Local Habitat for Humanity chapter building affordable future for Portlanders
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The need for affordable housing has been a major issue across Oregon and Southwest Washington in recent years, and a local non-profit has been working hard to help fulfill that demand.
says it is the largest developer of affordable homes for sale in the Portland Metro Area.
Are homes in Portland popular with Gen Z?
The local non-profit is among the organizations taking part in the upcoming The Standard Volunteer Expo on Thursday, Sept. 4, at Pioneer Courthouse Square in Downtown Portland.
Tor Ostrom, the senior business engagement officer for Habitat for Humanity Portland Region joined AM Extra with more on their mission and how .Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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CNBC
3 hours ago
- CNBC
When it comes to saving, Gen Z asks: 'What's the point?' That's dangerous, expert says
Gen Z seems to have a case of economic malaise. Nearly half (49%) of its adult members — the oldest of whom are in their late 20s — say planning for the future feels "pointless," according to a recent Credit Karma poll. A freewheeling attitude toward summer spending has taken root among young adults who feel financial "despair" and "hopelessness," said Courtney Alev, a consumer financial advocate at Credit Karma. They think, "What's the point when it comes to saving for the future?" Alev said. That "YOLO mindset" among Generation Z — the cohort born from roughly 1997 through 2012 — can be dangerous: If unchecked, it might lead young adults to rack up high-interest debt they can't easily repay, perhaps leading to delayed milestones like moving out of their parents' home or saving for retirement, Alev said. But your late teens and early 20s is arguably the best time for young people to develop healthy financial habits: Starting to invest now, even a little bit, will yield ample benefits via decades of compound interest, experts said. "There are a lot of financial implications in the long term if these young people aren't planning for their financial future and [are] spending willy-nilly however they want," Alev said. That said, that many feel disillusioned is understandable in the current environment, experts said. The labor market has been tough lately for new entrants and those looking to switch jobs, experts said. The U.S. unemployment rate is relatively low, at 4.2%. However, it's much higher for Americans 22 to 27 years old: 5.8% for recent college grads and 6.9% for those without a bachelor's degree, according to Federal Reserve Bank of New York data as of March 2025. Here's a look at other stories affecting the financial advisor business. Young adults are also saddled with debt concerns, experts said. "They feel they don't have any money and many of them are in debt," said Winnie Sun, co-founder and managing director of Sun Group Wealth Partners, based in Irvine, California. "And they're wondering if the degree they have (or are working toward) will be of value if A.I. takes all their jobs anyway. So is it just pointless?" About 50% of bachelor's degree recipients in the 2022-23 class graduated with student debt, with an average debt of $29,300, according to College Board. The federal government restarted collections on student debt in default in May, after a five-year pause. The Biden administration's efforts to forgive large swaths of student debt, including plans to help reduce monthly payments for struggling borrowers, were largely stymied in court. "Some hoped some or more of it would be forgiven, and that didn't turn out to be the case," said Sun, a member of CNBC's Financial Advisor Council. Meanwhile, in a 2024 report, the New York Fed found credit card delinquency rates were rising faster for Gen Z than for other generations. About 15% had maxed out their cards, more than other cohorts, it said. It's also "never been easier to buy things," with the rise of buy now, pay later lending, for example, Alev said. BNPL has pushed the majority of Gen Z users — 77% — to say the service has encouraged them to spend more than they can afford, according to the Credit Karma survey. The firm polled 1,015 adults ages 18 and older, 182 of whom are from Gen Z. These financial challenges compound an environment of general political and financial uncertainty, amid on-again-off-again tariff policy and its potential impact on inflation and the U.S. economy, for example, experts said. "You start stacking all these things on top of each other and it can create a lack of optimism for young people looking to get started in their financial lives," Alev said. Young adults should try to rewire their financial mindset, experts said. "Most importantly, you don't want to bet against yourself," Sun said. "See it as an opportunity," she added. "If you're young and your expenses are low, this is the time to invest as much as you can right now." Time is working in their favor, due to the ability to compound investment growth over multiple decades, Alev said. While investing might "feel impossible," every little bit helps, even if it's just investing $10 a month right now into a tax-advantaged retirement account like a Roth IRA or 401(k). The latter is among the easiest ways to start, due to automatic payroll deduction and the possibility of earning a "match" from your employer, which is "probably the closest thing to free money any of us will get in our lifetime," Alev said. "This is actually the most exciting time to invest, because you're young," Sun said. Instituting mindful spending habits, such as putting a waiting period of at least 24 hours in place before buying a non-essential item, can help prevent unnecessary spending, she added. Sun advocates for paying down high-interest debt before focusing on investing, so interest payments don't quickly spiral out of control. Or, as an alternative, they can try to fund a 401(k) to get their full company match while also working to pay off high-interest debt, she said. "Instead of getting into the 'woe is me' mode, change that into taking action," Sun said. "Make a plan, take baby steps and get excited about opportunities to invest."
