It’s an effort to make our neighborhoods nicer by putting families into homes left vacant due to foreclosure. There’s a stimulus program that offers zero interest loans for some buyers of foreclosed homes. So far the stimulus program has helped fill 78 foreclosed homes in Deschutes County, and funds are currently available in hard hit Crook and Jefferson counties. Greg Blackmore is the Affordable Housing Program Coordinator. As part of his job he goes out to the vacant homes. “When I drive up to a property for the first time, I see a home with a lawn that’s typically burned out and you can tell the house is not well-maintained. If you go to that same house three months later, after its been lived in, you can obviously see that there’s a family living thee, there’s a new neighbor there. They’re maintaining the property, they are maintaining the property, and they’re maintaining the lawn. And that in an of itself is stabilizing communities.” Families can apply for the zero interest loans the maximum amount is $35,0000 and the home must be a primary residence, not investment property. Blackmore says you can call him at the City of Bend for more information.