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| AHN Action Alert: $11 Million from City in Jeopardy Due to the City of Portland's arbitrated $7 million settlement with the Police Bureau, the $11 million for affordable housing may be in jeopardy. Affordable Housing NOW! is asking supporters to call members of the City Council and urge them to keep the approved $11 million package in tact. "Cutting or reducing this housing assistance means that vulnerable families, children, seniors and people with disabilities will not be able to meet their basic needs like food and medicine," said Sam Chase, executive director of the Community Development Network. "Affordable Housing NOW! identified a modest short term need of $30 million to preserve and produce only a fraction of the needed housing. $11 million is already a major compromise." In an article on the Police Bureau settlement in the Oregonian on Tuesday May 25, Mayor Vera Katz indicated that $11 million the City recently passed for affordable housing was among the areas at which the City would look at to cover the $7 million settlement. The Oregonian wrote: Katz said the likely targets for reductions are new expenses added in the budget for the year beginning July 1. Among them: $1 million for 20 new police officers; an $11 million low-income housing program paid for largely with debt; a $2.35 million economic development program; and a reduction in the city's business income tax. The tax reduction, made by increasing the amount of pay business owners can deduct from their taxes, would reduce tax collections by $2.1 million, the city says. (Click here for the full article). "We have come too far to let a last minute expense derail the Council's commitment to address our most urgent housing needs," said Chase. "This legal settlement should not rest on the backs of our low income neighbors." AHN is asking supporters to call the Mayor and members of the City Council and thank them for the $11 million allocation and urge them to preserve the $11 million as they make tough decisions as to where to find the $7 million. Talking points: * Thank you for putting $11 million in the budget for affordable housing. This is a crucial investment in our community. * I know you are under pressure to find money to cover the arbitration settlement with the Police Bureau, but don't let this settlement fall on the shoulders of our lowest incomes neighbors. That is not right. * AHN's $30 million proposal outline a 3-5 year band-aid solution to meet our housing needs. $11 million is already a compromise. Let's keep the full $11 million in tact. For Portland City Council contact information, click here. AHN had been planning a celebration of the $11 million allocation on June 9. That celebration will be rescheduled once the Police settlement is resolved. Affordable Housing NOW! is a movement of affordable housing advocates and tenants whose goals are to secure new resources for affordable housing for the Portland Metro area in 2004 and to build a movement large enough to make funding for affordable housing for low income people a political priority in the Metro area. To learn more about Affordable Housing NOW!, go to: http://www.cdnportland.org/ahn.html Multnomah County Commissioners Restore Emergency Rent Assistance Funding Multnomah County Commissioners Serena Cruz, Lonnie Roberts, Lisa Naito and Maria Rojo de Steffey joined forces to restore proposed cuts to Multnomah County's Emergency Rent Assistance funds. Commissioner Lisa Naito made the official announcement of the plan to restore $177,871 in Emergency Rent Assistance before the start on the Multnomah County Budget hearing June 1 in Portland. Family advocates and service providers from East Multnomah County, including Human Solutions, El Programa Hispano, Portland Impact and East Multnomah County Housing Advocates (EMCHA) mobilized supporters to contact the County Commissioners and to attend the Budget Hearing May 25 in Gresham and June 1 in Portland. Of the approximately 40 people that testified at the May 25 hearing, 20 were asking the County Commissioners to fully fund this essential safety net program. The overwhelming turnout at the Gresham hearing for the budget last Certainly played a huge role in convincing the County Commissioners to restore the funding. Congrats to all involved!! Over 100 People Rally Against HUD Section 8 Cuts May 26 in Portland Over 100 people gathered at Portland HUD Office to protest cuts to the Section 8 housing voucher program. Organized by Independent Living Resources, Community Alliance of Tenants, Affordable Housing NOW! and Elders in Action, the Portland rally coincided with events organized by the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) at HUD offices across the nation. Several national grassroots organizations and individual social justice people from around the country declared May 26 National Housing Justice Memorial Day. Activists and people impacted by the cuts will be gathering at their local HUD offices to demand that crucial housing program remain fully funded and intact. Separate plans from the Bush Administration and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) would