within reach - 2015 winter edition

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Winter 2015 within REACH a healthy community begins at home A Foundation for Success REACH Community Development Winter 2015 Edition Hard Hat Tours Give!Guide Results Updates

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Page 1: within REACH - 2015 Winter edition

Winter 2015

within REACHa healthy community begins at home

A Foundation for Success

REACH Community DevelopmentWinter 2015 Edition

Hard Hat Tours

Give!Guide Results

Updates

Page 2: within REACH - 2015 Winter edition

Save-the-Date for the Grand OpeninG of The Orchards at Orenco Phase I, the newest addition to the vibrant Orenco Station neighborhood, with reaCH CdC and Oregon Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici

fOr AnOTher new BegInnIngJOIn US

The Orchards will provide 57 units of housing for working families, affordable to those earning $30,000 or less.

Passive HouseThe Orchards is being built using standards, achieving significant energy savings for the residents.

When complete, it Will be the larGest multi-family passive house building in the united states.

Celebrate Orenco Station’s most exciting and innovative projectJune 29

Page 3: within REACH - 2015 Winter edition

within REACH newsletter WINTER 2015 3

It is easy to be overwhelmed by these trends and accept them as economic forces we cannot control. But this group of program graduates at REACH should be our guide.

Difficultthingsbecomepossiblewhen a community unites around the value of inclusion.

In the face of the displacement, we must unite to advocate for real inclusion in our neighborhoods. This is why REACH is getting involved in state and local advocacy efforts. Here are some of the steps we’re taking:•Signed on to the campaign to lift the ban on

“inclusionary zoning”. Only Texas and Oregon ban this useful tool that allows cities to require that new developments include housing options at a mix of income levels.

•Planning ways to open up opportunities for more veterans to live in REACH housing. A Home for Everyone, an initiative co-sponsored by Multnomah County, the City of Portland and the City of Gresham recently adopted a goal of

myPerspective

Dan Valliere

I recently attended REACH’s graduation celebration for the 83 people who completed

one of our economic stability programs over the past year. Several of the graduates spoke eloquently about the importance of living in a supportive community

and how it empowered them to take risks and do new things, from speaking in front of a group to buyingtheirfirsthouse.

The event was a powerful display of one of our core values – Inclusion. As we continue to build and preserve affordable housing, our residents gain not only a stable place to live, but also a community. This sense of inclusion creates the momentum that helps people pursue learning and achieve their goals.

However, while we strive to create inclusive communities at REACH, our neighborhoods are actually increasingly less inclusive due to the rapid growth and escalation of housing prices. Just read the news: • In Vancouver, people are being displaced from

affordable apartments and rents are increasing dramatically.

• In North/Northeast Portland, the percentage of African-Americans in Portland’s historically black neighborhoods has fallen by half.

•The number of homeless students in school districts, especially suburban districts, has increased dramatically over the past decade.

Welcome to the new within REACH newsletter! In an effort to support our green practices, we’ve gone digital! Our quarterly newsletter will now be available online, with new interactive features, access to our photo galleries and news about upcoming events. As always, thank you for your enduring commitment to REACH’s mission of creating healthy homes and communities.

“ “

Page 4: within REACH - 2015 Winter edition

4 WINTER 2015 www.reachcdc.org

1 Join the Oregon Housing Alliance “Opportunity

Knocks” campaign and donate socks - yes socks, to end homelessness!

ending Veterans’ homelessness by 2016. REACH has signed on to the campaign. •Supporting advocacy efforts in in the South Waterfront and N/NE Portland. We are upholding the

City of Portland’s prioritization efforts around affordable housing and mixed income neighborhoods. In N/NE Portland, REACH is about to purchase and preserve the Allen Fremont Plaza Apartments, maintaining 64 homes for low-income senior citizens in a historically African American community.

The challenges facing our growing communities are daunting and the solution is to raise our voices and advocate together for inclusive neighborhoods and communities. How do you

turn socks into homes?

Oregonians are donating 20,000 pairs of socks to raise awareness for the 20,000 kids and tens-of-thousands of others who experienced homelessness last year. Sock donations will be piled high on the capitol steps on March 11, the Housing Alliance’s Housing Opportunity Day. Afterwards they will be donated to nonprofits across the state. Oregon families are tough, resilient and driven. But

everyone needs a home to be successful.

