Tuesday, Jan 10 2012 1:38PM
Affordable housing is in demand in Central Oregon, a report states.
A
housing assistance agency in Central Oregon is helping residents in need of affordable housing get on waiting lists for units by providing technical assistance with the application process.
Housing Works - formerly known as the Central Oregon Regional Housing Authority - will be helping applicants from January 9 - 11 in La Pine, Prineville, Madras and Bend to assist them in filling out forms for affordable housing.
Section 8 Programs Manager Kenny LaPoint told Oregon radio station KLCC that many low-income residents of Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties have lost their homes to foreclosure in recent years.
An effect of the foreclosure crisis in the region is a tighter apartment market, which means many locals need affordable housing, he said.
"Many of those families that were in foreclosure, lost their homes, have gone into the rental market, and so our rental market has actually tightened up," he told the station. "And we've actually seen a bit of increase in rents here and it's becoming tougher and tougher to find rental units."
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provided the Central Oregon Housing Opportunities in Partnership program more than $24,000 in grants last year to help combat rural homelessness in the area.
Further funding may be needed this year with substantial budget cuts to HUD in fiscal year 2012.
For further information, check out this source:
KLCC