Newsletter « Oregon Opportunity Network

Newsletter, May 13 2009

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

STATEWIDE NEWS
2009 LIHTC Tax-Exempt Bond Income and Rent Limits Now Available
Oregon Seeking $7.8 Million Stimulus Infusion for Rural Homelessness

FEDERAL NEWS
HUD Invites Recommendations on Expediting Multifamily Housing
NACEDA White House OMB Budget Meeting Moves CDC Agenda
House SEVRA Bill Reintroduced
Two Rural Housing Bills Introduced in House
Second Lien Program Announced

PORTLAND METRO NEWS
Leonard Proposes Taking Funds from Housing to Pay for Stadium
Portland Public Forum – May 21st

FUNDING AND AWARD OPPORTUNITIES
HUD Neighborhood Stabilization Accepting Applications – Due July 17th
Funding Available: $26 million to Support Rural Housing Due May 29th
Self-Employment Tax Initiative Funding Due June 5th; RHED Due May 29th

RESOURCES, TRAININGS AND EVENTS
REACH Families and Friends Night – May 19th
CLF Livability Summit – May 20th; Equity Action Days -May 21st — May 30th
Social Justice & Civic Leadership Trainings Begin – May 23rd
‘Emerging Leaders Summit’ for Youth – May 30th
Save the date: Oregon Homeownership Association training – June 11th
Summit on Entrepreneurship – Oct. 16th; Call for Sessions – June 15th
New Housing Policy Conference on Working Families – June 28-30th
Another Win for Affordable Housing and Manufactured Housing Parks
Ed Blackburn Honored by Dalai Lama
CDC of Lincoln County Elects New Board

STATEWIDE NEWS

2009 LIHTC Tax-Exempt Bond Income and Rent Limits Now Available

Find the 2009 Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Rents and Incomes by clicking here.

Oregon Seeking $7.8 Million Stimulus Infusion for Rural Homelessness–top

Oregon is applying for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act dollars to prevent homelessness and re-house homeless persons outside Oregon’s major metropolitan areas.

The state is seeking public comment on its proposal to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for $7,873,436 under the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP). This program is newly instituted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Not included in this application are Oregon entitlement areas: Portland, Clackamas County, Washington County, Salem and Eugene.

Oregon Housing and Community Services, the state’s housing finance agency and community services program administrator, will submit its HPRP plan to HUD on May 18. HUD requires the plan to include activities designed to provide homelessness assistance to households that otherwise would become homeless and provide assistance to rapidly re-house persons who are homeless.

“These are critical dollars that will address the growing tragedy of homelessness in rural Oregon,” Victor Merced, director, Oregon Housing and Community Services, said. “This stimulus money is vital in giving a needed hand to the growing numbers of homeless people in our state – many of them families and children – and to help prevent the plight from getting worse, especially in our small towns.”

Multnomah County reported an 11 percent homelessness increase in 2008 over 2007. Statewide figures are expected soon.

The proposal is available on the OHCS Web site, or by contacting Rainy Gauvain, by email, at 725 Summer St. NE, Suite B, Salem, OR 97301, or at Fax 503-983-2020.

FEDERAL NEWS

HUD Invites Recommendations on Expediting Multifamily Housing–top

The April 29th Federal Register invited comments from the general public and “stakeholders in HUD’s insured multifamily projects” to offer recommendations on “administrative and procedural changes that HUD should adopt to expedite approval of multifamily housing projects involving low- income tax credits or tax exempt bonds under the jurisdiction of HUD.” Comments are due June 29th. For more, click here.

NACEDA White House OMB Budget Meeting Moves CDC Agenda–top

National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations (NACEDA) Board Members Bernie Mazyck, Joe Kriesberg, Terry Chelikowsky, Brigette Rasberry, NACEDA Executive Director Jane DeMarines and Director of Government Relations David Romo on April 30 met with Xavier de Souza Briggs, Associate Director of General Government Programs at the White House office of Management and Budget. Board members discussed possible opportunities for collaboration between the CDC Industry and the Obama Administration. That day, the NACEDA delegation was joined by Susan Perry-Cole and visited Capitol Hill and met with Jesse Uman, Legislative Assistant to Congressman John Lewis of Georgia and received a legislative update on the progress of the Community Economic Development Expertise Enhancement Act.

House SEVRA Bill Reintroduced–top

Leaders of the House Financial Services Committee have circulated a draft of the Section 8 Voucher Reform Act, in advance of a possible hearing on May 13. The draft is similar to a version of SEVRA the House passed in 2007 (H.R. 1851), but adopts a number of improvements from a version introduced in the Senate in 2008. (The House must act again in the current Congress in order for the legislation to be enacted.) The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has prepared an analysis comparing the provision of the circulation draft to current law, and highlighting the changes from the bill the House passed in 2007. Check their website for more information.

Two Rural Housing Bills Introduced in House–top

H.R. 2034, introduced by Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-MO) with several co-sponsors, would allow Section 502 guaranteed loans to refinance private sector mortgages. USDA would set the guarantee fee at a level that would enable such refi’s without credit subsidy. The guarantee fee for other Section 502 guaranteed loans would increase to 2%. H.R. 1989, sponsored by Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), would change FY 2009 appropriations bill language for Section 538 guaranteed loans, allowing part of the program’s FY09 funding to be used for interest subsidies. Search by bill number at http://thomas.loc.gov.

Second Lien Program Announced–top

HUD Secretary Donovan and Treasury Secretary Geithner have announced a Second Lien Program that, they say, will “make it easier for homeowners to modify or refinance their mortgages” under the Making Home Affordable Program established by President Obama. When a Making Home Affordable modification is initiated on a first mortgage, servicers participating in the Second Lien Program will automatically reduce payments on the second mortgage under a pre-set protocol or have the option to extinguish the second if that’s more appropriate. They also announced steps to help “underwater” borrowers regain equity in their homes by refinancing into the FHA Hope for Homeowners program. For more information, click here.

PORTLAND METRO NEWS

Leonard Proposes Taking Funds from Housing to Pay for Stadium–top

At a community meeting intended to promote building a new minor league baseball stadium in the Lents Neighborhood on Tuesday evening, Commissioner Randy Leonard proposed that the City relax its Urban Renewal Affordable Housing Set Aside in the Lents urban renewal district in order to fund the stadium. Leonard, who along with then Commissioners Sam Adams and Eric Sten lead the charge to establish the City’s housing set aside, suggested that other urban renewal districts could increase funding for affordable housing to off-set the set aside reduction in Lents.

“We are very concerned that Commissioner Leonard, a huge supporter of affordable housing, would consider reducing the set aside in the Lents urban renewal district,” said Michael Anderson, Executive Director of the Oregon Opportunity Network (Oregon ON). “Investing in affordable housing early in the life of an urban renewal district is essential if the City wants to avoid the displacement and gentrification that we saw in the Interstate urban renewal district.“

The need for decent, safe, affordable housing in Lents is well documented. A 2006 Portland Development Commission Lents Housing Study found that almost half of Lents residents spend more than 30% of their income on housing, and fewer than 25% of Lents residents can afford market rate homes built in Lents. Additionally, the study found that more than 1,000 Lents homes are in poor condition.

“Clearly, Lents needs better housing options for its current residents,” said Ari Rapkin, the Executive Co-Director of the Community Alliance of Tenants. “Reducing the set aside in Lents would be moving in the wrong direction for the City. One of the major reasons that the City Council passed the set aside was the reality that housing loses as funding priority whenever it is matched with higher profile, glitzier projects.” Mike Houck, Executive Director of the Urban Greenspaces Institute and member of the Coalition for a Livable Future, concurs, saying, “the AAA baseball stadium proposed for Lents park is a loss for both parks and affordable housing. No only do we lose a community park but the funding comes at the expense of affordable housing, a classic lose-lose proposition.”

Portland Public Forum – May 21st–top

We are pleased to welcome METRO Councilor Robert Liberty and Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish to our May 21st Portland Public Forum. Councilor Liberty will present data and analysis from METRO’s 2009-2030 Housing Needs Analysis and Commissioner Fish will guide Public Forum guests in a discussion of the policy implications of METRO’s report.

The report assesses future housing affordability, incorporating both housing and transportation costs into affordability. The report also defines cost-burdened households as renters that spend more than 50% of their before-tax income on housing and transportation. Using Metro Scope, an integrated land use and transportation model to predict future affordability, the report assumes the continuation of current policies and trends. The use of this model allows for a discussion of the market dynamics and policies that influence affordability.

Commissioner Nick Fish will lead our forum guests in a discussion of policies that influence affordability in Portland. Forum guests will engage in discussion by sharing their reactions to the study as Commissioner Fish guides them to think about policy solutions for long-term affordability.

Please join us on May 21, 2009 from 12pm -1:30pm at the Genesis Church, 5425 NE 27th Avenue, Portland, OR on the corner of 27th and Killingsworth street.

FUNDING AND AWARD OPPORTUNITIES

HUD Neighborhood Stabilization Accepting Applications – Due July 17th–top

Technical Assistance Grants Manage Foreclosed NSP Homes – Due June 8th

HUD is now soliciting grant applications under the Department’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), http://www.hud.gov/recovery/nspg.cfm which makes available nearly $2 billion in Recovery Act funding to combat the effects of home foreclosures. Funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, this round of NSP funding will award grants competitively.

The $2 billion will assist state and local governments, as well as nonprofit developers, in acquiring land and property, demolishing or rehabilitating abandoned properties, and/or offering downpayment and closing cost assistance to low- and middle-income homebuyers. Grantees can also use the funds to stabilize neighborhoods by creating “land banks” with which to assemble, temporarily manage, and dispose of foreclosed homes. NSP also seeks to prevent future foreclosures by requiring housing counseling for families receiving homebuyer assistance and by requiring grantees to ensure that new homebuyers under this program use a mortgage lender who agrees to comply with sound lending practices. Applications for NSP funds will be due July 17, 2009.

HUD will also provide up to $50 million in technical assistance grants to help grantees in managing the inventory of foreclosed homes purchased under the Neighborhood Stabilization Program. Applications for NSP technical assistance will be due June 8, 2009.

The Department is committed to providing the highest level of transparency possible as Recovery Act funds are spent quickly and efficiently. Every dollar of Recovery Act funds HUD spends can be reviewed and tracked at HUD’s Recovery Act website, where the full text of HUD’s funding notices and the ability to track future grant performance is also available. More information and the NSP Notice soliciting grant applications is available by clicking here.

Funding Available: $26 million to Support Rural Housing Due May 29th–top

HUD has published the first Notice of Funding Availability – NOFA – for Fiscal Year 2009, inviting applications for $26 million in grants under the Rural Housing & Economic Development Funds to “support innovative housing and economic development” in rural areas.” Deadline is May 29th. For applications, visit HUD’s site.

Self-Employment Tax Initiative Funding Due June 5th; RHED Due May 29th-top

CFED’s Self-Employment Tax Initiative (SETI) seeks proposals exploring effective ways to serve the tax preparation and related business planning needs of low-income, start-up self-employed businesses. Managers of microenterprise development programs, community-based free tax preparation programs and coalitions of these programs are encouraged to apply. To download the RFP and application visit the SETI Web site. Letters of Interest from Campaign and Scale Track applicants due June 5.

Thanks to funding from the Citi Foundation along with additional support from Capital One and the Annie E. Casey Foundation, in its fourth year, SETI explores the use of the tax code and tax day to scale-up delivery of financial services and business literacy to millions of start-up micro and small businesses annually for the purpose of building assets, creating jobs and strengthening local businesses and economies.

Campaign grants support a formal group of programs that together provide coordinated self-employed tax preparation and year-round business products and services and that use the tax-prep season as an opportunity to provide dedicated and visible public marketing and outreach to startup and growing businesses.

Scale grants support programs with a track record of providing self-employment tax preparation that will advance an innovative strategy, service or product for self-employed tax filers in order to bring self-employed tax prep to scale as a microenterprise development strategy. For more information on SETI click here.

RHED Funds Available. Deadline: May 29. HUD’s Rural Housing and Economic Development program has three categories: innovative housing and economic development, economic development and entrepreneurship for tribes, and technical assistance for tribes. Paper applications are required this year. For more info contact RHED staff at 1-877-787-2526.

RESOURCES, TRAININGS AND EVENTS

REACH Families and Friends Night – May 19th–top

You’re invited to a night of food, friends, and laughter at Hopworks Urban Brewery. We’re bringing together volunteers, supporters, residents, board members and staff to celebrate our mission to create healthy communities. Come and see old friends, meet new ones, and enjoy some delicious organic beer.

You will make a difference just by dining out. 20% of your food, drink, and merchandise proceeds will go directly back into our programs supporting families in our affordable housing when you write “REACH” on your guest check.

Here are the details. Come by Hopworks (2944 SE Powell) anytime between 4 and 11pm on Tuesday, May 19th. Reservations are encouraged, but not required. If you want to make sure to have a table, call (503) 232-4677. Have questions? Just call Laura at (503) 231-0682 ext 131.

CLF Livability Summit -May 20th; Equity Action Days – May 21st –May 30th-top

Join the Coalition for a Livable Future their 2009 Regional Livability Summit, http://www.clfuture.org/events/2009summit helping us build the relationships, coalitions and partnerships through which we creative positive change and influence public policy. Great speakers will tackle hot topics and engage participants in debating key equity issues facing our region through action-ready break-out sessions on green jobs, transportation equity, wealth creation, climate justice, sustainability and equity in black churches, education equity, and much, much more. Click here to learn about registering today or call 503.294.2889. The summit will be held from 8:30 am – 4 pm at Portland State University’s Smith Center Ballroom.

Also join CLF for Equity Action Days May 21st – May 30th
Take the next step forward for regional equity and spend some time bridging our divides, strengthening our communities, and building a more equitable region. Participate in one-day service or advocacy projects hosted by CLF member and partner organizations, and help begin to fulfill the vision of a region where opportunity and prosperity are shared by all. For more information and to register for projects, click here. Or call (503) 294-2889 and ask for Jane.

Social Justice & Civic Leadership Trainings Begin May 23rd–top

The Urban League of Portland is taking registration for the Social Justice & Civic Leadership Trainings 2009. Trainings are free and will be held May 23, July 18, August 22, and September 19.

The Social Justice & Civic Leadership Training is designed to enhance the skills, leadership and organizing abilities of our community. The program builds capacity for community members to advocate for policy change, social justice and become more involved in decision-making in the city, county and state – resulting in improved outcomes in jobs, housing, education and health care for the African American and wider community.

Previous ‘graduates’ have gained places on boards, commissions and advisory committees to City bureaus and departments.

Sessions are scheduled for May 23, July 18, August 22, and September 19. Each of the four sessions is free of charge. Although participants can register for a single session, a commitment to all four is encouraged.

Most of the sessions will be held at the Urban League Multicultural Senior Center, 5325 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, from 10 am to 2 pm.

