“We have a great team assembled to move this housing community forward,” exclaims Julie Chick, Executive Director of Sammy’s Place. “We are so pleased with the work of our architect, Jones Architecture; developer, Owen Gabbert, LLC; and our local general contractor, Cove Built, – we are excited to be moving into this next phase.”
Concurrent with the construction process, Sammy’s Place continues the work of preparing prospective buyers for homeownership and fundraising to make several of these units more affordable and accessible to families in our community.
An initial investment of Oregon Home & Community Services (OHCS) LIFT funds will allow for 8 of the 10 units to be affordable down to 80% AMI. Other major funders at this time include the Tillamook County Housing Commission, the Kuni Foundation, The Fairview Trust, the Collins Foundation, and the Oregon DEQ. “We are so grateful to all our funders for coming together to address this urgent need for affordable, accessible housing on the Oregon Coast,” observes Leah Halstead, the Sammy’s Place Board Chair. “We look forward to partnering with more of our community to make homeownership a reality for more people living on the Oregon Coast, and now is the time to give to make this possible for more of your friends and neighbors.”
The goal is to make units affordable for qualified buyers, including people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), down to 40% AMI. This is an important step in making homeownership available to more of our low-income families, especially people with IDD who face far greater housing insecurity than the general population.
The goal is to not only make these 10 units affordable and accessible, but to make homeownership, in general, more accessible to more people, including people with IDD. That comes through increasing homeownership readiness, especially for people for whom homeownership was never a real option, until now.
Homeownership readiness includes things such as learning the basic mechanics of the homebuying process, as well as understanding the financials of homeownership and creating a savings and payment plan that equips the prospective homeowner to be a successful homeowner.
Homeownership is a pillar of a secure and healthy community. Increasing homeownership conveys numerous benefits for everyone who lives in that community. Homeownership, according to Habitat for Humanity, is shown to improve physical and mental health, physical safety and security, and improved financial and employment prospects for the homeowners. As people with IDD are often excluded from the supports that promote improved physical and mental health, an investment in homeownership opportunities for people with IDD can make deep and lasting impacts on their overall physical and mental health and wellness.
Homeownership also promotes greater civic and social health. Research conducted by Habitat for Humanity shows that homeowners are more likely to vote in local elections, participate in civic organizations, and build social networks within their community. As people with IDD have historically been isolated and marginalized, homeownership provides one pathway for greater community resilience in decreasing loneliness, isolation, and social exclusion.
Homeownership contributes to both individual and social health and well-being opportunities and should therefore be available to anyone who wants it. At the Inclusive Leadership Summit in Salem, OR on September 12, 2024, Oregon self-advocates themselves clearly articulated a desire for housing choice, including homeownership. Thompson Springs represents a novel step in providing greater housing choice for people with IDD, and all people, on the Oregon Coast.
Sammy’s Place encourages all those who want greater housing choice, and to see a solution to the housing crisis on the Oregon Coast, to get involved today! Here are a few important things that anyone can do to contribute to the goal of affordable accessible housing for all on the Oregon Coast.
- Educate yourself, by visiting our website https://sammysplace.info/ and watching our mini documentary video, An Accessible Life,
- Advocate for housing choice by sharing this information with your friends and neighbors,
- And finally, donate to Sammy’s Place to support the ongoing work of Thompson Springs and affordable, accessible housing on the Oregon Coast
- To donate, please go to https://sammysplace.info/donate/ and give today. And consider making this a recurring gift by selecting the monthly giving option under the Donation Schedule on the donation page.
To learn more and to get involved today, visit Sammy’s Place at https://sammysplace.info/ or send them an email at info@oregoncoaast.org.