California Voters Pass $2.1 Billion Affordable Housing Trust Fund!
San Francisco Bond Loses Despite 57% Voter Approval
CALIFORNIA PROPOSITION 46, the Housing and Emergency Shelter Trust Fund, passed with the vote count: Yes 3,604,657 (57.5 percent); No 2,670,628 (42.5 percent). This act provides for the Housing and Emergency Shelter Trust Fund Act of 2002 for the purpose of providing shelters for battered women, clean and safe housing for low-income senior citizens, emergency shelters for homeless families with children, housing with social services for the homeless and mentally ill, repairs and accessibility improvements to apartments for families and handicapped citizens, homeownership assistance for military veterans, and security improvements and repairs to existing emergency shelters.
SAN FRANCISCO AFFORDABLE HOUSING BONDS (PROPOSITION B), which required two thirds voter approval, lost with the vote count: YES 99,745 (56.65 percent); NO 76,327 (33.35 percent). Proposition B would have allowed the City to borrow $250,000,000 by issuing general obligation bonds. The City would use this money to make grants or loans to buy, build or renovate housing that is affordable to low- and moderate-income households. The City could also use this money to assist persons with low and moderate incomes to buy their first homes. Proposition B would have required an increase in property taxes to pay for the bonds. Landlords would be authorized to pass on to tenants in rent-controlled units half the increase in property taxes resulting from this measure.
Affordable Housing Now! Community Forum December 4
Affordable Housing Now!, a movement of affordable housing advocates whose goal is to secure new resources for affordable housing, is hosting a Community Forum Wednesday December 4 to discuss and identify new resource generating initiatives to increase funding for affordable housing. Housing Advocates, your input is needed!
For too long, our region has watched others lead the way throughout the country. Seattle voters have passed housing levies on three separate occasions to address their housing crisis. Florida has a real estate transfer tax supported by realtors, bankers, and housing advocates alike. California requires that 20% of Tax Increment Funds be spent on affordable housing. Los Angeles appropriated $100 million to a housing trust fund amid a post 9/11 fiscal short fall. Now, it's our turn.
The Affordable Housing Now! campaign will identify, select and launch new resource-generating initiatives. If you are sick and tired of trying to figure out how you are going to pay for next month's rent, JOIN US. If you are a housing advocate fed up with dwindling resources and continued cutbacks, JOIN US. If you live in the Metro area and you believe that families with children, seniors and people with disabilities deserve, safe, stable and affordable housing, JOIN US. Wednesday, December 4, 2002 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The location will be posted on the CDN website by November 22. Childcare will be provided upon request. Bring yourself, bring a friend.
If you have questions, or would like to get involved with Affordable Housing Now!, call Michael Anderson at CDN at (503) 335-9884 or email Mike@cdnportland.org.
Strategic Planning Meeting for the Real Estate Transfer Tax December 19
Affordable Housing Now! invites individuals and organizations that have the Real Estate Transfer Tax for affordable housing on their legislative agendas to a strategic planning session December 19, 7:00-9:00 p.m. at the Metro offices, 600 NE Grand, Room 370. Affordable Housing Now! is a movement of affordable housing advocates whose goal is to secure new resources for affordable housing.
Perhaps the makeup of our next legislature or the magnitude of the coming fiscal crisis will provide a unique opportunity to gain ground toward passing a RETT. In any case, the session is quickly approaching and collaboration among our organizations before the legislative session is more important than ever and will help maximize our impact. Please join us to plan and coordinate RETT strategies for the legislative session.
Agenda items will include:
1. Legislative overview and (brief) history of RETT
2. Update on organizations RETT strategies
3. Legislative bill options
4. Opportunities for collaborative advocacy strategies
If you have questions, or would like to get involved with Affordable Housing Now!, call Michael Anderson at CDN at (503) 335-9884 or email Mike@cdnportland.org.
NPF Hosts Statewide Alliance and Communications Workshop for CDCs
The Neighborhood Partnership Fund is hosting a workshop December 16 entitled Building Statewide Alliances and Communication Strategies for Affordable Housing and Community Development Issues.
As times are changing so is the climate around community development. With a new Governor at the helm and the Legislative Session soon to begin it is more important now than ever that community development issues be presented with a united voice.
Please join us for a session on how to develop a strong unified voice for the community development field. This day includes presentations and discussions with policy makers and political strategists on how to create effective messages and advocacy campaigns.
This workshop will focus on getting the message you want legislators and voters to hear about community development and how to get that message to the right people at the right time. It will also help evaluate the CDC industrys assets, resources and challenges and work with you to design the strategies you need to get what you want in your community. Laurie Glenn Gista will facilitate this important workshop. Laurie brings a broad range of public policy, media and strategy development experience as President of Thinkinc. For a number of years Laurie has worked to bring increased public attention to issues relating to affordable housing, community and economic development, regionalism, education and the environment. Laurie provides critical political savvy, which she developed as a California-based political consultant. She has a strong history of developing strategies, enabling people to level the playing field of ideas.
The workshop takes place December 16, 2002 from 9:00 to 4:30 at the Governor Hotel. The cost is $45. To register, call Jackie Sanders at (503) 226-3001 or info@tnpf.org.
PDC Offers Two Public Forums on Its Fiscal Year 2003-2004 Budget
The Portland Development Commission (PDC) will hold two public forums in November to gather public input to its fiscal year 2003-2004 budget (which runs July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004). Citizens will be briefed on PDC projects and programs in ten urban renewal areas in the City as well as programs the Commission offers that are city- and region-wide. The forums are:
Thursday, November 7, 7:00-9:00 p.m., Multnomah County Board Room, 501 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd. and
Saturday, November 16, 10:00-12 noon, Mt. Hood Community College, Maywood Park Campus, Room 125, 10100 N.E. Prescott
PDC senior executives are also using the budget forums and community meetings to update citizens on challenges and opportunities facing the Commission. Specifically, those attending receive an overview of the Commission's current budget, an overview of future funding challenges (including the effects of the Oregon Supreme Court decision in Shilo Inns vs. Multnomah County et al), and efforts toward development of new funding resources.
For citizens who are unable to attend any of the budget meetings and have Internet access, all the budget information is available on PDC's main website. There they can view the entire community meeting schedule, view potential projects and programs in the various urban renewal areas, give input via an input form, and can read about PDC's budget challenges and funding opportunities. There are also links to PDC's current budget and a new publication describing PDC and urban renewal.
This stage of public input to the fiscal year 2003/04 budget will conclude in December after which the various departments at PDC will work with internal Finance staff and the Executive Director on a Proposed Budget - to be presented to the PDC Board in March 2003. In March and April 2003 PDC project staff will also take the Proposed Budget back out to key constituent groups for their input. Public budget forums will again be scheduled to obtain additional public input. In May 2003 the budget will be approved by the PDC Board, and in June 2003, after a hearing with the Tax Supervising and Conservation Commission, the budget will be formally adopted.
PDC's Adopted Budget for the current fiscal year, 2002/03, is $211 million.
For more information contact: Julie Rawls, PDC, 503-823-3294
ONI to Coordinate a Citywide Discussion on Public Involvement
Commissioner Jim Francesconi announces effort to develop citywide public involvement standards taskforce including citizens and city staff will make recommendations to City Council Commissioner Jim Francesconi has directed the Office of Neighborhood Involvement to develop citywide standards for involving the public in all major projects and policy discussions. In a memo to Council members, Chief Administrative Officer Tim Grewe, and Bureau Directors, 2001, Francesconi reiterated a Council-accepted 2001 recommendation from the City's Administrative Services Review plan to encourage ONI to coordinate a citywide discussion developing common terms, understanding and expectations for outreach processes along with standard guidelines.
"The need for consistent standards to involve the public in city discussions and projects has been brought up to me numerous times during my visits with neighborhood activists," states Francesconi. "I have often heard concerns about inconsistent approaches by bureaus on issues important to community members. For both public involvement and public information, we must look at developing clear guidelines or standards that are applied consistently across the city."
To implement this Council-accepted recommendation, Francesconi has asked the Office of Neighborhood Involvement to initiate a citywide discussion that will include city, neighborhood coalition, and other external public involvement staff. This process will look at:
* Reviewing best practices and current city and bureau policies around public involvement
* Establishing recommendations for clear, consistent standards to meet the public expectation for public involvement practices across the City,
* Developing policy recommendations and public involvement standards for Council adoption.
Francesconi emphasized that the development of clear, consistent public involvement standards "can reaffirm and improve upon Portland's strong history and commitment of involving citizens in decision-making and help us work together to ensure that the city continues to be the City that works."
For more information, contact: Cristina Germain, Office of Commissioner Jim Francesconi, 503-823-3008, cgermain@ci.portland.or.us; or David Lane, Ph.D., Director, Office of Neighborhood Involvement, 503-823-4519; dlane@ci.portland.or.us
It's Our City: Making Our City Neighbor-Business Friendly
Commissioner Jim Francesconi is seeking nominations for participants for a dialogue with neighborhood and business leaders to improve collaboration between neighborhood associations and neighboring businesses. On Saturday, November 16, 2002, a half-day discussion will bring together neighborhood and business leaders to discuss a variety of challenges that affect their communities, such as parking demand, crime, trash, community resources, among others. Nominations are being solicited for people interested in participating.