‘Emerging Leaders Summit’ for Youth – May 30th–top

Please join Sabin CDC for an exciting end of school year event that’s open and free to community youth. They have 120 seats for workshops and there is still room, so please get this information out to your networks. The event will be held at the Youth Employment Institute, 1704 Northeast 26th ave., Portland, Oregon.

The deadline for registrations to be returned is May 20th 2009. Please return them via email, or mail hard copies to Sabin CDC/ 1488 Northeast Alberta Street/ Portland/ 97211. For more information call Craig at 503-287-3496 x25.

Save the Date: Oregon Homeownership Association training – June 11th–top

The next Oregon Homeownership Association training/networking event will be held in Salem on June 11; it will be an all-day event, probably 9:30 – 3:30, the cost is $25 per person, and will include lunch. More detailed information and registration information will follow in about two weeks.

The hot topics will be:

1. Update on the Making Home Affordable Program
2. Presentation by OHCS on how the Neighborhood Stabilization Program will work for hombuyers buying homes in non-entitlement areas (non-urban communities). This presentation is specifically for homeownership counselors and relates to how the program is used for down payment assistance for the homebuyers. It is not about how non-profit organizations can purchase homes to resell at a later date.
3. Small group discussions on topics that you and other counselors have suggested.

Summit on Entrepreneurship – Oct. 16th; Call for Sessions – June 15th–top

This year’s Oregon Microenterprise Network (OMEN) Summit on Entrepreneurship will be held at the Northwest Viticulture Center in Salem. It will include nine expert training sessions, ample networking time and a panel discussion with city and county economic development experts. Watch your email for registration details starting mid-June, as well as OMEN’s website.

OMEN is pleased to announce a Call for Sessions for the Summit. OMEN is seeking input from the entrepreneurship and microenterprise field to help shape the sessions offered at the Summit. Selected presenters will receive a one complimentary registration for the lead presenter for the event. Proposals must be submitted by June 15th, 2009. Click here to download form. Proposals should have direct application to those in the field. Topic areas may include:
•    Government Contracting & Small Businesses
•    Accessing Funding for Rural & Urban Economic Development
•    Working with Specialized Populations
•    Accessing IDAs for Small Business Development
•    Using Social Media and Online Resources
•    Fundraising & Sustainability

To submit session proposals, please complete the online form and return via email or fax to 503-808-9031 by June 15th, 2009.

New Housing Policy Conference on Working Families – June 28-30th–top

Join presenters from the Network for Oregon Affordable Housing, BHCD and PDC at this 2009 Learning Conference on State and Local Housing Policy in Chicago.

The conference will focus on the following:
“What housing challenges are you facing? Preventing foreclosures? Expanding the supply of affordable and workforce housing? Building community support for affordable housing? Find solutions at a new, highly interactive conference organized by the Center for Housing Policy and the National Housing Conference.”

Keynote speakers include:
•    Carol Coletta, president and CEO of CEOs for Cities and host and producer of the nationally syndicated public radio show “Smart City”
•    Henry Cisneros, executive chairman of CityView, former Mayor of San Antonio and former HUD Secretar
•    Bruce Katz, vice president and founding director of the Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program
•    Nicolas Retsinas, director of Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies

Interactive Daylong Institutes, Training Workshops and Informative Mobile Workshops will be offered, including:
·         Foreclosure Prevention and Neighborhood Stabilization
·         Window of Opportunity: Preserving and Improving Affordable Rental Housing
·         Housing 101: Introduction to Affordable Housing
·         Green Affordable Homes
·         Building Community Support for Affordable Homes
·         Cutting-Edge Green Developments
·         Housing Affordability in Affluent Communities
·         Building and Sustaining Mixed-Income Neighborhoods
·         Foreclosure Prevention and Neighborhood Stabilization
·         Regional Cooperation in Suburban Communities

View the agenda by clicking here.
Register by clicking here.

Another Win for Affordable Housing and Manufactured Housing Parks–top

CASA of Oregon is pleased to announce that members of the Green Pastures Senior Cooperative at the Green Pastures Mobile Home Park in Redmond, Oregon are one step closer on the long, but fruitful, road to resident ownership. Assisted by CASA of Oregon on the development/financial component of the project, the Cooperative’s Board Members signed an agreement in early May to purchase their community. Upon completion, the Green Pastures resident-owned community will be the second manufactured housing park conversion for CASA of Oregon and only one of a handful throughout Oregon.

Manufactured housing parks represent a large portion of the unsubsidized affordable housing stock available to low-income Oregonians. The conversion of a manufactured housing park into a resident-owned community is one of the most effective ways of preserving this affordable manufactured housing, as well as to promote secure tenure and encourage wealth-building and asset appreciation. Through cooperative ownership of their manufactured housing community, residents are able to control lot rents by a membership vote, keep their community well-maintained, make practical rules and remove the danger of the park being sold or closed.

CASA of Oregon’s program uses a multi-faceted approach, focusing on policy issues as well as on-the-ground technical assistance, to make resident ownership a viable option for manufactured housing residents across the state. As a member of the national ROC USA™ network and a Certified Technical Assistance Provider, CASA of Oregon delivers pre- and post-purchase technical assistance and helps manufactured homeowners in Oregon secure the financing needed to buy their communities and shape their economic futures through resident ownership.

For more information about the program and CASA’s partners, please contact Chelsea Catto at (503) 537-0319 ext. 300 or email her, or visit www.casaoforegon.org/mhp.

Ed Blackburn Honored by Dalai Lama–top

Central City Concern’s Executive Director, Ed Blackburn was among 49 individuals honored by the Dalai Lama in the “Unsung Heroes of Compassion” ceremony held in San Francisco, CA on April 26, 2009.

The honorees – 25 women and 24 men ranging in age from 12 to 77, came from 13 countries and a variety of ethnicity, cultures, religions and backgrounds. Each person was honored for his/her service to the disenfranchised of the world and his/her work to improve communities through their personal efforts.

“I was privileged to meet the other honorees who came from all over the world, from Katmandu, Israel, Palestine, the desert region of South Africa, to Thailand and other places in the U.S. In my conversations with these amazing people, they emphasized that their efforts depended on so many colleagues, allies, supporters and teachers. That is certainly also the case for me with my work at Central City Concern,” said Blackburn.

Blackburn joined CCC in 1992 as the Director of the Hooper Detoxification Center. In 1997 he became the Director of Health and Addiction Services, and in 2007 moved into a Deputy Director position. He assumed his role as Executive Director of the agency in June 2008. His experiences at Hooper are detailed in the Unsung Heroes of Compassion program booklet.

The Unsung Heroes event, the third such ceremony since 2001, was organized by Wisdom in Action, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing awareness of the importance of compassion in action. Renowned author Isabel Allende and actor Peter Coyote (2001 Unsung Hero) were co-hosts with Dick Grace, business owner and philanthropist.

CDC of Lincoln County Elects New Board–top

CDC of Lincoln County held their annual Election of Board Members and Board Officers May 4th. Re-elected as Board Members were Captain Rich Pease of Newport, Commanding Officer of the Lincoln & Tillamook County Salvation Army and Tina Carter of Lincoln City, an insurance professional specializing in medical insurance billing.

Board Officers elected are as follows: President – Steve Beck of Newport. Steve and his wife Susan own and operate a Farmers Insurance agency in Newport. Vice President – David Lothrop of Yachats, Attorney and Real Estate Broker. Treasurer – Tammy Foultner of Lincoln City, a Real Estate Broker and Partner in a construction Company. Secretary – Melissa Hart of Lincoln City, a mental Health Rehab Specialist with Lincoln County Health & Human Services. The newly elected officers will begin their one year term of office July 1st.

Newsletter April 30, 2009

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

STATEWIDE NEWS

Oregon ON Welcomes Orion Lumiere to the Family
Rising Rents Increase Pressure on Oregon Families
OCPP: New Law Makes More Oregonians Eligible for Unemployment
Women’s Academy Improves Catholic Charities Maternity Home
“100 Best Nonprofits to Work For in Oregon” Survey Launched

FEDERAL NEWS

Foreclosure Activity Up 9% from Previous Quarter
Mortgage Modification Bill Faces Trouble in Senate
NACEDA Conducting Survey on Toxic Titles and Poisoned Properties

PORTLAND METRO NEWS

Commissioner Fish, Mayor, Come Through for Affordable Housing
Councilors Liberty & Hosticka Secure $850K to Invest in Affordable Housing
Julian Agyeman to Keynote Speak at CLF “Mobilizing for Equity” Summit
Catholic Charities Breaks Ground on New Clark Family Center

FUNDING AND AWARD OPPORTUNITIES

Economic Development Grants, Deadline Sept 30
NOFAs for Discretionary, MPR, and Household Water Wells
BOA Neighborhood Excellence Initiative: Local Hero, Deadline June

RESOURCES, TRAININGS & EVENTS

OCPP: New Data on What the Typical Oregon Family Earns
New NeighborWorks Foreclosure Intervention E-Learning Course
Report Lays Out New Vision to Put the “UD” Back in HUD
Treasury LIHTC Exchange Provision Expected by Month End
Modified Style Fashion Show for Sisters Of The Road May 17

Oregon ON Welcomes Orion Lumiere to the Family –top

Oregon ON is pleased to welcome Orion Lumiere to the new position of Communications and Development Coordinator. Orion comes to us from Sisters Of The Road, where she did communications and development work since 2004. She has a Masters Degree in Urban Studies and a two-month old son. She will be creating the Oregon ON Newsletter, so please send her news of your great activities, events, openings, etc.! You can contact her by email

Rising Rents Increase Pressure on Oregon Families –top

From The Housing Alliance

Oregon’s high cost of housing highlighted in 2009 housing affordability report

Higher prices in the rental market are forcing Oregon families to choose between paying rent, putting food on the table, and paying utility bills. A national study reports that the cost of renting an apartment in Oregon has increased again, an alarming trend for a state whose number of homeless children attending schools has nearly doubled in the last five years.

According to the recently report released, the Housing Wage for Oregon is $14.54. The Housing Wage is the hourly wage a family must earn – working 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year – to be able to afford rent and utilities in the private housing market. The average fair market rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Oregon is $756-a number that has increased 24.1% since 2000.

“Every year it is becoming more difficult for hard working Oregonians to find decent homes they can afford,” said Jerralynn Ness, Executive Director of Community Action in Washington County. “If we want kids to succeed in school, or parents to succeed in the workplace, these people need a place to call home. “

The report, Out of Reach 2009, was jointly released by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), a Washington, DC-based housing advocacy group, and Oregon’s Housing Alliance. The report provides the Housing Wage and other data for every state, metropolitan area and county in the country.

An estimated 44% of renters in Oregon do not earn enough income to afford a two-bedroom unit at the Fair Market Rent, a federal statistic for determining market rents.

“The current recession and wave of foreclosures is only making it more difficult for hard working Oregonians to find a safe, decent and affordable place to call home,” said Janet Byrd, Chair of the Housing Alliance, “The legislature took an important step forward by passing the Housing Opportunity Bill, to provide an on-going source of funding for affordable housing into the future. But the crisis for Oregon renters is now and people are choosing between rent and food.”

The typical renter in Oregon earns $13.08, which is $1.46 less than the hourly wage needed to afford a modest unit.

Working at the minimum wage, $8.40 in Oregon, a family in Oregon must have 1.7 wage earners working full-time – or one full-time earner working 69 hours – to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment.

This year, Oregon is the twenty-sixth most expensive state in the nation for renters. The National Housing Wage is $17.84 in 2009.

For additional information, visit the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s website.

OCPP: New Law Makes More Oregonians Eligible for Unemployment –top

Additional improvements to the system are still needed, says OCPP

Laid-off Oregon workers who recently entered or returned to the labor force will be more likely to qualify for unemployment benefits as a result of a new law signed today by Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski.

“It’s great news for Oregon’s economy and workers,” said Joy Margheim, policy analyst with the Oregon Center for Public Policy, who advocated on behalf of the legislative change. “Let’s hope the Governor gets to sign other bills that will fully bring our unemployment system into the 21st century and better meet the needs of unemployed workers.”

Until now, Oregon’s unemployment insurance (UI) rules disregarded up to six months of recent work experience in determining whether an applicant met hours and earnings requirements. These outmoded rules excluded many low-income workers, according to Margheim.

Story continues, click here

Women’s Academy IMproves Catholic Charities Maternity Home –top

Grant funds service project in support of students’ study of teen motherhood

Approximately 40 students and staff from the Harriet Tubman Young Women’s Academy at Jefferson culminated their service learning on Global Youth Service Day, last Friday, April 24, by sprucing up Elizabeth House, a residential maternity home for young women ages 14 to 22 that is operated by Catholic Charities in Oregon.

The students, who are from the fifth period leadership class taught by Dawn Schlegel, wrote the Youth Service America grant as a class project. They are one of 100 student groups nationwide to win a $1,000 State Farm Good Neighbor Service Learning Award – this amount was split between three separate projects, of which Elizabeth House is one.

Students painted two resident rooms at Elizabeth House, and built and planted a vegetable bed for the residents’ use. While the grant will pay for most of the building and painting supplies, the students have also been growing some vegetable starts from seed in their science class.

The students chose to support Elizabeth House as part of a unit under the theme “voices silenced.” Concurrently, their study of teen motherhood has been from the perspective of empowerment.

About Harriet Tubman Young Women’s Academy at Jefferson
The Harriet Tubman Young Women’s Academy at Jefferson is a college-preparatory school with a focus on preparing young women for careers in math and science. Having opened in the 2007-08 school year in Harriet Tubman Middle School, it is an academy of Jefferson High School. Its small learning environment provides students with personalized instruction and extra academic support as needed, and all programming incorporates a strong community service component. The academy also offers Saturday and summer enrichment opportunities.

About Elizabeth House
Operated by Catholic Charities in Oregon, Elizabeth House is a residential maternity home and care program for young women ages 14 to 22, who are homeless and pregnant or newly parenting. For more information, contact Catholic Charities’ Pregnancy Support office at (503) 238-5196, or go to www.catholiccharitiesoregon.org.

“100 Best Nonprofits to Work For in Oregon” Survey Launched –top

To recognize that nonprofits are key businesses critical to the economic health of our state, TACS and the Nonprofit Association of Oregon (NAO) have partnered with Oregon Business magazine to launch this nonprofit survey. To learn more about this project, click here.

If you have at least 10 paid employees in Oregon, sign up now. You may sign up to participate until June 5th. Online employee and employer surveys run until June 12th. There is no cost to participate and organizations may be headquartered anywhere. Once you sign up, instructions will be emailed to you within three business days.

Top three reasons your organization should your participate:
1. Help raise the awareness of the nonprofit sector within the business community.
2. Receive a free basic survey report whether or not your nonprofit makes the list–a great tool for planning and marketing. Seize this chance to obtain valuable employee feedback and compare your workplace practices to nonprofits throughout the state!
3. It’s an excellent opportunity for publicity. Nonprofits in the top 100 ranking will be celebrated at an event, and be featured in the October issue of the Oregon Business magazine.
View survey guidelines & timeline.

