Safeguarding a Multi-Generational Home

175,200 Gallons wastewater treated annually
$348,170 Locally-owned real estate improved

Floridalma has lived in her East Portland home for 13 years. She shares it with her son Anthony, his fiancé Shawna and their three children. The family loves their quiet neighborhood and surrounding natural wildlife.

They first found out there was a problem when the plumbing started backing up. Shawna arranged to have the septic pumped and thought it would be fixed. But it wasn’t.

She wasn’t sure how to proceed. They were in the middle of foreclosure and a loan modification. It didn’t make sense to invest in a new septic system if they had to move. So they figured out a temporary fix, but knew it would only last so long. The mortgage came through just as the septic tank collapsed and left a sinkhole in the backyard.

Shawna contacted a local septic professional and received an estimate for replacement, about $19,000. A web search revealed a few options. They could take out a second mortgage, but payments would have been about $500 per month—more than they could afford. Then she found Craft3.

Knowing how important running water and flushing toilets are to a family of six, Craft3 worked quickly to get loan documents signed and the contractor replacing the septic.

In partnership with Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality, Craft3 offers the affordable Clean Water Loan to help families repair or replace their failing septic system with no money down.