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Oregon ON’s Spring Industry Support Conference – Salem, OR – April 19th 2016!
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Oregon Opportunity Network
Oregon Opportunity Network shared U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's photo.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
#Onthisday in 1968, President Johnson signed the #FairHousingAct into law. Learn more at hud.gov/fairhousing. #FairHousing2016
Oregon Opportunity Network
April 6, 2016 at 1:24 pm The latest issue of Oregon ON the Beat went out today! Oregon ON's Executive Director search is about to launch with expert guidance from Ms. Deena Pierott of Mosaic Blueprint. And our Spring Industry Support Conference is right around the corner, and registration rates increase after April 8th, so register now!
Read all about it below!
http://conta.cc/208BZV7
Oregon Opportunity Network
April 6, 2016 at 12:47 pm Oregon Opportunity Network shared The Community Alliance of Tenants's event.
Portland friends, we're excited to co-sponsor this forum, coming right up on Friday!
Portland Mayoral Candidates' Forum on Housing, Tenant Protections and Homelessness
Portland Mayoral Candidates' Forum on Housing, Tenant Protections and Homelessness
@[113593745398354:274:Oregon Opportunity Network], @[471508535283:274:The Community Alliance of Tenants], @[11993587534:274:JOIN\: connecting the street to a home], @[880553085326387:274:Portland Tenants United] and @[352827251425947:274:Street Roots] are sponsoring this candidates forum focused on housing, renters protections and homelessness.
Please join us for an opportunity to hear candidates speak to their plans to address Portland's housing crisis. The forum will be moderated by Shannon Singleton, JOIN's Executive Director.
The forum will be held at the Eliot Chapel of the First Unitarian Church.
This event is free and open to the public.
(Note: all current mayoral candidates will be invited to participate.)
Oregon Opportunity Network
April 6, 2016 at 8:26 am We are excited to support the A.C.T.I.O.N. campaign and call on members of Congress to join Senator Maria Cantwell in pushing to expand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC): "Senator Cantwell called for a 50 percent expansion of the LIHTC....Cantwell’s proposal would finance approximately 400,000 additional units of affordable housing nationwide over the next decade." More info at http://rentalhousingaction.org/
Cantwell Launches National Campaign to Increase Federal Resources for Affordable Housing | U.S....
cantwell.senate.gov
The Official U.S. Senate website of Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington
Oregon Opportunity Network
April 5, 2016 at 8:00 am "HUD's new guidance warns that landlords could be breaking the law when they refuse to rent to people with criminal records — even if they have no intention to discriminate — because such a policy would likely have a disproportionate impact on African-American and Hispanic applicants.
Housing Secretary Julian Castro puts it another way, NPR's Corley reports: "When landlords refuse to rent to anyone who has an arrest record, they effectively bar the door to millions of folks of color for no good reason."
Denying Housing Over Criminal Record May Be Discrimination, Feds Say
npr.org
New guidance released by the Department of Housing and Urban Development warns landlords that they may be breaking the law by turning down tenants based on their criminal records.
Oregon Opportunity Network
Oregon Opportunity Network shared Proud Ground's post.
Proud Ground
Great OpEd in today's Oregonian about the critical importance of affordable homeownership for hard-working, moderate-income families. By PG's Diane Linn and Bank of America's Roger Hinshaw:
"... while homeownership produces multiple benefits for families including financial stability, improved school performance for kids and better job performance for adults, it is becoming nearly impossible for moderate-income families to purchase a home in the Portland area."
Read our report, Solving the Affordable Homeownership Gap, here: http://proudground.org/about/news/report/
Oregon Opportunity Network
April 4, 2016 at 7:47 am Check it out, and thank you to National Low Income Housing Coalition! "Whether you are a new employee at a housing agency, a student in an urban planning program, or a seasoned affordable housing advocate looking for a refresher on key programs, this book will give you the overview of housing programs and advocacy tools you need to be a leader in the affordable housing movement."
