Housing Services June newsletter

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Housing Services Newsletter

June 13, 2022 | HousingServices@co.washington.or.us

Housing Authority moves forward on over $45 million investment to renovate five properties of Affordable Housing

Housing Authority of Washington County Director, Komi Kalevor signs closing agreement

Last week, the Housing Authority of Washington County took a crucial step forward in large-scale rehab and renovation project for five apartment building properties located across Washington County. The full transaction cost is approximately $150 million, with $45 million invested directly into the rehab process.

Renovations include accessibility modifications, new plumbing, electricity, heating and ventilation systems, appliances, and much more. This project will preserve the affordability of these homes for decades into the future, by leveraging the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit program which requires the housing be kept affordable for at least thirty years. This guarantees these buildings will provide housing to over 300 low income families. Construction for the first wave of renovations is slated to begin over the summer.

A huge thank you to Washington County partners across Housing divisions, the County Administrative Office, Land Use & Transportation, Finance, Legal, and our consultants at Brawner!

Affordable Housing Behind the Scenes

Maintaining, Renovating, and Inspecting Public Housing is crucial to ensure Affordable Housing lasts for generations...

Luis Cordova has been working as a maintenance technician for 17 years and Trino Castaneda has been with the Housing Authority for almost twenty years. Vanessa Parchen, one of our Housing Inspectors, is a relative newcomer who has been with Washington County for four years. Together, with two other maintenance technicians, they provide a vital service behind the scenes for the Housing Authority.

Luis and Trino, along with two others, maintain sixteen properties in total, located all over Washington County. These properties include a variety of home sizes and provide affordable housing to low income families. This important service required them to be on the front lines during the pandemic, filling necessary work orders for maintenance requests. Meanwhile, Vanessa conducts inspections to ensure housing is safe and healthy for tenants.

Currently, they are readying two vacant single family homes to offer newly renovated units to two families on our Public Housing waitlist. Staff toured a unit in progress and a completed, ready-to-move in home and can attest to the work this team does behind the scenes maintaining, landscaping, renovating, and inspecting.

The Homeless Advisory Plan (HPAC) is currently recruiting!

Washington County’s Homeless Plan Advisory Committee (HPAC) is a 17-member committee appointed by the Board of County Commissioners. This is a volunteer leadership role with planning and oversight responsibility of Washington County’s Homeless and Supportive Housing system of care. The HPAC seeks applicants for a “Community-At-Large” position with a 3-year term. Click here to learn more.

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The Washington County Department of Housing Services was formed in 1992 to administer housing activities and programs of the county and the Washington County Housing Authority. The mission of the Department of Housing Services is to provide a continuum of affordable housing options that promotes community strength. The department offers rental assistance to low-income households through various federally funded programs, creates affordable housing opportunities in the community for low- and moderate-income households through a combination of creative financing and partnerships with public and private entities and administers programs to address homelessness including A Road Home: Washington County’s 10-year Plan to End Homelessness and the new Supportive Housing Services program.

WASHINGTON COUNTY, OR | co.washington.or.us/Housing