Questions? Contact Brandon Sawyer, research editor, via email or 503-223-0304 x228.

P.S. Another nonprofit survey closes soon! MBL’s 2009 Nonprofit Salary & Benefits survey closes May 1st. Don’t delay, your participation is crucial. Visit MBL’s website for more information.

Foreclosure Activity Up 9% from Previous Quarter –top

Foreclosure activity is up 9% from the previous quarter, and nearly 24 percent from Q1 2008, according to RealtyTrac®, which released on April 16 its U.S. Foreclosure Market Report(TM) for first quarter 2009, showing that foreclosure filings–default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions–were reported on 803,489 properties (1 in every 159 U.S. housing units) in the quarter. March 2009 activity was up 17% from February and 46% from the previous March.

To read more, click here.

Mortgage Modification Bill Faces Trouble in Senate –top

Republished from the Washington Post

The Washington Post ran an article on Tuesday, April 28 reporting on a bill in the US Senate that would allow bankruptcy judges to alter mortgages. The bill is facing trouble due to lack of support from the financial services industry, but is up for vote later this week.

To read the article, click here.

NACEDA Conducting Survey on Toxic Titles and Poisoned Properties –top

The National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations (NACEDA) is conducting a survey on Toxic Titles and Poisoned Properties.

The information that you provide to NACEDA will be used to make the case to the federal government on how serious these issues are in your community. NACEDA activities include a forum hosted by Alan Mallach sponsored by the Federal Reserve and presentations at national conferences such as the Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference in Louisville, KY this June. Knowing how pervasive this problem is will make a huge difference in how seriously the federal government pays attention to these issues.

Just take 5 minutes to go to the link below and fill out a short questionnaire on “Toxic Titles and Poisoned Properties”:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=gpChV8rJycQos18jQejJbg_3d_3d

Commissioner Fish, Mayor, Come Through for Affordable Housing –top

Friday, May 1, Commissioner Nick Fish announced that his work with Mayor Adams to secure $7.5 million for affordable housing in the City of Portland Budget was successful.

The funds breakdown as such: $5.2 million in General Fund, $1 million in ongoing money and the remaining $2.3 in Federal Stimulus dollars.The Commissioner requests that members of the public turn out to support fully funding this proposed budget at a hearing on May 21st. Details are available on-line at http://www.portlandonline.com/omf/index.cfm?c=26061. To learn more, please read the Commissioner’s message, below:

“Although the economic situation continues to present us with historic challenges, I am very encouraged by the $5.2 million in new General Fund allocated to housing in the Mayor’s Proposed Budget. With continued support from the community, and my fellow Portland City Commissioners, I am confident that the adopted budget will maintain this level of funding. These funds will allow us to move forward on the three priorities I set at the beginning of the budget process:

Provide a safety net of services, and protect housing and homeless programs from a potential $6.7 million cut.

With the proposed allocation of new General Fund dollars, augmented by federal stimulus funds, we can fully fund our safety net and add more capacity to our housing and homeless delivery system. This funding will support a continuum of housing strategies, from permanent supportive housing for people with disabilities who have been living on our streets, to educational programs that prepare families to become homeowners, to stepped-up enforcement of housing health and safety codes in blighted neighborhoods. It will pay for foreclosure prevention, school stabilization, and public safety.

Launch a new Portland Housing Bureau that is innovative, efficient, and accountable.

The proposed budget includes funding to carry out the planned integration of the City’s housing funding and functions into one streamlined Portland Housing Bureau, an organization with the capacity to meet our city’s growing housing needs. The budget also includes new funding for the City’s Economic Opportunity Initiative, an award-winning program that uses a broad range of strategies to assist very low-income Portland residents to increase their incomes through work. This program will be moving over to PDC as part of the bureau transition.

Fund a Resource Access Center that will assist provide shelter, day access, job placement assistance, and other services to people experiencing homelessness.

The proposed budget includes $1 million of new on-going General Fund that will pay for RAC operations beginning as soon as 2010. In the next year, building the RAC will provide needed jobs to our community. The project is expected to generate $5.5 million dollars in local contracting opportunities for state-certified women- and minority-owned businesses. There will be 125 construction jobs at the site. The RAC will also contribute to Portland’s green profile. While the City Council has set a bar for LEED Gold rating, I have challenged the project team to achieve a LEED Platinum rating.”

Councilors Liberty & Hosticka Secure $850K to Invest in Housing–top

On Thursday April 30th, two Metro budget amendments totaling $850K which promote investment in affordable housing passed at a Metro Regional Council FY 2009-2010 public budget hearing, thanks to the work of Metro Councilors Robert Liberty and Carl Hosticka and testimony from Oregon ON’s Executive Director Michael Anderson and other Oregon ON Members.

Funding from both amendments, brought forward by Councilors Liberty and Hosticka, will be used to invest in affordable housing projects in Metro’s 2040 Growth Concept areas. It is specifically intended to fund mixed-income, mixed use, green housing for families with below-average incomes located in the centers, corridors and light rail station areas designated for future growth.

Background:
In March 2006, Metro’s Housing Choice Task Force identified an acute need for increased housing choices for families and individuals of modest means. The Task Force recommended that Metro “direct efforts towards development of resources, and especially a new, permanent regional resource for affordable housing.”

In response to this recommendation, and to help implement the region’s 2040 Regional Framework Plan, Councilor Robert Liberty proposed that Metro allocate $1 million as seed money for the creation of a $10-$20 million Regional Housing Choice Revolving Fund (RHCRF). In September 2007, the Metro Council approved a $1 million contribution to help establish the loan fund. The intent was to leverage $9-$19 million in matching contributions from public, private, and charitable partners to create the fund, which would be managed by an experienced, nonprofit community based fund administrator, and governed by a regional board of directors.

Changes in the composition of Portland City Council, a slowing economy and a Portland housing delivery system in transition have slowed the ability to leverage dollars and catalyze the growth of the fund. The passage of these budget amendments demonstrates Metro’s commitment to sustain and fulfill its promise to those in need of affordable housing.

Julian Agyeman to Keynote Speak at CLF “Mobilizing for Equity” Summit –top

CLF is pleased to announce that environmental justice activist and professor Julian Agyeman will be the Keynote Speaker at the 2009 Regional Livability Summit “From Hope to Change: Mobilizing for Equity” on May 20.

From London to Australia to the US, Agymen has been a government advisor, academic and activist. Currently Professor and Chair of the Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning at Tufts University, Ageyman is the co-founder of the Black Environmental Network, the first environmental justice-based organization of its kind in Britain. He is the co-Founder and co-editor of Local Environment: The International Journal of Justice and Sustainability. With degrees in botany, geography, conservation policy and environmental education, Agyeman adeptly navigates the intersection of environment and society, expanding our thinking about the possibilities for social justice and sustainability. The title of Agyeman’s keynote address is “Toward a Just Sustainability.”

CLF hopes that you will be able to join them for this amazing event. The Summit will bring together leaders from every sector to develop and implement strategies for healthy and fair communities. From green jobs to healthy homes, summit participants find new pathways and new partnerships for advancing equity in our region.

To find out more and to register,visit the 2009 Regional Livability Summit website.

Catholic Charities Breaks Ground on New Clark Family Center –top

Cornerstone of a new campus at SE 28th Ave. and Powell Blvd. will consolidate programs to more effectively serve more than 25,000 annually

On Thursday, April 30 at 10:30 a.m., more than 100 donors and friends of Catholic Charities in Oregon are anticipated to attend the groundbreaking of the organization’s Clark Family Center, a 60,000 square foot 4-story building located at SE 28th Ave. and Powell Blvd. The $12.5 million building – funded in large part through foundation, corporate and individual donations, as well as New Markets Tax Credits – will be the cornerstone of the organization’s campus and will house operations for nearly all of its programs and services.

Mary Clark, capital campaign honorary chair, Chris Folkestad, executive director of the Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund, and Joe Weston, a local developer and long time supporter of Catholic Charities, will be the first to put shovels to dirt at the event. Other ceremonial diggers will include Archbishop John Vlazny, Archdiocese of Portland, Dennis Keenan, executive director of Catholic Charities, Mark Ganz, CEO of Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield and capital campaign chair, and Kim Randles who served as Catholic Charities’ capital campaign director and is now the organization’s chief development officer.

Archbishop Vlazny will also offer remarks and a blessing at the event. Representatives of R&H Construction, general contractor, and Lundin Cole Architects, project designers, will also be on hand for the festivities.

Prior to the groundbreaking, students of the Central Catholic High School choir will perform a mix of upbeat celebratory compositions. Immediately following the ceremony there will be a reception at Kateri Park, one of Catholic Charities’ affordable housing complexes located directly east of the project on SE 28th Ave.

Economic Development Grants, Deadline Sept 30 –top

Economic Development Administration offers a grant to assist communities and regions experiencing chronic high unemployment and low per-capita income to create an environment that fosters innovation, promotes entrepreneurship, and attracts increased private capital investment. Nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status are eligible to apply. The deadline is September 30, 2009. For more info, click here.

NOFAs for Discretionary, MPR, and Household Water Wells –top

Discretionary Programs: Policy Requirements and General Section to HUD’s FY2009 NOFAs for Discretionary Programs, posted on April 16 by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development are available by clicking here.

MPR Program: June 29 is the application deadline for Section 515 rental housing new construction and the Multi-family Housing Revitalization Demonstration (MPR) program for Section 515 and 514/516 housing. For Section 515, contact Sue Harris-Green, 202-720-1660, or by email; for MPR, Cynthia Foxworth, 202-720-1940 or by email.

Household Water well: Applications for household water well grants are due May 21. For wells, contact Cheryl Francis, 202-720-1937, or by email.

BOA Neighborhood Excellence Initiative: Local Hero, due June –top

As previously reported, the Bank of America Neighborhood Excellence Initiative program provides two Neighborhood Builder grants ($200K). However, the initiative also includes five Local Hero ($5K each) grants. Deadlines at the end of June. Brief applications are submitted online.

OCPP: New Data on What the Typical Oregon Family Earns –top

From the Oregon Center for Public Policy

How much does the typical Oregon family — a family at the “median” or center of the income distribution — earn, and how does that compare to the income of an Oregon family at the poverty line?

OCPP has taken estimates of Oregon’s median family income — a more accurate reflection of a typical family than “average income” — recently released by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and displayed them alongside federal poverty income guidelines released earlier this year. The table shows, for example, that HUD estimates the median income for an Oregon family of three to be $55,000 in 2009, three times the income of an Oregon family at the poverty line.

HUD’s median family income data is used to determine eligibility for a variety of local, state, and federal programs, mainly housing programs.

See Oregon Median Family Income Compared to Poverty Income, 2009.

New NeighborWorks Foreclosure Intervention Course –top

NeighborWorks is offering a new online course for foreclosure intervention. Seasoned foreclosure counselors can explore a wide variety of intervention options available to homeowners in distress by taking this online learning course. Focus on little-known loss mitigation tools. Learn to identify the most critical financial factors in foreclosure cases, review and analyze brief case scenarios, and then choose the loss mitigation tool that best addresses a homeowner’s mortgage problems. Additional resources on the most recent foreclosure initiatives created to assist homeowners are also provided.

This advanced level course is intended for counselors with one year or more of foreclosure intervention counseling experience. Specifically, if you have obtained your Foreclosure Intervention and Default Counseling Certification through NCHEC, this course will further your professional development. Learn more online: HO346el – Understanding and Applying Foreclosure Intervention and Loss Mitigation Tools. This course is brought to you in coordination with the NeighborWorks Center for Homeownership Education and Counseling (NCHEC).

Report Lays Out New Vision to Put the “UD” Back in HUD –top

Published by the Penn Institute for Urban Research, “Retooling HUD for a Catalytic Federal Government: A Report to Secretary Shaun Donovan,” is a collective effort of over 50 urban policy practitioners and academic researchers. It develops in 10 chapters a new vision of urban development that seeks to put the “UD” back in HUD. The report is available for free download.

Treasury LIHTC Exchange Provision Expected by Month End –top

Treasury has provided on its website an update that promises guidance on Grants to States for Low-Income Housing Projects in Lieu of Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Allocations for 2009 to be posted by the end of April and posted as it becomes available. Check www.treasury.gov to look for updates. Treasury is required to provide guidance on this program, following passage of the Second Stimulus bill earlier this year.

Modified Style Fashion Show for Sisters Of The Road May 17 –top

Fashion meets sustainability in this Do-It-Yourself fashion show! Local designers with no sewing experience are using scraps gathered around town to create fashion wonders. The night will include a silent auction when you can bid on the amazing garments!

This event is being held May 17 at 7 pm at the Secret Society Ballroom, 116 NE Russell, Portland. Tickets are $10-15, and all benefits go to Sisters Of The Road and two other great non-profits. Tickets will be available for purchase soon; check the Modified Style site often for the latest information.

March 18 Newsletter

Wednesday, March 18th, 2009

STATEWIDE NEWS

Oregon ON Hosting Peer Network Meeting Apr 2 in Salem
OHCS: Hearings on Benefits of Housing with Supportive Services, Budget Update
25 Oregon Agencies and Tribes To Receive $18.4 Million in HUD Recovery Dollars
Catholic Charities Culminates $12.5 Million Capital Campaign
Oregon ON Awarded Meyer Memorial Trust Funds

FEDERAL NEWS

NLIHC: President Signs FY09 HUD Spending Bill, FY10 Budget Views Adopted
NCFH Report: 1 in 50 Children in America are Homeless Each Year
Federal Reserve: CRA Played No Part in Foreclosure Crisis
Karl Ory Named Western Regional Director of HAC
HUD Announces Computer Matching Data Program with SSA

PORTLAND METRO NEWS

Oregon ON Portland Public Forum on Federal Stimulus TOMORROW
Trutt, Messenetti, and Maher to be Honored at Forty Under 40 Awards
Public Comment Needed on Washington County Grants Action Plan

FUNDING AND AWARD OPPORTUNITIES

Four Opportunities: MMT, Rose, Enterprise, HHS

RESOURCES, TRAININGS, & EVENTS

Homebuyer Tax Credit Information and Services From CCLT
2009 Nonprofit Salary & Benefits Survey
Portland Open Forum on Design and Social Responsibility Mar 27
Interactive Community Forum with Sisters, NWN, CAT Mar 31

Oregon ON Hosting Peer Network Meeting Apr 2 in Salem (top)

Oregon ON is hosting a bi-annual Peer Network Meeting for Voting Members on April 2, 2009 in Salem. Peer networking gives participants the opportunity to interact with their peers, build relationships, share best practices, receive training and technical assistance, and achieve policy change.

Oregon ON has 5 peer working groups which meet regularly, including:

1. Homeownership Development

2. Multi-family Housing Development

3. Property and Asset Management

4. Financial Management

5. Resident Services

Though the Peer Network Meeting is geared towards Voting Members, participation in the Resident Services Work Group is open to affiliate members as well. If you are interested in participating in any of the peer groups, or to register for the event, please contact Terrie Hendrickson at 503-223-4041 or via email.

