CRT was on hand to celebrate and participate in an innovative, environmentally-friendly affordable housing pilot project that was held inside a sprawling warehouse at the Port of Portland’s Terminal 2 on Friday, Jan. 27, and we were even able to escort two of the notable “stars” of the event. How cool is that?

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek was among dozens of elected officials, community leaders, construction professionals and workers, reporters, and others who toured six prototype modular homes built largely with mass timber, an engineered wood product that does not require large trees to produce. They ranged from studios to three-bedroom homes. According to Kotek and others who spoke at the event, the goal of the project is to prove that inexpensive and well-constructed modular homes can be quickly built and distributed throughout the state to meet Oregon’s affordable housing needs. The homes are facilitated by Hacienda CDC, based in Portland. The homes are also engineered to be energy efficient and conserve water. Clearly the ecological benefits are there, down to the wood used, which is specially engineered to spare our Oregon’s beautiful big timber.

Jordyn Rasey, CRT’s Administrative Assistant, but oh so much more, who attended the event, enthused, “’My overall impression of the event was & I quote, Impressed!’” This was such a massive warehouse and to see the homes that were being built and get to walk through them was a really cool feeling. It felt like being a part of something really important.” Rasey said, “Hearing the contractors and architects talk about the plans for this housing project long term really made it feel like we were a part of something special and something that could really change the affordable housing market and make a difference in a lot of people & lives.”

And that segues nicely to the people behind the story, the humanity behind the hard work. The couple that saw a dream realized into reality are Scott and Barbara Benedict, of Otis, who lost everything in the devastating fire and have been living in a trailer. Says Rasey, “To give you more context on how they came to receiving this house was we got the opportunity to partner with Hacienda CDC and find individuals or a family who met the proper qualifications, once the application deadline ended and we had a few individuals who were eligible we worked with County Commissioner Jacobson to do a ‘Lottery style’ drawing and this couple was the chosen family.”

Even with the good news, before seeing the home, the Benedicts were naturally cautious, because they had previously heard ‘no’ so much during their long struggle to find housing after the fire, says CRT’s Amy Brown, who works as manager of the Grange in Otis and also does outreach. “They had reached the point where they thought their forever home was blown away,” recounts Brown. She says they often came to the Grange and that she could tell that while this wonderful couple was making the best of it, they were near their breaking point. “They thought their story was not going to have a happy ending, and were coming to grips with that,” says Brown. Even when told they had won the special lottery, they went months without hearing anything. So to see and walk through their new and forever home must have been unimaginable.

Rasey agrees. “Showing them their home was such an indescribable feeling. It became so much more than an idea at that point and you could see they felt the same way. It all became so real as we walked through what would be their kitchen and living room and bedrooms. This couple has been through so much in the last two years since the fire and it felt like such a hope filled happy event.” She continued, “One of my favorite parts of the day was when we were listening in at the press conference before touring any homes,

hearing from the contractors, architects, Hacienda CDC staff, Governor Kotek, Senator Merkley and others. During that time our main point of contact with Hacienda CDC spoke and during her speech she congratulated the couple receiving the home and then turned, pointed and said ‘And that’s your house, right there!’ and the Benedicts just got the biggest smile on their face.” So they got a house and fifteen minutes of fame, although the couple is so self-effacing that a little local celebrity will most likely be embarrassing.

Brown said the Benedicts had a ‘pinch yourself’ moment and said “But we didn’t do anything!” She reassured them that they had done so much by never giving up hope, by reaching out, and by persistence, ignoring the doors slammed in their face. What they had hoped for, says Brown, was a glimpse of a home, not a walk-through. “That’s our home?” “This is your home!” Welcome words indeed.

At CRT we know a house is so much more than a house…it truly can be a home, full of nurturing and love. We are over the moon that we were able to help the Benedicts achieve their dream, one that can hopefully be realized by many future survivors.