Find donation drop off spots at OregonHousingAlliance.org/socks

#20Ksocks

How do you turn socks

into homes?

Oregonians are donating 20,000 pairs of socks to raise awareness for the 20,000 kids and tens-of-thousands of others who experienced homelessness last year. Sock donations will be piled high on the capitol steps on March 11, the Housing Alliance’s Housing Opportunity Day. Afterwards they will be donated to nonprofits across the state. Oregon families are tough, resilient and driven. But

everyone needs a home to be successful.

Find donation drop off spots at OregonHousingAlliance.org/socks

#20Ksocks

How do you turn socks

into homes?

Oregonians are donating 20,000 pairs of socks to raise awareness for the 20,000 kids and tens-of-thousands of others who experienced homelessness last year. Sock donations will be piled high on the capitol steps on March 11, the Housing Alliance’s Housing Opportunity Day. Afterwards they will be donated to nonprofits across the state. Oregon families are tough, resilient and driven. But

everyone needs a home to be successful.

Find donation drop off spots at OregonHousingAlliance.org/socks

#20Ksocks Drop off sock donations at REACH until March 6th

How do you turn socks

into homes?

Oregonians are donating 20,000 pairs of socks to remind state legislators about the 20,000 kids and tens-of-thousands of others who experienced homelessness last year. $20 million for emergency rental assistance that will help end and prevent homeslessness is on the line. Sock donations will be piled high on the capitol steps on March 11, the Housing Alliance’s Housing Opportunity Day. Afterwards they will be donated to nonprofits across the state. Oregon families

are tough, resilient and driven. But everyone needs a home to be successful.

Find donation drop off spots at OregonHousingAlliance.org/socks

#20Ksocks

How do you turn socks into homes?

HERE ARE A FEW SimPlE STEPS yoU CAn TAkE ...

2 Endorse the Welcome Home coalition with

REACH - and support the creation of affordable housing opportunities.

3 Keep informed, just like you’re doing by

reading this newsletter and blog. Tell a friend, send them a link.

SOCKSBOX

#20Ksocks SiGn UP

Page 5: within REACH - 2015 Winter edition

COMMUNITY BUILDERSPROGRAM CBP

A fREE, BILInGUAL hOME REPAIR PROGRAM AvAILABLE tO LOw-InCOME SEnIOR AnD/OR DISABLED hOMEOwnERS In PORtLAnD, OR. tO SEE If yOU qUALIfy, PLEASE REvIEw thE ELIGIBILIty REqUIREMEntS.

LEARN MOREabout our work

Page 6: within REACH - 2015 Winter edition

A Foundation for Success

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within REACH newsletter WINTER 2015 7

WhenmeetingYolanda for the firsttime, you can’t help but notice her radiantsmile.Itreflectshergrace

and attitude of endless possibilities available in her life. Yolanda just graduated from our Budget Buy and Save program and gave one of the keynote speeches to the class. And she’s on a journey.

Yolanda first came to REACH severalyears ago through chance, on a waiting list for one of our properties. As she tells the story, her position on the waitlist was fairly far down but fate intervened. She got a call from one of our property managers, letting her know she’d been accepted and was thrilled! It was in a downtown apartment where she began building her community. As she says it, “REACH supplied the foundation. My neighbors gave me safety. People who knew me and cared about me.”

All along the way, she was working with our Resident Service Coordinators and Property Managers determining how else REACH could provide a supporting hand in her journey back to graduate school.

She’d set her sights on Gray’s Landing, withagoalofmovingintothefirstaffordablehousing in the south waterfront when complete. When she moved into Gray’s Landing in November 2012, she immediately began building her new community and joined our STARTS leadership development program. The STARTS class at Gray’s was amazing. Among other things, the class collected and distributed school supplies for the kids living at Gray’s Landing so they’d start the school year prepared.

Yolanda has set her sights on re-entering graduate school in 2016, specializing in child welfare. She’ll use her IDA to help fund her graduate education. To prepare, she’s enrolling this spring in a weeklong seminar sponsored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness to become a Peer Support Specialist. She’s also working at Legacy Good Samaritan. And she’s exploring possibilities at Oregon’s Department of Human Resources, where they offer scholarships and support in exchange for a three year commitment upon graduation.

