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Family Focus: The Mung-Niang Family
For almost four years, Mathias Mung and Lun Niang have lived in a two-bedroom apartment with their young son and daughter. Mathias works as a custodian to provide financial stability for the family, while Lun is a stay-at-home mother. Their current apartment is an unhealthy environment for small children and Mathias and Lun worry that the lack adequate housing will negatively affect their children in the future.
Victoria Cottages
Southeast Stark Street and Southeast 204th Place
Victoria Cottages is located on Southeast 204th Place in the Rockwood and North Central neighborhoods of Gresham. There are currently 14-preexisting new homes neighboring the Habitat build site. Habitat plans on building eight additional new homes for low-income, hardworking families to complete the Victoria Cottages sub-division.
Habitat’s goal is to provide energy efficient housing for families with low allergens, high-efficiency utilities, access to public transit and pervious surfaces. The exterior design and color will compliment the neighboring homes and each entryway will face Southeast 204th Place. The eight Habitat homes will be built to Earth Advantage certification levels. The neighborhood is close to TriMet route #20 bus stops and a half mile from the Ruby Junction stop on the TriMet MAX Blue Line.
SE 171st Avenue and Division Street
The development at Southeast 171st and Division streets will be the largest Habitat build in Oregon and part of Habitat’s four-year bank of land that was purchased through A World of Hope: It Starts at Home fundraising efforts. This site includes 45 vacant lots, adjacent to 20 homes built by a for-profit builder and sold at market rate. Because the first 20 homes were sold at market rate, this completed development will be a mixed-income community. Once complete, the entire community will benefit from the $6,750,000 added to the local property tax base.
For the first time in Habitat’s history, all specialty builds will be active during the same time and at the same location. The Portland Pride Build, Women Build, Faith Build and Youth United have all raised the necessary funds to begin construction on their sponsored homes.
Other big events planned for this location include the Home Builders Blitz 2012. Professional home builders will mobilize their subcontractors on Monday, June 4, through Friday, June 8, to build several Southeast 171st and Division Street homes, part of a national effort to build 250 Habitat homes in just five days.
The first 22 homes are scheduled for completion by March of 2013. The completion of these homes will then kickoff the second phase that will include the final 23 homes, with construction wrapping up by the end of 2014. An estimated 10,000 volunteers will work side-by-side with 45 families to build this community from the ground up, providing stability for approximately 150 children.
North Michigan Avenue
Construction has started on two homes on North Michigan Avenue, near the heart of the vibrant cultural area of North Mississippi Avenue. These two buildings will be the future homes of the Duranand the Ejigu/Kere families and will be built to Earth Advantage certification levels.