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Summer kicks off with a new corporate perk aimed to ease employees' stress
Summer kicks off with a new corporate perk aimed to ease employees' stress Companies looking to ease employees' stress over the summer are offering a new perk -- discounted summer camp and childcare. Show Caption Hide Caption More men are becoming family caregivers Men face a unique set of challenges when it comes to stepping into the role of a caregiver. Kids might be excited about the end of the school year and for summer to begin, but many working parents who don't know how to fill their kids' long summer days may be feeling some dread right about now. AT&T is trying to change that. The third largest U.S. wireless carrier is launching an onsite summer camp at its Dallas, Texas, headquarters in June to give its employees more convenient options for reliable childcare during the school break. Childcare outranked any other perk including mental health support, paid maternity/paternity leave and tuition reimbursements as a benefit employers aimed to offer their workers last year, according to a survey of corporate-suite and human resource leaders. One in 5 employees said they had left a job because their employer didn't provide family care benefits, and a lack of childcare benefits topped the list of reasons they sought another job. 'The summer camp was in response to specific asks and pain points our employees had,' said Matt Phillips, AT&T assistant vice president of benefits. But childcare isn't the only caregiving people ask for nowadays, he said. People want help caring for every important person, or sometimes pet, in their lives, he said. What's different about summer? 'When planning vacations and summer activities, there may be days sporadically that fall throughout the summer when people need some childcare,' Phillips said. To help ease worries of what to do with kids on those days, AT&T employees can register their children ages 4-12 for the 10-week onsite camp that runs weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Families have the flexibility to book one or multiple days whenever they'd like throughout the summer. There's no weekly sessions or commitments required. If employees use their backup care benefits, a day of camp would cost $15 for one child or $25 for two or more children. AT&T backup care allow workers up to 10 days of subsidized childcare if their primary care option is unavailable, and they can't take time off. They can choose center care for $15 per day or in-home care with a Bright Horizons caregiver for $4 an hour. Bright Horizons runs childcare centers and early education services nationwide. Additional days of summer camp can be bought at a discounted rate. Tell us: The caregiving crisis is real. USA TODAY wants to hear from you about how to solve it. What are other types of caregiving? Caregiving has typically meant childcare, but the COVID-19 pandemic, an aging population and rising costs have expanded the definition to include siblings, parents, grandparents and even pets. Gen Z through Gen X and even some of the youngest members of the Baby Boomers who expect to retire soon are demanding personalized benefits beyond retirement funds, salary and vacation days. Job seekers, even those fresh out of school, now have a 'holistic outlook,' said Blayre Riley, 22. 'We're not just looking at salary.' Riley doesn't have kids, but she has a 6-year-old kid brother. Her job benefits allow her to use so-called caregiver days, which are paid hours she can use to take care of a sick friend, relative or other loved one or take them to appointments, for example. With these benefits, if her little brother 'has a class party, I can go in the morning and come back to work in the afternoon, and it doesn't feel like a burden to my team,' Riley said. 'Or if he has a day off school and my parents work, I can spend time with him.' 'My dad always talks about when I was younger, his job didn't have this flexibility and when my mom was sick, he couldn't take her to doctor's appointments,' she added. 