When asked to describe how REACH has affected her life, Yolanda paused for a long while. And then she went on to describe myriad people at REACH who she’s met in her journey and who’ve made a positive impression on her.

You get the sense we’ve not heard the last from this amazing woman.

“ “ REACH gave me a home and a family where I can blossom into the person I want to be.

Test your knowledgeWhat percent of renter households in America paid more than 40 percent of their income for rent in 2013?

Households led by which two age groups are most likely to rent?

Take the Quiz

Page 8: within REACH - 2015 Winter edition

8 WINTER 2015 www.reachcdc.org

Wow. Willamette Week readers just blew the socks (and the shoes, pants

and shirt) off the goals Willamette Week set for the 2014 Give!Guide.

They’d hoped to raise $2.6 million for 136great localnonprofitsand theOregonCultural Trust - including REACH. To great joy and astonishment, they raised $3,145,015. Whatever the superlative of amazing is, that’s our city!

The stats were incredible. 10,277 people gave a gift, nearly 250 local businesses contributed, and 54% of the donors were new donors. According to Willamette Week Publisher Richard Meeker:

“Thanks to your example, we have helped jumpstart Give!Guides in other parts of the country— Colorado Springs, Monterey, Napa Valley, and the Triangle of North Carolina. You have shown how effective this form of giving can be, and we hope to help create similar efforts in one or two additional communities in 2015.”

And donors to REACH gave nearly $10,000! Thanks to your generosity, our mission of providing quality, affordable housing for individuals, families and communities to thrive just got a little easier.

You’re invited to a free, one-hour Hard Hat Tour of the Orchards at Orenco hosted

by REACH. Orchards at Orenco represents REACH’s latest commitment to sustainability and affordable living - creating communities open to people of all income levels, offering access to transportation options while remaining close to jobs and community amenities.

But Orchards at Orenco is unique for another reason. It is the largest multi-family building in the United States being built to Passive House energy standards, widely used throughout Europe aimed at reducing tenant utility costs. Orchards is also located in the thriving Orenco neighborhood in Hillsboro, one of Oregon’s fastest growing communities. Read more about Orchards and Passive House here.

We’re offering “behind the scenes” tours before the building opens to the public. It’s your chance to see this distinctive development uniquetothePacificNorthwest.

These will be the only tours we offer to the public until the Grand Opening in June so don’t miss your chance. Tours take place in March and April and we’re nearly full!

Hard Hat Tours

Click here to register

Page 9: within REACH - 2015 Winter edition

within REACH newsletter WINTER 2015 9

REACH is incredibly lucky to have our neighbor Ann McMahon on our side.

Ann has lived in the South Waterfront since 2006 and is one of the original pioneers in the Meriwether; the first occupied high risecondominium in the neighborhood.

This past spring, Ann was asked to manage a generous $5,000 donation from the Zidell family to the South Waterfront Community Gardens. The family requested thatAnn findresidents living in the South Waterfront who wished to be a part of the gardens but couldn’t afford the $150 fee and cost of plants. Ann turned to REACH’s Volunteer Coordinator Cynthia Luckett and a partnership was formed. Together, they recruited several residents from Gray’s Landing. The residents then raised vegetables during this past growing season which they harvested and shared with the other residents in the building. But this wasn’t enough for Ann. She started recruiting her friends at the Meriwether to collect items for REACH’s emergency closets, such as clothes, shoes and toiletries. To date, we’ve received over four full boxes!

SohowdoesPresidentObamafitintoallofthis? This picture of Ann was taken downtown with an Obama-look-alike. Ann used this image to invite her friends to her 70th birthday party last October and asked her friends to donate

toiletries as their “admission” to the party. She then donated these items to REACH!

And Ann isn’t finished. She continues towork with REACH residents, getting ready for the spring planting season. And that donation she was asked to manage? She’ll continue to use it to pay garden fees for residents at Gray’s Landing at the South Waterfront Community Gardens where three of the beds have been set aside for our residents. Thank you, Ann! We couln’t ask fo a kinder, more generous donor.