In announcing the event, Commissioner Francesconi is building on other City efforts, including the recently formed Small Business Advisory Council, to support a positive climate for small businesses and, in particular, neighborhood businesses.
"Portland is known for its unique web of neighborhood businesses located where people live and work. We also have a well-respected neighborhood association system. This day of dialogue is an effort to recognize the complex challenges that arise in business districts and adjacent neighborhoods and to improve working relationships that enhance the vitality of each area," comments Francesconi.
The November 16 dialogue will extend from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Organized by Jennifer Johnson, Small Business Advocate with the Portland Development Commission, and David Lane, Ph.D., Director of the Office of Neighborhood Involvement, attendees will focus on identifying common interests, looking for increased opportunities for partnerships, developing a specific action plan for increasing neighborhood-friendly business practices, and identifying specific recommendations for City Council.
Contacts: Cristina Germain, Office of Commissioner Jim Francesconi, 503-823-3008, cgermain@ci.portland.or.us; Martha Richmond, Portland Development Commission 503-823-3296, richmondm@pdc.us; David Lane, Ph.D., Director, Office of Neighborhood Involvement, 503-823-4519, dlane@ci.portland.or.us
Office of Mental Health and Addiction Services Host Housing Conference December 10 and 11
The State of Oregon, Office of Mental Health and Addiction Services is pleased to invite the members of the Community Development Network to their Fall Housing Conference Tuesday, December 10 and Wednesday, December 11 2002 at the Doubletree Hotel, Jantzen Beach. The conference will focus on services that help persons with mental health and addiction disorders to live successfully in the community, resources and strategies for developing additional affordable housing opportunities, and consumer choice, perspectives and self determination.
For more information, please check http://omhs.mhd.hr.state.or.us/, or call Steven Borcherding, Housing Specialist, Office of Mental Health and Addiction Services, 503-945-2346 or steve.borcherding@state.or.us
The Home Depot Corporate Contributions Program Funding Resource for Affordable Housing
Funding is available to nonprofit organizations that develop and sustain affordable housing in low-income neighborhoods in communities where Home Depot has a presence. Organizations directly involved with the creation or rehabilitation of low-income housing, community development organizations, neighborhood housing service organizations, and neighborhood revitalization groups may apply.
Funding is also available to programs that assist at-risk youth and to organizations that direct efforts toward green-building design, recycling, lead poisoning prevention, and protecting the environment.
There are no application deadlines. For further information, visit the above website (www.homedepot.com) or call Cathi Uitermark, Contributions Coordinator: 770-433-8211.
Office 2000 is *so* 2000; why not upgrade?
When was the last time you upgraded your office suite? Be honest. You probably don't even think about this option until you buy a new machine, right? Well, with new features like smart tags, which allow you to more quickly complete your tasks, task panes, and document recovery, your mind-numbing office tasks have never been simpler or more fun. Of course, some of you may miss the roller coaster ride-reminiscent, gut-wrenching feeling of having your computer crash just as you were pleasantly tapping out your final sentence. This auto recovery feature is standard in Microsoft's Office XP Professional. It lets you choose how often files are saved. If an error occurs, you can discard the recovered file, save it in place of the original, or keep it as a separate file.
Need another reason to upgrade? In addition to the core Office XP programs -- Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint -- Office XP Professional includes Microsoft Access 2002, the Office XP database program that helps users store, access, and analyze their data.
You can get all this for the affordable administration fee of $60 (compared to $579 retail). Additional one-user licenses (up to 10 available per fiscal year) cost $40 each ($579 retail).
Order this and other discounted Microsoft software packages here: http://www.techsoup.org/discountech.cfm?id=29
Emerald Valley Development Professionals Present "Essentials of a
Successful Board"
Half-Day Workshop for: Development Professionals, Executive Directors, Board Members, and Fund Raising Staff.
Date: November 12, 2002
Place: Eugene Hilton & Conference Center - 66 E. 6th Ave., Eugene
Time: 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 PM (lunch included)
Cost: $10 each for EVDP, WVDO, MVDP members & colleagues from their organizations, $25 each for others.
Speaker: Sharon Gibson Alexander, Director, United Way of Benton Co.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM THIS WORKSHOP: Sharon Gibson Alexander will provide valuable training regarding the role of the non-profit Board, and how the board members, executive staff and fund development professionals can effectively work together. This is a opportunity to provide vital education for your non-profit's Board and executive staff. Due to multiple registrations expected from organizations, this workshop will fill up quickly. SPACE IS LIMITED. PLEASE REGISTER EARLY! You may register on-line at www.evdp.org. REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS NOVEMBER 5, 2002. Cancellations after that date will not be refunded.
Why YOU should come to the Affordable Housing Now! Community Forum on Wednesday December 4
What does it mean when we cant find affordable housing in our communities?
* When workers or students cannot affordable housing in the communities in which they work or go to school, their commute time increases, reducing time for families and civic activities; traffic congestion increases, creating more pollution and longer commute time for everybody; and household budgets are stretched to pay for additional transportation costs.
* When rising housing costs force low-income families, the disabled, seniors and long time community residents out of their neighborhood, often they have to move to places with fewer community services, less public transportation service, less local employment opportunities and poorer housing. People who are displaced lose contact with long-time neighbors or fellow church members who may assist with shopping, home maintenance, and trips to the doctor.
* When families with children cannot find stable, quality housing, children tend to perform poorly in school.
The time for action has come!
For too long, our region has watched others lead the way throughout the country. Seattle voters have passed housing levies on three separate occasions to address their housing crisis. Florida has a real estate transfer tax supported by realtors, bankers, and housing advocates alike. California requires that 20% of Tax Increment Funds be spent on affordable housing. Los Angeles appropriated $100 million to a housing trust fund amid a post 9/11 fiscal short fall. Now, its our turn.
The Affordable Housing Now! campaign will identify, select and launch new affordable housing funding initiatives. We need your help to best determine what funding initiative to pursue. And we need you aboard to help build our movement.
If you are sick and tired of trying to figure out how you are going to pay for next months rent, JOIN US. If you are a housing advocate fed up with dwindling resources and continued cutbacks, JOIN US. If you live in the Metro area and you believe that everyone deserves, safe, stable and affordable housing, JOIN US.
Join the movement to end our Affordable Housing Crisis
Wednesday, December 4, 2002
7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
PSU Smith Center, Rms 234-236
1825 SW Broadway, Portland OR 97201
Bring yourself, bring a friend
Childcare will be provided upon request. The Smith Center is accessible to people with disabilities. If you have questions, or would like to get involved with Affordable Housing Now!, call Michael Anderson at CDN at (503) 335-9884 or email Mike@cdnportland.org.
Workshop on Reasonable Accommodations in Housing for People with Disabilities December 3 in Portland.
The Fair Housing Council of Oregon will hold a day-long teleconference on the reasonable accommodation rights of people with disabilities on December 3 and December 5. The December 3 conference will include workshop sites in Portland, Salem, La Grande, Klamath Falls, Medford and Coos Bay. The December 5 conference will include workshop sites in Salem, Eugene, Bend, Tillamook and Ontario. The conference will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. both dates.
The conference will provide technical information from experts on fair housing, ADA and 504 on the rights and responsibilities of persons with disabilities, as well as providing facilitated small group discussion and strategy sharing among participants throughout the state. This is a great opportunity for housing providers to get up to speed on the law.
The Portland conference location is at PCC Rock Creek. Registration is $20. Call or email Diane Hess to register: (503) 412-6000 or dhess@fhco.org.
Sustainable Construction Practices Conference December 3 and 4
"Sustainable Construction Practices: Concrete & Asphalt" conference will be at Portland's Embassy Suites Hotel December 3 and 4. Come meet and network with people who are using sustainable technologies in construction. Hear from successful practitioners in the Pacific Northwest. Learn from regional case studies and local practices.
For additional information - Contact Alex Keith / Lauren Heine, Zero Waste Alliance, 503-279-9383, akeith@zerowaste.org or Stephanie Sanford, Center for Water and Environmental Sustainability, Oregon State University, 541-737-5861, stephanie.sanford@orst.edu
This conference is being hosted by the Oregon State University's Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, the Zero Waste Alliance and the Center for Water and Environmental Sustainability (CWESt)at OSU.
"Urban Sprawl - What's Health Got to Do with It?"
Come hear Dr. Dick Jackson discuss the intersection between modern health problems and smart growth Thursday, December 5 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at the Multnomah Athletic Club, 1849 SW Salmon.
In the 21st century, the nation must confront a dramatic increase in chronic diseases that include hypertension, cardiovascular disease, depression, type 2 diabetes and ailments of aging like arthritis and osteoporosis. The severity and frequency of these diseases could be modified or reduced by more physical activity, which smarter built environments can promote. At the same time, a doubling of the US population in this century will require smarter building and far more thoughtful resource preservation. Dr. Dick Jackson, MD, MPH, Director of Center for Disease Control's National Center for Environmental Health, will discuss the ways our built environment shapes the health of each of us.