'Now, my job has it, and it can exist for everyone.' Education help: College applications are stressful. Here's how more companies are helping. New perks: Some workers are job hopping for fertility benefits. Employers are trying to keep up. What's at stake? The lack of available childcare alone costs the economy $122 billion every year, according to a 2023 study from the bipartisan Council for a Strong America. Yet, just 12% of all U.S. workers have access to childcare benefits through their employer, and only 6% of those who work part-time or in the lowest income quartile do, according to a Boston Consulting Group study published last year. Family caregivers ages 50 and older who leave the workforce to care for a parent lost $303,880, on average, in income and benefits over a caregiver's lifetime, according to a 2016 Families Caring for an Aging America study. The breakdown was as follows: $115,900 in lost wages, $137,980 in lost Social Security benefits, and conservatively $50,000 in lost pension benefits. Still, only 13% of companies offer eldercare referral services, and just 1% of companies offer employees subsidies for eldercare, according to SHRM's 2024 Employee Benefits Survey. Lack of support leads to caregiver burnout. Half of caregivers said caregiving increased their level of emotional stress, while 37% said it impacted their physical feelings of stress according to a 2023 AARP survey. What can companies do? Companies 'must address new needs, particularly around things like caregiving benefits, absence and leave benefits, and wellness benefits in all forms, as well as personalizing/customizing benefits to keep their workers happy,' said Bryan Hodgens, head of research at Life Insurance Management Research Association, or LIMRA, in a report. Comprehensive caregiving benefits like flexible work arrangements, paid leave, financial support, and access to education, consultations, resources, and digital caregiving platforms can improve workers' wellbeing and boost businesses. BCG found that childcare benefits alone deliver returns of up to 425% of their cost for companies across the U.S. Aside from caregiving, it's imperative companies also offer employees opportunities for self-care. Healthier habits help keep healthcare costs down for both employees and employers. AT&T, for example, offers a Wellbeing Choice Account to reward employees for healthy habits. Employees and their partners or spouses can each earn up to $750 annually for completing wellness activities like getting their annual physical. They can then use that money to go towards fitness classes, an exercise bike, student loan repayment, massages and facials, and healthy meal kits. 'It's like free money because you're getting paid to do things you should be doing anyway,' said Ryan Stafford, an AT&T employee who used his rewards to buy a nicer bike than he would have been able to afford. 'l had no guilt spending a little more,' he said. Medora Lee is a money, markets, and personal finance reporter at USA TODAY. You can reach her at mjlee@ and subscribe to our free Daily Money newsletter for personal finance tips and business news every Monday through Friday.
Fast Company
3 hours ago
- Fast Company
It's never been harder to dress for work. Just ask Gen Z
When Arturo Polichuk got his first college internship in September 2020, he was introduced to corporate life via virtual onboarding and fully remote work, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. 'I never got to go to the office, other than to pick up my computer and then to drop it,' Polichuk said of his nine-month business planning internship at Nike. While Gen Zers like Polichuk might have gained many of the same experiences as other entry-level employees, return-to-office mandates are proving that Gen Z missed out on one big lesson: navigating office attire. Gen Z, the generation born after 1996, may comprise a quarter of the global workforce by 2025. Flooded with obscure dress codes like 'business casual,' which Vogue says is dead, or TikTok office attire trends like ' office siren,' which promote sexier iterations of office wear, Gen Z is entering the workforce confused. To make navigating office attire easier, Fast Company asked Gen Z professionals in various industries what they wear to the office, and how they figured it out. Are dress codes still a thing? Yes and no. Kyndal Midkiff, a recent law school graduate and associate attorney at a Florida law firm, explained that at work she opts for business casual—think closed-toed shoes, modest skirts, slacks, and button-up shirts with no tie. In court, Midkiff is required to follow guidelines, including modest clothing and wearing a dress jacket. Midkiff says she learned about dress codes at law school. 'At school we had seminars about what's appropriate, what's not. That was helpful for figuring out what the attire is,' she says. For others, like Polichuk and Max Baevsky, who both work in consulting, no guidelines were explicitly given. Instead, they were encouraged to follow business casual while in the office, and to wear suits while holding client meetings. Nick Arreguy, who works in tech sales in New York City, says a dress code is included in his company's employee handbook. The policy is not specific, stating that dress code is 'casual,' and that employees are 'expected to use their judgment in choice of clothing.' With uncertainty, he decided to dress overly formal the first day, as did Polichuk and Baevsky. 