Family Focus: Meet the Bounvassana Family!
Mary Bounvassana lives with her two children Jeremias, 12, and Alicia, 10. Mary is a single mom and works as a bank teller. They live in a two-bedroom apartment that is poorly insulated, with an extensive mold problem which has caused both of her children asthma. The bathroom sink, bathtub, and toilet all get clogged due to poor plumbing. Mary and her children would love to move into a new house where they could all have separate rooms and a safe area to play. Learn more.
Jubilee Commons
Located between SE Stark and E Burnside on 197th Ave, 0.2 miles north of the Ruby Junction Max stop (blue line).
On May 31st, 2007 Habitat for Humanity broke ground on Jubilee Commons. The site is located in the Rockwood area of Gresham and will include 23 condos situated in a U-shape around the community center. The condos include one to four bedrooms and will provide affordable housing to 42 adults and 56 children. The “eyes toward the center” design of the complex will add to the sense of community and feeling of connection among homeowner families.
Because Jubilee is such a large project, it will be built in four phases with families moving in after each building is occupancy ready. Three phases have been completed, the most recent on December 31, 2009. Construction on the last phase has begun.
The Jubilee Commons community center will serve primarily as a supervised after school space where Jubilee children can have a dedicated place to do homework, receive tutoring and mentoring in small groups, participate in hands-on activities such as art and music, and have consistent access to computer and technology resources. The community center will also provide a place for adults to access computers and internet resources and for Jubilee families to gather for community meetings and social occasions, again contributing to and strengthening the sense of community.
We are only able to fulfill our mission of providing hard-working families with the opportunity to earn and own simple, decent, affordable housing by partnering with community partners who donate time, talents and resources. Jubilee Commons will cost about two million dollars to complete, and will require over 3,000 community volunteers to help build it.
Lents Landing
Nine homes will be built on SE 97th Ave. near Foster Rd. Ground broke at the beginning of June, and the first four homes were finished in January 2010. Construction on the next homes of the project have begun.
Historically, the Lents neighborhood has been home to renters from diverse ethnic communities.
The City of Portland would like to see these families offered affordable homeownership for several reasons.
On average, 40% of the children who begin the school year in a classroom in Lents leave that classroom by year end. Homeownership is a key factor in reducing student mobility, which enables every member of the classroom to have a greater chance of learning.
Dedicated to improving this urban renewal area, the Portland Development Commission (PDC) has plans underway to build a MAX light rail system that will connect this neighborhood with downtown Portland. Viable public transportation gives families who earn less than 80% of the Median Family Income (MFI) the chance to enjoy greater economic stability.
Habitat for Humanity Portland/Metro East is partnering with the PDC to bring affordable homeownership opportunities to those hardworking families in the Lents neighborhood who will benefit most from the chance to earn and own a home.
