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The Oregonian: Forum Section
Date: 4/11/1998
Title: Doing Good Work
Pastor of poor Southeast Portland parish finds way to restore faith in the neighborhood.
A common refrain of politics in the '90s is that government cannot meet the staggering need for social services alone. The private sector, including communities of faith, must become more involved.
But how exactly will this work? One of the best examples is unfolding
right here in Portland.
When Father Michael Maslowsky took on the job of leading St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in outer Southeast Portland, the parish was struggling. The congregation was among the poorest in the city, and dwindling with age. Members worshipped in the basement of a modest building that had been moved to the site.
Many expected the parish to close and the members to disperse. But Maslowsky had a better idea. The church sits on a sprawling five-acre site- What If the church could work with government and private investors to build a community center that would serve the broad needs of this low-income, ethnically diverse neighborhood?
Once practicing lawyer, Maslowsky persuaded the Archdiocese to form a not-for-profit corporation. He put together a board of directors including Robert Sznewajs of U.S. Bank, Antoinette Hatfield and the late Clifford N. Carlsen Jr.
The board developed a vision of a campus like development offering services from assisted living for seniors to day care for children In a set ting with winding paths, rose gardens and a reflecting pool. St. Anthony Village, aptly named for the saint of the lost, would be open to everyone — not just Catholics. By brainstorming with creative public and private leaders, the nonprofit board devised a way for St. Anthony Village to obtain federal tax credits for the project. It is the first time that the state of Oregon has allowed such credits to be used for assisted living, which offers seniors who need some help with day tasks an alternative to the expense and restrictions of nursing care. Because a nonprofit corporation doesn’t pay taxes, St. Anthony Village will sell the federal tax credits to private corporations at a discount. The $2.1 million in proceeds will be used as a down payment on the development. Another $10.1 million will be financed through bonds is sued by the state and purchased by private corporations. In addition, members of the congregation have contributed nearly $500,000 to fund a new church building for the village — a staggering sum for this parish. Fully 94 percent of parishioners have contributed, demonstrating their strong commitment to the project.
Debt service on the bonds will be the responsibility of the nonprofit corporation. But if marketing surveys are any Indication, St. Anthony Village will have no problem meeting its obligations.
Typically, assisted-living centers take as long as 12 months to fill up. This project is expected to fill up in four months or less. One reason is that the center will welcome Medicaid residents as well as private-pay residents. Most private assisted-living companies aim their projects at private-pay residents, where greater profits lie.
When ground is broken on the project April 23, it will mark a bold experiment in public-private partnerships. If it works — and I have no doubt that it will — St Anthony Village will provide badly needed services for low- income residents without costing taxpayers a dime. In fact, because many of the people who will live in its assisted-living facility would otherwise end up in more expensive nursing homes, the project could save taxpayers as much as $1 million a year. And if other parishes or faith-based communities see an opportunity to replicate its success, that could be just the beginning. Like its namesake, St. Anthony village could help lead us in a new direction — from the lost thinking of big government toward a future of shared responsibility and community-based solutions.
Barnes C. Ellis is vice president of Charter, investment Group in Portland.
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