Growing REACH Through Her Gifts

Page 10: within REACH - 2015 Winter edition

10 WINTER 2015 www.reachcdc.org

Multifamily Capital where she evaluated the financial feasibility of new affordablehousing development opportunities. She was responsible for supporting the Vice Presidents of the NW and California markets to expand business relationships by structuring equity and debt terms and creatingfinancingproposals.

Jessica currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Washington County Coalition of Housing Advocates; as a member of Membership Committee of CREW (Women in Commercial Real-Estate); and as a member of the Meyer Memorial Trust Cost Containment Work Group.

We’re Pleased to Announce ...

Jessica Woodruff was appointed as REACH’s new Director of Housing

Development. Since 2008, Jessica served as a Housing Project Manager at REACH securing over $44 million in grants, loans and equity for 10 properties, negotiating project financing and coordinating closings frommultiple funding sources including HUD, HOME, LIHTC, GHAP, Portland Housing Bureau, and construction, acquisition and permanentfinancingsources.

As REACH’s new Director of Housing Development, Jessica is responsible for continuing to lead REACH’s developments in Multnomah, Washington and Clark Counties and expanding the portfolio of affordable rental housing available to the region’s low-income households.

Prior to joining REACH, Jessica served as a Senior Originations Associate at PNC

Jessica WoodruffNew Director of HousiNg DevelopmeNt

STAFF UPDATESWelcome to Nick Gattman, Building Monitor; Steven Galvin, OfficeAssistant/Courier; and Ben Sturtz, Housing Development Project Manager.

Page 11: within REACH - 2015 Winter edition

within REACH newsletter WINTER 2015 11

After saving for two years and with help from REACH’s IDA program, Peter

Newson and his wife recently bought their firsthome.Afterwards,Petersentusathankyou note, “Hey, we got the keys yesterday! Thanks for your help. This is a good program and I wish more people knew about it.”

On January 29th, we celebrated as over 83 residents graduated from REACH’s economic stability programs, including Budget Buy and Save, STARTS, the Jobs Team program, and the IDA program (Individual Development Account). The programs support a wide range of goals, including leadership development, enhancing employment skills, increasingpersonalfinancesandknowledge,andbuildinglong-termfinancialassets.Allofthe graduates dedicated their personal time towards completing their goals by attending workshops, completing assignments and leading volunteer activities.

The perseverance and dedication of members of our economic stability programs is humbling. Our sincere congratulations to this graduating class. You set an example for us all.

ThispastDecemberwasfilledwithholidaycheer and celebrations at several of

our Oregon and Washington properties. Hundreds of REACH residents attended and enjoyed holiday spirit, good food and singing contests led by Golden Harvest Music compliments of CareOregon.

The Three Grandmas made an appearance to share their holiday dinner and deliver gift bags with blankets, pillows and socks to the residents.

We also hosted our annual toy drive for all children living in REACH housing. Thanks to your generosity, we collected enough toys and gifts for over 280 kids to receive something special during the holidays. We also worked with neighbors to adopt 21 families. Our thanks to these businesses who either donated toys/gift cards or hosted toy collection sites: GNSA (Great Northern Staff Administration); KGW TV; LMC Construction; The Matisse Apartments; and Riva on the Park Apartments. We also received many gifts donated by caring individuals and neighbors.

Special thanks to our Santa’s CJ Allen and Marshall Raupe and to all of the Resident Services and Property Management staff who organized these wonderful parties.

Holly Jolly TimesWe Got the keys!

Page 12: within REACH - 2015 Winter edition

12 WINTER 2015 www.reachcdc.org

Gilman Court (previously Glisan Commons Phase II) will be opening this April. Construction is nearly complete and the building looks fabulous! Gilman Court is a 60 unit building for those 55+ located in the Gateway Urban Renewal District. The development is a two phased development and our partner, Human Solutions, built Glisan Commons (Phase I) which is already up and running. REACH is providing property

management services in both buildings and Human Solutions is providing resident services. We’ve named our building in honor of our founding Executive Director Dennis Gilman. Watch for an invitation to the Grand Opening taking place later this summer.

Orchards at Orenco (Phase I) Construction is nearly complete and the building is looking great! Orchards is a 57 unit building located on the MAX Blue line at

Orenco station in Hillsboro. When complete, it will be the largest multi-family building in North America being built to “Passive House” energy standards. This means our tenants will pay next to nothing for their energy costs. Watch for an invitation to the Grand Opening this June.

