Youth-built ‘Dream Home’ becomes reality in Madras
If you’re like many of us, you don’t know the person who built your childhood home.
But what if you had, and it was a young person from your community not much older than you? Since 2015, Housing Works, Heart of Oregon YouthBuild, and NeighborImpact have made this opportunity possible for six families in Madras, building homes to be leased by agricultural workers in the area.
This month, the sixth and final home on the cul-de-sac – collectively dubbed Casa Soñada, or “Dream Home” – will be completed, bringing to a close a project that 150 young people have worked on as members of HOC’s YouthBuild program.
Despite not having any construction experience before joining YouthBuild, “our students step up every time and build beautiful, high-quality homes,” says Construction Manager James Collins. “They take pride and joy in seeing their work completed and a family moving into a home that they built.”
By working on these homes, local youth were able to learn leadership and apply homebuilding skills
that will help them gain future employment opportunities – benefiting the youth, their future households, and the communities where they live. Founded in 2000, Heart of Oregon Corps trains tomorrow’s workforce today by providing “work, earn, learn” opportunities for Central Oregon youth of all abilities and ethnicities.
Affordable housing is a pressing issue throughout Central Oregon. Through a partnership with Housing Works, NeighborImpact and Simplicity by Hayden Homes, HOC youth are tackling the issue one household at a time – since 2009, Heart of Oregon YouthBuild has built or rehabbed 24 affordable homes in Central Oregon!
Stable, affordable housing has broad-reaching effects on a family’s health, education, and employment potential. These positive influences stretch beyond the walls of the home into the community.
The Casa Soñada Home Dedication takes place at 722 SW Lincoln Court in Madras on Wednesday,
December 12 from 11:30 – 1:00 pm.
About Heart of Oregon Corps
Heart of Oregon Corps is a nonprofit organization invested in inspiring and empowering change in the
lives of Central Oregon youth through jobs, education, and stewardship. Their programming creates
pathways out of poverty while stimulating regional economic growth. They apply a “work, earn, learn”
model that invests in local young people, many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds, to
prepare them for the workforce and to encourage their self-sufficiency.
About Housing Works
Housing Works is a public agency whose mission is fostering dignity through housing. It provides people with quality, safe, affordable homes and, through a number of collaborations, provides resource so help people stabilize their lives and become economically self-sufficient. Housing Works developments in Bend, Redmond, and Sisters have won numerous awards for innovation, economic
impact, design, beautification, and historic preservation and enhancement.
About NeighborImpact
NeighborImpact is dedicated to empowering individuals and families to succeed and become engaged citizens in the community. Founded in 1985, NeighborImpact serves all of Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson counties, and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. They envision a Central Oregon where residents, regardless of their income status, have hope and optimism, and have access to community resources that see them through times of need.
