Oregon ON The Beat: January 21 Newsletter
ED Michael Anderson Accepts National Advocacy Job – Party Feb 2
Oregon ON, ROSE and Hacienda Join National Healthy Kids Grant
New Voting Member Portland Housing Center
Capacity Matters – Part 11
CCLT – You have to be scrappy or you don’t survive
Awards
Habitat Portland-Metro East Wins Green Building Award
Member News
CCLT Homebuyer Workshops in English, Spanish – first Jan 23
Sabin to Launch of New HAP-Parntership Wireless Lab – Jan 28
NHA Celebration Welcomes Home Roselyn Residents – Feb 10
NAYA Offers Free Tax Preparation Assistance – Feb 1- April 15
Oregon ON Members Think Out Loud
NEDCO Welcomes New Executive Director
CCLT Seeks Volunteers for Events Planning, Tabling, Office, Video
Portland Metro News
Portland Housing Bureau Budget Priorities Survey
Regional and Rural News
Clackamas PHA 5 Year Plan – Comments March 5, Hearing March 18
State Says Bend UGB Plan Needs Work – Housing, Size in Question
Yamhill Housing Authority Offers Free Foreclosure Counseling
Central Oregon Homebuilders Dump $12,500 Against 66 and 67
Statewide News
The Special Election Will Be Close – Vote and Volunteer
Oregon Housing Council Jan 22 Meeting Packet Posted
HUD Housing Trust Fund Analysis Shows Oregon Would Get $14M
Enterprise Community Development Pro Leonard to Lead NW Effort
State Legislature Prepares for the 2010 Session
Housing Opportunity Bill Resource Allocation Strategies Delayed
Changes in the 2010 CFC Process
Private Activity Bond Committee Gives OHCS $303 Million in Authority
Oregon ARRA Reporting Milestone Reached
New Oregon Law Requires Landlords to Disclose Smoking Policy
Ways and Means Recommends Spending Authority for OHCS
Take the Impediments to Fair Housing Choice Survey
NSP2 Grant Awards Announced
Federal News
Please Call Your Senators in Support of $1B for the NHTF Jan 21
NHTF Action Now Focused on Senate Jobs Bill
Senator Letter to Obama Asks for NHTF Funds in FY11 Budget
HUD Speeds Foreclosure Resales by Waiving Anti-Flipping Rule
Justice Housing Unit Looks at Reverse Redlining and Loan Mods
FY11 Budget Process For Dummies
Housing on Congress Agenda – Vouchers, SEVRA, Preservation
National Low Income Housing Coalition 2010 Policy Agenda
Hearing on Bill to Fund Fair Housing Centers, Discrimination Research
FHFA Seeks Comments on Diversity Rule – Due March 12
Accessibility Resources Result of Fair Housing Suit
Increase in Section 202 Funds for Senior Affordable Housing
HUD Takes Over Hope for Homeowners Program
J20 Action on Housing in San Francisco A Success
Funding and Award Opportunities
ARRA Billions Available for Broadband Grants – Workshop Jan 26
Multi-Family Toilet Replacement Grants – Due Feb 17
Fiskars Community Gardening Grants – Due Feb 19
MetLife Grants for Police-Community Collaborations – Due Feb 26
Workforce Grants for Cities and Counties – Due April 20
NEA Funds Arts for the Underserved – Due May 27, June 10, March 11
Does Your ED Need 6 Months in Europe? GMF Grant – due March 15
Assets for Independence IDA Grant Funding – March 25
Norman Foundation Funds Social Change and Equity Efforts
Verizon Funds Education, Literacy, Healthcare Accessibility
IBM Funds Education, Workforce, Other Social Services
Enterprise Funds Green Affordable Housing
Events
Albany Partnership SCRAP Attack! Save the Date – April 17
Training and Conferences
Audioconference on How to Access 2010 Fed Funds – Jan 21
Save the Date – Grassroots and Groundwork Conference – May 13-14
Reports
Reports Show Troubling Trends in the Multifamily Housing Market
Increased Vacancies Have Not Helped Low-Income Renters
Green Building Uses for Recovery Funds Examined
Economic Impact of Aid to Renters Studied
Growth Is in Exurbs and Rural Coastal Counties
Resources
Webinars on Strategies for Rural Community Prosperity – Jan thru May
New Web Platform for MNC Competitions – Jan 29
Affordable Housing Finance Seeks Award Nominations, Rural too
NY Advocates Use New Tool to Help Site Supportive Housing
Regulatory Impact Analysis for the Housing Trust Fund
Resources Available to Help Families Claim Tax Credits
Community Leaders Social Networking Site Includes Rural Dev
Oregon ON News
ED Michael Anderson Accepts National Advocacy Job – Party Feb 2–top
Cathey Briggs to Serve as Interim ED, Ruth Adkins Joins as New Program Assistant
Michael Anderson, Oregon ON’s Executive Director, is leaving to take a position with the Center for Community Change. As an Affordable Housing Organizer with the Center, his work will focus on the National Housing Trust Fund campaign.
Michael leaves behind an excellent legacy of work and accomplishments from his tenure as Oregon ON’s E.D. and from his six years with the Community Development Network, where he started in October 2002. Michael helped win the Housing Opportunity Bill last year, creating a new, permanent funding source for affordable housing through the creation of the document recording fee. He also helped lead countless local and statewide advocacy efforts with Affordable Housing NOW! and the Housing Alliance to increase housing opportunity for people left behind in the housing market. His advocacy efforts have a long history: prior to joining the Community Development Network, Michael spent six years working for the Fair Housing Council of Oregon doing outreach, education and enforcement of civil rights laws for housing. Michael began his work in the housing field in 1994, working as a Floor Manager at the Transition Projects homeless shelter in Portland, OR.
While Oregon ON will greatly miss Michael’s expertise and leadership, we also know that the federal role in financing affordable housing is more critical than ever and that we will all benefit from Michael’s continuing work on our behalf. We wish him the best, and are comforted to know that he is not moving away from the Portland area.
Michael’s last day will be Tuesday, February 2. Please join us for a going-away party to send him off with our best wishes! All are welcome.
Farewell Celebration for Michael Anderson
- Tuesday, February 2
- 5 – 7:30 pm
- Sisters Of The Road, 133 NW Sixth Ave., Portland Oregon (in Old Town Chinatown)
Fortunately, Oregon ON has accomplished a lot over the past year and Michael leaves us in great shape. To continue that progress the Oregon ON Board has already developed a transition plan, are in the process of appointing a Search Committee, and will continue to work with our members and partners on a five-year strategic plan so that we have a clear and focused set of goals ready to guide the new Executive Director.
Oregon ON is very excited to announce that Cathey Briggs will serve as our Interim Executive Director, helping Oregon ON’s housing policy and industry support work to continue uninterrupted. We are extremely fortunate to have Cathey shepherd Oregon ON during this period of transition.
Cathey is a face familiar to many. She has served as the Interim Executive Director of TACS (Technical Assistance for Community Services), as well as being an affiliate of TACS’ Executive Transition Services, through which she has worked as an interim ED with seven organizations, including REACH CDC.
Cathey will begin working at Oregon ON 15 hours a week in February, and increase to 25 hours a week in March and April, at which point we hope to have successfully hired a new permanent Executive Director. Please join us in making her feel welcome!
Oregon ON is also delighted to welcome Ruth Adkins to a new position, Program Assistant. Ruth brings with her three years of administrative support, over two years of service as a Portland Public Schools board member, and over five years of experience as a market research data analyst and report writer.
Ruth has worked as Administrative Director at Neighborhood Partnership Fund (currently Neighborhood Partnerships); Development Assistant at the National Alliance on Mental Illness; and Senior Research Analyst at Campbell DeLong Resources. Her political work on her own School Board campaign and volunteer work on other campaigns has given her background on grassroots organizing and education advocacy.
We are thrilled to have someone of Ruth’s caliber with us at Oregon ON. Her 32-hour a week position will include program assistance to our Industry Support, Policy, and Communications programs, and other office administration duties. Our finances will be kept orderly by our long-standing and wonderful bookkeeper Nancy Monaco, who is increasing her hours with us.
Please help Ruth and Nancy feel welcome if you catch them on the phone or in the office!
Oregon ON, ROSE and Hacienda Join National Healthy Kids Grant –top
Community Health Partnership: Oregon’s Public Health Institute has been awarded a $360,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to improve healthy eating and active living for children and families living in affordable housing settings in Portland and throughout Multnomah County. Based on a rigorous selection process that drew more than 500 proposals from across the country, Portland is one of 41 sites selected for the RWJF Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities initiative.
Oregon ON has been a key partner throughout the development of this grant; the initial affordable housing stakeholders working on the project are Oregon ON and ROSE CDC. Both organizations have committed to helping the Community Health Partnership engage a variety of non-profit, public and private affordable housing stakeholders for the first six months of the assessment work. The specifics of which partners will participate and become engaged are to be announced, and a formal invitation to the Oregon ON community will be issued. Community Health Partnership is also partnering with Janus Youth Village Gardens and Community Cycling Center, who are implementing gardening and bike safety programs at New Columbia and Hacienda CDC.
Here is a link to a January 11 Portland Tribune article highlighting the grant:
http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=126327332116219000
Local data demonstrate that Portland communities with concentrations of multi-family affordable housing have inadequate infrastructure and fewer opportunities for healthy eating and active living. Community infrastructure that impacts healthy eating and active living includes walking/biking networks to schools and services, parks and greenspace, community gardens and other urban agriculture opportunities, healthy food retail, and community safety. The goal of this four-year project is to bring together public health, affordable housing, and urban planning stakeholders to ensure that families living in affordable housing settings have access to healthy eating and active living amenities in their communities. Key components of the project include conducting a health impact assessment on an urban planning study currently being conducted by the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability along SE 122nd Avenue and translating findings into recommendations for the City’s Portland Plan.
This summer after final assessment and partnership development, Community Health Partnership will identify additional policy and community change objectives to pursue for the next three years.
“This grant will help create healthy, complete communities for all Portland residents, not just for those who can afford to live in Portland’s most desirable neighborhoods,” said Noelle Dobson, project director at Community Health Partnership. “We need to ensure that as Portland grows and develops over the next decades that lower income residents and communities of color also benefit from Portland’s tradition of building livable communities.”
“Our unique partnership with urban planning and affordable housing partners allows us to build support for healthy eating and active living into the very framework of how we approach community development in Portland.”
The Healthy Active Communities for Portland’s Affordable Housing Families initiative is led by Community Health Partnership in collaboration with Oregon Opportunity Network, Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, Community Cycling Center, ROSE Community Development Corporation, Janus Youth Village Gardens, Kaiser Permanente, and other housing, health, and advocacy groups.
New Voting Member Portland Housing Center–top
Please join us in welcoming new Oregon ON Voting Member Portland Housing Center!
We are pleased to have Portland Housing Center’s comprehensive approach and expertise in the fields of training first time home buyers, counseling, and loan origination in our network.
Through education, individual counseling, and financial assistance, they have helped more than 6,000 people realize their dream of homeownership.
Capacity Matters Part 11
CCLT– You have to be scrappy or you don’t survive–top
Measuring the full impact of nonprofit community development organizations is difficult. Arising from within their communities, they are connected to and in tune with community needs. When the capacity and expertise to quickly respond to need and opportunity is added, extraordinary things can happen.
The following interview with Sarah Buckley, Executive Director of Milwaukie’s Clackamas Community Land Trust (CCLT), is Part Eleven of a series highlighting the many ways that our members’ capacity strengthens Oregon’s communities.
Sarah: The two biggest things we are working on right now are building twelve homes in our Juneberry Lane project, and buying foreclosed homes with Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) funds, which we are positioned to use in a great way. As opposed to buying and rehabbing and reselling the houses, which is what I think a lot of nonprofits are doing with the money, we can keep them in trust and keep them affordable to families below 80% Median Family Income (MFI) forever because we are a land trust. Something I don’t think most people know, is that the average family we serve is at 58% of MFI.
Oregon ON: I didn’t know that, and it’s great; I know that many affordable housing providers struggle to house people at the lower MFIs.
Sarah: Right. And when I say our houses stay affordable forever, it’s because land trusts are in a special position to keep them affordable. Studies show that programs that retain funds instead of recapture them, like many down payment assistance programs, are able to use funds much more efficiently than recapture programs: because of interest costs and because land prices keep going up, you’re not getting as much value for your money as you would be if you put money into land. Retaining funds in the land or in shared home appreciation is a more economical use of funds.
Oregon ON: So are the feds encouraging land trusts?
Sarah: The NSP materials say they are, but haven’t followed the different RFP’s to see if granting jurisdictions like state housing financing agencies are awarding extra points for permanent affordability or not.
Oregon ON: How about Juneberry Lane; is that a big project for you?
Sarah: Yes it is. We are small; we only have 2½ staff and 33 homes in trust. So yeah, whenever we build anything that is twelve units, it is a big deal. Juneberry is exciting because it’s LEED certified, and we are aiming for a Platinum rating. We had our Phillips Creek Lane project Earth Advantage Green certified in 2005, and it won a Housing Depot Building Responsibly award.
I think one of the things that is unique about the capacity of CCLT is stewardship: we have a long-term interest in keeping up our properties, and making sure that the land is stewarded well. In California they passed an inclusionary zoning law, which I’ve heard criticized because in a couple jurisdictions but no one was stewarding the covenants that said the condos had to be affordable over time, which means finding and educating new low-income homebuyers at each sale and generally being sure the covenant is followed at refinancing and other vulnerable times. Stewardship also means supporting those low-income homeowners to be successful in paying their mortgages and maintaining their homes.
While I think we do a really good job doing that stewardship work, unfortunately, we don’t necessarily get paid to do it. We work with the new homebuyer, deal with repair issues, and when we sell the house, we tack on a little extra to pay for our work. But when an owner is going through medical bankruptcy, or when we work with an attorney to make sure a house doesn’t go into foreclosure, or when we work with banks (because not every bank wants to do land trust loans), we don’t get paid very well. Owners pay $42 a month for leasing the land, so that helps. Because the stewardship work is unique, we are still working out how to present it to donors or build it better into the original project underwriting. It’s sort of like asset management but not quite.
We also do a lot of homeowner education, and we don’t get paid for that either; it’s a matter of trying to get an on-going source of funding like HUD or NeighborWorks. Banks have been great in supporting us but we need to work on getting larger, ongoing sources of funds. We are aiming to become a HUD Certified Counseling center, and with that hopefully will come on-going funding.
Oregon ON: What kind of homeownership education are you doing?
