This has been a historic year for affordable housing in Oregon – a year of long-sought victories and exciting growth. In this spirit of hope and reinvigorated purpose, we invite YOU to join us at the Oregon Opportunity Network (Oregon ON) 2009 Banquet, to be held on Wednesday, October 7 at the Oregon Convention Center. The event features special guest keynote speaker Oregon State Representative David Edwards.

We are proud of the passage of two important bills championed by Oregon ON and our partners at the Housing Alliance: The Housing Opportunity Bill, which institutes a document recording fee that will create $15 million for affordable housing in 2009-2011; and the just-passed Lottery-backed bonds bill that will produce over $19 million in 2009-2011 to preserve subsidized rental housing and manufactured home parks.

In the current economy, their passage is nothing short of amazing. Come celebrate with us!

We are also celebrating the great successes of our first year: Since last year’s merger of the Association of Oregon Community Development Organizations (AOCDO) and the Community Development Network (CDN), Oregon ON has become the strong, unified state-wide voice we knew it could be. Over our first year, our peer support training program, policy councils, and our communication network have galvanized and are more relevant than ever.

For more information about the banquet, click here. Or to register, click here.

Peer Network Day Gives Opportunities for Best Practices, Training – Oct 7, 8 –top

On October 7 & 8th Oregon ON will be hosting the Fall 2009 Peer Network Conference in Portland, OR. Since the first statewide peer network meeting in 2007, attendance has more than doubled to over 200 participants and continues to grow with each meeting.

The six groups meeting on October 7 & 8 are: Fiscal Managers; Homeownership Development; Multi-Family Development; Property & Asset Managers; Resident Services and Homeownership Education & Counseling (hosted by the Oregon Homeownership Association, OHA). A wide range of topics will be covered throughout the day, including: green operations and maintenance; credit counseling for homeownership; prevailing wage rate training, resident services programs; what fiscal managers should look for in tax credit partnership agreements among many others.

The Oregon ON Peer Network is designed to give Oregon nonprofit practitioners the opportunity to: develop and promote best practices; receive training and technical assistance; learn from their peers; and, build professional relationships. By building the knowledge, best practices and professional relationships among our members and their staff we are doing our part to ensure the affordable housing and community development community will continue to thrive.

For more information about the Peer Network and the Fall 2009 Conference, please click here or contact Terrie Hendrickson.

CAPACITY MATTERS – PART 2

Capacity Matters: Hacienda CDC Keeps Latino Community’s Lights On –top

In May, Hacienda Community Development Corporation was awarded a contract with the United Way of the Columbia-Willamette to administer over $25,000 in Community Relief Funds to assist Latino families in Multnomah County with rent and utility expenses. Hacienda was among those chosen to award the funds because of its track record of serving the Latino community in a culturally specific and trusted way.

The United Way created the Community Relief Fund as a disaster relief effort to address skyrocketing needs in the four-county area hit hardest by the economic crisis. The fund provides immediate help with food, rent, and utilities, to families stricken by unemployment, evictions, foreclosures and rising costs for basic needs.

In the past four months, Hacienda CDC has assisted 45 families with an average assistance amount of $500. In addition, they have helped farmworker families at Plaza los Robles access rent and utility assistance through Clackamas County Social Services, who received similar funds from United Way.

“The stories we heard were, the main breadwinner had their hours reduced or totally cut, or medical bills had to be paid, and families had to make a choice between paying medical bills or paying rent or utilities or buying food, said Tanya Wolfersperger, Hacienda’s Director of Community Building. “The assistance maybe provided enough of a bridge so they didn’t end up with an eviction on their rental history, or so they could hold out until other assistance came in, or to fill the gap until a new job started.”

An example of one family’s challenges is the Ortega family. Mr. Ortega, a resident at Plaza los Robles, works at a Christmas tree farm, but his hours were cut. It was very hard for him to collect money for rent and utilities, and sometimes his family struggled to have money left for food. If they were able to receive help for rent, Mr. Ortega’s salary would be enough to pay food and utilities. Hacienda submitted a request for six months of rent and utility assistance to help stabilize this family.

By applying to administer the funds, Hacienda CDC had to learn to do something they had not done before. Before, they had referred families who needed rent or utility assistance to other agencies. Now they were the go-to person for not only their own clients, but were getting referrals from Multnomah County, El Programa Hispano, and other organizations.

“We utilized our Resident Services Coordinator, gave her the task to be point person,” said Wolfersperger. “After we did outreach to let people know we had the money, she started fielding calls and setting up appointments. It became a temporary, full-time job! (laughs)”

Families would come in with a copy of a shut-off notice, or a notice from the landlord, and then Hacienda would work directly with landlords and utility companies to provide assistance and prevent the eviction or shut-offs.

What about the work the Coordinator had been doing before? “Part of her job always was to connect people to resources, so now we had a more direct way to do that than advocacy and referrals. It had an impact on our bookkeepers too, because they were managing checks [to landlords and utility companies].

While the additional work in administering a direct relief allocation compounded the already busy work load of staff, Hacienda chose to take on this role and be a conduit for agile distribution to its constituents. “We are grateful to United Way for prioritizing an immediate response to the economic crisis and for their rapid deployment of resources through trusted entities with the community”, said Pietro Ferrari, Hacienda’s executive director. The short term campaign was quickly oversubscribed by the overwhelming number of people in need for assistance.

STATEWIDE NEWS

Housing Opportunity Meetings Scheduled Around the State, Sept – Oct–top

Oregon Housing and Community Services has announced its upcoming dates for Housing Opportunity Implementation (House Bill 2436) forums around the state. OHCS says they are meant to ‘take the pulse’ of Oregonians about the best way to put HB 2436 into effect. It provides a dedicated source of revenue to OHCS.

Oregon Housing and Community Services is seeking a broad range of opinions about strategies. The concept is to gather information to best serve the needs of Oregonians who will be helped by the bill. Broadly speaking, they are the homeless, first-time homebuyers and those who live in subsidized, multifamily housing.

OHCS is refining the exact times and places for the meetings within the framework of the following incomplete information. So, make a note of the meeting that suits your time and location.

Roseburg

1 – 4 p.m., Monday, September 21 -
Douglas County Commissioners’ Chambers
Room 216
1036 SE Douglas

Bend

1 – 4 p.m., Wednesday, September 23 -
Deschutes County Government Building
Barnes Sawyer Room
1300 N.W. Wall
(Corner of Lafayette and the Parkway)

Pendleton

10 a.m. – 1 p.m., Thursday, September 24 –
Parks and Recreation Center
City of Pendleton
500 SW Dorion

Portland

Monday, September 28,
To be determined.

