Representatives from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) visited the West Tuality Habitat offices in August to sign the grant agreement for our work managing the construction and family services for our Countryman Estates in Forest Grove, which will provide affordable housing to eight families. This is a Section 523 Technical Assistance (TA) Grant, a USDA program that provides financial assistance to qualified nonprofits and public bodies to help low-income individuals and families build their own homes in rural areas.

West Tuality Habitat for Humanity had a visit from Habitat for Humanity of Oregon colleagues last week, who wanted to see first hand why our home repair program is SO successful and high-performing, and a model not just for the state, but for all the USA. They observed a home assessment, saw how some simple changes to a home in Cornelius (changing out carpet to a hard surface floor, a fence along a public pathway that went along a homeowners yard, a new floor in a bathroom) transformed the lives of a family, got up close to our repair van and asked questions of our incredible home repair staff.

The West Tuality Habitat for Humanity Women Build 2024 drew 25 participants in late July, mostly women, all people who wanted to learn about basic home building and get their hands on basic construction tools they weren’t familiar with. Every year has had a different activity for participants, and this year, participants learned to use drills and impact drivers, then used that to construct practice walls, and then real walls to be used in in the construction of a shed for one of West Tuality Habitat’s home owners.

West Tuality Habitat for Humanity held its second home dedication and move in celebration of 2024, this time for the Bautista Family in Cornelius, with about 40 people on hand for the event. Habitat volunteers will spend the next few days rapidly converting this house from three bedrooms to four bedrooms, to better accommodate the needs of the Bautista Family.

The West Tuality Habitat Women Build event is Saturday, July 27th in Forest Grove. This year, we will host a series of tool clinics, and participants will learn under the guidance of construction professionals, alongside other volunteers and future Habitat homeowners. You can come alone or sign up as a group.