The Housing Alliance, a broad coalition of 30 organizations and associations committed to increasing the resources available to meet Oregon’s housing needs, won two significant victories for Oregon families, seniors and people with disabilities: The expansion of the Oregon Affordable Housing Tax Credit (OAHTC) to spur needed housing development, especially in rural Oregon, and the expansion of the state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which will give immediate relief to hardworking Oregonians.  The Housing Alliance successfully worked to increase the cap for OAHTC from $6.2 to $11 million and increase the ‘refundability’ of the EITC as well as the percentage of the Federal Credit of the Oregon EITC so that more working Oregonians receive the full benefit of the credit.

“The 2005 Legislative Session was a good start towards addressing the needs of Oregonians whose salaries and incomes are being outpaced by housing expenses,” said Phillip Kennedy Wong, Director of Public Policy Advocacy for Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon.  “The expansion of the OAHTC and the EITC will give relief to Oregonians who are currently being overwhelmed by the cost of housing.  We all know that housing gives people an opportunity to build better lives, so these bills are good for all Oregonians.”

The OAHTC is a highly efficient program that reduces rents for low income Oregonians in affordable housing through a partnership with Oregon banks and financial institutions. The Housing Alliance bill expanding the OAHTC passed with wide bi-partisan support, with a vote of 28 to 2 in the Senate and 58 to 0 in the House.

Prior to the expansion of the cap to $11 million, the OAHTC was nearly fully committed, resulting in a back-log of pending affordable housing projects in communities around Oregon. The OAHTC is one of the best tools to make rents affordable to Oregonians earning less than $34,000 per year. The OAHTC allows banks to reduce interest rates on loans for affordable housing by 4% and claim a state income tax credit equal to the lost interest income caused by the lower interest rate.  Property owners must agree to pass through all of the interest savings to income qualified tenants in the form of permanent rent reductions.

With expansion of EITC, the lowest-wage workers will be able to receive their full amount of the tax credit beginning in 2006, and by 2008 the EITC percentage of the federal credit for which Oregonians are eligible will increase from 5% to 6%.

“While the increase in the EITC is less than we had hoped, having it effective this next year means additional needed dollars for the working poor sooner,” said Holly Wilkalis, Program Coordinator for the Oregon Hunger Relief Task Force. “With skyrocketing gas prices added on to the already high cost of housing and lack of well paying jobs, we need to provide immediate relief to working Oregonians struggling to make ends meet.”

First Legislative Session a Success

The 2005 Legislative Session was the first for the Housing Alliance. Comprised of 30 organizations and associations from across Oregon, the Housing Alliance includes advocates, local governments, housing authorities, community development corporations, environmentalists, service providers, business interests and all others dedicated to increasing opportunity for Oregonians by increasing resources to provide needed housing.

In addition to the passage of the OAHTC and EITC expansion bills, the highlights of the legislative session include:

Legislative Caucus, October 18, 2004

This event brought together representatives of each of the then 27 member organizations and allowed opportunity for frank and spirited discussion of strategy and goals. Most notable about the day was the commitment of partners to remain engaged in spite of disagreements and to achieve a consensus position on critical issues.

Lobby Day, February 1, 2005

More than 100 participants from across Oregon came to Salem for Lobby Day. This allowed us to schedule constituent visits with two thirds (60) of the legislators, including leaders from both parties in both chambers. We began the day with a briefing and advocacy training, and at noon held a press conference on the steps of the capital. Both the briefing and the press conference drew heavily on messages tested by opinion polls. We got radio, newspaper and TV coverage of the event.

Web site launched, February 1, 2005 – see www.oregonhousingalliance.org

Senate Revenue Committee Hearing, Portland, March 4, 2005

We were offered the opportunity to make the case for affordable housing, and presented more than two hours of well planned testimony that provided an overview of the issues, compelling arguments, and passionate stories. We presented a skit on affordable housing development which dramatized the complexity of funding affordable housing.

House Speaker Tour of Affordable Housing, April 1, 2005

Republican House Speaker Karen Minnis toured affordable housing developments in her district with Housing Alliance representatives for two and a half hours on a Friday afternoon. This was an unprecedented opportunity for direct contact and persuasion, which has reaped benefits throughout the legislative session with her support of parts of our agenda.

