OVERVIEW OF CDC
 Housing for People, Inc. (HOPE) came into being in
1989 when a local church was forced to close Hood River’s last homeless shelter for
security reasons. The church’s minister called community meetings to discuss
the increasing homeless problem in the community. HOPE emerged out of these public
meetings. HOPE’s mission is to provide affordable housing and community
development for residents of the Mid-Columbia River region, a five county area located in
the states of Oregon and Washington, with a population of just under 70,000. The
main industries are related to fruit production and tourism, both of which have generally
low-paying jobs. Rents in the area have increased by 211 percent since 1980,
resulting in a severe shortage of affordable housing.
HOPE administers an emergency shelter voucher program and has developed four
multifamily housing projects. HOPE’s board of directors is drawn from a cross
section of the community and is actively involved in its programs.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES
 HOPE’s program strategies are community development and housing
development. Its activities have centered largely on providing temporary emergency
services and developing affordable housing. Completed housing projects include
Wyeast Vista, a 24-unit apartment complex for farmworker families; White Salmon Seniors
Apartments, 6 units; the Riverside Apartments, a 26-unit tax credit project; Bella Vista,
a 28-unit tax credit project; and Queens Heights, a 48-unit tax credit project. HOPE
has also developed a 3,600 square foot childcare center for a local Migrant Head Start
provider and performs as a contract administrator on Community Development Block Grant
(CDBG) projects for Hood River County.
HOPE was recognized by HUD as a model of effective grassroots effort to address
affordable housing problems. HOPE hosted three groups of approximately 50 top HUD
officials during 1997 as part of HUD’s Communities First Leadership Training program.
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