HOUSING AUTHORITY UNVEILS NEW NAME

Redmond, OR - The agency formerly known as the Central Oregon Regional Housing Authority wants Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson County citizens to know that some things won't be changing. Under the new rubric Housing Works, the organization remains at its downtown location in Redmond, where the important work of putting decent housing within reach of the working poor, seniors, the disabled and the low-income continues uninterrupted.

“We felt the CORHA name didn't adequately express all we do," explains Cyndy Cook, executive director. "We're a public corporation that runs like a business in working with private sector partners to finance and build affordable housing. But we're like a public agency in that we must be a trustworthy steward of public funds. We think our new identity better captures this balance. We also recognized that there is a great deal of confusion about who's who among organizations with CO in their acronyms!”

Housing Works has provided a range of services for low-income Central Oregonians since 1976. The organization has produced over 600 units of affordable housing, offers financial training for families seeking to better their situations, provides training for landlords, property manages some facilities, runs a rental assistance program, and serves more than 1,600 low-income households in the tri-county region.

Recent and pending projects include:

• the May 11 grand opening of Crook County's first affordable housing development for the mentally disabled, Prairie House, in Prineville;
• the upcoming publication of a report on the availability of workforce housing in Central Oregon;
• the acquisition and rehabilitation of 97 existing rental housing units in Bend (now called Ariel South), and the donation of a new, on-site Boys and Girls Club; and
• the planned addition of 44 units of high-quality affordable housing at the proposed Lava Court site, a mixed-use building blending commercial and residential space in downtown Bend

Cook, who was recently honored with a local Woman of the Year award, summarized the change from CORHA to Housing Works.

“We like the double meaning in our new name. Housing works by providing stability for people who are trying to create success for themselves, or who just need the dignity of proper shelter. Housing Works is also a statement that our organization is run like a business to get the job of affordable housing done.”

The new Housing Works identity was crafted by Moore Creative and Sublime Design, two local creative services firms.

A website revision and a new URL are complete: http://www.oregonhousingworks.org/

Housing Works

405 SW 6th St

Redmond, OR 97756

541) 923-1018