Press conference with Children First of Oregon connecting housing affordability to hunger is an example of the alliances that have been strengthened this session through the Housing Alliance

Numerous legislative hearings in both houses have provided a chance to tell our story and use our messages, and to mobilize along with our allies to paint a picture of how housing issues intersect with hunger, health, human services and education.

Despite the success of the 2005 legislative session, the Housing Alliance’s primary goal of substantially increase funding for housing development and support programs to $50 million per biennium will require increased effort from Alliance members and elected leaders over the next few legislative sessions. Current Oregon expenditures are approximately $13 million per biennium, a far cry from the $100 million the Washington State Legislature allocated to a Housing Trust Fund during its 2005 Legislative session (click here for link to story).

“Our goal for the 2005 session was to build a strong presence within the State Capitol and bring about positive change for affordable housing, and we succeeded in that goal,” said Michael Anderson, Communicator Coordinator for the Community Development Network. “But even with our victories, way too many Oregon families, seniors and people with disabilities are still making monthly decisions of whether the should pay rent or buy groceries and medicine.  If Washington can dedicate $100 Million to a Housing Trust Fund, we can certainly do more in Oregon.”

To find out more about the Housing Alliance, go to http://www.oregonhousingalliance.org/ 

Washington State Housing Alliance Increases Housing Trust Fund to $100 Million

Washington Low Income Housing Alliance successfully worked with the Washington State Legislature to increase the Housing Trust Fund to $100 million per biennium. With political support from both Democrats and Republicans, and from representatives from rural as well as urban districts, it is clear that Washington State electeds understand that investing in affordable housing is a good use of government dollars, creating a social and economic incentive worth supporting.

Raising the Housing Trust Fund to the $100 million per biennium has been a goal of the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance since 1997, when the advocates through out Washington coalesced through the Housing Our Community Campaign.  In 1997, the Housing Trust Fund was hovering around $50 million.

Through concerted coalition building, including the strong support of the banking community and municipalities throughout Washington State, the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance was able to generate the public support necessary to move State Legislators to take action.  With a series of incremental victories over the past 8 years, the Washington Alliance made their final push in 2005, rasing the Housing Trust Fund allocation from $80 million to $100 million. The Housing Trust Fund was one of the few programs that received increases in a tight state budget year.

The success of the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance inspired the formation of Housing Alliance in Oregon.  With the Housing Trust Fund victory, the need to grow and strengthen the Housing Alliance in Oregon is clear.

To find out more about housing victories in the 2005 Washington Legislative Session, go to: http://www.housingconsortium.org/advocacy/documents/2005leghighlightsv.pdf

To find out more about the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance, go to: http://www.wliha.org/

Fed Advocacy: Coalition on Human Needs Budget Call-In Sept 8-9

Alert Your Networks! Join the Coalition on Human Needs Budget Call-In Days September 8 and 9 and STOP FEDERAL BUDGET CUTS TO THE HUNGRY AND UNINSURED.

The goal of the Coalition on Human Needs Call-In Days is to flood Capitol Hill with thousands (millions!) of phone calls from citizens speaking out about budget cuts.  The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) has generously donated a toll-free line to connect advocates to their Senators and Representatives on September 8 and 9.

BACKGROUND: By September 16, congressional committees have instructions to cut $35 billion from mandatory programs. Medicaid, Food Stamps, Medicare, the Earned Income Tax Credit, TANF, and SSI for elderly and disabled are all mandatory programs.  Medicaid could be cut by as much as $10 billion.  Food Stamps are also threatened.

ACTION TAKES JUST MINUTES! Call Your Senators and Representative: 1-800-426-8073. Use this toll-free number (generously provided by the American Friends Service Committee) to be connected to the Capitol Switchboard with this simple message:

“Please oppose reductions or eliminations of services in Medicaid, Food Stamps, TANF and other critical help for vulnerable people.”

“It is wrong to impose the biggest budget sacrifices on the sick, the poor, the elderly and children by cutting supports while expanding tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and corporations.”

Want to know more about the Coalition on Human Needs?  Go to: http://www.chn.org/

Helping Hands Community Store, a collaborative project of Human Solutions, Inc., St. Vincent de Paul, Steps to Success, SnowCap and FISH will open Wednesday, August 31, 2005 to provide free clothing to residents of Multnomah County.

The store, located at 2740 SE Powell Blvd., will be open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

Residents of Multnomah County can shop twice a month at Helping Hands Community Store, and receive up to ten items of free clothing per household member each visit.

