10 BRAND STORY “For middle-income homeownership — that 80% to 120% area median income range — there’s really not any support to subsidize those projects, and it’s still very much needed,” Wilson says. The community land trust model, in which Rooted Homes retains permanent ownership of the land and sells only the homes, helps keep costs low but still requires subsidized financing to get projects off the ground. Without a flexible source of financing like the Building Hope Fund, middle-income housing can only be a small fraction of what developers like Rooted Homes can build. The Building Hope Fund is designed to “Housing is a cornerstone of stability and economic vitality. Grant makers typically get involved at the toughest part of that — affordable housing, shelter. And we’re proud of that work, but we think we need to do more.” LISA MENSAH, PRESIDENT AND CEO, OREGON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION PHOTO BY JASON HILL help more projects cross that threshold. OCF also aims to attract banks, other foundations and philanthropic partners to multiply the fund’s impact. Its role is not to solve Oregon’s housing shortage alone, but to help create the conditions for more attainable housing to be built. “Housing is a cornerstone of stability and economic vitality,” says OCF president and CEO Lisa Mensah. “Grant makers typically get involved at the toughest part of that — affordable housing, shelter. And we’re proud of that work, but we think we need to do more.” Partners can help that effort by contributing directly or contacting an OCF philanthropic advisor to explore other pathways to support the Building Hope Fund. For donors, Mensah explains that this is philanthropy that will deliver a meaningful, measurable return. “There will be families getting keys. There will be builders celebrating. There will be ribbons to cut,” she says. “I think we’ll count the houses, we’ll count the joy of building hope family by family.” n For more information, visit oregoncf.org. Rooted Homes’ housing development in Redmond
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTcxMjMwNg==