2020 ANNUAL REPORT

KLAMATH LAKE REGIONAL HOUSING CENTER
Revitalizing Economies, Neighborhoods, Entrepreneurship and Workforce

Prepared by Betty Riley, Executive Director
July 30, 2020

The Klamath-Lake Regional Housing Center (KLRHC) is a 501c (3) formed in 2003 to provide access to all citizens in the two-county region with information on becoming a homeowner or information/service to help maintain homeownership. The Vision of the Center is RENEW - Revitalized Economies, Neighborhoods, Entrepreneurship and Workforce. And the mission is to provide resources and expertise to the residents of Klamath and Lake Counties through economic development, community revitalization and community sustainability. KLRHC primarily benefits low and moderate income clientele (at or below 80% median income adjusted by family size and location).
Through an administrative agreement KLRHC engages the South Central Oregon Economic Development District to render professional staff support and technical expertise to the non-profit on a per cost basis.
During fiscal year 2019 to 2020 accomplishments include:
Housing Rehabilitation - KLRHC contracted with Mary Baker Consulting to develop policies and procedures and provide the necessary documentation for the Klamath Lake Regional Housing Center to become a certified sub-grantee for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Housing Rehabilitation program. With that status staff worked with Klamath County staff to submit a $400,000 application for CDBG Housing Rehabilitation funding. That application was approved in December 2019 and Klamath County has contracted with KLRHC for grant administration and implementation.
The Klamath-Lake Regional Housing Center’s (KLRHC) Housing Rehabilitation Grant Program was initiated to assist low-and-moderate income homeowners in Klamath and Lake Counties to complete housing rehabilitation, targeting emergency situations that threaten the health and/or safety of the inhabitants. KLRHC objectives are:
Alleviation of immediate health and safety hazards, including structural deficiencies, and substandard living conditions.
Modifications necessary for disabled or elderly homeowners to remain in their homes.
Conserve and improve the existing low-moderate income affordable housing stock.
Encourage neighborhood revitalization and energy conservation by rehabilitating homes to reduce use of energy.
“Poor housing conditions are one of Lakeview’s primary housing issues. Nearly 55% of Lakeview’s housing was built before 1950. Only 20% of Lakeview’s housing was built since 1990. While age of housing does not necessarily indicate housing condition problems, the age of Lakeview’s housing stock plays a role in the poor condition of housing. Discussions with stakeholders in Lakeview confirmed that poor housing conditions is a substantial problem in Lakeview. The poor conditions are found in all types of housing but especially mobile homes or manufactured housing, as well as stick-built single-family detached housing. Actions that address housing condition will be key to addressing Lakeview’s housing needs.”
Also documented in that report is that nearly one in three of Lakeview’s households and one in four of Paisleys’ households are very low or extremely low income.

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An application was submitted to the USDA Housing Preservation Grant program and an award of $164,700 was received. The Klamath-Lake Regional Housing Center’s (KLRHC’s) Housing Rehabilitation Grant Program will assist 8 to 10 low-and-moderate income homeowners in Lake Counties to complete housing rehabilitation, targeting emergency situations that threaten the health and/or safety of the inhabitants.
Blighted Property Program
With funding provided to the KLRHC Bighted properties program we were able to assist an elderly woman in a home at 2539 Orchard that the city thought was an abandoned property. We worked with Diamond Home improvement to provide new siding and paint and to clean up the landscaping. Diamond also donated the plants and outdoor bench.
Urgent Need - This program provided funding for six homeowners in need of URGENT Home Repairs. These repairs were to address health and safety concerns within the home. The repairs included four heating systems, one septic system repair, water heater replacement, weatherization, and one accessibility (new front porch with ramp).
Work was done in Lakeview, Bonanza, Sprague River, Chiloquin and Klamath Falls and were projects that could not see any relief without the generous funding received from the community financial institutions (First Interstate, US Bank, WAFD, and Wells Fargo), Avista Utilities, Gordon Elwood Foundation and the Cow Creek Umpqua Tribal Foundation. We were also able to apply Energy Trust of Oregon incentives on the heating systems that were installed.
One of the homeowners that was helped through this program will be obtaining additional services from the Home Depot grant program to replace their front door. This grant helps those that are retired Veterans that otherwise could not afford the repairs to their home and utilizing store employee volunteers.
Entrepreneurship – Through the Rural Microenterprise Assistance Program we participated as a "shark" for Shark Tech - a student business plan competition at Oregon Tech for 6 teams pitching local business ideas.
Additionally, we are partnering with the Klamath IDEA program to implement Sourcelink@ Pro, Resource Navigator@, and Site Connex@ on the new KlamathlDEA.org website. This suite of robust tools will assist with mapping the ecosystem and in identifying gaps. The Resource Navigator@ will be a powerful tool in assisting entrepreneurs in filtering through the many resource partners to get to the right resource at the right time.

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FINANCIALS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Diana Otero
Nathan Cherpeski
Darwin Johnson
Dora Hoffmeister
Leonard Norris
Perry Andrews