Portland Community Land Trust Celebrates 100th Homeowner

Portland Community Land Trust, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating permanently affordable homeownership opportunities for low- and moderate-income households, welcomed its 100th homeowner at an event on Aug. 20 at the home of Kara and David, the Land Trust's 100th homeowners.
Kara and David came to PCLT tired of being cramped in their 400 square foot apartment. Within nine months of learning about PCLT's program, Kara and David were living in their new home. Kara and David have an enhanced appreciation of the vital role PCLT plays in building a strong community, since they both do community-based work: Kara is employed with a non-profit organization providing social services to the Latino community, and David works as a Spanish-English interpreter. Kara says that this home represents the future and the couple's dreams; whether it's putting on a back patio or raising little ones, this house means opportunities. "This was a long-term move for us," Kara explains. "We're putting down roots here!"
David highlighted the important role PCLT played. "We never would be homeowners without [PCLT's] program," David emphasized as he went on to thank everyone present who played a role in helping Kara and him become homeowners.
The Aug. 20 event also commemorated other PCLT milestones, including the welcome of the Trust's new executive director, Jesse Beason (Beason previously served as senior policy director in the office of Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams, who becomes mayor in January); the award of a $10,000 Community Housing Award from HomeStreet Bank; and, the completion of PCLT's first housing development project as lead developer (this renovation project includes the house that is now Kara and David's new home, and is depicted in a publication released at the event, "buildingTogether: a PCLT renovation project.").
The event also featured the community partners who help make PCLT's work possible. Community partners represented at the event include: The Housing Authority of Portland, which was the major community investor in the project; The Portland Development Commission, which helped finance the project, and is, overall, a major PCLT partner; The City of Portland's Bureau of Housing & Community Development, which is an overall major organizational supporter; Umpqua Bank, which also helped finance the rebuildingTogether renovation project and is a major organizational partner, providing a significant number of the home loan mortgages for PCLT homebuyers; and, HomeStreet Bank which also provides a significant number of home loan mortgages for PCLT homebuyers, including many of the homes in the renovation project that includes David and Kara's home.
For more information, do to www.pclt.org