We also work closely with other organizations which offer training and services of interest to our members. At the April 2nd meeting the Oregon Homeownership Association will offer a day-long training regarding Homeownership Education and Counseling. For more information about OHA’s training, please contact Sandy Halonen at NEDCO via email.

OHCS: Hearings on Benefit of Housing with Supportive Services, Budget Update (top)
From Oregon Housing and Community Services Legislative Update

State legislators heard testimony on the benefits of providing affordable housing with supportive services at a Joint Ways and Means Committee hearing on March 10:

“Many individuals reentering the community after being incarcerated also need help recovering from addictions. They need a special level of support,” said Pegge McGuire, Community Resources Division administrator for Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS). “We believe a more effective response will pay benefits for these individuals, their families and our communities.”

McGuire joined Ed Blackburn from Central City Concern in Portland at the hearing before two subcommittees, Public Safety and Human Services. They were just one of several panels to talk about what works in helping individuals move from treatment to recovery, particularly people returning to the community after incarceration.

Central City Concern (CCC) has 30 years of experience in serving people affected by alcohol and drug addiction. Blackburn pointed to integration of services as a cornerstone of CCC’s success. The program measures success on three axes: sobriety, permanent housing and legal income.

“Housing that is supportive of a lifestyle change is the essential element to move beyond treatment to recovery,”Blackburn said. He noted that the clients CCC serves have “exhausted and alienated any connection in the community,” and CCC housing provides a safe place in which such people can take the first steps to a new life. In 2008, CCC’s ADFC Transitional Singles program achieved a 58 percent (229 out of 398 people exiting) treatment completion and permanent housing placement rate. Upon move-out, 93 percent of these were either employed or receiving federal disability entitlements. As of June 30, 2008, 73 percent of the people from this housing who completed treatment and moved to permanent housing were still housed and sober one year later.

OHCS’s recent housing needs analysis found that the state falls far short of meeting the housing needs of released offenders and people in recovery. For example, Marion County has no affordable housing units targeted for released offenders, and just nine units for people in alcohol or drug rehabilitation. The full report is available at www.oregon.gov/RA_Needs_Analysis.shtml.

Legislative update continues, click here.

In budget news:

The Legislature released its Essential Budget Level Analysis of OHCS’s 2009-11 budget, showing a 25 percent decrease from the agency’s 2007-09 legislative-approved budget.

The report related the decrease to phase-outs of $11.6 million in General Fund and $4.6 million in Other Funds for one-time initiatives associated with low-income housing preservation, permanent supported housing for the homeless, and a $2 million investment in the agency’s Housing Finance Fund.

The essential budget also eliminates five agency positions and redistributes remaining positions among program areas to better reflect workload and management reporting structure.

OHCS hopes to recoup some funding through lottery-bond proceeds; monies slated for green and sustainable energy efficiency and weatherization technology for low-income Oregonians; and stimulus funds tagged to preserving affordable housing and supportive services.

25 Oregon Agencies and Tribes To Receive $18.4 Million in HUD Recovery Dollars (top)

HUD is posting weekly progress reports for ARRA Recovery funding, including obligations by grantees, online on the Recovery.Gov website

The most recent report posted for March 6th says that HUD will obligate (by March 19th) 100% of the formula grants for the Public Housing Capital Fund and the Native American Housing Block Grant programs.

Tom Cusack of Oregon Housing Blog compiled a list of 25 Oregon agencies/tribes who will be receiving the $18.4 million in HUD funding for these two programs. To view the list click here. The total national obligations that HUD will make for these two programs by March 19th is $3.255 Billion.

Catholic Charities Culminates $12.5 Million Capital Campaign (top)

“Providing Help, Creating Hope” Sets Stage for Development of Clark Family Center

Firmly staking its position as a social service agency relied upon by more than 25,000 clients per year, Catholic Charities in Oregon announced on March 16 that it has successfully concluded its first major capital campaign – “Providing Help, Creating Hope” – in the organization’s 76-year history. In just 18 months Catholic Charities reached its goal of $12.5 million, generated by contributions from 130 foundations, trusts and individuals.

“Given the uncertainty of our economy and the many pressures it poses to social service organizations, it is ever more gratifying to acknowledge the good will of our donors,” said Mark Ganz, campaign chair and Regence Group CEO. “Thanks to donor support, Catholic Charities has a breakthrough year ahead.”

The capital campaign funds, which are separate from Catholic Charities’ general operating budget, are earmarked for the construction of the Clark Family Center, a 60,000 square foot building to be located at SE 28th and Powell Blvd. in Portland. The center will house operations for nearly all of Catholic Charities’ 15 programs and services.

“Catholic Charities is honored to have our new center named the Clark Family Center,” said Dennis Keenan, executive director of Catholic Charities. “For more than 30 years the Clark family has been synonymous with philanthropy in the state of Oregon. We thank Maybelle Clark Macdonald, Mary Clark, and Mike and Tracey Clark for their contribution to this important project, and we thank the many other generous donors who have made this building a reality.”

In addition to the Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund, the Clark Family Foundation and Mike and Tracey Clark, all of whom pledged a combined total of $2.65 million, other major donors pivotal to the success of the campaign included the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation ($750,000), MJ Murdock Charitable Trust ($750,000), Meyer Memorial Trust ($600,000), and Pacific Seafood ($300,000). The tipping point for the campaign was $2.24 million in New Market Tax Credits secured prior to an April 1, 2009 deadline for achieving a proportionate percentage of donations and pledges.

“Clark Family Center will afford Catholic Charities a comparative annual cost savings of more than $215,000 on lease payments, energy consumption and maintenance alone,” said Keenan. “And given that virtually all Catholic Charities services will be under one roof, our clients will have their needs met more comprehensively and efficiently.”

“Providing Help, Creating Hope” was spearheaded by Kim Randles, campaign director, and Anne Holloway, assistant campaign director, who have a combined 20 years of fundraising experience.

For more information on Catholic Charities call (503) 231-4866, or go to www.catholiccharitiesoregon.org.

Oregon ON Awarded Meyer Memorial Trust Funds (top)

The Meyer Memorial Trust recently awarded Oregon ON funding under the third and final prong of MMT’s Housing Initiative – Affordable Tenant Services, intended to help residents of subsidized housing obtain the assistance they need to become self-sufficient. Funding to Oregon ON will support the Resident Services Opportunities Project, creating strategies to make delivery of resident services more financially sustainable for affordable housing providers.

Oregon ON will engage the nonprofit affordable housing industry to work together to: define resident services and create industry definitions, identify best practices and coordinate trainings around program delivery, standardize and track resident-level outcomes measurement, and reach consensus around a range of unit costs per year for various levels of services and programs that, together, will enable organizations to better plan and implement housing-based resident services programs. Oregon ON will build an advocacy plan to encourage funders to permit resident services to be an above-the-line operating expense in their respective project underwriting policies.

Oregon ON was awarded $50,000 for the 3-year grant period (March 2009-2012).

We thank Meyer Memorial Trust for its support of Oregon ON’s project under its Affordable Tenant Services initiative.

For more information about the Resident Services Opportunities Project, please contact Kate Fulton via email or 503-335-9884.

Meyer Memorial Trust was created by the late Fred G. Meyer, who built the chain of retail stores bearing his name throughout the Pacific Northwest. When Mr. Meyer died in 1978 at the age of 92, his will established the Trust, which began operating in 1982. Meyer Memorial Trust is a private, independent foundation representing Mr. Meyer’s personal philanthropy. The Meyer Trust is not connected in any way with Fred Meyer Inc., the retail enterprise.

NLIHC: President Signs FY09 HUD Spending Bill, FY10 Budget Views Adopted (top) From the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s Memo to Members

On March 10, the Senate passed and the President signed H.R. 1105, the omnibus FY09 appropriations bill. The bill includes nine FY09 spending bills, including the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies spending bill, for the fiscal year that began on October 1, 2008.

The bill provides for increases for most HUD housing and community development programs. Among notable improvements over FY08 funding levels are increases to the Public Housing Operating Fund, HOME, and Policy Development and Research. Total HUD funding increased from $37.6 billion to $41.5 billion.(Link to NLIHC’s budget chart)

The following day the House Committee on Financial Services adopted its Views and Estimates on the budget for FY2010. With respect to HUD and housing programs generally, the Committee noted that HUD programs provide “a critical safety net for our nation’s poorest families, seniors, veterans, and disabled persons, foster economic opportunities for low and moderate-income families, and strengthen urban and rural communities.” The Committee also recognized that the FY10 budget proposed by President Obama represents an 18% increase in funding over the FY09 level and reverses an eight-year pattern of budgets proposing deep cuts to HUD programs.

In addition to providing for $1 billion in funding for the National Housing Trust Fund, the Committee also included language urging Congress to provide new, incremental vouchers to be used as project-based vouchers in the new construction and substantial rehabilitation of units in order for these units to be affordable to households with extremely low income families.

The views state that the Committee will continue efforts begun in the 110th Congress to reform the Section 202 (housing for the elderly) and Section 811 (housing for the disabled) programs, the Section 8 housing choice voucher program, and the HOPE VI severely distressed public housing revitalization program. The Committee will also continue efforts to reauthorize the McKinney-Vento homeless programs and adopt anti-predatory lending legislation.

These views are submitted to the House Committee on the Budget to inform the development of the budget resolution. The House and Senate Budget Committees are expected to mark up their respective budget resolutions the week of March 23 and Congress is expected to adopt a budget resolution before the April recess, which starts on April 6.

To get more housing updates from NLIHC or receive their Memo to Members newsletter, visit the NLIHC website.

NCFH Report: 1 in 50 Children in America are Homeless Each Year (top)

The National Center On Family Homelessness released a new report, “America’s Youngest Outcasts: State Report Card on Child Homelessness,” which offers comprehensive state-by-state data on the status of homeless children. The report documents the extent of child homelessness, describes the plight of these children, profiles and ranks the states, and proposes solutions. “Children without homes are on the frontline of the nation’s economic crisis. These numbers will grow as home foreclosures continue to rise,” said Ellen L. Bassuk, M.D., president of the National Center on Family Homelessness. “Our report underlines the need for every state—as well as the Obama Administration and Congress—to provide equal opportunities for all American children to grow and thrive in the safety and security of their own homes.”

To learn more, visit www.HomelessChildrenAmerica.org.

Federal Reserve: CRA Played No Part in Foreclosure Crisis (top)

During a Financial Institutions Subcommittee hearing on March 11^th regarding mortgage lending reform, the Federal Reserve, once again, unequivocally stated that the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) played no part in the nation’s mortgage foreclosure crisis.

“I can state very definitively that, from the research we have done, that the Community Reinvestment Act is not one of the causes of the current crisis,” said Sandra Braunstein, Director of the Division of Consumer and Community Affairs of the Federal Reserve System.

“Republicans have long tried to take the easy way out by pointing the finger at the Community Reinvestment Act and other government-sponsored affordable lending programs; but these programs did not cause our foreclosure crisis,” said Congressman Luis V. Gutierrez, Chairman of the Financial Institutions Subcommittee. “The fact that only six percent of high-cost loans in our communities came from CRA institutions proves the true worth and value of the CRA to our neighborhoods.”

Responding to Chairman Gutierrez’s questions, Braunstein continued, “We have run data on CRA lending and where loans are located, and we found that only six percent of all higher cost loans were made by CRA covered institutions in neighborhoods targeted, which would be low to moderate income neighborhoods targeted by CRA. So I can tell you if that’s where you’re going that CRA was not the cause of this loan crisis.”

Mr. Michael Middleton, the President and CEO of Community Bank of Tri-County, Maryland, also testified on behalf of the American Bankers Association, citing the positive impact of the Community Reinvestment Act.

“We really find the CRA as a tool, not an obstacle, and I mention also that all of our affordable housing loans are current, none of them are in default,” said Middleton in response to a question by Rep. Eric Paulsen, (R-MN).

New legislation was introduced on March 12 to improve the CRA, however. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) introduced H.R. 1479, which would reform and expand the CRA to cover additional institutions such as independent mortgage companies, penalize banks that engage in predatory or other abusive lending practices, and expand the obligation under CRA to include lending and services to minority communities.

Karl Ory Named Western Regional Director of HAC (top)

The Housing Assistance Council (HAC) announced on March 10 that it has named Karl Ory as its Western Regional Director. Mr. Ory, previously a Housing Specialist in HAC’s national office, will oversee daily operations of HAC’s western regional technical assistance and training program and implement programs to improve the housing conditions of the rural poor in the western region of the country.

“Karl Ory brings considerable experience and skills to this position and he will be an important new resource for rural housing efforts across the western states,” said Peter Carey, HAC board member and CEO of Self Help Enterprises in Visalia, California. Self-Help Enterprises, a long time HAC partner, is an organization dedicated to self-help housing, sewer and water development, housing rehabilitation, multifamily housing and homebuyer programs in the San Joaquin Valley of California.

Mr. Ory has worked in rural housing since 1981. He has managed two self-help housing programs for eleven years resulting in over 250 homes in twelve developments. He also worked as a trainer and technical service provider to rural housing organizations for eight years in ten western states. Karl joined HAC in February 2007, primarily serving in northeastern states and training nationwide. He has expertise in single-family housing development, land development, and strategic planning. He holds a Master’s in Public Administration and is also a former councilmember and mayor of the City of Chico in California.

“Karl is a welcome addition for our western regional office,” said Moises Loza, HAC’s executive director. “His expertise on rural housing development and his management experience made him the right candidate to implement HAC’s programs in the western U.S.”

Founded in 1971, HAC is a national nonprofit corporation headquartered in Washington, D.C. The western regional office provides technical assistance and training in the states of Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. HAC helps local organizations build and preserve affordable homes in rural America by providing below-market financing, technical assistance, research, training, and information services. HAC’s programs focus on local solutions, empowerment of the poor, reduced dependency, and self-help strategies. HAC is an equal opportunity lender. More information is available at http://www.ruralhome.org.

HUD Announces Computer Matching Data Program with SSA (top)

HUD announced on March 11 that it will enter a matching data program with the Social Security Administration (SSA) to verify tenants’ income, to ensure they are receiving the correct amount of assistance, and to update the participants that may be deceased or are no longer eligible to receive aid.

HUD will provide the SSA with the tenants’ full name, Social Security number, and date of birth. SSA will in turn contact HUD if there is no record of the person or if they are deceased. Any matches in the database will be further reviewed by HUD, PHAs, and private owners and management agents.

The program will help to verify the amount of aid for participants in rental assistance programs, as well as the incomes and eligibility of borrowers and co-borrowers applying for mortgage insurance for FHA loans.

