Beaverton residents relocated as Spencer House Apartments get ...

A $4.1 million renovation of Beaverton's Spencer House Apartments will keep its 48 affordable units from falling into disrepair as demand for low-income housing continues to rise, according to the owners.

The six buildings of Spencer House are being completely overhauled, from new roofing and draining to thermal insulation and interior upgrades.

The project is paid for by federal and state loans and grants, said Sheila Greenlaw-Fink, executive director of Community Partners for Affordable Housing, which owns the property.

"It was a great project to be able to preserve" the units for future residents, Greenlaw-Fink said.

Community Partners, a nonprofit that develops affordable housing, purchased the property in 2010 to make sure that its units would remain affordable. All but 10 of Spencer House's units provide Section 8 rental assistance.

An analysis by The Oregonian in March showed that the number of Beaverton households earning less than $50,000 a year has increased in recent years, while the city's supply of housing units that are affordable to that population has fallen.

"If the property was neglected or if the project just never went forward at all, we'd lose those units over time in a time when more and more people are in need of affordable housing," said Karen Perl Fox, housing development manager for Community Partners.

Spencer House residents are being moved to temporary housing for two or three weeks at a time while interior repairs are done in their apartments. The relocations started in early April and will be done by mid-July, said Ben Wickham, director of real estate services for Cascade Management, the property manager.

Cascade is helping residents with moving, utility, cable, transportation and food costs during the relocation, said Dave Bachman, Cascade's executive director. The relocations are expected to cost between $155,000 and $175,000, according to Greenlaw-Fink.

"Emotionally and physically, in having to move, there's impact involved," Bachman said. But "it has generally gone very smoothly."

The construction is more of an inconvenience for residents before and after they relocate, some said.

"I don't let my son play outside," said Debbie Carabajal, 42. "There's just a lot of debris, a lot of things that are unsafe for kids."

The construction company, LMC Construction, held an event for the children of Spencer House May 7 to teach them about construction site safety, Wickham said.

Spencer House has about 125 residents, with around 50 under age 18, Greenlaw-Fink said.

"It goes without saying that construction disturbs people's lives for a time," she said. "The goal is that it's better after that."

Cascade held individual meetings with residents to plan the relocations, and staff members follow up with residents who have specific complaints, Wickham said.

Raven Robedeau, 28, wrote a letter to Cascade April 30 after moving back into her apartment.

"We live in a construction zone, which is not habitable," Robedeau wrote in the letter. "I fear for the safety of myself, my children and my car."

Cascade sent two people to meet with Robedeau after receiving her letter, she said. They listened to her safety concerns and said they would bring them up with the construction company, she said.

Safety has improved at the site, said Kat Ford, 41, who said she has two sons, ages 13 and 3, and a 12-year-old daughter.

"I think they're getting the idea because they're starting to put up more fencing around their construction area," Ford said. "It's better for the kids."

Ford's family was scheduled to move out for two weeks May 4. Two days before, she said she has been eager to move since the construction began.

"I'm looking forward to the move, just to get away from the mess here and all the noise," she said as she packed her apartment for storage. "It's going to be like a vacation."

-- Nicole Friedman

Source: http://www.oregonlive.com/beaverton/index.ssf/2013/05/beaverton_residents_relocated.html

dr seuss mariah carey History Channel The Bible alex smith alex smith The Bible History Channel Melissa King