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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 5, 2000)
www.portlandobserver.com Committed to Cultural Diversity April 5, 2000 (Ebr ^ o rtía n h (Obsertn't n m in u n i t u ¿i I c n b a r (Ü 50 SECTION Chinese artisans building Portland’s classical Chinese garden The Toads Are Back The Toad’s are back in style for their seventh anniversary cabaret run. With their unique brand o f spontaneous theatre that may make you laugh, may make you cry, but never let you down. A good time is guaranteed to all at the show that has never been before nor will ever be again. The first performance will start April 11 and end May 9. Call 736-1192. To Mark Construction Milestone a colorful beam raising ceremony was held at the garden site. The artisans from Suzhou, China who are building the Portland Classical Chinese Garden conducted a unique construction- related ceremony at the Garden site on April 3,2000. The artisans celebrated construction progress and conducted a ceremony as they raised the ridge beam o f the Garden’s Four Side Hall pavilion. The traditional ceremony will include wrapping the ridge beam with red ribbon and flowers, firecrackers, drum playing and brief remarks. Following the ceremony, Gert Boyle o f Columbia Sportswear presented each of the artisans with an appreciation gift o f a jacket donation by Columbia Sportswear. Construction o f Portland’s Classical Chinese Garden - Lan Su Yuan - the Garden o f Awakening Orchid is well underway with a proposed opening set for late summer 2000. Located in Old Town/Chinatown, it will be the largest authentic urban classical Chinese garden outside of China. Saturday, April 15th, 1 lam -4pm , the public is invited to “Raise the R o o f’ Day in Old Town/ Chinatown to support the Garden and view its progress. This event will also be a one-time opportunity to sign the roof tiles being sponsored to support the Classical Chinese Garden “Raise the R oof’ Community Campaign. Tickets are available through Fred Meyer FASTIXX. Alternatives to Growth Oregon Alternatives to Growth Oregon (AGO) will hold a Forum, Oregon’s Choice: Endless G rowth or Q uality o f Life, Saturday, April 15,8:30 am .-5 :3 0 pm. at Portland State U niversity. K eynote speaker will be Bill McKibben, author of M aybe O ne: A P erso n al and Environmental Argument for Single Child Families; The End o f Nature; The Age of Missing Information; and Hope, Human and Wild: True Stories o f Living Lightly on the Earth. Registration fee (includes lunch) $ 15-35. For more information, call 503/222-0282 or visit their website at www.AGOregon.org. The Men They Will Become Eli H. Newberger, MD, one o f the leading experts on child and family development and author o f the critically acclaimed, “The Men They Will Become: The Nature and Nurture o f Male Character” will be in Portland for a one day seminar on April 24, 2000. The conference, which shares the title o f Dr. Newberger’s book, will be held at the Kennedy School in Portland, Oregon from 9 am. to 4 pm. Dr. Newberger’s book explores the developmental process o f building character in boys. Call 503/281 - 6151,ext. 12. Sisters in action for power march for youth equity Run, Walk and Stand for the Earth I The city will be host to a unique celebration in observance o f the SO"1 Anniversary of Earth Day on Saturday, April 22,2000 at 7:30am.The three main organizing groups, the Earth and Spirit Council, theCity Repair Project and The Green House Network, have planned a series o f participatory events, including a run to stop global warming, a human circle around thecity o f Portland, a Mardi-Gras style procession honoring the earth’s myriad life forms, tree planting, and a multi-cultural ceremony and celebration at Pioneer Courthouse Square. b» f S ( Sisters in Action fo r power sought Tri-Met's support in makingyouth investment a serious priority by providing free transportation fo r students during school hours. Blue Sky Concerts The DCO present 25 NW choreographers in 3 fabulous concerts featuring modem, ballet, jazz and m ulti-cultural dance including flamenco, & middle-eastern dance. The program at the IFCC benefits the Dance Coalition o f Oregon and the International Firehouse Cultural Center, 5340N. Interstate. Tickets are $ 10, kids $5. For more information, call 293-6195. Rabbit Romp Rabbit Romp is a celebration o f spring for children 3 to 10. Egg hunts occur every 20 minutes in every age group. Games, crafts, petting zoo, puppets, whimsical displays and more. Co-sponsored by WB32, Sweet Tomatoes and Z100. The event will be held on April 22,2000 at the Oregon Zoo (4001SWCanyon Road) from 9am. - 3 pm. P rocession of the Species Now through April 