Denison wasn’t home when the fire started. A neighbor called to tell her the first trailer in the park was burning, and everything escalated from there.
“Thankfully, I had support that rallied around me,” Denison said. “Some people didn’t even have that.”
Denison stayed with family while she waited to learn the extent of the damage. When people were finally allowed back into the park, she couldn’t bring herself to go.
“It was too much,” Denison said. “My son was able to get leave from the Army to come home and help. I have a shoebox with the few things he could salvage, but everything else was destroyed.”
Among the items salvaged were the ashes of her husband, who passed away two years earlier, and his 1911 firearm.
“I’m grateful to at least have those,” Denison said. “But it’s still hard. All those keepsakes, my husband’s things. There are some things you just can’t replace.”
Over the next five years, Denison moved multiple times. She was grateful to have a roof over her head, but she never knew how long it was going to last.
“I never threw the moving boxes away,” Denison said. “I always knew I was going to have to leave, so what was the point?”
During that time, she started a new job with ACCESS, a ReOregon partner, working in their veterans’ assistance division. It was there she learned about the
Homeowner Assistance and Reconstruction Program (HARP), which helps people impacted by the 2020 Labor Day Disasters repair, rebuild, or replace their homes.
“I didn’t know if I would qualify because I knew my income was close to the limit,” Denison said. “I was ecstatic when I found out I was eligible.”
During the application and approval process, Denison kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, but it never did. Through the
HARP Home Purchase pathway, which helps survivors buy move-in-ready homes, she was able to buy a three-bedroom stick-built home with a patio and a yard big enough for her three cats.
She moved into her new home in June 2025, which led to the third moment she will always remember: getting rid of her moving boxes.
“I finally threw them away,” Denison said. “This is permanent. It took me five years, but I finally found home.”
Help is still available for people impacted by the 2020 Labor Day Disasters. Submit the
Eligibility Questionnaire as soon as possible because new applications close on December 31. To learn more about HARP and other ReOregon programs, visit
re.oregon.gov or call the ReOregon Call Center at 877-510-6800 or 541-250-0938.
OHCS wants to ensure that everyone has access to its information and programs. If you would like this information in a different language, please email
Language.Access@hcs.oregon.gov.