by Casey Parks, The Oregonian
GRESHAM -- Mount Hood Habitat for Humanity broke ground on its third major construction project last week.
Work on the first five of 22 condominium units, located on 197th Street between East Burnside and Southeast Stark, will begin this week.
The name of the complex, Jubilee Commons, refers to the year of jubilee, a year of starting fresh. It represents a time of forgiven debt for the eventual tenants, board President Todd Cleek said at the groundbreaking. But it also is a fresh start for the organization, criticized last year for mismanagement and its slow pace of construction.
After new owners waited four years to get into Lillian's Place, the group's last construction project at 169th Avenue and Stark Street, Mount Hood Habitat decided to do this project in shifts. The owners are expected to move into the first five units next year. The group expects to complete the entire $2.5 million project within 3 1/2 years.
"This way, families won't have to wait three years before getting a new home," said Laura Heiser, the group's development director.
Mount Hood Habitat is preparing to launch a new Web site, designed for free by the Portland-based Overland Agency, next week. The site will be easier to use, Heiser said, so the group can post frequent updates on the progress of construction. A new construction manager, Sky Khalsa, will be overseeing the budget and timeline of construction.
The fresh start is important for Tandi Johnson, a 32-year-old mother of five who will move into one of the first units.
Johnson's home will be the first Mount Hood Habitat project built entirely by women. Johnson must work 500 hours on the project to qualify for the housing.
"It's really important for my family that we own a home," she said. "We can have a place where we can just be a family instead of worrying if we're going to make it to next month."