The Community Development Network

In an effort to save the homes of thousands of vulnerable Oregon working families, seniors and people with disabilities, the State Legislature allocated $1 million from the General Fund to create a ‘Housing Acquisition Fund’ (SB 5556) and an additional $4 million annual capacity for the Oregon Affordable Housing Tax Credit (HB 3619A).

Between now and 2013, almost 7,300 rent-subsidized apartments in Oregon and millions of dollars in federal rent assistance attached to these apartments are at risk of converting to market rates due to expiration of government subsidy contracts.

Thanks to the leadership of Senators Kurt Schrader (D-Canby), Betsy Johnson (D-Scappoose) and Richard Devlin (D-Tualatin), and Representatives Mary Nolan (D-Portland), Phil Barnhart (D-Central Lane and Linn Counties), Chip Shields (D-Portland) and Jeff Merkley (D-Portland), the State now has two crucial tools needed to save these homes.

“The Legislature did a great thing for communities throughout Oregon by protecting these at-risk projects,” said Ian Slingerland, Executive Director of the Community Alliance of Tenants. “This is a crucial issue not only because Oregon needs all of this affordable housing, but because these projects are homes to people with annual incomes of less than $10,000. If the rug gets pulled out from under these people, where are they going to go?”

The Housing Acquisition Fund will give affordable housing providers timely access to the capital needed to acquire these at-risk rent-subsidized apartments when owners are ready to sell. The expansion of the Oregon Affordable Housing Tax Credit (OAHTC) complements the Housing Acquisition Fund by creating new capacity for state tax credits to help make the long term financing of these preservation projects possible. The Housing Acquisition Fund and the additional OAHTC will be used to preserve and create affordable homes for Oregonians in all corners of the state.

“The State’s commitment to preservation will leverage the participation of private lenders and the philanthropic community to respond to the challenge of preserving the at-risk homes,” said Bill Van Vliet, the Executive Director of Network for Oregon Affordable Housing, a non-profit consortium of financial institutions that will manage the Housing Acquisition Fund. “This project brings together an unprecedented team of partners to preserve affordable housing in our state.”

The $1 million in State General Fund allocated for the Housing Acquisition Fund will be matched by $1 million from the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department and nearly $5 million in grants and loans from the Meyer Memorial Trust and the Collins Foundation in an innovative public-private-philanthropic partnership to establish the Oregon Housing Acquisition Fund.

In addition to the funds from the State, from Meyer Memorial Trust and from the Collins Foundation, the fund has secured almost $33 million in pledges or expressions of interest from others. Potential funders include Oregon banks, Enterprise Community Partners, Tom and Bob Walsh, and the City of Portland.

“It costs half as much to preserve and renovate an existing affordable apartment as it does to build a new one,” said Meyer Memorial Trust CEO Doug Stamm. “By preserving affordable homes, we reuse and recycle important housing resources. This project is cost-effective and environmentally sustainable at the same time. Most importantly, we are saving people’s homes.”

· Preserve at least 6,000 federally rent assisted apartments that are at risk of conversion to market rates between 2007 and 2013 

· Safeguard the almost $25 million in annual federal rent subsidy to Oregon associated with those units

· Establish a cost efficient green building incentive program that will minimize operating costs and maximize indoor air quality in 1,000 apartments

The Housing Alliance formed on the principle that housing gives people an opportunity to build better lives. For many Oregonians, stable, safe housing is beyond their financial means. Therefore, the Housing Alliance is committed to winning significant new money for housing to erase the affordability gap. To find out more about the Housing Alliance, go to click here, or contact Michael Anderson at (503) 335-9884 or by email.

The Portland housing & homeless community turned out in force for the Housing Opportunity Candidate Forum for City Council Seat #2 on Feb 21 in Portland. Candidates Nick Fish, Jim Middaugh, Ed Garren, Fred Stewart and Harold Williams III all shared their plans on how to address Portland’s unmet housing needs in a spirited, high level 90 minute facilitated debate.