The cost is $25* ($20 for OEC members & nonprofit). Must RSVP by November 29. Call Cheryl at (503) 222-1963 x100, or email cheryl@orcouncil.org.
Office of Mental Health and Addiction Services Host Housing Conference December 10 and 11
The State of Oregon, Office of Mental Health and Addiction Services is pleased to invite the members of the Community Development Network to their Fall Housing Conference Tuesday, December 10 and Wednesday, December 11 2002 at the Doubletree Hotel, Jantzen Beach. The conference will focus on services that help persons with mental health and addiction disorders to live successfully in the community, resources and strategies for developing additional affordable housing opportunities, and consumer choice, perspectives and self determination.
For more information, please check http://omhs.mhd.hr.state.or.us/, or call Steven Borcherding, Housing Specialist, Office of Mental Health and Addiction Services, 503-945-2346 or steve.borcherding@state.or.us
Public Comment Sought on Final Administrative Rules to Implement 2002 Land Division Regulations
Portland's Bureau of Environmental Services is proposing final Administrative Rules to comply with the June 2002 City land division regulations. The proposed final rules are open for public review and comment from December 12, 2002 through December 30, 2002. Environmental Services will host a public meeting on December 17 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in Room B on the second floor of the Portland Building, 1120 SW 5th Avenue in downtown Portland.
Administrative Rule proposals cover Environmental Services implementation of: drainage reserves, utility easements, storm-water management regulations; documentation of Environmental Services technical decision-making, and public comment on these decisions.
For an information packet on proposed changes, please call Loretta Behrendt-Tolson at 503-823-5522 or email lorettab@bes.ci.portland.or.us. Information materials are also online at www.cleanrivers-pdx.org/tech_resources/notice.htm.
Oregon Community Protection Coalition Seeking Presenters
Measure 7, the extreme property compensation measure that would have required payment to developers, corporations and wealthy landowners for virtually any land use regulation, was thrown out recently by the Oregon Supreme Court. But that doesnt mean its dead. During this past campaign season a number of candidates were advocating for a "Son of Seven" in the next legislative session. If they cant get the Legislature to do their work for them, Bill Sizemore and his friends have vowed to bring a similar initiative forward in 2004.
Oregon Community Protection Coalition is a coalition of conservation groups who intend to be prepared for the next assault on our land use and environmental regulations. Were working to disseminate information that stresses the benefits of sound planning while highlighting the dangers of property compensation schemes.
As part of our effort we are looking for spokespeople who are willing to educate Oregonians about the positive impacts of land use and environmental regulations that protect our air, water, land and neighborhoods. We are especially interested in finding people with stories to tell. Were looking for people whose health or property has been damaged by the impacts of neighboring development that didnt follow the rules. These are the stories we will use to show voters the consequences of a scheme that makes it too expensive to enforce the safeguards most Oregonians support. If you have such a story or know of someone who does, please contact OCPC.
If you know of a group that would like to learn more about this issue, we would be pleased to make a brief presentation at a future meeting or other function. In the meantime, keep your eyes and ears peeled for Sequel to Seven, and be prepared to talk to everyone you know about why this scheme is dangerous to the quality of life we have worked so hard to attain.
Oregon Community Protection Coalition iP.O. Box 14842 Portland, OR 97293. Call 503-232-3211, or on the web at www.protectoregon.org
Affordable Housing Now! Hosts 2nd Community Forum in Gladstone Dec 10;
Over 50 Attend Forum in Portland Dec 4
Affordable Housing Now!, a movement of individuals and organizations acting to address the affordable housing crisis in the Portland metro area, is holding a Community Forum at St. Stephens Church in Gladstone Dec 10 at 7:00 p.m. The purpose of the forum is to bring concerned community members together to discuss the affordable housing crisis and build momentum for a campaign to gain a new, ongoing funding source for affordable housing by May, 2004.
Over fifty people attended Affordable Housing Now!'s Community Forum in Portland December 4. Attendees included community development staff, public officials, service providers, and tenants.
For too long, our region has watched others lead the way throughout the country. Seattle voters have passed housing levies on three separate occasions to address their housing crisis. Florida has a real estate transfer tax supported by realtors, bankers, and housing advocates alike. California requires that 20% of Tax Increment Funds be spent on affordable housing. Los Angeles appropriated $100 million to a housing trust fund amid a post 9/11 fiscal short fall. Now, its our turn.
The Affordable Housing Now! campaign will identify, select and launch new affordable housing funding initiatives. We need your help to best determine what funding initiative to pursue. And we need you aboard to help build our movement.
If you are sick and tired of trying to figure out how you are going to pay for next months rent, JOIN US. If you are a housing advocate fed up with dwindling resources and continued cutbacks, JOIN US. If you live in the Metro area and you believe that everyone deserves, safe, stable and affordable housing, JOIN US.
Join the movement to end our Affordable Housing Crisis
Tuesday, December 10, 2002
7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
St. Stephens Church
290 W Gloucester Rd., Gladstone
Bring yourself, bring a friend
Childcare will be provided upon request. St. Stephens Church is accessible to people with disabilities. If you have questions, or would like to get involved with Affordable Housing Now!, call Michael Anderson at CDN at (503) 335-9884 or email Mike@cdnportland.org.
Fannie Mae Foundation Provides Grant to CDN to Fund Affordable Housing Initiative
The Fannie Mae Foundation approved a $20,000 grant to the Community Development Network (CDN) to support CDN's resource generating initiatives project, a collaborative, multi-year public education campaign that will result in new sustainable revenues for affordable housing development in the Portland metro area.
"The Fannie Mae Foundation realizes that the region's affordable housing crisis must be addressed now," said Sam Chase, CDN's executive director.
CDN began work on the resource generating initiatives project in September 2002 by forming Affordable Housing Now! in collaboration with the Coalition for a Livable Future and the Community Alliance of Tenants. Affordable Housing Now!, is a movement of individuals and organizations acting to address our regions affordable housing shortage and the devastating impact it has on our families and communities. Affordable Housing Now! plans to secure a new, ongoing source for affordable housing funding by may, 2004.
CDN is an association of nonprofit community development organizations in Multnomah County with the mission of strengthening non profit community development organizations and to provide a collective voice for healthy, diverse communities. Since 1995, CDN has been working to increase public awareness of the need for an adequate stock of affordable housing.
"Choices for Our Future": 1000 Friends of Oregons 2002 Citizens' Land Use Conference Dec 7
For all those interested in building knowledge, skills, etc. about land use, here's the premiere annual conference. "Choices for Our Future," December 7, 2002, 9 am to 5 pm at the LaSells Stewart Center, Corvallis, Oregon.
Oregonians are facing our first new governor in eight years, and a fresh legislature under newly-drawn district boundaries. Meanwhile, 1000 Friends of Oregon has a fresh face at our helm - Executive Director Bob Stacey. What will this mean for Oregon, and the work that we all do in the land use arena? "Choices for Our Future" is designed to begin that discussion.
Why You Should Attend
Whether youre a community activist, local official, planner, or an interested citizen, the annual Citizens Conference will provide you with the practical understanding and skills needed to influence the decisions shaping your community. Youll also have a chance to meet and learn what other activists and local officials are doing to meet the challenges of growth.
What You Can Learn
1000 Friends of Oregons Tenth Annual Citizens Conference will bring together experts from around the state to discuss their cutting-edge work. Sixteen workshops will be offered, covering broad subjects and detailed technical skills.
Youll find workshops on everything from good urban design to lobbying, transportation advocacy to farmland protection, organizational development to protecting forestland. A tour of the downtown Corvallis riverfront redevelopment is also offered.
We will also listen to the reflections of former DLCD Director Richard Benner, hear from Wilsonville Mayor Charlotte Lehan, learn about the 2003 legislature, and recognize some of the great citizens, local officials, and developers around the state.
The schedule:
Morning Plenary 9:00 10:25
The Future at 1000 Friends: Executive Director Bob Stacey
The Post-Election Political Landscape
Awards for Local Officials, Citizen Activists, and Developers
Community Design and Human Health
First Sessions 10:35 11:55 (choose one)
Wildlife, Natural Resources, and Goal 5
Fighting Houses in Forestland
Land Use 101: An Overview of Oregon's Land Use System
LUBA Appeals: Representing Yourself
Challenging Urban Growth Boundary Expansions
Lunch 11:55 1:00
Second Sessions 1:00 2:20 (choose one)
Creating New Choices in Housing
Big-Box Battles
Creating an Organization that Can Get Things Done
Participating in Local Land Use Decisions
The Legislature: Our Agenda, and How to Lobby Yours
Tour of the Corvallis Riverfront Park* (starts at 12:30)
Third Sessions 2:30 3:50 (choose one)
Choosing Our Future: Willamette Valley Alternative Futures Project
Emerging Choices for Small Cities in Urban Design
Effective Transportation Advocacy
Influencing Local Decisions: Effective Lobbying & Testifying
The Value of Oregons Farmland and How to Challenge Non-farm Uses
Afternoon Plenary 4:00 - 4:45
Talking about the Value of Land Use: Charlotte Lehan
Keynote Address: Dick Benner
Reception follows
For registration information, visit: http://www.friends.org
Questions? E-mail andrea@friends.org
America's Working Families and Housing Landscape Study Demonstrates Growing Affordable Housing Crisis
America's Working Families and Housing Landscape is a study released last week by the Center for Housing Policy at the National Housing Conference (NHC). The study found that in two years there has been a dramatic 30 percent rise in the number of working families that spend more than half their income on housing. It reaffirms that working the equivalent of a full-time job does not guarantee American families a decent, affordable place to live. For more information about this study, go to the NHC Web site at http://www.nhc.org/nhchome.htm.