Salem

1:30 – 4:30 p.m., Thursday, October 1 -
North Mall Office Building
Room 124A/B
725 Summer St. NE

If you cannot attend a Housing Opportunity Implementation Forum, or even if you can, please give your views in writing. Address ideas on strategies for distribution of revenues from HB 2436 to:

Lisa Joyce, Director of Policy and Communication
Re: Housing Opportunity Implementation Forum
Oregon Housing and Community Services
725 Summer St. NE, Suite B

Salem, OR 97301
Via email
503-986-0951

Oregon ON Members Receive Federal Funds to Address Foreclosure Blight –top

Governor Ted Kulongoski announced on August 27 that Oregon Housing and Community Services has awarded $4 million to nonprofit housing organizations that will purchase and rehabilitate foreclosed properties. Concentrations of properties qualifying for these grants are located in rural areas of the state and include areas of high foreclosure.

Congratulations to the Oregon ON voting and affiliate members who were among the awardees: Habitat for Humanity Oregon, Umpqua CDC, Community Connection of Northeast Oregon, and Community Services Consortium.

These awards encompass the competitive portion of $19.6 million in federal funds allocated by the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) announced in January 2009, through the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, for communities severely affected by subprime mortgage failures.

“This demonstrates the importance of federal support in grappling with the trauma brought on by the subprime meltdown and resulting foreclosure crisis,” Gov. Kulongoski said. “This will not stop foreclosures, but it can keep neighborhoods from further decline and provide affordable homeownership and rental housing.”

Successful recipients are:

Community Services Consortium ($600,000), targeting Albany, Lebanon, Lincoln City and Toledo.

Umpqua Community Development Corporation ($900,000), targeting Sutherlin, Coos Bay, North Bend, Green and Roseburg.

Central Oregon Regional Housing Authority, DBA Housing Works ($600,000), targeting Deschutes, Jefferson and Crook counties.

Habitat for Humanity of Oregon, Inc. ($400,000), targeting LaPine, Albany, Stayton and Dallas.

Habitat for Humanity of Oregon, Inc. ($500,000), targeting Crook County, Junction City, Lebanon, Lincoln County and Newberg.

Community Connection of Northeast Oregon, Inc. ($500,000), targeting Baker, Grant and Union counties.

Housing Authority of Yamhill County ($500,000), targeting Willamette Valley, McMinnville and Newberg.

This $4 million distribution comes in addition to $11.6 million delivered earlier by Oregon Housing and Community Services to designated communities. They are typically metropolitan areas where significant foreclosures have threatened neighborhoods: Portland/Multnomah County, Gresham, Clackamas County, Washington County/Beaverton/Hillsboro, Salem, Eugene, Springfield, Medford and Bend.

The remainder of the $19.6 million includes $2 million distributed directly by OHCS, principally for down payment assistance, and $2 million to cover program costs.

This NSP funding was authorized by the federal Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. The money was distributed to states and other jurisdictions by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

NSP is not designed to solve the foreclosure crisis. It is aimed at stabilizing neighborhoods plagued by foreclosure, thus preserving the value of nearby homes. A major change in the NSP rules has been put in place to stoke the sale of these properties. The new rule requires the properties be discounted by at least 1 percent – not the earlier 15 percent – below their current appraised value. Lenders holding the foreclosed properties perceived the higher discount as an impediment to making sales because it increased their losses.

Twenty-five percent of the NSP money must be used to help persons and families who earn 50 percent or less than the area median income (AMI) for the locale in which they live. Beneficiaries may not earn more than 120 percent of AMI. Across Oregon, this varies from $60,000 to $84,950 per year for a four-person family.

The NSP money provides successful competitive applicants with the funds to acquire, rehabilitate, demolish and redevelop foreclosed properties – single family or multifamily – held by banks and other lenders.

Separately, OHCS, in concert with a consortium of public entities in the state, has applied to HUD under a second Neighborhood Stabilization Program, or NSP2, through a competitive application. NSP2 was authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Oregon Housing and Community Services is the state’s housing finance agency and community services program administrator. The department provides financial and program support to create and preserve opportunities for affordable housing serving Oregonians of lower and moderate income, and administers federal and state antipoverty, homeless, energy assistance and community service programs.  Go to http://www.ohcs.oregon.gov/.

HUD Names Section 8 Voucher Set-Aside Agencies, but Shortfall Likely –top

On August 11, HUD posted the list of public housing agencies (PHAs) that have received funding from an FY09 contingency fund for the Section 8 voucher program. The $100 million fund, set aside for tenant protection vouchers, unforeseen voucher expenses and voucher portability from regular FY09 voucher renewal funds, was distributed to eligible PHAs that face voucher funding shortfalls (see Memo, 8/7) and that met HUD’s June 4 application deadline. As of early August, $11 million of the $100 million remained to be allocated.

Here are Oregon housing authorities that received funds, and the categories they were awarded under:

Unforeseen Circumstances

Central Oregon $9,814

Additional leasing

Housing Authority of Yamhill County $444,710

Linn-Benton Housing Authority $15,916

Josephine Housing Community Development $289,409

Portability

Housing Authority of Portland $63,966

Marion County Housing Authority $23,664

Klamath Housing Authority $1,161

Northwest Oregon Housing Agency $18,637

Central Oregon Regional Housing Authority $24,336

Unfortunately, HUD does not anticipate that the $100 million in contingency funds will be sufficient to meet the total shortfall. In September, HUD is expected to request permission from Congress to use a portion of anticipated carryover funds in the voucher program to address the remaining deficit. HUD expects to have approximately $400 million in carryover funds from FY09 available on October 1, the start of the next fiscal year. Without some modification to its authority, however, HUD may not be able to use any of these carryover funds to address the current funding shortfall.

Advocates are concerned, however, that before HUD will provide additional financial relief, PHAs must spend down their voucher program reserves to zero, reduce payment standards, impose minimum rents of $50, and give up vouchers that are turned in by people who no longer need them.

The shortfall is already causing some PHAs to reduce payment standards and freeze waiting lists. HUD has asked that PHAs not terminate any voucher holders due to lack of funding, but any of these actions that PHAs are required to take before receiving assistance can potentially cause the loss of assistance to existing voucher holders. Advocates are working to encourage HUD to take all steps necessary to support and maintain a robust voucher program.

View the full list of agencies that received the $100 million in contingency funds by clicking here.

Oregon Short Foreclosure Mitigation Counselors –top

Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) reports that foreclosure mitigation counselors are in seriously short supply in Oregon. They are depending on a third round of federal funding through NeighborWorks America in September, and report that a possible fourth round will be needed because of the tremendous demand for counseling. As many as 19,000 Oregonians were in the process of foreclosure through the second quarter of 2009, according to RealtyTrac.

To help address the problem, OHCS reports they are working closely with the Department of Consumer and Business Services to implement key legislation to inform borrowers about their rights to meet with lenders. Oregon Senate Bill 628 is planned for implementation October 1.

Welfare Reform’s Self-Sufficiency Goal Further Away in Oregon–top

The overhaul of the nation’s welfare system 13 years ago was supposed to help set poor families on a path toward self-sufficiency, but that goal has moved further away for Oregon families currently served by the program, according to the Oregon Center for Public Policy.