The program is scheduled to begin April 10, 2009, unless comments lead to the delay of implementation. Public comments are also due April 10. Advocates interested in submitting comments may send them to:

Rules Docket Clerk

Office of General Counsel, HUD

451 Seventh Street, SW., Room 10276

Washington, DC 20410–0500

Oregon ON Portland Public Forum on Federal Stimulus TOMORROW (top)

Oregon Opportunity Network

Portland Public Forum

Thursday, March 19th, 2009

Noon – 1:30pm

at New Genesis Community Church

Topic: The Housing Provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009 (ARRA)

Join us for a housing discussion on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (The Stimulus bill). Susan Boyd and Mark Kantor of Seattle’s Kantor, Taylor, Nelson and Boyd PC will join us to share information about the ways that this federal money will impact our neighborhoods and examine best strategies for making the most of these federal dollars. We will also host a panel of City, County and State decision makers. Together we will pose questions and seek answers.

Oregon ON’s Public Forum is a brown-bag lunch open to the public at no charge. Genesis Community Church is located at 5423 NE 27th Ave., Portland 97211, on the corner of 27th and Killingsworth. Please enter through the south door. Off street parking is available.

For more information call 503-335-9884.

Trutt, Messenetti, and Maher to be Honored in Forty Under 40 Awards (top)

Jonathan Trutt of Northwest Housing Alternatives, Steve Messenetti of Habitat for Humanity, and Nicole Maher of NAYA Family Services are all being acknowledged by the Portland Business Journal on April 2 as Forty Under 40 award winners, highlighting their success and impact in the community at an early age. To help celebrate this achievement you can attend the evening reception on Thursday, April 2 at the Gerding Theater in the Pearl. Event info and full list of awardees is online.

Public Comment Needed on Washington County Grants Action Plan (top)

The Washington County Office of Community Development and the City of Beaverton are seeking public comment regarding the 2009 Annual Action Plan. The Action Plan describes how Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME), Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG), and American Dream Downpayment Initiative (ADDI) program resources will be used in the coming year to address the priority needs and local objectives established in the Consolidated Plan.

The Draft Action Plan for program year 2009 is available for public review and comment from Wednesday, March 11 through Thursday, April 9, 2009, at all County library branches, and Beaverton City Hall (Mayor’s Office) during regular business hours. Copies of the draft plan document can be obtained from the Washington County Office of Community Development by calling 503-846-8814. In addition, you may download a version of the plan via the County’s website: Click on Planning, 2009 Action Plan.

Two public hearings regarding the Draft Action Plan will be held during the month of April; the first will be held at 2pm on April 1st in the Beaverton Library Conference Room. The 2nd hearing will be held in the evening on April 9th as part of the regularly scheduled Policy Advisory Board meeting. If you have any questions regarding the plan or would like to provide comments outside of the public hearing process, please contact Jennie Proctor at (503) 846-8663 or Andrea Lindberg at (503) 526-2533.

Four Funding and Award Opportunities: Meyer Memorial Trust, Rose Fellowship, Enterprise Green Grants, and Dept. Health and Human Services Grants (top)

1. Meyer Memorial Trust Operating Funds Grants (top)

Proposals for this program are due April 15, 2009

As part of Meyer Memorial Trust’s (MMT) response to very challenging economic conditions, MMT is launching an Operating Funds grant program to help small- and mid-sized organizations that have been hit particularly hard by the current economic crisis. Additional information on MMT’s economic response can be found in CEO Doug Stamm’s recent message on MMT’s blog.

The purpose of this initiative is organizational stability. Organizations for which a cash infusion is not critical to stability, but wish to request funds to maintain or expand current programming, should continue to apply for support through MMT’s Responsive and Grassroots Grant programs, as usual.

Type of award:Bridge funding/general operating support

Awards: Grants of up to $50,000 will be made. MMT anticipates receiving more requests than it is positioned to fund.

Award period: One year

For more information including requirements, visit MMT website by clicking here

2. Frederick P. Rose Architectural Fellowship (top)

Enterprise Community Partners announces the 2009 Frederick P. Rose Architectural Fellowship opportunities.

The 29 Frederick P. Rose Architectural fellows are leaders of a new generation of architects dedicated to creating sustainable communities for people at all income levels. By supporting three-year partnerships between emerging architects and community-based organizations, the Fellowship promotes the highest standards of design excellence, sustainability and resident engagement in the planning of affordable housing and other community development projects.

Applications will be due on May 1, 2009 for a September 2, 2009 start date.

3. Enterprise Green Affordable Housing Grants (top)

Announcing the Opening of the Spring 2009 Grant Round on March 16

Enterprise will award a total of $500,000 to developments committed to providing green affordable housing. Grant awards will range between $20,000 and $75,000 per project.

The online application is due on or before April 20. Awards are expected to be made by mid-June.

Grant guidelines and application are available at www.greencommunitiesonline.org

For more information, and to learn how to apply, please visit the website at: www.rosefellowship.org or contact Katie Swenson via email

4. HHS: Community Economic Development Grants (top)

In Fiscal Year (FY) 2009, contingent upon available funding, the US Department of Health and Humans Services under the Office of Community Services (OCS) will award Community Economic Development (CED) discretionary grant funds to Community Development Corporations (CDCs) for well-planned, financially viable, and innovative projects to enhance job creation and business development in low-income communities. The grants will be made as part of a broader strategy to address objectives such as arresting tendencies toward financial dependency, chronic unemployment, and community deterioration in urban and rural areas.

For details on the grants click here

For information related to the application, call 410.715.7433 or email

Homebuyer Tax Credit Information and Services From CCLT (top)

Clackamas Community Land Trust (CCLT) has released information on new federal tax credits for homebuyers, along with CCLT supportive services:

The recent federal economic stimulus bill created a tremendous incentive for first-time home buyers this year in the form of an $8,000 tax credit. A federal tax credit of up to $8,000 may be available for qualified first-time home buyers purchasing a principal residence between January 1, 2009 and December 1, 2009. This tax credit differs significantly from the $7,500 credit from the 2008 Housing and Economic Recovery Act, which is available to home buyers who qualify and purchased between April 9, 2008 and January 1, 2009. The most important difference is that the $8,000 credit doesn’t have to be paid back.

CCLT encourages people to examine these Web sites administered by the National Association of Home Builders for frequently asked questions about both these tax credits. This is the link for the $8,000 credit. To read about the $7,500 credit, click here.

Consult a tax professional to discuss your unique situation. For low-cost or free resources on these tax credits, help is available. CASH Oregon is offering free tax preparation from now until April 15. Visit www.cashoregon.org and click “Find a Tax Site Near You” in the upper-right hand Quick Links menu to locate an AARP Tax-Aide site near you. There are several in the Portland metro area.

The tax credit may provide relief to many people, but it doesn’t help folks who still find home prices out of their reach. And it won’t change the fact that all buyers need to do their homework and make sure they are financially prepared. There has never been a better time to use educational resources like the ones offered at Clackamas Community Land Trust to make a solid plan for successful homeownership. CCLT’s monthly homebuyer education workshops are open to everyone, regardless of income. CCLT also provides financial education in a six-week series of courses that encourages the intentional use of money through increased knowledge of personal financial issues (such as savings and spending plans).

Call CCLT at 503-659-1618, ext. 2, for schedules and information about services.

2009 Nonprofit Salary & Benefits Survey (top)

Participation is Free, sign up here

The MBL Group, LLC is again proud to be the administrator of this region’s most comprehensive Salary & Benefits Survey specifically created for Oregon & SW Washington nonprofit organizations. Now in its 5th edition, the 2009 Nonprofit Salary & Benefits Survey provides comprehensive information for 95 benchmark positions and 17 benefit topics.

In today’s economy, staying current on nonprofit compensation and benefit trends in Oregon and SW Washington is critical to your organizations infrastructure. That is why your participation in a regional survey of this nature is important for the overall quality of the results and it provides meaningful data to you and organizations like you. Simply put, the more participants, the better data. Participation is free, and in 2009 you will benefit from a new online data submission process.

Survey Dates & Timelines

Survey Data Input Begins: April 1, 2009

Effective Date of the Data: April 1, 2009

Survey Deadline: May 1, 2009

Published Report Available: June, 2009

For more information, contact the Survey Administrators:

MBL Group, LLC 111 SW Columbia Street, Suite 1010 Portland, OR 97201 Phone: 503-224-7249, Fax: 503-224-6707, email: nonprofitsurvey@mblgroup.com, online: www.mblgroup.com

Portland Open Forum on Design and Social Responsibility Mar 27 (top)

Expanding Architecture: A Conversation on Engagement and Change

Portland State University Department of Architecture, Portland State University Social Equity and Opportunity Forum, and Architects Without Borders-Oregon to sponsor a forum on social responsibility and engagement in the design professions featuring Bryan Bell.

Designers have the potential to benefit many more people than they currently reach. Designers are being challenged to play a more direct role in solving the critical social and environmental problems facing the nation and our communities–and to incorporate outreach into their practice to serve what is an ever-growing client base with real needs. Come discuss the possibilities and challenges as designers try to engage a broader range of issues as concerned citizens and designers.

Special guest, Bryan Bell, founder of Design Corps and editor of the much discussed recent book, Expanding Architecture: Design as Activism; Janet Hammer, Director of the Social Equity and Opportunity Forum at Portland State University; Sergio Palleroni, associate professor of architecture at Portland State University and founder of the BaSiC Initiative; John Duke, Clinic Director, Outside In; Abby Dacey, Architects Without Borders-Oregon, and Boora Architects; as well as other local practitioners and housing providers will engage with the audience in a discussion of the potentials and challenges designers face in their efforts to create greater accountability and responsible engagement.

Date: Friday, March 27, 2009

Time: 12-1:30 PM

Location: Shattuck Annex, 1914 SW Park (intersection of Broadway and Hall Streets), Portland, Oregon.

Free and open to the public

Coffee and Oregon apples will be provided.

Contact:

Sergio Palleroni via email

Abby Dacey, via email, or 503-226-1575

Interactive Community Forum with Sisters, NWN, CAT Mar 31 (top)

Tuesday March 31st from 6-8pm

First United Methodist Church, Collins Hall

1838 SW Jefferson

Join Sisters of the Road, Neighbors West-Northwest, Community Alliance of Tenants, Office of Neighborhood Involvement, City Commissioner Amanda Fritz, and fellow Portland-based community advocates for an evening of reflection, discussion and learning. Hear about diverse organizing efforts in housing rights, homelessness, and local livability issues.

Build skills in individualized workshops ranging from advocating at city hall to community organizing.

Food and drink provided.

Translation, transportation, and childcare support is available upon advanced request.

Click here to register

March 3 Newsletter

Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009

STATEWIDE NEWS

Housing Alliance Mobilitzing for March 13 Lobby Day
Stimulus News: ARRA’s Impact on Oregon and OHCS Programs
Thousands of Rental Homes Preserved through MacArthur Funds, NOHA, & NHA
Rural Counties to Receive $1.5 million from HUD for Homeless Programs
OHCS Showcases the Power of Oregon Affordable Housing Tax Credit

FEDERAL NEWS

OBPP Report: Decade of Neglect Weakened Federal Housing Programs

PORTLAND METRO NEWS

Portland Public Forum on Federal Stimulus Mar 19
Human Solutions Receives Funding for Rapid Re-Housing Project
Innovative Housing Inc. Awarded Meyer Memorial Trust Funds

FUNDING AND AWARD OPPORTUNITIES

Bank of America Neighborhood Builders Program
Award Opportunities for Affordable Housing

RESOURCES, TRAININGS, & EVENTS

Street Roots Releases Bi-weekly News and Action Updates
Rural Poverty Data Available on Foundation Website
New Foreclosure Data Site Launched
Rural Oregon Day Mar 19 and Regards to Rural IV Mar 20-21
Habitat for Humanity Dedicating Two Green LEED Homes Mar 31
Oregon ON Hosting Peer Network Meeting Apr 2 in Salem
Umpqua CDC’s Grand Opening for Gold Coast Workforce Housing Apr 10
Native American Youth and Family Center Third Annual Career Fair Apr 11

Housing Alliance Mobilizing for March 13 Lobby Day -top

After more than 15 years of advocacy and effort, housing advocates and supporters have succeeded in securing a statewide, dedicated funding source for affordable housing. The hallmark legislation, which increases the document recording fee by $15, passed the Senate last Thursday with two more votes than the 18 needed to meet the super-majority requirement. The bill was carried on the floor by Senator Betsy Johnson, and Senator Rod Monroe and Senator Laurie Monnes-Anderson spoke in support of the bill.

“This was quite a day for the cause of affordable housing in Oregon,” said Sen. Betsy Johnson, D-Scappoose.

The revenue brought in by the bill is expected to bring in $15 million in 2009-2011 and $26.5 million in 2011-2013 to be used to develop rental housing for low-income families, seniors and people with disabilities.

The Housing Alliance reports that it is thrilled to see this early, passionate, and bi-partisan support of affordable housing. When the Alliance was formed in 2004, a primary goal was the development of relationships with legislators from both parties who understood the housing needs in our communities.

“The support by legislative leaders and members has been overwhelming, and we are extremely heartened by their dedication,” said Housing Alliance lead Janet Byrd.

The Housing Alliance thanks everyone who worked over the last 15 years to get this legislation passed.

The celebration of the passage of the Housing Opportunities bill cannot last too long because there is more to do to insure that every Oregonian has a safe, decent place to call home. More remains on the 2009 Housing Alliance agenda, and therefore the Housing Alliance, along with housing advocates around the state, will convene at the State Capitol in Salem on March 13 from 10am to 3pm for the 2009 Affordable Housing Lobby Day.

Across Oregon, housing prices are out of reach of ordinary people. The Legislature faces hard budget choices in the months ahead, but we need affordable homes for hardworking families and our neighbors on fixed incomes.

The 2009 Lobby Day is your chance to thank State Representatives and Senators who have done so much for housing opportunity, and to talk to them about the importance of their continued support through further legislative action.

All are welcome to attend! All you need to do is RSVP to Beth via email, and the Housing Alliance will make the appointments, buy your lunch, and provide you with briefing materials. The Housing Alliance will also have a bus from Portland, and can subsidize transportation from other areas on request if you arrange a group to come.

Stimulus Update: ARRA’s Impact on Oregon and OHCS Programs -top

How will the economic recovery package impact Oregon?

HUD, the Oregon Center for Public Policy, OHCS, and Oregon ON all weighed in this week on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

HUD announced that their web page now has a sub-page devoted to describing stimulus or ARRA 2009 allocations. Each link to a specific program also has an allocation of funds by state, which includes relevant sub-allocations to PJs, HFAs or PHAs. To view the site go to: http://www.hud.gov/recovery/

OCPP has prepared a fact sheet that lists the tax cuts and spending provisions in the ARRA that will boost income for Oregon and its people and for which there is data available on the expected amount to be invested in Oregon. The combined impact in Oregon of these provisions is $5.5 billion. The fact sheet also notes additional ARRA provisions likely to boost Oregon’s economy but for which there is no state-level data currently available.

