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| Human Solutions Provides Homeless Families with Disabilities Place to Call Home Human Solutions, Inc. is pleased to announce the renovation of Greentree Court. Greentree Court, formerly an aging property housing low income families, has been transformed into a new, exciting and critically needed resource for very low income families. Greentree Court will provide 11 units of permanent supportive housing for formerly homeless families with at least one adult with a disability. Families living at Greentree Court earn at or below 30% of Median Family Income - or under $20,350 annually for a family of four - and will receive rent subsidies, case management support, resident services and treatment services. Greentree Court is the first permanent supportive housing project for homeless families opened since the release of City of Portland and Multnomah County “Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness.” “Greentree Court will be a valuable resource to homeless families in the East County area facing severe barriers to overcoming their homelessness,” stated Jean DeMaster, Executive Director of Human Solutions. “Human Solutions feels very fortunate to provide a program to homeless parents and children to help them overcome such severe adversity, and help them become productive citizens again.” Greentree Court, located at 2405 SE 142nd Avenue in Portland, is a collaboration of agencies and funders including Clackamas County Bank, Multnomah County, the Housing Authority of Portland, LifeWorks Northwest and Human Solutions. Housing Alliance Lobby Day Introduces Housing Opportunities Agenda in Salem President's Budget Cuts or Eliminates Key Domestic Programs (From the Enterprise Foundation) On Monday, the Bush Administration released its $2.57 trillion budget proposal for FY 2006. Aside from defense, homeland security and mandatory programs such as Social Security, the Administration has proposed a 1 percent across-the-board cut in spending and much deeper cuts to key domestic spending programs. The Administration's budget would cut billions from community development. Following are highlights of key housing and community development programs as proposed in the President's budget. Eliminating CDBG and More - The Administration proposes to eliminate funding for 18 federal community development programs, including Community Development Block Grants. Programs currently funded by seven federal agencies for a total of $5.7 billion in FY 2005 would be consolidated into a single Strengthening America's Community Initiative and funded at $3.7 billion. This initiative would be administered by the Commerce Department as an economic development block grant aimed at serving very low-income communities and addressing job loss issues. The proposed consolidation would represent a 35 percent cut in federal support for community development. However, there is no guarantee that Commerce would continue to fund any of the existing community development programs. Other HUD Programs - Programs currently funded at HUD and slated for consolidation/elimination include the Section 4 capacity building program, brownfields redevelopment, Rural Housing and Economic Development, Empowerment Zone grants and Community Development Loan Guarantees. Other programs slated for elimination include Rural Business Enterprise Grants, Rural Business Opportunity Grants, HOPE VI, the CDFI fund's grants and Bank Enterprise Award programs and the Economic Development Administration. Additionally, HUD proposes to cut funding for the disabled (Section 811) by half; decrease grants for lead hazard prevention by 28 percent; cut funding for people living with HIV/AIDS by 5 percent and the Native American Block Grant by over 6 percent. The HOME program will receive a slight increase above last year's level to fund the President's American Dream Down Payment Initiative. The Enterprise Response - While the President's budget represents a serious attack on federal support for community development, we must remember that Congress ultimately decides the final funding levels for federal programs. This is why now, more than ever before, we must educate every member of Congress about key programs that make community revitalization possible. In Washington, the Public Policy office will be working very closely with other community development stakeholders, including LISC, NCCED, NCCA and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. We have scheduled several congressional briefings on Capitol Hill, local tours for elected officials and industry coalition meetings in the coming weeks. What You Can Do - CDN is hosting a policy analyst from the Enterprise Foundation during the week Feb 21 (date to be announced, stayed tuned) at our monthly Public Forum to discuss the President's proposed budget and strategies for successful advocacy. To get more information about the Public Forum, email Karen Walker at Karen@cdnportland.org. The Housing Advocacy Group (HAG) is meeting to develop and implement a local advocacy strategy. To get involved with the Housing Advocacy Group, email Bobby Weinstock at bobby@nwpilotproject.org The Oregon Food Bank is mobilizing federal advocacy efforts in conjunction with national efforts. To get involved with the Oregon Food Bank, contact Angela Martin at amartin@oregonfoodbank.org Individually, please start meeting with or writing to your district congressional staff NOW to let them know how vital these federal programs are in your community. Congress will be in recess from Feb. 21-25 and March 21-April 1. These are great times to get elected officials out to see the good work that your organization is doing to rebuild communities. Want more analysis of the President's budget? Check out the links below: OMB Watcher: http://www.ombwatch.org/article/articleview/2659/1/316 Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: http://www.cbpp.org/2-7-05bud2.htm United Way: downloads/UW_Budget_Analysis.pdf Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7862-2005Jan13.html Great Opportunity for Public Input: Consolidated Plan Meetings Feb 15, 22 Community residents will have an opportunity to help set priorities for Portland, Gresham, and Multnomah County in the Consolidated Plan 2005-2010 (the Plan). The Plan will guide how federal resources from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) -- about $20 million dollars annually -- will be spent over the next five years. These funds can be spent on programs that develop, preserve, or rehab housing affordable to low- and moderate-income households, create economic opportunities, spur community development, encourage homeownership, and/or serve people with special needs and those experiencing homelessness. Most of the funds are contracted to non-profit agencies to provide these services in the community. The public is invited to comment on community needs and funding priorities at a series