Housing’s impact on children’s education
Stable, adequate and affordable housing leads to better educational outcomes for children of all ages, according to recent studies. This is particularly true for Black and Hispanic/Latino populations, who are twice as likely to live in substandard housing as White populations. Habitat for Humanity International has released an analysis that examines how housing affects children’s […]
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Tonya, children, find comfort and stability in their Habitat home
Nearly five years ago, Tonya accomplished what she previously believed to be an impossible feat: she became a Habitat homeowner all by herself. “This is one of the things in my life that I hold as a model for everything,” she said. “If I can get through that, everything else is trivial.” The path […]
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Westminster volunteers build furniture and community at the ReStore
Jack Robinson and his three friends stood over a half-built furniture set, aligning stubborn nuts and bolts that would soon shape up to be a brand new glider and coffee table. The directions were complicated and the materials were heavy, but that didn’t stop them from cranking out three of those sets within a couple […]
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Longtime ReStore shopper Jill transforms fixer-uppers with unique finds from ReStore
Jill Hofmann has a vision for things. She has a keen eye for restoring homes of any age to their original character, keeping in mind feng shui: the Chinese practice of arranging pieces in living spaces to create balance with the natural world. Over the past 25 years, with the help of Habitat ReStores, Jill […]
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Oregon’s new racial, implicit bias education intended to curb disparities in home valuations
Creative Commons Home appraisers seeking certification in Oregon will now receive training on implicit and racial bias, a move state lawmakers and housing advocates hope will help curb racial disparities in home appraisals. The new requirement, passed by the Oregon Legislature this session, is intended to address the tide of research showing considerable gaps between […]
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New home opens new possibilities for Elijah and family
For Elijah, owning a home has always been a far-fetched dream, something people did decades ago but was no longer a realistic goal for those living in today’s economy. So, when he found out he’d been selected as a future homeowner at Alder Commons, Habitat’s 8-home community in Hillsboro, he almost didn’t believe it was […]
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Sun’s out, hard hats out for Habitat volunteers
It’s summer volunteer season at Habitat build sites! This summer promises to be big for Habitat volunteers who are helping finish several communities, while our construction team is getting new sites ready for building. Here’s a brief rundown of construction work underway at three of our communities in the metro area. Alder Commons Work at […]
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Reyna’s Habitat home a fresh start with unlimited possibilities
Walking into Reyna’s home in Northeast Portland, one thing about her is immediately clear: This woman loves purple. The lavender and white ombre curtains are drawn in the summertime, keeping the living area cool, even on the third floor. A plush, tri-color blanket in violet hues is draped over the sofa, complimenting the purple […]
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For Amelia, volunteering with Habitat sets the stage for a new career
Little girls often dream of becoming princesses, ballerinas, fashionistas and movie stars. Amelia Byko wanted to build houses. As a child, Amelia built houses out of anything she could find. She fashioned her first one out of a jewelry box with the drawers rearranged to represent bedrooms. She makes these miniature dollhouse-like projects in all […]
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Rebekah’s fixer-upper now a point of pride in her neighborhood
Rebekah, a homeowner in Northeast Portland, sipped cool water under the shade of a tree in her yard, waving to neighbors walking their dogs and inhaling the sweet aroma of freshly bloomed white and pink roses growing in her garden. Life only recently became this blissful for Rebekah and her daughter. The two of them […]
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