PORTLAND, Ore. — Five megafires carved a trail of destruction through parts of Oregon on Labor Day 2020, destroying more than 5,000 homes and structure across Jackson and Clackamas counties. Families in Detroit are now hoping that a new state program can help bring back the liveliness and sense of community that they lost when the 2020 wildfires turned their world upside down.
Lee Layman said she can still remember the moment she came back to her restaurant and house in Detroit and found them both gone. She had owned her home and business in the town for decades.
“Although it's been three years, its right there, to come up and find everything you ever owned gone," she said.
But the new state program is brining some hope to people like Lee. The Homeowner Assistance and Reconstruction Program represents the first funding available through the state, offering $422 million that can be awarded to people who need to rebuild, repair or replace their homes.
Layman said she's hopeful about what that funding can bring to others and do for her whole community, but she's also determined to start rebuilding from her own losses and make the opportunity her own.
"I'm a proud person, and I won’t ask for help. I’m just trying to pull things together so we can make it," she said.
Another longtime Detroit homeowner, Greg Sheppard, said he's already tried to get started on rebuilding, but it's been a slow process and he's hoping to make a renewed attempt now.
"It was a hard time getting contractors," he said. "They were all pretty busy and the prices for materials went up so high. That's another reason why I waited. I just wanted to see if prices might come down, and they seem to be coming down now."
Overall, the people in Detroit say they plan to stay in the area for the long run, hoping they can bring back the joyful energy they say the town once had.
"People obviously believe in Detroit, we have so much growth going on and so many people rebuilding," Layman said. "They are beautiful homes, and you can't kill the lake community, it's a place that's close enough and just far enough that people can come up and enjoy."
Financial assistance will be made available for families who are low and moderate income. The state will start accepting applications in March 2024. More information is available on the state's webpage for the program.