Sarah: All kinds: we are the go-to place for low-income homeownership in Clackamas County. We have all-day Saturday classes once a month for first-time homebuyers using the ABCs of Homebuying curriculum; we do a 6-week financial education series; we provide one-on-one counseling around credit and other issues; and we participate in the IDA program to help folks save for a down payment on a home.
The State has been able to do very little to make homes affordable for purchase for people earning below 80% AMI. When you look at OHCS’ annual report it looks like they spend a lot of funds on homeownership but that is really the state bond program, which is a nice program when the interest rates are lower than market, but doesn’t make homes affordable for low-income people on its own. Right now we can’t access Consolidated Funding Cycle funds or anything for homeownership. We can’t look to the State right now. In other states, it’s not like that. Homeownership helps folks at any income level who want to buy to be able to have security, stability and asset building over time. Some of our most successful homeowners earn 20-30% AMI.
Oregon ON: What gave you the capacity to tackle the Juneberry project at this point in time?
Sarah: We were at the right place at the right time, and we have been around for a while, proving ourselves. We have worked with Clackamas County since 1999; they receive federal grant funds from The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program and Home Investment Partnership Act (HOME). In the past when land was cheaper, we were able to use just HOME funds for projects. But this time we had to do a lot of different partnering to pull funding together. Our history helped give us the capacity to pull seven different funding sources together for Juneberry Lane.
Oregon ON: How did you choose the location?
Sarah: The County Health Department had bought some land for housing for mental health consumers, and they also bought a parcel next door to the project that they didn’t end up using. It’s a great urban infill parcel in Oregon City. After talking for awhile, we made a plan with the County to buy the land and finally pulled the funding pieces together and bought it with an acquisition loan from Mercy Loan Fund and CBDG funding. We then paid back the loan with SHOP funding from Community Frameworks.
For the first time, we applied for and were awarded First Federal Home Loan Bank funds which is really exciting. It entails serving elderly and disabled people, which is no problem because we knew we’ve always had these applicants in the past, and we’re also talking about partnering with Community Vision [a nonprofit provider of individualized housing, supported living, employment and homeownership services to Oregonians with disabilities]. I think many affordable housing developers don’t go for these FHLB funds because they’re relatively small, $5,000 – $15,000 per home, but for us it made the difference.
We also accepted Self-help Homeownership Opportunity Program [SHOP] funds, which are HUD funds administered by Community Frameworks in Washington. They apply for the funds from HUD, which is great because that is a big process, and then they distribute them among organizations in Oregon and Washington. It’s a little like the USDA Mutual Self Help program in that participants have to do sweat equity, but it’s not as intense. We call it Self-Help Lite (laughs). It takes a lot of work to oversee people to build houses, and we don’t have the expertise on staff to that, so this a nice way to ease into the sweat equity model. Our homeowners have to do 50 or 100 hours. They come in at end and do their part, painting, landscaping, that kind of thing. It builds community, provides a sense of ownership and responsibility and subsidizes the homes. It is directly $15,000 in funding per house. On Juneberry, it will save us $27,000 overall including the labor.
Another way we are helping keep costs down for the project is by accessing Earth Advantage, who do their own green certification and the LEED certification. They have a new certification that looks at the whole community, not just the house, and they are able to access the Home Depot Foundation for green certification funds. So we are paying much less than a for-profit group would; they would pay $23,000 for both certifications, and we were able to get about half of that paid through the Home Depot grant. Also, we worked with some lower-interest lenders that were willing to lend for acquisition and pre-development, and for actually buying the land: Mercy Housing in Denver, and the Dominican Sisters.
Oregon On: Dominican Sisters – like nuns?
Sarah: Yes, have you heard about this? There are these great progressive nuns around the county that want to lend their retirement money at low-interest for social justice causes. They want to get it back, of course, so the best way to do that is through affordable housing developments. They lend at low interest: 2, 3, 4%. It’s a small amount, but it helps, especially since banks don’t want to lend for pre-acquisition. They want to give money closer to the end, for the construction phase, when it’s less risky. Many banks haven’t been able to be good partners lately for affordable housing developers because they have to be so careful now about their residential lending portfolios. One bank we worked with pulled out at last minute; it was really difficult for us. So to lend us the rest of the money, we found a bank in Oregon City where the project is, Lewis and Clark Bank, and they have been great partners.
Oregon ON: How did you find them?
Sarah: We knew a Vice President at Lewis and Clark, that was a godsend. That VP has known our Board Chair for a long time, and we had tried to get her on our board before, so she really understood the land trust model. She understands our work, and is philanthropically-oriented. Also, they are a bank into unique projects. And they know we will have buyers for the housing. Low-income people are usually not willing to pre-purchase before houses are finished, but we have a waiting list, and once the homes are almost done, we’ll offer them to the folks on the list.
Oregon ON: Wow, it sounds like financing the project has required a lot of creativity.
Sarah: Yes it has. And we’ll need to continue to branch out and find different funding sources. You have to be scrappy or you don’t survive! Especially in the homeownership world, there just aren’t big pots of money! But different partners make you stretch and think in different ways than you would, so they add a lot of value. Our partners ask good questions that help us reach to make the project more green, more community-oriented.
Oregon ON: Where is the Juneberry Lane project at now?
Sarah: We’re just completing the infrastructure construction, and we’ll start housing construction hopefully next month. For me, so much of my work was at the front-end, finding funding, and working with the architect and contractors to plan the work. We are looking at mid-summer for occupancy. Then there will be another labor-intensive phase finding good homeowners. And because of the sweat equity aspect, we might have them paint their homes or do the landscaping; we’re still working out the details.
Oregon ON: So in this quieter time, what are you working on?
Sarah: It’s like asset management with rental properties; we are working out the reserves, what to charge people for maintenance every month. And we have an easement on the space behind the houses for people to share, that we are designing now. We would like the future homeowners to help design it, but we have to do some of it now, so we’ll probably do some of it now and leave some of it; we don’t want to assume that people will want a tool shed or a veggie garden or whatever. We are also working on a marketing plan that we’ll roll out over time.
Oregon ON: Were you there in 2005 for the development of the Phillips Creek Lane project?
Sarah: No, but my coworker Loretta was, so she’s a good source of information for me.
Oregon ON: Has your job been exciting or terrifying or both?
Sarah: (laughs) It used to be terrifying! I didn’t have any housing development experience. I haven’t been through the whole process before; this is my first time. But I have great support, and so many folks have helped me. I wasn’t used to all the risks involved with development. But now I tell myself, ‘Some people go to med school, and other people take on jobs where they have a lot to learn.’ The learning curve was extremely steep. I feel better now that I’ve been here for 2 ½ years. The job has definitely given me some gray hairs (laughs).
Oregon ON: What did you do before?
Sarah: I worked for Mercy Corps doing international development work. Then I worked for the Community Alliance of Tenants, and I had always volunteered for them since 1999, so that was a natural fit. I was on the Board of Northwest Housing Alternatives, too. I knew I wanted to move from International Development to affordable housing; there was always this parallel between them. I’m excited about affordable housing.
Oregon ON: Do you think you’ll stay in housing development?
Sarah: Yes, I feel passionately about it. There is an incredible community of housing developers in Portland, don’t you think? They are so dedicated; they haven’t lost their values.
Oregon ON: I just interviewed John Wheeler at Rogue CDC, and he was saying that they build most of their projects in Ashland because the City is so supportive, and how that kind of support really increases their capacity. Do you find local municipalities like Oregon City and Clackamas County to be supportive?
Sarah: To a one, the people in the Clackamas County Development Office are really fantastic, and the County has funds available. Individual cities are interesting, because they’re small, budgets are tight, and the city council people are volunteers. I think they don’t really see themselves as responsible for affordable housing. We try to get them to think about policy, but they have so much on their plates.
For example, for Juneberry we tried to get the SDCs (system development charges) reduced, which for twelve houses comes to $180,000, which is the cost of a whole additional house! But they wouldn’t go for it. I don’t want to complain, because developers should pay – I mean, there are real costs for extending utilities, putting in parks and sidewalks, all the things residents will use. But it seems odd to pay the same for infill development as you would on the edge of city, where those things cost so much more to run. I wish they gave a break for affordable housing, especially since they have been unable to address the need for affordable housing that they know they have.
That being said, the planning and development staff are great, they give good service. It seems so obvious to us, but they come at it from a whole different perspective. Developing in small cities is very different from big cities, where services are overlapping. Out here, for example, there are four different water districts in the area we work in, so it’s more complex to work with. On the other hand, I’ve heard it takes a year or two to subdivide a lot in Portland, but it only took two months in Oregon City. So some things are easier.
Some people say, ‘why do you assume nonprofit housing development is better than government?’ Well, we have the capacity for work that government couldn’t necessarily do well on its own, and we are likely cheaper! We don’t have the bureaucracy, and we can partner with many different entities, like foundations, individuals, etc. Nonprofits have a real role to build community connections around issues they are really invested in, rally communities around a cause and encourage people to take responsibility for it. At Mercy Corps, I’ve seen in former Soviet countries where people expect the government to do everything; they’ve lost the capacity to organize themselves. So it’s a balance – we need government to take responsibility, but we also need our communities to know how to do things for ourselves and come together. We have ‘Community’ in our name because we want people to realize that to solve our affordable housing crisis, we need to set land aside, and we need people’s support and donations to do that.
Awards
Habitat Portland-Metro East Wins Green Building Award–top
By Dylan Rivera, The Oregonian, January 11
Two new Habitat for Humanity homes share a slightly undersized lot on Northeast Webster Street, but elements of their sustainable construction include thick walls to eliminate noise and high windows that welcome natural light but preserve privacy.
Habitat for Humanity Portland/Metro East is one of 20 builders nationwide selected as a finalist for the 2010 EnergyValue Housing Award, a prominent honor for builders making energy-efficient structures.
The honor comes after the group finished two homes in Northeast Portland that were profiled in The Oregonian last year. The homes have received LEED Platinum ratings, the highest rating in the toughest, most widely used green building certification program, known as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
Habitat for Humanity Portland/Metro East says it is committed to green building. Most Habitat homes are already Energy Star efficient, and currently four more homes are expected to receive an Earth Advantage Gold accreditation. The LEED demonstration project was an opportunity to use many products and systems that Habitat wanted to learn about.
Rankings of the finalists (Gold, Silver, Builder of the Year, People’s Choice) will be announced at an awards celebration at the International Builders’ Show Jan. 18 in Las Vegas.
Here is a link to the story: http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2010/01/portland_habitat_for_humanity.html
Member News
CCLT Homebuyer Workshops in English and Spanish– first Jan 23–top
This year, Clackamas Community Land Trust is offering Homebuyer Workshops in Molalla and Wilsonville, OR. Additionally, they will be offering Homebuyer Workshops in Spanish!
English
Milwaukie: Jan 23, April 24, May 22, June 26, July 24,
Aug 28, Oct 23,
Nov 13, Dec 11
Wilsonville: Feb 20, Sept 25
Molalla: March 13
Spanish*
January 30, July 10,
March 6, September 11,
May 8, November 6
*For assistance in Spanish, please contact Efrén Herrera, (503) 544-9671.
Sabin to Launch New HAP-Parntership Wireless Lab – Jan 28–top
From Sabin CDC:
Please join us! Sabin CDC has made a true commitment to the digital divide issues of North/Northeast Portland over the past decade; we’ve prepared ourselves for the challenge of teaching a community, advancing technology while increasing the comfort level and aptitude of residents and neighbors.
With the recognized successes under our belt we are currently partnering with a community staple the Housing Authority of Portland’s Maple Mallory Apartment Complex, this partnership will include a free 3 station wireless lab, open to HAP community neighbors from 9am until 5pm and a 7 station Digital Music Learning Lab for community training located at the property, with a menu of services including Microsoft Unlimited Potential provided by Sabin CDC and Electronic Music Construction Theory and Practice with S.H. Watkins and JazzUSA.com.
We invite you to join us and our education partners, volunteers and community members, it’s your chance to celebrate with us. Come out and visit with us, tour the labs, and meet the community.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 28TH 2010
5:00 TO 6:30 PM
Maple Mallory Apartment Complex
3800 NE Mallory Avenue
at NE Failing and NE Mallory
Also, check back here for more details about the launching of our new and improved McCoy Village Learning Lab and Community Classroom on the corner of NE MLK Jr. and NE Prescott. Classes will being the middle of Feburary!
NHA Celebration Welcomes Home Roselyn Residents – Feb 10–top
Join Northwest Housing Alternatives as we celebrate the recently renovated Roselyn Apartments and welcome the residents home!
Date: Wednesday, February 10th
Time: 4pm until 6pm
Address: 424 NW 21st Avenue, Portland
Refreshments will be served.
Northwest Housing Alternatives (NHA) acquired the Roselyn apartments in January 2009 to preserve this valuable housing resource. The vintage building offers 30 apartments for seniors and people with special needs; all the units include valuable HUD rent assistance that helps folks be stable in their housing.
NHA had a plan to rehabilitate the building, and then, on the hottest day of the year, a fire broke out. All the tenants were relocated to area apartments while we fixed the fire damage and rehabilitated the whole building. Check out the photos of before, during and after the rehab. It’s a great place to live, again, and we’re happy to welcome the tenants home.
Please join Northwest Housing Alternatives and Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish as we celebrate the heroes who helped us through the fire, the project developers, construction crews and the all-important funders.
Please RSVP by simply replying to this note or contact Tim Collier at Northwest Housing Alternatives at 503-654-1007 extension 113; collier@nwhousing.org.
NAYA Offers Free Tax Preparation Assistance – Feb 1- April 15–top
Get your tax documents ready! NAYA Family Center’s free tax site will be open for business on Feb. 3. >From Feb. 1 – April 15, community member s can get free help to prepare and file their taxes. This means that families and individuals will have a chance to claim valuable tax credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or Child Tax Credit. Families can get caught up on past debts and plan for future goals by taking advantage of the maximum EITC of $5,657 and Child Tax Credit of up to $1,000 per child. This year, we are expanding our hours and our number of volunteers, meaning a shorter wait for an appointment.
For local communities, these important dollars also have a ripple effect on local economies. Last year at the NAYA Family Center, almost 90% of people receiving refunds said they planned to spend their refunds on items or services in the local community, circulating the money directly into the local economy.
For more information or to make your appointment, call NAYA Family Center Tax Advocate and Tax Site Coordinator, Irena Solomon, after Jan. 18 at (503) 288-8177 x280 or email her.
Oregon ON Members Think Out Loud
On January 5, several Oregon On members were on Think Out Loud as part of their Finding Solutions series “What Works and Why for Housing”.
