Success Stories: PCRI’s Programs

Posted on March 10th, 2010 by PCRI

So you’ve checked out descriptions of PCRI’s Programs elsewhere on our website, but you’re hungry for a little more information.  Well, you’ve come to the right place!  Our Programs Department has been feverishly working on new services for our residents–as well as make our current programs even better.  Here are some highlights of our recent Programs successes:

HOMEOWNERSHIP

Our Homeownership Initiative (launched in 2004) aims to transform PCRI residents from renters to first time homeowners.  The comprehensive program includes intake and assessment, credit repair, one-on-one counseling, financial fitness, HUD-certified homebuyer education, monthly homebuyer club meetings, and post-purchase assistance.  It’s exactly this type of program that goes beyond helping homeowners, says the New York Times:  “These alliances have sidestepped the plague of foreclosure.”

Since 2007, PCRI has been working with the African American Alliance for Homeownership and Hacienda Community Development Corporation, with whom PCRI forms the Minority Homebuyers Assistance Collaborative (MHAC). Through the MHAC collaborative, PCRI residents have access to culturally-specific HUD-certified homebuyer education classes and additional funds to assist with down payment and closing costs.

We’re excited about 2009’s growth for our homeownership program and the successes of the residents who are enrolled:

• 10 PCRI families purchased homes (read one resident’s story here)
• 54 families participated in our complete homebuyer counseling program
• 17 families ended the year mortgage-ready … and looking for homes
• 10 special-topic homebuyer education classes were held
• PCRI’s post-purchase education initiative, “Life After Renting,” was implemented
• $178,000 in down-payment assistance was distributed to new homebuyers

FINANCIAL LITERACY

As an integral part of our homeownership initiative, PCRI’s financial literacy program is designed to prepare individuals and families to better manage their finances and achieve family goals such as lowering debt and improving credit scores.  Residents in this program are provided with multiple choices of sound and proven financial education curricula including: Money Smart, Dollar Works 2, and Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University.

• Developed community partnerships with OSU Extension Services to provide the Dollar Works 2 program
• Worked with Banking on our Future to provide financial fitness to youth at the Maya Angelou Community Center
• Had 25 individuals graduate from our financial fitness programs.  All residents who participated have developed plans to reduce debt–and have experienced notable increases in their credit scores

INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNTS

IDAs are matched savings programs that allow qualified individuals to set savings goals and make monthly deposits into a designated account. Each dollar deposited is matched 3:1. PCRI has been involved in the IDA matched savings program since 2007.  In 2008, we expanded our community partnership with CASA of Oregon allowing us to provide IDA’s directly through PCRI. Residents have the ability to save in 3 major areas: homeownership, higher education, and home repairs.  The program is so popular, we currently have a waiting list of  residents wanting to take advantage of it.  The program is successful, too.  In 2009, PCRI:

• Received $70,000 in IDA funding for homeownership, education, and home repair
• Awarded 11 IDAs to residents utilizing every cent of our allotted funds
• Had 3 PCRI residents use funds from their homeownership IDAs towards  purchase of their first home

THRIVING FAMILIES

Here’s our newest and most innovative approach to helping PCRI residents achieve their family goals.  The Thriving Families program is the all-encompassing package that helps move residents from family stability to self sufficiency and begin the process of creating wealth.  It incorporates all the programs and services PCRI currently offers, providing an effective vehicle to help families identify their needs and aspirations and put them into a strategic plan framework. Through this framework, each family member age six and older is able to create individual and family goals to be achieved. Monetary and other incentives are offered to participants who meet and exceed agreed upon milestones. These awards can assist families to overcome barriers they currently face. 2009 was an exciting year for the program as staff finalized details and began enrolling families.  In 2009, we:

• Received funding to begin the thriving families pilot program
• Signed up 7 families who are actively participating in the program
• Set a goal of tripling the number of families enrolled in the program by the end of 2010

Next up: a look at the resources available at PCRI’s community centers, where we put these programs into action.

Tags: About Us, Homeownership, Programs, Success Stories | Category PCRI

Whether to Weatherize? PCRI says Yes!

Posted on February 1st, 2010 by PCRI

Partnering with Multnomah County’s Weatherization Assistance Program, PCRI is working to make our homes warmer, more comfortable and more efficient places to live.

The Weatherization Assistance Program is nothing new–it was created in 1976.  But the weatherization spotlight shines brighter than ever, thanks to President Barack Obama.  In an interview last year with CBS’ Katie Couric he said this about weatherization programs:

“We’re going to weatherize homes, that immediately puts people back to work and we’re going to train people who are out of work, including young people, to do the weatherization. As a consequence of weatherization, our energy bills go down and we reduce our dependence on foreign oil.”

