The Construction Site Supervisor coordinates and supervises all on-site construction activities, including supervision of on-site volunteers, scheduling of sub-contractors and insuring that tools and equipment on site are in proper working order and are used safely. The site supervisor is responsible for meeting project schedules and implementing standards of quality during all phases of construction of the home(s) and improvements to the property from dig-out through completion and sale to the homeowner.

The Construction Site Supervisor is responsible for the following activities:

• Create a positive, safe and productive on-site experience for all Habitat volunteers and families. Maintain a safe work environment and prevent injuries from occurring, present a daily Safety Orientation for all volunteers, distribute proper safety equipment appropriate to the tasks being performed, maintain a fully supplied First Aid kit, a Safety Binder, and clearly post a map to the nearest emergency facility.
• Construct a quality, affordable home using the most efficient means possible while being mindful of the diverse abilities of Habitat volunteers. Schedule time for training and preparation necessary to perform daily tasks. Cultivate a corps of regular volunteers who are willing and able to lead volunteer teams.
• Follow all Federal and State laws regarding discrimination on the basis of age, gender, marital status, race, creed, color, religion, disabilities or handicaps while working on Habitat job sites.
• Coordinate all on-site activity, including subcontractors and suppliers. Coordinate with the Construction Operations Manager to insure that all necessary materials are on-site as needed to carry on the daily work without interruption or delay.
• Label and track tools, the work site and related storage units or job trailers throughout the workday and after hours to protect Habitat resources. Immediately notify the Construction Operations Manager of any tools or equipment in need of repair or replacement.
• Comply with all permitted construction documents, specifications, building and energy codes.
• Verify that building materials delivered on-site are consistent with the approved plans and the materials take-off sheets. Keep a daily job site log which documents all material and equipment deliveries. Insure that all documentation is maintained & transferred to the Construction Support Manager to be recorded.
• Maintain a build schedule that includes volunteer activities and subcontractor timelines planned for the upcoming 3 to 4 weeks. Communicate challenges and issues of concern, construction schedule delays, major milestones or project completion points reached to the Construction Operations Manager.
• Communicate challenges and issues of concern to the appropriate staff member as they arise on site
• Attend and participate in regular staff meetings and required events
• Manage all volunteers, AmeriCorps, and Cornerstone Crew Leaders and ensure that they have adequate training, preparation and supervision to perform daily tasks
• Be responsible for ensuring that any warranty work during the first year after completion is performed in a timely manner and coordinated through the Construction Manager
• Other duties as assigned.

Read more about this position and how to apply by clicking here.

The Portland Trail Blazers have teamed up with Habitat for Humanity Portland Metro/East and are donating $1 for every new Facebook “Like” Habitat for Humanity & the ReStore (Portland/Vancouver area) receives.  But we need your help to reach our goal of raising $5,000 and 5,000 new Facebook followers with this generous partnership.  Just click here and “Like” our Facebook page.  If you are already following Habitat on Facebook, then copy the link to this page and post it on your Facebook wall, and spread the word to your friends and family.  Be part of Portland’s home basketball team helping Habitat build homes right here in our communities.  Take the Home Team Challenge and “Like” Habitat, now!

Executive Build Day

Friday, October 28, 2011
8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Plus, help raise the funds needed to build the Ejigu-Kere family home! Executive Build has set the goal of raising $75,000 needed to sponsor the Ejigu-Kere family home. Co-Chairs Don Pearson, Regional President of Wells Fargo, and Steve Johnson, Chief Financial Officer of Parr Lumber, have each committed $2,500 toward the home and are reaching out to 28 of their peers to do the same!

Contact Shannon Tennant at shannon@habitatportlandmetro.org or 503.287.9529 x13 for more information.

Meet the Ejigu-Kere Family

Dereje Ejigu and Zuriash Kere live with their elderly mother, Yeshi Mucatu, and two young children in an extremely cramped, two-bedroom apartment in northeast Portland. Every winter they struggle with mold issues due to poor ventilation. Read more.