NPF's Statewide Alliance and Communications Workshop Postponed
The Neighborhood Partnership Fund's December 16 workshop entitled Building Statewide Alliances and Communication Strategies for Affordable Housing and Community Development Issues has been postponed until early 2003.Questions? Call Jackie Sanders at (503) 226-3001 or info@tnpf.org.
Office of Mental Health and Addiction Services Host Housing Conference December 10 and 11
The State of Oregon, Office of Mental Health and Addiction Services is pleased to invite the members of the Community Development Network to their Fall Housing Conference Tuesday, December 10 and Wednesday, December 11 2002 at the Doubletree Hotel, Jantzen Beach. The conference will focus on services that help persons with mental health and addiction disorders to live successfully in the community, resources and strategies for developing additional affordable housing opportunities, and consumer choice, perspectives and self determination.
For more information, please check http://omhs.mhd.hr.state.or.us/, or call Steven Borcherding, Housing Specialist, Office of Mental Health and Addiction Services, 503-945-2346 or steve.borcherding@state.or.us
New Columbia Open House
What is happening when?
Join us to hear more about the progress of the new neighborhood being planned to replace Columbia Villa. Bring your questions and comments! All ages are welcome. Local refreshments and interpreters provided.
Saturday, December 7, 1-4 pm, Portsmouth Middle School, 5103 N. Willis Boulevard
Schedule: 2 pm Project Overview, 3 pm Master Plan Progress
For more information, contact Housing Authority of Portland staff Leslie Esinga, 503/802-8365 or John Keating, 503/802-8522. Or, visit our web site at www.hapdx.org.
.
Software Choices: Accounting, Fund Raising and Client Tracking
Nonprofit Fiscal Managers Association meeting December 19 featuring Kay Sohl. A huge topic in a very short network meeting! Well focus this session on learning what software nonprofits of varying sizes and types are using for accounting, fund raising, and client tracking, with heaviest attention on accounting products.
We need your help to prepare for this session! We will produce and share a simple directory of "whos using what" --providing the organization name, contact information, and the software used for accounting, fund raising, and client tracking. Well also collect a very simple rating on each product (love it, its okay, not happy).
Help us create this valuable directory! Complete the survey by going to the link on our website www.tacs.org. Or fill in the attached survey and fax it to 503.236.8313.
Beyond the basic information the survey yields, well draw on the substantial brainpower of NFMA to tackle the questions nonprofits need to answer when considering a software change, including:
How to assess the costs and benefits of changing software
Integration of accounting and fund development software fantasy or reality?
Who should be involved in software decisions
Controls versus cost and ease of use: the QuickBooks dilemma
Complete the survey and come prepared to share your experiences, moan, and celebrate!
Location: Ecotrust Conference Center, 721 NW 9th Ave, on the 2nd floor of the Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center at NW
Irving & 10th Avenue in Portland's Pearl District
Time: 7:30 am - 9:00 am
Fee: For non-members, attendance is $16/prepay 5 days in advance or $18/door. Includes continental breakfast.
To prepay: Send a check to: 1903 SE Ankeny, Portland Oregon 97214 (The participants name and network date are required. Please include this information with the check); or call 503.239.4001x102 and pay over the phone with a Visa or MasterCard.
Special Note: Parking is limited. Visit www.tacs.org for transportation options. Change for parking meters will be available at the check-in table.
We need your help in planning for food, seating, and handouts! Please RSVP/prepay at least five days in advance. Call 503.239.4001x102, send check as described above.
1000 Friends of Oregon Award Hacienda CDC Developer of Year
CDN Member organization Hacienda Community Development Corporation was honored by 1000 Friends of Oregon for its work in developing the Baltazar F. Ortiz Community Center and several nearby affordable housing projects in Northeast Portland. Established in 1992, Hacienda CDC empowers and develops the potential of the Latino community by integrating access to health, education and social programs with safe and affordable housing.
The Ortiz Community Center combines community revitalization efforts with smart growth principles such as land efficiency, affordable housing and access to multiple transportation options. The center and the affordable housing projects were designed with cultural sensitivity by Carleton Hart Architects in their detailing, color, and provision of gardens, play areas for children, pleasant walkways and welcoming entries. Located along Killingsworth Street, a major transit corridor, the completed projects are part of a broader neighborhood master plan including the renovation of 178 units of Villa de Clara Vista and 71 new units combined at Villa de Sueños and Los Jardines de la Paz. The community center includes a health clinic as well as counseling, educational and youth facilities.
This ambitious project at the heart of the re-emerging Cully neighborhood has transformed one of the most crime-ridden areas in Portland. The project has been a catalyst for strengthening neighborhood stability and safety.
This year 1000 Friends presented two awards focused on the theme of community to emphasize that community and neighborhood building are fundamental elements of "smart growth." In addition to Hacienda CDC, 1000 Friends also honored the Bank of Astoria for its Manzanita branch, an outstanding commercial infill development project that integrates smart development and community sustainability.
Affordable Housing Now! Community Forum in Gladstone a Success
Twenty-five people participated in an Affordable Housing Now! community forum on the Metro region's affordable housing crisis in Gladstone on December 10. The purpose of the forum was to bring concerned community members together to discuss the affordable housing crisis and build momentum for a campaign to gain a new, ongoing funding source for affordable housing by May, 2004. Participants identified a wide range of needs for housing, including housing for people with the lowest incomes, housing with supportive services, and promoting home ownership opportunities for people with lower incomes, specifically through land trust housing.
Fifty-five people attended Affordable Housing NOW's Community Forum in Portland December 4.
Affordable Housing Now! is a movement of individuals and organizations mobilizing to secure a new, ongoing source of funding for affordable housing by May 2004. The Affordable Housing Now! campaign will identify, select and launch a new affordable housing funding initiative in the Spring of 2003.
We need your help to best determine what funding initiative to pursue. And we need you aboard to help build our movement. If you would like Affordable Housing Now! to hold a forum in your community, or if you would like someone from Affordable Housing Now! to speak to a group or organization about the campaign and get your input on the housing need, call Michael Anderson at CDN at (503) 335-9884 or email Mike@cdnportland.org.
Join the movement to end our Affordable Housing Crisis
New Study Says Minorities and Poor Harmed by Anti-Sprawl Policies
Policies to combat sprawl penalize minorities, the poor, urban families and the young, says a new econometrics report being released at a November 21 Washington policy conference by the Center for Environmental Justice of The National Center for Public Policy Research. Moreover, such policies do not generate the expected environmental benefits.
The study, "Smart Growth and Its Effects on Housing Markets: The New Segregation," used as a baseline the "smart growth" policies of Portland, Oregon, considered by many the nation's best, and asked: if cities nationwide had adopted these policies ten years ago, how would America's most disadvantaged populations been affected?
The study also examines the impact of sprawl restrictions on commuting times, congestion, the need for new infrastructure and the preservation of "green" space. The study concludes that "smart growth" hurts the underclass at disproportionately high rates.
If Portland-style policies had been adopted nationally ten years ago:
1) 260,000 minority homeowners would not own their own homes today;
2) one million homeowners of all races would not own their own homes today;
3) the average home price would have increased by $10,000 in 2002 dollars;
4) the average cost of renting a home or apartment would have increased six percent.
Sprawl restrictions did not achieve their environmental objectives, actually increasing suburbanization rates while failing to reduce vehicle miles traveled or congestion.
"Restricted growth policies can be dubbed 'the new segregation,' as they deter minorities from the housing market at disproportionate rates," said Amy Ridenour, president of The National Center for Public Policy Research. "Homeownership is key to realizing the American Dream and equity in a home is a widespread as a way for the working and middle classes to amass wealth and build a retirement nest egg. We have government polices that promote homeownership. It is ironic that other government policies are working against it."
The study was completed by QuantEcon for the Center for Environmental Justice of The National Center for Public Policy Research, a non-profit, non-partisan Capitol Hill think-tank established in 1982. No corporate or housing industry funds were used to finance the study.
For a copy of the study, please visit http://www.nationalcenter.org/Sprawl.html, or contact David Almasi at 202/371-1400 x106 or Christopher Burger at 202/371-1400 x107 or e-mail press@nationalcenter.org.
Oregonian Reports: 'Most vulnerable' Face Eviction
By Julie Sullivan
The woman in Room 27 of the Hoodview Residential Care Home in Gresham didn't hear Gov. John Kitzhaber's historic apology Monday for the state forcibly sterilizing her and 2,600 other Oregonians over a 60-year span.
Her delusions are too strong, her mental illness too disorienting, for her to understand.
