Hundreds of families lost their homes in the tornado that tore through Selma last year. If housing was an issue before, it became an urgent need following Jan. 12, 2023.
As a result, leaders in Selma are now rethinking how they can build smooth paths to homeownership for their neighbors. This comes in the way of restoring over 100 homes to a healthy, livable condition through the housing authority, educating residents on how to get a mortgages and even giving away the occasional home for free.
The last came to fruition on April 21.
Members of several organizations gathered in front of a house off of Broad Street that day to announce that one Selma family would receive the new-build home free of charge. With 3-bedrooms, 2-bathrooms, a front porch and wind-resistant architecture, the home was valued around $169,500.
“The City of Selma is grateful to partner with NACA, the Selma Housing Authority and the Black Belt Community Foundation to provide this extraordinary opportunity,” Selma Mayor James Perkins said in a statement. “We cannot wait to share our excitement with the winner.”
Meet the winning family
Drawn in a random lottery that Sunday, the winner is Tamicka Newberry, a 44-year-old Selma native and mother of three. The 2023 tornado displaced Newberry, her husband and her kids, and since then, they have been living in a North Selma apartment complex.
“We lost everything and then had to adjust,” Newberry said. “We just truly thank God because God made all this possible for us. We’re just truly blessed.”
In the last few weeks, the good news came in threes: Newberry got a new job, her daughter got married and they won the new home.
“It’s a brand new start,” she said.
Since the BBCF and the Selma Housing Authority are fully furnishing the place for Newberry, it’s not quite move-in ready yet, but the family is planning to move as soon as they can. Newberry is also taking a financial management class so that she can maximize the benefits of her new, free house.
“Unfortunately, systemic racism has left us with a biased way of attaining wealth in our communities, and so by having Ms. Newberry to own a home, right off the block, she has equity,” BBCF President Felecia Lucky said. “That’s how you begin to build wealth and communities, so that’s the goal.”
Other houses coming soon
Newberry’s home is one of 100 new, affordable homes that NACA is constructing in Selma. Four other homes are completed too, though their new owners will take on affordable mortgages through a partnership with NACA and Bank of America.
The rest of the houses will be doled out to Selma locals through a NACA housing lottery where selected buyers will pay an adjusted mortgage that is approximately 30% of their gross income with no down payments, closing costs or additional fees.
Selma Housing Authority CEO Kennard Randolph said his organization has provided 27 plots of land to NACA for the project, and it has purchased about 73 more to rehabilitate alone.
“This is unprecedented for housing authorities. Housing authorities typically don’t do community revitalization,” Randolph said. “We are becoming private landlords. We were already in the multifamily, but now, we are buying houses throughout the community, and the Black Belt Community Foundation is helping with those initiatives.”
Randolph also sits on the board for the BBCF, so when the foundation decided to get support post-tornado housing initiatives, he was the resident expert. After some discussions, the board committed about $700,000 to support the affordable housing efforts in Selma.
“We know that housing has forever been an issue here in the Black Belt region,” Lucky. “if you want to do good and leave a legacy for the work that you’re doing, this is a place to do it.”
Lucky asked that anyone who wants to help continue BBCF initiatives donate to the foundation online.
How to apply for a NACA home
While the first NACA home in Selma has already been given away, about 99 more will be coming available for purchase through the housing lottery.
In order to be eligible to purchase a home through NACA, potential buyers must first attend a workshop on homeownership. They are offered both in person and online. To find the most convenient workshop for you, visit NACA.com and sign up.
With more questions or concerns, potential buyers can contact NACA at services@naca.com or 425-602-6222.
Hadley Hitson covers children’s health, education and welfare for the Montgomery Advertiser. She can be reached at hhitson@gannett.com. To support her work,subscribe to the Advertiser.
In Brenda Williams’ 35-year career in public housing, she has seen a lot. From the front lines of moving families into new homes to strategic planning sessions in board rooms, Williams makes it her business to ensure that affordable housing is within reach of everyone she can. “Housing is a life necessity,” she says, “and anything I can do to help people obtain it inspires me.”
This commitment to the wellbeing and safety of others has made her a trusted leader and subject matter expert, as well as one of Tallahassee’s 25 Women You Need to Know in 2024.
Williams chose Tallahassee. After working her way to the role of executive director of the St. Louis, MO, Housing Authority, serving as Transitional Administrator for the Camden New Jersey Housing Authority, and finally serving as the Chief of Staff for the New Orleans Housing Authority, she spent another 14 years in consulting work, providing strategic management services to housing agencies throughout the southwest. “I was in and out of 52 housing authorities over the course of 35 years,” she says.
Class of 2024:25 Women for 2024: Dr. Selika Sampson has a passion for community service
She decided it was time to make a home for herself. “I was tired of traveling every week,” she said. “And after growing up in the Midwest, I chose Tallahassee because of the weather.”
Now, she enjoys her current role of executive director of the Tallahassee Housing Authority, a job she embraces for its nuances and purpose. “My day often begins with text messages from people looking for a home,” she says. “When I can help someone find housing, it’s a good day. I just wish I was able to help everyone.”
