Proud Ground homeowners Gladis and Luis Turcios say buying a home through Proud Ground is the opportunity of a lifetime. “It’s because of our children that we worked so hard to buy our own home—so that they could have a stable roof over their heads and a home they could call their own,” Gladis Turcios said.
Nonprofit helps make dream come true
When Gladis Turcios and her family — husband Luis and children Luis Jr., Aileen, and Charlie — became homeowners they had a slightly different experience than most new homeowners: with the help of Proud Ground and the Housing Authority of Portland, they were able to buy the home they had been renting — and had come to love.
“I remember that my daughter was very emotionally moved when she found out we would be buying the home where she was growing up and having wonderful childhood memories,” Gladis explains.
Gladis goes on to point out a major difference between owning their own home and renting it, “The tranquility of knowing I don’t have to move.”
And about Proud Ground’s program that helped Gladis and her family get to this point? “It’s a great opportunity to buy and own a house of your own — it’s an opportunity of a lifetime,” she said.
“When I walked in the front door for the first time as a homeowner I felt very happy” — Gladis Turcios
The Turcios bought their home through Proud Ground, a nonprofit organization that provides affordable homeownership opportunities for people who work and live in our community.
Working with community partners, lenders, builders and others, Proud Ground prepares families and individuals for homeownership; renovates existing homes; builds new, energy-efficient affordable homes; offers homeowners tools to be successful; and manages transactions to keep homes affordable for generations to come.
In a period of deep economic decline marked by a steep foreclosure rate, Proud Ground has a zero-percent foreclosure rate among its homeowners. A core feature of Proud Ground’s program is extensive homebuyer education and counseling, and ongoing, post-purchase support of homeowners.
Since 1999, Proud Ground has created 125 new homeowners, and the median sales price of a Proud Ground home in 2010 is $126,900, vs. $240,000 for a market-rate home in Portland.
For more information, visit proudground.org or call 503-493-0293, extension 10.