Helping Hands Community Store will also provide work experience opportunities for individuals wishing to enter the workforce.  Through Steps to Success, general work training will be available as well as specific training in retail sales, inventory and bookkeeping.

Through a collaborative agreement, St. Vincent de Paul is providing store front space, Human Solutions, Inc. is staffing and managing operations in partnership with Steps to Success, and clothing is being provided by St. Vincent de Paul, SnowCap and FISH.

Donations of useable clothing for all ages and sizes can be taken to St. Vincent de Paul, 3601 SE 27^th Ave., Portland, 97242.  Professional clothing is of particular need.  The store is also in need of hangers and mannequins.

Volunteers interested in assisting during store hours can call Catherine Todd, (503) 548-0229.

New LISC Publication ‘Recapatilizng Affordable Rental Housing’ Offers Info, Strategies

Recapitalizing Affordable Rental Housing is a new publication of LISC's Affordable Housing Preservation Initiative, offering nonprofit owners of affordable rental housing information about strategies and regulatory issues affecting recapitalization, purchase, and rehabilitation of existing affordable rental housing. To request a copy or to download, visit the LISC website.

Increase opportunity by advocating for housing! Join the Affordable Housing NOW! Speakers Bureau!

Right now families, seniors and people with disabilities are too often faced with the choice between paying for rent and paying for groceries.  We can do better!  Affordable Housing NOW! believes that having a place to call home gives people the opportunity to build better lives.

The Speakers Bureau is the action advocacy arm of AHN!, helping to make our case for increasing housing opportunity to the community groups, local leaders and elected officials in the Metro area.  

At the Speakers Bureau Training, we will give you the tools to effectively talk about housing and the need to increase funding for housing that works.  No prior housing expertise or public speaking training necessary. 

Get active with the movement that has successfully won $13 million for housing in Portland in the last two years!

PLEASE NOTE LOCATION CHANGE: The Speakers Bureau Training will be held at Portland City Hall, 1221 SW Fourth Ave, in the Pettygrove Room.  The training begins at 6:00 pm and lasts until 8:00 pm.  Refreshments will be provided.

Childcare available upon request.  The Board of Trade Building is accessible.

Please RSVP to Michael Anderson (mike@cdnportland.org, 503/335-9884) or Sarah Buckley (sarahcat@aracnet.com, 503/460-9702)

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 by building 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

After a one year hiatus, the Oregon Coalition on Housing & Homelessness is once again holding its annual conference September 19-21 at the Hood River Inn.  The conference is intended for case managers, educators, counselors, poverty advocates, shelter providers, housing developers and people who have experienced homelessness.  Registration for the three day conference is $225.  Scholarships are available in limited numbers.

Among the conference highlights are:

* Monday night BBQ with Keynote Speaker Shaun Griffin, Executive Director of Community Chest, Inc. (a Community Action-like agency in rural Nevada). Griffin is a former State Homeless Education Coordinator, poet laureate and author, and well-known homeless advocate.  Shaun will also present a Monday seminar on "Reframing the Intolerable: Building Coalitions to End Homelessness Locally"

* School District Homeless Liaison training workshops (Tuesday) and seminar (Wednesday), provided by staff from Lane County district homeless education programs and the Oregon Dept. of Education

* A Tuesday workshop on Homeless & Runaway Youth Transition services provided by staff from New Roads School, part of the Looking Glass Administration in Eugene

* Guest Speakers from Boston, New York, and Washington DC (HUD)

The full conference schedule and registration information are available on the OCHH website:  www.ochh.org

Mark Your Calendar: Affordable Housing NOW! General Meeting Sept 21

Affordable Housing NOW! is holding a general meeting for member organizations and individuals on September 21 at the CAT offices (Augustana Lutheran Church) located at 2710 NE 14^th Ave, in Portland.  Come discuss AHN advocacy targets for the next 18 months, and find out ways that you can get involved with AHN.

AHN convenes general meetings as needed in order to share strategic information and to help form AHN policy directives. People interested in joining AHN or just finding out more are welcome.

The meeting will run from 6:30-8:00 pm.  Light refreshments will be provided.  Childcare available upon request.  Augustana Lutheran Church is accessible.

Questions? Please contact Michael Anderson at (503) 335-9984 or mike@cdnportland.org

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 by building 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