Hacienda CDC, Earth Advantage®, The Enterprise Foundation, Seabold Construction and Carleton Hart Architecture are proud to share that Clara Vista Townhomes is on track to become the first LEED certified affordable housing project in the United States under the new “LEED for Homes Pilot Program”.  With Silver certification, Clara Vista Townhomes will be recognized as one of the nation’s most elegant syntheses of community development and green building practices. 

“This is a perfect example of how Oregon continues to remain a leader in sustainable developments for the affordable community,” said Sean Penrith, Executive Director, Earth Advantage. “In the past, green building was thought as something only for the elite; with this project, it proves that quality homes can be produced with energy efficiency and environmentally sound practices on a budget.  Clara Vista Townhomes is a wonderful LEED for Homes project that will carry the pilot program into its mature phase.  Earth Advantage is proud to be a part of this LEED for Homes Silver certification.”

The project is part of Hacienda’s Cully/Killingsworth 20-acre Neighborhood Master Plan that received the 2002 1000 Friends of Oregon Development of the Year Award for its adherence to smart growth and sustainable design principles.  Work on realizing the master plan has progressed steadily over the past ten years with the completion of over 350 housing units.  This project maximizes the urban infill site with dense housing in close proximity to neighborhood services and public transportation. 

"Green building is embedded in Hacienda's community building strategy to create healthy, livable environments for our residents while fostering a sense of responsible environmental stewardess among them,” said Pietro Ferrari, Executive Director, Hacienda CDC

The $7,983,634 Clara Vista Townhomes project, (construction costs: $5,220,733 equaling $86 per square foot) is split on two sites and includes 44-units of affordable family housing with three- and four-bedroom apartments.  The homes are grouped around a series of open green spaces and children play areas to encourage socializing and child safety.  The building designs reflect the local vernacular with gabled roofs and lap siding.  The homes are painted rich primary colors reflecting the Hispanic culture. 

The two sites are developed with vegetated bio-swales.  Hardscape is minimized through structured parking under a primary building and by sharing parking drives with a neighboring development.  Specific green building elements include whole-house ventilation systems, onsite rainwater filtration, efficient hydronic space heating, abundant natural lighting, fluorescent lighting fixtures, cementitious siding, insulation exceeding code requirements, Energy Star appliances, fly-ash concrete and low-VOC adhesives and paint.  All 24 ground-floor units are visitable by persons with disabilities, including 3 units that are fully accessible and 7 units that are ADA adaptable.  Each unit provides residents with private outdoor space.  In addition to these “green” features, the project includes a solar hot water heating system for each apartment made possible by a grant from the City of Portland Office of Sustainable Development, Oregon Energy Trust and the Enterprise Foundation Green Communities.

“Throughout all of Hacienda’s development, CHA has continued to ‘push the envelope’ on green architecture,” said Brian Carleton, Principal, Carleton Hart Architecture.  “Sustainability strategies have been determined not only for their benefit to the environment, but more importantly for their ability to reduce utility costs and improve livability for tenants.  Systems are developed to be intuitive and easy to use by residents. It’s an honor o be part of the LEED for Homes Pilot Program it is a natural outcome of the efforts we have been putting into affordable housing for the past ten years.”

The apartments serve tenants at or below 50% of the area median income (AMI).  Financing included Key Bank, Network of Oregon Affordable Housing, Portland Development Commission, Oregon Housing and Community Services, Housing Authority of Portland, The Enterprise Foundation-Green Communities, Enterprise Social Investment Corporation, City of Portland-Office of Sustainable Design, NW Natural Gas, Oregon Energy Trust and Oregon Department of Energy.

The project team is leading the nation in the design of sustainable and healthy affordable housing.  Project team includes: Carleton Hart Architecture - Brian Carleton (Principal), Karen Pearson (Project Manager), Lisa Ferretto, Dave Calem, Jon Eisner, Lindsay Moore (Project Team); Hacienda Community Development Corporation, Housing Development Center, Macdonald Environmental Planning; Conlee Engineers; Hood McNees Engineering; DL Engineering; Cascade Solar Consulting, Earth Advantage, Alder Geotechnical, and Seabold Construction.

The Grand Opening Celebration is scheduled for February 3^rd, 2006 from 4 to 6 pm at the Ortiz Center: 3736 NE Killingsworth Street, Portland, OR 97218.

Northwest Job Gap Study: Most Oregonians Don't Earn a Living Wage

Oregon jobs aren't paying enough to support families according to the Northwest Job Gap Study released today by the Northwest Federation of Community Organizations. The Northwest Job Gap Study shows that fewer than a quarter of Oregon jobs pay enough to support a two-parent, two-child household. Even fewer jobs pay enough to support a single parent with two children. A living wage for a single adult in Oregon is $10.77 an hour. A two-parent household with two children would need to earn $21.17 an hour.

JoAnn Bowman with the community group Oregon Action says the state's unemployment rate is going down, but Oregon needs to evaluate the types of jobs being created.

"The kind of jobs that are accessible for Oregonians are in the service industry, so you're talking fast food, retail jobs, that in most cases are part-time employment, don't provide health care, and don't provide a living wage," said Bowman. "I just don't think that anyone who works full-time should actually be making a choice between paying rent or feeding their kids."

Danny Bell, a volunteer with the consumer group Oregon Action says the lack of family wages costing taxpayers money. Bell said, "Where [low wages] leaves many Oregonians is on food stamps or getting assistance from the state and other taxpayers."