Advocates' Guide: National Low Income Housing Coalition
nlihc.org
Every year, the National Low Income Housing Coalition publishes the Advocates’ Guide to Housing and Community Development Policy to educate advocates of all kinds about the programs and policies that make housing
Oregon Opportunity Network
Oregon Opportunity Network shared Street Roots's photo.
Hey Portland friends - please join us and Street Roots, The Community Alliance of Tenants, and JOIN: connecting the street to a home for a mayoral candidates forum on housing & homelessness on Friday, April 8th. Be there!
https://www.facebook.com/events/929004273874148/
Street Roots
Join Street Roots, The Community Alliance of Tenants, Oregon Opportunity Network & JOIN: connecting the street to a home for a mayoral candidates forum on housing & homelessness on Friday, April 8th. Be there!
https://www.facebook.com/events/929004273874148/
Oregon Opportunity Network
March 17, 2016 at 12:53 pm Thinking about buying a home? Not sure where to start? Check out one of our upcoming ABC's of Homebuying classes to kick off the process! AND learn more about NEDCO's Down Payment Assistance Funds to help with upfront costs! Visit our website to register: buff.ly/1MpwLMY
Oregon Opportunity Network
March 17, 2016 at 9:04 am Come join the Community Alliance of Tenants for their annual Spring Fundraiser event at La Bonita North (that's the La Bonita on N. Killingsworth at Greeley). Eat delicious food while supporting Tenant Education, Organizing and Advocacy. The event is an all day fundraiser. Invite your friends, coworkers and family!
15% off all-day sales will go benefit the Community Alliance of Tenants.
Please see attached flyer, and pass the invitation on to your friends, family and colleagues.
Oregon Opportunity Network
Oregon Opportunity Network shared Northwest Housing Alternatives's post.
Northwest Housing Alternatives
NHA is proud to announce that we have been selected by Meyer Memorial Trust to be included as part of their 2016 Affordable Housing Initiative!
NHA will receive funding under Meyer’s Cost Efficiency Strategy to continue our work of developing sustainable and cost effective affordable housing across the state of Oregon!
To learn more about Meyer Memorial Trust’s Affordable Housing Initiative please follow the link below.
Oregon Opportunity Network
March 17, 2016 at 7:27 am Oregon Opportunity Network shared The Community Alliance of Tenants's event.
Portland friends, please join us for this event - we're excited to continue our tradition of hosting candidates forums in partnership with Street Roots, JOIN: connecting the street to a home, and The Community Alliance of Tenants.
Portland Mayoral Candidates' Forum on Housing, Tenant Protections and Homelessness
Portland Mayoral Candidates' Forum on Housing, Tenant Protections and Homelessness
@[113593745398354:274:Oregon Opportunity Network], @[471508535283:274:The Community Alliance of Tenants], @[11993587534:274:JOIN\: connecting the street to a home], @[880553085326387:274:Portland Tenants United] and @[352827251425947:274:Street Roots] are sponsoring this candidates forum focused on housing, renters protections and homelessness.
Please join us for an opportunity to hear candidates speak to their plans to address Portland's housing crisis. The forum will be moderated by Shannon Singleton, JOIN's Executive Director.
The forum will be held at the Eliot Chapel of the First Unitarian Church.
This event is free and open to the public.
(Note: all current mayoral candidates will be invited to participate.)
Oregon Opportunity Network
Oregon Opportunity Network shared U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's post.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
HUD landmark settlement w/ Baltimore County commits $30M over 10 years for at least 1,000 affordable housing units http://ow.ly/Zu5kS
Oregon Opportunity Network
March 16, 2016 at 12:43 pm We were honored to have the wonderful Dani Ledezma, housing and human services policy advisor in the office of Governor Kate Brown, attend our State Policy Council meeting in Salem yesterday. It was great to hear about the Governor's support for housing opportunity across the continuum, including asset building; linking health and education with housing; and more. We are fortunate to have such a great advocate for housing in the Governor's office - thank you, Dani!
