CASA of Oregon

Happy Holidays from our family to yours! We are grateful for your ongoing support and solidarity as we build and preserve affordable housing and accelerate economic equity. A special thanks to some of our top supporters: USDA RCDG Oregon Housing & Community Services (OHCS) AllCare Health ROC USA NeighborWorks America National Community Reinvestment Coalition - NCRC Neighborhood Partnerships (via OHCS) And lending partners:  Network for Oregon Affordable Housing  Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) #happyholidays #2024 #happynewyear 

Some good news today! The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the award of $225 million in funding across 26 states through the Preservation and Reinvestment Initiative for Community Enhancement (PRICE) program. PRICE is an innovative grant program – providing funding to preserve and revitalize manufactured housing and manufactured housing communities across the country, including rural, suburban, urban, tribal, and disaster impacted areas. Two of those organizations, the Burns Paiute Tribe and Oregon Housing & Community Services (OHCS) are from Oregon. More than 22 million Americans currently live in manufactured homes, and manufactured housing communities comprise a significant portion of the nation’s affordable housing stock, especially in rural and tribal areas. This is a great step forward, and we send our heartfelt congratulations to the awardees! Click the link below 👇 👇 to read the full release. #manufacturedhousing #mhc #weownit #housingpreservation #affordablehousing

Our #SisterAdele scholarship is open for 2025! The Sister Adele Scholarship Fund was named after Sister Adele Mansfield, who was an invaluable member of CASA of Oregon’s Board of Directors, and a fierce advocate for establishing adequate housing for farmworkers. The scholarship is open to youth from farmworker families that live in Oregon, with awards beginning at $1,500. Follow this link for the application and to learn more: https://bit.ly/49u4W89 Please share with your networks and help us spread the word! #scholarships #farmworkers #education #equity.

🎓 E3 Student Stories: Meet Yeidi Michelle Ramos Mendoza 🎓 I am beyond grateful for the support I’ve received through the E3 Matched College Savings Program, which played a pivotal role in my journey to becoming the first in my family to graduate from college. When I first set foot in Oregon, the idea of navigating college on my own—especially financially—felt daunting. As a first-generation student, I didn’t want to burden my parents, who were already doing so much for our family. But with the E3 matching funds, I was able to focus on my education without the stress of balancing multiple jobs. 💰 What the E3 Program Means to Me The E3 program didn’t just provide financial relief—it gave me the opportunity to build financial confidence. I learned how to save, invest, and plan for the future, lessons that are invaluable as I work toward my dream of becoming a pediatrician. I now understand that savings are a safety net in times of uncertainty, and investing isn’t just for the wealthy—it’s for anyone who’s willing to make it a priority. I’m incredibly thankful to Russell Seidelman, my freshman year financial aid advisor, for introducing me to the E3 program, and to Hector Martinez for guiding me through the process. And, of course, a huge thank you to the donors who made this program possible. Without your generosity, I wouldn’t have been able to graduate debt-free and pursue my future with such confidence. 🌟 Why I Chose the University of Portland and Biology The University of Portland felt like home from the moment I walked on campus. The sense of community and the kindness of everyone I met made me realize it was the right place for me. I chose biology as my major because it aligned perfectly with my goal of pursuing a pre-medicine track, and I loved the small class sizes and opportunities to get involved. 🌱 What’s Next Now that I’ve graduated, I’m preparing for the next chapter: studying for the MCAT and applying to medical school. I want to give back by becoming a pediatrician who provides culturally competent care to children and their families. None of this would have been possible without the support of the E3 program. Thank you for helping me take this first step toward my future and for empowering me to achieve my dreams. I’m one step closer to becoming the doctor I’ve always aspired to be. #E3Program #FirstGen #FinancialConfidence #Gratitude #MedicalSchool #Pediatrician #HigherEducation #CASAofOregon #OregonIDAInitiative #MatchedSavings #DreamBig #OregonPrivatecColleges #ThinkIndependent CASA of Oregon Read more about Yeidi's story: https://lnkd.in/gmZGFYJW

We are excited to announce that we, in partnership with the Oregon Alliance of Independent Colleges & Universities (The Alliance), have provided over $5 million in matched savings funds to college students in-need since 2009. $5 million!  👏 👏 👏 👏 This important milestone is a testament to the need for more programs that support the educational advancement of students in need throughout the state--while helping to spare them from debt. As our Program Manager Hector Martinez said, "I get to help folks start that process of building generational wealth by preventing them from having generational debt." Read our blog post in the link below👇 👇 👇 #education #educationequity #supportstudents #educationforall

A sobering new report on the racial wealth gap from our friends National Community Reinvestment Coalition - NCRC. Key findings, which showed that the wealth of Black and Latine households is increasingly reliant on homeownership, include: "Two-thirds of Black and Hispanic households lack sufficient liquid assets to sustain themselves at the poverty level for three months." Download the full report today 👇 👇 #homeownership #housingjustice #racialwealthgap #inequality

We are pleased to announce that residents of the 103-space Riviera Mobile Park Cooperative—a 55+ manufactured housing community in Grants Pass, Oregon—recently completed the purchase of their park!     “In October of last year, we received notice that our park was being sold,” said George Garner, President of the Board of Directors for Riviera Mobile Park Cooperative. “We had concerns about who was going to buy the park, what impact it would have on the residents, and what changes might occur as a result. We found out the owners of the park were willing to sell it to the residents, and with the unending support of CASA staff, we were excited to move forward with the purchase." Resident ownership occurs when owners of manufactured homes form a non-profit membership cooperative to purchase their community when it is put up for sale by the owner. ROCs allow residents to form a nonprofit and assemble a board of directors to govern their community collectively.  Effectively a small business, a ROC provides for collective ownership of the land, with individual space lots being leased back to the homeowners. A board elected by the residents of the co-op assures daily operations of the park run smoothly. This is our 28th resident-owned community and we will continue, working side-by-side with resident leaders, to look for more opportunities to preserve manufactured dwelling parks as affordable housing in Southern Oregon, and throughout the state. Congratulations Riviera- you own it! #coops #residentownedcommunities #housingjustice #weownit

"We happen to live in the fastest growing sustainable segment of housing in the United States. These are not trailers, these are our homes. We have worked hard and are proud to say we own our homes and the land under them. This will not change, no one can purchase it out from under us. We do not see the outrageous rent increases or unheard-of home prices that are happening all around us."-Kelly Jensen We are proud that we have helped residents in 26 manufactured housing communities throughout Oregon transform their communities into resident-owned cooperatives-it's truly life-changing. Check out the link below 👇 to read Kelly's excellent blog on the ROC USA website! #CoopMonth #TheFutureIsCooperative

We're hiring! 📣 We're looking for a Technical Assistance Manager for our Manufactured Housing and Cooperative Development Center. It's a great opportunity to work with dedicated colleagues, preserve affordable housing, and help residents of manufactured communities organize and control their destinies. Check out the job description below and apply today! 👇 👇 https://lnkd.in/gh_sdiYF #affordablehousing #we'rehiring #jobs #hiring #manufacturedhousing

Happy Birthday CRA! That’s the Community Reinvestment Act, signed into law on October 12, 1977. It puts billions into underserved communities every year. And yet, some of the largest players in the banking industry filed a complaint in federal court to stop the new CRA rules from being implemented. Help us hold banks accountable! Find out more from our partners at the National Community Reinvestment Coalition - NCRC: www.ncrc.org/cra  #ProtectCRA #JustEconomy