Prior to the forum, all five candidates submitted written answers to the questions which they addressed at the forum. To read the candidate answers, click here.

To read a more detailed description of the Housing Opportunity Candidate Forum from Street Roots’ Israel Bayer, click here. click here.

The event was sponsored by Street Roots, Sisters of the Road, JOIN, Coalition for Homeless Families, Affordable Housing NOW!, Community Alliance of Tenants and the Community Development Network.

CDN will hold a candidate forum in April for candidates running for Mayor of the City of Portland. A date has not yet been set. Stay tuned to the CDN website for more detailed information.

HAP’s rent assistance program has increased payment standards for Section 8 participants. Payment standards determine the maximum amount of rent assistance a housing authority can provide.

“The local vacancy rate is around three percent,” said Jill Riddle, HAP’s director of Rent Assistance. “This increase in payment standards means that a low- income family can afford more rental unit in a tightening market.” For example, in 2007, HAP’s payment standard for a 2-bedroom apartment was $795 — under the new payment standard, a 2-bedroom is now $832.

Other program improvements implemented by Riddle and her team include: housing case managers assigned to each participant, a landlord service team to improve service to landlords, and a leasing team to aid new participants in finding housing.

Starting in March, Multnomah County will be one of several communities across the country to feature the documentary Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick in a series of public screenings. Unnatural Causes, a seven-part documentary, is shaking up our understanding of what really makes us healthy or sick. We invite you to join us in dialogues with community members, community based organizations, civic and business leaders, and local elected officials, to discuss the root causes of health inequities as well as long-term solutions.

Work, wealth, neighborhood conditions and lack of access to power and resources can actually get under our skin and disrupt human biology as surely and germs and viruses. And it’s not just poor who are sick – at each descending rung of the socio-economic ladder, people tend to be sicker and die sooner. At every level, many communities of color are worse off than their white counterparts. As a nation, the United States spends over 2 trillion dollars on health care - more than any other nation. Are we getting our money’s worth?

The Health Equity Initiative is a multi-year strategy that involves community engagement, assessment, and policy development to achieve 3 goals: 1) to create a common understanding of the societal causes of and solutions to health disparities, 2) to raise the visibility of current efforts to eliminate health disparities, and 3) to engage community members to advocate for policy solutions and practice improvements to promote health equity.

To find out when Multnomah County is holding a screening and discussion of Unnatural Causes in your neighborhood click here.

The Action Plans FY 2008-09 for Multnomah County, the City of Portland and the City of Gresham describe how CDBG, HOME and other housing and community development resources will be used in the coming year to address the priority needs and objectives established in the approved 2005-2010 Consolidated Plan. Before finalizing the Action Plans, the jurisdictions want to give residents the opportunity to present comments and views on the Draft Action Plans FY 2008-09. Comments may be made in writing addressed to the Housing and Community Development Commission (HCDC), 421 SW 6th Ave., Suite 1100, Portland, OR 97204, or by e-mail to bkaye@ci.portland.or.us by April 2, 2008. Comments may also be made at the upcoming public hearings at the Bureau of Housing and Community Development, 421 SW 6th Ave., Suite 1100, Portland, OR 97204 on

Bureau of Housing and Community Development, 421 SW 6th Ave., Suite 1100, Portland OR 97204

The Draft Action Plans FY 2008-09 will be available online at www.portlandonline.com/bhcd under the What's New heading and as a reference document at each branch of the Multnomah County Libraries by March 3, 2008. Updates to the Draft will be posted online as available. All comments made at the hearings and those received by April 2, 2008 will be considered in finalizing the jurisdictions’ submissions. Summaries of public comments will be included in the final document.

The meeting is wheelchair accessible. If you need an accommodation to participate in this meeting, or require an interpreter, please call 823-2375 or 823-6868 (TDD) at least three days in advance.

