Home Empower

HOME EMPOWER'S (DBA NONPROFIT HOME INSPECTIONS) MISSION IS TO BROADEN ACCESS TO AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF INFORMATION READILY AVAILABLE TO HOMEOWNERS BY TRAINING HOME INSPECTORS TO DELIVER A HIGHER LEVEL AND VARIETY OF INSPECTION SERVICES, MAKING SURE QUALITY HOME INSPECTION SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE TO EVERY HOME OWNER, REGARDLESS OF THEIR ABILITY TO PAY, AND DISSEMINATING FREE INFORMATION. WE BELIEVE EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO A HEALTHY, SAFE, ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND, AND ENERGY EFFICIENT PLACE TO LIVE.

SAFETY AND MAINTENANCE INSPECTIONS: PROFESSIONAL EVALUATIONS OF HOMES ON A SLIDING SCALE FOR 1,265 FAMILIES. EACH CLIENT EDUCATED ON SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURAL AND SAFETY PROBLEMS FOR THE HOME, INCLUDING ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES (SUCH AS EXPOSURE TO ASBESTOS, LEAD AND RADON), AND CRITICAL MAINTENANCE NEEDS. EXPANDED FREE RADON TESTING PROGRAM BY PARTNERING WITH OREGON HEALTH AUTHORITY TO OFFER FREE RADON TESTING FOR LOW AND MODERATE INCOME FAMILIES IN OREGON. PARTNERED WITH STATE LICENSED ENGINEERS TO CONDUCT FOUNDATION CERTIFICATIONS FOR MOBILE/MANUFACTURED HOMES IN OREGON AND WASHINGTON. RENEWED CERTIFICATION AS AN EPA LEAD SAFE CERTIFIED FIRM. CONTINUED COMPILING DATA FOR RESEARCH RELATED TO ENVIRONMENTAL AND SAFETY HAZARDS IN THE HOME. A MARKET ANALYSIS OF SIMILAR SERVICES PROVIDED BY SIMILARLY RATED MULTI-INSPECTOR FIRMS IN THE REGION INDICATED THAT HOME EMPOWER (DBA NONPROFIT HOME INSPECTIONS) PROVIDED HOME INSPECTIONS FOR APPROXIMATELY 45% LESS THAN SIMILAR FOR PROFIT COMPANIES. THIS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED PRICING HELPED TO ENSURE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS WHILE PROVIDING THE PUBLIC WITH SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED PRICING COMPARED TO SIMILAR FOR PROFIT COMPANIES PROVIDING SIMILAR SERVICES. IN ADDITION, HOME EMPOWER (DBA NONPROFIT HOME INSPECTIONS) REGULARLY PROVIDES REDUCED FEE HOME INSPECTIONS FOR AREA GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. THESE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE INCLUDED THE PORTLAND HOUSING BUREAU, OREGON METRO, THE CITY OF PORTLAND, THE CITY OF LAKE OSWEGO, THE CITY OF VANCOUVER, THE MULTNOMAH SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT, ETC. BY PROVIDING HOME INSPECTIONS FOR GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AT REDUCED RATES COMPARED TO SIMILAR SERVICES BY FOR PROFIT COMPANIES, HOME EMPOWER (DBA NONPROFIT HOME INSPECTIONS) IS REDUCING THE BURDEN OF GOVERNMENT AND PROVIDING THE MUCH NEEDED INDEPENDENT SERVICES THAT THESE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES CANNOT PROVIDE FOR THEMSELVES. DURING THE 2022 CALENDAR YEAR, HOME EMPOWER (DBA NONPROFIT HOME INSPECTIONS) DISTRIBUTED APPROXIMATELY 1,200 HOME MAINTENANCE MANUALS TO INDIVIDUALS IN THE COMMUNITY WORTH AN ESTIMATED $36,000 BASED ON COMPARABLE MANUALS IN THE MARKETPLACE. THESE MANUALS HELP TO BETTER EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT POTENTIAL HAZARDS IN THE HOME AND HOW TO PROPERLY ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES. IN 2022, HOME EMPOWER (DBA NONPROFIT HOME INSPECTIONS) CONTINUED PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER NONPROFIT AGENCIES AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS BY PROVIDING REDUCED RATE HOME INSPECTION SERVICES OR HOME INSPECTOR TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR THEIR CLIENTS. A FEW PARTNERS INCLUDED MT. HOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE, NATIVE AMERICAN YOUTH AND FAMILY SERVICES (NAYA), IMMIGRANT & REFUGEE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION (IRCO), NEW NARRATIVE RESIDENTIAL MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND PROUD GROUND COMMUNITY LAND TRUST. AS PART OF ITS EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS, HOME EMPOWER (DBA NONPROFIT HOME INSPECTIONS) HAS CREATED A LIBRARY OF FREE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS THAT EMPOWER CONSUMERS TO IDENTIFY AND CORRECT SIGNIFICANT HAZARDS IN THE HOME INCLUDING HAZARDS POSED BY RADIOACTIVE RADON GAS, ELECTRICAL HAZARDS, FIRE SAFETY, ETC. HOME EMPOWER'S EFFORTS TO PROVIDE FREE EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS CONCERNING HEALTH AND SAFETY HAZARDS IS RAPIDLY GAINING TRACTION AND IS PROVIDING FREE VALUABLE RESOURCES FOR THE COMMUNITY. FOR EXAMPLE, HOME EMPOWER'S INSTRUCTIONAL PAGE ON "DIY RADON MITIGATION" IS RANKED 4TH NATIONWIDE IN GOOGLE COMPARED TO THE EPA'S RANKING AT 26TH FOR THE SAME SEARCH TERM AND NO RANKING FOR THE OREGON HEALTH AUTHORITY. THIS DISTRIBUTION OF FREE INFORMATION EMPOWERS COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO PROTECT THEIR OWN HEALTH BY RESEARCHING AND ADDRESSING SAFETY ISSUES, HELPS REDUCE THE BURDEN OF GOVERNMENT, AND FULFILLS A CRITICAL NEED IN THE COMMUNITY. HOME EMPOWER'S ARTICLES ARE OCCASIONALLY CITED BY NEWS ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON SPECIFIC HOUSING HAZARDS INCLUDING THE IMPORTANCE AND PROPER PLACEMENT OF SMOKE DETECTORS. IN 2022, HOME EMPOWER PARTNERED WITH THE OREGON HEALTH AUTHORITY TO DISTRIBUTE 200 DIY RADON TESTING KITS PER YEAR FOR LOW AND MODERATE INCOME FAMILIES ALL OVER THE STATE OF OREGON STARTING IN 2022. FREE TESTING KITS WERE SENT TO ALL OREGON OR WASHINGTON RESIDENTS WHO APPLIED AND VERIFIED THAT THEY WERE AT 80% OR BELOW OF THE MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME. BECAUSE RADIOACTIVE RADON GAS IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF LUNG CANCER FOR NON-SMOKERS, THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE OREGON HEALTH AUTHORITY IS HELPING TO DIRECTLY IMPROVE PUBLIC HEALTH OUTCOMES.