Lower energy bills?  Decent paying jobs?  Hey, PCRI is all for that too (which is why we’re also a partner in the Department of Labor’s Pathways out of Poverty program)!  In January, Multnomah County’s weatherization inspectors audited the first two PCRI homes, with more on tap for the coming months.  But what does “weatherization” mean?

The first–and probably least interesting–step in the weatherization process is the application.  It’s short, and PCRI residents can pick them up and drop them off at our office.  We can also help with completing them and we’ll submit them to the county.  Multnomah County’s weatherization staff reviews the applications, then schedules an in-home energy to determine what improvements give the most bang for the buck.

With the paperwork (well, some of it at least) out of the way, the more exciting stuff begins.  An energy audit typically starts with a blower door test (pictured above)–simply, an industrial fan mounted in the home’s front door.  The fan creates suction inside the house, making it amazingly easy to see where air leaks are.  Curtains on leaky windows blow around like the window is open, unlatched doors swing open in the blink of an eye and other leaky spots create a obvious breeze.

Besides finding leaks and drafts with the blower door test, the insulation is inspected.  Sometimes this is done with a heat-sensing infared camera (very cool); other times it’s done the old-fashioned way–by crawling in the attic and fighting cobwebs in the crawl space for a first-hand look.  Bathroom and kitchen vent fans are checked too, since it’s even more important to exhaust moist air when the house has been weatherized.

After the crawling around is complete and the blower door kit is put away, the weatherization inspector takes measurements and makes a drawing of the house.  Back at county HQ, this information is used to create an energy-use model of the house.  While the inspector may already have a good idea of what improvements are required, the energy-use software puts the savings into hard numbers.

Heat-sensing cameras and computer modeling software won’t keep the house warm, though.  That’s the job of the insulation and weatherization crew.  Check back in a few weeks for Part Two of this story.  As our first homes advance to Part Two of the program, we’ll have more photos and a virtual tour of the process.

Are you a PCRI resident who is interested in having your home weatherized?  Call or stop by our office and we’ll help out!

Tags: Our Homes, Weatherization | Category PCRI

Planting Dreams to Honor Dr. King

Posted on January 19th, 2010 by PCRI

“I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation,” said Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., starting his now-famous “I Have a Dream” speech on August 28, 1963.

In Dr. King’s honor, volunteers from Americorps and Hands On Greater Portland joined children at PCRI’s Maya Angelou Community Center to build planter boxes for families at the Maya Angelou complex.

Cassie Russell, PCRI’s Resident Services Coordinator at Maya Angelou Community Center (and also an Americorps Oregon State Service Corps member), organized the day of service; Home Depot, Sherwin Williams and Hands on Greater Portland donated supplies for the event.

The box-building teams started indoors, making rhythm from the scratch-scratch-scratch of their sandpaper and the thump-thump-thump of their hammers.  The percussion of the tools could only be drowned out by the repeated interruptions of laughter.

Once the boxes were built was when the real fun happened:  the kids and adults grabbed their boxes and hustled outside (hey, the sun was actually shining!) where they let loose their creative genius.  Some kids (and adults) went all-or-nothing with the bright colors, while others took a more subtle approach, decorating the boxes with painted flowers and trees.

Once the boxes were painted, the builders stepped back to reflect on Dr. King’s inspiration, their work–and to let the paint dry–over a few slices of pizza.  Check out our photo gallery (and become our fan for more updates!).

What’s next?  As the weather warms up in the coming weeks, it will be time for the families to start their planter gardens with seeds donated by Seeds of Change.  Who knows–maybe a contest will be in order:  I have a dream that one day, we’ll be judged not by the color of our skin, but by the content of our … planter boxes?

Hats off to Dr. King for providing such great inspiration.

Tags: Events, MLK, Out and About, Residents | Category PCRI

How you can support Haiti. Now. In Portland.

Posted on January 14th, 2010 by PCRI

In fact, you can help whether or not you’re in Portland.  Case in point:  Rosetta Thurman, a nonprofit leader, writer, speaker, professor and leadership development consultant (I’m sure I missed something there, but let’s just say she’s accomplished) posted a great recap about how to help.  Rather than trying to come up with new ways to say what she did so well, please read on for her eloquent and moving call to action:

Yesterday, I made my very first donation by text. Tears rolled down my face as I punched in each number on my cell phone. I couldn’t stop crying because I wanted to do more. So much more.

