Home Builders Foundation Completes Record Seven Projects in 2013

$615,000 of in-kind labor and materials donated by members of the Home Builders Association (HBA) and others in the home building industry to build and renovate area homeless shelters. January 23, 2014 – 2013 was a record-setting year for the Home Builders Foundation (HBF) as they completed seven construction projects valued at $1,760,000 for area organizations providing shelter and transitional housing for the homeless. $615,000 of this value was donated in the form of in-kind or heavily discounted labor and materials from members of the Home Builders Association (HBA) and others in the local home building industry. “We set out to double the number of projects we completed the previous year.” explains Ken Cowdery, HBF Executive Director. “I’m pleased to say that we went well beyond that goal.” he adds.Projects included a major renovation of the Goose Hollow Family Shelter operated by Portland Homeless Family Solutions, the creation of a transitional housing facility in Beaverton for homeless youth developed in partnership with the City of Beaverton and operated by Boys and Girls Aid, and a major expansion of The Harbor, an addiction recovery center for homeless men operated by the Portland Rescue Mission. Additional projects included shelter kitchen remodels, interior and exterior painting, and projects designed to enhance the appearance and comfort of shelters.Since 2005 the Foundation has built and renovated over 40,000 sq. ft. of shelter space valued at nearly $4 million that accommodates over 500 homeless men, women, youth, families with children, and domestic violence survivors each year. “We could not do what we do without the generosity of HBA members and others in the home building industry.” Cowdery explains. “Their in-kind donations of time, talent and materials make these projects affordable for shelter providers. In some cases these projects never would have happened without their assistance.”For now, the Foundation has three major projects planned for this year, including a transitional housing facility for youth at-risk of homelessness leaving Oregon’s foster care system, a major renovation of a domestic violence shelter in Clackamas County, and an energy retrofit of a homeless youth facility. “By doing energy retrofits or upgrades we hope to reduce the energy costs of a shelter by 40%,”Cowdery explains, “with the understanding that savings will reinvested in more shelter beds or supportive services like job training.” The Foundation is also interested in recruiting commercial builders as their projects get larger, and partnering with job training organizations through it scholarship program to meet the workforce needs of the home building industry.About the Home Builders FoundationThe Home Builders Foundation, established in 1997, is the charity of choice for the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland. Their mission is to build transitional shelter for families and individuals experiencing homelessness in our community and provide construction related educational opportunities for individuals interesting in pursuing a career in the home building industry. Visit hbapdx.org/buildhopepdx-temp for more info.About Home Builders Association of Metropolitan PortlandThe Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland is the leading voice for the residential building industry, representing more than 1,200 builders, remodelers and industry professionals. Since 1942, the HBA has worked on behalf of the industry to promote diverse, affordable housing options to area residents.

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