Heather Buch has spent her professional career running a small business to help people access and afford housing in Lane County. Heather pursued this career path because, as the daughter of a single, working mother growing up in Veneta, she learned firsthand the effects of unstable housing.
At the age of eight while her mother was at work, Heather read the classified sections of local newspapers, calling advertisers in a determined effort to find affordable, stable housing for her family. This vivid memory, along with her mother’s dedication and resilience, shaped the values and priorities Heather holds today. Heather knows that success in life begins with stable housing, and that’s why she works every day to find housing solutions for individuals and families throughout Lane County.
To pursue her educational goals, Heather traveled daily by foot and bus to attend International High School at Sheldon. After graduation, she attended Seattle University while simultaneously working multiple jobs and practicing martial arts. She received her degree in business administration and then returned to Lane County to find a job.
After several years in retirement planning, she decided to open her own small business in commercial real estate and property management with a specialization in affordable housing. She has since grown that company to a staff of 18 and overseen multimillion-dollar projects and assets.
Heather has also spent several years working as the special projects director of St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County, where she has helped the agency work towards community-driven goals. Recently she has taken a lead role in the nonprofit’s acquisition and rehabilitation of aging mobile home parks – a new approach and solution to the need for more affordable housing that the state and local governments are working to replicate throughout Oregon.
As the mother of a beautiful 4-year-old daughter and wife to a Merchant Mariner and U.S. Navy reservist, Heather is fully invested in our community, and is eager to put her skills, experience and insights to work in the public sector.
Heather is a member of the state’s Manufactured Housing Preservation Steering Committee, the Veterans’ Housing Project, as well as the city of Eugene Rental Housing Department Advisory Committee. Previously, she worked with the Springfield Manufactured Home Park Collaborative, as co-chair of the Active Bethel Citizens Neighborhood Association and a member of the Beltline Facility Plan Stakeholder Advisory Committee.