MONTEBELLO APARTMENTSA Bienestar Farmworker Property

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Fast Facts About Montebello Apts.

• Built in 1999• 48 apartments ( 24@BR, 21 3BR, 3 4BR)• 3.8 acre site• Cost $4.8 million to develop ($100K/unit)• Bienestar is General Partner• Homestead Capital is Limited Partner• Financing: LIHTC, HOME, OHCS, KeyBank• Amenities: Playground, laundry, community room• Occupancy guidelines: Agriculture + 40% or less of area median

income.• Rents range from $515 - $706 for 2-4 bedroom apartments• 1 block from MAX; Bienestar office onsite• Property Manager = Elba Flores

More Fast Facts

• Current Occupancy = 97%• Managed by Princeton Property

Management under Laura Flores• Recent Improvements

• Deck under historic tree + landscaping• Community room expansion• New maintenance storage closet• New storage closet for Bienestar

Resident Services Offered to Montebello Residents 2009-2010

•GED Classes onsite every week

•Financial Literacy Classes

•ESL Classes

•IDA Program

•Computer Classes onsite

•Counseling services onsite or at home

•Free Income Tax Preparation

•Free H1N1 Vaccination Clinic

•Cooking/Nutrition Classes

•Audubon Family Outings

•Special Presentations: Gangs, Diabetes

•Holiday Party for Families

•Blazers Game Outing

•Clothes from Columbia Sportswear

•Food from Oregon Food Bank

•Emergency Cash Assistance Program

•Annual Resident Meeting

Adults Semillas de Éxito

Resident Services Offered to Montebello Residents 2009-2010

Youth Programs: Listos Para Vida

• Homework Club

• AKA Science Club

• Financial Fitness for Life

• Zoo to You

• Kids on the Block

• Summer Reading Safari

• Summer Lunch & Fun

• Explorador Nature Camp

• Art: Fish Friendship Fence

• Girl Scouts

Montebello Promotores • My name is Guillermina Alonso, from Puebla

Mexico. I have been living on Bienestar’s properties for 5 years and I started as a Bienestar Promotora three years ago. The Promotora program has made many changes in my life, I’ve learned how to communicate better with my neighbors, and that has been a positive impact in my life.

• One of the things I like to do as a Promotora is fill out the paper work and attend all the meetings. I also serve as a Bienestar Board member.

• The message I want others to hear is: if someone has the opportunity to be a Promotor, do not hesitate to do it and be part of Bienestar’s mission.

Guillermina Alonso

Completed 40 Home Visits this program year.

Montebello PromotoresMy name is Alejandro Ortega, I have lived in Montebello for 8 years. I have 4 children 1 boy and three girls. This is my third year as a Bienestar Promotor, and this opportunity has been a great thing for me. I’ve been able to take ESL, Computer and GED classes. What I like to do the most as a Promotor is to give information to the families about the programs on Bienestar Properties and in the community. This program gives us many opportunities and knowledge to help our neighbors and it is worth it to be involved in the sense of personal growth and seeing people’s lives changed for the better. 

Alejandro Ortega

27 Home Visits this program year.

Resident Survey 2009• Door-to-door; 15- 30 minutes• 75% response rate; 36 responses• Last survey was in 2007• What We Learned

– Majority came to Montebello from apartments shared with others

– 2 families came directly from migrant worker camps.

– 100% of respondents were Latino– 100% listed Spanish as primary language– 100% were farmworkers – most with

nurseries; spouses work in service jobs (laundry, fast food, cook, food processing)

– Average length of time at Montebello = 6 years

– Average family size = 5

Resident Survey, continued• Average age of residents = 37• Children: 79 ages 0-17

– Ages 0-5 = 36– Ages 6-11 = 30– Ages 12-17 = 13

• Income levels – 58% make between $10,000-$19,999– 14% make between $1,000-9,999– 5 families make between $20,000-25,999

• Education– 36% had less than 6th grade education– 29% attended to 6th-8th grade– 16% attended high school in Mexico; 7 of those 9

had graduated– 2 residents had attended college

Resident Survey, continued• Employment

– 23% had experienced reduced hours in the past year.

– 33% had experienced layoffs in the past year.

• Health Care– 4 of 31 respondents had health care

partially paid by employer– 69% had OHP (Oregon Health Plan) for

1 or more members of the family.

Resident Survey, continued

• Services needed/wanted:– 83%: help in immigration issues– 97%: information on legalization– 100%: help to learn English– 78%: help with money management– 92%: training for better job outside

agriculture– 53%: need food– 53%: help for children with

homework– 71%: help interpreting/translating– 85%: help doing my income taxes

Resident Survey, continued• What are your dreams for your family?

– That our children have good careers and become professionals (6)

– To attain legal/citizenship status (5)– To buy our own house (4)– Learn English; get better jobs (5)– Examples:

• That our children finish their studies and get a good education.

• Our dream is always to be together.• To continue to be able to provide a home for the

well-being of my children• To have enough money to be able to buy things

that my son dreams about and wishes to have.• To have good health and that we don’t lack the

basic necessities.