But even as Kitzhaber was saying sorry, the state of Oregon was moving to evict her from her home of 23 years -- the only home she's had since being transferred from a state institution. Money for her care and that of 121 other Oregonians identified by the state as "most vulnerable" has been whacked from the budget.
In the sputtering economy, with state coffers running short for more than a year, legislators have ordered across-the-board cuts in general fund programs to balance the two-year budget, including human services.
The evictions will save the people of Oregon $426,277 by June 30, state officials say.
And the woman in Room 27? By February, caseworkers say, she'll likely be on her own in a hotel room.
"We would not do this to 122 people if we had any choice. There are no hidden pots of money to fix this," said Bob Nikkel, manager of community services for the state Office of Mental Health and Addiction Services.
The state has cut $56 million in human services from the $2.4 billion general fund budget and plans an additional $88 million in cuts unless voters approve a tax increase in January.
But even if the tax measure passes, Hoodview and William Elaine Care Center in Southeast Portland will close Feb. 1 unless the Legislature intervenes. Some beds at the Pioneer Guest Home in Enterprise also will be emptied.
"Virtually all these people are going to be moving, and it's really a question whether we'll find anywhere else for them to land," Nikkel said. "The resources going into these facilities are gone -- there is no question about that."
The homes' owners, who learned of the cuts in late November, called the news shattering.
"We're not eliminating beds here, we're eliminating people," said Dennis Murphy, who's owned Hoodview for 24 years.
At his meeting with state officials, he presented a small photo and hand-written biography of each resident: Many have lived at the home more than a decade, take as many as 12 pills a day and are on oxygen support. They have chronic, severe mental illness, and most are schizophrenic. Most also need help coping with basic tasks such as bathing and eating.
The 122 people to be evicted are among about 600 statewide whose severe mental illness puts them in danger of harming themselves, harming others, or being hospitalized, state officials say.
Some have never lived anywhere else outside state institutions, and others' attempts to live independently, with family or in small foster homes, have failed. Many residents told The Oregonian they were stable for the first time in their lives because of the centers.
Hoodview residents have been openly agitated and anxious since receiving a 60-day eviction notice Nov. 26, staff members say. One elderly man offered to get a job cutting grass, as he did as a boy. Another followed around administrator Shannan Mays, desperately hugging her.
Resident Nancy Henderson, 55, who also has severe rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis, wept over the prospect of leaving after 15 years.
"It's my home here," Henderson said. "I don't want to go."
Terry Ellis, 54, has lived at Hoodview for a decade.
"I have no place else to go," he said. "If I leave here, I will be dead on the streets."
The care being eliminated is among the least expensive residential care the state has for the mentally ill. At Hoodview, the state pays $613 a month for services, and the client's Social Security checks cover an additional $424, for a total of $1,037 a month per person for room, board, round-the-clock supervision, recreation and transportation.
But the centers' size made them targets for the cuts.
The centers get no federal matching funds because each houses more than 17 people. At that size, the federal government considers them to be state hospitals and, under an 1852 law, will not contribute to their costs.
As a result, the centers are more dependent on the state general fund than facilities that receive federal dollars.
"My parents have been taxpayers in Oregon for more than 40 years and my grandparents before them," said Jerry Surber, 39, who has been unable to work because his schizophrenia causes him to hear voices. He said he has been stable for more than seven years at Hoodview.
Staff at Hoodview say they've been asked to identify which clients could live in other situations such as a hotel. Nikkel said "one or two" beds might be available through county programs but nowhere near the more than 100 slots needed.
Pam Troxel, whose family co-owns William Elaine Care Center in Southeast Portland, said she thinks such clients will die if they wind up in residential hotels without 24-hour monitoring.
"Where is the war? In Iraq or here? You are accepting their deaths due to the state not taking care of people properly," Troxel said.
State Sen. Randy Miller, R-West Linn, said he sympathizes with the residents who are to be evicted. He contends state officials could have prevented the situation by cutting other general fund spending, such as in cultural programs. He also advocates cutting the capstones of Oregon's school reform law: the Certificate of Initial Mastery and Certificate of Advanced Mastery programs -- the academic mastery certificate in effect and a second career-oriented program that is under development.
Kitzhaber spokesman Tom Towslee defended the state agencies, particularly the Office of Mental Health and Addiction Services, as struggling to do their best.
"The people doing this are more aware than anyone that these people could very well be in life-threatening situations," Towslee said. "The money simply is not there to do the things Oregon has traditionally done to take care of its citizens, and that is a pretty sad state of affairs."
In his apology Monday, Kitzhaber spoke of the state's progress in moving those with disabilities and mental illness out of rambling old institutions into more humane settings in the community.
The woman in Room 27 at Hoodview was one of them.
She sat before the television in the recreation room for hours Thursday, smiling at the screen, unaware of the apology, the eviction, or where she will live next.
Julie Sullivan: juliesullivan at news.oregonian.com; 503-221-8068.
Urban Growth Boundary Expansion Approved by Metro Council
On Dec. 5, the Metro Council updated regional growth policies to protect existing neighborhoods and additional industrial land, and to improve community centers and main streets. The Council approved the expansion of the regions urban growth boundary by 16,300 acres for future housing and by 2,400 acres for employment purposes.
The UGB, in place since 1979, marks the separation between rural and urban areas in the urban portions of Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties. State law requires Metro to maintain a 20-year land supply within the boundary. The UGB already contained 236,000 acres before the Councils latest actions.
The boundary expansion includes the following areas:
Damascus/Gresham 13,000 acres surrounding the unincorporated town of Damascus, stopping short of the community of Boring. Also, 377 acres southeast of Gresham for industrial purposes.
Rosemont/West Linn 373 acres next to the West Linn civic center and Rosemont Middle School, bounded on the west by South Wisteria Road.
Forest Park an area between Thompson and Northwest Laidlaw roads at the east end of Bethany and 517 acres northeast of Northwest Skyline Road, currently within city of Portland boundary.
Tualatin/Wilsonville 183 acres north of Southwest Boeckman Road located northeast of Wilsonville; 62 acres north of Southwest Tonquin Road, between Tualatin and Wilsonville; 216 acres generally north of Southwest Clutter Road northwest of Wilsonville and a small area (15 acres) south of Highway 99W west of Tualatin.
Sherwood 85 acres east of Southwest Elwert Road and 231 acres south of Sherwood, bounded on the south the Southwest Brookman Road.
Cornelius 16 acres for employment south of Tualatin Valley Highway on the east end of the city.
Oregon City 703 acres from four areas: east of Highway 213 to serve as part of a connector between South Holcomb Boulevard and South Redland Road, area west of South Beavercreek Road and south of South Thayer Road and two areas on the southwest corner of the city, served by South End Road.
Beaverton/Tigard two areas totaling 520 acres west of Bull Mountain in Tigard along Southwest Roy Rogers Road and west of Southwest 150th. Another 507 acres west of Beaverton and south of Southwest Gassner Road and additional 384 acres west of Southwest 209th Avenue.
Hillsboro 88 acres south of Tualatin Valley Highway, adjacent to an earlier UGB expansion area (55 west) currently being planned by the city.
In other UBG decisions, the Metro Council finished work on the following areas:
Beaverton school site a specific land-use request for a 10-acre school site for the Beaverton School District in Bethany.
Shute Road and Evergreen Parkway the Council included 200 acres on Shute Road and Evergreen Parkway inside the UGB, including an extensive list of stringent conditions. The land can only be used for parcels 50 acres or larger and only to support high-tech industry with special needs.
The Council also preliminarily approved a number of additional areas, pending the completion of legal findings to support the decisions.
Bethany town center 1,400 acres in the Bethany area, including the Beaverton school site.
Forest Grove a swap of environmentally constrained areas out of the UGB for a similar size site of developable land north of Forest Grove.
Sherwood 23 acres near Sherwood for a connector road involving Tualatin-Sherwood Road and Highway 99W.
The Council will finish work on the UGB recommendation on Thursday, Dec. 12. The final area to be addressed will be near Tualatin, comprised of parcels owned by Tigard Sand and Gravel Co. If approved, the site will bring in an additional 225 acres for employment.
A map is available on Metro's web site at www.metro-region.org. For more information, call John Donovan, (503) 797-1942.
The Cost of Sprawl: How Much Does it Cost to Drive to Work?
