Call Your Senators to Protect the Services We Need next Tuesday, March 14 and Wednesday, March 15.
Don’t let the budget resolution shortchange nutrition, education, health, housing, child care, and other essential services for young and old alike - to pay for tax cuts once again mostly for the rich and special interests.
 
Please make 2 calls - one to each Senators.  
Use this toll-free number to be connected both times:
800-459-1887 

(Thanks again to the American Friends Service Committee for providing the number and to several generous organizations who have shared in the cost.)

Here’s what to say when you get through to your Senator's staff:

Please tell Senator __________ to oppose any budget resolution that will force harmful cuts in education, health care, nutrition, housing, and other services for vulnerable children, families, seniors, and people with disabilities.  Please also vote against tax breaks that take funds away from needed services and deepen the deficit.

Why:  Congress has started work on next year’s federal budget.  The first step in the process is the budget resolution, an outline of federal spending for the next year.  The budget resolution sets the total dollars to be available for all the services funded by the federal government, and also sets tax levels (including tax cuts, if they choose).   The budget resolution does not make decisions about individual services, but if the total is set too low, it will force cuts later on. 

As early as the week of March 13, the full Senate may take up its version of the budget resolution, with the House expected to take it up early in April.  It is extremely important that advocates tell their Senators not to set the funding totals so low that harmful cuts are inevitable, and not to include unfair and unaffordable tax cuts.  If we allow them to shortchange the budget now, later on, the only way to increase funding for one important service will be to cut another one - the old trick of robbing Peter to pay Paul.

The toll-free number is provided courtesy of the American Friends Service Committee which has launched a
budget campaign, http://www.afsc.org/economic-justice/sos/. AFSC welcomes groups to circulate and use the toll-free number in support of the non-partisan budget goals towards which CHN always works and without linking the alert to a website soliciting donations or actions which may be used to support partisan lobbying or work.

Click here for a PDF flier with this information.

Portland Neighborhood Development Support Collaborative Application Due April 3

The Portland Neighborhood Development Support Collaborative (PNDSC) is announcing the availability of funding to support the development of affordable housing.

To download the 2006-2007 PNDSC Application, click here.

To download supporting materials, click here.

Applications are due no later than 5:00 pm on April 3, 2006 to the BHCD office.   At this time a bidders meeting is not scheduled, however if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Daniel Ledezma at 503.823.4136 or at dledezma@ci.portland.or.us

National Report: Emergency Food Clients Choose Between Housing and Food

A report from America’s Second Harvest, a nationwide organization of emergency food providers, finds in a study of 52,000 of its clients that 35% of those seeking aid must often choose between paying for food and rent. In addition, 42% reported having to choose between food and household utilities, and 32% had to choose between food and medical costs.

Of those reporting having to make such decisions, 36% had at least one family member employed, 12% were homeless, 10% were elderly, and 5% received TANF. Fully 68% reported incomes below the poverty level.

According to the study, the America’s Second Harvest system serves an estimated 24 million different people annually.

To download a draft of the report, Hunger in America 2006, click here.

A summary of its findings and tables is available at:  www.hungerinamerica.org/key_findings/#top

FACT OF THE WEEK

Percent of client families that report making the following trade-offs

Paying for food vs. paying for utilities or heating fuel       41.3%

Paying for food vs. paying for rent or mortgage              34.9%

Paying for food vs. paying for medicine or medical care 31.5%

Households with all three situations                                     18.1%

Households with two of the situations                            18.0%

Households with one of the situations                            16.9%

            SAMPLE SIZE (N)                                                    52,887  

Source: America’s Second Harvest. 2006. Hunger Study 2006 Table 6.5.1 retrieved February 24, 2006 from www.hungerinamerica.org/who_we_serve/Food_Insecurity/indicators/choice.html

TACS is partnering with the Oregon Community Foundation to create Oregon Involved, a public awareness campaign to celebrate the impact of nonprofits in communities throughout the state. As part of this effort, we’re working with a statewide Launch Committee to create Oregon’s first statewide association of nonprofit organizations.

The Oregon Nonprofit Association will create a communication network to help Oregon’s 12,000 charitable nonprofits:

·       Tell their stories and connect with new volunteers and donors through the Oregon Involved campaign and website

·       Share info about training and funding resources

·       Track public policy issues like Senate discussions of charity reform proposals

·       Get free tools to help work with volunteers, donors, and media

·   Connect with other nonprofit leaders all around the state

Want to learn more? Go to http://www.oregoninvolved.org/REG/register.php?source=TACS

March 11 Summit: Synergizing Portland’s Environmental Justice Network

Environmental Justice Advocates will host the first Lewis and Clark Law School Environmental Justice Conference on March 11-12, 2006. “EDUCATE. COLLABORATE. INITIATE: Synergizing Portland’s Environmental Justice Network,” will bring together Portland's established Environmental Justice community, interested and affected community members, and Lewis and Clark law school students to strengthen the local Environmental Justice network. This conference strives to connect all interested parties to discuss the history and future of environmental justice and its impacts on the community as a whole.  We will address urban and rural environmental justice issues including public health, transportation, planning, tribal water rights, affordable housing, and public participation.