This political campaign season has witnessed vigorous debate on whether to make permanent tax cuts favoring the richest Americans. At long last, the spotlight has begun to shine on the resurgence of economic inequality, which is undermining the country's promise of being a land of opportunity.

Income inequality has been rising in the U.S. almost without interruption for the better part of three decades, returning to levels not seen since before the Great Depression.

HUD considers establishing a roster of approved independent public accountants to perform audits for PHAs, owners of Section 8 project-based housing and HUD-financed multi-family projects, and others. Comments are due April 7. See Federal Register, 2/6/08, pp. 7169-77 or click here. Contact Elizabeth Hanson, HUD, 1-888-245-4860.

A New Organization Needs a New Name – Merger Mania! Prize!

Pending voting member approval, AOCDO and CDN are well on their way to completing the process of merger by June 30.

A new organization will need a new name! You are invited to help us find a name that will best represent our united efforts to make affordable housing a statewide policy priority and to strengthen Oregon’s affordable housing industry.

What are your suggestions? Please send them to Karen via email.

Did someone say there was a prize? The person who suggests the name closest to that chosen will receive a $100 contribution to the AOCDO-CDN member of their choice.

Affordable Housing NOW! Schools, Hunger Information Sheets Updated

Affordable Housing NOW! now has updated our information sheets connecting the issues of housing to children and education, and housing to food security. Thanks to the brilliant work of intern Michael T. Howard, these two handy information sheets now have compelling current data. To download the updated versions, click on the links below.

Housing and Children's Education

Housing and Hunger in Oregon

Affordable Housing NOW! is a coalition of over 40 organizations and hundreds of individuals whose goals are to secure new resources for affordable housing for the Portland Metro area by building a movement large enough to make funding for affordable housing for people with low incomes a political priority in the Metro area.

To learn more about Affordable Housing NOW! click here.

Online Chat: Tax Increment Financing for Affordable Housing, March 13

At 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 13, Enterprise Community Partners is presenting an online class, Tax Increment Financing for Affordable Housing: A Tool for Promoting Regional Equity, which will be sponsored by the Ford Foundation. TIFs use future gains in property tax revenues to finance current improvements that will create those gains. A public project, for example, can increase the value of nearby real estate and often attracts new investment from the private sector. The increased value and new investments create increases in tax revenues, or the "tax increment." Tax increment financing uses the future increased revenue to finance debt to pay for the initial and subsequent projects. Tax increment financing is supported by legislation in 49 states and the District of Columbia. For more information on the class and how to participate, click here.

On-line Workshop: The Violence Against Women Act and Section 8 Housing

Presented by the The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty and KnowledgePlex

On Wednesday, March 20 at 2:00 p.m. ET.

VAWA is a powerful tool for Housing Authorities and Section 8 landlords and owners to protect victims of domestic violence, and it creates legal obligations in Public and Voucher and Project-based Section 8 housing. However, HUD has issued little guidance for Housing Authorities and Section 8 landlords and owners on implementing the law. As a result, many affected organizations and people are unclear about their rights and obligations. This Expert Chat is designed to give information to Housing Authorities, landlords, owners, developers and advocates about the provisions of the law and strategies for implementing it.

This is an online discussion of innovative implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and its implementation in Chicago and Alchoa County, Fla. The discussion will include policies developed by the Housing Authorities and the role of advocates in developing those policies. Experts will strategize with participants around VAWA implementation in their own jurisdiction so that Housing Authorities, landlords and owners who participate in Section 8 will better understand their obligations under the law.

Panelists

Kate Walz - Senior Staff Attorney, Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty
Gail Monahan - Executive Director, Alchoa Housing Authority
Katherine Zeisel - Staff Attorney, NLCHP, Domestic Violence Program (Moderator)

For more information on joining this online chat, please click here.