Participants included Clackamas Community Land Trust Executive Director Sarah Buckley and homeowner Shayna Proctor; Human Solutions client and anti-poverty family advocate Yesika Arevalo and Executive Director Jean DeMaster; and Housing Works Ready to Rent Program supervisor Bruce Jaqua.
Read more about the show and hear it by clicking here.
NEDCO Welcomes New Executive Director–top
Claire Carpenter-Seguin has joined the NEDCO team as Executive Director. Claire brings over 20 years of community development experience to her new post. Her background in affordable housing, economic and small business development, farmers’ markets, Main Street programs, and community organizing make her a great fit for the future vision of NEDCO and its work in the region. The board and staff at NEDCO are very excited to have Claire join the organization, and we are sure that our partners will soon agree that she brings great energy, knowledge and commitment to our organization and the Oregon CDC community.
CCLT Seeks Volunteers for Event Planning, Tabling, Office, Video–top
Last November, Clackamas Community Land Trust’s Raise the Roof Celebration and Auction grossed $18,000. It is a majority of their annual fundraising budget. These dollars fill the gap, as grants and public funds cover only 59% of their annual operating budget. The event helps CCLT to provide the resources for education programs and homeownership opportunities.
They would like to develop a Raise the Roof Event Committee to help CCLT grow and develop their annual event. The Committee would meet on a monthly basis, and perhaps more frequently in the months prior to the event. The first Committee Meeting will be held on Monday, March 22nd at 5:30-6:30 PM.
Here are the following Committee roles they are seeking to wish to fulfill:
- Raise the Roof Committee Chair
- Media Relations & Advertising Manager
- Sponsorship Solicitation Manager
- Silent and Live Auction Manager
- Decoration, Food and Entertainment Manager
- Raffle Manager
- Registration & Checkout Manager
View Committee Job Descriptions and volunteer hour estimates here. For more info, please contact Sara Case at (503) 659-1618 x4 or at case@clackamasclt.org.
Other Volunteer Needs:
Tabling Volunteer
As CCLT aims to market homeownership opportunities and homebuyer education to more individuals and families, they need volunteers that can help be ambassadors of CCLT at public events in Clackamas and Multnomah Counties. The first Tabling Volunteer meeting will be held Wednesday, Febraury 24th from 6:00-7:30. View Tabling Volunteer Job Description and volunteer hour expectations here. Please contact Dick Peel at (503) 659-1618 x1 or at peel@clackamasclt.org
Office Volunteers
CCLT would love some extra help with our larger mailings, database inputting and clean-up, and general office filing! If you have some spare time and would like to help, please let us know. View Database and Mail Volunteer Descriptions and volunteer hour estimates here.
Please contact Sara Case at (503) 659-1618 x4 or at case@clackamasclt.org.
Video Production Volunteer
Calling all videographers! CCLT is looking to create a 5-10 minute video highlighting CCLT and its impact in the community. If you have video and editing equipment and would like to help market and educate individuals on CCLT, this volunteer position is for you! View Video Production Volunteer Description and volunteer hour estimates here. Please contact Sara Case at (503) 659-1618 x4 or at case@clackamasclt.org.
Portland Metro News
Portland Housing Bureau Budget Priorities Survey–top
The Portland Housing Bureau is preparing its budget, and wants to know what YOU think its priorities should be for the next fiscal year. Please take 5 minutes to complete the survey. And please feel free to forward this email to other interested parties.
For more on the Portland Housing Bureau’s FY 2010-11 budget process, please visit portlandonline.com/phb/budget
Take the PHB budget survey here: http://www.fmrsurvey.com/DHM/BHC2/BHC2logn.htm
Regional and Rural News
Clackamas PHA 5 Year Plan – Comments March 5, Hearing March 18–top
Tom Cusack at the Oregon Housing Blog alerted us to this Notice from Oregonian Public Notices on January 12 (he highlighted key dates):
A Public Meeting to cover the Housing Authority of Clackamas County’s Draft Fiscal Year 2010 Annual and Fiscal Year 2010-2014 Five Year Plan (Plan) shall be held on January 13, 2010, at 10 AM at the Clackamas Community Center at 13900 S. Gain Street, Oregon City, OR 97045. Resident Advisory Board members and Public Housing residents are encouraged to attend.
A public hearing to comment on HACC’s 2010 Draft Plan will be held on March 18, 2010, before the HACC’s Board of Commissioners. The Commissioners meet at 10:00 AM, in their hearing room at the Public Services Building located at 2051 Kaen Road, Oregon City, Oregon. Everyone is welcomed to attend and comment on the proposed Plan. HACC has developed its Plan in compliance with the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 and Federal Register, Docket No. FR-4829-N-01. The Plan includes the 2010 Annual Statement for the Capital Fund Program (CFP) and the CFP’s 5-year plan for grant years 2010-2014. The Annual Plan also includes the CFP Performance and Evaluation (P&E) reports and budget revision requests for grant years 2007, 2008 and 2009.
The Draft Plan is available for review now (January 19, 2010 through March 5, 2010). Copies can be obtained on-line at www.clackamas.us/hacc/ and hard copies are kept for public review at HACC’s administrative office located at 13930 South Gain Street, Oregon City, OR, HACC’s Property Management Offices at 13900 South Gain Street, Oregon City, OR and HACC’s Hillside Manor Office at 2889 S.E. Hillside Court, Milwaukie, OR. HACC’s Property Management offices are open Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5 PM and the Administrative Building is open Monday through Thursday, 7 AM to 6 PM. The Plan can also be viewed at the Clackamas County Library, 16201 SE McLoughlin, Oak Grove, OR. Written comments should be directed to Trell Anderson, Housing Authority of Clackamas County, P.O. Box 1510, Oregon City, OR 97045.
These comments must be received by March 5, 2010.
State Says Bend UGB Plan Needs Work – Housing, Size in Question–top
By KOHD News, January 11, 2010
The State Department of Land Conservation and Development issued more than a 150 page report Monday morning which includes areas the city needs to work on related to the City’s Urban Growth Boundary Expansion Plan. An appeal to the report could cost the city up to one million dollars.
The City wants to include almost 8500 acres in the expansion. The state says while a UGB expansion is needed, the size of the expansion is over four square miles larger than necessary.
It goes on to say the city “has not done an adequate job of planning for needed housing for current and future residents of Bend.”
The City has documented a need for more affordable housing but the state says Bend has not laid the groundwork to develop low income housing.
Something the City says they have addressed.
“We also purpose looking at areas along the City’s transit route that might be opportunities where if we re-zone land the housing market can respond and develop some medium higher density housing and some of that could be more affordable for say low to median income households,” says Damien Syrnyk, Senior Planner, Community Development Dept.
Another issue is land for Higher Education, which Bend needs to prove can’t be found within the existing city limits.
The UGB Expansion Plan has been in the works for close to 5 years costing more than 4 million dollars. An appeal can be filed by the 29th of January by the City and 30 other people who have objected to the original plan.
“A series of individuals and organizations objected to decisions when it was first made by Bend the past year and any of those can appeal to the Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission,” says Richard Whitman, Director Department of Land Conservation and Development.
If an appeal is unsuccessful, the City says its next step could be the courts.
For the full report click here.
Yamhill Housing Authority Offers Free Foreclosure Counseling–top
By Nicole Montesano at the Yamhill Valley News Register.com, 1/11/2010
Seeing that foreclosure notice in the mail can bring on a feeling of panic. And it isn’t eased much by all those ads for companies promising to help dig you out of the mess for a not-so-modest fee.
However, the Housing Authority of Yamhill County is offering foreclosure counseling with no strings attached – including fee strings.
“It’s free to come in, it’s free all the way through the process,” said Coordinator Megan Ramos. “There’s no cost to any part.
“We might be able to help them save their house, or work with their lender a little better. At the least, they’re going to go away with more knowledge than they came in with.”
The program is open to anyone in the county who is either already facing foreclosure or simply worried about being able make future payment.
To read the rest of the story, click here.
Central Oregon Homebuilders Dump $12,500 Against 66 and 67–top
By Jeff Mapes, The Oregonian January 20
Both sides are continuing to pour money into the fight over the tax measures on the Jan. 26 ballot. Or, at least they were as of a few days ago. The campaigns have up to seven days to report contributions and expenditures, so we have less than an up-to-date look. But here’s some new money that has just popped up. First the No side.
- $40,000 from Associated Oregon Industries, which has been a mainstay of the opposition, Oregonians Against Job-Killing Taxes.
- $12,500 from Central Oregonians for Affordable Housing, which represents Central Oregon homebuilders.
I should also note that I missed another $50,000 to the opposition campaign from Nike co-founder Phil Knight. He gave $50,000 on Jan. 6 and an identical amount the very next day. So, over the course of the campaign, he’s in for $150,000.
Here’s some new contributions to Vote Yes for Oregon:
- $100,000 from a political fund connected to the American Federation of Teachers.
- $20,000 from the Senate Democratic Leadership Fund. That is the caucus representing Democratic senators in the Oregon Senate – just so you don’t get the idea that Democratic U.S. senators are weighing into this fight.
- $10,000 from a political fund connected to the nurses’ union.
Statewide News
The Special Election Will Be Close – Vote and Volunteer–top
A special election later this month provides an opportunity to vote on two proposed measures – Ballot Measures 66 and 67. If they fail, many of us, and many of our most vulnerable neighbors will be hit hard.
Become informed and vote!
For voter information on these measures, visit the Oregon Secretary of State Elections Division site at www.sos.state.or.us or read your voters’ pamphlet. Ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. on Jan. 26.
Here is a message from Vote Yes For Oregon Campaign Director Kevin Looper:
Really, you don’t want to be that person.
In twenty years of politics, I’ve talked to that person hundreds of times.
After a close election, that person always comes up and says the same thing: “Oh my, I had NO IDEA it was going to be such a tight election, or I’d have done more to help.”
That person usually speaks without meeting my eyes. I do the same. It’s an awkward conversation to have, what with both of us looking at each other’s shoes. So let me please just tell you now:
The vote on Measures 66 & 67 is gonna be close.
When we took up this fight, the Oregonian headline said “Proponents bet against history on tax votes.” No one thought we had a chance. Now the polls say we are ahead, but this is no time to relax. Polls measure opinions, but our job is to chase votes.
A lot of motivated, early voters are against us. No one really loves taxes. But some people really, really hate them, and those people are guaranteed to vote. Tobacco lobbyists and bank executives don’t have to go door to door to get out right-wing voters.
It’s a different story with our base. I hope my mom will forgive me for saying this, but the good people of Portland and Eugene could use a little kick in the pants. Especially the young ones — and in this election, a young voter is under 60 (congratulations to all of you who qualify!).
It’s amazing to see hundreds of people on the phone every night, and the power of more than 900 people canvassing last weekend alone. But we need more. We need you. Go to: http://voteyesfororegon.org/volunteer/ No matter where you are in the state, you can do something to help.
So please, before it is too late, volunteer (http://voteyesfororegon.org/volunteer/). Don’t worry about the rain. This is a once-in-a-lifetime political moment. We have the chance to make history, change the balance of power in Salem between school funding and social service advocates and the big corporate lobbyists, while preserving about a billion dollars worth of funding for schools, seniors, health care and public safety. This will only happen with your help.
If, for some reason, you really can’t make it in, go to our website and donate $100 so we can run another radio spot or $500 for a cable ad: http://voteyesfororegon.org/donate/
Don’t read this and think, “I’ll do it later.” Sign up right now – http://voteyesfororegon.org/volunteer/- before you forget, or someone asks you to do something else. Oregon is a great place because great people like you care about it. Don’t miss your chance to shape its future. The stakes couldn’t be higher, and we need every free moment you have dedicated to helping secure this vote. ‘Cause, as I hope you heard me say, it’s gonna be close.
And come January 26th, I want to be able to look all of you in the eyes, smile, and say, “We did it.”
Oregon Housing Council Jan 22 Meeting Packet Posted–top
Thanks to Tom Cusack at the Oregon Housing Blog for posting this:
OHCS has posted the packet for the Friday January 22nd Oregon Housing Council meeting here; page 3 shows 9 AM start time and location of the meeting in Salem.
I have added this packet to a cumulative set of Oregon Housing Council minutes and packets posted permanently in right pane of blog as “Oregon Housing Council Materials“. (Since Council Packets contain the minutes for review and approval, the draft minutes for both December meetings are in this months packet). I have also converted all minutes and packets in this link into OCR documents so that text can be searched. With all Council minutes for 2008 and 2009 and packets that began in August, file is now about 10 MBs.
HUD Housing Trust Fund Analysis Shows Oregon Would Get $14M–top
From Tom Cusack at the Oregon Housing Blog, January 11
HUD has published a regulatory impact analysis of the proposed allocation formula for the Housing Trust Fund. Lots of good information about the allocation formula etc.
An unexpected gem is buried within the analysis, the state allocation amounts that would occur with a $1 Billion national allocation.
Regulatory Impact Analysis file here will open to page 4 with state allocation amounts; Oregon would receive $14,004,222.
Enterprise Community Development Pro Leonard to Lead NW Effort–top
On January 11, Enterprise Community Partners (an important provider of development capital and expertise for the creation of affordable homes and rebuilding communities) named M.A. Leonard the new Impact Market leader for the Pacific Northwest. In its Pacific Northwest market, which includes Washington and Oregon, Enterprise has invested more than $1 billion in community development in the past 20 years. Of that total, $800 million was invested in low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC) for the creation of affordable rental properties.
“The Pacific Northwest is a very important market for Enterprise,” said Paul Cummings, senior vice president and regional executive, Western Region, Enterprise Community Partners. “We are fortunate to work with strong partners that are innovative, mission-focused and driven to make a difference in the community. With M.A.’s extensive history in the region and in the field of community development, we are excited to have her on board to help drive our activities in Washington and Oregon.”
Prior to joining Enterprise, Ms. Leonard worked as an independent consultant providing strategic assistance to various community development organizations on their work with affordable housing development in Oregon and Washington. Before her consultancy business, she held the position of regional vice president with the National Equity Fund (NEF), Inc., an affiliate of the Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC). Ms. Leonard opened the Northwest office of NEF in 1998, and during her 10-year tenure, she managed acquisition and portfolio activities in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado and Alaska. Other professional highlights include serving as the founding director of the Washington Community Development Loan Fund, now Impact Capital, and working for the Seattle Housing Authority and the Lane County Housing and Community Services Agency in Eugene, Ore.
Currently, Ms. Leonard is a board member of the Washington State Housing Finance Commission and the Washington Community Reinvestment Association. She also has served on the Bank of America Rural Advisory Committee, State of Washington Housing Trust Fund Policy Advisory Team, the Seattle Housing Levy Oversight Committee and Historic Seattle.