As you all know, on January 12, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti. As a result, the country is in ruins, and more than 100,000 are feared dead. Up to 3 million people could be affected by this earthquake, the worst in 200 years. Given the recent events and devastation brought upon Haiti, I cannot think of anything more important that we can do right now than to lend your voice, efforts, and money to our brothers and sisters in Haiti who are in such desperate need now and will be for the long term. For right now, aid officials are asking folks NOT to collect donated goods as there is no on the ground capacity to distribute unsorted random goods and won’t be for some time. The devastation is such that they also don’t want people going down there independently as roads are closed and not passable. So, the best thing to do right now is to give cash. The quickest way to give is by mobile giving through your cell phone. Here’s how:

• SMS text “HAITI” to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross relief efforts
• SMS text “YELE” to 501501 to Donate $5 to Yele Haiti’s Earthquake Relief efforts (Yele was established by recording artist Wyclef Jean)
• Canadian folks can text the word “Haiti” to 45678 (Canada only) on behalf of the Salvation Army in Canada

Your donation goes to the recipient charity, and the donation appears as a charge on your carrier bill. You or your organization can also make a gift to any of these charities that are on the ground providing assistance. The Washington Post has compiled an even more comprehensive list of charities to support.

If you cannot give money, please give your thoughts and prayers to the people of Haiti during this tragedy.

If you cannot give money, please show your support on Twitter or Facebook. Many folks are looking for ways that they can help right now. Please consider updating your status message with something like this:

• Text “HAITI” to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross relief efforts. (Facebook)
• Text “HAITI” to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross relief efforts. #Haiti (Twitter)

If you are in the midst of planning any events to support the relief effort, please consider collecting MONEY instead of supplies. Governments worldwide are responding to the current disaster by sending search and rescue teams as well as goods. Relief organizations are also ramping up their efforts and sending out calls for support. The best thing we can do from the U.S. right now is to send our thoughts, prayers, and money.

“Yele” means a “cry for freedom.” Let’s please do our part to let them know we hear their cry.

If you’re reading this from Washington, DC, Rosetta has collected a list of ways to get involved with relief efforts.

If you’re in Portland, there are many businesses planning special events to support Haiti relief as well as many events to show support and solidarity.  Here’s an admittedly incomplete list, but please add your events via the comments:

TONIGHT (January 14), join Portland Mercy Corps between 6-7 pm at Ankeny Plaza (near Skidmore Fountain in Portland Old Town) for a candle-light vigil with the Portland Haitian immigrant and refugee community.  Mercy Corps hopes to raise $100,000 for Mercy Corps’ earthquake relief efforts.

Additional vigils will be held at Augustana Lutheran Church and at Portland Metro Church.

TOMORROW: (January 15) Mercy Corps and the Portland Trailblazers will collect donations (cash or checks) for Haiti earthquake relief on your way into the Blazers game.

If you’re out and about, there are plenty of businesses who are donating proceeds to the relief effort too.  Cruise the Pearl on Saturday and paint it “Red for Relief” at Cupcake Jones, Bishops Barbershop, Jinx Lounge, Bubble Boutique and Vault Martini Bar.  Or, if you’re ready for a new purse, check out Portland’s Kaleah Ott on Etsy–$100 of a Pop Top purse purchase will go to the Red Cross.

Milagros Boutique, Bella Stella, Red Wagon, Townsend’s Tea, Clever Cycles and many other local businesses will be donating 10% of their sales (through Monday 1/18) to Mercy Corps (plus, you support a local business!).  Keep checking Milagros website for more participating businesses.

Firehouse Restaurant will be donating 5% of their proceeds from January 20-24 directly to Mercy corps too (eat up!).

While you’re picking up groceries, you can donate your spare change for Haiti relief too.  Thru 1/30, donations to Fred Meyer’s register coin boxes will be earmarked for Haiti relief.

A little further out, Funagain Games in Ashland will donate 100% of net profits from all in-stock orders on 1/15 to Haiti aid.

Please post any events, fundraisers or other organized relief efforts that you know of in the comments.

Tags: Haiti | Category PCRI

Building a Foundation for Homeownership

Posted on December 23rd, 2009 by PCRI

PCRI has long envisioned in-house development of sustainable, energy-efficient AND affordable new homes.  This week, we were delivered a gift of good news: approval of funding for these new homes.