Falling amid the deepest recession in a generation, the anniversary of reform draws attention to how changes to the welfare system have made it more difficult for states like Oregon to respond to increased economic need, said OCPP policy analyst Joy Margheim.

President Bill Clinton hailed the “end of welfare as we know it” on August 22, 1996, with the signing of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. That law created the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program to replace Aid to Families with Dependent Children, which had assisted poor families with children since 1935.

Oregon families today have to be much poorer to qualify for TANF, and its benefits don’t go as far in meeting basic needs as when the program came into being, according Margheim.

To qualify for TANF in Oregon a family of three can earn no more than $616 a month, the same as in 1996, Margheim said. Because of inflation’s effect in eroding the purchasing power of money, families today must be significantly poorer in real terms to qualify for assistance than 13 years ago. Today, the $616 limit reflects just 40 percent of the federal poverty income guidelines, down from 57 percent in 1996. Benefit levels have also fallen behind inflation.

With TANF’s income eligibility level frozen, fewer needy families in Oregon can get in the door and a smaller share of those who receive benefits have earnings from work, the analyst said.

“A relatively small paycheck disqualifies Oregon families from TANF,” said Margheim. “This creates a disincentive to work and undermines a key goal of welfare reform.”

In 1996, the breadwinner of a three-person family could work 30 hours a week at a minimum wage job and remain eligible for TANF, but today that same family would lose the cash assistance if the breadwinner worked more than 18 hours a week, according to Margheim. Both inflation and increases in Oregon’s minimum wage since 1996 contribute to the decline.

Under the 1996 welfare law, the federal government provides a block grant to states, while previously states were entitled to matching funds under a formula similar to that used in the Medicaid program.

The change in federal funding set the stage for states’ fiscal problems when the economy turns sour, as is the case now, according to Margheim.

“When the federal government moved the welfare system onto a block grant, federal support froze no matter what happened in a particular state’s economy,” said Margheim. “States lost the ability to respond effectively to increased needs because states were no longer entitled to additional federal help as they step up to the plate to help families with dependent children.”

Case in point for Margheim is what has happened during this recession to the TANF program that serves two-parent families with dependent children in which both parents are unemployed or severely underemployed. Even though families have to be poorer to qualify for the program than in the past, caseloads have soared along with unemployment rates this recession. The caseload for the two-parent welfare program doubled from July 2008 to July 2009 and tripled from July 2007 to July of this year.

Yet the two-parent welfare program was on the 2009 Oregon legislature’s chopping block as lawmakers sought to balance a budget in the midst of a fiscal crisis. Funds from the federal recovery package temporarily rescued the program.

The federal package provides $4 for every $1 that Oregon spends on increased assistance to families with dependent children up to a capped amount.

The state was able to continue providing assistance to two-parent families with the new stimulus dollars, but the extension will be in jeopardy if voters defeat the modest tax increases on profitable corporations and the richest Oregonians enacted by the legislature, said Margheim. Loss of the funds generated by the measures would necessitate significant further cuts to state programs such as TANF.

“Oregonians need to ensure the state maintains programs for Oregon’s poorest families by voting ‘yes’ on the tax measures if they make it to the ballot,” Margheim said. “If opponents of the revenue measures defeat them at the ballot box, some of Oregon’s poorest families could take a direct hit.”

The Oregon Center for Public Policy is a non-partisan research institute that does in-depth research and analysis on budget, tax and economic issues. The Center’s goal is to improve decision making and generate more opportunities for all Oregonians.

Green Housing Increasingly Available to Low-Income Residents–top

From OregonLive, posted by Carrie Sturrock August 27, 2009

Sean Magee loves his new apartment. Solar panels on the roof of his building will soon power a Zipcar station with an electric car. A section of “living” roof planted with sedum and Mexican feathergrass helps manage storm-water runoff.

He expects low energy bills because the building is on track to become Gold LEED certified, which means it meets some of the highest standards for green building. He has 13-foot ceilings in his unit and views of the West Hills and downtown Portland. Best of all, he pays just $515 a month.

“I love my unit — I can’t tell you,” he said.

This is Shaver Green, one of the newest affordable housing projects in Portland, located at the corner of Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Shaver Street. It has 85 units, 71 of which are rented to people making 60percent or less of median income. (The median income for a family of four in Multnomah County is $44,000.) The rest are set aside for those making 30percent or less of median, many of whom were previously homeless.

To read the whole story, click here.

FEDERAL NEWS

HUD Revises Tax Credit Assistance Program Requirements –top

TCAP, created by the February 2009 Recovery Act, helps states fill gaps in Low Income Housing Tax Credit financing. See Federal Register, 8/6/09. Contact Clifford Taffet, HUD, 1-800-998-9999.

Legal Settlement Signals HUD Approach to Furthering Fair Housing–top

HUD announced on August 10 a historic fair housing settlement with Westchester County, NY, that requires the county to use its own funds to develop affordable housing in parts of the county that are currently home to very few people of color.

The settlement is the latest step in a legal process that began in April 2006 when the Anti-Discrimination Center (ADC) sued the county, alleging that it violated the False Claims Act each time it certified as part of its Consolidated Planning process since 2000 that it was “affirmatively furthering fair housing” (AFFH). The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York found on February 24, 2009, that the county had “utterly failed” to meet its annual AFFH certification. Then, on April 28, HUD rejected the accuracy of the county’s AFFH certification, leading to the rare disapproval of the county’s 2009 ConPlan and reflecting Secretary Shaun Donavan’s stated commitment to AFFH (See Memo, 6/5).

Jurisdictions that receive CDBG, HOME, ESG, and HOPWA block grants are required to have a HUD-approved Consolidated Plan (ConPlan). In its ConPlan, a jurisdiction must certify that it is affirmatively furthering the jurisdiction’s commitment to fair housing choice.

“This [settlement] is about expanding the geography of opportunity for families who may have been limited in their housing choices. The agreement we announce today demonstrates Westchester County’s commitment to make sure its neighborhoods are open to everyone, regardless of the color of their skin,” HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan said in a news release on the issue. “This agreement signals a new commitment by HUD to ensure that housing opportunities be available to all, and not just to some.”

According to the settlement, the county must spend $51.6 million of non-federal, non-state funds to “ensure the development of” at least 750 new units of affordable housing over the next seven years. At least 630 of these homes must be in municipalities with an African-American population of less than 3% and a Latino population of less than 7%. Within such municipalities, the homes cannot be developed in census blocks that have more than 10% African-American or Latino populations.

After building permits are issued for 175 of these homes, up to 60 homes can be developed in municipalities that have African-American populations of less than 7% and Latino populations of less than 10%, while up to another 60 homes can be created in municipalities with African-American populations of less than 14% and Latino populations of less than 16%.