“Enterprise is a recognized and innovative affordable housing and community development leader in the Pacific Northwest,” said Ms. Leonard. “I look forward to working with an organization that has a true commitment to and strong grasp on the unique housing needs in Oregon and Washington.”
Enterprise has a national presence with a specific focus in eight impact markets. The markets include New York City, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Ohio, the Gulf Coast, Northern California, Los Angeles and the Pacific Northwest. For more info, see: www.enterprisecommunity.org.
State Legislature Prepares for the 2010 Session–top
A message from Victor Merced, Director of Oregon Housing and Community Services:
If Measures 66 and 67 fail, the state Legislature will consider how to balance the budget, as required by Oregon law. The Legislature required all state agencies to prepare two lists of cuts – one for 5 percent and the other for 10 percent of General Fund and Lottery Funds.
I described the Oregon Housing and Community Services reductions in my message of Dec. 4, 2009. In addition to the anticipated budget work, the Legislature will also consider a limited number of bills. House members can each introduce one bill, and Senate members, two. Committees will also introduce proposed legislation.
At our request, Sen. Bill Morrisette’s Human Services and Rural Health Policy Committee will consider proposed legislation to help OHCS get a much-needed change to the statutes governing our ability to enter into contracts. We will make our case to the committee on Tuesday, Jan. 12.
Today, Oregon contracts with the federal department of Housing and Urban Development to monitor the federal government’s Section 8 projects in Oregon. HUD is in the process of evaluating its contracting procedures, with the possibility of going from state-based contracts to regional contracts.
Under current Oregon law, OHCS cannot conduct monitoring activities across state lines. The proposed legislation will allow us to bid on the contracts should HUD opt to go with a multi-state or regional approach. Regional bidding will allow OHCS to keep and add to the $1.3 million in HUD revenue it now receives.
About 30 OHCS employees work directly or indirectly with the HUD contract. Our Asset and Property Management Division ensures that project owners and management agents comply with regulatory, loan and grant agreements, and HUD’s Housing Assistance Payment contracts. As part of the process, the division reviews and approves the proposed management entities that manage the projects, including owners and agents.
Housing Opportunity Bill Resource Allocation Strategies Delayed–top
Rick Crager, Deputy Director of Oregon Housing and Community Services announced last Friday the 15th that the release of the department’s strategies for allocating revenues received through the Housing Opportunity Bill’s document recording fee has been postponed until January 22.
Changes in the 2010 CFC Process–top
On January 11, Oregon Housing and Community Services announced they will make some changes to the Consolidated Funding Cycle (CFC) process for the 2010 round. Implementation of these changes will help identify capable partners and sustainable projects in which to invest department resources.
Please direct concerns or questions to David Summers, Multifamily Housing Manager, Housing Division, via email or at 503-986-2073.
The changes for the 2010 CFC include:
- Creation of an external review team
- Requirement of a 30-year architectural standard for preservation rehabilitation projects
- Evaluation of the scope of rehabilitation on Preservation projects
- Clarifying department expectations for Preservation proposals
- Asset and Property Management review of applicant capacity
Creation of an External Review Team
After Initial review of CFC applications and selection of a first tier of fundable proposals by the department’s Executive Team, a group of proposals will be forwarded to an external review team. The external review team will conduct on-site reviews of LIHTC projects, preservation projects, and other projects for which the department deems such a review necessary.
The external review team will evaluate the location of the development relative to the population served, the appropriateness of the design for the site and neighborhood, the level and nature of community support including services, and the benefits to the community of the proposed development.
The applicant, community representatives and the Regional Advisor to the Department will meet with the external team to discuss how the project fits within the community and discuss the benefits within the community.
Architectural 30-year standard on preservation rehab projects:
A goal of the department is for all affordable housing projects (new or rehabilitation) to sustain themselves for 30 years without needing significant rehabilitation work. This will require careful design, materials selection and oversight by project architects, contractors and owners to ensure that affordable housing projects, including building envelopes and all structural components, have the necessary sustainability to last for 30 years with industry standard maintenance schedules.
Evaluation of the scope of rehabilitation on Preservation projects
The department will evaluate the scope of rehabilitation on preservation projects to determine if they can achieve the department’s architectural standards for long-term viability of a project. An External Team will visit each preservation project site and recommend to the Director projects that are most likely to meet a 30-year viability standard.
Clarifying department expectations for Preservation proposals
The department has previously stated that approximately 50 percent of the CFC resources will be set aside for the preservation of properties with expiring federal rental assistance contracts. A department considers a project eligible for the preservation set aside if, at completion, at least 25 percent of the existing units have project-based Rental Assistance (RA). Preservation projects that do not meet this requirement will be ineligible for the set aside.
In order to meet the preservation standard at completion, the sponsor must provide from the RA issuing agency documentation showing that at least 25 percent of the units will receive RA.
Asset and Property Management review of Sponsor Capacity:
The department’s Asset and Property Management section will evaluate sponsor capacity as it relates to meeting compliance and asset management obligations on current developments. APM will review:
- sponsor compliance with program rules and regulations
- status of Analysis of Income and Expense report and other financial reporting
- requirements
- timeliness of loan payments, charges and fees
APM will identify sponsors who are in compliance and those sponsors who may have material or recurring non-compliance.
For the 2010 CFC, the APM evaluation will be worth five points in the application. Sponsors can submit an Asset Management Information Request form (click here to get more info on the form) beginning January 11, 2010, but no later than the final date of site review by the Regional Advisor to the Department. APM will notify a sponsor’s RAD when it has made its determination. The sponsor can work through the RAD to remedy situations identified by APM. The Sponsor responses are due no later than April 23, 2010.
Note: For the 2010 CFC cycle, OHCS will add physical asset management performance to the sponsor capacity criteria. This measure will assess the sponsor’s capacity to protect the public investment in affordable housing. OHCS shall evaluate the sponsor’s ability to provide routine maintenance to OHCS funded projects and to keep those projects in good repair over their lifetime. The department will take into consideration the ongoing condition, physical deficiencies and maintenance of existing assets. Owners and sponsors that have deficient existing projects may be required to bring the existing project back to safe, sanitary, and livable condition before applying in a CFC round.
To get more info on the 2010 CFC Notice and Training Schedule, click here.
Private Activity Bond Committee Gives OHCS $303 Million in Authority–top
From Victor Merced, Director at Oregon Housing and Community Services: On Tuesday morning, I appeared at the state Private Activity Bond Committee to request authority to issue bonds to finance the development of affordable multi-family housing across the state.
The Private Activity Bond committee allocates to state agencies and local governments the authority to issue bonds for “private activity” purposes. The federal government limits the amount of bonds states may issue for such purposes. The PAB allocates bond limit according to state and federal law.
During the height of the recent economic crisis, OHCS was unable to issue as many bonds as it had in the past. OHCS went to the committee to request $250 million in “carry-forward authority,” which represented unused bond issuing authority from 2009.
The committee allotted more than our request – $303,510,452 in carry-forward bonding authority.
OHCS will exercise this authority to preserve the state’s existing supply of subsidized housing and increase the supply of affordable multifamily housing across Oregon.
Oregon ARRA Reporting Milestone Reached–top
Last week OHCS and its partners successfully completed the second round of American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) reporting. The Obama Administration has high expectations for transparency and accountability in the implementation of the Recovery Act. It requires an unprecedented level of reporting for all entities that receive these dollars. Thanks to the hard work of OHCS staff and partners, they met the deadline with no notable errors.
Unfortunately, some minor data issues have affected the transfer of data to the federal government. The Governor’s office is working hard to resolve those issues, and knows that OHCS has submitted all required reports. You can see the state data here, showing that ARRA is making a difference all over the state.
New Oregon Law Requires Landlords to Disclose Smoking Policy–top
As of 1/1/10 landlords are required, as part of the rental agreement, to disclose their smoking policy to their tenants. Go to www.smokefreehousinginfo.com to download a copy of the fact sheet about the law and sample smoking policy disclosure language.
No-smoking policies are a win/win for landlords and their tenants. They protect staff and residents from the dangers of secondhand smoke, while reducing maintenance costs and the risk of fire and liability. Though landlords are not required to adopt a no-smoking policy for their properties, this provides a perfect opportunity to take advantage of the very strong market demand for no-smoking rentals.
Find market survey results, information and tools to help you move forward at www.smokefreehousinginfo.com.
Ways and Means Recommends Spending Authority for OHCS–top
The Legislature must provide spending authority (known as expenditure limitation) before an agency can expend its grant awards.
The Joint Committee on Ways and Means took action that will allow OHCS to take advantage of the both the NSP award and a federal program that allows states to exchange unused federal tax credits for dollars.
The full Legislature will vote on the committee’s recommendation during the February 2010 supplemental session.
The federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program has been a tremendous success and a primary driver in the development of affordable housing nationwide. In Oregon, on an annual average basis, the tax credit program generates about $90 million in investment equity, representing 27 projects and production of 1,350 affordable housing units. The program links private investment capital with mission-driven housing developers to produce affordable rental housing.
During the current recession, private sector interest in tax credits has dropped dramatically. A corporation does not need tax credits to reduce its taxable income when it does not anticipate a profit. Projects reliant on LIHTC-driven private sector investment have stalled. This program will kick-start stalled affordable housing developments, generating jobs, economic activity and much-needed affordable housing units.
The committee’s action brings us closer to funding seven projects with 277 units throughout the state. They are:
Bandon – Seacrest Apartments
Bend – Crest Butte Apartments
North Bend – Cedar Grove Apartments
Roseburg – Parkside Village Apartments
Seaside – Sandhill Apartments
Sweet Home – Linnhaven/Stonebrook
Troutdale – Hewitt Place
Take the Impediments to Fair Housing Choice Survey–top
Every five years Oregon Housing and Community Services and Oregon Business Development Department conducts a survey to identify the barriers to fair housing choice in the state. They use this information to help achieve their vision that all Oregonians have access to the housing and services that meet their needs.
The results of the survey help OHCS and OBDD create an action plan to eliminate housing discrimination and expand equal housing opportunities in our state over the next five years. All aspects of fair housing are analyzed through this survey including, but not limited to, emergency shelter and transitional housing, rental and real estate sales transactions, lending, advertising, and any treatment or policies adversely affecting access to housing programs.
Please help by taking the 2010 Analysis of Impediments (AI) to Fair Housing Choice survey. Your expertise and knowledge of your community will help identify barriers to fair housing choice and locate those parts of the state where such barriers are most prevalent. OHCS depends on the meaningful input of caring people like you to get an accurate assessment of conditions across the state.
Past survey results have guided policy makers to educate landlords, draft new state policies, and allocate resources where the barriers are the greatest. Your responses will be anonymous. Should you have questions or comments, or need help to complete the survey, or need the survey in an alternative language or format, please contact Alyssa Cudmore via email or 503- 473-1050. Your time and thoughtful responses will improve access to quality, affordable housing and fair treatment possible for people currently facing significant obstacles. Feel free to forward this to others whose feedback will help. Here is the survey link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JC5LVWK
NSP2 Grant Awards Announced–top
On December 15, Oregon Housing and Community Services received notice on the decision concerning the second round of Neighborhood Stabilization Program funding, and OHCS is the only applicant in the Northwest to receive an award.
OHCS didn’t receive the $26.2 million requested, but the $6.8 million award they did receive will be used to help low- and moderate-income families to purchase a foreclosed home, and to help developers and nonprofit orgs acquire and rehab foreclosed and abandoned properties. Oregon’s application was one of 56 approved of more than 480 applications HUD received during the competitive process.
Kudos to the OHCS and the NSP2 consortium for their hard work.
Consortium members:
- Clackamas County
- City of Bend (representing Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson Counties)
- City of Medford (representing target areas in Jackson County)
- City of Salem (representing target areas in Marion County)
- Washington County
Here is the official press release:
Recovery Act funds to turn Oregon’s vacant homes from eyesores into assets
New federal dollars will help reverse the state’s housing crisis with funding from
HUD’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) phase two.
A consortium lead by Oregon Housing and Community Services received a grant for $6.8 million in Recovery Act funds from the federal government. The funds will allow the agency to administer the NSP, enacted to help communities stabilize neighborhoods and rebuild economies.
The NSP is a key part of the Obama Administration’s comprehensive approach to address the national housing crisis, according to HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan.
Oregon’s application was one of 56 approved, and the only award in the Northwest United States. HUD received more than 480 applications during the competitive process.
“High rates of foreclosure can have many negative consequences, beyond declining property values and blight,” OHCS Director Victor Merced said. “Reductions in tax revenues can hamper local government’s delivery of needed services.”
Congress enacted phase one of the NSP to help communities during the housing crisis and recession. The program provides funds to community consortia and nonprofit developers dedicated to turning vacant homes into community assets.
OHCS will be the lead agency is this effort, which includes a consortium of counties and cities located within the qualifying areas:
- Clackamas County
- City of Bend (representing Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson Counties)
- City of Medford (representing target areas in Jackson County)
- City of Salem (representing target areas in Marion County)
- Washington County
Additional partners include the Department of Human Services and non-profit organizations.
“The funds will be used to help with down payments, mortgage buy-downs, and closing costs for low- and moderate-income families to purchase a foreclosed home,” Merced said. The agency projects the funding will impact nearly 150 homes.
“Funds will also help developers and nonprofit agencies to acquire and rehabilitate abandoned or foreclosed homes, providing safe, affordable housing for hardworking Oregonians,” Merced said.
OHCS proposes to use a portion of the NSP phase two award to develop permanent supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness, and to support Gov. Ted Kulongoski’s 10-year Plan to End Homelessness in Oregon.
As of December, approximately $2 million in NSP phase one funds have been obligated throughout the state’s larger cities and urban counties. OHCS staff has obligated another $400,000 in NSP loan funds throughout Oregon’s small cities and rural areas.
“These new NSP dollars will help to stabilize local housing markets, reduce vacancy rates, and improve homes,” Merced said.
Federal News
Please Call Your Senators in Support of $1B for the NHTF Jan 21–top
Urge them to Sign ‘New ‘Dear Colleague’ Letter’ on THURSDAY, Jan. 21!
