VanLoo Home Dedication: Determination Wins the Day!

(Forest Grove, Oregon) On Sunday, June 2, West Tuality Habitat for Humanity held a home dedication and move in celebration for the VanLoo Family in Forest Grove, with about 60 people on hand for the event, braving the rain and even a tree falling onto the driveway just before the event started (no damage or injuries to the people or the home). There are photos at the end of this page highlighting events of the day.

“I want to thank everybody here for everything. For all the support. For my family, for my girls... it's just been great and I just can't tell you how much love there is out there,” said Robin VanLoo, the new home owner. She recounted to those gathered how she applied repeatedly through the Habitat program and how, after each rejection, worked to improve her credit score and financial profile so she would be a better candidate next time. “I started this journey in 2019. And I can remember sending the paper in and it getting denied. And I’m like, ‘oh my god. Okay. Well, I'll work on some of this stuff’… It's the one thing that I never gave up on. Because it's not just for me. It's for my family.”

Virginia Ohler, West Tuality Habitat Executive Director, worked one-on-one with Robin during the application and home ownership process, including coordinating the affordable home mortgage. "Through her diligence and constant improvement, she was approved for the program at last and is now our newest homeowner."

Unlike most Habitat homes, this is not a stick-built home, built from scratch; this is a completely refurbished manufactured home. From start to finish, volunteers and staff members from West Tuality Habitat were able to acquire, rehabilitate and house the VanLoo family in just 90 days. The VanLoo family's original Habitat home site got bogged down in the county's permitting process, delaying her move date for months, and in that time, the VanLoo's landlord sold their rental property, causing the family to move into a hotel while Habitat scrambled to create a new path for homeownership as quickly as possible.

Volunteers who so rapidly refurbished this home included members of other Habitat partner families who were completing their sweat equity for their own upcoming Habitat homes. One volunteer, Ron Zwart, who was at the house working almost every day, received a special award from Brian Martin, West Tuality Habitat’s Construction Manager: a symbolic golden trowel.

Kari Summerall of Banner Bank was on hand for the celebration. Banner Bank played a critical role in the financing of this project. Also on hand was Oregon State Senator Janeen Sollman (District 15), a frequent attendee to Habitat area events, and several members of West Tuality Habitat’s board of directors.

A special guest was Theola VanLoo, who is not only the new homeowner's mother, but was also on the original steering committee that functioned for one year to set up West Tuality Habitat for Humanity in the 1990s. Theola VanLoo also worked on most of the first houses built by West Tuality Habitat at that time.  

West Tuality Habitat board chair Lois Hornberger presented the VanLoo family with a gift basket that included food to symbolize their wish for the family's health and prosperity in the home.

For over 30 years, West Tuality Habitat for Humanity in Forest Grove has worked with local families, volunteers, and partners in western Washington County to build homes with affordable mortgages and make critical repairs.  

A Habitat home owners' mortgage, including mortgage payment, taxes, insurance and homeowners association fees, if applicable, will not exceed 30% of that family's gross monthly income at the time of sale.

West Tuality Habitat is soon beginning construction on its next home development, Countryman Estates, which is next door to Kidd Court, a development Habitat completed in 2023, both in Forest Grove. Once finished, Countryman Estates will boast eight homes: two single-story fully-accessible units and six townhomes, each with three-four bedrooms and two full baths, each with all appliances and fully-accessible ground floor living spaces and bedrooms. The Habitat affiliate also completed a five-home development called Coopers Corner, at 19th Avenue and Oak Street in Forest Grove.  

There is a core group of volunteers with advanced construction skills who work at least three days a week on West Tuality Habitat home construction projects in Western Washington County. These core volunteers are regularly joined in the work by families that have qualified for home ownership through Habitat, as well as volunteers from the community, including employees volunteering through their work places, such as Intel, Lowe's, Wells Fargo, Heritage Bank, US Bank, Parr Lumber and more, as well as students from area colleges and universities. These additional volunteers often have no construction experience at all. Companies such as Whirlpool, IKEA and Hunter-Douglas provide building materials at discount prices and donate materials as well. Specialized construction tasks requiring licenses and bonding, including electrical, plumbing and roofing, are contracted out.

Homes built by Habitat meet all local building code requirements.  

Habitat for Humanity works to reach underserved communities specifically regarding affordable housing, and recognizes that a structure of intentional and systemic racial discrimination in the USA has created barriers to homeownership for many families. Individuals and families accepted into the Habitat home ownership program perform sweat equity as a part of this program, working at the construction sites or in the Forest Grove ReStore. Participants also complete financial literacy training and homebuyer counseling, which helps to ensure long-term success as new homeowners.

West Tuality Habitat for Humanity is a local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International and was formed in 1991. In addition to the affordable housing program, West Tuality Habitat also has a critical home repair program for low-income people, seniors, military veterans, and people with disabilities, allowing them to remain in their homes and age in place. This program has helped almost 400 vulnerable homeowners in Western Washington County since 2018.

West Tuality Habitat also operates a ReStore in Forest Grove, selling gently-used, donated furniture, appliances, home furnishings, leftover building supplies and overstock, new items. These sales support Habitat activities in the area.

For more information about donating, volunteering or applying to be a program participant, visit the West Tuality Habitat for Humanity web site at www.westtualityhabitat.org or call (503) 359-8459. There is also information available at the Forest Grove ReStore at 3731 Pacific Avenue.