The fact sheet is available here

OHCS also released a statement on the ARRA and its impact on OHCS programs. A projected $97.5 million from the ARRA will support  OHCS-related programs, such as weatherization, affordable housing development, homelessness, and food. The department hopes to release details about these dollars and how they can be used by the end of March.

Meanwhile OHCS reports that in the Oregon State legislature the Senate passed SB 5552, the bill that balances the 2007-09 budget. The bill will now move on to the House for vote, where legislators are hoping to wrap up this bill so they can move to the more challenging task of crafting a 2009-2011 biennial state budget. The big impact for OHCS in this particular round of budget reductions is a cut of $204,800 to the Home Ownership Assistance program. An estimated 137 first-time homebuyers will not receive down payment assistance as a result of this reduction. The passage of the Housing Opportunities bill last week will provide some funding for these programs, but the need for preservation and development dollars still surpasses available revenue. The Governor’s current budget proposes $19.4 million in lottery-backed bonds for preservation of existing affordable housing stock and manufactured dwelling park purchases.

“We can only hope that our legislators can continue to protect Oregon’s most vulnerable during this difficult economy,” Crager said. “Homelessness is the most extreme form of poverty, and it’s a growing problem in this state.”

Lastly, Oregon ON will also host a public forum and discussion on ARRA on March 19. For more information, see “Portland Public Forum on Federal Stimulus Mar 19“

Thousands of Rental Homes Preserved through MacArthur Funds, NOHA, & NHA -top

Governor Ted Kulongoski announced on February 26th that Oregon was selected to receive $5 million from the MacArthur Foundation’s $150 million Window of Opportunity Initiative to preserve thousands of affordable rental housing units for people of modest means.

“This grant recognizes the extraordinary effort that Oregon has already made to preserve affordable rental housing in both urban and rural areas,” Gov. Kulongoski said. “The housing crisis has not spared our state, and I cannot emphasize enough the importance of efforts that keep Oregonians in their homes. Every Oregonian needs a safe, stable place to call home.”

Federal rent subsidy contracts covering more than 5,000 privately-owned affordable rental units in multi-family buildings across the state will expire over the next five years. A statewide group led by officials from Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) and the City of Portland’s Bureau of Housing and Community Development have put together a list of at-risk properties and a strategy to preserve their affordability.

If a property owner is reluctant to continue in the housing business, the group will arrange to have the building acquired by a new owner willing to renew the federal subsidy contract. This statewide group preserved 786 units in 2008.

OHCS and the City of Portland have partnered with NOAH, the Network for Oregon Affordable Housing, a statewide nonprofit lender, to carry out the statewide preservation work. A significant portion of the MacArthur Foundation funding will be used to capitalize NOAH’s Oregon Housing Acquisition Fund (OHAF) that supports the preservation work. The fund was established last year with over $7 million in low-interest-loan and grant funds provided by OHCS and three Oregon foundations – Meyer Memorial Trust, The Collins Foundation and The Oregon Community Foundation.

With the Oregon Housing Acquisition Fund, Northwest Housing Alternatives recently completed financing to preserve 215 units in six affordable, expiring-use, federally- subsidized properties across the state: two in Portland, two in Hermiston, one in Bend and one in Medford. “The Oregon Housing Acquisition Fund provided NHA access to the financing we needed to acquire these six properties at a time when the capital markets have halted most traditional lending activities. It has allowed us to take immediate ownership of the properties and provides the time required to secure resources for the needed renovation and permanent preservation” said Martha McLennan, NHA’s Executive Director. McLennan has led NHA in developing a diverse portfolio of affordable rental housing properties and been an active participant in the development of key strategies for preserving Oregon’s affordable housing stock. For more on NHA’s Acquisition Fund preservation, click here.

The MacArthur funds will leverage an additional $10 to $12 million in funding from other private sources to finance the acquisition of several hundred units through 2009 and 2010 alone. The MacArthur Foundation’s generosity will also help ensure the preservation of affordable rental housing for an estimated 7,200 Oregon families.

The need is considerable:

· Over the next five years, federal subsidy contracts will expire on 80 percent (5,484 families) of Oregon’s privately-owned, federally-subsidized rental housing. Nearly one-quarter of these homes are located in Portland, where more than 2,700 families (or applicants) are waiting for rental assistance.

· Additionally, in Oregon’s rural areas, more than 2,700 families have lost their affordable rental housing as the result of closure of manufactured home parks. These home parks provided a less- expensive housing alternative to low-income rural families that did not have access to subsidized multi-family properties.

· Oregon’s need for affordable housing continues to escalate as more than 181,000 low-income Oregon families are currently burdened by excessively high rent – all at a time when the state and its families also face rising unemployment and foreclosures.

Given the fact that it can cost twice as much to build an affordable home as to preserve one, Oregon’s initiative to preserve affordable rental housing is critically important at this time.

Rural Counties to Receive $1.5 million from HUD for Homeless Programs -top

Federal funds recently received by the Rural Oregon Continuum of Care (ROCC) will help keep housing assistance and supportive services alive for homeless individuals and families in 23 Oregon counties.

‘The renewed funding will allow these rural counties to continue to provide transitional and permanent housing for Oregon’s most vulnerable population,’ said Rick Crager, deputy director of Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) award announcement Feb. 19.

The HUD Continuum of Care funding is specifically for the Supportive Housing Program (SHP), which helps provide transitional and permanent supportive housing for homeless persons. Under the broader HUD Continuum of Care program, local communities and agencies must work together to provide prevention outreach, emergency shelter and supportive services for homeless individuals and families in addition to housing options.

OHCS works with a statewide ROCC steering committee to strategize ways to improve services to homeless individuals and families in the rural portions of the state. In partnership with local rural continuum of care communities, OHCS also coordinates the HUD application, where funds are awarded on a competitive basis.

“The SHP funding directs funding to populations facing the greatest need and improves the state’s accountability,” Crager said.

OHCS Showcases the Power of Oregon Affordable Housing Tax Credit -top

OHCS showcased the power of the Oregon Affordable Housing Tax Credit (OAHTC) at a hearing of the Senate Finance and Revenue Committee last week.

SB 199 will raise Oregon Affordable Housing Tax Credit (OAHTC) funding from $17 million to $21 million. The increase will help preserve 3,477 at-risk units of federally subsidized housing up for renewal in the 2009-2011 biennium.

“The bill also helps prevent displacement of tenants and maintains the housing’s affordability for 20 to 60 years,” said Rick Crager, deputy director of Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS), the state agency that manages OAHTC funding. “It will create some $100 million in loan funds at interest rates significantly below market.”

Last year, $1.9 million on OAHTC tax credits saved the state $56.6 million in federal rent subsidies by preserving 786 federally subsidized homes. Cost to replace these units would have cost the state about $157.2 million.

“Investing tax credits now is far less expensive than creating new housing,” Crager said. “Last year’s $46.4 million in affordable housing loans created an estimated $510.4 million in economic benefit – about $11 for every dollar spent.”

The agency is currently underwriting an additional 364 units of preservation projects with $1.1 million of OAHTC commitments, Crager said.

“If we don’t replace these units, we could lose $219.3 million in federal subsidy dollars projected to flow into Oregon over the next 20 years,” he explained. “The replacement value of these at-risk units is $695.4 million, so it only makes sense to preserve the federal subsidies.”

Some $16.1 million slated for OHCS in the Governor’s proposed budget will help keep these at-risk units.

“The OAHTC program allows lenders to make larger loans and reduces the demand for public funding,” Crager said.

OAHTC allows banks to lower interest rates for affordable housing by 4 percent, and then claim a state income-tax credit equal to interest income lost by the rate reduction. Property owners then pass all of interest savings to low-income tenants by reducing rents.

Legislation in 2007 provided an exception for preservation projects and manufactured dwelling park purchases, since those properties already provide low rents.

Because the bill may have a revenue impact, legislators will wait to take action on SB199 until later in the session.

OBPP Report: Decade of Neglect Weakened Federal Housing Programs -top

On February 24 the Oregon Center on Budget and Policy Priorities released a report entitled “Decade of Neglect Has Weakened Federal Housing Programs: New Resources Required to Meet Growing Needs” by Douglas Rice and Barbara Sard.

This report documents the growing need for affordable housing, explains how federal housing programs help address it, shows how recent funding shortfalls and policy changes have hurt these programs, and outlines a series of steps to make housing more affordable for low-income families.

Introductory note from the report: “Federal housing programs have proven effective in enabling millions of low-income households to obtain stable, decent housing, but a funding squeeze and various actions taken by Congress and the Bush Administration have weakened these programs considerably, just when the need is rising.”

The full report is posted to:

http://www.cbpp.org/2-24-09hous.htm

http://www.cbpp.org/2-24-09hous.pdf

Portland Public Forum on Federal Stimulus Mar 19 -top

Oregon ON Public Forum discussion on the Federal Stimulus Bill

Thursday, March 19th from 12pm – 1:30pm

Please join us for Oregon ON’s second Portland Public Forum of 2009. Portland area state and federal decision makers will join us to discuss the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) on Thursday, March 19. Oregon ON will host our popular informative public forum, with location too be announced shortly.

“We are energized to lead host a discussion on the impact of this very important legislation.”, said Oregon ON Executive Director Michael Anderson. Anderson also said, “Oregon ON Members and our valued partners will bring great questions and ideas to our community forum.” The purpose of the forum is to discuss how federal money from the Stimulus bill will impact our neighborhoods and to examine the best strategies for making the most of these federal dollars.

Human Solutions Receives Funding for Rapid Re-Housing Project -top

Human Solutions is one of 23 applicants nationally to receive funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the Opening Doors Rapid Re-Housing project. Human Solutions, a nonprofit organization that operates in Mid and East Multnomah County, is working with Multnomah County, 211info, Impact NW, Neighborhood House and Volunteers of America to give 40 homeless families each year a place to live – with this new HUD funding. This is a clear indicator that Multnomah County has been at the forefront of our nation’s efforts to end homelessness with their ambitious Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness.

Eligible families for this housing assistance will either be living on the streets, in emergency shelters, or ‘vouchered’ into temporary motels when the emergency shelter system is full. The project will provide up to 40 families at a time with 12-15 months of limited term rent assistance and case management in 40 scattered site apartments, serving approximately 120 families over the first three years.

This funding comes as great news to the agencies serving homeless families. Today, more families are homeless in Multnomah County – and these families have a different face than before. Agencies serving homeless families are noticing a “class cross-over,” with increasing numbers of homeless families having higher levels of education, and professional and management work experience. The continuing increase in families facing homelessness is overwhelming the agencies offering housing assistance – and the HUD dollars will be quickly put to good use. Human Solutions also received new funding from HUD for scattered site housing for chronically homeless single women who stay at their Daybreak Shelter.

Innovative Housing Inc. Awarded Meyer Memorial Trust Funds -top

The Meyer Memorial Trust recently awarded Innovative Housing, Inc. (IHI) funding to support its alternative payday lending initiative. While many traditional payday lenders have closed shop since the Oregon Legislature passed regulations capping the fees and interest rates they may charge, IHI has identified an ongoing need for short-term small dollar credit among our residents and other low- and moderate-income Portland households. The goal of the IHI program is to combine access to affordable alternative payday loans with financial education and credit counseling to help consumers make informed and sound financial decisions, strengthen their credit, build assets, and improve their long-term economic well-being. For more information about the program, please contact Sarah Chenven via email or 503-226-4368 x8.

Bank of America Neighborhood Builders Program -top

Deadline: June 30, 2009 (Application process opens January 1)

Two non-profit programs will be selected in each of Bank of America’s 45 communities to receive $200,000 in general operating support over two years and will also receive leadership development opportunities. For more information and to apply, click here.

Georgia-Pacific Foundation Support -top

The Georgia-Pacific Foundation supports a wide range of organizations that improve the quality of life in communities where Georgia-Pacific operates including Portland and other cities across the state. The Foundation has identified the following key investment areas: educational efforts that empower youth and provide workers with job readiness training; community enrichment issues such as affordable housing and community safety; environmental programs that promote clean air and water, recycling, and land and resource conservation; and entrepreneurship initiatives that foster self-sufficiency and economic empowerment, especially among youth, women, and minorities. Applications may be submitted online from January 1 through October 31, annually. Visit the Georgia Pacific website to take the Foundation’s Eligibility Survey.

NACEDA: Homeless Veterans Funding -top

The Department of Veterans Affairs Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program is offering three types of funding: State and local governments, tribes, and faith- and community-based organizations can apply for capital funds to expand or develop transitional housing projects. Technical Assistance grants are also available to help community-based nonprofit groups to apply for homeless vets funding from any source. Applications for all programs are due March 25. Contact: Chelsea Watson, (877) 332-0334.

Award Opportunities for Affordable Housing -top

NACEDA released two opportunities for honoring affordable housing projects and rental housing development. The EPA also released a Smart Growth Achievement opportunity.

NACEDA: Affordable Housing Finance Magazine Awards

Affordable Housing Finance magazine is holding the fifth annual Readers’ Choice Awards honoring the best affordable housing projects in the nation. Nominations are due April 17. Finalists will be featured in the August 2009 issue. Winners will be featured in the November 2009 issue and receive recognition at AHF Live: The Tax Credit Developers’ Summit. Download nomination form from www.housingfinance.com.

NACEDA: Charles L. Edson Tax Credit Excellence Awards

The Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition is accepting entries and nominations for the 15th Annual Charles L. Edson Tax Credit Excellence Awards program. The awards honor the best in affordable rental housing development, and each winner and honorable mention will be recognized in a June award ceremony in Washington, DC. Entries are due April 3. More information may be found at www.taxcreditcoalition.org.

National Award for Smart Growth Achievement

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that applications are now being accepted for the eighth annual National Award for Smart Growth Achievement. This competition is open to public-sector or private sector applicants that have used the principles of smart growth to create better places.

Smart growth development serves the economy, the community, and the environment. Smart growth approaches to development create clear environmental benefits, including improved air and water quality, preservation of critical habitat and open space, and more cleanup and re-use of brownfield sites.

This year, applications will be accepted in five categories:

. Built Projects

. Policies and Regulations

. Smart Growth and Green Building

. Smart Growth Streets

. Overall Excellence in Smart Growth

Interested parties are encouraged to submit applications for smart growth activities that have shown significant activity between April 23, 2004, and April 23, 2009. Applications are due on April 23, 2009. Up to five winners will be recognized at a ceremony in Washington, DC in December 2009.

Street Roots Releases New Bi-weekly News and Action Updates -top

Street Roots is releasing new biweekly e-mails to keep readers up to date with news and issues surrounding homelessness and poverty in Portland and around the world, as well as ways to take action on campaigns affecting the lives of individuals experiencing homelessness. To sign up for biweekly e-mail updates with Street Roots and gain insight on issues being highlighted in the newspaper, go to the Street Roots website

Rural Poverty Data Available on Foundation Website -top

Spotlight on Poverty, a site launched by several major foundations, includes research on rural poverty as well as relevant news and commentaries in major media. Click here to visit the website.