The National Housing Trust Fund needs our help! Please call both of your Senators, and when you call, ask for the staff person who deals with housing issues. Give him or her the following message:
I live in [town], and [describe local need]. It is imperative that the Senate vote to provide funding for the National Housing Trust Fund to help communities provide housing for our lowest income families. In addition to providing desperately needed housing, the National Housing Trust Fund is also economic stimulus. $1 billion in funding for the National Housing Trust Fund will mean [$XX] in funding for [state], which will provide [XX] jobs. Find numbers for your state at http://www.nlihc.org/doc/NHTF-State-Estimates.pdf
Currently, the best chance for funding for the NHTF is in the jobs bill likely to be considered in the Senate. The House included NHTF funding in its jobs bill, which passed in December. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) is circulating a ‘Dear Colleague’ letter in support of providing $1 billion in funding for the National Housing Trust Fund, plus $65 million in vouchers to support the Fund. I urge Senator [Name] to sign this letter by the end of the day on Thursday, January 21. Will Senator [Name] sign this letter?
About the Letter:
Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), along with Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), is asking fellow Senators to sign a letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Byron Dorgan (D-ND) urging them to include funds for the National Housing Trust Fund in the jobs bill that the Senate is likely to consider in coming weeks. A copy of the letter is posted at http://www.nlihc.org/doc/NHTF-Letter-Senate-Jobs-Bill-by-Sen-Reed1-20-2010.pdf. The Senators are working to have all signatures collected by close of business on Thursday, January 21, so we need to act fast.
This ‘Dear Colleague’ letter asks for $1 billion in initial funding for the National Housing Trust Fund, and for $65 million for project-based vouchers that would support these NHTF units. This is the same amount that is in the House jobs bill passed in December.
The Senate jobs bill is currently the best vehicle we have for getting NHTF funding now. It is crucial that a large number of Senators sign on to this letter of support.
Background:
National Housing Trust Fund legislation passed in July of 2008, but the Fund has not yet been capitalized.
At the close of the first session of the 111th Congress in December, the House of Representatives had passed a “jobs” bill that includes $1,065,000,000 for the National Housing Trust Fund. Of the total, $1 billion is for capital grants and $65 million is for project-based vouchers to be coupled with NHTF units for extremely low income households. The entire bill will cost $150 billion and $75 billion of it, including the NHTF, would be paid for with unused TARP funds.
HUD has also made progress in preparing for NHTF funding. In December, HUD published a proposed rule for the formula by which the NHTF dollars will be distributed to the states. NLIHC calculated and posted at http://www.nlihc.org/doc/NHTF-State-Estimates.pdf the amount each state will get for every $1 billion that Congress directs to the NHTF and the number of jobs that will be created in each state with that amount. NLIHC has endorsed the formula as proposed.
On Tuesday, January 19, NLIHC President Sheila Crowley hosted a call to bring NLIHC members and NHTF endorsers up-to-date on the latest NHTF news. Listen to a transcript of the call at http://www.nlihc.org/audio/51467892.mp3
Support the work of the National Low Income Housing Coalition by joining or renewing your membership today! Visit www.nlihc.org/join. All members receive our weekly newsletter, Memo to Members, which is a great way to keep up-to-date on the latest National Housing Trust Fund news.
NHTF Action Now Focused on Senate Jobs Bill–top
Previously on the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF) Campaign: At the close of the first session of the 111th Congress last month, the House of Representatives had passed a “jobs” bill that includes $1,065,000,000 for the National Housing Trust Fund. Of the total, $1 billion is for capital grants and $65 million is for project-based vouchers to be coupled with NHTF units for extremely low income households. The entire bill will cost $150 billion and $75 billion of it, including the NHTF, would be paid for with unused TARP funds (see Memo, 12/18/09).
Meanwhile, HUD published a proposed rule for the formula by which the NHTF dollars will be distributed to the states. NLIHC calculated and posted the amount each state will get for every $1 billion that Congress directs to the NHTF and the number of jobs that will be created in each state with that amount (see Memo, 12/11/09). NLIHC endorses the formula as proposed. Comments are due by February 2, 2010.
Action now turns to the Senate, which is taking up a jobs bill of its own. Senate Democratic leadership has been working on a “jobs” bill throughout the fall and expects to introduce it after negotiations with the House on the health care bill are complete. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has already asked for funding for the NHTF to be in the bill. It is not yet known how the Senate will pay for its jobs bill, but TARP is one possibility.
Advocates are asked to redouble their advocacy efforts with their Senators to assure that the NHTF is finally capitalized early in 2010.
Senator Letter to Obama Asks for NHTF Funds in FY11 Budget–top
Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) has initiated a letter to President Barack Obama asking that $1 billion for the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF) be included in the President’s budget that he will submit to Congress on Februay 1. Senator Merkley has asked fellow Senators to sign the letter with him. (Please see story in State News Section: HUD Analysis of Housing Trust Fund Shows Oregon Would Get $14M).
As the afternoon of January 15, co-signers were Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI), Al Franken (D-MN), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Carl Levin (D-MI), Joe Lieberman (I-CT), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
In addition to asking for funding for the NHTF, Senator Merkley asks for new incremental housing choice vouchers and for measures to preserve the existing federally assisted housing stock.
The letter will be posted at www.nhtf.org
HUD Speeds Foreclosure Resales by Waiving Anti-Flipping Rule–top
In an effort to stabilize home values and improve conditions in communities where foreclosure activity is high, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced a temporary policy that will expand access to FHA mortgage insurance and allow for the quick resale of foreclosed properties. The announcement is part of the Obama administration commitment to addressing foreclosure. Just yesterday, Secretary Donovan announced $2 billion in Neighborhood Stabilization Program grants to local communities and nonprofit housing developers to combat the effects of vacant and abandoned homes.
“As a result of the tightened credit market, FHA-insured mortgage financing is often the only means of financing available to potential homebuyers,” said Donovan. “FHA has an unprecedented opportunity to fulfill its mission by helping many homebuyers find affordable housing while contributing to neighborhood stabilization.”
With certain exceptions, FHA currently prohibits insuring a mortgage on a home owned by the seller for less than 90 days. This temporary waiver will give FHA borrowers access to a broader array of recently foreclosed properties.
“This change in policy is temporary and will have very strict conditions and guidelines to assure that predatory practices are not allowed,” Donovan said.
In today’s market, FHA research finds that acquiring, rehabilitating and the reselling these properties to prospective homeowners often takes less than 90 days. Prohibiting the use of FHA mortgage insurance for a subsequent resale within 90 days of acquisition adversely impacts the willingness of sellers to allow contracts from potential FHA buyers because they must consider holding costs and the risk of vandalism associated with allowing a property to sit vacant over a 90-day period of time.
The policy change will permit buyers to use FHA-insured financing to purchase HUD-owned properties, bank-owned properties, or properties resold through private sales. This will allow homes to resell as quickly as possible, helping to stabilize real estate prices and to revitalize neighborhoods and communities.
“FHA borrowers, because of the restrictions we are now lifting, have often been shut out from buying affordable properties,” said FHA Commissioner David H. Stevens. “This action will enable our borrowers, especially first-time buyers, to take advantage of this opportunity.”
The waiver will take effect on February 1, 2010 and is effective for one year, unless otherwise extended or withdrawn by the FHA Commissioner. To protect FHA borrowers against predatory practices of “flipping” where properties are quickly resold at inflated prices to unsuspecting borrowers, this waiver is limited to those sales meeting the following general conditions:
- All transactions must be arms-length, with no identity of interest between the buyer and seller or other parties participating in the sales transaction.
- In cases in which the sales price of the property is 20 percent or more above the seller’s acquisition cost, the waiver will only apply if the lender meets specific conditions.
- The waiver is limited to forward mortgages, and does not apply to the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) for purchase program.
Specific conditions and other details of this new temporary policy are in the text of the waiver, available on HUD’s website.
Justice Housing Unit Looks at Reverse Redlining and Loan Mods–top
By Charlie Savage in the New York Times, January 13
The Justice Department is beginning a major campaign against banks and mortgage brokers suspected of discriminating against minority applicants in lending, opening a new front in the Obama administration’s response to the foreclosure crisis.
Tom Perez, the assistant attorney general for the department’s Civil Rights Division, is expected to announce Thursday in New York that the administration is creating a new unit that will focus exclusively on unfair lending practices.
“We are looking at any and every practice in the industry,” Mr. Perez said in a recent interview.
To read the full story, click here.
Speech delivered by head of DOJ Office of Civil Rights is here.
Housing and Civil Rights Enforcement Section of DOJ Office of Civil Rights website is here.
Thanks to Tom Cusak at the Oregon Housing Blog.
FY11 Budget Process For Dummies–top
I find that the federal budget process can be hard to track, but luckily the kind folks at the National Low Income Housing Coalition have helped unpack it for those of us who do:
Both houses of Congress are now back in session (as of January 19), the second session of the 111th Congress. With Congress ending 2009 by passing the FY10 HUD Appropriations Act (see Memo, 12/18/09), the focus of both the Administration and Congress will shift now to funding the federal government for FY11, which runs from October 1, 2010 to September 30, 2011. This process has three broad steps: The President will send his budget proposal to Congress, the House and Senate will aim to pass a budget resolution that sets funding priorities, and funding levels will be finalized by the passage of appropriations bills for given funding areas.
The President is expected to release his FY11 proposed budget to Congress on February 1. The Administration’s FY11 budget process for HUD began in October 2009, when HUD prepared its FY11 budget request and submitted the proposal to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of the White House. OMB reviewed and made changes to HUD’s proposed budget in November. In December, HUD filed an appeal with OMB to restore some of the agency’s original funding requests. The President’s request to Congress will reflect the reconciliation between OMB’s edited version of HUD’s request and HUD’s appeal.
As HUD prepared its FY11 budget request, NLIHC urged the Administration to include additional funding for existing housing programs and for new Section 8 vouchers (see more in the article below). HUD has indicated that new proposals for housing programs will be included in its FY11 request, and that the Administration is placing emphasis on working collaboratively with other federal agencies to comprehensively address affordable housing and other needs.
After the President’s budget is released, Congress will review the budget, hold hearings, and craft House and Senate budget resolutions. The House and Senate, as they do annually, will try to complete a joint budget resolution by April 15. The budget resolution sets the overall framework for federal spending, including total discretionary and mandatory spending amounts for all HUD programs. These limits are then used by the House and Senate appropriations committees to provide federal funding guidelines for completing their FY11 spending bills.
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD) and the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies (also T-HUD) will hold hearings and invite HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan to testify on the necessity and importance of the President’s proposed HUD funding, with the goal of completing the appropriations bills by September 30, 2010.
Housing on Congress Agenda – Vouchers, SEVRA, Preservation–top
The second session of the 111th Congress is now underway. Among the housing issues that are continuing from the 2009 session and must be considered this session, are housing vouchers, assisted housing preservation, and public housing.
Vouchers:
Among the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s (NLIHC’s) top legislative priorities is ensuring sufficient funding in FY11 to renew all vouchers currently in use and to secure at least 250,000 new housing choice vouchers for the coming fiscal year. The rise in homelessness, the increasing unaffordability of housing for extremely low income households, and the nation’s long-standing shortage of housing affordable to the lowest income people make FY11 the right year to significantly increase the number of vouchers available in the United States. Advocates will closely scrutinize President Obama’s February 1 budget request to Congress to see whether the voucher program is expanded to provide more extremely low income people access to housing vouchers in FY11.
Congress will also continue to consider H.R. 3045, the Section 8 Voucher Reform Act (SEVRA), which passed out of the House Committee on Financial Services in July 2009 (see Memo, 7/10/09 and 7/24/09). The bill would provide a stable funding system for the voucher program, simplify the rent setting process for all public and assisted housing residents, authorize new housing choice vouchers, and expand the Moving to Work public housing agency demonstration program, among other provisions.
During Committee consideration, H.R. 3045 was amended to include two controversial amendments offered by Representative Tom Price (R-GA). The first amendment, related to identification requirements, would prohibit voucher assistance to any household in which every adult member could not provide identification from a narrow list of acceptable forms of ID. Advocates are concerned that these more stringent identification requirements could result in many eligible citizens or legal immigrants being terminated from, or denied access to, the voucher program. Federal law already prohibits non-citizens who are not present in the United States legally from receiving assistance from the Section 8 voucher program.
The second amendment, related to guns, would prohibit public and assisted housing providers from imposing firearms restrictions in the federally assisted housing units.
These two problematic provisions in the bill have slowed the bill’s progress, while negotiations on how to handle them are underway.
SEVRA legislation has yet to be introduced in the Senate and it is uncertain if the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs will go beyond holding hearings on SEVRA this year.
Preservation of Assisted Housing:
Congress is expected to take up legislation this spring that would address the preservation of the existing federally assisted housing stock. Representative Barney Frank (D-MA), Chair of the House Committee on Financial Services, circulated a draft bill in June 2009 that would provide tools to assist tenants, preservation-minded owners, and HUD in maintaining affordability in assisted projects at risk of being lost for reasons including owners choosing to convert their buildings to market rate housing, the expiration of FHA mortgages, or the poor conditions of the projects. The Committee held hearings on the draft bill in June and July 2009 (see Memo, 6/26/09 and 7/17/09). Chairman Frank is expected to introduce the legislation before the end of January, and the Committee is expected to mark up the bill shortly after introduction.
Advocates are seeking to have several components included in the bill when it is introduced, including a right to purchase for preservation-oriented entities, access to information about the financial condition of the property, and third-party rights to enforce HUD contracts (see Memo, 11/6/09). It is unclear whether these provisions will be included in the legislation upon introduction, but advocates including NLIHC continue to press for them. Again, prospects in the Senate are unknown.
Public Housing:
While FY10 appropriations provided public housing agencies with 100% of their operating subsidy needs for the first time since FY02, the work to secure the same and increase appropriations for public housing capital funds will continue for FY11. With a nationwide backlog of more than $22 billion in bigger-ticket, physical needs, more capital funding is needed in order to preserve public housing.
A likely focal point of public housing legislation will be HUD’s Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI). HUD accepted comments on CNI in the fall and is expected to seek sponsors to propose authorizing legislation in 2010. Appropriators did provide $65 million for CNI in HUD’s FY10 budget, but House and Senate authorizers on the House Committee on Financial Services and Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee never formally acted on HUD’s proposal.
Authorization of CNI will advance HUD’s goal of having CNI replace the existing HOPE VI program. While HOPE VI provides grants to PHAs to address severely distressed public housing, CNI is to have a broader mission of comprehensive redevelopment of high poverty neighborhoods that have privately owned, federally assisted project-based, and/or public housing stock in need of revitalization. Link to NLIHC’s comments on HUD’s CNI proposal at http://www.nlihc.org/doc/NLIHC-NHLP-CNI-comment-11-09.pdf
Efforts to prevent the loss of public housing through the demolition and disposition process, which allows HUD to approve applications to remove public housing stock, may also be on the agenda again in 2010. In a June 2009 letter to HUD Secretary Donovan, House Committee Chair Barney Frank (D-MA) and Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity Chair Maxine Waters (D-CA) said, “[W]e strongly urge [HUD] to impose a one-year moratorium on the approval of applications for the demolition or disposition of public housing units. We believe now is the time to preserve this vital asset before more affordable homes are lost forever.” The letter said that the nation will continue to lose public housing through demolition and disposition until PHAs are required to replace these units on a one-for-one basis. The letter expressed a desire to work with HUD and advocates to develop tools to preserve public housing (see Memo, 6/19/09).