All 750 homes must remain affordable and occupied by income-eligible households for at least 50 years. At least half must be rental units, with a minimum of 20% affordable to households with very low incomes, below 50% of the area median income (AMI), and the remaining 80% affordable to households with incomes below 65% AMI. In the settlement, “affordable” for rental housing is defined by the HOME program. Owner-occupied homes must be occupied by households with incomes below 80% AMI and consume no more than 33% of the income of a hypothetical household with income at 80% AMI.

No more than 25% of all homes can be exclusively for senior citizens, and such senior homes cannot be developed until at least 175 non-senior homes have building permits. Up to 25% of the 750 homes could be previously existing homes as long as they meet several criteria.

The county has 120 days to come up with an implementation plan that has benchmarks specified by the settlement for each year through 2016. This plan must assess land suitable for development or adaptive reuse that has potential to provide access to services and facilities that promote employment and educational opportunities, as well as medical and other family services. Priority must be given to sites close to public transportation. The implementation plan obligates the county to promote to its municipalities a model inclusionary zoning ordinance and standards for affirmative marketing. The plan must also contain a CDBG allocation process that gives priority to and provides incentives for projects that further the development of AFFH affordable housing.

Among other requirements, the county must promote legislation already before the county Board of Legislators that would ban “source of income” discrimination in housing, and use at least $400,000 for public education, outreach, affirmative marketing, and consultants.

The court has appointed a monitor to oversee compliance with the settlement. Each quarter, the county must submit to the monitor reports that present the location of homes at three stages of development: completed, under construction, or merely with financing in place. The reports must also provide race and ethnic information about the occupants as well as the municipalities and census blocks where the homes are located. These reports must be available to the public.

“Residential segregation underlies virtually every racial disparity in America, from education to jobs to the delivery of health care, but has been a problem that too many have ignored for too long,” ADC Executive Director Craig Gurian said regarding the settlement. “This settlement means that Westchester can no longer hide from the ugly reality of continuing residential segregation. More broadly, the settlement reflects a new commitment by HUD to make sure that recipients of federal housing funds throughout the country recognize that token efforts to affirmatively further fair housing will not be tolerated.”

More information, including the complete settlement agreement and earlier court decision, are available from ADC, or by emailing Craig Gurian, Executive Director of the Anti-Discrimination Center.

HUD IT System Opens for PHA Input of Debtor Information Sept 14–top

Tom Cusack at the Oregon Housing Blog reports that on Sept. 2, HUD published a potentially controversial Federal Register Privacy Act notification announcing HUD IT system changes that will allow public housing authorities (PHA’s) to enter and share debtor information. Click here to see it.

From the Notification:

“Effective September 14, 2009, PHAs will have the ability to enter the following information into EIV:

1. Amount of debt owed by a former tenant to a PHA;

2. If applicable, indication of executed repayment agreement;

3. If applicable, indication of bankruptcy filing;

4. If applicable, the reason for any adverse termination of the family from a

Federally assisted housing program.

This information will be used by HUD to create a national repository of families that owe a debt to a PHA and/or have been terminated from a Federally assisted housing program. This national repository will be available within the EIV system for all PHAs to access during the time of application for rental assistance. PHAs will be able to access this information to determine a family’s suitability for rental assistance, and avoid providing limited Federal housing assistance to families who either: 1) owe a debt to a PHA; or 2) have previously been unable to comply with HUD program requirements.

Senate Appropriations Bill Released with Full Text, Details–top

The Senate Committee on Appropriations has published the full text of H.R. 3288, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies (T-HUD) bill. The Senate completed its work on the bill August 5, but provided only a summary of funding levels at that time (see Memo, 8/7).

The Senate bill generally follows the House bill. The full text of the bill confirms increased funding levels for HUD programs over the FY09 level and the President’s FY10 request, offers more details on the Choice Neighborhood Initiative, and includes changes the Senate would make to the public housing capital fund and the Family Unification Program.

As reported, the Senate bill calls for eliminating funding for the HOPE VI program and replacing it with the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI), a new program that President Obama requested in his FY10 budget proposal to replace HOPE VI. The House did not fund CNI, saying that such significant changes to public housing programs should be authorized by the Financial Services Committee before being considered for appropriations.

If enacted, CNI would provide funds for the rehabilitation and replacement of HUD public or assisted housing as well as the “transformation” of neighborhoods, a broader goal than that of the HOPE VI program. As described in the Senate bill, public housing authorities (PHAs), local governments, nonprofits, and for-profits with public partners would be eligible to apply for CNI funds. Eligible uses of funds would include housing, services for residents, and community development. Applicants would be required to partner with resident organizations and service providers. The program would specifically fund the conversion of foreclosed properties into affordable housing.

The Senate would fund this new program at $250 million, the same level at which the House funded the HOPE VI program. This is more than double the HOPE VI FY09 funding.

A minimum of $165 million would be set aside for applications from PHAs, assuring continued access to redevelopment funds for the PHAs that would no longer have exclusive access to HOPE VI funds. The set-aside funds exceed the FY09 funding level for the HOPE VI program.

The bill would require HUD to submit a plan for the CNI program to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations and to develop guidelines that include protections for current residents of public or HUD-assisted housing.

In addition to providing details on the proposed CNI program, the Senate bill adds a provision to the public housing capital fund to allow funds to be used for the development of facilities to provide child and adult education and employment services. PHAs would be able to apply for up to $50 million for construction, rehabilitation or purchase of properties at which to conduct these services. Grantees would be required to leverage funding for development of the centers and demonstrate long-term ability to support operating costs of such facilities.

Finally, the Senate bill would restore the Family Unification Program, eliminated in the President’s budget and the House bill. The bill would fund the program at its FY09 funding level of $20 million and includes the same provisions as in FY09.

Link to the text of bill H.R. 3288 at: http://thomas.loc.gov/home/approp/app10.html

EPA Provides Heads Up on Planned New Lead Rules–top

On August 26 Tom Cusak of the Oregon Housing Blog reported that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) intends to strengthen requirements it issued in 2008 to protect children from lead-based paint poisoning associated with renovation and repair activities in homes and schools.

EPA will propose to expand lead-safe work practices and other protective requirements for renovation and painting work involving lead paint to cover most pre-1978 housing, and after certain renovation, repair, and painting preparation activities are performed to require renovation firms to perform quantitative dust testing to achieve dust-lead levels that comply with EPA’s regulatory standards. Renovations on the exteriors of public and commercial buildings will also be proposed to be covered and EPA will evaluate whether renovations in the interior of these buildings create lead-based paint hazards.

EPA will undertake three separate rulemakings to expand coverage and strengthen requirements of the 2008 RRP rule, which will take full effect on April 22, 2010. These rulemakings will be available for public comment.

The agreement was part of a settlement of litigation by the Sierra Club, the New York City Coalition to End Lead Poisoning, and other public interest petitioners over the April 2008 Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule, issued under the authority of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to address lead-based paint hazards created by common renovation activities in homes, child care centers, and schools built before 1978.