To that end, she is a volunteer for Tallahassee Crime Solvers as a board member. “I want to be part of the solution in the neighborhoods that are often served by my work,” she said.
Much of her time is spent working on the $82 million redevelopment of the former Orange Avenue Apartments. “Moving someone into an apartment and off of the street is the most rewarding part of my work,” she says. “I like what I do because it’s an opportunity to change lives for the better and helps to make communities thrive.”
Construction on the second phase is projected to be complete in June, and she looks forward to moving families back into their new homes.
She always knew she wanted to work in social services, and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a Master’s in Sociology/Social Work from Lincoln University. “I immediately went into my first job as section 8 coordinator in the St. Louis Housing Authority,” she said. “Back then, urban planning was not a field of study.”
Williams chose Tallahassee for the weather, and she stays because of the community. “The people in Tallahassee are kind and caring,” she says. “I love cooking for my friends, entertaining, and being at home!”
Seeing opportunity and hope for affordable housing in Tallahassee, Williams hopes that we will keep our eye on the prize. “The most important thing Tallahassee can do is stay focused on looking for creative ways to provide housing that is affordable in today’s economy,” she said. “All we have to do is stay focused on what is possible.”
McLOUD — A popular camp for people with special needs was displaced from its longtime home at St. Gregory’s University, then shuttered through long stretches of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But, the beloved monk and Catholic priest who started the program never lost hope, and now his Camp Benedictine is experiencing a rebirth of sorts in its new, spacious home.
“We prayed to God, and I’m just thrilled,” the Rev. Paul Zahler said.
Despite the litany of setbacks, Zahler, 89, is watching the camp come to life again on a former church campground in McLoud. His determination, along with the work of a small but resilient staff, numerous volunteers and generous donors, helped get the program moved to a place where it can thrive.
Oklahoma businessman and philanthropist Gene Rainbolt is one of the people who jumped in to help. He said he learned about Zahler’s programs for people with special needs when he lived in Shawnee for more than two decades, beginning in 1966.
“Father Paul had an equine program and a swimming program on St. Gregory’s campus so I knew about this all these years,” said Rainbolt, who currently lives in Oklahoma City. “They do remarkable work with children that really need help.”
Amit Gumman, a Camp Benedictine board member, said it has been wonderful to welcome back longtime campers while introducing the program to newcomers.
“You hear a lot of laughter here and there’s a lot of joy,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of struggles and challenges, but we made it. It’s kind of divine intervention.”
‘It’s just been a blessing’
Zahler, a Minnesota native, moved to Shawnee in 1950 to attend (now defunct) St. Gregory’s High School. Shawnee’s St. Gregory’s Abbey and St. Gregory’s University, were both founded by Benedictine monks, and Zahler knew he had arrived at a place where he could play high school and collegiate sports while also pursuing his priestly vocation. He became a Benedictine monk at St. Gregory’s Abbey in 1956, and he remains a part of the monastic community. He was ordained as a priest in 1962.
Zahler founded the nonprofit National Institute on Developmental Delays (NIDD) at St. Gregory’s in the 1960s, and Camp Benedictine was started in 1972.
He said he was swimming in the university pool when he realized that it would be a good place to work with people with developmental delays. He started working with children at the university’s child development center, which opened in 1976, and with the inception of Camp Benedictine, he expanded his holistic approach to helping people from ages 8 to 80 with special needs. Zahler said the camp became a year-round camp offered one weekend a month in the 1990s. The nonprofit Home Integration eventually became an umbrella organization for Zahler’s programming.
When St. Gregory’s closed in 2017, Zahler and the camp’s loyal staff and volunteers packed up and moved items used for the child development program and Camp Benedictine.
Virginia Reeves serves as the program’s longtime administrative director and camp co-director with her daughter, Marcy Reeves. She said they found office space in Shawnee, and were able to relocate from St. Gregory’s to a Christian children’s camp in Pink, which served as a much-needed temporary location for some programming. But everyone involved with Camp Benedictine knew that its specific needs and special clientele meant a more permanent home had to be found.
They found what they were looking for in the 40-acre former church campground in McLoud. Reeves and other Camp Benedictine leaders said the location is large enough to host retreats for campers with special needs, and there is plenty of room for Zahler’s vision of a swimming pool, basketball court and volleyball court. She said the camp’s leaders also hope to eventually use a horse barn at the back of the property to restart the popular equine program, all when more funds are raised.
Reeves said a building that once housed a camp concession stand was transformed into a nurse’s station for the camp nurse. Two newly constructed buildings include a Camp Benedictine retreat center for campers and a multipurpose building for meals and other indoor activities.
Camp Benedictine is listed in the Oklahoma Rehabilitation Services’ Disability Resource Guide, a comprehensive listing of more than 2,500 disability and social services programs, said Jody Harlan, a department spokeswoman. Reeves said parents and caregivers of people with special needs have been calling on a regular basis to ask when the year-round camp weekends would be starting again, and it’s been exciting to tell them that the program has returned.
