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| Atrocities at Home: Bush, HUD Plans Would Make Families Homeless Separate plans from the Bush Administration and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) would withdraw housing vouchers from families and individuals that currently depend on those vouchers to afford their housing. The president's budget proposal calls for cutting the housing voucher program, the nation's principal low-income housing assistance program, by more than $1.6 billion in 2005 and substantially larger amounts in later years, which would result in the elimination 250,000 existing vouchers. This would force housing agencies to serve hundreds of thousands fewer families and/or require families with vouchers to pay much higher rents. (To read more about the Bush Plan's impact on Oregon, go to: http://www.ocpp.org/2004/nr040316.htm) HUD announced in late April plans to change the way it funds the 2004 voucher program. As a result, many local housing authorities are short of the funds needed to cover all vouchers currently in use. On April 22, HUD announced it would no longer reimburse local housing authorities based on actual current voucher costs. Instead, HUD is now issuing payments based on the cost of vouchers under lease on August 1, 2003, adjusted for inflation. This is the first time in the 30-year history of Section 8 voucher program that existing vouchers will be cut. Worse yet, the HUD notice is retroactive to the beginning of the year. This unexpected change in the middle of a fiscal year catches many local housing authorities off-guard, without sufficient time and resources to plan for implementation of the new policy. Now, housing authorities across the country are planning for the possibility of having to terminate residents from the program or otherwise cover funding shortfalls. Already the HUD plan has forced local voucher administrators to make changes to the program that will have dire effects on families and individuals. * NW Oregon Housing Authority has already sent landlords termination letters for some tenants, and Massachusetts officials narrowly avoided a similar situation. Other states are at risk as well. * Rents levels for voucher holders will increase, and maximum rent covered by a voucher will decrease. Vouchers may be directed to higher-income households. In Ohio, for example, almost 70% of housing authorities expect to implement changes ranging from increased rents to the cut of the lowest income families. * PHAs will not re-issue vouchers when tenants leave, and will withdraw vouchers from families who have them but have not yet found a willing landlord. * Private partners, including landlords, bankers, and developers, will stop participating in the program if they can't count on HUD to keep its funding commitments. And development deals dependent on vouchers for operating costs will collapse. Already since HUD released its notice, supportive housing deals in Ohio and Minnesota have fallen through or are at risk of falling through. * The problem is exacerbated because HUD has refused to pay many housing authorities funds owed from last year (overdue reserves), leaving many without sufficient funds to cover the emerging shortfalls. Congress should be outraged about this change. In the notice, HUD blamed Congress for the change. However, Congress added funding to the Voucher program in 2004 specifically so HUD could fully fund all vouchers currently in use. "It is clear that the intent of Congress was to ensure that the voucher program was sufficiently funded so that no family would lose assistance," Senators Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) and Susan Collins (R-ME) to HUD. To read more about the impact of the HUD plan, go to: http://www.cbpp.org/4-26-04hous.htm TAKE ACTION TODAY! Call the Capitol switchboard today at 1-888-818-6641 ask to be transferred to your Senator and Representative’s office, or call direct Rep. David Wu at 202-225-0855 or 503-326-2901. Email via http://www.house.gov/wu/contact.html Rep. Darlene Hooley at 1-888-4HOOLEY. Email via http://www.house.gov/hooley/zipauth2.htm Rep. Earl Blumenauer at (202) 225-4811 or (503) 231-2300. Email via http://www.house.gov/blumenauer/contact.html Senator Wyden at (202) 224-5244 or (503) 326-7525. Email via http://wyden.senate.gov/contact/ Senator Smith at (202) 224-3753 or (503) 326-3386. Email via http://www.senate.gov/~gsmith/webform.htm Talking points: * Tell your Member you new cuts to housing vouchers are unacceptable. * Ask your Member of Congress to direct HUD to: a. Withdraw the April 22 notice changing the way housing vouchers are funded, because the change is leading to funding cuts across the country. b. Fully fund all housing vouchers in 2004, as Congress intended. c. Fund vouchers based on their actual cost according to the latest available data AHN Testifies in Support of Proposed $11 Million for Housing Portland Report Calls for More Affordable Housing Resources Enterprise Foundation Portland Director Kate Allen and Portland City Commissioner Erik Sten hosted a news conference April 29 to release a study outlining a vision and business plan for mobilizing Portland's affordable housing community. The report documents that Portland has a capable, well-run system that has provided 11,000 affordable homes, but it notes that the city needs at least double that number to support low-income adults and families. "The system is ready," said