“This is great news for PCRI staff and more importantly, great news for PCRI residents who have been anxiously awaiting the opportunity to purchase these homes,” boasted Executive Director Maxine Fitzpatrick.

“This pilot project connects PCRI’s in-house housing development to its in-house program services, permitting a holistic approach to housing stabilization, asset building and wealth creation that combats generational poverty,” she added.

The four pilot homes (sketched below) will be built on two locations in North Portland.  The completed homes will be available for purchase by families earning 70-80% of area median income.

PCRI’s assistance to first-time homebuyers–programs like down-payment assistance, matched-savings Individual Development Accounts and homebuyer education–will be supplemented by a Portland Development Commission affordable housing subsidy.

Portland’s Energy Efficient Home Pilot program has also provided grants to offset the cost of additional insulation, high-efficiency heating systems and other design elements which ensure these new homes are at least 15-30% more energy efficient than other homes built to current energy codes.  These measures will benefit the new homeowners in the form of lower energy costs.

Other sustainability measures–like natural and recycled-content flooring, secure bicycle parking, stormwater diversion systems and water-efficient fixtures–compliment the energy-efficiency measures to provide a healthy and efficient home with low maintenance costs and as little impact as possible on our environment.

With the merger of affordability, sustainability and efficiency, PCRI is excited to get started on these new homes and to meet our goals–as well as the City of Portland’s–of increasing minority homeownership in our city.  We’re looking forward to an especially successful project with our project partners: eM|Zed Design, Kismet Design and Terrafirma Building.

“We are confident in [the project's] impending success, which will lead to the full implementation of a long envisioned minority homeownership plan and additional development,” Fitzpatrick concluded

Tags: Homeownership, New Homes | Category PCRI

Help for the Holidays

Posted on December 17th, 2009 by PCRI

PCRI staff let loose with our holiday cheer yesterday afternoon and got into the spirit of the season decorating our office.  For some families, however, this time of year isn’t filled with cheer and good fortune.

PCRI employees have adopted two of our resident families this year in hopes of making their season a bit brighter.  With your help, we can spread some holiday cheer and help provide some basic gifts like clean, dry clothes.

One of our adopted residents is Martha, a single mother who immigrated from South Africa five years ago to find a better life for herself and her 14 children.  Only six of her children survived the journey.

Fighting terminal illness, Martha is not able to hold a steady job.  Still, she works hard to provide for her kids, supplementing her meager disability stipend by collecting aluminum cans so she have food on the table for her children.  Through it all, Martha’s faith and family give her the strength and positive outlook to do all she can to give her family everything she can.

Alice is the mother of the other family PCRI has adopted this year.  Since she’s been our resident, Alice worked 3-4 jobs as a caretaker to provide for her four children, but was just laid off from her only current job a few weeks ago.  While Alice searches for a new job, she counts her blessings to be able to spend more time with her children this holiday season.

PCRI employees are chipping in to help bring a bit of Christmas cheer to these two families by purchasing gifts–some as basic as socks and shoes–and gift cards for discount and grocery stores.  Check out these families’ holiday lists on our Facebook page.  Donations can be mailed or delivered to our office at 6329 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd in Portland.

While you’re in the giving spirit, please consider donating in our Community Centers’ Supply Drive (our Community Center wish list is on our Facebook page too).  It’s in our Community Centers that we provide programs to help our families achieve self-sufficiency, learn to build wealth and prepare for homeownership.

We also utilize the Community Centers to help residents connect to local resources and search and prepare for better employment.  And it’s where we offer kids’ programs too, like computer, music and art classes.  Donations to our Community Centers (things as basic as printer paper, crayons, markers and stickers) can also be brought to PCRI’s office as well as the Maya Angelou Community Center (Mon – Thurs, 3-7 p.m.) or Park Terrace Community Center (Mon – Thurs, noon-6 p.m. and Friday 2-6 p.m.).

As one other piece of goodwill for the season, the holiday trees that PCRI staff took a break to decorate yesterday will find their way to the homes of two PCRI families just in time for Christmas Day.  So, regardless of how you’re celebrating this season, we wish you and yours a very happy and healthy holiday!

| Category Uncategorized

Baby, It’s Cold Outside (tips for winter survival)

Posted on December 9th, 2009 by PCRI

Record cold?  Check.  Icy wind?  Double check.  Freezing rain and snow?  On its way.  How does one cope with this frigid weather?  Here’s a collection of tips to make the best of it:

Of course, keeping yourself warm is key.  If you’re reading this, chances are you’re in a place you can stay warm.  If not–or if you know someone who needs a place to thaw out, check out 211Info’s list of Portland-area warming centers.

