Thursday night at Redmond City Hall was the first-ever Affordable Housing Information Fair.
“All of the different affordable housing developers, partners, assistance organizations are all under one roof where people in our community can come ask questions, get information about all of the different affordable housing opportunities and developments in our area,” said Matt Martino with Umpqua Bank.
Different organizations from nonprofits to banks set up booths with fliers and information available for those with questions.
“We are really excited to be here together in one place,” said Program Director for NeighborImpact Sonia Capece. “You can learn a lot about the different options and know that there is a path forward. It may look different, it may be shorter, they may be long. But today is just walking that path.”
Panelists came before the crowd, introducing themselves, who they work for, and what they offer.
“We’re providing 30-year, zero-interest, zero down loans to qualified families who are at 80% or below AMI,” said Claire Duncan with First Story.
“You’re going to earn a fixed amount of equity on your home,” said Tess Freeman with the Kôr Community Land Trust. “So the home is going to grow in a fixed amount and then be affordable for someone in the future.
“In 2022, we completed 22 homes, and we’ve already sold five homes in 2023, and then we’re under construction for 17 more, which we’ve already had families selected for,” said DeeDee Johnson with Habitat for Humanity.
Organizers say a fair like this provides more opportunities to understand affordable housing and what is the best fit for those looking to buy a home.
“Well, there’s a centralized level of awareness now, instead of having questions of who does what and what is available,” said Martino. ‘Everybody can see that there are multiple tools and opportunities out there for them, and they can find out how to get to those next steps to accomplish their goals and dreams of potentially owning a home.”
The Affordable Housing Information Fair is returning, this time in Bend at the Latino Community Association’s main office on April 17.