Allen. "Now we must secure long-term funding to meet the increasing demand for affordable, healthy, safe and permanent homes." The report was the culmination of a collaborative "resource mapping" effort by Enterprise, the city of Portland, other regional governments, nonprofits, community development corporations, the Housing Authority of Portland, government funders and nonprofit intermediaries. Doris Koo, Enterprise Senior Vice President, said the resource mapping project is the nation's first and will become a model approach "for creating collaboration and efficiency to achieve shared goals." Funding for the project came from Living Cities: The National Community Development Initiative. For a related articles, click here: Oregonian, April 30, 2004 Willamette Week, May 5, 2004 Input Needed for National Study of the LIHTC HUD CHAS 2000 Data, Congressional Welfare to Work Report Available On Line CHAS 2000 data, a special tabulation of Census 2000 data created specifically for those involved in the Consolidated Planning process, and the Congressional mandated Evaluation of the Welfare to Work Voucher Program are now available on line. The CHAS (Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy) data are useful to local government officials and local housing planners for their own planning processes, and to HUD officials who use these data in allocation formulas for distributing funds to local jurisdictions. The CHAS data are different from standard Census 2000 data files, because they are mostly comprised of a variety of housing need variables split by HUD defined income limits (30, 50, and 80 percent of median income) and HUD specified household types. The data have been available since September 2003, but updates were recently made that correct problems in some of the tables. These data reflect new tables created by Census at the minor civil division, consolidated city, place, county, and state geography levels. The updates make it easier for some jurisdictions to compare 1990 and 2000 data. The CHAS 2000 data have been changed slightly from the CHAS data available in 1990. Variables that were minimally useful were dropped. Three other signification changes were made, including: o Most of the variables are produced at multiple geographic levels, including state, county, minor civil division, place, and Census tract, instead of at the geographic level of place and county, as this information was available in 1990. o On a select set of tables, HUD has added some new income breaks to reflect programs with different income requirements. Those new breaks include less than 21% of HUD Area Median Family Income (HAMFI), 60 to 65% of HAMFI, and 95 to 100% of HAMFI. o On a select set of tables, tenure is split three ways: rent, own with a mortgage, and own without a mortgage. Tenure only split in two ways in 1990: rent and own. In addition, one table splits the renter tenure by single-family property and multifamily property. The CHAS 2000 data are available in several different ways. Users can engage a simple query system to gather basic housing need and basic affordability data, or they can download the data for just a particular state. The data are also available at a national level. In addition to the CHAS 2000 data, HUD is also making available data being used for various allocation formulas, including the Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) and Fair Share formulas. "CHAS 2000 Data" is available as a free download at http://www.huduser.org/datasets/cp.html. Evaluation of the Welfare to Work Voucher Program: Report to Congress The Welfare to Work Voucher (WtWV) program, enacted in the HUD Appropriations Act for FY 1999, funded approximately 50,000 housing choice vouchers for families receiving or eligible to receive welfare, and for whom the receipt of housing assistance was deemed critical for obtaining or retaining employment. This Congressionally mandated evaluation, commissioned by HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research, presents interim impacts of the WtWV program on the quality of neighborhoods, employment, earnings and continued dependence of welfare families. At six sites, 8,732 families were randomly assigned to one of two groups: (1) the treatment group, who received a WtW voucher immediately, or (2) the control group, who did not receive a housing voucher for at least some time thereafter. The sites are Atlanta and Augusta, Georgia; Fresno and Los Angeles, California; Houston, Texas; and Spokane, Washington. The analysis of the experiment to date indicates that some participants in the WtWV program were more able to move to better neighborhoods, but that participants experienced statistically significant reductions in employment and earnings. The results are inconsistent with program expectations. Consistent with the finding of negative program impacts for employment and earnings, the authors found modest but statistically significant increases in the use of TANF and Food Stamps. A longer-term assessment will be conducted in the future, as the typical length of stay in vouchers is three years. The results of the longer-term assessment will be compelling, the authors predict, as some positive effects may be slow to emerge. "Evaluation of the Welfare to Work Voucher Program: Report to Congress" is available as a free download from HUD USER at http://www.huduser.org/publications/pubasst/welfrwrk.html or in printed form for a nominal charge