'It's like an overcompensation,' Arreguy says. 'I remember showing up on my first day working in tech, wearing dress pants and a collared shirt buttoned all the way up. And I realized that that's not the reality anymore,' he adds, referencing a shift toward more relaxed attire following the pandemic. 'The reality is, however, that there is a uniform and there is a standard to which people dress. It's not based on a level of formality. It's based on a level of identifying with a given group,' Arreguy says. In practice, the young professionals learned what to wear not from written guidelines, but by mirroring what those around them wore, slowly building up their go-to attire. What does Gen Z wear to work? Finding a 'uniform,' as Arreguy puts it, focuses on finding wardrobe staples that fit into the particular workplace culture. For instance, there's the infamous ' finance bro vest,' which is popular among men in the financial industry. Baevsky says that while more senior analysts tend to wear more formal attire like a full suit, younger consultants err on the side of comfort, with a particular popular style. 'That sneaky Lululemon pant.' While Lululemon ABC pants look like regular slacks, they come in various fabric options including cotton blends and sweat-wicking synthetic blends, and in various styles like relaxed or skinny. Think of them as the meeting point between 'gym comfort' and a 9-to-5. Baesvky adds: 'You sneak in the comfort while also giving the illusion of formality. I think I've definitely seen that with younger consultants.' Polichuk is an avid user of the Lululemon slacks, relying on them during work trips. 'The first thing that I pack are my work pants from Lululemon,' he says. Midkiff is a believer in the capsule wardrobe, owning similar styles of pants and shirts in various colors to make dressing easier. 'I actually just bought the same pair of pants in four different colors,' she says. 'Once you find something good, you better buy it in every color before it's gone.' Additionally, all professionals said they try to find garments that can be used inside and outside of work. Arreguy shares that he regularly wears Wrangler pants and a button-up shirt. While at work, he keeps the sleeves down and tucks in the shirt, but in his free time, he rolls up the sleeves for a more relaxed look. Retaining self-expression in the workplace While there is an intention to blend into the workforce, Gen Z also values self-expression. McKinsey Quarterly says this young generation places a 'greater value than other generations on setting themselves apart as unique individuals.' 'Because of the nature of how long we were in remote work, there's almost this romanticization of office wear, where people have this glamorized ideal of what it is,' Arreguy says. 'But there's a lot more infusing of your own style into what you're wearing at work.' Whether it be through jewelry and accessories, makeup and nails, or simply opting for bolder colors, young professionals are not leaving individuality out of the equation. Arreguy brings in Western flair to his attire by adding boots, an ode to his upbringing in Odessa, Texas. 'I joke with my friends that, you know, the farther from Texas you get, the more Texas you become,' he says. Polichuk has observed that his younger peers use shoes to make their outfits unique. 'They try to bring different sneakers every time,' he says. 'It's part of their brand and part of who they are, and I think that's what [distinguishes] them—without losing the formal part of the consulting business.' Midkiff opts for silhouettes she wears outside of work, saying, 'I really like a high-waisted trouser pant. I've always been a bell-bottom girl, even with my jeans. I love the flair. So I try to stick to those because, one, they're comfortable, and two, I like the way they look.' Baevsky plays around with color and proportions, building out his 'funky wool sweater collection,' which he wears at work and in daily life. 'I also like to experiment with pants sometimes, like a wider pant or a funky plaid pant, and balance it off with something maybe more muted,' he says. The playfulness is also inspiring older generations, notes Gregory Patterson, celebrity hairstylist and styling expert for Sally Beauty. He has been helping his 16-year-old niece to apply for jobs. While he's been at Sally Beauty, the brand has worked toward destigmatizing colored hair in the workforce. 'There are magical micro moments where you can express yourself, whether it's a little glitter eye, or you put a couple brooches on to express yourself. It's for you,' Patterson says. 'I would suggest that Gen Z push the pedal to the floor. You all are rewriting the playbook. The playbook ended with COVID, and we have a new opportunity to define beauty and to create culture.'
