Many in Oregon struggle to pay for the most basic necessities - such as shelter.

Since 1980 housing prices in Oregon have risen by 315%, making it 4th in the nation for housing price increases.

Oregon is the 3rd most unaffordable rental market in the US, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

55 percent of renters in Oregon pay more than 30 percent of their income to housing, leaving too little to cover other fundamental costs.

Children under 5 years old have the highest poverty rate of all age groups with one in five living in poverty.

Minorities have much higher poverty rates than whites. Blacks, Native Americans and Hispanics experience poverty rates of 25 percent or more compared to ten percent of whites.

In Oregon, at least one parent works in almost 70 percent of poor families with children.

Full time employment at Oregon's minimum wage translates into gross pay of $318 a week from which to pay for groceries, rent, utilities, and transportation.

Nearly half—47 percent—of all job openings today pay less than the $10.07 an hour considered a living wage for a single adult, according to a University of Washington policy center report.

In Oregon, the Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $682. In order to afford this without spending more than 30% of income on housing, a household must earn $27,298 annually. To make this amount, a minimum wage earner must work 74 hours per week, 52 weeks per year.

There is not a single county in Oregon where a full-time minimum wage worker can afford even a one-bedroom apartment at what HUD determines to be the Fair Market Rent.

Our Families

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“Being accepted into the Habitat family has been an honor for us. It has changed our lives.”

Rose’s story:

I am a single mother raising my family alone. I am also taking
care of my 47-year-old brother Mike, and my 43-year-old sister,
Karen, who both have mental disabilities and cannot live on their
own.

Being accepted into the Habitat family has been an honor for us.
It has changed our lives.

We are a family of seven and it has been a struggle to find an
affordable place to live with enough room to house all of us.
We could not afford a four-bedroom home, so we had to settle for
a three-bedroom apartment. We have a bed in our living room to
accommodate a sleeping space for everyone. It has been very hard.

I have been praying every night to God that he would open a door
for us so that we may live in our own home and have some stability
in our lives. Then I heard about Mt. Hood Habitat for Humanity
and I thought, “Hey, maybe this is what God wants me to do.” So
I attended the orientation, filled out the application, and endured
the selection process. We were accepted. Praise God!

As I watch the homes being built, I think to myself: these
are the most beautiful homes ever built; and what makes these
homes so special is that they are made with loving hands of
God’s people.

Dreams do come true. Rose moved into her home in September 2006.

Share the power of Habitat for Humanity in Oregon with your friends and family.

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Did you know that Habitat for Humanity is working right in our own backyard?

For 25 years Habitat for Humanity has been building simple, decent, affordable homes right here in Oregon for hardworking families across the state. Habitat for Humanity homes are designed and built by local communities of dedicated volunteers and then sold at cost with zero-interest mortgages to qualifying partner families. Mortgage payments are often less than the cost of renting, and go into a revolving Fund for Humanity, which is used to build still more homes for Oregon families.

By providing a hand up, not a hand out, their program maintains the dignity and pride of Habitat for Humanity homeowner families.

Read more about how Habitat for Humanity is building the foundation of Oregon's future on their web site: www.habitatoregon.org.