For Oregon residents, it can be hard to find an affordable and safe home to rent, much less own. Everywhere you look there is a great need for more housing in our cities and our rural communities. NeighborWorks Umpqua’s Mutual Self-Help Housing Program, known as DreamBuilders, hopes to meet the community’s need while offering a different entry point for homeownership. DreamBuilders is a self-help “sweat equity” approach to homeownership.

This unique service brings people together to work in a group with other families under the supervision of a skilled construction manager. DreamBuilders learn new skills, build community with their future neighbors, enjoy affordable mortgage payments, and will end up owning a home and land that will build equity.

The mutual self-help housing program model has not been offered in Douglas County since the mid-2000s and NeighborWorks Umpqua is excited to bring it back. NeighborWorks Umpqua has built over 40 homes in Douglas County using this popular approach.

“Why rent when you can build?”

Volume 1, Issue 1, March/April 2018

DreamBuilders asks,

Continued on page 3

Jake WinnChair

Elin D. MillerImmediate Past Chair

Debora LightcapVice Chair

Betti ManfreSecretary

David Morrison

Meg Story

Leesa Cobb

Randall L. Mason

Nancy Southerland

DreamBuilders learn important skills while building.The homes build equity and give the families a sense of stability.

NeighborWorks Umpqua will build about 15 homes in the first two projects.

The homes build equity and give the families a sense of stability.

Thanks to the funding from the USDA’s Self-Help Housing Program, DreamBuilders is an exciting, permanent addition to the services offered by the organization.

“DreamBuilders really builds on our promise to be collaborative partners with our rural communities in issues related to housing, finance, and community,” explains Director of Acquisitions and Development, Brian Shelton-Kelley. “NeighborWorks Umpqua recognized a State-wide need for an additional entry point for homeownership. DreamBuilders hopes to be that permanent solution for families and individuals looking to achieve homeownership but maybe are not able to achieve this dream through conventional means. Our full-service lending department and our successful experiences from our earlier mutual self-help housing projects gives NeighborWorks Umpqua the ability to support this service for years to come. During the next two years, we hope to add more than 15 new homes via DreamBuilders, starting with five homes in a subdivision in Myrtle Creek.”

After a two-year introductory period, DreamBuilders will consistently build 10-12 new homes on an annual basis throughout different locations in rural Southern Oregon. The architectural design is contemporary ranch with a garage, with plans developed by a local architect, Dallas Horn. The houses range in size from 1,000 to 1,300 sq ft depending on the family needs and the land. With help from NeighborWorks Umpqua’s full-service lending department, the organization is able to help the DreamBuilders finance their home with a 502 Direct Loan. The loan is a direct loan from the government with long terms and low interest to help ensure the families can comfortably afford the home.

NeighborWorks Umpqua built homes using this program from 2004-2008, building over 40 in Sutherlin, Winston, Green, and Myrtle Creek. NeighborWorks Umpqua is excited to return to the Myrtle Creek subdivision to fill out more of the neighborhood. While the first contingent in Myrtle Creek is filled, NeighborWorks Umpqua is looking for applicants interested in participating next year. Next year’s build will be in Roseburg and recruitment is open. For more information on how to qualify or to apply for DreamBuilders, please visit www.nwumpqua.org/dreambuilders or call 541-673-4909.

DreamBuilders asks... continued.

DreamBuilders raise one another up while building their homes

Newton Creek Manor work has begun!

What started as a promise is now seeing fruitful work being accomplished. Newton Creek Manor is one of NeighborWorks Umpqua’s more recent additions to its housing portfolio. The community will have much needed infrastructure work completed in the coming months. Thanks to a $1.1 million award from Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS), the community will see new roads, water, and sewer installed for the community. Partnerships with Black Pearl Paving & Excavation, i.e. Engineering, Network for Oregon Affordable Housing (NOAH), Yaeger Plumbing, and Community Housing Capital (CHC) will ensure the work is completed in a timely manner for the residents.

NeighborWorks Umpqua finished its first year of tax preparation and filing and posted big numbers for volunteer hours and taxes filed and prepared. Take a look!

Volunteer SpotlightJanet Pierce joined as a volunteer through Volunteer Income Tax Assistance after having her taxes completed by volunteers in 2017. Having little confidence in filing taxes electronically, Janet initially joined as a greeter to help facilitate the tax filing process at our site. In no time, she gained confidence and passed the basic exam to be certified to prepare taxes. Altogether, Janet logged roughly 160 volunteer hours and quickly became an asset to our team.

To volunteer or for more information, email volunteers@nwumpqua.org

Three Counties worth of Tax Preparation and Filing produced:

NeighborWorks Umpqua pledges to improve Southern Oregon Coast

Did you hear? NeighborWorks Umpqua was awarded a $200,000 grant from the Northwest Area Foundation (NWAF), a Minnesota nonprofit corporation, in 2017. The grant will be wholly devoted to supporting and continuing NWU’s comprehensive food systems work in the South Coast regions of Oregon for both seafood and cranberry producers. With the funds from this grant, NWU will increase their staff capacity and will generate greater impact in these two coastal industries. The exhaustively researched project will utilize the Wealth Works framework and invest heavily in developing and improving the outcomes from the local seafood and cranberry producers.

“This is an exciting development for our work on the coast for a number of reasons,” explained Michelle Martin, NeighborWorks

Umpqua Director of Community and Economic Development. “First, the award will afford NeighborWorks Umpqua an unprecedented opportunity at improving upward mobility for these industries by connecting these industry workers with our financial and professional development experts. Second, it will allow us to support our important food systems work without diverting monies from our other deserving projects throughout Southwest Oregon. As a rural nonprofit with a five-county service radius, we have to make every dollar stretch to ensure we deliver maximum impact throughout the year.“

The grant from NWAF will fund the NWU Wealth Creation project for two years and includes the creation of at least two new jobs and an additional AmeriCorp Vista position.

How can you help?You don’t need to be a superhero to make a difference (but it helps). If you can donate a minute of time or a few dollars, you can make a difference in the lives of our fellow Oregonians lives. It doesn’t matter where you live, chances are there is a project near you that needs your help. Interested in volunteering? Ask our Volunteer Coordinator Katelyn Dzialowy what projects are available. Looking to donate? Ask how your tax-deductible donation can help by emailing info@nwumpqua.org. Make sure to stay connected with our digital and physical newsletters. Commit to building a better Oregon with NeighborWorks® Umpqua by filling out the form to the below and mailing it to::

NeighborWorks Umpqua605 SE Kane Street

Roseburg, OR 97470

NeighborWorks® Umpqua Commitment FormThank you so much for considering a contribution to NeighborWorks Umpqua! Any monetary donations are tax deductible and any volunteer time is immensely appreciated. Please fill out the following form and send it to our Roseburg office. We appreciate any support you can offer!

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Prefer doing things digitally? Then you must visit our website! To donate, visit nwumpqua.org/donate; to volunteer, visit nwumpqua.org/volunteer; to sign up for our newsletter, visit nwumpqua.org/newsletterfor more information, email info@nwumpqua.org.

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605 SE Kane Street, Roseburg, OR 97470Main Office: 541-673-4909 | info@nwumpqua.orgwww.nwumpqua.org