City of Corvallis offers rental assistance

CITY City of Corvallis offers rental assistance

By MILLICENT DURAND News Contributor

With lease renewal season around the corner, and the COVID-19 pandemic still ongoing, the City of Corvallis and their community partners offer several services to assist low income families.

Brigetta Olson, Housing and Neighborhood Services manager for the City of Corvallis said she oversees the implementation of the city’s housing programs. She is new to her position, and formerly worked in the affordable housing nonprofit sector.

Olson said that the City has programs to help low-income households with water bills, as well as a down payment assistance and housing rehabilitation loans.

According to Olson, Corvallis has awarded over $1,200,000 of social service and community financial support from multiple federal programs to the community in response to COVID.

“Recently, the city of Corvallis awarded $250,000 to the Community Services Consortium to help administer their rental assistance program to households impacted by COVID-19 and having challenges paying their rent,” Olson said via email.

The city’s bill assistance page states that it is designed to assist with the City Services bill.

“The assistance program will provide a credit of up to $25 each month,” the webpage says.

The city’s loan program focuses on providing loans to assist with maintenance and down payments.

Housing Repair and Rehabilitation Loans program aims to provide “opportunities for low-income homeowners to undertake critical, often deferred, home repairs,” according to the program’s webpage.

“Repairs covered under this program typically include such things as plumbing and electrical upgrades, foundation repairs, roof and gutter repairs or replacement, window and other weatherization upgrades and any structural repairs necessary to maintain the integrity of a home,” the webpage says. “City loans have supported the rehabilitation of more than 100 homes and 600 rental units.”

The First Time Home Buyer program provides no interest, matching loans, up to $20,000. However, the program is currently on hiatus.

Olson also pointed to a local organization that works with the city. The Community Services Consortium, says on their website that they’ve been a “state-designated community action agency” for over 40 years.

The Consortium provides housing assistance, utility assistance, and the Linn-Benton food share.

SOLOMON MYERS | ORANGE MEDIA NETWORK

Brigetta Olson, a low-income housing developer for the City of Corvallis, Ore. can be seen in front of the Corvallis City Hall. With COVID-19 putting people’s housing at risk, there are resources for tenants to get access to financial assistance.

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