These proposed amendments to the 2008 RRP rule would result in reduced exposures to lead-based paint hazards for young children, the most sensitive population, as well as for older children and adults. Read EPA’s press release by clicking here.

2009 Affordable Housing Goals Set for Fannie and Freddie –top

The affordable housing goals for Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, HUD and the Federal Housing Finance Agency, set in 2008, remain in effect for 2009. FHFA has analyzed current market conditions and is adopting a final rule that adjusts the housing goal, home purchase sub-goal and special affordable multifamily housing sub-goal levels for the government-sponsored enterprises for 2009.

The final rule also permits loans owned or guaranteed by a GSE that are modified in accordance with the Administration’s Making Home Affordable Program, which was announced on March 4, to be treated as mortgage purchases and count for purposes of the housing goals. In addition, the final rule excluded purchases of jumbo conforming loans from counting toward the 2009 housing goals.

See Federal Register, 8/10/09 or http://www.fhfa.gov/Default.aspx?Page=89. Contact Nelson Hernandez, FHFA, 202-408-2993.

Unemployed Homeowners Have Few Options – Foreclosure Rates Rise–top

NACEDA (National Associate of Community Economic Development Associations) reports that economists estimate that 1.8 million borrowers will lose their homes this year, up from 1.4 million last year, according to Moody’s Economy.com. And the government, which has already committed billions of dollars to foreclosure prevention, has found it far more difficult to help unemployed people than those whose mortgage payments became unaffordable because of an interest-rate increase. Currently, unemployed borrowers have few options to save their homes. Banks often will allow two or three missed payments to give borrowers time to find a job. Others offer to temporarily lower their payments by 50 percent. But both of these options are not permanent and are ill-suited to the current crisis, according to consumer advocates and industry officials.

The number of unemployed people who have been looking for a job for more than 26 weeks rose more than 500,000 last month. Under the federal foreclosure prevention program, unemployment insurance can be counted as income when a borrower applies for a modification. But the borrower must show eligibility for at least nine months of unemployment checks.

See Obama’s Rural Tour on New Website–top

Viewers can read about the Obama Administration’s Rural Tour and leave comments at http://www.ruraltour.gov.

New Mobile Home Installation Research Released–top

HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) has released outcome data on verification testing conducted on conventional ground anchor assemblies for manufactured housing installations. The performance of these assemblies is critical to the overall quality and structural integrity of manufactured home installations.

The testing sought to verify the draft Ground Anchor Assembly Test Protocol (GAATP), which was developed to serve as a nationally recognized test protocol as called for in the Model Manufactured Home Installation Standard. This study assesses the proposed GAATP based on actual implementation of the test protocol using a variety of conventional ground anchor assemblies, test configurations, and site soil conditions. In addition, a new test rig was developed in compliance with the GAATP rig requirements and implemented to facilitate an efficient and repeatable method of ground anchor testing.

The results are published in Research and Analysis for

Manufactured Housing Foundations: Ground Anchor Verification Testing. The report and supplemental data are available online and can be downloaded at no cost at www.huduser.org/publications/destech/grnd_anchor_2d.html.

MEMBER NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE

Housing Works to Use NSP Award to Sell Foreclosed Homes, Lease Land–top

From KTVZ.COM

As many as 16 lower-income Central Oregon families will have the opportunity to purchase homes made affordable through federal stimulus funds. Housing Works announced Monday it has been awarded $600,000 through the federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) to purchased bank-owned, foreclosed homes throughout Central Oregon.

Housing Works, the regional housing authority, will use the NSP award to acquire approximately 16 homes. The homes will be placed in the organization’s HomeQuest Ground Lease program and will be made available for purchase to lower-income households participating in Housing Works’ HomeQuest Homeownership Program. The land will be retained by Housing Works and leased long-term to the homebuyer who will purchase the improvements. The Ground Lease program offers lower-income households the opportunity for homeownership which would otherwise be beyond their means.

Click here to read the whole story.

St Vincent de Paul Oldest Thrift Store Falls, Lamb Building Breaks Ground–top

Fall was in the air but not the cards on Aug. 24^th. That’s when City of Eugene and Lane County officials joined St. Vincent de Paul volunteers in “pulling together” on ropes meant to bring down a portion of St. Vinnie’s most familiar thrift store, situated on the corner of W. 11th Ave. and Hayes St.

But the building did not budge. Instead, a temporary support tumbled, and the familiar red-and-white arches sagged as if the 50-year-old landmark were unwilling to give up its post on St. Vinnie’s longest-held real estate.

As onlookers howled with laughter, workers moved in with a giant backhoe to finish the task and get started on the larger job: construction of the Donald L. Lamb Building. Named in memory of a longtime Vincentian and SVdP Board member, the four-story, $7.5 million project will bring 35 units of affordable housing and 7,500 sq. ft. of ground-floor retail to an aging neighborhood targeted by the City for redevelopment. The design features a community room, laundry facilities, an outdoor terrace, and high-speed internet, and utilizes materials and fixtures that are energy efficient, have low toxicity, and/or conserve water.

The Lamb Building’s anticipated completion date is October 2010.

The property was purchased in 1955 from the Lane County Rural Electrification Association, and Bob Lyford was on hand to sign the paperwork at St. Mary Catholic Church. Mr. Lyford, Dick Rademacher, Fred Seubert, and CJ Frieze attended this summer’s big pull, representing SVdP Lane County’s founders and earliest volunteers.

Mary Ann and Michael Lamb, Don Lamb’s widow and son, were there, too, and accepted the cobalt plaque that commemorates Don Lamb’s “life lived in service.” Crafted at St. Vinnie’s Aurora Glass foundry, the plaque will be a permanent fixture in the Lamb Building lobby.

In his comments, Commissioner Peter Sorenson wondered that without the W. 11th store, where would he would buy his next appliance. Those appliances have been distributed among St. Vinnie’s Seneca, West Broadway, and Division stores.

And a colony of disgruntled honeybees, found under the roof of an auxiliary building, were captured and relocated by a professional beekeeper.

St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County is grateful to its Lamb Building partners: Bergsund-DeLaney Architects, Meili Construction, Key Community Development Corp., Oregon Housing & Community Services, City of Eugene, Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle, EWEB, Oregon Dept. of Energy, Enterprise Green Communities, KeyBank NA, and the Network for Oregon Affordable Housing.

Economically Disadvantaged Kids Get Eco-friendly Playground –top

On August 13^th, hundreds of community volunteers built a playground for economically disadvantaged kids in the middle of Human Solution’s Arbor Glen low-income apartment complex. The playground, built in one day, is one of three nationwide to pilot ‘green’ playground equipment through KaBOOM!, a nationwide nonprofit playground builder.

The new play area incorporates equipment manufactured by Big Toys, Inc. in which the playground platforms are comprised of 100-percent recycled milk jugs and the posts for the playground are made with 80-percent post-consumer recycled material. In addition, a rainwater collection system will be installed along with a dog run and an accessible community garden.