by calling HUD USER at 1-800-245-2691. HomeStreet to Award Seven $10,000 Grants for Housing Nonprofits 2004 HomeStreet Bank is proud to introduce the HomeStreet Community Housing Awards, an award program for nonprofit organizations that focus wholly or in part on meeting housing-related needs. HomeStreet will grant seven $10,000 gifts to outstanding organizations in the communities we serve. If you are involved in or know of an organization that supplies permanent or transitional housing for people with low to moderate incomes or provides opportunities to move into homeownership, they might be eligible for this award. Deadline for applications is June 1. Deliver applications to your nearest HomeStreet Bank branch during normal business hours. Applications received by mail, email or overnight drop box will not be eligible. Judging will be completed by community members and HomeStreet Bank personnel. Award recipients will be notified in September 2004. Only organizations submitting applications from the Washington state counties of King, Pierce, Snohomish and Thurston; the Greater Portland region; Salem; and Hawaii will be considered. To apply for this award or nominate an organization you believe is deserving, click here (http://www.homestreet.com/about/communityawards/download/default.asp) to download a HomeStreet Community Housing Awards application. For more information on the HomeStreet Community Housing Awards, go to: http://www.homestreet.com/about/communityawards/default.asp EPA Accepting Nominations for National Award for Smart Growth Achievement The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for the third annual National Award for Smart Growth Achievement. This competition is open to local or state governments and other public sector entities that have successfully created smart growth. Non-profit or private organizations or individuals are not eligible for the award. However, if a superior project is developed through a public-private or a public-non-profit partnership, EPA will make the award to the public sector entity while noting the private firm, non-profit organization or individual involved with the project. Smart growth is development that serves the economy, the community, public health, and the environment. Smart growth development approaches have clear environmental benefits including improved air and water quality, greater preservation of critical habitat and open space, and more clean up and re-use of brownfield sites. This year, applications will be accepted in five categories: 1.Built Projects 2.Policies and Regulations 3.Community Outreach and Education 4.Small Communities 5.Overall Excellence in Smart Growth Applications are due on June 1, 2004, go to http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/SGAwards_04.doc to download an application. Up to five winners will be recognized at a ceremony in Washington, DC in November 2004. Benefit Concert for the Portland Community Land Trust May 7 Please join us for a fabulous musical fundraiser to benefit the Portland Community Land Trust Friday, May 7. Performances by Terri Grayum & Gwen Thomas, PCLT’s Tasha Harmon & Allison Handler (Ravenwood), and special guest Michael Mandrell. * Come hear wonderful music and terrible banjo jokes. * Support the work of the Portland Community Land Trust (PCLT), a community-based, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to providing land for affordable housing in our community. * There is no admission charge. Reservations are required. To reserve seats call Amy at 503-493-0293 or e-mail amy@pclt.org. We hope you will join us! To learn more about the Portland Community Land Trust, or to make reservations for the May 7th concert, call us at 503.493.0293. Spring Garden Festival & Plant Sale to Benefit Annie Ross House May 8 Annie Ross House will hold the 12th Annual Spring Garden Festival on Saturday, May 8th from 9am to 2pm, RAIN OR SHINE Located at Northwest Housing Alternatives campus 2316 SE Willard Street in Milwaukie (Just south of Milwaukie High School) * Plant Sale: A great selection of trees, flowers, plants, shrubs * Children’s Activities: Pick flowers and a planter to create your own gift for mom, * Face Painting, Clowns, Petting Zoo, and Arts and Crafts Activities * Ceramic Planters for Sale: Hand-painted by youth volunteers * Silent Auction: Art, garden, and lots of other items up for auction (9am to 1pm) * Food, Shopping and Artist’s Booths – INCLUDING ART BY CRACKED POTS! * Entertainment: Maralee’s Dance School, 4-H Club Paws’ability, The String Connection Youth Orchestra, The Unstrung Heroes Youth Bluegrass and more! * Work Party: Help spruce up the shelter grounds, children’s garden and memorial garden! Bring your gloves and small tools. We will have a unique selection of gifts for Mother’s Day! For more information, please call 503-654-1007. All proceeds go to Annie Ross House, operated by Northwest Housing Alternatives, Inc.. Annie Ross House provides shelter and services to homeless families with children in Clackamas County. The Annie Ross House Spring Garden Festival is generously sponsored by Portland Nursery, Warn Industries, Washington Mutual, Electra Central Credit Union, KUPL 98.7, Bernard’s Garage, MP Plumbing, Seabold Construction, LifeWise Health Plan of Oregon, AND MANY LOCAL AND AREA GARDEN CENTERS AND NURSERIES! Free Fundraising Seminar 'Raising More Money' May 12 at PSU |
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