On the other hand, if you’re trying to keep your own home toasty to cope with Arctic Blast ‘09, there’s a lot you can do to help keep the warm in and the cold out.  And in the process, you’ll save money on your heating bill!

• If you have draperies on your windows, open them during the day to let the sun warm the room.  But in the evening, close ‘em tight: they will help act as a barrier against cold air coming off the windows.
• Whether or not you have draperies, double-check that windows are closed tight.  Latch any window locks too–they will help ensure the windows are shut as snug as possible.
• For your doors, check for any incoming cool air.  You can purchase or make draft stoppers that lie at the base of your door, keeping cold air from flowing inside.  In a pinch, a rolled up towel does the trick too.
• Close any foundation vents (but make a note to open them in the spring so moist air can vent and doesn’t cause rot).

But don’t stop once you’ve tackled the drafts.  There are  a handful of other tricks to make the best of the situation:

• If you can, rearrange your furniture away from cool spots in a room.  Feel a breeze sitting in your favorite chair?  Slide it to another part of the room where you’re away from the cool window or door.
• Space heaters can be an option to heat a small area (and can cost less if you’re heating areas you don’t use).  BUT … space heaters can start fires too!  Make sure to keep clear space around the heater and definitely switch it off when you leave the room.
• Use common sense with fireplaces, too.  Use a fire screen to keep sparks from flying into the room, keep plenty of clear space and always put the fire out before you leave.
• Have a ceiling fan?  It works in cold weather too!  Look for a reverse switch which will allow the fan to push warm air back down into lower areas of the room.

Your home needs protection from the cold weather too, so don’t forget about its needs:

• Disconnect and drain all outdoor hoses (and irrigation/sprinklers, if you have them)
• Turn off outside water lines and open the outside spigots to drain standing water from the pipes.
• To prevent water pipes from freezing, wrap outdoor faucets and pipes in unheated areas with an insulating material.  An old t-shirt or towel works for this, or hardware stores sell insulating “hats”.
• In extreme cold, a trickle of water running from the indoor faucet farthest away from your main water pipe (where water enters the house) may help to keep indoor pipes from freezing.  Use cold water to avoid gas or electric heating charges. Just remember: a little bit goes a long way!

Finally, don’t forget your pets.  They need extra care in the cold weather, just like you and I do.

• If possible, bring your pets indoors when the temperature dips below 30 degrees–with or without the wind chill.  Dogs and cats can get frost bitten ears, nose, and feet if left outside.
• If Spot does stay outside, he’ll need a dry, elevated house with clean, dry bedding and a flap over the opening to keep drafts out.  Use plastic food and water bowls Spot’s tongue can stick to cold metal.  (Remember the flag pole in 3rd grade?)  Check throughout the day to make sure water bowls are not frozen.
• Chemicals used to melt snow on sidewalks can irritate pets’ paws.  Wipe Fido’s paws when he comes inside so he doesn’t eat the salt, antifreeze or other chemicals used on snow and ice.  Cleaning paws is also a good time to check for injuries: his paw pads can bleed from snow or encrusted ice.
• Keep in mind, indoor pets get less exercise in the cold months, so feed them less.
• Outdoor pets are the opposite, give them more food. Outdoor dogs and cats need more calories in the winter to produce body heat.

Now that you’ve got that all taken care of … heat up a hot cup of tea, maybe come hot cocoa, sit back and enjoy these clear, sunny skies while they last!

Have more tips?  Don’t hesitate to leave them in the comments!

| Category Uncategorized

PCRI Honors World AIDS Day 2009

Posted on December 1st, 2009 by PCRI

Today marks World AIDS Day.  Though AIDS doesn’t take any holidays, the World Health Organization established World AIDS Day in 1988 as an opportunity to raise awareness and focus attention on the global AIDS epidemic.

President Barack Obama took the opportunity to bring attention to AIDS with a proclamation including these sobering statistics:

Though we have been witness to incredible progress, our struggle against HIV/AIDS is far from over. With an infection occurring every nine-and-a-half minutes in America, there are more than one million individuals estimated to be living with the disease in our country. Of those currently infected, one in five does not know they have the condition, and the majority of new infections are spread by people who are unaware of their own status. HIV/AIDS does not discriminate as it infiltrates neighborhoods and communities. Americans of any gender, age, ethnicity, income, or sexual orientation can and are contracting the disease.

For African Americans, those statistics are even more startling.  According to the  Kaiser Family Foundation, 2% of Blacks in the U.S. were HIV positive , higher than any other group.

