As the Bend housing crisis holds homeownership just out of reach for many families in the area, Laura Elder and her daughters are achieving homeownership through nonprofit First Story. The family—who has battled addiction, homelessness and grief—will receive the keys to their new home at a Home Dedication ceremony on Aug. 20.
The event will kick off at 11:30 a.m. sharp on Aug. 20 and be attended by elected leaders and community supporters.
“This journey has been one small goal accomplished after another to reach this larger goal of having a home and having everyone around me to guide me and lift me up . . .” Laura Elder began, “I can’t believe it’s getting this real.”
First Story is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to expanding life-changing access to affordable homeownership across the Northwest. By bringing together a wide range of community partners, the organization helps create inclusive neighborhoods where families earning 80% or less of the area median income can achieve the dream of owning a home.
In collaboration with its founder, Hayden Homes, along with industry leaders and a strong network of donors, First Story enables homeownership by providing first-time homebuyers a zero-down, zero-interest, 30-year mortgage on new and refurbished homes in vibrant communities.
Building homes that are affordable for individuals and families to live where they work is not an easy task, especially in the midst of Bend’s housing crisis.
“Lack of affordable housing continues to be a leading source of difficulty for many families in our community, and we are grateful for all First Story does to help address it,” said Bend City Councilor Mike Riley. “Affordable homeownership is life-changing because it builds wealth that helps power positive, transformative outcomes for families over generations.”
Elder spent years dedicated to her homeownership journey, working with Housing Works, a local housing authority. She was notified in 2020 that she was selected for a housing voucher and after a year of having a voucher, she applied for PATHWorks and started saving money to put towards her future home.
For the Elders, their new home is a source of hope for the next chapter of their lives. Laura Elder says that she drives by the homesite every week, snapping photos to create a photo album of the process, and her daughters are already picking out the paint colors for their new rooms.
“Affordable homeownership should be a priority for the community,” said Claire Duncan, executive director of First Story. “The Elders’ Home Dedication ceremony serves as a celebration of the impact we can have when partners come together to do exactly that: make affordable homeownership a priority.”
When families have a stable place to call home, it creates a ripple effect.
To date, First Story has helped 123 families become homeowners. Of those families:
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100% earn less than 80% of area median income
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100% are first-time homebuyers
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80% are the first in their families ever to own a home
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23% identify as minority households
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25% are families with members with disabilities
To learn more, visit www.firststory.org and follow the journey of new homeowners on First Story’s Instagram and Facebook pages.
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About First Story
First Story’s mission is to address the affordable housing crisis in the Northwest. First Story uses an integrated approach to affordable housing by giving individuals a hand up to homeownership while encouraging inclusivity.
First Story collaborates with builder Hayden Homes and in-kind partners to construct or fully refurbish homes. The homes are then sold to individuals and families earning 80 percent of area median income or below through First Story’s innovative loan program, which provides loans at zero-down, zero-percent interest for 30 years.
First Story is a 501c3 Oregon non-profit corporation, located in Bend, OR and operating throughout OR, WA, ID & MT. Our Tax ID number is 91-1755886. First Story is registered with Washington State’s Charities Program as required by law and additional information is available by calling 360-725-0377 or visiting https://ccfs.sos.wa.gov/#/. For more information about donating, email info@firststory.org.