Conference presenters will include local, regional, and national environmental justice practitioners Jeri Sundvall Williams, Robin Morris Collin, and Running Grass.  The World Cafe Workshop will promote conversation and listening as participants seek to identify goals, obstacles, and strategies for addressing several hot Environmental Justice issues in Portland.

Saturday, March 11 
MORNING SESSION 1: An Overview of Environmental Justice: What environmental justice is, why it’s relevant, history, and relationship to environmentalism and the law 

MORNING SESSION 2: Hot Topics in Environmental Justice, in Portland and Beyond: Public Health, Land Use, Transportation, Affordable Housing, Farmworkers, Immigration, and More. 

LUNCH 

AFTERNOON SESSION 1: Workshop: Brainstorming obstacles and strategies and creating a plan of action for EJ issues. 

AFTERNOON SESSION 2: Tools for Change: Various approaches to eliminating environmental injustice. Sharing successes, failures, and lessons learned. 

Sunday, March 12 
Strategic Planning 

This summit is organized to bring together activists, students, scholars, practitioners, government officials, community members, and anyone else interested in environmental justice. Together, we will share information, ask questions, and exchange ideas about what environmental justice is, why it is relevant, and what we can do about it. 



Lewis and Clark Law School. 10015 SW Terwilliger Blvd.

Saturday, March 11, 2006, 9:00am
Strategic Planning: Sunday March 12, 2006 10:00a.m.

Location: Lewis & Clark Law School

Website: www.lclark.edu/~eja • Email: eja@lclark.edu • Phone: (503)768-6717

ADMISSION IT FREE. To register, visit www.lclark.edu/~eja

The Multnomah County Board of County Commissioners and Citizen Involvement Committee invite you to be part of an important decision-making process.

The 2006-07 budget will determine how Multnomah County serves citizens. Citizen input is critical in determining how community priorities reflect the vital programs and services the county offers.

Now is the time to get involved and let the Board of County Commissioners know what's important to you! Please attend an upcoming forum and let your voice be heard.

·       Tuesday, March 14, 2006 
Boardroom 
Multnomah Building: 501 SE Hawthorne, Portland 
7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Light refreshments and child care available

·       Saturday, March 18, 2006 
Sharron Kelley Rooms A and B 
East County Service Center: 600 NE 8th Street, Gresham 
9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Light refreshments and language interpretation services available

These forums, conducted in cooperation with the African-American, Hispanic and Russian & Ukrainian Chambers of Commerce will provide you with an opportunity to impact program funding choices at a critical time in this budget process.

For more information, please contact:

Citizen Involvement Committee (CIC)

501 SE Hawthorne Avenue #192, Portland, OR 97214

TEL (503) 988-3450 FAX (503) 988-5674

citizen.involvement@co.multnomah.or.us

You are invited to the Coalition for Livable Future’s Fourth Annual Regional Livability Summit on April 11, 2006, convening at 12:30pm.

The Summit will include a State of the Region panel, seven strategy sessions about the critical questions facing our region, and a keynote address by Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder.

For more information or to register, visit www.clfuture.org or call 503-294-2889.

Summit location: World Trade Center (121 SW Salmon Street)

Keynote Address location: First Congregational Church (1126 SW Park Avenue) at 6:30pm

"Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children."

                                                                            -         Chief Sitting Bull

Join community leaders, advocates, planning professionals, elected officials, business leaders, agency staff, public health officials, educators, students and residents from throughout all parts of the region to:

·        Learn new information about the current state of the Portland-Vancouver metro region and trends affecting our future,

·        Participate in one of seven strategy sessions about the critical questions facing our region;

·        Increase understanding of how your local work fits into a broader, regional context;

·        Build and strengthen the personal, cross-discipline relationships that make collaboration successful, and;

·        Hear author and journalist Richard Louv speak about how the loss of greenspaces and nature is affecting our children.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Major Sponsor: Portland Parks and Recreation

Co-sponsors: Audubon Society of Portland, Azumano Travel, Enterprise, Portland General Electric, Trust for Public Land, Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District, Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership / Supporting Sponsors: Albina Community Bank, Fregonese Calthorpe Associates, Inner City Properties, Multnomah County, Otak, OnPoint Community Credit Union, Portland Bureau of Housing & Community Development, Portland Parks Foundation, Urbsworks, Williams & Dame Development 

Please join us for the Oregon Asset Building Convergence! Happening April 11-12

Come join local practitioners, national experts and policy makers focused on the Asset Building movement in Oregon and around the country. Together we will explore strategies that build human and financial capital. Strategies which are critical to developing thriving and resilient individuals.

At the Asset Building Convergence, you will:

·       Celebrate successes and share best practices.

·       Identify policy barriers and strategize solutions.

·       Network with others that share your passion for bringing an end to poverty.

·       Meet national leaders in the Asset Building movement.

By strengthening our understanding and connections, this event promises to reshape how Oregon addresses the problem of poverty.