As bigger and cheaper homes pull people ever farther from their jobs, they pay the hidden sprawl price in commuting costs, not realizing or not caring that the combined cost of owning and operating a new car was put by the American Automobile Association at 50.2 cents a mile, including loan interest, tax, registration, insurance, gas, maintenance and depreciation. According to U.S. Department of Labor 1999-2000 data, this translates to an average of $6,829 (18.1%) in annual household spending for transportation across the Atlanta metro area, compared to $8,254 (21.9%) for housing, with equivalent national figures of $7,118 and $7.114 (both 18.7%). But many Atlanta families in outlying suburbs are paying more for transportation than for housing, reports Atlanta-Journal Constitution writer Janet Frankston, with Carrie and David Wolford of Hiram, Paulding County, calculating their commuting costs at $1,230 a month versus a $1,100 mortgage, and Misuk and Michael Rodgers of Stockbridge, Henry County, citing theirs as $898 and $858, respectively. Although transportation takes a big bite out of family budgets, some mortgage lenders, including Bank of America, gloss over its impact on borrowers' cash flow. Not the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, whose chief economist Richard Fritz stresses the need to ask not only ''where people are going to live and can they afford it,'' but also ''where they are going to work and can they afford to get there?'' Consumer driving needs are also important to many car insurance companies that offer low-mileage discount rates, in the case of Allstate Insurance Co. for driving fewer than 7,500 miles a year. Still, owning a suburban home, which ''will increase massively in value over time,'' is part of the American dream, says Rutgers University urban policy professor Robert Burchell, and that's why people are ''absolutely willing to do it.'' -- Atlanta-Journal Constitution 12/9/2002
Resource(s): www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/business/horizon/
The National Neighborhood Coalition Releases "Smart Growth Tool Kit"
The National Neighborhood Coalition has developed a "Smart Growth Too Kit" designed to guide neighborhood advocates on how to foster sustainable community revitalization effectively within a regional dynamic. The kit provides a big-picture explanation of how neighborhood development and regional growth affect one another, as well as a checklist for action. For a copy or more information, contact Leah Kalinosky at 202.408.8553 or go to http://www.nationalcenter.org/Sprawl.html.
City Issues Annual Call for BEST Business Award Applicants
Businesses will be Recognized for their Sustainable Practices and Products
The eleventh annual BEST Business Awards will be unveiled next April. Portland area businesses that want to be among the winners need to apply. Applications will be accepted until February 20, 2003. The awards will be issued at a breakfast on Friday, April 18, 2003 in the Grand Ballroom at the Governor Hotel.
The BEST Business Awards are issued annually to Portland area businesses with notable energy and environmental accomplishments. BEST stands for Businesses for an Environmentally Sustainable Tomorrow. BEST is a City of Portland program to recognize area businesses that:
* use energy efficiently,
* conserve water,
* reduce waste (prevent pollution),
* use efficient transportation options, and/or
* develop environmentally-beneficial products and services.
To recognize these leaders, BEST Business Awards have been issued annually since 1993. Since then, 70 BEST awards have been awarded to businesses in the Portland metropolitan area. As a result of their actions, these companies have reduced their operating costs by more than $12 million per year. As just one example, their annual energy savings add up to 46 million kilowatt-hours and nearly 7 million therms - enough energy to power nearly 21,000 typical Portland homes for an entire year.
The BEST Awards are co-sponsored by the Portland Business Alliance (PBA), the Oregon Environmental Council (OEC), Earth Share of Oregon, Portland Tribune, and the US Green Building Council. Both small and large businesses are encouraged to apply. Applications are available from the Portland Office of Sustainable Development. To request an application - by mail or e-mail - or to get more information, please call 503.823.7222 or email at oninotification@ci.portland.or.us.
Internet information with more details about the upcoming awards event and downloadable application forms will be available soon on the Office of Sustainable Development web site, <www.sustainableportland.org>.
Active Living by Design Awarding Grants to Community Design that Promotes Physical Activity
Active Living by Design, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, aims to promote changes in local community design, transportation and architecture to make it easy for people to be physically active. Grants of up to $200,000 over five years will be awarded to 25 interdisciplinary, community-oriented partnerships. Brief preliminary proposals may be submitted online from January 6-31, 2003. For the complete call for proposals, see www.activelivingbydesign.org/proposals/cfp.htm.
Leadership for a Changing World Accepting Nominations for Fellowships
Leadership for a Changing World is a program to recognize, strengthen and support leaders and highlight the importance of community leadership. Twenty outstanding leaders or leadership groups are chosen annually for their work on such issues as economic and community development, human rights, education, and sexual and reproductive health. Awardees receive $100,000 over two years plus a $30,000 Independent Learning Account to support their activities. The program is an initiative of the Ford Foundation in partnership with the Advocacy Institute and the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University. Deadline for nominations is January 7, 2003. For guidelines, contact http://leadershipforchange.org/.
Relax and Enjoy the Holiday Season with Great Food for a Great Cause!
The Poverty Action Team (PACT) has reserved seating at the Chevy's restaurant for a fundraising event:
Location: Chevy's Fresh Mex, 8400 SW Nimbus Ave, Beaverton, OR (near Washington Square)
Date: Sunday, December 22nd
Time: 6pm.
For those who dine with us on that day, Chevy's will be donating 15% of the proceeds from the dinner to PACT.
Please RSVP by Friday, December 20th at 8pm; with Denina Geistlinger, (our fundraising coordinator) via email at denina@attbi.com. If seating is still available you will receive an email confirming your reservation, with a map showing you how to get there.
Please feel free to distribute this email to anyone and/or any groups who would be interested in this special holiday event. Hope to see you all there!
Holiday Wishes,
PACT
Green Above Ground to Promote Ecoroofs in 2003
Ecoroofs Everywhere, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is currently requesting projects for consideration in the first annual Green Above Ground ecoroofing event. Green Above Ground is a community-based exposition taking place in Portland throughout 2003 that will showcase the installation of ecoroofs throughout the city on structures of varying sizes, styles and types.
If you have been considering an ecoroof but don't know how to proceed, become a participant in Green Above Ground.
By participating in Green Above Ground:
· Your site becomes part of the growing ecoroof movement in Portland that is garnering national attention.
· Your project is added to the growing list of demonstration projects that showcase the technology to the public.
· You will benefit from free technical assistance from experienced ecoroofers.
· Your site could benefit from being included as a Community Workshops Site in which volunteers learn about ecoroofs while also helping you complete your project.
· You could receive financial assistance that will offset the cost of ecoroofing material and plants.
Talk to us about potentially becoming part of the largest ecoroofing event in the U.S. Email or call Greg Haines, Green Above Ground Project Manager, Greg@EcoroofsEverywhere.org or 503.740.2051
For an example of what an ecoroof looks like, visit our biggest project site, at the Hawthorne Hostel at SE 30th and Hawthorne, or go to www.portlandhostel.org/ecoroof
Invite Affordable Housing Now! to Speak to Your Community
Affordable Housing Now! is a movement of individuals and organizations mobilizing to secure a new, ongoing source of funding for affordable housing by May 2004. The Affordable Housing Now! campaign will identify, select and launch a new affordable housing funding initiative in the Spring of 2003. The possibilities include a local or regional bond measure, a Real Estate Transfer Fee, guidelines for how funds are spent in Urban Renewal Districts, and a County Affordable Housing Trust Fund. We plan to determine the most winnable/viable initiatives and mobilize housing advocates in a concerted effort behind that initiative.
We need your help to best determine what funding initiative to pursue. And we need you aboard to help build our movement. If you would like Affordable Housing Now! to hold a forum in your community, or if you would like someone from Affordable Housing Now! to speak to a group or organization about the campaign and get your input on the housing need, call Michael Anderson at CDN at (503) 335-9884 or email Mike@cdnportland.org.
Join the movement to end our Affordable Housing Crisis.
Housing Industry in California Generates $260 Billion a Year, Helps Keep State Afloat
California's housing sector contributes nearly $260 billion annually -- including $40 billion in new construction -- to the state's economy, according to a study sponsored by the building industry.
The report, which home builders are using in a push to build tens of thousands more homes each year, highlights the pitched battle between affordable housing and public interest groups trying to preserve open space. It also demonstrates that the once-staid housing sector has taken center stage as many other industries have imploded.
The report is paid for by the California Building Industry Association and by the Job Center Housing Coalition, another group that seeks to increase California's housing supply. It calculates the industry's impact by measuring direct spending by home builders as well as ancillary spending, including the costs of shipping goods to building sites and dollars spent by building employees on health care, banking and retail purchases.
In San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo counties, which economists term the San Francisco metropolitan area, the value of all goods and services in the housing sector was worth an average of $15.6 billion between 1997 and 2001, the report said. In Alameda and Contra Costa counties, the value is $15.8 billion; in the San Jose metropolitan area, it is $15.4 billion.
The study did not provide a historical analysis of the housing sector's prominence. Instead, it sought to show how money from new home construction, home resales and renovations ripples out to hardware stores, gas stations and doctors, according to the author of the report.
"Environmentalists think housing and builders are the enemy," said Robert Fountain, director of the Sacramento Regional Research Institute at the California State University at Sacramento, which prepared the report. "This report allows us to see housing as an integral part of our regional and state economy."
That would seem to support the position of many builders, who have argued for years that local governments and environmentalists block many developments, thereby pushing up land and home prices.
In 1989, for instance, 237,747 residential building permits were issued, compared with 148,644 in 2001. This year, an estimated 160,000 homes will be built statewide. According to the State Department of Finance, population growth and job creation would require that 230,000 housing units should be built each year.
Meantime, the median home price in California, which was $162,000 in 1989, rose to $275,000 in October of this year, according to the real estate information firm DataQuick. The Bay Area median, the price at which half of sales are above and half below, was $197,000 in 1989, compared with $408,000 in October.
Environmental groups agree that the need for more housing is acute.
