Resident programs
CASA of Oregon
CASA of Oregon, formally Community and Shelter Assistance Corporation, is a nonprofit that works alongside community organizations across Oregon on affordable housing, asset building and advocacy, with a stated commitment to farmworkers, rural communities and people who face barriers to housing and financial stability.
Its Manufactured Housing Cooperative Development Center helps residents buy the communities they live in, securing the purchase financing and providing the technical assistance needed to form a resident-owned cooperative. The center is one of nine Certified Technical Assistance Providers under the national ROC USA network.
The real estate development team partners with local organizations and nonprofit housing sponsors to build and rehabilitate affordable rental housing for seniors, people with disabilities, veterans, farmworkers and low-income families, along with Head Start facilities, medical clinics and community centers. The Community Loan Fund provides predevelopment, construction, bridge and permanent financing, plus manufactured housing park preservation loans. The family economic opportunity program runs Individual Development Accounts, matched savings accounts offered through the Vida, Matched College Savings and E3 programs.
CASA of Oregon was established in 1988 in response to the housing needs of Oregon farmworkers and was certified by the U.S. Treasury as a Community Development Financial Institution in 2000. It also advocates at the state and federal level, including on Opportunity to Purchase legislation, Oregon Affordable Housing Tax Credits and lottery-backed bonds for resident purchases of manufactured housing communities. Its office is in Sherwood, Oregon.
Best for
Residents of an Oregon manufactured home community who want to buy their park as a cooperative, and Oregon nonprofit housing sponsors that need predevelopment, construction or park preservation financing.
What they do
- Manufactured housing cooperative conversion assistance
- Resident purchase financing for manufactured home communities
- Manufactured housing park preservation loans
- Predevelopment and construction lending
- Affordable housing development partnerships
- Community facility development
- Individual Development Accounts (matched savings)
- Housing and asset-building policy advocacy
Details
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1988 |
| Ownership | Nonprofit |
What stands out
- Established in 1988 in response to the housing needs of Oregon farmworkers and their families
- Certified by the U.S. Treasury as a Community Development Financial Institution in 2000
- One of nine Certified Technical Assistance Providers under the national ROC USA network
- Runs three matched-savings programs: Vida, the Matched College Savings Program and E3
Common questions
- How does CASA of Oregon help residents buy their community?
- Its Manufactured Housing Cooperative Development Center secures the financing needed for the purchase and provides technical assistance so residents can form a resident-owned cooperative. The center is one of nine Certified Technical Assistance Providers under the ROC USA network.
- What is an Individual Development Account?
- An IDA is a matched savings account for households with limited financial resources. A saver who makes regular monthly deposits and completes financial education receives matching funds toward an approved purchase. CASA of Oregon states that a saver's $1 is matched with $5, or up to $6 under the E3 program, and approved uses include education or job training, homeownership, home repair, business start-up, a vehicle, a rental, retirement savings and assistive technology.
- What does the Community Loan Fund lend on?
- The fund provides predevelopment loans, construction loans and manufactured housing park preservation loans for the creation of affordable housing throughout Oregon, plus bridge and permanent financing to eligible nonprofit, semi-public and public borrowers.