New Foreclosure Data Site Launched -top

The Center for Housing Policy, KnowledgePlex, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation and the Urban Institute have joined forces to launch Foreclosure-Response.org – a new Web resource that provides government officials, housing practitioners and advocates with up-to-date information on a broad range of state and local policy solutions related to foreclosure prevention and neighborhood stabilization. The Web site includes a comprehensive policy guide of strategies for preventing and responding to foreclosures, as well as access to interactive online discussions and tools that allow users to create customized data reports and maps (powered by DataPlace) to identify areas in which to target resources and efforts.

Visit Foreclosure-Response.org to see valuable resources and mapping tools built using DataPlace Technology.

For more details about the National Award for Smart Growth Achievement, including an application packet, visit the website

Rural Oregon Day Mar 19 and Regards to Rural IV Mar 20-21 -top

Rural Oregon Day

March 19, Salem Conference Center and State Capitol Building

Rural Oregon Day in Salem will be held March 19. Rural Oregon day is designed to help rural community representatives connect with one another in Salem, impact programs and policies, and advocate for community issues which affect local areas from all around Oregon. Rural Oregon Day serves the purpose of highlighting “rural” interests in Oregon, with a particular emphasis on advocacy for rural communities and following-up on policy recommendations from the Oregon Rural Policy Forums of May 2006 and November 2007. Through this, Rural Oregon Day increases awareness of rural issues for the State, builds capacity for rural advocacy and moves rural policy initiatives forward in Oregon.

Registration is free. To register for Rural Oregon Day, go to the online site here.

Regards to Rural IV

March 20-21, Salem, OR

Regards to Rural is the region’s premier gathering for rural leaders, volunteers and all who care about vibrant rural communities. Join committed leaders and volunteers from Oregon and throughout the Pacific Northwest to:

- Gain practical skills for successful rural community and economic development.

- Learn about successful community revitalization projects from near and far- and how you can apply winning concepts to your community.

- Get help to ensure your community not only maintains vitality through economic challenges, but uses its strengths to emerge ahead.

- Connect with other community leaders, funders and elected officials of all ages, backgrounds and experience levels.

Interactive conference tracks cover entrepreneurship and emerging markets, leadership, culture and community, policy and resource development. Sample sessions include “Can Small Towns Be Cool?”, “How to Raise $50,000 in Six Months or Less,” “Making Peace in Communities”, “Incubating Next-Generation Natural Resource Businesses”, “Local First: How to Mobilize community purchasing power for economic revitalization”, and more. Click here to learn more and to register!

Habitat for Humanity Dedicating Two Green LEED Homes Mar 31 -top

Habitat for Humanity Portland/Metro East, in collaboration with Walsh Construction Co. and the Cascadia Region Green Building Council, have finished the first two LEED certified homes in the state of Oregon. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy Efficiency and Design. The two homes will get either a gold or platinum rating, an incredible achievement since there are only 12 gold and platinum projects in the entire state.

Habitat invites you to come tour the homes and attend the dedication on March 31 at 6 p.m. at 604 NE Webster in Portland.

Oregon ON Hosting Peer Network Meeting Apr 2 in Salem -top

Oregon ON has 5 peer working groups which meet regularly, including:

1. Homeownership Development

2. Multi-family Housing Development

3. Property and Asset Management

5. Financial Management

6. Resident Services

Umpqua CDC’s Grand Opening for Gold Coast Workforce Housing Apr 10 -top

The public is invited to attend the Grand Opening of Gold Coast Apartments, a scattered site workforce housing project completed by Umpqua CDC in Curry County. The project consists of a duplex in Gold Beach and 6 units in Port Orford to provide housing that is affordable to working families qualifying at 60% or less of AMI. Several energy efficient measures have been integrated including solar radiant floor heating systems; south-facing triple pane windows, sustainable building materials and several other “green” elements.

The celebration will be held at the Port Orford site on Friday, April 10th at 1:00 p.m. For directions to the location at 513 Madrona Avenue, please call Jodi at 541-673-4909. If you travel south to Gold Beach, the second site address is 29721 Hillcrest St.

Curry County Commissioners donated the land to Umpqua CDC specifically for this project because they were very concerned about affordability of housing for the local workforce. Other funding included Trust Funds, HOME and Weatherization through Oregon Housing & Community Services, BETC, and NeighborWorks® America.

Crow Clay Architecture and General Contractor Scott Partney Construction worked on design and construction of the project.

Native American Youth and Family Center Third Annual Career Fair Apr 11 -top

The Native American Youth and Family Center will host its Third Annual Career Fair on Saturday, April 11, from 11 – 3 PM, at PSU’s Native Student and Community Center (710 SE Jackson St). Local representatives from trades, apprenticeships, and organizations or companies will have booths at this event. The Third Annual Career Fair is FREE and open to everyone 16 and older, and there will be FREE FOOD. Learn about careers with financial institutions, hospitality, retail, production, administrative, warehouse, and more. Job readiness and resume workshops will be available onsite – dress to impress and bring resume.

The Native American Youth and Family Center is located at 5135 NE Columbia Blvd. Please contact Tamra Russel (ext. 203) or Ellen Goss (239) with any questions at 503-288-8177.

February 4 Newsletter

Wednesday, February 4th, 2009

Document Recording Fee Legislation Moves Quickly
More Oregonians Qualify for State Services Under New Poverty Line
OHCS: Report on Poverty Describes the Problem at Local Level
OCPP: Oregon Needs to Modernize Unemployment Insurance Fast
City, County, PDC, and HAP Fund 6 Projects to House Most Vulnerable
17th Annual BEST Awards Now Accepting Applications
PovertyBridge Seeks Help for Opportunity Conference
Comprehensive Housing Solutions for the Federal Stimulus Bill
Fish, Wyden Call for Public Housing in Federal Stimulus
Ron Sims Nominated as HUD’s Deputy Secretary
Survey on Foreclosure and Homelessness Underway, Respond by Feb 6
Residential Services Sister Adele Scholarship
Rural Awards of Excellence Call for Nominations Due Feb 6
REACH, TriMet to Celebrate Opening of Patton Park Apartments Feb 12
Lents Homeownership Initiative General Meeting Feb 18
Managing Financial Crisis Seminar to Benefit Habitat Feb 18
NPF Training: Good Asset Management Feb 26
NeighborWorks Community Stabilization Training Mar 2-6, Deadline Feb 6

Document Recording Fee Legislation Moves Quickly -top

After receiving bill number HB 2436 last week, the Document Recording Fee had its first hearing on Monday, February 2 in the House Revenue Committee. The bill passed with seven votes in favor, three opposed, and now will move on to the Ways and Means Committee for a hearing this Thursday.

Representative David Edwards of District 30 opened the testimony at Monday’s hearing with strong support for the Document Recording Fee, which he stated would secure much-needed funding for affordable housing and homeless services. John Van Landingham of Lincoln County Law and Advocacy Center, Janet Byrd of Neighborhood Partnership Fund, and Lincoln County Commissioner Bill Hall followed Hunt’s testimony explaining the document recording fee mechanism and the way the funds would be used to provide housing reliefs for Oregonians priced out of the market. Representatives from the Oregon Bankers Association, Oregon Home Builders Association, and the Oregon Association of Realtors also testified in strong favor of passing the bill.

The bill’s next hearing is today (Feb 5) at 3pm with the Joint House and Senate Ways and Means Committee. The Housing Alliance is urging supporters to call their Representatives and Senators and ask for the swift passage of HB 2436.

To contact your State Legislators, click here.

Click here for talking points.

More Oregonians Qualify for State Services Under New Poverty Line -top

On January 23 Oregon Center for Public Policy ran an article, “Federal Government Issues New Poverty Line for 2009,” which reports that the federal government’s decision to raise the poverty line will allow more Oregonians to qualify for Employment Related Day Care and the Oregon Health Plan:

The federal government today raised the poverty line, which Oregon uses to determine eligibility for some public assistance programs. As a result, more Oregonians now qualify for Employment Related Day Care, the state’s child care subsidy program, and the Oregon Health Plan, the state’s Medicaid program, at a time when the state faces a revenue shortfall.

“Today there are more vulnerable Oregonians who will see their access to certain public assistance programs affected by the legislature’s budget decisions than there were yesterday,” said Michael Leachman, policy analyst with the Oregon Center for Public Policy.

The 2009 Federal Poverty Income Guidelines, published in today’s Federal Register, set the definition of poverty that Oregon uses to determine eligibility for programs such as child care subsidies, Head Start, food stamps, school lunches, energy assistance and some health care programs.

The poverty guidelines vary by family size. This year, for example, a family of three with an annual income of $18,310 or under qualifies as poor, up from $17,600 in 2008. A four-person family would be poor if their annual income is $22,050 or less.

“As the poverty line rises, more Oregonians fall under it and become eligible for certain programs,” said Leachman.

But one of those programs, Employment Related Day Care, takes a large hit under Governor Ted Kulongoski’s proposed budget.

For full article, click here.

OHCS: Report on Poverty Describes the Problem at Local Level -top

In 2007, 13 percent of the state’s population, or 474,189 Oregonians, lived on incomes less than the federal poverty level. Nearly 40 percent of families headed by single mothers lived in poverty.

These troubling facts are reported in new Report on Poverty 2008 released by Oregon Housing and Community Services and the Community Action Partnership of Oregon at the state capitol.

“When economic conditions change, people in poverty are among the first to feel the pain and the last to benefit from improvements,” said OHCS Director Victor Merced.

Noting that the economy has changed dramatically in the last year, Merced commented, “As the recession deepens, it has begun to touch people unfamiliar with hardship. Each day, new faces appear at food banks, soup kitchens and social service offices.”

Sharon Miller, President of the Community Action Partnership of Oregon, hosted an Education Day at the capitol. Directors of community action agencies from around the state joined her to share the poverty report and to educate legislators on a variety of local solutions directed at reducing the suffering of people experiencing hunger, poverty and homelessness.

To read the full report click here.

OCPP: Oregon Needs to Modernize Unemployment Insurance Fast -top

OCPP’s January CenterPoints column, “Not Your Grandfather’s Workforce, but It’s Still His Unemployment Insurance System,” argues that Oregon needs to modernize its UI program fast in order to serve the growing number of unemployed Oregonians:

Let’s say you often bike to work and your Oldsmobile stays in the garage half the work week. On a day when you drive, you get into an accident. Although you dutifully pay insurance every month, your claim gets denied. “Sorry,” your insurer says, “you don’t drive enough.” It’s crazy, right? But that scenario is not too different from what many laid-off Oregon workers experience when attempting to collect unemployment insurance (UI) benefits.

Oregon’s antiquated UI program often excludes part-time and temporary workers whose employers paid into the system on their behalf. Modernizing the program so that it better serves today’s workforce is more urgent today, as a severe recession leaves more Oregonians without work.

To read more click here.

Val Valfre Appointed Housing Services Director for Washington County -top

Washington County Administrator Robert Davis announced January 23 that Adolph A. “Val” Valfre, Jr. will lead the county’s Housing Services Department.

Valfre has held the position of interim director for the county department for the past several months. Prior to his interim appointment, he served for four years as the department’s assistant director. The department has a mission to provide affordable housing opportunities to help break the cycle of poverty and improve the quality of life in the community.

Valfre came to Washington County after 11 years of service to local housing authorities and community development departments, primarily with the City of Tucson, Ariz., and the West Valley Housing Authority inDallas, Ore. Before his government experience, Valfre served for 24 years in the U.S. Air Force where he rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel. Valfre holds master’s degrees in public administration, national security and strategic studies, business and human resource management. He also earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Los Angeles.

“Val is an experienced manager with expertise in an array of housing-related matters, from public housing to our 10-year Plan to End Homelessness,” said County Administrator Robert Davis. “I am pleased that Val has chosen to continue leading the enormously important work of our Housing Services Department.”

Washington County’s Housing Services Department is responsible for 1,878 rental units of affordable housing, the distribution of 2,609 Section 8 vouchers through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, ownership and maintenance of 247 units of public housing and participation in a multi-organizational partnership to address homelessness. The department is supported by an annual budget of $30 million and is staffed by 41 full-time employees.

To read more click here.

City, County, PDC, and HAP Fund 6 Projects to House Most Vulnerable -top

This week, a consortium of Portland-area agencies announced grants totaling $5.4 million dollars, and 16 Section 8 project-based vouchers, had been awarded to six housing projects. They were selected in part because the majority of these projects will be able to provide leased units for the area’s most vulnerable homeless population by July 1, 2009. Together, the projects provide 37 new units of permanent supportive housing (PSH) while creating or preserving an additional 160 units of housing affordable to low-income households.

“Until every person in our community has a safe, stable home, we need to make sure that our limited resources are serving the people who need our help the most. These grants show our commitment to directing our resources to the most vulnerable people first,” said City Commissioner Nick Fish.

For full statement from Nick Fish, click here.

17th Annual BEST Awards Now Accepting Applications -top

17th Annual BEST Awards: Businesses for an Environmentally Sustainable Tomorrow

Now Accepting Applications

January 15 – February 13, 2009

Best Awards asked to receive more affordable housing submissions for this year’s BEST Awards – Green Building category. Projects must be built and located within the City of Portland.

Since 1993, the BEST Awards have been presented annually to Portland area companies demonstrating excellence in business practices that promote economic growth and environmental benefits. The mission of the BEST Awards is to inspire the business community by showcasing innovation and commitment to sustainability.

The BEST Awards are presented by: City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability

For more information, or to apply, click here.

To read more click here.

PovertyBridge Seeks Help for Opportunity Conference -top

The PovertyBridge Portland Metro Area Opportunity Conference is scheduled for Saturday March 7, 2009 at PCC Sylvania. Based on the work of national poverty expert and advocate Dr. Donna Beegle, the Opportunity Conference is part of a “strengths perspective” model developed for and by people living in poverty.

Approximately 200 attendees will experience the Opportunity Conference curriculum that is designed to build hope, capacity, and connections. Volunteers will help make this happen. 100 people are needed to serve as “Navigators” — people who receive training about poverty and resource materials from Dr. Beegle and who commit to staying in touch with at least two conference attendees for a period of 6 months. Navigators will listen and evaluate what resources are needed. Referrals will be made to “Specialty Navigators” — people who are specialists in relevant categories (tenant rights, housing, child care, medical issues, workforce development, etc.).

If you are interested in serving as a NAVIGATOR or SPECIALTY NAVIGATOR, please contact Susan via email or call 503-719-4757. General day-of-conference volunteers are also needed.

For more information about PovertyBridge and the Opportunity Conference, click here.

Comprehensive Housing Solutions for the Federal Stimulus Bill -top

by Julie Massa, Oregon ON

For nearly a quarter of a century, the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) has served as an example of an effective Public-Private Partnership that creates and preserves rental housing for lower-income people. The LIHTC has resulted in the construction and preservation of over 2 million affordable homes and the creation of millions of jobs.