"But it matters what kind of housing and where," said Tim Frank, legislative representative for the Sierra Club. "The builders' answer is to build anything anywhere. We'd like to see more neighborhoods, with mixed uses, close to transportation. There's a difference between subdivisions and communities."
Copyright 2002 The Chronicle Publishing Co.; The San Francisco Chronicle ; DECEMBER 19, 2002, THURSDAY, FINAL EDITION
Life After Welfare in the Here and Now of America's Jammed Shelters
New York Times editorial column from December 24 discusses impact of welfare reform and emergence of working homeless. To read the article, click here: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/24/opinion/24TUE4.html?ex=1041749419&ei=1&en=2b7124984443fe60
HUD Provide$700,000 to OHCS to House People Post Incarceration
HUD announced earlier this month that Oregon Housing and Community Services will receive $706,965 to operate the Oregon Housing Opportunities in Partnership - Post Incarceration Program (OHOP-PIP) in collaboration with the Oregon Department of Corrections, the HIV Alliance, On Track, Central Oregon Community Action Agency Network, and Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency. The program will help low-income, post-incarcerated persons living with HIV/AIDS transition back into the community. For more information, go to http://www.hcs.state.or.us/whatisnews/newsletter/index.html
President Implements Faith-based and Community Initiatives
On December 12, President Bush addressed over 1,500 leaders of the faith community at the White House Regional Conference on Faith-based and Community Initiatives in Philadelphia. The President implemented key elements of his Faith-based Initiative by:
· Signing an Executive Order on Equal Protection of the Laws for Faith-based and Community Organizations and announcing new Federal Agency actions eliminating discriminatory practices against faith-based and community groups;
· Directing FEMA to revise its policy on disaster relief for faith-based non-profits;
· Signing an Executive Order opening new Faith-based and Community Initiative offices at the Department of Agriculture and the Agency for International Development.
More information, including transcript and video of the President1s speech, and copies of the Executive Orders, can be found on the White House website:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/12/20021212-3.html
HUD Secretary Mel Martinez appeared with the President and announced HUD1s revision of regulations to level the playing field for faith-based groups serving the poor.
"An organization's faith should not be the yardstick we use to measure its ability to serve families and communities," said Secretary Martinez. "President Bush is making it abundantly clear he intends to end this form of regulatory discrimination so we can focus on which organizations can most effectively provide housing and services to those who need them most."
A proposed rule, published on HUD1s website, would remove unwarranted barriers to the equal participation of faith-based organizations in HUD's programs. The objective is to ensure that HUD programs do not discriminate and are open to all qualified applicants, regardless of their religious affiliation. The proposed rule would amend the regulations for the following HUD programs: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program; HOME Investment Partnerships program; Hope for Homeownership of Single-Family Homes; Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA); Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) program; Shelter Plus Care; Supportive Housing; and, Youthbuild.
The proposed rule would:
Promote Participation. The revisions would make certain that qualifying organizations are eligible to participate in HUD programs without regard to their religious character or affiliation.
Clarify Religious Activity. The proposed rule would make it clear that participating organizations may not use HUD funds to support inherently religious activities such as worship, religious instruction or proselytizing. In addition, the new rule would clarify that HUD funds may not be used for the acquisition, construction or rehabilitation of structures to the extent those structures are used for inherently religious activities.
Promote Independence. The proposal allows religious organizations that participate in HUD programs to retain their independence and continue to carry out their mission, provided that they do not use HUD funds to support inherently religious activities. Among other things, HUD-funded religious organizations will not be required to remove religious art, icons or symbols from their facilities as a condition of funding, and they may continue to select their board members on a religious basis.
Emphasize Nondiscrimination. The proposed rule would prohibit participating religious organizations from discriminating against any program beneficiary or prospective program beneficiary on the basis of religion or religious belief.
Uphold Equal Treatment. The proposed rule would remove regulations that single out religious organizations by requiring they conduct eligible program activities in a manner that is "free from religious influences." Currently no such requirement applies to non-religious organizations.
A copy of the proposed rule can be downloaded by clicking this link:
http://www.hud.gov/news/releasedocs/faithbasedrules.pdf
Earlier this year, Martinez announced that HUD supports the participation of faith-based and community groups in federally funded public housing programs. Martinez authorized approximately 3,200 local housing agencies to institute "an open door policy" for faith-based organizations to provide social services to public housing residents.
In addition, Martinez last December prohibited local housing agencies from forbidding seasonal religious symbols or displays in federally funded public housing - stressing that HUD regulations do not prohibit such displays in public settings, provided that equal opportunity is provided to organizations of all faiths.
Hewlett Packard, the Norman Foundation and the F.B. Heron Foundation Accepting Grant Applications for Economic Development Programs
The Microenterprise Development Program is an initiative by Hewlett Packard to provide economic opportunity in underserved communities. Nonprofits may apply for grants that equal $150,000 to $300,000 in equipment, cash, services and support. All applications must be submitted online, between January 10 and January 24. For more information and the request for proposals, contact http://grants.hp.com/us/programs/micro_index.html.
The Norman Foundation is accepting applications for its Economic Justice/Economic Development grants. Grants range from $10,000 to $25,000 to support the ability of communities to determine their own economic, environmental and social well-being. Deadline for a 2-3 page letter of inquiry is March 3. For grant guidelines and other information, visit www.normanfdn.org or contact June Makela, Program Director, at 212.230.9830 or e-mail info@normanfdn.org.
The F. B. Heron Foundation supports organizations with a track record of building wealth within low-income communities. It supports strategies that increase access to capital, support enterprise development, advance home ownership, provide quality child care, or employ comprehensive community development approaches. For program guidelines and application process, visit http://fdncenter.org/grantmaker/fbheron.
NPT's Computer Connections Registering for February Classes
Computer Connections, Neighborhood Pride Teams (NPT) much loved class in beginning computer and keyboarding, is back! Learn computer basics on state of the art computers in NPTs Computer Skill Center. The class meets in FOUR 2-hour sessions per month. You can choose a weekday afternoon or evening class. The tuition is $20.
Students will learn the basics of Windows Operating System, MS Word 2000, Internet Navigation, computer-related ergonomics, and computer troubleshooting. Students who successfully complete the training will receive a certificate of accomplishment.
Class size is limited to 10 students so call today to reserve your spot! Learn computer basics in a supportive atmosphere and have fun in the process!
To register or if you have questions, call Phyllis Shelton at (503) 774-4880.
Neighborhood Pride Team (NPT), a non-profit committed to encouraging, educating, and empowering residents of outer southeast Portland, is looking for volunteers who will work with us to create permanent social change in our neighborhoods. We are committed to increasing the employability of our neighbors and the economic viability of our neighborhood.
Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle Conducting Grant Application Seminar in Portland February 13
The Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle hosts "Community Investment: Creating Applications That Score" February 13, 2003 at the Benson Hotel. The seminar is a full-day event. Registration is $45, and scholarships are available.
If you develop affordable housing and economic development initiatives, this seminar is a cannot miss event. Work directly with community investment experts from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle, and learn faster, more efficient ways to apply for grants and reduced-rate loans for project that support low-income populations.
To register, please contact Ayanna Stewart at (206) 340-8715 or ayannas@fhlbsea.com, or register on-line at events.fhlbsea.com.
Enterprise Foundation Offers On-Line Training on New Markets Tax Credit
The Enterprise Foundation is offering two live online classroom events for network members on "Opportunities with the New Markets Tax Credit. Stockton Williams, Director of Public Policy for Enterprise, will lead a class Wednesday, January 29. Charlie Werhane, who manages the Enterprise Communities Fund for Enterprise Social Investment Corporation, will provide the investors' perspective on Wednesday, February 5. Both classes begin at 2 p.m. To sign up, contact kholmes@enterprisefoundation.org.
TACS Presents Foundation and Corporate Grant Strategies Workshop Jan 29 & 30
Learn the dos and donts of grant seeking in the northwest from Rick Levine. Expand your understanding of the thinking of foundation and corporate funders through direct conversations with two panels of outstanding funders, including:
Cynthia Addams, Collins Foundation
Victor Merced, Meyer Memorial Trust
Mary Loftin, Fred Meyer Foundation
Julie Ziegler, Bank of America
Carole Morse, Portland General Electric
The workshop will be held January 29th and 30th, 2003, 8:30 am - 4:00 pm (both days) at the Ecotrust Conference Center, 921 NW 9th Avenue (NW Irving and 10th Avenue), Portland Oregon. Registration is $190. For more information visit our website at: http://www.tacs.org/workshops%20and%20networks/workshops.htm.
National Smart Growth Conference January 30-February 1
Second Annual New Partners for Smart Growth: Building Safe, Healthy, and Livable Communities Conference will be Jan. 30 - Feb. 1 in New Orleans. This conference, organized by Pennsylvania State University and the Local Government Commission, will focus on forming new networks and creating new levels of understanding among multiple smart growth interests. For more information, visit the Conference Web site, or email Michele Kelso at mkelso@lgc.org or Marc Bernhard at ConferenceInfo1@outreach.psu.edu.
