In the 1/9/20 Eugene Weekly Letters, Rob Handy singled out Executive Director Jacob Fox and Resident Advisory Board commissioners Char Reavis and Michelle Thurston with Homes For Good / HUD for pulling a bait and switch by selling the Lombard site to a private developer.

He hinted that this was done to line their pockets and increase their power. In 1/16/20, Jacqueline McClure took up the hue and cry that this sell of property was a violation of the original purpose of this land. Both of these people represent the Willamette Greenway.

The Willamette Greenway was thought of and implemented from 1966-85. This is a 75-foot-wide path that would go from Eugene to Portland along the Willamette River for preservation and recreation. It was hoped that the various counties would appropriate the unused and vacant land adjoining the Greenway for this purpose. Eugene did not, and instead sold the land in 1998 to HUD/HASCA for low income tenant housing.

From the time the property was bought until the decision to sell it, there were problems with the land and with continuous lawsuits. The neighborhood wasn’t accepting to have low-income people live near them (“those people”).  The Greenway Guardians overstepped their cause outside the pathway to work up the neighborhood and interfere with lawful ownership. 

The River Road-Lombard neighborhood would have had well maintained federal buildings occupied by rigorously vetted low income neighbors (“those people”). 

All RAB members are voluntary low-income tenants — no pay.

Sara Mach

Eugene 

Resident Advisory Board Member

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