Human Solution’s Arbor Glen apartment complex has 96 units for low-income families, including hundreds of children, and includes 20 units for homeless families who receive intensive support services. The complex is located at SE 145^th Avenue and Division, in a neighborhood lacking safe places to play for children. The playground is a wonderful addition for many families as they work to escape poverty and move towards self-sufficiency.

Children who live at Arbor Glen were there on the day of the playground build – helping out as much as they could – and watching the volunteers in action! As soon as the playground was ready – the kids had lots of fun on their new equipment!

Human Solutions expects the playground to provide new and fun opportunities to engage youth in play, and to greatly enhance children’s sense of pride in their housing. It will also serve as the foundation for a renewed sense of community and help foster good neighbor relations for years to come.

FUNDING AND AWARD OPPORTUNITIES

Boeing Offers Printing, Auction Items, Equipment –top

The Boeing Company Contributions Program can help nonprofit orgs with:

Excess equipment (also referred to as capital assets and expense equipment): May include surplus office equipment, test and measurement equipment, machinery, computers, printers, etc.
Services: Includes printing, photography, videotaping and editing, etc. We do not print auction booklets, tickets or one-time items.
Loaned labor: Formal arrangement whereby an employee with a particular expertise or skill works with a nonprofit organization on a short-term project or program.
Auction items: Existing or purchased items that are given to a nonprofit organization to include in an auction to raise funds.
Give-away items: Small, inexpensive — often Boeing-branded — items given to a nonprofit organization for inclusion in gift bags, for door prizes, etc.

This support is available even for groups who receive grants from the Employees Community Fund of Boeing.

Click here to learn more.

Section 202 and 811, Service Coordinator, Assisted Living Conversion NOFAs–top

Assisted Living Conversion Program – Applications due November 5

Service Coordinator in Multifamily Housing- Applications due November 5

Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly – Applications due November 13

Section 811 Supportive Housing for People with Disabilities – Applications due November 16

For more information, check: http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/fundsavail.cfm

EVENTS

Assets and Opportunity Scorecard Release Is Advocate Opportunity - Sept 21–top

How financially secure are Oregon families, compared to those of other states? What public policies can improve the financial security of families?

Those questions and more will be the focus of the 2009-2010 Assets and Opportunity Scorecard by the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED), a national economic nonprofit. The Oregon Scorecard will be released on September 21:

Monday September 21, 2009
9 am to noon
YWCA Downtown Portland
1111 SW Tenth Avenue

Oregon ON and Oregon Thrives cordially invite you to join us on for this event. Immediately following a press conference on the release of the Scorecard, we will hold a forum for advocates from across the state.

The forum will be a conversation about common policy priorities for the coming years. Our hope is to build lines of communication between organizations who may not yet have established relationships.

Pre-registration is required to attend the discussion. A PDF form is attached here: Assets and Opportunity Scorecard Registration Form

CFED’s Assets & Opportunity Scorecard—online at scorecard.cfed.org [1]—measures the financial security of families in the United States by looking beyond just income to the whole picture of building ownership. The Scorecard ranks states on 58 performance measures in the areas of Financial Assets & Income, Businesses & Jobs, Housing & Homeownership, Health Care and Education. The Scorecard also assesses states on the strength of its policies to help families build financial security. It includes a detailed look at 12 policy priority areas.

We hope you’ll join us for this important two-part event.

CCLT Breaks Ground on Juneberry Lane Earth Advantage Housing – Sept 23 –top

Please join Clackamas Community Land Trust (CCLT) for the groundbreaking of Juneberry Lane homes in Oregon City. Juneberry Lane will be the first residential project to be certified as an Earth Advantgage Community. Each of the 12 homes are designed to meet the LEED-Home standard at the Platinum level. They will be priced from $115,000 and available for purchase to households of modest means.

The charming and unusual name refers to a plant that also goes by the name ’serviceberry’ or ‘Saskatoon’. It is a native plant that has been commonly used by Native Americans and settlers for food, medicine and tools, and is still used today for cancer research. The project location next to Willamette Falls hospital, Oregon City history, and CCLT’s dedication to sustainability all contributed to CCLT choosing the name.

WHEN: Wednesday, September 23, 2009, 10am-11am

WHERE: The Juneberry site, at 107 Morton Road, Oregon City

The following guests will help CCLT celebrate the groundbreaking of this exciting project: Clackamas County Commission Chair Lynn Peterson, Oregon City Commission President Daphne Wuest,  Clackamas Community Land Trust Board Chair Michael Silvey,  and Earth Advantage Institute Executive Director Sean Penrith.

Refreshments generously donated by Starbucks and Singer Hill Café. Project donors and lenders include Clackamas County, Lewis and Clark Bank, Mercy Loan Fund, Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle, Community Frameworks, Adrian Dominican Sisters, Home Depot Foundation and Energy Trust of Oregon. Project partners include Bonn Design, Nick Stearns Inc., AKS Engineering and Forestry LLC, Community Development Law Center, Earth Advantage Institute, Umpqua Bank, and RA Roth Construction and Son.

Indulge in Chocolate to Support Affordable Housing – Oct 1 –top

Please join Northwest Housing Alternatives for fun, chocolate, music and a good cause!

Home Sweet Home helps Northwest Housing Alternatives take a bite out of the high cost of housing and will feature decadent amounts of chocolate to sample, plus a mini-concert by Three Leg Torso. Chocolate samples will be provided by Cupcake Jones, Sweet Masterpieces, Blue Gardenia, Saint Cupcake, Wingnut Confections, Desserts of Distinction, Fleur de Lis Bakery, the Fifth Food Group, Lulu’s Chocolate and Stirs the Soul raw chocolate while coffee from Zbeanz Roasters will add zip to the event. Local reporter and meteorologist Stephanie Kralevich will MC the event.

Home Sweet Home celebrates Northwest Housing Alternatives’ 27 years of success in creating housing options for Oregonians with low incomes and raises funds for future affordable housing development.

Tickets are $30 (adults) and $15 (children) and are available at www.nwhousing.org

Thursday, October 1st, 2009
7 until 9:30pm
Melody Ballroom
615 SE Alder Street, Portland

Contact: Tim Collier, Resource Development Coordinator
503-654-1007 extension 113
collier@nwhousing.org

Northwest Housing Alternatives
2316 SE Willard Street
Milwaukie, OR 97222-7740

Michael Allen Harrison Piano Concert Supports Human Solutions – Oct 2–top

Please join Human Solutions in welcoming the fall by listening to the meditative piano music of Michael Allen Harrison on October 2^nd. All ages are welcome to enjoy freshly baked pumpkin bread and warm cider and hear a concert from Portland’s Premier Pianist, while helping a great cause – ending family homelessness.

WHEN: Friday, October 2, 2009

6:30 Reception – pumpkin bread and cider served
7:00 Concert by Michael Allen Harrison, Portland’s Premier Pianist

WHERE: Fremont United Methodist Church
2620 NE Fremont, Portland OR

WHAT: Family piano concert and reception, to benefit homeless families.