To register, go to: http://www.regonline.com/Checkin.asp?EventId=89848

Registration deadline is March 15th.

2006 Awards for Excellence in Affordable Housing Nomination Due May 5

Enterprise and MetLife Foundation are pleased to invite your organization to apply for the 2006 Awards for Excellence in Affordable Housing. These awards provide unrestricted funds totaling $100,000 to six winners in two categories—supportive housing, and property and asset management.  First place winners receive $25,000; second place, $15,000; and third place, $10,000.  Applicants must be members of the Enterprise Network. (More information on membership can be found on our website, www.enterprisecommunity.org/.)

And new this year, past winners in the property and asset management category can reapply two years after their award, if they apply for a different property.

The application has been shortened and simplified, and must be submitted online by midnight, Friday, May 5.  We encourage you to participate in this awards program.

·       Go to www.enterprisecommunity.org/metlife.

·       Review the eligibility criteria, and determine what project you will enter and in which category.

·       Read the instructions posted on the website carefully.

·       Gather all the information you need before completing the form online.  Keep in mind, you cannot save the form online.

·       Complete and submit the online application.  Applications must be submitted online by midnight Friday, May 5, 2006.

·       Gather the photos, organizational chart and the organization certification.  The organization certification must be signed and mailed. The photos and organizational chart can be sent by email or by mail. If sent by email, they must be sent on May 5, and if sent by mail, they must be postmarked May 5.

We look forward to recognizing and rewarding your project and sharing the best practices exemplified by winning projects with your peer.

Home Depot Foundation's Awards of Excellence for Affordable Housing

This is the second year of The Home Depot Foundation's Awards of Excellence for Affordable Housing Built Responsibly signature program. The Awards program seeks to identify, recognize and showcase the outstanding and innovative work of nonprofit housing development corporations engaged in green building/healthy home construction and rehabilitation. Our interest is to share with local, state and national stakeholders the exemplary accomplishments of the nonprofit sector in combining affordable housing construction with the guiding principles of green home building in order that low- and moderate-income families have access to quality housing they can afford to own, operate and maintain.

Affordable Housing Built Responsibly

The Home Depot Foundation defines an affordable home as one for which a person making 80 percent or less of the area median income would spend 30 percent or less of their monthly income on mortgage or rent payments. We believe that by helping families and individuals secure dependable, healthy, affordable housing, we are increasing their chances of success in all areas of their lives.
We also believe that housing developers should go beyond just addressing the affordability issue to include a focus on the health and environmental impacts of housing design and construction. Housing should be built in a sustainable manner that also allows for immediate operating efficiencies to keep the housing affordable over the long-term. Building responsibly, often referred to as "green" building, incorporates the following measures in the design and construction of housing:

-minimizes the depletion of natural resources, including timber and water;

-decreases the amount of construction waste going to landfills;

-controls erosion and minimizes impact on natural areas;

-increases energy efficiency and conserves water in construction and operations;

-reduces maintenance costs using innovative and durable materials;

-improves indoor air quality;

-controls moisture and provides proper ventilation;

-uses more environmentally friendly materials; and

-ensures smart site planning and land use.

We believe building responsibly is a form of stewardship and is simply a smart way to build quality, affordable housing.

Eligible Projects

Projects eligible for award consideration must have been developed by a 501(c) 3 and completed and placed in service between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2005.  Homeownership projects must contain at least five units that were sold to families earning 80 percent or less of area median income.  Rental projects must contain at least 15 units, with at least 80 percent of the units occupied by families earning 80 percent or less of area median income.  Group home and transitional housing projects are not eligible for award consideration.  There are no limitations as to the type of ownership structure (i.e. direct-purchase home ownership, cooperative, mutual housing, condo-minium, lease-purchase, land trust, etc.) or physical structure (i.e. single-family detach-ed, townhouse, mixed-use, etc.)

Award Categories

There are two award categories – homeownership and rental.  Within each category two grant awards will be made - $75,000 to the winning project and $25,000 to the second most competitive project.  The grants are to be used at the discretion of the nonprofit to further the goal of producing affordable, efficient and healthy housing for low- to moderate-income families.

Letter of Inquiry (LOI) Process and Deadline

This year’s Awards program involves two steps.  The first step is to respond to the project questions asked in the enclosed Letter of Inquiry.  Letters of Inquiry must be submitted on-line by midnight, March 31, 2006.  A Foundation staff team will review the project described in the LOI and determine if it is competitive in relation to the intent of the Awards program and the “excellence” standards established by last year’s independent Advisory Committee comprised of experts in green building.  If Foundation staff finds a project competitive, step two involves the applicant being invited to submit a full proposal.   Only the top 30 LOI responses in each housing category will be invited to submit full proposals.   Staff encourages applicants to submit LOIs before the deadline date.  Those applicants invited to submit full proposals will be provided information about how to access the application and how the winning projects will be selected.  Full proposals will be due May 12, 2006.

For informaton on how to submit a letter of inquiry, go to : http://www.homedepotfoundation.org/hfus/enus/affordablehousing.html

If you have questions or need more information, contact us at:
hd_foundation@homedepot.com