Habitat for Humanity Portland/Metro East launched its first awareness campaign on August 29. This campaign links up with Habitat’s goal of increasing local home building capacity by 50%, growing awareness in our community and getting more people involved with the organization. Habitat worked with HMH, who generously took on the awareness campaign as a pro bono partnership with Habitat. The first step of the campaign process was to conduct focus groups, which provided insight into local perceptions of Habitat. We discovered that while Habitat is perceived to be a positive organization that helps reduce poverty housing, a lot of people do not realize that Habitat is building homes right here, in the Portland and Gresham communities.

After reviewing the results of the focus groups, Habitat decided to focus the campaign message on localizing the organization, as it is important for the people of Portland and Gresham to know that Habitat works to provide stable, affordable housing, locally, which is so critical to education, health and the economic success of our area.

The billboard campaign features iconic portraits of “Portlanders” posing dramatically with home building equipment. The photography was shot by local artist, Andy Batt, who also donated his time and services.

“We want to create a feeling of power and hope with the billboard creative,” said Lisa Heathman, public relations director at HMH and Habitat board member.  “The images are intentionally heroic and attention-getting so  people will want to learn more about what Habitat does for their community.”

A total of 16 billboards will be posted in the Portland area through November 6.

Habitat for Humanity of Oregon is recruiting for an Affiliate Support Director to develop and lead an organized program of ongoing support, communications coordination, technical assistance and training to the 32 Habitat for Humanity affiliates located throughout Oregon.

The Habitat for Humanity Oregon office is located in Salem, Oregon, however, the Affiliate Support Director is a largely a field-based position and relocation to the Salem area is not a requirement of the job.

Qualifications:

• Bachelors Degree and three years experience or equivalent in program coordination and evaluation.
• Experience in nonprofit organizational program development and research.
• Ability to manage multiple projects with great attention to detail, maintain focus on tasks and produce accurate work.
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.  Ability to conduct presentations and develop reports.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Self starter who can work effectively with little direct supervision.
• Strong problem solving and analytical skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Ability to travel in Oregon with an average of 4 overnight trips per month.
• Safe driving record, current vehicle insurance and ability to use personal vehicle for HFHO business.
• Strong knowledge, understanding and experience with Habitat for Humanity preferred.

Read more about this position and how to apply by clicking here.

A Message from Steve Messinetti, President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Portland/Metro East

This fall marks three decades that Habitat for Humanity Portland/Metro East has been building homes and providing hope. Starting with that first home built in northeast Portland, thousands of dedicated volunteers have now given of their time and resources, allowing Habitat to open doors for hundreds of families.

As Habitat celebrates its thirtieth anniversary in Portland, we have dedicated ourselves to increase our building to 30 homes annually throughout the metro area. We are looking to a future where Habitat is not just changing the life of one family at a time, but rather investing in neighborhoods where we can make the greatest impact and help the entire community.

Our goals and plans for the coming years are bold and ambitious, but they are doable. We’ve proven we can deliver hope, stable and healthy homes, and community transformation when we roll up our sleeves and work together. To accomplish all this we have launched A World of Hope: It Starts at Home, our first major fundraising campaign. The goal of this campaign is to permanently increase, by at least 50%, our local affiliate’s capacity to serve more families and involve more volunteers.

As we considered launching this campaign we interviewed more than 60 community leaders to get their advice and opinions about our plans. The overwhelming response we received was that while the economy might make it challenging to raise these funds, hardworking families in our hardest hit neighborhoods are in need of housing now and Habitat’s unique homeownership model can provide the neighborhood revitalization that is needed. We also heard loud and clear that the timing was ripe for Habitat to purchase land at record low prices in targeted neighborhoods with high foreclosure rates.

We have already seen some great success and the momentum continues to build as more and more people learn about this life-changing work. Please join us as we celebrate 30 years of providing A World of Hope to local families and look ahead to our aggressive efforts to exponentially increase Habitat’s capacity. Help us spread the word!