Towne Square ApartmentsRenovations are coming along on this 40 unit rehabilitation project located in Washougal, WA

Updates

Opening This Year

ToWnE SQUARE

oRCHARDS AT oREnCo

HOUSING DEVELOPMENT

GilmAn CoURT

oRCHARDS AT oREnCo

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within REACH newsletter WINTER 2015 13

and should be complete this spring. Towne Square is home to 71 people living on very low incomes. Renovations include ADA accessibility upgrades; improvements to the siding, windows, and energy efficiencyenhancements to the heating and ventilation systems; addition of community space, and play area; and upgrades to individual units.

Orchards at Orenco Phase IIGround breaking will take place in 2015 and guess what? In about a year, we’ll be celebrating the opening of another 58 new affordable homes located on the MAX Blue line at Orenco Station in Hillsboro.

The Bronaugh Apartments An historic renovation of 50 units located in downtown Portland for low-income senior

and disabled people. Expected to complete June 2016. This beautiful old building will remain a treasure for Portland.

Allen Fremont Apartments A rehabilitation of 64 units located in N/NE Portland for very low-income seniors, primarily African American. REACH will complete purchase in early 2015; renovations to complete in late 2015.

Next Year’s Projects

GilmAn CoURT

oRCHARDS AT oREnCo

GilmAn CoURT

Page 14: within REACH - 2015 Winter edition

14 WINTER 2015 www.reachcdc.org

CommUniTy BUilDERS PRoGRAm (CBP)

We partnered with the Community Energy Project to provide an elderly and disabled couple living in the Lents neighborhood with a new roof. The couple has lived in the house for decades, and had no resources to replace their deteriorating roof which had holes big enough for birdstoflythrough.Manythanksto the Community Energy Project for this wonderful opportunity.

We completed our grant targeted to homeowners living in Washougal and provided 261

health and safety repairs to 25 low-income senior and disabled homeowners. It’s just a little safer in that community, thanks to REACH.

We’re now providing more robust interpretation services for our home assessments as a result of our partnership with the Immigrant and Refugee Organization Language Bank. Finally, our thanks to the Portland Housing Bureau who awarded us a small grant enabling us to provide added outreach services to non-English speaking senior households.

RESiDEnT SERViCESREACH sent five residents

and two staff members to the NeighborWorks® Community Leadership Institute. Participants from around the country attend in small teams from communities served by NeighborWorks organizations and their partners. They attended a full range of courses and created an action plan for making positive change in their community. Our team is planning and implementing a Resident Empowerment Expo to be held this summer.

Updates

ToWnE SQUARE

oRCHARDS AT oREnCo

Page 15: within REACH - 2015 Winter edition

Questions? Need to sign up for a Fred Meyer Reward card? You can do so online. Or visit any Customer Service Desk at any Fred Meyer store to sign up.

sign up

Fred Meyer is donating $2.6 million per year to non-profits in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington, based on where their customers tell them to give. We

know a lot of you shop at Fred’s already — what a great way to give back!

Sign up for the Community Rewards program by linking your Fred Meyer Rewards Card to REACH online. Our non-profit number is 81923.

Once your card is linked, every time you shop or purchase gas at any Fred Meyer, you are also supporting REACH. You still earn your Rewards Points, Fuel Points, and Rebates.

Your support helps REACH provide safe, decent and affordable homes throughout Multnomah, Clark, and Washington counties. Thank you for shopping and donating!

giVE

shop

Page 16: within REACH - 2015 Winter edition

Residents $ave with REACH

REACH’s economic empowerment programs help residents set and achieve financial goals through educational training and professional support.

LEARN MORE

our mission: To provide quality affordable housing and opportunities for individuals, families, and communities to thrive.

Photography: R&H Construction, Al Stern Photography, REACH archives

4150 SW Moody Ave. | Portland, OR 97239(503) 231-0682 | www.reachcdc.org | blog

STAy ConnECTED!

• Budget, Buy and Save• STARTS (Support, Training and

Assistance to Realize Tomorrow’s Success)

• Individual Development Accounts (IDA)• Youth$ave