
Inside news from the Housing Authority of Portland	February 2007

HAP's '08 Moving to Work Plan Set for Public Review

More flexibility to better serve local needs is an essential outcome of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Moving to Work (MTW) program. The Housing Authority of Portland (HAP) was one of the first in the country to be selected to participate in this demonstration program when it was created by Congress in 1996.

HAP's annual MTW plan, which outlines its strategic and policy plans for the coming year, will be reviewed in a public hearing on Tuesday, February 20, 6:15 pm, at the Multnomah County Building located at 501 SE Hawthorne Blvd.

"Less than 30 out of more than 3,000 housing authorities nationwide have the privilege of participating in MTW," said Steve Rudman, HAP executive director. "It gives us the ability to shape and streamline programs in ways that are responsive to conditions in our own communities."

In its draft plan, HAP outlines eight initiatives, each with specific action steps that seek to improve cost effectiveness, expand self-sufficiency opportunities or increase housing choice for low-income families. HAP's board will review the final plan for approval on March 20.

Read the full plan for presentation at the public hearing

Iris Court Comes Down; Building Material Recycled and Reused

The landscape has changed at the corner of N. Vancouver and Alberta Streets, the home of the former Iris Court cluster.

Once a collection of eleven aging brick buildings, all but three of the structures have been deconstructed or demolished to make way for Humboldt Gardens, HAP's latest HOPE VI redevelopment. The ReBuilding Center managed deconstruction, which is a painstaking process to take a building apart by hand to divert reusable and recyclable items from the landfill. Click here for a list of the wide-ranging Iris Court material now getting a second life.

In addition, HAP and its joint venture contracting team of Walsh Construction and CJ Jackson Construction set a goal of 35 percent target business - minority-owned, women-owned, disadvantaged or emerging small business - participation in the project. One of the first such contractors to complete work on site was Professional Minority Abatement Group which removed all asbestos from the buildings prior to start of demolition.

Read more about Humboldt Gardens

Section 8 Waiting List Complete

HAP processed a record-number 9,720 applications for its Section 8 waiting list. The random selection of 3,000 names from this applicant pool was finished at the end of January to form the new list. The agency will start to use the new list in late February. Families make up 42 percent of the 3,000 households on the new waiting list, followed by households with persons with disabilities at 32 percent, one-person households at 22 percent, and senior households at 4 percent. About 86 percent of the households on the list report annual incomes under 30 percent of the area median, or less than $20,350 for a family of four and $16,300 for a two-person household.

HAP PROFILE: Turning Point

Turning Point program, a housing program managed by Neighborhood House, Inc., offers a new beginning for families who hope to break the pattern of homelessness and move into permanent housing. And it represents a unique collaboration between HAP, a public agency with an experienced real estate department, and Neighborhood House, a community-based agency with expertise in transitional housing.

Ten years ago, HAP developed the property in Southwest Portland to be used as part of its Special Needs Housing portfolio. "We're experienced at developing and managing real estate," said Ben Wickham, asset manager, "while other nonprofits are expert at providing services to the community. This is a partnership that works well for both agencies."

HAP is refinancing the debt on the Turning Point complex, which is comprised of 24 units in three separate buildings. "Refinancing puts the property in a better financial position and allows us to invest in some capital improvements," continued Wickham.

Families served by Turning Point come from emergency shelters, substance abuse programs, domestic violence shelters and other temporary living situations. Families stay with the program from six to 18 months, after which they move to permanent housing. Turning Point estimates that up to 80 percent of the families served are successful in finding and maintaining permanent housing.

Monthly Reports

Read the latest New Columbia Community Campus report

Read the latest Humboldt Gardens report

HAP IN THE NEWS
Read more about HAP’s projects, accomplishments and work in the community.

DAILY JOURNAL OF COMMERCE: Bill seeks to change housing authorities' scope

PORTLAND TRIBUNE: Schools look for repair funds

HAP Unwrapped is a monthly newsletter for individuals interested in learning about the agency's affordable housing programs.

Housing Authority of Portland

135 SW Ash Street, Portland, OR 97204
PHONE: 503-802-8300 • E-MAIL: hapunwrapped@hapdx.org • WEB: www.hapdx.org