COST: Free. A suggested donation of $20 will provide housing, food, and services to a homeless family for one day at Human Solutions’ Daybreak Shelter for Homeless Families.

On any given night in Multnomah County, more than 700 families including 1,379 children are homeless. For many homeless families, Human Solutions’ Daybreak Shelter for Homeless Families is the only place they can go to receive the assistance they need to effectively overcome their homelessness, stay together as a family, and not be required to participate in religious services or programs that may be in conflict with their own beliefs. High mobility, lack of traditional safety nets, increased competition for living wage employment, and having few or no health care benefits takes a toll on families struggling to remain self-sufficient and in their homes.

The Daybreak Shelter Network is a unique and extremely cost-effective solution to family homelessness: A network of 27 churches offer volunteer support and nine of those churches (including the Fremont United Methodist Church) open their doors to families so they can spend the night. During the daytime, families stay at the Daybreak Shelter so they can wash their clothes, work with staff to plan out their futures, seek permanent housing and employment, and have a safe place to call home until they are ready to move onto a more stable situation.

Human Solutions manages and operates the Daybreak Shelter for Homeless Families – and is also responsible for ensuring this network has the financial resources necessary to continue its operations. Michael Allen Harrison has graciously, for the tenth year in a row, offered a free concert to the community to help Human Solutions raise dollars for this important cause. The suggested donation at this concert on October 2^nd is $20: enough to cover the cost of emergency shelter, food and services to an individual for one day and night at the shelter.

For over 20 years, Human Solutions has been fighting for the economic rights of those in need in East Portland – low income families that are just a car breakdown – or medical crisis – shy of spiraling into homelessness. By offering the unique opportunity to get out of poverty through affordable housing, emergency assistance, job training and other supportive services THOUSANDS of families in East Portland now are no longer suffering the affects of dire poverty. They are now working at career wage jobs, living in safe homes, and enjoying the wonderful things Portland has to offer.

For more information please visit www.humansolutions.org or call Lauren Rimestad at 503-548-0228.

Heathman’s Oktoberfest to Benefit Habitat Portland-Metro East – Oct 8–top

“Raise Your Glass to Raise the Roof,” with Habitat for Humanity Portland/Metro East at Oktoberfest, underwritten by the Heathman Restaurant and Bar.

The event is October 8, 2009 from 6-9 p.m at the Heathman Restaurant and Bar, located at 1001 SW Broadway, Portland. Tickets are $50 when purchased in advance at www.habitatportlandmetro.org, or will be $60 at the door. New this year is a silent auction!

Cuisine will be prepared by award-winning Chef Philippe Boulot. Beer will be donated by Full Sail Brewing Co. and wine donated by Cameron Winery and Westrey Wine Co. All funds raised during this festive evening will benefit Habitat for Humanity Portland/Metro East.

During this time of economic uncertainty, Habitat for Humanity is needed now more than ever. No other housing organization in the Portland/Metro East area offers no-interest mortgage, giving Habitat the ability to reach out to families one step away from homelessness. Their build it and buy it program is housing 20 families this year. Homes are sold at cost with a 0% interest mortgage after the families put in 500 hours of sweat equity on their home and other Habitat projects.

Habitat sells the homes at cost, making no profit. Houses are sold below market value because of volunteer labor and donations. Families pay a 1% down payment on a 0% interest mortgage. Instead of being in a vulnerable and fragile economic position, Habitat families find themselves in a position of strength. For more information contact www.habitatportlandmetro.org.

CONFERENCES

Registration Open for Rural Rental Preservation Conference – Sept 24 –top

HAC will convene “Preserving Rural Rental Housing: A Conference on Policy and Practice” in Washington, D.C. with support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Hear from key members of Congress, leaders in Section 515 preservation legislation, expert congressional and USDA staff, and local practitioners. Visit www.ruralhome.org.

Oregon Small Business Fair – September 19–top

Those who have always dreamed of starting their own business but don’t know how to get started, can get help at the 16th annual Oregon Small Business Fair, a free event for small-business owners and those thinking about becoming small-business owners.

The fair provides information that will help businesses comply with laws and regulations and is sponsored by local, state, and federal agencies, and nonprofit organizations. Attendees will be able to get free consultations and can attend seminars on critical topics that are taught by agency and business experts, attorneys, and CPAs. Attendees can also learn about a Small Business Administration loan for small businesses and start-ups and can apply for and get approved for a business loan. Local businesses, government representatives, and exhibitors will be staffing information booths.

The Fair will be held at the Oregon Convention Center at 8:45am-5:00pm. For more information about the Oregon Small Business Fair, call 503-329-4260 or visit www.oregonbizfair.org. Also, the 7th Rogue Valley Business Resource Fair, also free, will be held on October 3rd from9am to 2pm at Rogue Community College in Medford.

REPORTS

Cap-and-Dividend Helps Lower Income Families More than Cap-and-Trade–top

The impacts of a climate bill that would place a cap on carbon emissions will vary across states and income brackets, according to a new study released by the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) and Economics for Equity and the Environment Network (E3).

In this report, the authors estimate how family budgets would be affected by the increase in the price of fossil fuels expected to result from a cap on carbon emissions. They then estimate what would happen if, instead of being given away to firms under a “cap-and-trade” scenario, all carbon permits were auctioned and 80% of the revenue from these auctions were returned to the American public in the form of equal dividends. The authors find that in every state, low income households would see a net benefit from this type of “cap-and-dividend” system.

A cap-and-dividend system differs from a cap-and-trade system in how the permits are distributed. In cap-and-trade, all of the permits would be given away for free to corporations. The corporations that got more permits than they needed would then sell their extra permits to firms that got fewer than they wanted. In a cap-and-dividend system, however, 100% of the carbon permits would be sold at auction, making trading unnecessary. The revenues from these auctions would then be returned to the public as equal payments per person. President Obama made the case for 100% of permits to be auctioned in his FY10 budget proposal.

In order to determine the net impacts of a cap-and-dividend policy across income brackets, the authors first estimate the carbon footprints of households based on the carbon dioxide emissions resulting from their direct fuel consumption and the production and distribution of other goods that they consume. They split the population into 10 income deciles and find that carbon emissions per capita in the highest income decile are more than 6 times greater than in the lowest decile; however, as a share of their income, carbon per dollar of expenditure is more than twice as high in the poorest decile as in the richest. This means that while lower income households have a much smaller carbon footprint than higher-income households, they would be paying a larger share of their income on increased energy costs.

The next step in finding the net impact on households is to observe how the revenues from the permit auctions are redistributed. The authors analyze how households would be affected if 80% of the revenue were returned to the households as dividends (the other 20% could be spent on transitional assistance to communities, workers, or firms that would be adversely affected by decreasing reliance on fossil fuels). They find that the average annual cost of carbon to consumers for higher fossil fuel prices ranges from $135 per person in the lowest income decile to $618 per person in the highest-income decile.