withdraw housing vouchers from over 850,000 families and individuals that currently depend on those vouchers to afford their housing. THE IMMEDIATE CRISIS: 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. Last week, HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson announced that the funding crisis has been solved by HUD’s plans to restore $150 million to 500 agencies and to give agencies a full FY04 inflation adjustment. However, advocates remain unconvinced that these steps are adequate to solve the problem. The National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) this week released its study of the funding shortfall, and finds that HUD’s recent commitment of $150 million is still at least $170 million short of the amount needed to rectify the problem. The study was done based on the FY04 Omnibus Appropriations Act, HUD’s renewal funding methodology as defined in its notice, and subsequent reports to Congress, and can be accessed at http://www.nahro.org/documents/2004/0528HAPCosts2003to2004.pdf. THE PENDING DISASTER: Under the Bush Budget plan, 250,000 Section 8 Vouchers will be taken in 2005. By 2009, another 600,000 families will lose their homes. The Washington Post reported this week that the White House has notified government agencies in a May 19 memo that, if the current Administration remains in power after the November elections, agencies should plan to set FY06 budget levels at the levels that were published but not made public when the FY05 budget was released in February. These projected FY06 levels include spending cuts for almost all domestic programs, including housing. Even programs that received an increase in the FY05 budget are slated for cuts in FY06, including the McKinney–Vento Homeless Assistance grants program and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). And the Post points out that even the President’s homeownership programs, which he has been touting on the campaign trail, would face cuts. Advocates can find the projected spending levels for 2005-2014 at http://www.ombwatch.org/article/articleview/2079/1/2/. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) analyzed the projected spending levels for the out years and finds that "by 2009 the total funding for domestic non-entitlement programs outside homeland security would fall to its lowest level, measured as a share of the economy, since 1963." Specifically, CBPP finds that the Section 8 voucher program will be cut by 30% by 2009, cuts that would mean seniors, people with disabilities and low income families would losing essential housing assistance. HUD Employee Union Endorses Demands to Preserve Section 8 Voucher Program PDC, Portland Family of Funds Receive $100 Million in New Markets Tax Credits The Portland New Markets Fund I, LLC received an allocation of $100 million in New Market Tax Credits. The Portland New markets Fund allocation represents a partnership between the Portland Development Commission (ODC), Portland's economic development and housing agency, and the Portland Family of Funds (PFF), a community investment bank. The United States Congress created New Market Tax Credit Program in 2000 as part of the Community Renewal Tax Relief Act of 2000 to encourage investment in low-income communities. The program is designed to generate $15 billion in new private sector investments and support development of successful business in low-income communities. For more background on Portland New Market Tax Credits and the New Market Tax Credits Program, go to: http://www.pdc.us/newsroom/press-kits/new-markets_5-7-04/press-release.pdf PCRI Launches Homeownership Program Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives, Inc. (PCRI) received a three-year, $100,000 grant from Meyer Memorial Trust to launch a homeownership program for residents of its affordable housing program. The Enterprise Foundation has also committed $23,000 for the first year. PCRI’s homeownership initiative was created as a comprehensive approach to bridge the minority homeownership gap in Portland by assisting 100 households purchase their first home over the course of the next three years. Home buyer and financial workshops, one-on-one credit counseling and group support will be available to prospective home buyers. A new position has been created for this initiative. PCRI will work with a variety of local partners, including the Portland Housing Center, and lenders to meet this goal. "What does my perfect home look like?" asks Ayanna Curry, PCRI resident and board member. "One that I can call my own. Something comfortable for me and my daughter, where we decide what color to paint the walls and how we want it to look. We’ll be able to do that because it will be ours." Maxine Fitzpatrick, PCRI’s executive director: "For years PCRI has heard from residents who want to become homeowners but needed help to address challenges they face: lack of savings, or maybe their credit’s not where they would like it to be. Perhaps they need in depth information about down payment assistance services. With this program, we will help them reach that dream every step of the way." As a part of this program, PCRI also