However, the financial crisis and recession have dramatically reduced private sector investment in this program. The result is that last year many state approved LIHTC developments were not able to move forward. Unless Congress takes action very soon, the outlook for this year is no better. This comes at a time when the need for quality affordable rental housing and the economic activity its production generates is great. We are confident that hundreds of “shovel- ready” projects could start construction in a matter of weeks, creating thousands of new jobs and generating millions in tax revenue, if the proposals we are advancing are enacted as part of the economic recovery bill.

What is needed at this time is a comprehensive approach that provides new incentives to re-invigorate investment in the Housing Credit program while simultaneously giving State LIHTC Allocating Agencies new financing tools to allow Housing Credit developments to proceed in the near term, while the investment market recovers and expands. The proposals described below will accomplish these goals. We believe these proposals will work best if all their elements are adopted.

HOUSING CREDIT PROPOSALS FOR INCLUSION IN THE STIMULUS BILL:

1) Congress should appropriate $5 billion in dedicated funding to be allocated through State Housing Credit Allocating Agencies for the sole purpose of filling financing gaps in developments to which Credits are awarded but cannot raise any equity capital or have generated too little equity with their sale of Credits to make the development financially viable. This proposal is in the jurisdiction of the appropriations committees. Recent estimates in the Senate version of the bill call for $2.5 billion in gap financing money. $5 billion was in the House version.

Point to share with our elected officials: Gap-financing for affordable housing projects is critical. Please make the Senate version gap-financing proposal match the House version — $5 billion in gap financing. We need to ensure that housing projects are viable and this provision is a means to that end.

2) Congress should adopt a proposal, based on the House-passed provision, to permit Housing Credit Agencies to exchange a portion of their 2009 Housing Credits for cash grants that could be used as a temporary measure to provide gap financing necessary to augment the appropriated funding described above and to be used for the same purpose. This proposal is within the jurisdiction of the tax-writing committees. Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley has sent a letter to Senator Harry Reid (D-Nevada) requesting that the exchange be included in the Senate version of the bill. Since Oregon Senator Ron Wyden sits on the Senate Finance Committee, it’s critical for him to receive the message that developers in Oregon favor this provision.

Point to share with elected officials: Allowing state housing agencies to exchange some LIHTCs for federal grants, which they would then distribute to developers for the production of affordable rental housing, is a good solution. The tax credit exchange option offers the most cost-effective way to promptly and reliably restore LIHTC-funded affordable housing production and stimulate substantial economic activity.

3) On a temporary basis, taxpayers should be permitted to elect to accelerate the Low Income Housing Credit by up to 200 percent per year for each of the first three years of the ten-year credit period (i.e., 20 percent of the total credit would be taken in each of the first three years). The remainder would be taken on a straight-line basis for the last seven years of the credit period. This proposal would significantly broaden the existing base of investors, which are almost exclusively financial institutions, by making the return to the investor much more attractive, while maintaining the pricing efficiency of the program. This proposal is within the jurisdiction of the tax-writing committees.

Point to share with elected officials: A tax credit accelerator will render the LIHTCs more favorable to investors. This would be a critical move to free up credit markets.

4) Congress should adopt a proposal, based on the Finance Committee-passed provision, to permit taxpayers to carry-back the Housing Credit for up to five years and allow these Housing Credits to offset AMT liability during that period. The Finance Committee proposal applies to all general business credits.

Point to share with elected officials: A five year LIHTC carry-back will allay concerns by potential new investors about their ability to use LIHTCs in the future if their tax liability changes dramatically and will help discourage wholesale selling of existing portfolios of Housing Credits, which selling would interfere with raising fresh capital for new affordable housing developments. Please include the carry-back in the Senate version of the bill.

Congress is deliberating on the Stimulus bill for the rest of this week. It is critical to contact the Oregon delegation as soon as possible and talk to them about the provisions above. It’s especially important to contact Senators Wyden and Merkley today.

Click here for Oregon Sentaor contact information.

Click here for Oregon Representative contact information.

Fish, Wyden Call for Public Housing in Federal Stimulus -top

On January 26 Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish and Oregon Senator Ron Wyden joined officials of the Housing Authority of Portland and local labor unions to call for the inclusion of local dollars for jobs and public housing in the federal economic stimulus package currently being crafted by President Obama and Congress.

“During this unprecedented time of change in our nation we are calling on our federal leadership to take bold action that will help Oregonians survive this troubled economy,” said Commissioner Fish. “Federal dollars will translate into more local family-wage jobs and critical upgrades to existing public housing for those who need it.”

Oregon has recently seen an increase in unemployment, and the Housing Authority of Portland has a $50 million backlog of deferred maintenance on public housing properties.

The requested funds would create local jobs to address the energy efficiency and maintenance upgrades needed by public housing.

For full statement, click here.

Ron Sims Nominated as HUD’s Deputy Secretary -top

Visionary urban leader tapped to serve during time of crisis & opportunity

On February 2, HUD released news that President Barack Obama will nominate Ron Sims, County Executive of King County, Washington, to become the Deputy Secretary at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

“As the Deputy Secretary, Sims will be charged with managing HUD’s day-to-day operations, a nearly $39 billion annual operating budget and the agency’s 8,500 employees.

Sims has earned numerous accolades and a national reputation for his environmental stewardship, aggressive reforms of government, and for willingness to make the tough choices necessary to ensure that American tax dollars are spent wisely.

‘Ron’s track record as an innovative leader with an exciting vision for the future of our nation’s communities make him the perfect Deputy Secretary candidate as we tackle the nation’s housing crisis amidst the biggest economic downturn in decades,’ said HUD Secretary, Shaun Donovan. ‘His experience at the helm of a large urban government provides a critical perspective and his collaborative approach to problem-solving has prepared him to effectively lead HUD’s operations as the agency charts a new aggressive course.”

For more information visit Nick Fish’s ‘News’ section.

To read more click here.

Read more HUD Highlights, including news and funding opportunities, through HUD newsletter.

Survey on Foreclosure and Homelessness Underway, Respond by Feb 6 -top

The National Coalition for the Homeless and other national organizations request responses by February 6 from advocates, service providers, and people surviving foreclosure.

Click here to take the one-page survey online or to obtain printable copies.

Residential Services Sister Adele Scholarship -top

CASA of Oregon announced this year’s Sister Adele Memorial Scholarships: Five $1,000 scholarships and two $2,500 scholarships will be awarded. The purpose of the Sister Adele Memorial Scholarship is to encourage and provide individuals of farmworker families that live in Oregon with the opportunity to further their academic or technical education. Application due date is March 20, 2009. Please see application for details on requirements and due date. Click here to download the application.

Rural Awards of Excellence Call for Nominations Due Feb 6 -top

Rural Development Initiatives is calling for nominations for their 2009 Rural Awards of Excellence. Created in 2002, the ‘Rural Awards of Excellence’ will be presented during Regards to Rural VI, where RDI will showcase what is possible when thoughtful committed citizens come together to invoke positive change within their communities. RDI writes, “We cannot think of a better way to recognize you and/or your community for progress above and beyond what is expected from any group or individual (including youth) than to be a recipient of the 2009 ‘Rural Awards of Excellence’!”

You may self-nominate or recommend for nomination a group, organization or individual you feel is most deserving. Information and the nomination application is available online.

The deadline date to submit your nomination packet has been extended to Friday, February 6, 2009.

2009 ‘Rural Awards of Excellence’ winners will be recognized at the Regards to Rural VI Conference during the ‘Rural Awards of Excellence’ luncheon on Saturday, March 21, 2009 where representatives will be invited to attend and accept their award.

REACH, TriMet to Celebrate Opening of Patton Park Apartments Feb 12 -top

Patton Park Apartments
5272 N. Interstate Avenue, Portland, Oregon
Thursday, February 12, 2009

Grand Opening: 11am – 1pm
Open House: 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Enjoy light refreshments and a special artwork dedication as REACH Community Development and Trimet celebrate this unique addition to Portland’s thriving Interstate transit corridor. Sponsored by TriMet and built by REACH Community Development, Patton Park is the first affordable housing development to open since the MAX Yellow Line was built.

Meet the artists Issaka Shamsud-Din and Mo as their special art pieces are presented to the public at 7:00. Both artists will speak about how their work connects the community. REACH commissioned the artwork through a partnership with the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center.

Self-guided tours will run from 6:00 – 8:00 pm.

Ride MAX to the party! Go to www.trimet.org

Lents Homeownership Initiative General Meeting Feb 18 -top

Join Rose CDC in celebrating the Lents Homeownership Initiative’s (LHI) 2008 accomplishments and launching a NEW Campaign to expand community building through homeownership across East Portland. Looking for new partners!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Noon - 1:30pm

South Powellhurst Building (David Douglas School District Bldg), 2900 SE 122nd, Portland, Click here for Directions

RSVP by February 16 to (503) 788-8052 x105 or via email.

Lunch provided. Event sponsored by: ROSE Community Development, Portland Development Commission, and Wells Fargo.

OPEN to anyone interested in neighborhood revitalization – business owners, community members, organizations, and others!!

To find out more click here.

The Lents Homeownership Initiative is comprised of more than 50 nonprofit, public and private sector organizations, and businesses working together to increase homeownership and improve the quality of life in the Lents Town Center Urban Renewal Area. ROSE Community Development is the organizer of LHI. ROSE has provided affordable housing and other neighborhood improvements in outer southeast Portland since 1992. ROSE gives families a secure place to build lives, raise children, and feel like part of the neighborhood.

Managing Financial Crisis Seminar to Benefit Habitat Feb 18 -top

“Looking Beyond the Financial Storm: Managing In Today’s Crisis Economy”

A benefit to support Habitat for Humanity Portland/Metro East, co-hosted by Executive Forum

Chartered Market Technician Fred Dickson shows business decision makers how to respond to today’s challenges, understand trends, and find opportunities in the emerging economy. Fred will talk about how our local economy is coping, and what kind of balanced solutions are proving most effective in public and private sectors. The seminar is designed so that participants will take away specific things to do right now to build a stronger and more resilient 2009. Contact Executive Forum for more information and to register: 503.475.6503 or by clicking here.

$149, non-profit staff rate available.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009 – 8:30AM – 12:00PM The Abernethy Center, Oregon City.

NPF Training: Good Asset Management Feb 26 -top

Neighborhood Partnership Fund will host a training on good asset management on February 26^th, 2009. Registration Deadline is February 19, 2009

This training will explore how CHDOs use and manage information to respond to external reporting requirements and how to make internal management decisions about their portfolios. During the training participants will evaluate organizations’ current strategies for meeting reporting requirements, overseeing portfolio performance, and providing information to the Board of Directors. Participants will outline strategies for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of their information management systems through an analysis of the various technological systems required to meet their complex financial and compliance needs. In addition, there will be materials from vendors from property management and accounting software systems.

The training is targeted toward Executive Directors, Asset Managers, and Finance Directors of organizations with small to mid-size housing portfolios. Following the training there will be technical assistance opportunities for CHDOs that have attended the training. A total of 82 hours of technical assistance will be available from HDC and TACS.

THE TRAINING WILL INCLUDE

Assessment of types of asset management information, types of decision making, and reporting requirements from funders

Application of an “information systems map” for organizations to clarify roles and improve communications and information management within organizations

Develop an outline of strategies for organizations to streamline various information management systems or to prepare for developing a new system

OUTCOMES

Participants will obtain increased knowledge and skills to apply to their organization’s asset management activities as determined by a post-session evaluation.

TRAINERS

Molly Rogers, The Housing Development Center
Margaret Mahoney, Technical Assistance for Community Services

COST: No charge for training

LUNCH:$10, payment must be received no later than February 19. You will receive a lunch ticket with your confirmation email to print and bring with you on the day of the training.

DATE: February 26, 2009
LOCATION: Black Bear Inn, 1600 Motor Court NE, Salem OR 97301
TIME: 8:30AM-4:30PM
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: February 19, 2009.

REGISTRATION FORM: Click HERE to download your registration form.

SPACE IS LIMITED TO 25 PARTICIPANTS!

RSVP: Haley Cloyd 503-226-3001 x100

Please fill out and fax your registration form to Haley at 503-226-3027 or via email.

NeighborWorks Community Stabilization Training Mar 2-6, Deadline Feb 6 -top

Offering Full-Week Tuition and Lodging Scholarships*

March 2nd – 6th

LA Marriott Downtown (333 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071)

Registration Deadline: Friday, February 6th Scholarship

NeighborWorks is running the Community Stabilization Training Event, which will be held in Los Angeles March 2nd – 6th with FREE TUITION AND LODGING. Take part in top-level training on REO and scattered site housing. Apply for a scholarship today to make it even easier to be a part of the best community stabilization training available.

Scholarships are open to all nonprofit organizations and municipalities involved in a HUD National Stabilization Program (NSP) or National Community Stabilization Trust (NCST) effort or similar programs — As part of the scholarship review process, upon submission of your scholarship application you will be e-mailed a questionnaire requiring that you briefly describe the NSP, NCST or other efforts your organization is involved in.

These FREE tuition and lodging scholarships apply to the NeighborWorks Community Stabilization Training in Los Angeles, CA, March 2 – 6, 2009 (scholarships will cover the cost of training tuition and lodging only). Scholarship applicants must select at least one of the following courses:

AH291 REO Solutions: Property Assessment, Acquisition and Financing

AH292 REO Solutions: Approaches to Efficiently Rehabbing REO Properties

AM230 Managing Scattered Site Housing

*preference will be given to those applying for a scholarship to attend the full week of training — all 3 courses.

Click here learn more about eligibility requirements and to apply online.

Other community stabilization training scholarships may also be made available for trainings conducted in your area.

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STATEWIDE NEWS

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RESOURCES, TRAININGS & EVENTS

Oregon ON Welcomes Orion Lumiere to the Family –top

Rising Rents Increase Pressure on Oregon Families –top

OCPP: New Law Makes More Oregonians Eligible for Unemployment –top

Women’s Academy IMproves Catholic Charities Maternity Home –top

“100 Best Nonprofits to Work For in Oregon” Survey Launched –top

Foreclosure Activity Up 9% from Previous Quarter –top

Mortgage Modification Bill Faces Trouble in Senate –top

NACEDA Conducting Survey on Toxic Titles and Poisoned Properties –top

Commissioner Fish, Mayor, Come Through for Affordable Housing –top

Councilors Liberty & Hosticka Secure $850K to Invest in Housing–top

Julian Agyeman to Keynote Speak at CLF “Mobilizing for Equity” Summit –top

Catholic Charities Breaks Ground on New Clark Family Center –top

Economic Development Grants, Deadline Sept 30 –top

NOFAs for Discretionary, MPR, and Household Water Wells –top

BOA Neighborhood Excellence Initiative: Local Hero, due June –top

OCPP: New Data on What the Typical Oregon Family Earns –top

New NeighborWorks Foreclosure Intervention Course –top

Report Lays Out New Vision to Put the “UD” Back in HUD –top

Treasury LIHTC Exchange Provision Expected by Month End –top

Modified Style Fashion Show for Sisters Of The Road May 17 –top

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