Frame a future where every child thrives in school
Homeownership brought many changes to Isaura Ascensio’s life, but one of the most significant was the impact it had on her young son, Uriel. Uriel was in grade school when they moved into their Habitat home, and Isaura said the new environment was soon evident in her son’s schoolwork. “After I became a homeowner,” Isaura […]
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In memory of the starter home
Starter homes – modest in size and price – used to be a gateway for first-time homebuyers to begin building equity and a lifetime of stable homeownership. That gateway, however, has significantly narrowed, as the housing shortage has placed a premium on smaller homes that used to fit the budget of a first-time, entry-level buyer. […]
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New home construction heats up across the region
Habitat’s summer is ramping up to be one of the busiest seasons ever, with new communities underway across the Portland metro area. Highlighting recent progress were two site celebrations! The first, at Gooseberry Trails, marked a milestone for Habitat, commemorating its largest community to date, with 52 homes in the Hillsdale neighborhood of southwest Portland. […]
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Meet our new team of Bank of America Student Leaders
Bank of America Student Leaders Ivette Alonso Garcia, Ammar Mukadam, Ryan Jun, and Ky Dang. This summer, Habitat for Humanity Portland Region is excited to host four participants in the Bank of America Student Leaders program, which works to foster community- and civic-minded service in young adults across the country. The Student Leader program engages […]
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Habitat, AmeriCorps partnership a chance to learn, grow, and chart a course for change
Before they became a project manager with Habitat for Humanity Portland Region, or the director of procurement for Habitat ReStores, before they became the director of Habitat’s homeownership programs, they were AmeriCorps volunteers. Ian Gallager, Malia Tam Sing and Erin Maxey were among the hundreds of thousands of people who enroll in AmeriCorps each year, […]
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Healing and home: Victoria and Roger find a stability all their own
Victoria, right, with her son Roger “It ends with us.” This is Habitat homeowner Victoria’s motto when it comes to breaking family cycles of housing instability. She and her 15-year-old son, Roger, are setting a new family precedent: one of homeownership, staying in one place, and prioritizing their mental health and self-care. The pair has […]
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The state of housing in the midst of a crisis
Homeownership’s connection to economic stability, improved educational outcomes and better health is well documented. But amid an unprecedented housing crisis, homeownership — and the potential it brings — is financially no longer an option for a growing number of people. The crisis has been decades in the making, a combination of low supply and excessive […]
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Celebrate Juneteenth with Habitat!
Join us on Saturday, June 15, for a day of community, culture, and celebration at the Juneteenth Oregon Festival, hosted by Juneteenth Oregon. This annual event kicks off with a vibrant parade at 11 am, starting from Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School, heading south on MLK, and concluding at Lillis-Albina Park. The festival runs […]
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Martin Luther King Jr. and the fight for housing justice
In the final years of his life, Martin Luther King Jr’s legacy was already cemented with his leadership in the Civil Rights Movement, the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. But one key element in civil rights was still missing in his view: housing justice. […]
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State’s asset-building program worth greater investment, housing advocates say
We’ve heard it countless times: It takes money to make money. Buying a home takes a down payment, launching a business means start-up capital, going to college requires advanced tuition. These investments are cornerstones to creating economic stability and building generational wealth, but not everyone is able to unlock those opportunities. For many Oregonians, Individual […]
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