The letter estimated that more than 120,000 units of public housing have been lost from the federal housing inventory through demolition and disposition over the last 10 years, “with only a portion being replaced by hard units.” The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that 165,000 units of public housing have been lost and not replaced since 1995.
In August, Secretary Donovan responded that a moratorium might result in people living in public housing that is no longer physically viable. Secretary Donovan said that HUD would “review more closely the decisions that will be made regarding the approval of any demolition or disposition.” Public housing demolition and disposition, with an eye on preserving public housing, could be considered this year.
National Low Income Housing Coalition 2010 Policy Agenda–top
2010 will be action-packed for affordable housing advocates. National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC’s) updated 2009-2010 policy agenda reflects the Coalition’s priorities and the issues that are likely to be at the forefront of consideration by Congress and the Administration.
NLIHC’s Board of Directors approved the 2010 policy agenda at its December 17 meeting. NLIHC’s mission, goals, and objectives remain the same, while the projects we have in place to meet our goals have been revised for 2010 to reflect current opportunities and realities.
NLIHC’s mission is to achieve socially just public policy that assures people with the lowest incomes in the United States have affordable and decent homes. Our goals to meet our mission are: to preserve existing federally assisted homes and housing resources, to expand the supply of low income housing, and to establish housing stability as the primary purpose of federal low income housing policy. Our objectives to change public opinion, increase capacity of low income advocates, and cause federal policy makers to act all support our goals and remain unchanged from 2009.
NLIHC’s 2010 policy priorities are listed below, some of which will remain constant during 2010 and others of which will change as the course of policy ebbs and flows. Priority areas are:
National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF)
Advancing our work on the National Housing Trust Fund remains NLIHC’s highest priority. NLIHC will seek to capitalize the NHTF and continue to seek new funding sources, finalize HUD regulations on the NHTF, and obtain project-based vouchers to go to states to accompany NHTF dollars.
Housing Choice Vouchers
To support the units added by the National Housing Trust Fund and otherwise assist the lowest income families in accessing affordable housing, NLIHC will continue to advocate for a significant number of new vouchers. We will continue our campaign to secure at least 250,000 new vouchers in FY11, and for enactment of the Section 8 Voucher Reform Act.
Foreclosure Intervention
We will monitor compliance of Protecting Tenants in Foreclosure Act of 2009 and educate the public about this law, protect tenants in private market multifamily properties that are threatened with foreclosure, and support bankruptcy and foreclosure prevention legislation.
Preservation of Public and Assisted Housing
NLIHC will support enactment of comprehensive Section 8 project-based and other multi-family housing preservation legislation, to include a mandate for federal agencies to collect and disseminate data and capacity grants to support local data collection; support and promote policies that preserve severely distressed and non-severely distressed public housing stock through administrative and legislative vehicles; and work to ensure renewal of all vouchers in use.
Gulf Coast Housing Recovery
We will support enactment of Gulf Coast Housing Recovery legislation that reflects issues identified by the Katrina Housing Group, which NLICH coordinates, and we will continue to work to influence the National Disaster Housing Strategy.
Budget and Appropriations
NLIHC will work to achieve the best possible HUD budget for FY11, including through the President’s budget, the Congressional budget resolution, and appropriations bills.
Housing Plus Services
Work in this broad subject area includes HEARTH Act implementation as well as the enactment of Section 202 and 811 reform bills, Section 3 legislation, and healthy housing legislation.
Tax Policy
NLIHC will work to achieve greater equity in federal housing subsidies both along the income spectrum and between homeowners and renters, and will advocate for redirecting these savings to fund NHTF and Housing Choice Vouchers.
Low Income Housing Tax Credits
NLIHC will support efforts to help the LIHTC program rebound, with a focus on continuing the exchange program for 2010 and on support for a policy revision that would require 25% of LIHTCs to be used for housing affordable for extremely low income households.
Definition of Affordability and Income
NLIHC will monitor and inform proposals to redefine the federal poverty level to assure consideration of housing costs. NLIHC will also monitor and inform any changes to Fair Market Rents and income limits.
Planning for Livable Communities
We will advocate for improvements to the Livable Communities Act/Sustainable Communities Initiative and will seek reform of federally required planning processes, including the Consolidated Plan and the duty to Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing, to achieve greater inter-departmental coordination.
Housing Funding from Other Sources
NLIHC will seek ways to maximize resources for affordable housing for extremely low income households through the capital magnet fund, climate change legislation, energy retrofit legislation, Community Reinvestment Act legislation, and the transportation bill, as well as other potential resources.
Hearing on Bill to Fund Fair Housing Centers, Discrimination Research–top
The House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity held a hearing on H.R. 476, the Housing Fairness Act, on January 20. The bill, introduced by Representative Al Green in early 2009 (see Memo, 1/16/09), would authorize increased funds for HUD’s Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP), which funds private fair housing centers to educate consumers and providers on fair housing issues. FHIP also provides resources to investigate and study housing discrimination. Witnesses included HUD representatives, representatives from FHIP agencies, housing providers, and national fair housing advocates.
FHFA Seeks Comments on Diversity Rule – Due March 12–top
A rule proposed by the Federal Housing Finance Agency would implement recent legislation requiring FHFA, the Federal Home Loan Banks, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac to promote diversity in all activities and at every level of the organizations. Comments are due March 12. See Federal Register, 1/11/10 or http://www.regulations.gov. Contact Eric Howard, via email, or at 202-408-2502.
Accessibility Resources Result of Fair Housing Suit–top
The National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) and its member organizations from Atlanta; Melbourne, FL; and Napa and Marin, CA achieved a major victory this week when they reached a settlement agreement with the nation’s fifth-largest builder that will increase the amount of housing that is accessible for people with disabilities.
Under the agreement, A.G. Spanos Companies, will spend about $7.4 million to retrofit its approximately 12,300 residential properties in 11 states, and will create a $750,000 Local Accessibility Fund for retrofits in Atlanta, Melbourne, Napa, Marin, and Washington, DC. The company also agreed to establish a $4.2 million NFHA Accessibility Fund, to make grants available to homeowners and renters nationwide who require modifications or other assistance in making their homes accessible.
The agreement is the result of a lawsuit filed by NFHA and Metro Fair Housing Services of Atlanta, The Fair Housing Continuum of Melbourne, Fair Housing of Marin, and Fair Housing of Napa Valley against the Spanos Companies under the federal Fair Housing Act’s accessibility requirements. The agreement covers 123 properties built since March 1991 in Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Florida, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, and Texas.
The Fair Housing Act has required since 1991 that builders, developers and architects design and construct multifamily buildings so that both apartments and common areas such as lobbies, community rooms and recreational areas are accessible to the growing number of Americans with disabilities.
More information is at http://www.nationalfairhousing.org
Increase in Section 202 Funds for Senior Affordable Housing–top
Following a campaign by AARP to persuade Congress to enhance the Sec. 202 program, lawmakers approved an 8% increase in the appropriations for the only affordable housing program dedicated solely to seniors. AARP claims that 10 eligible seniors are on the waiting list for every available unit of Sec. 202 housing.
The $60 million increase approved for FY 2010 in the waning days before the congressional holiday recess was the first hike in program financing since 2004. That year, the Bush administration decided to put its emphasis on homeownership and diverted scarce domestic aid to the concept. Sec. 202 provides grants and rental help through nonprofit sponsors of low-income senior housing with tenants paying no more than 30% of their income for rent.
The increase can help provide new Sec. 202 units and help train more service coordinators to ensure that tenants have access to food, transportation and medical care.
HUD Takes Over Hope for Homeowners Program–top
Comments are due March 15 on an interim rule governing the FHA’s H4H refinancing insurance program, previously administered by a board comprised of several agencies. See Federal Register, 1/12/10 or http://www.regulations.gov. Contact Margaret Burns, 202-708-2121.
J20 Action on Housing in San Francisco A Success–top
From Street Roots Blog, January 21
It’s been a long, yet fantastic day for individuals on the streets and organizers in San Francisco with more than a thousand attending the J20 action. Today marked a coming together of housing advocates from all up and down the West Coast.
Look for coverage about the action in the up and coming Street Roots coming out on Friday, including news about the action and a meeting with Nancy Pelosi’s office, a column from SR homeless columnist Julie McCurdy and a Q & A with SR vendor George Mayes about his experience. In the meantime, enjoy the pics from today. (Check out the entire adventure on this blog by checking old posts from this week.) In the meantime, you can also check out the editorial from WRAP that ran yesterday in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Funding and Award Opportunities
ARRA Billions Available for Broadband Grants – Workshop Jan 26 –top
The Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and USDA’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announced on January 15 availability of $4.8 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grants and loans to expand broadband access and adoption in America. This is the second funding round for the agencies’ broadband programs. The investment will help bridge the technological divide, boost economic growth, and create jobs.
NTIA and RUS also announced the rules for applying in this funding round, which have been modified to make the application process easier for applicants and better target program resources.
“Based on the feedback we received from stakeholders and our own experience in the first funding round, we are making the application process more user-friendly, sharpening our funding focus to make the biggest impact with this investment, and streamlining our review process to increase efficiency,” said Lawrence E. Strickling, Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information and Administrator of NTIA.
“In response to lessons learned from the first funding round, RUS is making important changes that will make the process easier for applicants and target our resources toward ‘last-mile’ broadband connections to homes and businesses,” said Jonathan Adelstein, Administrator, Rural Utilities Service, United States Department of Agriculture. “This draws on our long experience in improving rural networks to the most difficult-to-reach areas of our country that need it most. We’ve streamlined the application process, added support for satellite service for rural residents left unserved after other funds are awarded, and provided ourselves more flexibility to target areas of greatest need. We are going to stretch every last dime to maximize economic development in rural areas that currently lack adequate broadband service.”
The agencies announced the rules for this funding round in two separate but complementary Notices of Funds Availability (NOFAs) that promote each agency’s distinct objectives.
NTIA’s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP):
NTIA’s NOFA allocates approximately $2.6 billion in this funding round of which approximately $2.35 billion will be made available for infrastructure projects. In this round, NTIA is adopting a “comprehensive communities” approach as its top priority in awarding infrastructure grants, focusing on middle mile broadband projects that connect key community anchor institutions – such as libraries, hospitals, community colleges, universities, and public safety institutions. Comprehensive Community Infrastructure projects maximize the benefits of BTOP by leveraging resources, promoting sustainable community growth, and ultimately laying the foundation for reasonably priced broadband service to consumers and businesses.
In addition, NTIA plans to award at least $150 million of the funding for Public Computer Center projects, which will expand access to broadband service and enhance broadband capacity at public libraries, community colleges, and other institutions that service the general public. NTIA also plans to award at least $100 million for Sustainable Broadband Adoption projects, which include projects to provide broadband education, training, and equipment, particularly to vulnerable population groups where broadband technology has traditionally been underutilized.
RUS’s Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP):
RUS’s NOFA allocates approximately $2.2 billion in this funding round for broadband infrastructure projects. A second funding window will open later which will provide grants for satellite service for premises that remain unserved after all other Recovery Act broadband funding is awarded, make Technical Assistance grants for developing plans using broadband for regional economic development, and grants to provide broadband service to rural libraries funded by USDA under the Recovery Act.
RUS will focus this round on last mile projects, which are anticipated to receive the vast majority of funding. RUS will also fund middle mile projects involving current RUS program participants. The first NOFA had two funding options – grants up to 100 percent in remote rural areas, and 50/50 loan/grant combinations in non-remote rural areas. In the second NOFA, RUS has eliminated this distinction and adopted a base 75/25 grant/loan combination for all projects. The new approach provides RUS with flexibility to seek a waiver if additional grant resources are needed for areas that are difficult to serve, and priority for those who seek lower grant levels. RUS believes this simplified and flexible funding strategy will promote rural economic development.
Separate NOFAs will allow applicants to apply directly to either program. RUS also eliminates the two-step process for BIP applicants to improve program efficiency. These changes will also add valuable time for applicants to focus on one specific program in preparing a more solid application.
Incorporated into the RUS NOFA is an opportunity for the reconsideration of BIP requests to provide viable applications with every chance for funding. There is also a second application review process during which RUS would allow an applicant to adjust its application to better meet program objectives and for the Administrator to provide discretionary points or to increase a grant component to meet rural economic objectives.
Public Workshops:
NTIA and RUS announced a series of public workshops to review the application process and answer questions from prospective applicants. The workshops will be held in Portland, Ore.; Reno, Nev.; Denver, Colo.; San Antonio, Tex.; Eureka, Mo.; Sioux Falls, S.D.; Detroit, Mich.; Blacksburg, Va.; Fayetteville, N.C.; and Atlanta, Ga. Interested parties can register for the workshops at www.broadbandusa.gov.
The agencies plan to accept applications from February 16, 2010, to March 15, 2010, and announce all awards by September 30, 2010.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided a total of $7.2 billion to NTIA and RUS to fund projects that will expand access to and adoption of broadband services. Of that funding, NTIA will utilize $4.7 billion for grants to deploy broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas in the United States, expand public computer center capacity, and encourage sustainable adoption of broadband service. RUS will use $2.5 billion in budget authority to support grants and loans to facilitate broadband deployment in primarily rural communities.
Multi-Family Toilet Replacement Grants – Due Feb 17–top
The Portland Water Bureau Water is accepting applications for toilet replacement projects from multi-family properties that serve low-income residents. Not-for-profit organizations currently providing housing to low-income residents throughout the Portland Water Bureau Retail Service Area are encouraged to apply. Limited funding is available for the program; this is a reimbursement grant only. Applications are DUE FEBRUARY 17, 2010 (see attached).
For an application or more information, contact:
Sarah Murphy Santner, Residential Water Conservation Coordinator
Portland Water Bureau, 1120 SW 5th Ave., Room 600
Portland, OR 97204
Phone: (503) 823-7444; Email.
Fiskars Community Gardening Grants – Due Feb 19–top
Fiskars Brand Inc. provides awards of $2,300 each through its 2010 Project Orange Thumb, which focuses on inspiring and encouraging creative expression through gardening. The program aims to promote sustainable agriculture, horticultural education, community involvement and neighborhood beautification.
Up to 10 awards will be granted this year to community organizations, schools, gardening clubs, camps, senior centers and other nonprofits committed to gardening.
