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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Advertisement Email Story to a Friend March 25, 2006 Hector Aleman, 52, left, supervises a group of YouthBuild high school equivalency students building affordable housing in Ashland. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Building houses, building life skills By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune ASHLAND — While building a new affordable housing complex, a dozen young men are reconstructing their own lives. "It’s to take our education to the next level," said 25-year-old Chris McLain, a member of YouthBuild, a joint effort between The Job Council and Rogue Community College. McLain is one of a dozen men ages 17 to 25 helping to construct nine affordable housing units at Faith Avenue and Siskiyou Boulevard. The crew toils during the week, and families approved to buy the units contribute sweat equity on the weekends. "It was a project that made sense on every level," said Tiffany Grisen, employment counselor for The Job Council. Rogue Valley Community Development Corp. worked with families to buy the two- and three-bedroom townhouses for prices between $110,000 to $131,000, well under half the average Ashland home price. The city of Ashland donated the land with $355,000 from its federal Community Development Block Grant. Advertisement Buyers were required to show good credit, solid payment history and a stable income. They earn no more than two-thirds of the Rogue Valley’s median income: $29,000 for singles, $33,350 for couples. YouthBuild, the first such program locally, was funded by a $400,000 Housing and Urban Development grant. The project is one of more than 200 across the country supported by a national nonprofit organization — YouthBuild USA — founded in 1990. Participants work toward their high-school equivalency diploma and learn job skills by building affordable housing for homeless and low-income people. Four have completed their GEDs since starting in the program. The few who already had the equivalency take classes at RCC. Some, like Jabbar Franklin, even found their true calling. Construction offers the 24-year-old the chance to earn a living wage for his wife and three kids. And the work satisfies him in ways that previous posts in restaurants and at a telemarketing firm never could. "It’s fun," he said. "I wouldn’t want to sit in an office all day." But a desk job would be just fine with fellow YouthBuilder Jay Fitzgerald. The 22-year-old saw a flier for the project when he stopped by RCC to enroll in equivalency classes. He had some experience in heating and air conditioning, and YouthBuild was a good way to make money while attending college. "I wanted to learn how to put the houses up," he said. Participants must follow the program’s policies and guidelines, which include maintaining 90 percent attendance and staying drug- and alcohol-free, which is confirmed with random testing, Grisen said. After his release last year from a drug and alcohol treatment center, 17-year-old Nathan Briggs headed straight for YouthBuild. "This was, like, my best choice," he said. Involved in drugs and the juvenile justice system since middle school, Briggs had long since strayed from his path to education. He is now one test away from earning his GED. After a stint in the Oregon Army National Guard, he plans to stick with construction work, he said. "This program helped me find out what I want to do." Organizers said they also have seen YouthBuilders pay off debt and obtain their driver’s licenses. Several local contractors have extended jobs after the program ends in August, organizers said. Construction is scheduled to wrap up in September, a year after ground-breaking. "I’ve seen so many changes, changes in their lives," said Hector Aleman, a remodeling contractor turned social worker who supervises the YouthBuild crew. "We got those who really wanted to change." Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail Building houses, building life skills ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers Southern Oregon Loans California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Pharmacy Advertisement s