Pictured (l to r): Jim Tierney of Community Action Team, Inc.; Ruth Adkins of Oregon ON; Dani Ledezma; Brigetta Olson of Willamette Neighborhood Housing Services. Thx to Julie Garver of Innovative Housing, Inc. for taking the pic and all those who called in but couldn't join the photo op! Neighborhood Economic Development Corporation (NEDCO) NeighborImpact ROSE Community Development CASA of Oregon Home Forward
Oregon Opportunity Network
March 14, 2016 at 11:27 am It's exciting to see the National Housing Trust Fund finally begin to be funded:
"The amount of money going to the Housing Trust Fund is 'much smaller than we had hoped for' back in 2008, Crowley said. But the coalition will be working on getting more money into the fund.
"Eventually, Congress will have to pass housing finance reform, she said, which would provide an opportunity to increase funding for the Housing Trust Fund. The failed Johnson-Crapo reform bill provided $3.5 billion in annual funding for the HTF.
"The housing group also has its eye on tax reform and a potential revamp of the mortgage interest deduction. Currently, the mortgage interest deduction subsidizes homeownership for high-income earners at the 'expense of solving housing problems for the very poor,' she said. 'That is wrong.'"
Fannie and Freddie Give $186M to Affordable Housing Fund
nationalmortgagenews.com
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac gave $186 million to the National Housing Trust Fund, their first such contributions to a fund designed to provide construction and rehabilitation of rental housing for low-income families.
Oregon Opportunity Network
Oregon Opportunity Network shared Mail Tribune's post.
Oregon Opportunity Network
Oregon Opportunity Network shared Meyer Memorial Trust's video.
Meyer Memorial Trust
Incase you all missed the update yesterday, we've decided to extend the submission deadline for #equityillustrated to March 31st! That gives all artists an additional month to prepare their entries for our design contest on equity. Visit http://www.equityillustrated.org to learn more about equity, the contest and prizes!
Oregon Opportunity Network
March 8, 2016 at 3:49 pm Words of wisdom from Prof. Ethan Seltzer: "If we are honestly concerned about affordability, we'll do what we can to see that all neighborhoods are adding new units as the city grows. The greatest impediment to affordability in Portland today is outmoded zoning that segregates neighborhoods by building type. If the only way to preserve "character" is to restrict the kinds of housing allowed in neighborhoods, then you can kiss affordability goodbye."
Stop blaming growth boundaries for housing costs (OPINION)
oregonlive.com
By Ethan Seltzer It's a dynamic time in the life of our region. New growth is occurring at rates we haven't seen in a very long time, and in locations that only a short time ago were never envisioned as...
Oregon Opportunity Network
March 8, 2016 at 11:40 am Sound familiar? "Among the proposals highlighted in the report are increased housing and retail along transit corridors, tighter protections for tenants, and a program enabling the city to turn blighted properties into affordable housing. The report also recommends that developers pay fees when they build market-rate units, which would help fund public services and pay for the city to build its own affordable housing." Go Oakland, CA!
Oakland plan would add 17,000 housing units
sfgate.com
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and other city officials want to add 17,000 units of affordable and market-rate housing over eight years and protect another 17,000 units at a time when 1 in 4 residents is facing displacement. On Thursday, Schaaf and other officials released a 52-page report from the city…
Oregon Opportunity Network
Oregon Opportunity Network shared Oregon Inclusionary Zoning Coalition's post.
Oregon Inclusionary Zoning Coalition
March 7, 2016
Contacts:
Vivian Satterfield, OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon - (503) 342-8910
Diane Linn, Proud Ground - (503) 869-1663
Inclusionary Zoning Coalition Applauds Passage of SB 1533
Partial Lifting of 17 Year Long IZ Ban “A Great First Step”
Leaders of the statewide Inclusionary Zoning Coalition declared a partial victory with March 3rd’s passage of SB 1533B, which allows cities and counties - for the first time since a statewide ban was imposed in 1999 - to enact a limited form of Inclusionary Zoning (IZ) at the local level.
While the bill in its final form does not fully lift the ban on IZ - it includes restrictions that will make it difficult for communities outside Portland to see any benefit - it is a significant step in the right direction.
