美国国家公共电台 NPR--A new movement is creating ways for low-income people to invest in real estate

A new movement is creating ways for low-income people to invest in real estate

Transcript¹

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

There's a new movement to help people build wealth through real estate. It gives neighbors in some communities an ownership share of big commercial properties, such as shopping malls. From Portland, Ore., here's Deena Prichep.

DEENA PRICHEP: In a lot of ways, Plaza² 122 looks like your typical mid-century suburban³ strip mall, a taxi company, hair salon⁴, some nonprofits, including the Ethiopian and Eritrean Cultural Resources Center.

YONAS KASSIE: This is our finance department, you know?

PRICHEP: Yonas Kassie is the director.

KASSIE: This is my office. Yeah, it's open.

PRICHEP: But Kassie doesn't just rent this office, he owns it, at least a share of it through the Community Investment Trust - or CIT.

KASSIE: This really gives us opportunity to feel a sense of community. We are also one of the investors⁶ and even small, big - it doesn't matter.

PRICHEP: Participants pay from 10 to $100 each month for a share in the building. They get dividends⁷ as the value goes up and can cash out whenever they want.

JOHN HAINES: We were looking at where poverty resides. And the big bubble is renters.

PRICHEP: John Haines founded CIT eight years ago. It's a project of Mercy Corps⁸, the international relief and development agency.

HAINES: So what we did was brilliantly - right? - just go ask people what's going on in their lives. Do they save? Do they invest?

PRICHEP: Some people were saving, but nobody was investing.

HAINES: And when we asked why not, they said, well, what do you do with 10 bucks⁹ a month?

PRICHEP: So CIT bought this building.

OLENA BOROVA: We have 61% investors women and 60% BIPOC communities. We have some investors, they didn't have bank accounts.

PRICHEP: Olena Borova is the CIT's education and outreach coordinator¹⁰. And she's also an investor⁵.

BOROVA: This is a great opportunity for immigrants like me, because I'm from Ukraine. And just an idea of you owning something in a new country for you, this is completely different.

PRICHEP: CIT now has around 300 investors.

BRETT THEODOS: The wealthy and, really, the truly wealthy have had these options at their disposal for some time.

PRICHEP: Brett Theodos studies housing and communities at the Urban Institute. Property is one of the main ways people build wealth in this country. But Theodos says the benefits go beyond the bank account.

THEODOS: The hope is that these models support some measure of community participation¹¹, of engagement, of a sense of place, a sense of ownership, and that if you own the thing, you're more likely to frequent it and build up your neighborhood brick by brick.

PRICHEP: At Plaza 122, you can see that. The share price has almost doubled. And over $100,000 has been cashed out or paid in dividends. And CIT just received $1.75 million from JPMorgan Chase to bring this model to cities across the country. But executive director John Haines says it's not just the numbers.

HAINES: And what we're seeing is that the majority of the investors, 60%, are voting regularly when they didn't before. And when we asked them - why is that? - they said, because I'm an owner. I own part of the neighborhood. My footprint, my engagement goes beyond my front door.

PRICHEP: And it's also helped investors like Olena Borova get a front door of their own.

BOROVA: So on January 27, I bought my first house in the United States. And this is like a dream came true.

PRICHEP: The American dream is about making a better life. The Community Investment Trust is offering that opportunity to people who never had it before and creating neighborhoods that feel like home.

For NPR News, I'm Deena Prichep at Plaza 122 in Portland, Ore.

(SOUNDBITE OF FRAMEWORKS' "SAND AND STONE")

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 plaza   

n.广场，市场

参考例句：

• They designated the new shopping centre York Plaza.他们给这个新购物中心定名为约克购物中心。
• The plaza is teeming with undercover policemen.这个广场上布满了便衣警察。

3 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

4 salon   

n.[法]沙龙；客厅；营业性的高级服务室

参考例句：

• Do you go to the hairdresser or beauty salon more than twice a week?你每周去美容院或美容沙龙多过两次吗？
• You can hear a lot of dirt at a salon.你在沙龙上会听到很多流言蜚语。

5 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

6 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

7 dividends   

红利( dividend的名词复数 )； 股息； 被除数； （足球彩票的）彩金

参考例句：

• Nothing pays richer dividends than magnanimity. 没有什么比宽宏大量更能得到厚报。
• Their decision five years ago to computerise the company is now paying dividends. 五年前他们作出的使公司电脑化的决定现在正产生出效益。

8 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

9 bucks   

n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 )；钱；（英国十九世纪初的）花花公子；（用于某些表达方式）责任v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃

参考例句：

• They cost ten bucks. 这些值十元钱。
• They are hunting for bucks. 他们正在猎雄兔。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

11 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。