INSPECTOR TRAINING: CONTINUED EDUCATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAM AND STATE LICENSED TRADE SCHOOL DESIGNED TO EMPOWER OTHERS TO HELP IDENTIFY SIGNIFICANT HAZARDS IN HOUSING. OPPORTUNITIES INCLUDED FORMAL JOB TRAINING AND AN INDUSTRY LEADING APPRENTICE PROGRAM. STATE LICENSED HOME INSPECTOR SCHOOL TAUGHT 44 STUDENTS THROUGH INTENSIVE INSTRUCTION AND FIELD TRAINING. CONTINUED CERTIFICATION AS AN EDUCATIONAL PROVIDER FOR WORKSOURCE OREGON AND WASHINGTON, THE WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF LABOR & INDUSTRIES AND NUMEROUS OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN ORDER TO TRAIN INJURED, UNEMPLOYED OR DISPLACED WORKERS. CONTINUED AS AN EDUCATIONAL PROVIDER FOR THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MACHINISTS (IAM) UNION AND THE BOEING COMPANY. AS PART OF THEIR EMPLOYMENT, EMPLOYEES/APPRENTICES COMPLETED 1,228 CREDIT HOURS OF EDUCATION AT AN ACCREDITED POSTSECONDARY SCHOOL AS ADDITIONAL INSPECTOR TRAINING AND TO INCREASE INSTRUCTIONAL CAPABILITIES. REDUCED RATE HOME INSPECTOR TRAINING: A MARKET ANALYSIS OF SIMILARLY QUALIFIED HOME INSPECTION SCHOOLS IN WASHINGTON AND OREGON HIGHLIGHTED THAT HOME EMPOWER (DBA NONPROFIT HOME INSPECTIONS) TRAINING PROGRAMS WERE PROVIDED FOR GOVERNMENT ENTITIES AND INDIVIDUALS FOR UP TO 73% LESS THAN SIMILAR FOR PROFIT SCHOOLS WITH SIMILAR GOVERNMENT APPROVALS AND TRAINING AGREEMENTS. THIS REDUCTION IN PRICING FOR COMPARABLE TRAINING HAD THE POTENTIAL TO SAVE GOVERNMENT ENTITIES AND INDIVIDUALS APPROXIMATELY $481,800 COMPARED TO OTHER SIMILAR TRAINING PROGRAMS. TRAINING UNEMPLOYED, DISPLACED OR INJURED INDIVIDUALS FOR A NEW PROFESSION AT SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER RATES HELPS REDUCE THE BURDEN OF GOVERNMENT WHILE FILLING A CRITICAL NEED FOR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY MEMBERS. IN 2022, THREE INSPECTORS IN RESIDENCE COMPLETED THEIR RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS (INCLUDING ACHIEVING CERTIFIED MASTER INSPECTOR STATUS) AND LEFT TO PURSUE FAMILY WAGE EMPLOYMENT IN RELATED FIELDS.

ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING: ANALYZED ENERGY DEFECTS AND GAVE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENTS FOR MORE THAN 1,200 HOMES. OBTAINED EPA ASBESTOS AHERA TESTING CERTIFICATION. CONTINUED CERTIFICATION AS AN ENERGY TRUST TRADE ALLY FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROJECTS. CONTINUED DEVELOPING TRAINING PROGRAM FOR UNDERGROUND FUEL OIL TANK SWEEPS AND SEWER SCOPES.