If each household were to receive an equal dividend of $386, then the bottom seven deciles would all receive more in dividends than they pay in higher prices, the eight decile breaks even, and the top two deciles experience a net cost. As a percentage of income, this is a 6.5% gain for people in the lowest decile and a 0.3% loss for people in the highest decile, turning this into a progressive climate change policy.

The remainder of the report analyzes the impacts of higher energy prices and a cap-and-dividend policy on each state, and on the income deciles within each state. They find that inter-state differences are not that large. The annual cost to a median-income household ranges from $239 per person in Oregon to $349 per person in Indiana, with the net benefits of the cap-and-dividend ranging from $147 per person in Oregon to $37 per person in Indiana.

The full report, Cap and Dividend: A State-by-State Analysis, can be found by clicking here.

Delinquency, Foreclosures for HOME-, ADDI-Assisted Borrowers Analyzed–top

HUD’s Office of Policy Development & Research recently published a report, Rates of Foreclosure in HOME and ADDI Programs, which estimates the annual foreclosure and delinquency rates for these programs. The report analyzed delinquency and foreclosure rates for both HOME- and ADDI-assisted borrowers who purchased homes from 2001 through 2005.

The report found that borrowers with HOME or ADDI downpayment assistance had lower average foreclosure rates than a similar set of borrowers that did not have downpayment assistance. Furthermore, the foreclosure rates in the HOME and ADDI downpayment assistance programs were far lower than the very risky seller-financed downpayment assistance program that has been discontinued by the FHA. The report provides evidence

that programs can be carefully developed and managed to assist lower-income families with housing and homeownership assistance.

This report is available as a free download by clicking here, www.huduser.org/publications/hsgfin/addi.html and print copies can be ordered for a nominal fee by calling HUD USER at 800-245-2691, option 1.

Movers More Likely to Switch from Owning to Renting than Vice Versa–top

The National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) published an August 5 research note, Who’s Moving into Apartments?, that examines the type of households that switch from owners to renters and move into apartments. It is well known that renters tend to move more often than owners, but NMHC finds a substantial amount of tenure-switching when people move (from owner-to-renter or renter-to-owner) and reports that more owners are switching to renters than vice versa.

Using the 2007 American Housing Survey (AHS) as its data source, NMHC finds that 16% of all American households moved in the previous 12 months and of those, 30% switched tenure. It was more likely for a household to switch from owning to renting than it was for them to do the reverse, with 17% of movers switching from owners to renters and only 13% switching from renters to owners.

NMHC analyzes information from the AHS on recent movers, who are defined as households that moved within the prior two years, in order to uncover the ages and types of households that are moving from owners to renters. They find that all recent movers, except those in the 30-44 age group, are more likely to rent after their move. The recent movers with the largest increase in rentership are those aged 65 and over, with 35% of this age group renting before the move, and 52% renting after the move. The report points out that this age group is expected to be the fastest-growing over the next 15 years, making this tenure-switching trend an important one for the rental housing industry.

The types of households that are most likely to rent include singles and single parents, and these households are also the most likely to continue renting after moving. Alternatively, married couples with and without children are less likely to rent after moving than before. Finally, when looking at whether movers live in single-family or multifamily (rental or for sale buildings with at least two units in them) housing, NMHC finds that recent movers are more likely to live in multifamily housing after moving than they were before. This is true for all age groups except the 30-44 year-olds, but those households under 30 and 65 and over are among the most likely to move into multifamily housing along with singles and single parents.

The full report from NMHC, including tables and the statistics mentioned above, can be found by clicking here.

RESOURCES

Public Notices Collected Online –top

Public notices are announcements from all levels and branches of government, from businesses and from individuals. Newspapers publish thousands of public notices every day, often in their classified advertising sections.

Public notices inform you about government actions, environmental conditions and economic changes. Public notices alert you when the interests of your family, your neighborhood or your business are affected by what others do. Public notices invite you to participate in the democratic process and in business opportunities.

If you haven’t looked at your newspaper’s public notice section lately, here are a few things you may have missed:

foreclosures and unclaimed property in your neighborhood
the restaurant at the end of your block applied for a liquor license
government agencies are buying the products your company makes
a proposed tax increase is on the school board’s agenda
the assets of your late aunt’s estate are being distributed
your neighbor has applied for a permit to enlarge her house
the sewer authority is issuing bonds to finance a new plant
your client filed articles of incorporation with the help of another law firm
the state treasurer is holding unclaimed tax refunds
business and residential properties are going up for sale

MyPublicNotices.com (MPN) brings public notices from the country’s newspapers to the Web. Now, anyone can locate vital information about a community, a state or an entire region with MPN’s online searching and data management tools. MPN helps newspapers add more value to their public notice advertising.

Check out the database at http://www.mypublicnotices.com.

ARRA Webinar for Small Businesses and Nonprofits – September 9 –top

Please join Green for All and its partners, AEO and Tides Center, in a free webinar to help you learn how to access stimulus dollars from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. It will be held September 9, at 4pm (EDT).

This first Green for All webinar launches AEO’s new Capital Access Program (CAP) to create, sustain and scale green jobs in the U.S. Leveraging the work of their policy and field teams, CAP is responsible for building the capacity of stakeholders and mobilizing capital so that our work successfully leads to economic recovery and environmental restoration. CAP works with businesses – large and small – as well as nonprofit organizations. Through webinars, publications and convenings, AEO seeks to increase the capacity of these entities to be leaders in the green economy. Click here to sign up for the September 9th Webinar.

Vital Communities Toolbox Helps Overcome Regulatory Barriers–top

Numerous studies have shown that rigid land use and development regulations can impede affordable housing production. In response, local governments have adopted a wide assortment of strategies and mechanisms to overcome such regulatory barriers. An online toolkit, Vital Communities Toolbox, created by Tompkins County, New York, catalogues a variety of planning tools that are available to assist communities in the creation and preservation of affordable housing. The strategies in this toolbox are targeted toward achieving a set of principles, including “promoting choice and affordability in housing options,” and have been adopted by the county as part of its Vital Communities Initiative.

Tools listed on the website are categorized according to how they are applied in practice. For example, strategies such as cluster development, traditional neighborhood design, and infill development are listed as applicable to promoting a mix of housing choices. Other tools, such as inclusionary zoning, streamlined permitting, adaptive reuse, and cottage housing, are grouped together based on their capacity to increase affordable housing options for low- and moderate-income families. The online toolkit also includes a glossary and short description of each tool. Although Tompkins County developed the toolbox to encourage sustainable growth patterns within the county, these strategies can easily be tailored to meet the needs of any community.

You can view the Vital Communities Toolbox by clicking here.

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 3rd, 2009 at 9:38 am and is filed under Newsletter.

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September 3 Newsletter

From OregonLive, posted by Carrie Sturrock August 27, 2009

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