Better Living Show in Portland, March 28-30

From Friday, March 28, through Thursday, March 30, in Portland, OR, the Energy Trust Better Living Show will hold a three-day festival for exploring sustainable choices that communities can make. Portland's largest sustainable lifestyle event features companies and organizations that offer products and services in eight areas: lifestyle, food and beverage, transportation, conservation, home and garden, eco adventure, clean tech, and recycling. The festival encourages everyone to take steps toward healthier lifestyles. For more information, click here.

Housing and Homelessness Conference April 30-May 2 in Hood River

The Oregon Coalition for Housing and Homelessness (OCHH) is hosting their annual conference for homeless service providers and advocates on April 30 – May 2 in Hood River Oregon. Entitled ‘Deconstructing Myths, Building Opportunities’ the 19^th Annual OCHH Conference will offer a range of workshops offering hands-on tools to people working on the issues of homelessness. The annual OCHH conference is the premier training event for homeless service providers and advocates in Oregon.

To view a list of conference workshops, click here.

Registration for the three day conference is $225. To download a registration form, click here.

Bank of America Neighborhood Excellence Initiative Grants

With a focus on areas such as: education, community development, arts and culture, and health and human services Bank of America offers three grant programs:

Neighborhood Builders
Two grants of $200,000 (or local market currency equivalent) for operating support to nonprofit/charitable organizations in each of 45 markets. Deadline for application is June 27, 2008. Click here to apply to be a Neighborhood Builder.

Local Heroes
A donation of $5,000 (or local market currency equivalent) to an eligible charitable nonprofit/charitable organizations, selected by each of 5 Local Heroes in 45 markets.
Click here to nominate yourself or another Local Hero

Student Leaders
Five high school juniors and seniors in 45 markets participate in a leadership summit in Washington, DC and a paid internship with a local nonprofit/charitable organization. Click here to apply to be a Student Leader

Enterprise Green Communities Grants 2008.

Applications for the national funding round are now being accepted. Grant Funds up to $50,000 per Project Now Available. Green Communities grants are generally made as part of a package of favorable financing intended to improve the feasibility of integrating green building items throughout affordable housing developments. Other parts of this package are below-market-rate acquisition and predevelopment loans and competitively priced tax credit equity from Enterprise. Before submitting an application, applicants are advised to request and review the Green Criteria, which incorporates design criteria for locating in smart locations, conserving natural resources and promoting healthy living environments. These Green Criteria define the minimum requirements for Green Communities' projects and will be used to determine eligibility for grant, loan and tax credit equity products. Applications from developers in the Northwest and Michigan are accepted year round. Applications are due by April 11th and awards are expected to be made by the end of June.

Urban Institute Monograph Catalogs Neighborhood Indicators

Catalog of Administrative Data Sources for Neighborhood Indicators by Claudia J. Coulton, a comprehensive update of an earlier monograph describes 42 data sources that are timelier and can be applied to smaller areas than government surveys, making the data particularly useful for community indicators. The main body of the new monograph includes a catalog describing data sources and giving examples of the types of indicators that can be constructed from the data. The catalog, funded by DataPlace with support from the Brookings Institution Urban Markets Initiative, is available on the Urban Institute's Web site.

Guidebook Available: Employer-Assisted Housing

Homes for Working Families released a new guidebook titled Understanding Employer-Assisted Housing: A Guidebook for Employers. As policy-makers seek solutions to the current short-term housing crisis facing millions of middle-income families, employer-assisted housing programs can be a powerful tool to help eligible workers gain access to safe, good-quality homes. EAH is a term used to describe a range of housing benefits that employers can offer to help their employees afford homes. Benefits can include homeownership education and counseling, financial assistance for homebuyers or renters, investment in new construction and more. Details include compelling first-hand perspectives from the employers and employees who have participated in EAH programs. It provides a straightforward examination of employer-assisted housing options and gives employers practical guidance on how EAH programs work. The guidebook also includes a detailed how-to section to help employers begin to create their own EAH programs. The guidebook was developed with the assistance and expertise of the Metropolitan Planning Council, a Chicago-based policy organization that provides employer-assisted housing technical assistance nationwide. Click here for a copy.