Awardees will receive up to $1,500 in Fiskars garden tools and $800 for plant materials to cultivate their gardens. The deadline for applications is Feb. 19. Recipients will be notified: March 26, 2010. More info: http://tinyurl.com/cdpubs47 or 800-500-4849.
MetLife Grants for Police-Community Collaborations – Due Feb 26–top
[Note: I don't know if this would be helpful for any of your projects, but I thought developments that include strategic architecture/landscaping to meet community policing goals might qualify, or resident services or other programs aimed at positively integrating disaffected youth, improving safety for seniors, etc.]
The MetLife Foundation and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) provides funding to identify and honor police-community collaborations. The deadline is February 26.
Cash grants will be awarded in the following two categories:
- Neighborhood Revitalization Awards (six awards ranging between $15,000 and 25,000 each): These awards celebrate exemplary collaboration between community groups and police that yields crime reduction as well as economic development outcomes such as real estate development, business attraction and job growth.
- Special Strategy Awards (five awards of $15,000 each): This award recognizes community and police partners who have achieved significant accomplishments in applied technology, aesthetics and greenspace improvement, diversity inclusion and integration, drug market disruption, gang prevention and youth safety, and/or seniors and safety.
Eligible applicants must be member organizations of partnerships that include community organizations and police.
Info: Mark Conyers, 212.455.9854; e-mail, csi@lisc.org; for more on the funding opportunity, please visit http://www.lisc.org/metlife.
Workforce Grants for Cities and Counties – Due April 20–top
The US Commerce Dept. (Economic Development Admin.) is offering grants to city and county governments through its Community Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Program (CFDA Number: 11.010). The Funding Opportunity Number is EDA01112009COMMUNITYTAA. $37 million will be made available for 30 awards. The deadline is April 20.
The Community TAA Program creates and retains jobs by providing project grants to communities that have experienced, or are threatened by, job loss resulting from international trade.
The funding will be allocated to six regional offices, and communities and counties will apply to them. The funding for each region will be as follows:
- Atlanta Regional Office –$8,861,419.
- Austin Regional Office –$3,263,046.
- Chicago Regional Office –$11,315,607.
- Denver Regional Office – $2,683,432.
- Philadelphia Regional Office – $6,588,807.
- Seattle Regional Office – $4,055,689.
Applications will be evaluated based on the following six criteria:
- Supporting small and medium-sized communities (20%), defined as communities with a population of 100,000 or less.
- Assisting the most severely impacted communities (20%) in terms of the number of workers in the community impacted in connection with TAA certifications.
- Delivering a high return on investment (20%) in terms of creating and saving jobs, leveraging public-private partnerships and utilizing best practices in project management.
- Supporting regionalism, innovation and entrepreneurship (20%) by strengthening regional cluster strategies and fostering technology commercialization.
- Supporting global trade/competitiveness (15%) by supporting “high growth/high potential companies” and advancing business clusters with significant export potential.
- Growing the “green economy (5%) by promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency, “greening” existing processes or functions, and through “green building.”
Grants under the program can be used to support a wide range of technical, planning and infrastructure projects to help communities adapt to pressing trade impact issues and diversify their economies. Nonprofits, especially those involved in workforce issues, should make sure they are involved in these efforts. To gain insights on what’s happening locally, a call to the regional office should help. Pages 33-39 of the grant guidance provides contact information.
For grant guidance, please visit http://www.eda.gov/xp/EDAPublic/PDF/CommunityTAAFFOFINAL2.pdf.
NEA Funds Arts for the Underserved – Due May 27, June 10, March 11–top
Here are three Grants from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA):
1. NEA Challenge America Fast-Track Grants (CFDA Number: 45.024). Small and mid-sized organizations are eligible for grants of $10,000 each. The deadline is May 27. The program supports projects to extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations – that is, those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics or disability. Grants go for professional arts programming and projects that emphasize the potential of the arts in community development. Projects must take place over limited periods of time and involve limited geographic areas.
Partnerships can be valuable to the success of these projects. While not required, applicants are encouraged to consider partnerships among organizations, both in and outside of the arts, as appropriate to their project. Questions, 202/682-5400; e-mail, webmgr@arts.endow.gov; for grant guidance, please visit http://www.arts.gov/grants/apply/GAP11/Challenge.html.
2. NEA Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth program (CFDA Number: 45.024) (Funding Opportunity Number: 2010NEA01LITA). Governments, institutions of higher education and nonprofits are eligible for grants ranging from $5,000 to $150,000 each. The deadline is June 10. This program funds projects that help children and youth acquire knowledge and skills in the arts. Projects must provide participatory learning and engage students with skilled artists, teachers and excellent art. Funded projects must apply national or state arts education standards.
All projects submitted to the Learning in the Arts category must include:
- Experience: Students and their teachers will have the chance to experience exemplary works of art — in live form where possible.
- Study: Through the guidance of teachers, teaching artists and cultural organizations, students will study works of art in order to understand the cultural and social context from which they come, and to appreciate the technical and/or aesthetic qualities of each work. Where appropriate, study will include the acquisition of skills relevant to practicing the art form.
- Performance: Informed by their experience and study, students will create artwork. In the case of literature, the primary creative activities will be writing and/or recitation.
- Assessment: Students will be assessed according to national or state arts education standards. Where appropriate, projects will employ multiple forms of assessment including pre- and post-testing.
The program provides funding for school-based and community-based projects. The website provides a wealth of information to aid grant submissions. Questions, 202/682-5400; e-mail, webmgr@arts.endow.gov; for grant guidance, please visit http://www.arts.gov/grants/apply/GAP11/LITA.html.
3. NEA Access to Artistic Excellence (CFDA Number: 45.024) (Funding Opportunity Number: 2010NEA01AAE1). Governments, institutions of higher education and nonprofits are eligible for grants ranging from $5,000 to $150,000 each. The deadlines are March 11 and Aug. 12.
The program encourages and supports artistic excellence, preserves the United States’ cultural heritage and provides access to the arts for all Americans. Funds may be used for projects that provide short-term arts exposure or arts appreciation for children and youth or intergenerational education (think seniors, families and kids).
The program provides funds for the following types of disciplines: (1) artist communities; (2) dance; (3) design; (4) folk and traditional arts literature; (5) local arts agencies; (6) media arts; (7) museums; (8) music/musical theater; (9) opera; (10) presenting; (11) theater; (12) visual arts. Projects that involve multiple types of disciplines should apply under the presenting category.
Questions, 202/682-5400; e-mail, webmgr@arts.endow.gov; for more on the funding opportunity, please visit http://www.arts.gov/grants/apply/artsed.html.
Does Your ED Need 6 Months in Europe? GMF Grant – due March 15–top
The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) grants a number of fellowships each year through the Comparative Domestic Policy (CDP) program. GMF is now accepting applications from government and nonprofit leaders to spend two to six months in Europe researching innovative approaches to urban/regional challenges as part of its Comparative Domestic Policy program.
Applications are due March 15 and should focus on issues related to urban sustainability, education and workforce development, affordable housing/cost of living and combating social exclusion.
CDP fellowships, jointly supported by the Compagnia di San Paolo and the Bank of America Foundation with additional support provided by the Ford Foundation, are intended to provide opportunities for practitioners and policy-makers working on economic and social issues at the urban and regional policy levels to meet with their counterparts across the Atlantic and discuss policies and measures that have been implemented. Fellows can then return from their time overseas equipped with the ideas and insights necessary to effect significant and lasting positive change in their own communities.
The Spring 2010 Call for Applications is now open. Further information can be found here.
Spring 2010 Application Form | Spring 2010 Budget Template
Read more about current and past CDP Fellows:
Current CDP Fellows | Past CDP Fellows
Assets for Independence IDA Grant Funding – March 25–top
The Assets for Independence (AFI) program provides five-year grants to nonprofit organizations — including faith-based organizations — and government agencies that empower low-income families to become economically self-sufficient for the long-term. Grantees provide financial education training on money management issues, and they assist participants with saving earned income in special matched savings accounts called Individual Development Accounts (IDAs). Participants use the IDAs to accumulate funds with the goal of acquiring a first home, post-secondary education, or starting up or expanding a small business.
The program is administered by the Federal Office of Community Services, within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
See About AFI for important information regarding program guidelines, project activities, clients served, size of project grants, and AFI legislation.
NOTE: AFI does NOT provide grants directly to individuals and their families. If you are interested in opening and IDA, please go to the AFI Project Locator to find an ongoing project near your community. Contact nearby projects directly to learn about enrollment processes.
How to Apply
The Office of Community Services is accepting applications for funding new AFI projects now! Applicants may submit application materials at any time throughout the year. OCS will review and fund new grants in three cycles annually in calendar year 2010. The application receipt dates are as follows. OCS must receive the applications no later than 4:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on the receipt date.
Spring Cycle — March 25, 2010
Summer Cycle — June 25, 2010
Click here to see Key Documents and more Information for Applicants.
Norman Foundation Funds Social Change and Equity Efforts–top
The Norman Foundation supports efforts that strengthen the ability of U.S. communities to determine their own economic, environmental and social well-being. Projects are supported that arise from the hopes and efforts of those whose survival, well-being and liberation are directly at stake. The foundation’s specific areas of interest include civil rights, environmental justice and economic justice. Past awards have supported efforts to promote economic justice through work to prevent the disposal of toxics in communities, as well as promoting civil rights by fighting discrimination and violence and working for equity.
The Foundation provides grants for general support, projects, and collaborative efforts. They also welcome innovative proposals designed to build the capacity of social change organizations working in their areas of interest. Priority is given to organizations with annual budgets of under $1 million.
Letters of inquiry are reviewed throughout the year on a schedule determined by issue area. Deadlines are rolling. The first step is a letter of interest. [Note: I couldn’t find anything about geographic eligibility on their website, but that would be a good question to ask them before spending time writing an LOI].
They accept letters of inquiry by email (PDF or Word files only) via email, by fax to 212-230-9849 or by regular mail to the address below. Please use only ONE method; do not send duplicates. Info: www.normanfdn.org or 212/230-9830.
Verizon Funds Education, Literacy, Healthcare Accessibility–top
The Verizon Foundation, the giving arm of the telecommunications company, provides grants for projects focusing on education/literacy, domestic violence prevention and healthcare accessibility and Internet safety. The deadline is Oct. 31, but grants are reviewed throughout the year. Their geographic scope is the whole U.S. Verizon is also interested in supplying volunteer help to nonprofits.
- The education and literacy funding focuses on delivering powerful education and literacy tools to teachers, librarians, students, parents and nonprofits. Funds seek to improve learning and student achievement in traditional settings and beyond the classroom.
- The domestic violence funding seeks to stop the cycle of violence. The foundation provides financial, technical and human expertise to local and national organizations that focus on education, prevention, victim relief and empowerment.
- Healthcare accessibility grants go to projects that provide technology to help underserved populations and people with disabilities access information on critical health issues. It also supports innovative technology that helps healthcare providers increase their efficiency, effectiveness and reach.
- Internet safety funds go to programs and organizations helping investigate Internet-related crimes against children, educating parents and caregivers about measures they can take to help children use the Internet safely; and teaching teens and young children how to protect themselves and avoid putting themselves in danger or breaking the law.
Nonprofits should check out the frequently asked questions section of the foundation’s website at: http://foundation.verizon.com/grant/faqs.shtml. Questions, 800/360-7955; e-mail; for more on the foundation, please visit http://foundation.verizon.com/grant/guidelines.shtml.
IBM Funds Education, Workforce, Other Social Services–top
Computer-manufacturing giant IBM maintains a community-relation funding arm which primarily supports specific projects and programs IBM has initiated. The foundation accepts unsolicited proposals from nonprofit 501(c)3 orgs and schools through a two-page letter of interest; deadlines are rolling.
Their interest areas are as follows:
Education
Adult training and workforce development
Arts and culture
Helping communities in need
Environment
Employee giving
Priority is assigned to requests involving IBM technology or the volunteer efforts of IBM employees. In the event that the proposal is of interest to IBM, additional information will be requested. Info: 800/IBM-4YOU or www.ibm.com/ibm/ibmgives/grant/grantapp.shtml
Enterprise Funds Green Affordable Housing–top
Enterprise offers grants to help cover the costs of planning and implementing green components of affordable housing developments, as well as tracking their costs and benefits.
Planning & Construction Grants
Grants up to $75,000 to cover planning and construction (http://www.greencommunitiesonline.org/tools/funding/grants/planning.asp) expenses including additional costs of architectural work, engineering, site surveys and costs associated with items such as a more efficient HVAC system, green materials and energy efficient appliance.
Charrettes Grants
Grants for up to $5,000 to assist housing developers with integrating green building systems in their developments and engage in a serious discussion of green design possibilities. Enterprise will award planning grants to affordable housing developers to coordinate a green design charrette (http://www.greencommunitiesonline.org/tools/funding/grants/charrette.asp).
Sustainability Training Grants (post-construction)
Green Communities offers Sustainability Training Grants (http://www.greencommunitiesonline.org/tools/funding/grants/index.asp) up to $5,000 for affordable housing developers. Funding is available to cover the design and distribution of an operations and maintenance manual and the development as well as the implementation of a training curriculum that supports long-term operations and maintenance.
Individual grant requests will be reviewed and acted on by a grants committee that includes Enterprise staff.
Events
Albany Partnership SCRAP Attack! Save the Date – April 17–top
Join Albany Partnership for Housing & Community Development for their first annual fundraising event!
When: Saturday April 17th 2010 9 AM-11 PM
What: SCRAP Attack! Scrappers Collective Response to Alleviate Poverty. A Scrapbooking-fundraising event to raise money to help support our mission. Tickets are $35 in advance $40 at door
Where: Linn County Expo Center, Albany Oregon
Website: www.scrapattack2010.wordpress.com
Albany Partnership needs sponsors, volunteers, and participants! For more information, contact Megan at 541-926-5451 or email her.
Training and Conferences
Audioconference on How to Access 2010 Fed Funds– Jan 21–top
CD Publications is offering a Jan. 21 audioconference, “Getting the Most Out of FY 2010 Federal Funding.” [CD Publications is a nonprofit org that offers subscriptions to funding opportunity and nonprofit information databases].
In the weeks ahead, the FY 2010 omnibus bill will make available hundreds of millions of dollars for a wide range of government-backed programs, including special education, healthcare, disabilities, employment, faith-based projects, anti-substance abuse efforts, low-income housing, assisted living, services for seniors — hundreds of federal programs from virtually every sector of the social services arena.
