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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 1998)
Clinton announces plan to help disabled and elderly WASHINGTON - (AP) An esti mated 17,000 low-income people with disabilities will share nearly $130 million in new federal housing vouchers to help pay the rent, Presi dent Clinton announced last month. The money from the Department of Housing and Urban Development will be distributed through local hous ing authorities in more than 200 com munities. The vouchers given to in dividuals are meant to subsidize rents in the private marketplace so that the low-income disabled don't spend more than 30 percent of their income on rent. "Americans should never have to choose between putting a meal on the table or putting a roof over their heads," Clinton said in his weekly radio broadcast on Saturday, Novem ber 28. To qualify for the housing aid, ap plicants must be classified as "very low income," meaning a household with an income of less than 50 per cent of the area median. On a national level, this amounts to an income of less than $8,000 a year, according to HUD. Earlier in November, HUD an nounced nearly $700 million in grants to non-profit groups to create 8,100 subsidized apartments for some 12,000 low income senior citi-l zens and people with disabilities. ' Clinton said that "for millions of struggling senior citizens and people with disabilities, the peace and secu rity of a decent home is a distant dream and the threat of homelessness is an ever-present nightmare." : Helping these people is a duty for all Americans, he said. Postage stamps help research The U.S. Postal Service has issued a 40-cent Breast Cancer Research Semi-Postal Stamp. The 8 cent dif ference will go towards breast have issued this type of stamp r with great success. This is the r United State's first semi-postal P . - ii " stamp issued to raise puoni; awareness and give energy to the pressing fight to find k r a cure for breast cancer. Breast Cancer Research stamps may be pur chased at your local post office. Also, please note that U.S. postage , will increase by one cent on January 10, 1999. At that time, stamps will be 33C each. 7 Nci- ' 7 4 5T f regular New help for home owners Unique home improvement program For some time now, lenders have noticed a different trend in home ownership. More and more home-, owners have been opting to stay in their properties longer and electing to fix them up rather than looking to buy a bigger home. Typically, to fi nance major home improvements a homeowner uses the equity (value) in their residence as their primary source of funds. If the owner has been in the property for a long pe riod of time, there is generally enough equity built up for the prop erty to qualify for a home equity loan. A second-mortgage loan is very at tractive to homeowners since the in terest is usually 100 tax-deductible. By and large, the home equity loan is the easiest way to go because the homeowner is actually "borrowing" their own money invested in the property. The homeowner can use the funds for any purpose, and the interest rate is favorable and attrac tive because the loan is secured by their home. The equity in your home can be a very affordable way to fi nance your needs, whatever they are. But what if you haven't been in your home very long or the property val ues are just not appreciating fast enough where you live? A home owner's options can be limited, but KeyBank has an easy solution. Key Bank offers the FHA Title 1 Home Improvement Loan, which al lows for a wide range of home im provements and repairs without re quiring any equity in the property. The FHA Title 1 is a federally-insured loan program through the Depart ment of Housing and Urban Devel- opment. The loan is available to any one, regardless of income or location, and all types of properties qualify: single family, multi-family, and his torical residences. The loan can be used for any pur pose which results in improvement or repair to the residence. For ex ample, improvements on the outside of the home could include a new roof; fencing; painting or siding; building or repairing a garage, or landscaping. Inside the home, the ; borrower can use the funds for any purpose except to purchase items which are not permanently affixed to the structure (i.e.,, washerdryer, draperies). Many borrowers do bathroom and kitchen remodeling or build additions to their property. A single-family residence, whether owner or non-owner occupied, quali fies for up to $25,000. A multi-family structure is eligible for up to $12,000 per dwelling unit, with a maximum loan amount of $60,000. Historical residences are eligible for up to $45,000 per residence. KeyBank offers the FHA Title 1 Home Improvement Loan in all their Western Region states, except Alaska. To get details, call any KeyCenter branch location or Phyliss Gaines, the Title 1 Liaison, at (503) 795-6036. Article wrote by Phyliss Gaines. Reprinted from KeyCommunity Newsletter. Tribe invests in continued from front page the former Russellville school. Over the last year, the Grand Ronde Tribe's Spirit Mountain Development ami has moved aggressively to diver sify its business enterprises and lessen its reliance on gaming revenue. This year, the Tribe has announced real estate projects in Salem, Albany, Redmond and started light industrial operations in the Corvallis area. "We are pleased to make a com mitment to Portland," said Grand Ronde Tribal Chair Kathryn Harri son. "Our ancestors lived where Portland is now, and many of our tribal members still live there. We're proud to help build good housing that people can afford." Harrison stressed that the Tribe will not conduct any gaming activities on the Russellville site. The Tribe's Spirit Mountain Devel opment arm is assisting the Rus sellville joint venture with marketing and construction management. "I believe the Russellville Com mons helps point my district in the direction of the 21st century," said State Representative Frank Shields. "The second phase of this develop ment will create much needed afford able housing within my district." In addition to the Tribal Govern ment, a number of state, city and lo cal agencies worked with the Rus sellville neighborhood and Rembold to shape the project. - - Phase One of Russellville Com mons includes 283 units for rent at market rates. Phase Two will include approxi- housing project uOur ancestors lived where Portland is now, and many of our tribal members still live there. We're proud to help build good housing that people can afford." Kathryn Harrison Tribal Council Chair mately 200 units, 40 of which will be priced low enough to qualify as affordable housing. Once completed, the housing com plex will include a total of approxi mately 480 dwelling units, a 5,000 6,000 sq. ft. innovative child care facility, retail space, community cen ter, recreational facilities, office space and underground parking. All units, including those that qualify for affordable housing, will have direct access to the internet. The Grand Ronde share of the project is $3.7 million. Rembold Companies has been ac tively involved in numerous housing and commercial developments in Portland and surrounding areas. Franklin Piacentini, a Portland in vestor, has been involved in many successful developments in the Port land and surrounding areas.