To read the Northwest Job Gap Study on Oregon, go to: http://www.nwfco.org/pubs/2005-1117_OR_JogGap_lowres.pdf

For specific information for the counties of Multnomah, Marion, Clackamas and Jackson go to: http://www.nwfco.org/job_gap.htm#oregon

HUD Report on Affordable Housing Needs: Low Income Renters Need Greatest

HUD has completed the ninth in a series of reports designed to help Congress make informed policy decisions regarding housing assistance. This report is based on information from the 2003 American Housing Survey, which was sponsored by HUD and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, and is augmented by data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP).
Households falling into a "worst case need" classification consist of unassisted renters with very low incomes (under 50 percent of area median income) who either pay over half of their income for housing, or live in severely substandard housing. "Affordable Housing Needs: A Report to Congress on the Significant Need for Housing" reports the extent of worst case need and describes the population who experiences this level of need. The results are placed in historical perspective and geographical context, thus identifying trends and locating concentrations of worst case need. The report also examines the duration of severe rent burdens on households and the relationship between availability of affordable rental housing and worst case need. In addition, the report compares its estimates and interpretations with those emanating from other research carefully evaluating the effect of differing methodologies on findings and conclusions. The report can be downloaded at no cost at
http://www.huduser.org/Publications/pdf/AffHsgNeedsRpt2003.pdf

The Low Income Investment Fund is offering a training institute consisting of four sequential 2-day modules, will be in Northern California in Feb. 2006, New York City in March 2006, and in Southern California in April 2006. The Institute is designed specifically for housing developers considering child care operators as development partners and tenants in their projects. The training will provide a solid understanding of child care operations as well as the resources and tools necessary for co-locating child care in developments. Space is limited. For more information and to register, visit the LIIF website.

TACS Training on New Accountability Expectations for Boards & EDs Feb 8

Kay Sohl, Executive Director of Technical Assistance for Community Services will conduct a training on February 8 entitlied New Accountability Expectations: What Boards & EDs Need to Know. The training runs from 8:00 - 9:30 am at the Ecotrust Conference Center, 721 NW 9th Ave, Portland, OR 97209. Registration costs $20.

Updates on

·       IRS hot button issue

·       Congressional charity "reform" initiatives

·       How "standards creep" may bring more Sarbanes-Oxley expectations to nonprofits

·       Conflict of Interest

The IRS, Congress, and the media have growing concerns about the integrity of charitable organizations and the effectiveness of board oversight. Learn what Oregon nonprofits are doing to strengthen board oversight and increase accountability.

Join TACS' Executive Director Kay Sohl for updates on the IRS's continuing concerns about executive compensation, excess benefits transactions, and conflicts of interest within charitable organizations. Learn about a new campaign to tell the real stories of Oregon's nonprofits and the positive impact they have in every community. Learn how your organization can communicate its accomplishments and accountability.

Click here to register.

The Coalition for a Livable Future (CLF) seeks nominations for its fifth annual Robert L. Liberty Regional Leadership Award. The Regional Leadership Award recognizes and rewards leaders who have made significant contributions to the livability of the Portland metropolitan region. Community members are invited to nominate an individual who has demonstrated initiative and creative leadership in addressing livability issues in the region. The award will be presented at the Regional Livability Summit in March, 2006.



The Award is named after Robert L. Liberty in recognition of his outstanding service to the citizens of the Portland metropolitan region, and to the protection of community livability. Mr. Liberty was the Executive Director of 1000 Friends of Oregon, and co-founder of the Coalition for a Livable Future. In past years the Regional Leadership Award has been presented to Jim Labbe, Urban Conservationist for the Audubon Society of Portland, Jeri Sundvall, Executive Director of Environmental Justice Action Group; Charlotte Lehan, Mayor of Wilsonville; and to Congressman Earl Blumenauer. All have been tireless advocates for protecting and improving the region’s quality of life, and making sure that quality of life can be enjoyed by all the region’s residents.

Please send us your nomination for an individual whose efforts have:
 

- Educated citizens about development and growth issues
 

- Implemented regional or local policies and practices that improve livability


- Confronted threats to the Portland metropolitan region’s livability
 

- Demonstrated initiative and creative leadership
 

- Led to desirable environmental and social outcomes

To submit a nomination for the award, please send an email to info@clfuture.org that includes your name and contact information, your nominee's name and contact information, and 500 words or less describing why this nominee should receive the Regional Leadership Award. 

Nominations may also be mailed to 310 SW 4th Ave. Suite 612, Portland OR 97204, or faxed to 503-225-0333.
The deadline for nominations has been extended to January 23, 2006.

Nominate someone today!

Questions? Contact Teresa Huntsinger at 503-294-2889 or teresa@clfuture.org.

The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco is currently accepting application for the 2006 Community Revitalization Awards.  The award is intended to recognize and share innovative examples of comprehensive revitalization projects that have had a significant impact on the community.  Submissions will be accepted until January 27, 2006. To find out more, go to www.frbsf.org/community

HUD Seeks Nominations for Robert L. Woodson, Jr. Award by March 15

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is now seeking nominations from states and localities for the second annual Robert L. Woodson, Jr. Award. The Award is intended to recognize local communities for their outstanding leadership in reducing regulations that discourage affordable housing production. The nomination deadline is March 15. For more information about the Award, visit the HUD website.

Fannie Mae Foundation Fellowship Program Nomination Deadline March 31

The Fannie Mae Foundation Fellowship Program in Affordable Housing, in partnership with the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, is now accepting applications. The program is offered to support the professional development of senior state and local government officials and nonprofit leaders committed to affordable housing in the United States. The three-week fellowship program, taking place in June and July, is intended to enhance the management and decision-making skills of accomplished leaders experienced in managing housing and community development programs. The application deadline is March 31. More information is available from The FannieMae Foundation website.