“We’re proud to have put this issue on the table in Salem and to have convened a large, diverse and powerful statewide coalition that together, brought about this historic victory for housing opportunity,” stated Vivian Satterfield, Deputy Director of OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon, one of the coalition’s founding member organizations.
“We are very grateful to our legislative champions who fought hard for this bill,” said coalition leader Diane Linn, Executive Director of Proud Ground. “We know the final version of the bill is flawed, particularly for rural Oregon, and we will come back in 2017 and beyond to fix it. In the meantime, we’ll work with local partners around the state to make sure that communities are able to make use of the tools the bill provides, including the construction excise tax option.”
Key pieces that need to be addressed for the most effective use of Inclusionary Zoning in the future include:
• Remove the flawed definition of “affordable” as 80% MFI or above: working families in Oregon typically earn between 30% and 80% MFI.
• Lower the floor: The required minimum of 20 units is particularly challenging for smaller, rural communities that rarely see large apartment projects.
• Include single-family homes: Local communities should have the ability to use Inclusionary Zoning for single-family home developments, not just multifamily apartments and condos.
• Make the tool more flexible: SB 1533 includes additional restrictions and conditions on how a city implements inclusionary zoning that make it challenging for smaller cities and rural communities to use it.
We are thankful for the leadership shown in both chambers to address Oregon’s statewide housing crisis during the 2016 short session and extend special acknowledgment to Representative Alissa Keny-Guyer, Speaker Tina Kotek, Senator Michael Dembrow and their staffs, as well as the leadership shown in past sessions by Representative Jeff Reardon and Representative Jennifer Williamson. With the passage of SB 1533, as well as legislation passed for tenant protections, preservation of affordable homes and funds to prevent homelessness, local jurisdictions have new tools to provide a better mix of affordable housing in high opportunity areas. These are significant, but initial, steps. We look forward to tracking outcomes and are preparing to deepen our organizing and advocacy to achieve full repeal and local control in the future.
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About Inclusionary Zoning: IZ is a proven, effective tool for cities to build affordable housing. In conjunction with other protections and housing tools, IZ can make a community less racially segregated and more economically diverse. That’s why over 500 hundred cities and jurisdictions use it nationwide both to increase the supply of affordable housing and to locate it in areas with access to transportation, jobs and services which working families need to thrive.
About the coalition: The Oregon Inclusionary Zoning Coalition is a diverse statewide coalition that came together in support of lifting the ban on Inclusionary Zoning via SB 1533. The four lead organizations are 1000 Friends of Oregon, OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon, Oregon Opportunity Network, and Proud Ground. Our coalition includes organizations representing working families, environmental interests, social and racial justice groups, as well as formal endorsements from the cities of Corvallis, Eugene, Hood River, Milwaukie, Portland, Wilsonville, Hood River County and Lincoln County, the League of Oregon Cities and the Association of Oregon Counties alongside many others, all joining in the call to lift the statewide preemption on Inclusionary Zoning.
Oregon Opportunity Network
Oregon Opportunity Network shared Oregon Housing Alliance's photo.
We're proud to have been a part of the great work of the Oregon Housing Alliance during this legislative session - on to 2017!
Oregon Housing Alliance
Thank you to the 2016 Oregon Legislature and advocates around the state for increasing housing opportunity!
Oregon Opportunity Network
March 4, 2016 at 1:00 pm Oregon ON's Industry Support Conference, April 19, 2016 * Salem Convention Center * Salem, Oregon.
Immerse yourself in how-to, skill-building content related to affordable housing and community development. Meet industry leaders and innovators who strengthen and sustain the industry.
WHO WILL BE THERE?
Attendees include over 300 Oregon ON members and professionals from across the industry.
REGISTER: http://buff.ly/1L 7tKG9
Early Bird ticket rates are available through March 19th.
WELCOME HOME
Oregon ON is proudly working alongside the Welcome Home Coalition to identify and secure new local and dedicated revenue to better fund affordable housing services and development in the Portland metro region. Join this movement with your support as an endorser. Sign up to stay connected. A big and exciting campaign for housing is coming our way soon!