Learn more about A World of Hope: It Starts at Home by clicking here.

Growing up in a farmer’s tenant house in rural Oregon near Monroe, John Gray knows the importance of having the help of a caring community and a decent home. His widowed mother was a teacher in a one-room school, worked hard to pay $2.50 each month in rent, and found a way to meet the needs of her three growing boys.

“We were happy, dry and never hungry,” said Gray. “People respected my mother and it was always a game of my brothers and me to guess which family would ask us to dinner after church.”

Gray believes that a child is shaped by his or her environment. His community valued hard work, education and helping neighbors.

Motivated by these values and hearing about Habitat’s opportunity to purchase land at dramatically low prices, Gray committed $1 million to launch the A World of Hope: It Starts at Home fundraising campaign.

“This is a testament to his dedication to stabilize families and neighborhoods in the Portland metro area,” said Steve Messinetti, President and CEO. “His leadership gift allowed Habitat to act quickly on opportunities to buy or tie up land for 95 homes.”

Pleased by the land opportunities he saw here with the Portland/Metro East affiliate, Gray decided to go even further, giving an additional $1 million gift to help other Habitat affiliates in Oregon act on great land deals. The John Gray Land Opportunity Fund is set up at the Oregon Community Foundation for this purpose and 28 Habitat affiliates throughout the state are in the process of identifying land to purchase with these funds.

“Mr. Gray really does exemplify everything that Habitat stands for,” said Messinetti. “His gift will literally change the trajectory of hundreds of children’s lives and increase the capacity of Habitat affiliates throughout our entire state.”

Mr. Gray is known for his development of large projects like Sunriver Resort, Salishan Spa and Golf Resort and the John’s Landing neighborhood in Portland. Now in his nineties, Gray’s philanthropic efforts are a career in itself and have touched the lives of many Oregonians. He has had significant impact on environmental organizations, early childhood and higher education institutions, has aided our hospitals and cultural scene and helped feed and clothe the less fortunate. Now, he’s helping build homes.

“Do what you can. If you can’t give money, give time or give your expertise,” said Gray. “I think there is something everyone can contribute.”

Learn more about Habitat’s A World of Hope: It Starts at Home fundraising campaign by clicking here.

Healthy Communities Start at Home.

Today in our city, one out of five working families spends more than half of their earnings to pay for the roof over their heads. Oregon now has one of the highest hunger rates in the country, and the Oregon Hunger Relief Task Force reports that the most important reason Oregonians go hungry is the high cost of housing.

In search of an affordable place to live, many low-income families move into dilapidated trailers or older homes with little insulation. Too often, low-cost housing is of substandard quality, providing unsafe and unhealthy living conditions for families. Health risks include lead paint in older buildings, pests in poorly maintained structures and the damp, moldy conditions so prevalent in the Portland Metro area.

A child living in inadequate housing has an increased risk of slow growth and is 10 times more likely to contract meningitis, respiratory problems or asthma. Asthma is the number one reason for school absence, and school absence affects performance. Safe, solid housing eliminates many of the conditions that pose health threats to children and parents alike.

Read more about how healthy housing creates healthy communities by clicking here.

Success in School Starts at Home.

Almost half of all low-income families in Multnomah County move every 15 months, primarily due to rising rents. We have schools with classroom mobility rates as high as 60%, and research shows that it takes a child four to six months to recover academically from each school transfer. A high rate of student mobility within a school also has a collective, negative impact on all students, even those who do not move. This is one reason Habitat has chosen to focus building efforts in specific neighborhoods, to have the greatest stabilizing impact.

During the past five years, Habitat has built 37 homes in the Lents neighborhood in southeast Portland and 45 homes in Gresham’s Rockwood neighborhood, introducing hundreds of stable students to the local schools.

