POLARA was founded by Alex O’Hara, a former Public Defender in Allegheny County and former intern for the Honorable Evan J. Wallach of the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which overhears the appeals of former military members throughout the country who have been denied benefits for service-related disabilities. Alex, who served in the U.S. Marines from 2006-2011 and retired as a Sergeant, is a graduate of Holy Cross College, where he studied Political Science and Economics – and of George Washington Law School.
Mission Statement
POLARA was formed to help ensure that local residents can secure safe and affordable housing – and to help those that are interested to make the transition from being renters to being homeowners. This will include, but not necessarily be limited to, first-time homebuyers, long-term residents, military veterans, recent college and technical school graduates, returning citizens, single-parent households, working families, etc.
POLARA will carry out this mission by:
• Helping potential homeowners access existing programs that can assist them in accumulating the required down payment to purchase a home – and creating an additional program to assist its own renters achieve that same goal;
• Developing a comprehensive database of existing programs that provide advice, financial assistance, and support services to local residents who are seeking to secure safe and affordable housing – and making that information available on a dedicated website and via ongoing community workshops, multi-media outreach campaigns, and webinars; and
• Working with existing community groups to recruit potential homebuyers via co-sponsored workshops, multi-media outreach campaigns, and webinars that are focused on specific groups of residents or specific neighborhoods.