Depending
on whom you ask, housing in Corvallis can mean different things: high prices;
tight rental market; neighborhoods that are safe and pedestrian friendly;
replacement of open space and traditional, single-family homes with
multi-family apartments. Housing policies have long been a concern in the city.
Adopted by the City Council in 1998, the Vision 2020 document uses words such
as "safe," "attractive," "recreational,"
"pedestrian scale" and "diversity" to describe desirable
characteristics of the city's neighborhoods.
The
May 14 meeting of the Corvallis City Club will focus on the state of housing in
Corvallis. Do we have enough "affordable" housing? What kinds of
housing are in short supply? What are the barriers to development? What does
today’s housing market really look like?
Speaking
to these points will be Jim Moorefield, Executive Director of Willamette
Neighborhood Housing Services, and Peter Sekermestrovich, owner of Town and Country
Realty.
The meeting will begin at noon in the Banquet Room of the Renaissance Building, 136 SW Washington St. Attendance is free. Lunch is $8 for members, $10 for non-members. To register, send email to Roger Lizut, wwrwl45@gmail.com, with "City Club May 14" in the subject line.
Jim Moorefield
Since
1998, Jim Moorefield has served as Executive Director of Willamette
Neighborhood Housing Services, a private nonprofit community development
organization serving Benton and Linn Counties. During his 31-year career in
human services and community development, Jim has been recognized for his work
for private nonprofit and public organizations; service to seniors, people with
disabilities, youth, people with mental illness, people in crisis, and the
homeless; assistance developing hundreds of units of affordable housing in
Benton, Linn, and Lincoln Counties; and achievements in developing and
capitalizing a number of new asset building programs. Jim
is a 30-year resident of Corvallis and has served on the Corvallis City
Council, as well as directed local community efforts related to housing, land
use planning encompassing historic downtown Corvallis, and open space
preservation.
Peter Sekermestrovich
A
lifelong resident of Corvallis, Pete “Seker” has owned Town and Country Realty
since 1999. His achievements in the real estate business place him among the
top-three percent of realtors in the country. His community affiliations
include President of the Benton County Foundation and member of the Corvallis
Rotary Club since 1991. He has served on the Willamette Valley Multiple Listing
Service and Corvallis Chamber-Coalition boards. Pete was honored by the
Corvallis Chamber of Commerce as the Robert C. Ingalls Business Person of the
Year in 2004.