20, Community Art Workshops for the Procession o f the Species will be held at 49 SE Clay (near O M SI), Itisness Studio at 3016 NE Killingsworth and other locations around the Portland-Metro area. Learn about ecological issues and other interesting species facts, while you get help creating your favorite species for the Procession. For th e sch ed u le and re g istra tio n information, call 503/244-2602 or visit w w w .earth an d spirit.org/earthday2000 and click on Art Workshops. PDC’s Neighborhood Housing Program CONTRlBLITDSIOm tO K Tlll.PuK lLA M lQ l)SLK \IR The Neighborhood Housing Program (NHP) has been a mainstay at the Portland Development Commission for almost thirty years. It is the program that provides home repair loans to low and moderate-income families who own and occupy their homes. The NHP has provided funding for over 12,000 repair projects since it began. The NHP has seen many changes in trying to achieve a balance between being a “safety net” for homeowners throughout the City who cannot afford to make needed repairs (such as a leaking roof), and providing an opportunity for neighborhood revitalization. Over the years, lending strategies have included concentrating available funds in a smaller area so that a more significant impact may be felt. This idea o f concentrating available funds can help to jump start the reinvestment in a neighborhood. By creating an atmosphere where other lenders, particularly private lenders, notice the positive change taking place they often join < in the momentum o f improving a neighborhood’s livability. Initially the NHP program was available citywide. In the mid 80s there was concentration o f funding in the Fix-a-Block program where owners were encouraged to join in a general upgrade effort block-by- block. In the late 80s to early 90s focus shifted to a concentration o f funds in “target neighborhoods” while still keeping the program available citywide. Target neighborhoods would receive an outreach effort to promote the program, but outreach was not promoted citywide. Traditionally the NHP program has received federal funding through Community Development Block Grants received by City o f Portland Bureau o f Housing Community Development from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development . Applicantsmus, beat or below 80% of median family income as set by the federal government HUD adjusts the median family income guidelines yearly, and they are specific to the locality. Currently a family of four with an annual income o f $53,700 is considered at midpoint (or median) for the City o f Portland. A family earning up to $42,950 annual ly is therefor considered at or below 80% M FI and would be eligible for the NHP program. (You can check the current MFI earnings chart on PDC’s website under “Housing" at www.portlanddev.org.) Because o f the dwindling CDBG dollars that have been available in the last few years nationwide, beginning in the mid-1990s the program has focused on target neighborhoods most in need o f assistance. Since it has long been recognized that there are many homeowners on fixed incomes who cannot afford to make needed repairs that effect their health or safety or the structural integrity o f their home, the NHP has maintained the program citywide. However, for those homes not in targeted neighborhoods applications are taken only for those projects that are considered an “emergency". An emergency is a situation that is an immediate threat to the occupants or the structure such as a leaking roof, a broken sewer line or a broken furnace. The NHP has recognized that there has always been a segment o f the population that has been undeserved in areas o f home repair needs. This segment is comprised o f families earning between 80% and 120% o f MFI. Conventional lenders have traditionally served families earning over 120%ofMFI. In the last few years NHP has also been concerned with these underserved families. The NHP now also provides home repair solutions for the 80% to 120%ofMFI families. The NHP offers a Fannie Mae loan that is market rate. The advantage is this loan can be made when no home equity currently exists. This is done by having a contractor submit a bid on the repairs that will be needed, and then obtain an appraisal based on the home’s value after the repairs are completed. This is an excellent option fora home refinance, or for the purchase a “fixer-upper” home that needs repairs. Since today's fixer-uppers are usually bought at market rate and there is little equity after the purchase, this option can help make the fixer-upper livable after the purchase. The cost o f the purchase is rolled in with the cost o f the repair work into one affordable payment. I