For beginner and intermediate grant-seekers, sorting through the tangled web of government red tape in an effort to win even a small portion of these funds can be an overwhelmingly daunting task. That’s why CD Publications, a company with 50 years of experience providing funding-related news and information, is hosting an audioconference specifically designed to help newly initiated grant-seekers succeed in winning FY 2010 federal funding.
The audioconference is scheduled for Jan. 21, 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Eastern Standard time; and will provide attendees with a thorough, in-depth update on the federal government’s funding priorities for the upcoming year, as well as professional guidance on the myriad policies and procedures at the various federal agencies responsible for overseeing and administrating these programs.
The presenters will provide actionable information on:
- How to craft a compelling program narrative;
- How to allocate time and resources for the best possible results;
- How to approach program officials with the right questions;
- How to obtain pertinent information from Congressional sources;
- How to take full advantage of the application process, and more
Presenters include Frank Klimko, veteran grants analyst and editor of CD Publications’ Children & Youth Funding Report and Private Grants Alert; and Ray Sweeney, long-time professional grant-writer, federal funding consultant and editor of CD Publications’ Federal & Foundation Assistance Monitor.
The cost is $199 for unlimited participants: gather as many people as you want around a speaker phone, where all can take advantage of this excellent, cost-effective learning opportunity. For more information or to register, call toll-free at 1-800-666-6380. You can register with a credit card right up until the conference starts – leave yourself a little time to get the pin number and info you’ll need. All attendees will receive a packet of proprietary information prepared especially for this event — valuable resource material that can be used again and again.
Save the Date – Grassroots and Groundwork Conference – May 13-14–top
This year’s theme is “Seizing Opportunities to Reduce Poverty and Build Community Prosperity.” The conference, held at the Red Lion Hotel in Portland, Oregon, will cover new developments in affordable housing, job training and green enterprises, financial literacy and public policy.
Explore what’s working to help those who are struggling to make ends meet.
Each day, a growing number of people struggle to make ends meet. Yet there are remarkable strategies and tools that can help fight this trend, that have been proven to reduce poverty and build community prosperity. This conference lets you join forces with your colleagues across the country to explore successful and promising models and concepts in affordable housing, job training, green enterprises, financial literacy, public policy and more.
Now in its fourth year, the Grassroots & Groundwork conference has become a destination for service providers, educators, researchers, private citizens, policymakers, business and civic leaders, faith leaders and more – anyone looking for proven or emerging strategies to reduce poverty and build community assets and wealth.
Grassroots & Groundwork touches on a wide range of solutions in a variety of venues: smaller, more intimate 70-minute break-out sessions showcasing proven, innovative poverty-reduction models and tools; an extended, interactive session focused on tackling current challenges in poverty reduction; and a bonus, hands-on, half-day Community-Builder Institute. Outstanding keynote speakers touch on poverty in ways that are thought-provoking and inspiring.
Visit http://www.grassrootsandgroundwork.org/ to learn more.
Reports
Reports Show Troubling Trends in the Multifamily Housing Market–top
Two new reports focus on the emerging problems in the multifamily housing market and the dire impact such issues could have on low-income residents. The first report, Closing the Door 2009: Risks of Boom and Bust, was released by Community Service Society (CSS) and focuses on New York City’s market, while HUD’s U.S. Housing Market Conditions for the 3rd quarter of 2009 analyzes national trends.
All forms of affordable housing in New York City are currently threatened as a result of a wave of mortgage defaults facing predatory investors, the CSS report found. The defaults appear to be due to the influx of a new group of investors who entered the market between 2003 and 2007, buying multifamily properties at highly speculative prices and causing a dramatic increase in sales prices during that time. These investors were willing to pay very high prices for apartment buildings where low to moderate-income renters lived, the report found, because they were under the assumption that building values would increase and incomes of tenants would rise to cover their debt payments.
CSS further found that not only were properties bought at very high prices relative to annual rental income, but that these prices did not come down, even after the economic downturn, as they did in the single-family housing market. The current sales prices of multifamily properties are still above the pre-boom levels, suggesting that these buildings have not been sold for less than the amount of outstanding debt. This trend suggests that lenders are contributing to the problem by refusing to accept losses on the unsustainable loans they made.
As this trend continues, tenants and neighborhoods will likely see buildings deteriorate rapidly, the report warns, since the majority of an investor’s income will go to debt service rather than to maintenance of the property. The report estimates that this type of predatory equity is now affecting more than 4,000 units in New York City, and that a large share of apartment buildings could ultimately end up being affected if no action is taken to regulate the market.
The issues discussed in the CSS report are not unique to New York City, as evidenced by the most recent version of HUD’s quarterly U.S. Housing Market Conditions. A section of the report called “Eye on Multifamily Housing Finance,” echoes many of the concerns regarding overleveraged multifamily properties. HUD notes that policymakers should pay close attention to these issues since a disproportionate share of people living in multifamily properties are households living below the poverty line, minorities, people with disabilities, and the elderly, and that if this stock deteriorates, these populations will suffer disproportionately. The HUD report also shows that the multifamily credit market is tightening while property values are declining, vacancy rates are increasing and rents are falling, adding to the troubles of already overleveraged property owners.
The CSS report offers some policy recommendations to address these issues, including establishing a “right to purchase” policy for tenants, and making federal resources available to support the restructuring of debt on overleveraged buildings. A full list of recommendations is included in the report, at:
HUD’s U.S. Housing Market Conditions for the 3rd quarter of 2009 is available at: http://www.huduser.org/portal/periodicals/ushmc/fall09/index.html
From the report: Trends in Multifamily Loan Performance Data Indicate Continued Market Instability
Increased Vacancies Have Not Helped Low-Income Renters–top
Increased rental vacancy rates nationwide have not translated into greater availability of homes affordable to low income households and the assisted stock in particular has remained tight, according to a HUD working paper on the U.S. rental housing market released December 22, 2009. The paper also finds strong evidence of a trend, suspected by housing advocates, towards households moving in together to save on housing costs.
The report finds that while national rental vacancy rates remain above 10%, this is not the case for the assisted housing stock. Vacancies in project-based Section 8 developments have not exceeded 5% in recent years. Public housing vacancy rates fell two percentage points, from 11.5% in 2006 to 9.5% in 2008, to dip below the national rate. Low Income Housing Tax Credit projects also appear to have vacancies below the market rate, though this finding is based on a more limited dataset.
The report also finds significant geographic variations in supply and demand for both assisted and unassisted homes. While areas such as Detroit and Atlanta saw vacancies increase steadily from 2005 to reach 16% in 2008, other areas such as Seattle and Washington, DC, had vacancy rates that steadily declined in the same period and reached nearly 5% in 2008. The Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, OR-WA Metro Area had a 1.91% dip in rental supply, from 9.7% in 2005 to 5.5% in 2008.
Finally, the report finds evidence that an increasing number of households have been moving in together to save costs. The authors note that nearly 12% of all households that moved in 2009 did so to join another household, up from less than 10% in 2005—a 25% increase. This so-called “doubling up” is thought to be one of the causes of the declining demand in the market, and could help explain the seemingly contradictory trends of rising vacancies and rising renter distress that can be observed in recent data. Before the release of this report, advocates have lacked non-anecdotal evidence of an increase in doubling up.
The paper pulls together primary source analysis as well as information from secondary sources to present a coherent picture of affordability in the current rental market. HUD and Low Income Housing Tax Credit program data are the basis for much of the primary source analysis, and these data are supplemented with information from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS), and the related Housing Vacancy Survey. The report’s findings are presented largely as bullet points, tables or graphs, which should help to make the information accessible.
U.S. Rental Housing Characteristics: Supply, Vacancy, and Affordability, by Rob Collinson and Ben Winter, can be found at: www.huduser.org/portal/publications/workpapr1.html
From the Report: Percentage of units vacant unit vacancies for select HUD programs and all rentals, selected years
2004 2006 2008
Project-based Section 8 5.0 5.0 4.9
Public Housing 12.0 11.5 9.5
All Rentals 9.7 9.7 10.0
Source: Collinson, R. and Winter, B. (2010). U.S. Rental Housing Characteristics: Supply, Vacancy, and Affordability. Washington, D.C.: HUD retrieved January 7, 2009 from www.huduser.org/portal/publications/workpapr1.html
Green Building Uses for Recovery Funds Examined–top
A report from the U.S. Green Building Council – “Top 10 Ways to Use Recovery Funds for Green Building” – and other resources are posted at http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1962.
Economic Impact of Aid to Renters Studied–top
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities calculates that $1 billion added to the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program would assist 200,000 families and help strengthen the rental housing market. Options for Jobs Legislation: Providing $1 Billion to Prevent Homelessness is available at http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3032.
Growth Is in Exurbs and Rural Coastal Counties–top
An analysis of Census Bureau data by The Daily Yonder, an online rural news source, includes a map showing the greatest gains and losses in rural housing units at http://www.dailyyonder.com/new-housing-increases-fastest-exurbs/2010/01/12 /2536. A previous Daily Yonder article reporting that exurban counties lost the most rural jobs from June 2008 to June 2009 is at http://www.dailyyonder.com/welcome-exurban-recession/2009/08/04/2271.
Resources
Webinars on Rural Community Prosperity Strategies – Jan thru May–top
The Heartland Center for Leadership Development and the RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship offer a series of five webinars from January through May focusing on energizing and rebuilding rural communities, at $59.99 each or $250.00 for the series. Visit http://www.heartlandcenter.info/webinar_reg/.
New Web Platform for MNC Competitions – Jan 29–top
NACEDA’s Managing Neighborhood Change (MNC) Collaborative Competitions (click here to learn more) are intended to facilitate the unearthing, aggregation, and promotion of tools and strategies used by organizations across the country to achieve equitable community revitalization.
They are currently accepting submissions and comments for the second competition, ”Diagnostic Tools for MNC” (through January 29, 2010), via the new web-based platform. As the theme implies, the goal for this competition is to collect a broad array of tools necessary in the ultimate “diagnosis” of community conditions along various dimensions explored in data collection.
The new platform will allow users to include more details on submissions, rate ideas, participate in polls and track user participation. Winning submissions will receive $250. (sign-up now to make a submission!)
If you, or anyone you know working to manage neighborhood change, would like to find out more about MNC’s Collaborative Competitions or make a submission by January 29, please go to the new MNC Collaborative Competition site today!
Affordable Housing Finance Seeks Award Nominations, Rural too–top
The magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards, which include a rural category, will go to affordable housing projects using LIHTC or other financing in 2009 or 2010. Visit http://www.housingfinance.com/. Contact AHF, 415-315-1241, ext. 309 or via email..
NY Advocates Use New Tool to Help Site Supportive Housing–top
The Supportive Housing Network of New York (SHNNY), an NLIHC state partner, has created two videos to help providers site new supportive housing developments. The videos feature interviews with stakeholders attesting to the fact that supportive housing is an excellent neighbor and actually improves the neighborhood in which it is built.
The videos were created to help relay the experiences of long-time neighbors of supportive housing developments to members of communities in which providers hope to site new residences. Despite the release of a citywide study by NYU’s Furman Center on Real Estate and Urban Policy that found supportive housing actually led to increases in the value of properties nearest new residences, providers still encountered resistance to new developments. “We realized that fact sheets, beautiful pictures of new residences, and even the Furman Center Study findings only went so far – neighbors needed to hear from people like themselves that supportive housing was not going to ruin their communities and threaten their safety,” said SHNNY Communications Director Cynthia Stuart.
With the support of two New York State agencies, the Division of Housing and Community Renewal and the Office of Mental Health, the Network sought to “put a face on the Furman Center findings,” through two five-minute videos. Each video focuses on three supportive residences in three different New York City boroughs
The videos present positive comments from neighborhood stakeholders such as local and state politicians, community activists, area ministers, a school principal, local police officers, and a long-time postal worker. While acknowledging the neighborhood’s initial hesitation, those interviewed say they were impressed by the buildings’ design, and pleased that residences often replaced derelict buildings or trash-strewn lots. They also cited good management and noted that the tenants they had initially feared were now members of the community. Those interviewed identified the developments as assets to their community that have helped attract new business and went so far as to call one development “an anchor in helping turn the neighborhood around.”
The feedback from the videos has been universally positive, according to SHNNY. Nonprofit providers have found them to be useful tools in persuading skeptical stakeholders of the community benefits of supportive housing. “Another plus is that creation of the videos acknowledged the vital role these neighbors have had in welcoming supportive housing to their communities,” Ms. Stuart addded.
“As advocates we know the many benefits of supportive housing – for tenants, for taxpayers and for communities,” Ms. Stuart said. “But potential new neighbors do not, and their fear-not-fact based opposition can slow or even stop the creation of new, badly needed housing. We just wanted prospective neighbors to hear from people just like themselves that supportive housing, far from wrecking their neighborhood, will actually improve it.”
The videos are available on SHNNY’s website, www.shnny.org, and one video, “Good Housing. Good Neighbors.” is also available on DVD upon request. Requests for the DVD have come from as far as California, Texas and Canada.
For more information, contact Cynthia Stuart via email.
Regulatory Impact Analysis for the Housing Trust Fund–top
The Housing Trust Fund (HTF) was established by the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 and will provide grants to states to increase and preserve the supply of rental housing for extremely low- and very low-income families, including homeless families, and to increase homeownership for extremely low- and very low-income families. In addition to administering the Housing Trust Fund, HUD is charged with establishing (through regulation) the formula for distributing HTF resources to the states. The statute specifies certain factors that are to be part of the allocation formula and assigns priority. The proposed rule is available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-28984.pdf; interested parties can submit comments or suggestions online through February 2, 2010 at www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#submitComment?R=0900006480a62bd9.
HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research recently released Regulatory Impact Analysis for the Housing Trust Fund, which discusses the regulatory impact of the HTF. This Analysis meets the requirements of Executive Order 12866 to prepare an impact analysis (for review by the Office of Management and Budget) of any regulation projected to have an annual economic impact of $100 million or more. It is available as a free download.
Readers are also encouraged to seek out the upcoming March 2010 issue of Cityscape, which will include an in-depth article on the Housing Trust Fund Regulatory Impact Analysis. When available, HUD USER News will announce its release.
Resources Available to Help Families Claim Tax Credits
Information and materials for the Earned Income Tax Credit and other credits are available from the National Women’s Law Center. Visit http://www.nwlc.org/details.cfm?id=3136§ion=tax or email Melanie Ross Levin.
Community Leaders Social Networking Site Includes Rural Dev–top
Leaders for Communities, developed by NeighborWorks America®, is intended to connect current and future leaders at community development organizations across the country. Participate can discuss topics, share and view resources, access and post job listings, and more. Visit http://www.leadersforcommunities.org.