Just as it enhances younger students’ ability to learn, affordable homeownership promotes adult learning and career advancement. Since purchasing their Habitat homes, we have seen parents win competitive scholarships to private colleges, complete associate degrees and receive advanced certifications in professional trades. These achievements help families retain employment even during tough economic times.

By providing a hand up, not a handout, Habitat’s unique homeownership program maintains the dignity and pride of the families we serve. With a less than 1% foreclosure rate, Habitat has a proven track record helping hardworking families leave substandard housing behind forever.

Read more about the effects of homeownership on education by clicking here.

When Habitat’s board of directors made the commitment in 2010 to increase home building efforts by 50% they knew that securing a four-year bank of land was the foundation for this plan. In the past, Habitat scrambled to find affordable lots. The recent economic downturn, however, produced a glut of foreclosed properties and left other developments incomplete.

Habitat successfully took advantage of this rare opportunity to open a dialogue between housing developers with upside-down lots and local lenders with bad loans plaguing their balance sheets. We brought them together with our public sector partners and generous individual donors looking to leverage their philanthropic impact.

Over the past year we made these connections again and again and successfully secured property at record low prices. Bringing these parties together was a win-win situation, helping to establish and preserve affordable homeownership in the neighborhoods that need it most.

The largest of these parcels is located at Southeast 171st and Division streets. This site includes 45 vacant lots, adjacent to 20 homes built by a for-profit builder and sold at market rate. Habitat capitalized on the opportunity to purchase the 45 vacant lots through Mr. John Gray’s leadership gift to the campaign and the support of one-time federal Recovery Act funds. Because the first 20 homes were sold at market rate, this completed development will be a mixed-income community.

The development at Southeast 171st and Division streets will be the largest Habitat build in Oregon. The average developed lot cost was $33,000 per home, about 50% less than land prices one year earlier. Once built, the entire community will benefit from the $6,750,000 added to the local property tax base. With $0.30 of every property tax dollar spent on police, fire and parks, that means $25,000 more each year for these services.

As these homes are built, more than 10,000 volunteers will have a hand in transforming the lives of 45 families, including over 100 children.

The 45 Habitat homes on Southeast 171st and Division streets will be the largest Habitat build in Oregon.

Every year, each one of Bank of America’s 45 markets recognizes five high school juniors and seniors as Student Leaders for their passion and commitment to improve their communities. The Student Leadership Program allows each student to participate in an eight week long summer internship with a local nonprofit organization and a week long Student Leadership Summit in Washington D.C. This summer, three Student Leaders have been working with Habitat’s Portland/Metro East affiliate.

Hamda Jama divides her time working at the front desk and with the homeownership department. She has researched ways to recruit youth volunteers and has also worked at build sites. Being a Student Leader has allowed Hamda to learn interpersonal skills, time management skills and establish key networks. She has enjoyed working at build sites and with staff members who create a welcoming and comfortable working environment. Hamda will attend Portland State University this fall to major in Biology and later hopes to attend the Oregon Health and Science University to become a pediatrician.

Ximena Fonseca works in the communications department. The main focus of her internship has been to help document the experience of the volunteers at build sites and share it through our social media outlets. Ximena wanted to work with Habitat to learn about the executive side of a nonprofit organization and help provide housing for hard working families through home builds. She has enjoyed working along side future homeowners, volunteers and team builders to help build affordable housing. This fall, Ximena will pursue a degree in Environmental Engineering with a minor in Architecture at Oregon State University.

Robert Yu works with the volunteer department and at build sites. Throughout his internship, he has focused on increasing the amount of regular volunteers and also recruiting young adults to volunteer through Youth United. Robert wanted to work with Habitat to learn about how nonprofits work and further understand Habitat’s mission. As a Student Leader, Robert has developed leadership skills that have enabled him to reach out to his community. This fall, Robert will attend the University of California Berkley to major in Business and Economics.

Hamda, Ximena and Robert will finish their summer internships with Habitat in the first few weeks of August. Habitat would like to thank each of them for their hard work  and wish them great success as they advance on to college.