable housing: one to be a a b le h o u s in g th r o u g h o u t th e N o rth w est, but p rin c ip a lly in O regon. To date, O C A H ’s fi n an cial p a rtic ip a tio n and e x p e r tise has w orked in p a rtn e rsh ip w ith o th e rs to c re a te o v e r 700 d w e llin g s in the fo u r c o rn e rs o f non-profit syndicator o f tax credits; and two, to have attracted the level o f financing it has in just five years,” stated John Olsen, civic volunteer serving as chairman and CEO o f OCAH. “The fact that the same institutions continue to invest in hous ing through OCAH is a testament to the capabilities o f our staff to ensure that their investment is meaningful.” “Housing has long been acknowl edged as the single most critical fac tor in stabilizing a family, particu larly children. This allows adults and children alike to focus on those things that help to equip them to participate more fully in O regon’s quality o f life," noted Deborah Saweuyer-Parks, OCAH President and COO. “W e’ve been blessed with enlightened financial partici pants who understand that dynamic and see it as a wise investment for themselves and their constituents as well as for the families this housing benefits.” In ad d itio n to raisin g scarce c a p ita l, O CA H w orks in p a rtn e r ship with other com m unity-based o rg a n iz a tio n s and p riv a te d e v e l o p ers to c re a te d m ore a ffo rd - ’ / Call 1-800-583-4238 for drGil. “A SAVINGS YOU GAN SEE”! 14th Annual Oregon Fair Housing Conference Monday, April 2 7 , 1998 8:30 am - 6 :3 0 pm Tuesday, April 2 8 , 1998 9:OO am - 1:30 pm Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel 8235 N.E. Airport Way, Portland, Oregon “W O O D E D A C R E S ” $ 1 4 9 ,0 0 0 C elebrate 30 Years of Civil Rights in Housing by Attending the Largest Civil Rights Forum in the Northwest. $67/SQUARE EOOT/GREAT VALUE For R egistration Inform ation: Call Michael Anderson at (503) 412-6000 Voice/TDD Tri-level with 2 separate living areas. Offers potential for extended family or in-law quarters. Remodeled kitchen. 10,000+square foot lot. $3,000 carpet allowance. call 5O3-7O8-55IO or 1-888-288- Sponsored by the Fair Housing Council o f Oregon 5432 «• A visitors to the university. The project is expected to be completed by July 1999. Busse Nutley, chair o f the Hous ing Finance Commission, is also ex cited about the financing. ‘ The Hous ing Finance Commission is pleased to finance these much-needed im provements for Seattle University,’ saidNutley. “ Ihe project offers many benefits both to students who will be able to spend more time on campus and to Central Area residents, who will benefit from decreased parking congestion on streets near the cam pus and increased support o f eco nomic development programs along 12th Avenue.” Ihe Washington State Housing Fi nance Commission provides below- market financing to buy, build or pre serve affordable housing and nonprofit cultural and social service facilities. The Commission builds partnerships with the private sector to raise capital needed to further these social and eco nomic objectives at no cost to the taxpayers o f Washington state. 2 Z P r o S e r v ic e s No Job To Big or Small Free Estimates 15% Discounts to Seniors Phillip Johnson Phone: (503) 335-3786 Fax:(503)288-0940 Monthly Special 25% Oft Tree Trimming GREAT HOUSE, GREAT PRICE & GREAT LOCATION Three bedroom, two baths, vaulted ceilings in living/dining and master bedroom. Large vaulted entry with hardwood & alcoves. Bayed window in living room. On culde-sac, brick accent, real wood trim, fenced & wood deck & large private side yard. Built 1990. $159.900. #HDC12836. ♦Hauling *Gutters ♦Yard Maintenance ♦Tree Trimming M o n th ly S p e c i a l Tree Triming @ 25% Off! L Call Debbie (503) 708-5510 or 1-888-288-5432. THE SKY IS THE LIMITIN CUSTOMER §£RVJC No Problemi (503) 708-5510 1-888-288-5432 Pager 1-800-536-4450 Office 1-360-574-4513 FAX You Name U No Problèmi ★ t DREAlMfERS, I tfill fitod that dream A ? house you want In thetmie w v m w a n t a t »he nrirw X i < C o lu m b ia G o r g e $ 2 2 9 ,9 0 0 SKAMANIA! CHALET WITH 11+ACRES Columbia Gorge property with 6 acres, fenced and 12 X 16 horse bam. House has 3 bedrooms. 2 baths with 2,000 SF deck off master suite. Only 20 miles to 1-205 access. r 5432. I / ! A s k m e how ? our state: from P o rtla n d ’s c e n tral c ity south to M ed fo rd , as far w est as C an n o n B each and N ew p o rt, and east to O ntario. For more information, call O r egon Corporation For Affordable Housing at (503) 288-7171 Seattle University to Build Student Housing A $24 million tax-exempt bond financing on behalf o f Seattle U ni versity Auxiliary Services, a non profit organization, was successfully completed today, according to the W ashington State Housing Finance Commission. The proceeds o f the bonds will be used to construct a 202-unit student apartment building and a 587-stall parking garage. Both facilities will be located on the cam pus o f Seattle University on East James Way, in Seattle. “Obtaining tax-exempt financing through the Housing Finance Com mission for student housing and ex pansion o f on-campus parking facili ties will enable Seattle University to proceed with a very exciting and much-needed expansion o f Seattle University, “ said Denis Ransmeier, chief financial officer o f Seattle Uni versity. "B y using this type o f fi nancing, we have been able to keep our overall costs down, which pro vides more valuable resources for our educational programs." The p ro ject w ill be financed through the Washington State Hous ing FinanceCommission’sNonprofit program. The program provides tax- exempt financing for rental housing developed and owned by nonprofit organizations for low-income and spccialA eeds populations and non profit capital facility projects. The bonds were publicly offered and backed with a letter o f credit from Seafirst Bank. Bond proceeds will be used to pay for the construction o f two student facilities. The 202-unit student dor mitory will be comprised o f a mix o f studios, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and four-bedroom units. The park ing garage will provide 587 parking spaces for students, faculty, staff and '•'Z Please call 503-708-5510 or 1-888-288-
