By Oregon Coast TODAY
The third annual Habitat for Humanity Home & Garden Show, a fund-raiser supporting affordable housing initiatives in the community, will fill the Newport Recreation Center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 26.
The event features local businesses showcasing products and services for home improvement and gardening, along with a raffle and silent auction.
“We have at least 25 percent more vendors and more sponsors than the previous two years; the event is really growing.” said Lucinda Taylor, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Lincoln County. “It is a trade show for businesses that focus on home. So, you have building supply folks, contractors, real estate agents, painters, the Master Gardeners even aquascapers. Pretty much everything you might need for home repairs and upgrades.”
If you meet a contractor that seems a good fit, many will schedule work during the show.
“I know one of our contractors fills up their summer schedule at this show every year,” Taylor said.
With more than 45 vendors this year, there will be plenty to see.
“There will definitely be more than just home service providers and vendors at the show,” Taylor said. “There will also be some home decor and other fun items for sale, even jewelry.”
There will also be some goods to score in the raffle and silent auction.
“We’ve had lots of fun things donated from the community for the raffle, and in the silent auction we have overnight stays, artwork and jewelry,” Taylor said. “We’ll also be putting together some house and electronics baskets. We plan to have some smaller items in the silent auction so that everyone can find something to bid on.”
And you needn’t leave the kiddos at home, as the family-friendly event has plenty for them to do, too.
“We also will have fun things like a visit from Glitter Gail and face painting,” Taylor said. “We will also have a Habitat craft table and ArtFit will be doing some performances.”
For Taylor and her crew, the show, now the primary fund-raiser for the organization, is an important part of their efforts to provide affordable housing in Lincoln County.
“Since 2020, we have sold seven homes and have one more currently pending,” she said. “We are getting ready to break ground on two homes in Waldport and are in the feasibility phase for nine to 18 homes in Lincoln City. We have built everywhere but Yachats and Depoe Bay.”
One of the homes sold in the past few years was to a victim of the Echo Mountain Fire.
“She lost her home and because she had a dog was having a really hard time finding an affordable rental that allows dogs,” Taylor said. “She had been moving through the shelter system for a few years so getting her into a home was pretty wonderful.”
Because the people to whom the organization sells homes have to be income-qualified and to be able to afford a mortgage, they are primarily moving into them from low-income housing rentals. And, because the homes are sold through an affordable mortgage and the sale is only for the home and not the land, the homes stay within the fair housing system. This means they cannot be “flipped” by the buyer and can only be sold to other people or families looking for a better life.
“Habitat International has done a lot of studies about the benefits of home ownership,” Taylor said. “Better health, better career outcomes, higher graduation rates for the kids. What we are trying to do is create generational change.”
“We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to change people’s lives for the better.”
Taylor is also grateful for community support and the work of Kathy Redwine, event coordinator for this year’s show.
“I put the growth of this year’s show down to word of mouth and the work by Kathy,” Taylor said. “We hired her part time just for this event and she’s been doing an amazing job.”
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