JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. – A new program is launching this month to help low and moderate income households still recovering from the 2020 wildfires like the Almeda Fire.
Oregon Housing and Community Services says the Homeowner Assistance and Reconstruction Program (HARP) will offer qualifying homeowners help repairing, rebuilding, or replacing their homes impacted by the 2020 wildfires.
OHCS’s chief external affairs officer of the Disaster Recovery and Resilience Division Alex Campbell says they are happy to launch the first phase of this project on March 25.
“We really want to hear from folks no matter what their need is,” Campbell said. “If they are still not stably housed, we really invite folks to complete the eligibility questionnaire and we can work out how we can best serve them.”
Campbell says those who don’t qualify during this first phase of applications may qualify in later phases as long as funding is still available.
Southern Jackson County state representative Pam Marsh, who oversees much of the area lost during the Almeda Fire, says she’s happy to see help coming to the most vulnerable people in her district.
“People who owned homes in one of the nineteen manufactured home parks that burned down are still waiting,” Rep. Marsh said. “It’s a big effort to go from a home that was minimally covered by insurance and of modest value to a new manufactured home. But we can do it through this program.”
Applications for the project open march 25. After that, OHCS staff will reach out to qualifying individuals in the following weeks to go through the next steps in the process.
Campbell says even people who received assistance through FEMA are encouraged to apply. Anyone who was renting a home lost during the fire is also encouraged to reach out to OHCS to learn about any possible help it can offer.
You can find out more about the program on the OHCS website.
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