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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 16, 2005)
Page A5 ìl!f JJn rtlan ò (©bseruer March 16, 2005 » g H ousing Li New Columbia: Fresh start for an old neighborhood continued from Front Many of the relocated families are still living on the east side of Portland, but some have ventured out to surrounding suburbs like Gresham and Fairview, while oth ers have moved out of Multnomah County and the state. Their relocation was supported financially with the option of mov- | ing to other public housing or be ing given Section 8 vouchers, which provides rent assistance. Support and counseling was given to the families through the Housing Authority, as well as moving ser vices and transportation. B ut now that they ’ ve moved and settled, are they really going to want to up and move back? Sev enty percent of those responding to surveys indicated they wished to return when the relocation steps began. Today, around 40 percent plan to cash in on their moving allowance and come back, officials _ . ■'I k .J ?. < * photo by M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver Seed money is being raised to replace the aging John Ball Elemen tary School with a new building that would serve an estimated 500 children moving into the New Columbia neighborhood. Hopes Pinned on New Neighborhood School With new families come more children, which means a revamped school will be in order for New Columbia. Hopes are pinned on replacing the aging John Ball Elementary School with a new design for the 2006-07 school year, with the ex- pectation of more than 500elemen- tary-school aged children moving into the neighborhood that once served the old Columbia Villa. The Housing Authority ot Port- land made the decision last month, with its Board ot Commissioners voting unanim ously to donate ! $100,000toward the reconstruction. Portland Public Schools also voted to match that amount. Still, the project still needs $10 million estimated for construction costs. John Ball Elementary was built concurrently withColumbia Villain 1948. It faces some of the same problems the old housing project had itself. With no gym and a di lapi dated septic system, the school was listed in 2002 as a school dis trict facility that needed to be re placed. Community leaders see the fu ture of the school in partnership with the city Bureau of Parks and Recreation and the Boys and Girls Club. said. Still, that percentage is much higher than any other Hope VI projects around the country. The HOPE VI program was __ _____________ started by the Department o f Hous photo by M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver ing and Urban Development’s ef New streets and sidewalks better connect New Columbia to the surrounding Portsmouth neighbor- forts to transform severely dis hood o f north Portland. tressed public housing in 1992, but assistance, but it’s not as apparent erty values going up in certain ar- Income diversity coming t0 others many o f the projects have resulted eas of north and northeast Portland One of the ideas behind New in an urban gentrification rather “It’s the invisible versus the vis- forcing low-income residents out than keeping low-income residents Columbia will be integrating a mixed- ible subsidization," Wilhelm said, of the neighborhood. With a new income neighborhood, in hopes “You don’t hear about home own- MAX light rail system, the restruc- in the same spot. that those with a lower-income will ership subsidies written up in the turing of Mississippi Street and the “W e’ve found that there was a mill with middle-income families. real variety of responses to the ,, A problem in the past with Hope ^ W ilh e lm commented on prop- ">ntinued V on page A 7 relocation,” said Sue Arbuthnot, a VI projects has been that the poor documentary filmmaker, who along with Richard Wilhelm, produced were simply ushered out ot tall high- the film “Imagining Home: Stories rises and expected to put them of Columbia Villa,” which recently selves somewhere else. “ It’s a big social experiment and had screen in g s at Portsm outh no one knows if it’sgoing to work," Middle School and 5lh Avenue Cin Wilhelm said. “ But the research ema. “A lot o f people were really sad,” says it will. Neighborhoods tend to Arbuthnot said. “There’s one fam build them selves and with the ily that w e’ve been following that amount of work going into (New are Angolan refugees and they've Columbia), it’s getting a push-start been in this country since 1990. to success.” The new site will feature 850 After many years of living as refu units, including public housing, gees they felt very safe living in affordable rental housing, elderly Columbia Villa. It was pretty dis housing and homes for sale. An ruptive for them to move. But additional 92 public housing units they’re very much looking forward will be built off-site do deal with to coming back to New Columbia. overcrowding while making sure Although the old community there is no loss of public housing in was often seen to outsiders as a Portland. New parks, community hub of gang and drug life, such was centers and other recreational fa not necessarily the case. “It was a stigmatized neighbor cilities will also be created. W ilhelm said that while the hood,” Arbuthnot said. “There was stigma of public housing will be a period in the late '80s and 90s lessened with the new buildings, where there was a lot of gang activ subtle differences may be found in ity. T here’s such a wide array of the homes that are rented and those perceptions that will have to be that are owned. Forexample, many reckoned with in the new commu people renting or in public housing nity.” Wilhelm saidColumbia Villa was will live in row homes. “People who own homes will • a vibrant community in spite of all probably have garages. People who the bad mouthing that’s gone on are ren tin g p ro b ab ly w o n ’t," over the years. “All that was put behind them Wilhelm said. “People talk,” Arbuthnot said. years ago,” he said. “They only “But even people who are never • thing that stuck was the stigma. Wilhelm expects the former resi going to be able to work, disabled dents that move back will regain or elderly - why shouldn't there be an opportunity for them to have ownership of their community. Get money without any haggling. “They loved their neighbors, safe and decent housing?” The easiest way is a Home Equity Loan from U.S. Bank. The filmmakers pointed out that they loved the ability to find so You can get loans up to 125% of your home’s value. many different cultures in their even homeowners have subsidiza W ith competitive rates, you’ll enjoy an easy way to manage debt, build an addition, or even start a new business. tion through taxes and government block,” he said. There's an easier way to get money from your home: a Home Equity Loan from U.S. Bank. Plus, the interest on the loan may be tax-deductible. I t ’s all backed by our Five Star Service Guarantee. No m atter what your financial situation, we have the loan option for you. 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