“It’s just been a blessing,” Reeves said at the recent spring camp. “We have 32 (campers) here today, and we’ve been trying to get the word out now that we’ve started again.”
Jose Muprappallil and Mohan Chandran are also longtime leaders and supporters of Home Integration and Camp Benedictine. Muprappallil said the nonprofit was grateful to Garcia Construction and the city of McLoud for their graciousness toward the camp organization. Chandran said it’s important to note that the nonprofit launched by Zahler provides recreation for campers but ultimately helps teach them skills to help enhance their lives and, for some, gain employment.
‘Father Paul’s kids’
Activities during the recent camp weekend included St. Patrick’s Day arts and crafts, a take-home planter box project, outdoor games and whimsical “leprechaun hunt.” The group also made cards for a camper who missed the weekend event due to illness.
Zahler spoke to campers and volunteers as he walked around the multipurpose building before lunch was served. He beamed with pride as several campers hugged him and talked to him about their crafts and camp activities. Zahler said about 40,000 people have participated in Camp Benedictine over the years.
“They’re my family,” he said.
Longtime Camp Benedictine volunteer Kathi Yeager spread cheer, talking with several campers whom she called out by name. She said many of them had been part of the program for many years, spanning from childhood to adulthood.
One of them was Russell M. who started coming to the camp weekend retreats when he was about 8 years old. Yeager said he is currently in his 40s.
“They light up like Santa Claus is here when he comes into the room,” she said of Zahler.
She said she started volunteering for the camp while she was a child psychology major at St. Gregory’s in the late 1980s and she took one of Zahler’s classes.
Yeager said the camp is great because campers love it and parent and caregivers may go and have a time of respite and they don’t worry because their loved ones are in good hands.
“It’s kind of mind-boggling that this little camp that started in a corner of the gym at St. Greg’s is still going on,” she said.
“It’s all because of Father Paul, the power of his vision, prayer and the passion of the people who are here today.”
To learn more
The next Camp Benedictine weekend is April 19-21. For information about Camp Benedictine and the National Institute on Developmental Delays, go to https://nidd.us/programs/camp.
David Buntjer was 18 when he died in September 2022, five months after welcoming the Statesman Journal into his Salem apartment to talk about the work he and other teens were doing to help other homeless youth.
On Wednesday a crowd celebrated the opening of a new transitional shelter in Monmouth bearing his name.
David’s House initially will provide transitional housing for five Polk County youth, and eventually house up to 10. Teens will be able to stay up to two years or until they graduate high school and turn 18.
It will serve as a stopgap between emergency shelters and permanent support. On-site staff will support the youth 24 hours a day, including helping with homework and chores or giving rides to appointments.
“Every kiddo deserves to grow up in a neighborhood,” said Christopher Lopez, associate program director at Mid-Willamette Valley Homeless Alliance.
In 2022, there were an estimated 1,500 youth in the Mid-Valley experiencing homelessness at any given time. Buntjer was one of them.
During the sentencing of the man convicted of shooting and killing his father a couple of months before Buntjer died, he said his father’s death was the hardest thing he had gone through and his difficulties with housing and feeling secure. In an earlier interview he recalled being threatened with a machete after asking older people if he and his peers could sleep near them.
Buntjer was part of Backbone, a youth advisory board involved in the implementation of Youth Homelessness Demonstration Project funding via a $3.7 million U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant to the Mid-Willamette Valley Homeless Alliance.
Backbone members are experiencing homelessness or youth at risk of experiencing homelessness and they provided input for a 2022 Mid-Willamette Valley Homeless Alliance plan to to end youth homelessness.
David’s House will be the first program of its kind in Polk County
The Monmouth property was purchased in 2023 for $650,000. Repairs and updates of the property followed before a Wednesday ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Lopez said the location of the home was intentional. Services are often concentrated in more urban centers and youth are traditionally forced to travel to Salem for services. That removes them from the communities where they live.
“That induces trauma,” Lopez said.
David’s House will be the first program of its kind in Polk County.
“This is a big deal,” Polk County Commissioner Jeremy Gordon said Wednesday. “We want to take care of people where they are.”
Jimmy Jones, executive director of the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency, referred to the youth-specific shelter as a “very, very rare thing.”
Megan Perez, program manager at MWVCAA, said the goal is for the house to feel like a home setting rather than a facility.
There’s a resource room upstairs where youth will be able to find clothes and decor so they can make the space their own. A large deck is available in the backyard along with garden boxes. There are donated acoustic guitars in the living room.
Buntjer’s family has remained involved in the development of David’s House. They donated bikes and other supplies because they knew how passionate Buntjer had been about opening spaces like this, Perez said.
Two portraits of Buntjer greet visitors and residents at the home. Friday, MWVCAA will host a vigil to honor David and other youth.
Dianne Lugo covers the Oregon Legislature and equity issues. Reach her at dlugo@statesmanjournal.com or on X @DianneLugo