of community meetings sponsored by the Housing and Community Development Commission. The remaining community meetings will be held in Fairview (February 15th at 6:30 p.m., Fairview Community Center), and Hillsdale (February 22nd at 7 p.m., the Multnomah Center). All comments received at the hearings will be considered in preparing the Plan. "We believe in public involvement. It is an integral part of developing a good Plan. We know hard-working people all over the County are struggling to pay the rent and have enough money left to put food on the table and pay for other necessities. We know that people with disabilities are collecting bottles and cans to get enough money to buy medicine. We want all of them to have an opportunity to tell their stories and share their ideas," said Beth Kaye, manager of the Plan process for Portland's Bureau of Housing and Community Development (BHCD). The Plan requests funding available under four grant programs: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME), Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG), and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA). Last year, Portland, Gresham, and Multnomah County received $20.4 million and funded more than 75 agencies to run programs offering home-repair for low-income homeowners, youth community service programs, minority homeownership fairs, services to homeless families, and more. Comments received at the community meetings will help to document the extent of the need in our area; identify the problems that are confronting families and challenging communities; and highlight the successful strategies government-funded non-profit agencies use to address these issues. Personal accounts of family needs help to underscore the importance of federal resources as a tool for stimulating community development and economic opportunity, and ensuring that all families have homes that are safe and decent. “We are making every effort to eliminate barriers that sometime discourage citizen involvement,” said Ms. Kaye. “We will feed you while you attend the community meeting. We will provide childcare for your children aged 7 and under. All the locations are accessible to people with mobility impairments. “Sign language interpretation or language translation services are available upon request. Please call (503) 292-3718 three days in advance of the meeting you if wish to request these services. While public testimony is encouraged, input can also be provided by writing a letter, sending an e-mail, or leaving a voicemail. As the federal government considers proposals to reduce funding for housing and community development programs, the Plan presents an important opportunity to make the case for increasing these much needed resources for Portland, Gresham and Multnomah County. Citizens who want to help determine how those resources will be used should plan to attend one of the hearings or send their comments to the Housing and Community Development Commission. For more information and to monitor the progress of the Consolidated Plan, visit the web site www.portlandonline.com/bhcd. Innovative Housing and WAMU Offer Free Financial Literacy Course Free Annual Credit Reports Available to West Coast Consumers Consumers on the west coast are now able to obtain an annual copy of their credit report from each of the three credit bureaus. Free annual credit reports from each of the three credit bureaus can be obtained at http://www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling 877-322-8228. If folks want their credit score, there is a fee charged by each of the bureaus. To get more information, click here to download "Your Access to Free Credit Reports,” which explains why it is important for consumers to monitor their credit history, how to request a report and how to dispute any errors. Please inform consumers this is the only authorized safe source for consumers to access their credit reports. Earned Income Tax Credits Help Low-Income Working Families Working families can receive a substantial tax refund even if they have had no Federal income tax withheld from their paycheck. Federal and state income tax credits, particularly the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), can mean thousands of dollars to working families. This year, the maximum Earned Income Tax Credit is $4,300. Federal and state income tax credits have become America's largest anti-poverty programs. These programs provide direct assistance to low-income working families, moving more children out of poverty than any other programs. Yet, many households do not claim the credits for which they are eligible. You can help in a number of ways. The Oregon HUD office is providing on our website a central place to find EITC information and resources. On our site, you can find links to downloadable brochures, including translations into 20 languages, that you can reproduce and provide to families in your community. There is also information on free tax preparation help for low-income families and on the Oregon Tax Credit Coalition, a public/private partnership that promotes utilization of tax credits. To find out more, visit the Oregon HUD EITC page on the web at: http://www.hud.gov/local/or/library/eitcor.cfm And also visit the national HUD EITC page on the web at: http://www.hud.gov/initiatives/irs/taxcredits.cfm Reminder from Enterprise: Return Your CDC Census Form Now IRS Clarifies Rules for Foundation Funding for Lobbying American Planning Association Provides New Resource for Affordable Housing Info Here's a new resource for affordable housing info: The American Planning Association has assembled more than 100 documents on affordable housing issues in a new Affordable Housing Reader. The documents come from the Journal of the American Planning Association, Planning magazine, and other APA publications and include APA policy documents and court briefs. To access the reader, go to: http://www.planning.org/affordablereader/ Paul G. Allen Foundation Makes Changes in Grantmaking Process The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation recently made changes to its grantmaking process. All eligible organizations interested in applying for funding are now required to submit a Letter of Inquiry (LOI) to the Foundation. We accept LOIs on a rolling basis throughout the year. If you wish to apply in the Spring 2005 application cycle, an LOI must be submitted no later than mid-February. Foundation staff will review the LOI and notify you within 4 weeks if your organization has been invited to submit a full proposal. Board decisions regarding the Spring 2005 application cycle will be announced in the third quarter of 2005. Please visit www.pgafamilyfoundation.org for further details about our grantmaking priorities and process and contact us at 206-342-2030 if you have any questions. Tech Soup: How Open Source Software Can Open Doors for Nonprofits |
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