African-American teens and women represented a particularly large portion of new HIV infections:  Black teenagers–only 15% of the US teen population–represented 68% of new teen AIDS cases in 2007 and Black women were infected nearly 15 times as often as white women.

While these statistics are startling, they are not a basis for fear.  HIV and AIDS are preventable, information and testing are easily accessible and confidential and treatments are more successful than ever.

Resources and support for people directly and indirectly affected by AIDS are vast.  In fact, PCRI is proud to partner with and provide housing for Cascade AIDS Project.  For additional resources, check out:

• Cascade AIDS Project (including the Communities of Color Initiative)
• Multnomah County Health Department
• Black Gives Back: World AIDS Day 2009
• World AIDS Day 2009
• US Dept. of Health and Human Services/World AIDS Day
• AIDS.gov (US Center for Disease Control)

And remember the Forest Service’s owl?  You know the one that says, “Only you can prevent Forest Fires.”?  Well, the same goes for HIV and AIDS: only you can prevent them.

• If you are sexually active, use condoms
• If you use intravenous drugs, use clean needles
• Get the facts
• Speak openly and ask your partner to do the same
• Act with respect
• Get tested … and re-tested

As with President Obama, PCRI takes this day in particular to honor “the extraordinary advancements we have made in the battle against HIV and AIDS, and remembering those we have lost.”

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Home (Ownership) for the Holidays

Posted on November 27th, 2009 by PCRI

“When I got here, I wasn’t sure if I should knock, ring the door bell or just walk in.  I walked in and she [Broker Shelly Fullwiley] said ‘Welcome home!’”

That’s what Rachel Allen, Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives’ resident–or more appropriately, former resident–had to say about the day she received the keys to her new North Portland home.

Allen (pictured above signing final documents) participated in PCRI’s Home Ownership and Individual Development Account programs to help her prepare for her “Welcome home” moment.  While she says it’s hard to pinpoint a single most-helpful part of the program, she is quick to point out how it helped her better understand the process and the many pieces that make up the homebuying puzzle: Realtors, inspectors, lenders and mortgage brokers, to name a few.

“You came out fully educated about the home buying process,” Fullwiley summarized.

While education about home buying was a journey, Allen always knew her destination: a home in Portland’s north or northeast neighborhoods, close to family and with an easy commute to work.  There were times when she wondered if, in order to afford a home, she would have to move further out, but with patience and persistence she found the home and location she wanted.

“Rachel followed her game plan,” said PCRI Homeownership Coordinator Charles Funches (pictured below with Fullwiley, left, and Allen, right).  He added, “Rachel never had to compromise.  That’s powerful.”

Funches credits Allen’s focus and determination as defining assets.  Combined with wisdom gained from the program’s classes and meetings, these assets were key to realizing her homeownership dream.

“You set your sights very decisively that ‘this is what I’m going to do,’” he said.  “The end result is that you’re getting everything you wanted.  You’ve done it.”

In fact, Allen did get everything she wanted.  Right down to the home’s deep purple trim paint–her favorite color.

For Rachel Allen’s tips for first-time home buyers, check out our Facebook page (and become a fan!).

Tags: Homeownership, Residents, Success Stories | Category PCRI

Preservation: PCRI’s Home

Posted on November 19th, 2009 by PCRI

Part of Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives’ mission is to preserve housing in Portland.  But preservation is defined in so many ways:

One way PCRI preserves housing is through our Programs Department, encouraging homeownership for our residents through education for sensible financial decision making.

Another way we promote preservation is by valuing our natural resources and using them judiciously when constructing new homes.  We’re also continuously upgrading the energy- and water-efficiency of our residences.

But preservation includes something else: maintaining the rich history of our neighborhoods.  Part of that history is told in the architecture of the homes, like the M. G. Nease House where PCRI’s offices are located.  Here’s a little history told by architectural historian Jim Heuer:

The M. G. Nease House was designed by Alfred Faber for one of the many newly wealthy lumber entrepreneurs in 1908. In form it is an enlarged bungalow with characteristic Craftsman Style detailing.

When PCRI acquired the building it was in marginal condition, with many disruptive alterations having been performed by its prior owners. After 2 years of painstaking rehabilitation, PCRI moved into their new offices in early 2006. The work they did, as shown in these photos is remarkable for the dedication shown to preserving and restoring the architectural details of this once, and now again, grand home.

Additional photos and a virtual mini tour can be seen here.

Tags: About Us | Category PCRI