www.portlandobserver.com
Committed to Cultural Diversity
April 5, 2000
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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
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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.
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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.
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