Housing for Homeless and Working Poor


I.     TOPIC          Housing Development

II.    LOCATION  Bend and Redmond, Central Oregon

III.   SUBJECT        Housing for Homeless and Working Poor

IV.    SUMMARY

     The Central Oregon Community Action Agency Network (COCAAN) forged a series of
     public and private partnerships to develop the $4.7 million Bill Healy Transitional
     Housing Center. Named after the founder of Mt. Bachelor, the Northwest's largest ski
     resort, the Center has 70 apartment units (30 for transitional housing and 40 for
     permanent housing), along with a community building for services, classes and
     workshops. Local support has been the backbone of this project with over $750,000
     donated by the Central Oregon community for construction and services.
     
     V.     SUCCESSFUL PRACTICE

     Informed the Central Oregon community, championed the cause of the homeless and
     working poor. As a result a creative community-wide fundraising campaign came from
     churches, social service agencies, business, government and the tourist industry to build a
     $4.4 million housing center for homeless and working families.
     
VI.    CONTACT

     Sharon Miller
     Project Director
     COCAAN
     (A Community Action Agency)
     2303 SW First Street
     Redmond, OR 97756
     503-548-2380
     503-548-6013 (FAX)
     VII.   CASE STUDY

     The Problem: In the early 1990's the lack of affordable homes, and a lack of
     emergency "transitional" housing, combined to make affordable housing the most
     pressing social issue in the Central Oregon region.
     
     The Approach Adopted: An informed community in Central Oregon was
     instrumental in development of a Housing Family Center to include 30 transitional
     apartment units and forty permanent units, along with a community center.
     
     How They Implemented The Approach: Initial planning for the Center was
     started in 1992, with the first large amount of money raised for the project from a private
     Mt. Bachelor's 1993 ShareLift fundraising project. ShareLift began as a "Free Ski Day"
     featuring entry to the ski slopes in exchange for donations of food, clothing or cash. The
     project, coordinated by the local tourist industry, grew within one year to encompass a
     week-long series of activities. It included ShareLinks at area golf courses; restaurant
     donations of 25 cents for each meal served on a specific day; lodging industry donations
     with area motels and bed & breakfast establishments donating 50 cents for each room
     sold on a particular night; other local business establishments served as collection sites
     for donations. The week culminated with a ShareLink Gala and Silent Auction at a
     restaurant in Bend, Oregon which donated the space and cost of the banquet, raising an
     estimated $20,000 during the evening. 
     
     Continuing to expand community support, the project was endorsed by the local
     newspaper. Additional funding was generated from the construction industry, a tax credit
     award from the federal low-income housing Tax Credit Program, the Oregon Housing
     Trust Fund, the Oregon Equity Fund, the Bend Foundation, Deschutes County (land),
     City of Bend, Oregon Community Foundation, Jeid-Wen Foundation, First Interstate
     Charitable Foundation, Bill Healy Memorial Account, Brooks Resources Corporation,
     Federal Home Loan Bank, Pilot Butte Transitional Housing Coalition, and additional
     various in-kind donations estimated at $150,000 to $200,000.
     
     "In less than three years, the Bill Healy Family Center became a reality," noted Sharon
     Miller, the executive director of Central Oregon Community Action Agency Network, the
     project's developer. "After ShareLift, it was the overall community support that brought
     other grants and donations in," she added. "People around the state would say,  We just
     have to fund the Healy Center, it has so much community backing in Central Oregon.'"
     
     Results: Construction of 70 subsidized-rent apartment units has been completed. Of
     these 30 are for transitional housing and 40 are for permanent occupancy. The Center also
     includes support facilities. The families making a transition from homelessness or the
     threat of homelessness rent from $198 to $274 per month, depending on the number of
     bedrooms. Forty permanent apartments will rent for between $408 and $456 to working
     families whose income falls below poverty levels. The Central Oregon Community
     Action Agency Network operates the center.
     
VIII.  PROGRAM SPIN-OFFS

     Fund-raising has become continuous to acquire money for programs such as job
     development, career planning, skills training, job placement, children's services,
     homework clubs, safety classes, holiday and summer child care, educational services, life
     skills classes, budgeting and nutrition classes, substance abuse support groups and parent
     education programs.
     
IX.    KEY WORDS

     Affordable Housing
     Fundraising
     Housing Development
     Partnerships
     Tourist Industry
     Transitional Housing