will bring equitable, low-income housing development to north and northeast Portland. These will be new construction, scattered site in-fill and will include duplex town home models as well as single family. As with PCRI's past work, a priority will be placed on quality design and materials, much like PCRI's NE 24th Ave. rental homes, which were awarded the 2001 Governor's Livability Award. Since 1998, PCRI has built 15 new units, with another five scheduled for 2004 and 36 in 2005. Potential homebuyers will be able to use loan products through the Portland Housing Center to purchase these properties by their completion in December 2005. PCRI is also developing a rent-to-own option leading to eventual homeownership. PCRI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community development organization providing affordable rental housing to low-income families in north and northeast Portland. For the past 11 years, PCRI’s vision has been to provide affordable housing and associated services that achieve family stability, self-sufficiency and wealth creation. Meyer Memorial Trust was created in 1982 by the personal philanthropy of Fred G. Meyer and is in no way connected with Fred Meyer, Inc.. Founded in 1982 by Jim and Patty Rouse, the Enterprise Foundation helps America’s low-income families with their struggle out of poverty by providing decent homes, access to steady employment, quality child care and safer streets. Questions? Contact Loreta Skucas Boskovic, Director of Programs at (503) 288-2923 or via email loreta@pcrihome.org Governor Kulongoski Proclaims June Home Ownership Month Joining Governor's across the United States, Governor Ted Kulongoski proclaimed that June is Home Ownership Month, acknowledging the important role home ownership plays in building strong communities and improving the quality of life in Oregon. Find full details and the proclamation at: http://www.hcs.state.or.us/housing/homebuying/homeownershipmonth04.html In related news, Oregon Housing and Community Services reports that rising national interest rates make the low rates of the OHCS residential Loan program more attractive to first time home-buyers. Even though the national average for mortgage rates recently rose to 6.32%, the OHCS Residential Loan Program (often referred to as the Oregon State Bond Loan) rates are still very low. Interested first time home buyers should go to http://www.OregonBond.us for details. HUD, DOJ Release Statement, Guidance on Reasonable Accommodation The Department of Justice ("DOJ") and the Department of Housing and Urban Development ("HUD") are jointly responsible for enforcing the federal Fair Housing Act (the "Act"), which prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, and disability. One type of disability discrimination prohibited by the Act is the refusal to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices, or services when such accommodations may be necessary to afford a person with a disability the equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling. HUD and DOJ frequently respond to complaints alleging that housing providers have violated the Act by refusing reasonable accommodations to persons with disabilities. This Statement provides technical assistance regarding the rights and obligations of persons with disabilities and housing providers under the Act relating to reasonable accommodations. To read the full statement, go to: http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/housing/jointstatement_ra.htm New AHN Info Sheet Online: Affordable Housing, the Environment, and Livability Affordable Housing NOW! has a new information sheet to help illuminate the connections between affordable housing and other community priorities. The new information sheet, "Affordable Housing, the Environment, and Livability" outlines how when a community has sufficient affordable housing, it positively impacts the local environment with cleaner air, there is less traffic, more diversity, and lower crime rates. To download "Affordable Housing, the Environment, and Livability," click here. AHN Information Sheets are intended to be an educational tool for the public to connect housing other important community issues. Information Sheets site specific studies and reports to substantiate the connections. AHN encourages organizations and individuals to use the information sheets freely, and even to use the highlighted information in their own materials. In addition to "Affordable Housing, the Environment, and Livability," AHN has the following information sheets: "Housing and Children's Education," "Housing Creates Jobs, Helps the Economy," "Housing and Hunger in Oregon," and "Affordable Housing=Complete Communities," as well as other useful charts and maps. To see the full menu of AHN Information Sheets available for download, go to http://www.cdnportland.org/index.html#AHN_info_sheets. If you are unable to download pdf files, contact Michael Anderson at mike@cdnportland.org or (503) 335-9884 and he will provide alternate format options. Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation Applications Due August 3 |
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