MADRAS, OR – Thanks to a number of local partners, a new affordable home for an agricultural workforce family has been completed. The Casa Soñada (Dream Home) development will provide a total of 6 homes for low income families that work in qualifying industries. Co-developers Housing Works and NeighborImpact have partnered with Heart of Oregon Corps YouthBuild to bring to completion this first home in Madras which already has tenants selected to move in within the next week. Partner representatives, local government officials, and local youth will come together to celebrate the new home on Friday, April 15th at 11:30 am at 622 SW 3rd Street in Madras.
The second home in the Casa Soñada development has commenced, and the third home will be started soon. Families interested in leasing these new homes can contact Housing Works for employment and income qualifications and an application. The home will be leased with an option to purchase after 10 years through a unique lease-to-own contract. “This is a great way for a family to purchase a home,” shares Tom Kemper of Housing Works. “The lease-to-own structure provides families with an incentive to transition into homeownership and links them with resources to make that dream happen.”
Angel Arzate, age 17, grew up in Madras and is part of the Heart of Oregon Corps YouthBuild team that constructed the new home. “YouthBuild has provided an incredible paradigm shift for me. Before I became part of the team, part of the family, I was a simple follower. I waited to be instructed. I had no input. I almost never went out of my way to do something for anyone or anything. YouthBuild has helped me change my point of view on what a great leader is and has made me realize that a good leader not only leads but helps his peers become great leaders as well.”
Heart of Oregon Corps’ YouthBuild program provides young people ages 16-24 the opportunity to work toward their GED, high school diploma or college credits, learn job skills, and serve their communities by building affordable housing. Simplicity by Hayden Homes, another valued partner in this endeavor, has been instrumental in providing building plans and a materials package at a cost that allows this project to work financially. Financing is being provided by Bank of the Cascades.
DATE: Friday, April 15, 2016
TIME: 11:30 to 1:00 pm
LOCATION: 622 SW 3rd Street, Madras
ADDITIONAL: Photo opportunities will be available on site
About Heart of Oregon YouthBuild: Heart of Oregon Corps is a youth-focused nonprofit organization invested in empowering and inspiring change in the lives of Central Oregon youth through jobs, education, and stewardship. Their programming creates pathways out of poverty while stimulating regional economic growth. In YouthBuild, young people from Madras, Culver, Warm Springs, Redmond, Bend, Prineville, La Pine, and Sisters learn construction skills and build critically needed affordable housing while re-engaging in school to achieve their high school diploma or GED.
About Housing Works: Housing Works is a public agency whose mission is fostering dignity through housing. It provides people with quality, safe and affordable homes and, through a number of collaborations, provides resources to help people stabilize their lives and become economically self-sufficient. Housing Works developments in Bend, Redmond and Sisters have won numerous awards for innovation, economic impact, design, beautification, and historic preservation and enhancement.
About Simplicity by Hayden Homes: Simplicity Homes is a fee based, housing general contractor building homes across the PNW. Our Mission is to provide quality and value in homebuilding, serving a diverse clientele, with professional management, operations and execution while delivering with integrity, respect and a team-centric, collaborative effort. We strive to build long term relationships with our clients and build wealth for our customers, team members, the communities in which we build and the NW economy at large.
About NeighborImpact: Since 1985, NeighborImpact has been a leader in developing solutions and bringing resources to Crook, Jefferson and Deschutes County. The agency offers a diversity of services meeting basic human needs for food and shelter, while enriching people’s lives by providing access to increased education, skills, and hope for the future. NeighborImpact is a private nonprofit organization that receives federal, state and local grants, foundation grants, and donations from individuals and businesses in our community.
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