Sisters housing effort nears launch
By Jayme Vasconcellos

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Middle-income workers in Sisters will get rental housing relief by the fall of 2002, according to the project's future manager.

Cyndy Cook, executive director of CORHA the Central Oregon Regional Housing Authority, announced that the purchase of the project's land is pending.

"We expect to close on the 1.2-acre property Monday, January 22," she said.

According to Cook, the site is situated behind Weitech Inc., off Larch Street and Adams Avenue.

Bob Grooney, local businessman, is head of the Community Action Team of Sisters (CATS), the city organization which master-minded the project, and which chose CORHA to build it.

"We had as our guiding principle that if we did anything -- we'd do it well," he said. "It will be difficult to discern that this is affordable housing -- it will look just like a regular subdivision."

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Local entrepreneur Bill Willitts, deeply involved in the two years of planning for the project as a member of CATS, said that local working families badly need help.

"With the new city sewer project coming on line and the continued increase valuation of Sisters property," he noted, "city housing is getting unaffordable for a critical segment of the community.

"This project is going to provide quality housing for them -- the 'middle-rung,' work force families."

Willitts said the complex originally was planned to contain 24 units but that "...because of view corridor height restrictions, that's been lowered to 21."

Cook emphasized that care has been taken to make the units attractive and provide a high level of livability.

"We want to set the standard for the community's future housing needs."

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Cook stated that one critical feature of the housing will be that the rents, anticipated to range from between $400-$570 per month for the two- and three-bedroom units, will be largely stable.

"It's a result of the way we're funding the project," she said.

Additionally, she said renters must meet federal guidelines setting limitations at 60 percent of the area median income.

Cook said, "If you make $5,000 a year you wouldn't qualify. Potential renters need to earn -- depending on the size of the family and the rental unit -- somewhere between $29,000 and $14,500 dollars per year."

According to Cook, the project is to be funded through a partnership of private and public resources.

"We'll have lenders (banks) who will participate in the affordable housing arena through the Community Reinvestment Act," she continued.

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"We will also have, if we compete well, an allocation of tax credits which we will sell to private investors."

She estimated that over 50 percent of the project cost would be raised through this means.

With this significant level of private investment, Cook said the management and maintenance of the project would be critical.

"We have to meet the investors' expectations," she said.

Cook stressed that the goal of the project is to ensure resident success.

"We will have a full level of resident support services -- should the families need them -- such as affordable day care, recreational children's programs through the Sisters Organization for Activities and Recreation, and organized events for the children and parents," she said.

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Cook said that she has completed six major housing projects during her 18 years with CORHA, but that this plan has her especially excited because of the many layers of partnership within the Sisters community.

"We have six housing projects up and running in Deschutes County -- three in Redmond, two in Madras, and one in Bend," she noted.

So far, Cook and CORHA are getting high marks from their Sisters partners.

"It's a pleasure working with Cyndy (Cook) -- she is enthusiastic and has great follow-through," Grooney said.

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