New Weekly Email Action Alert List for Social Justice Advocates
Take Five! action - Join Speak Up for Oregon, a new weekly email action alert list. To join the email list, go online to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SpeakUpforOregon/join or email the listowners at speakupforOregon@yahoo.com.
Information available on:
· Measure 28 helps Oregon get back on track
· Anti-hunger advocates ready for 2003 session
· Lobbying and 501(c)(3) organizations: yes, you may!
Websites to check out:
· Measure 28 campaign - www.yeson28.com
· Impending budget cuts if Measure 28 doesn't pass -www.hr.state.or.us/budget/reductions.html
· Lobbying and 501(c)(3) organizations - Alliance for Justice - www.afj.org and Charity Lobbying in the Public Interest - www.clpi.org
· Oregon Helps! - www.oregonhelps.org
Thank you! Questions? Email us at advocacy@oregonfoodbank.org or call
(503) 282-0555 x 204.
Affordable Housing NOW! Updates on CDN Webpage
Get the latest information on Affordable Housing NOW! from CDN's web page. There is a new Affordable Housing NOW! information box located on the right hand portion of CDN's webpage. Sign the Affordable Housing NOW! Declaration. Get the latest on the possible funding resources. Find out how to get involved.
Bush Stimulus Plan Could Make Tax Credit Program "Worthless"
As President Bush unveiled his new plans for an economic stimulus and tax cut package this week, advocates, Democrats and even some Republicans were among those saying it would do more harm than good and that the benefits were too highly concentrated among high income households. In addition, Representative Charles Rangel (D-NY), Ranking Member of the Ways and Means Committee, has calculated that the change could render the low income housing tax credit program virtually worthless.
The plan, which is estimated to cost $674 billion over the next decade, comes largely from eliminating taxes on corporate dividends and by accelerating provisions of the 2001 tax cut. Concessions to middle income families include marriage penalty relief, an increase in the child tax credit, and extension of unemployment benefits (www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/01/20030107.html). While the administration has posited that the average taxpayer will receive $1100 in benefits, advocates counter that the number is misleading because the very high benefits that a small number of filers will receive pushes the average higher. An analysis by Citizens for Tax Justice finds that the wealthiest 10% of taxpayers will receive 60% of the benefits of the plan.
In addition to equity concerns, advocates fear that the plan will do little to stimulate growth or create jobs, that it will further hurt state budgets, and that it will create long-term federal budget shortfalls that will be reflected in additional cuts to social service programs.
Mr. Rangel has found that the President's proposal would likely have a "catastrophic" impact on the low-income housing credit. Mr. Rangel wrote to HUD Secretary Mel Martinez saying that because low income housing developers are typically tax exempt organizations, they depend on being able to sell their tax credits at a discounted rate to corporations with a tax burden. "Under the President's proposal, all of that income could be distributed by the corporation without any tax at the shareholder level
As a result, the increase in shareholder tax [on the tax credit dollars] would probably exceed the net benefit realized by the corporation from the credit. The low-income housing credit would be virtually worthless." Mr. Rangel urged Mr. Martinez to intervene.
Congressional Democrats have countered with their own $136 billion stimulus plan that would include extending unemployment insurance benefits, sending a $300 rebate to check to every working American, providing funds to aid states, and aiding small businesses (http://democraticleader.house.gov/media/releases/20030106-23-414961.asp).
As the Presidents plan will likely be acted on in Congress in late February, advocates plan to organize across the country over the next few weeks. They say they are heartened by the opposition to the plan by Democrats such as Senator John Breaux (LA), who supported the 2001 tax cut, and Republican Senator Lincoln Chafee (RI).
Several analyses of the plan have been posted on the websites of various organizations, including www.cbpp.org, www.ctj.org, and www.taxpolicycenter.org. NLIHCs press release on the plan is available at www.nlihc.org.
NYC Third Party Transfer Initiative Addresses Lien Encumbered Residential Buildings
The City of New York has made great strides in an ongoing effort to put lien encumbered residential buildings back on the tax rolls and back to good use. While tax liens against relatively stable properties are packaged and sold to investors, the Third Party Transfer Initiative was created to ensure the expeditious transfer of distressed, tax delinquent properties to responsible third parties, accompanied by development assistance from the City for third parties receiving properties. In the South Bronx, where a pilot third party transfer program is in its final stages, the positive impact of the new system is already evident. The City initiated in rem action against 174 tax delinquent properties. Before the end of the repayment period, half of the owners either paid all back taxes or agreed to make regular payments. So far, more than $6.4 million in taxes has been collected as a direct result. The Third Party Transfer Initiative has also been effective in transferring previously blighted properties to responsible for-profit and nonprofit owners. Among the properties that remained tax-delinquent, 46 were transferred from negligent owners to new owners with track records of responsibility and effective building management. New management has greatly improved the quality of life for tenants. To download a case study about the Third PartyTransfer Initiative, visit the LISC Online Resource Library at http://www.liscnet.org/resources/.
City Club Hosts Second Growth in the Silicon Forest Discussion January 31
In the late 1970s, Oregons economy underwent a major transformation. Timber, the driving force behind the economy since the states founding, was replaced by semiconductors. This transition from timber to technology was primarily due to the arrival of two companies: California-based Intel and Oregon-based Tektronix. Successful start-ups were spawned, and through a combination of readily available venture capital, technical know-how and an increasing global demand for high-tech products, the Silicon Forest was born.
In 2003, the Silicon Forest remains, but its vigor has diminished. In the Portland metro area, high tech companies face maturing markets, a limited flow of capital and a compelling need for a more effective academic infrastructure. Three industry leaders join us this Friday to discuss how Portland can sustain and expand its high-tech phenomenon in these challenging times.
Come hear Dave Chen, of OVP Venture Partners, Jim Johnson, of Intel Oregon, and Sharon Van Sickle, of Fleishman-Hillard Portland and Seattle at the MULTNOMAH ATHLETIC CLUB Friday, January 31, 12:15 - 1:15 PM. Register online at www.pdxcityclub.org! Luncheon reservations and cancellations, call (503) 241-9242 by 2 PM Wednesday, January 29. $16 members, $18 non-members. Coffee tickets are $5 at the door. General seating is free for members and $5 for non-members. Doors open at 11:30 AM.
Sharon Van Sickle, a senior partner with Fleishman-Hillard, served as public relations director for Tektronix. Providing a historical perspective, Van Sickle will discuss the role Intel and Tektronix played in fueling the change. Dave Chen of OVP Venture Partners will follow the money and analyze the rise and fall of the Portland metro area high-tech companies from a venture capital viewpoint. Finally, Jim Johnson, a 27-year veteran of Intel, will address how the high tech industry can be organized and leveraged to promote future economic development.
Join us for what will surely be an informative and interesting discussion!
For more information, contact Niki Clark at (503) 228-7231 or niki@pdxcityclub.org.
"Weighing In On Land Use: Community Involvement in Land Use Decisions" Training February 22
The Tualatin Riverkeepers, in collaboration with 1000 Friends of Oregon present "Weighing In On Land Use: Community Involvement in Land Use Decisions", training for community members and grassroots activists on how you can influence land use decisions for a more livable community.
Sid Friedman, 1000 Friends Regional Planning Advocate will speak on your effective involvement with local land use proceedings. Brian Wegener, Tualatin Riverkeepers Watershed Watch Coordinator will speak on how to effectively participate in State and Federal wetland permit decisions.
All participants will receive the Tualatin Riverkeepers publication, How to Protect Wetlands and Streams in the Tualatin Watershed: A Public Involvement Guide and 1000 Friends of Oregons, Citizens Guide to Land Use Planning In Oregon. Refreshments will be served.
This training will be held at Tualatin Hills Nature Park on February 22, 2003 from 8:30am-12:30pm. Cost is $10.00. You can register by calling the Tualatin Riverkeepers at (503)590-5813 or by e-mail to brian@tualatinriverkeepers.org.
This training is made possible by the generous support of the Tualatin Valley Water Quality Endowment Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation and The Bullitt Foundation.
CLF Regional Livability Summit March 7th and 8th
The Coalition for a Livable Future invites you a Regional Livability Summit March 7 and 8 in Portland. The summit is an opportunity for community activists, planners, interested citizens, CLF members and allies, local elected officials, government staff, and members and staff of community organizations to come together to strategize about how to shape the direction of our regions development.
Why You Should Attend
* Learn New Strategies. Identify collaborative strategies that make your work more effective.
* Find New Allies. Meet activists and elected officials from throughout the region.
* Gain New Perspectives. Learn how your work fits into the "big picture" of creating a sustainable, equitable, region.
* Get New Ideas. Hear leading experts share their ideas about promoting smart growth and regional equity.
* Be Inspired. In these days of budget cuts and economic downturn, we all need to support each other.
Join us Friday night, March 7th, from 7:00 - 9:00 pm to hear Keynote speaker Angela Glover Blackwell will speak about the nexus between smart growth policies and social and economic equity. Local elected officials and business leaders will respond to her comments. Blackwell is the President of PolicyLink, a national nonprofit research, communications, capacity building, and advocacy organization dedicated to advancing policies to achieve economic and social equity based on the wisdom, voice, and experience of local constituencies. She is the co-author of "Searching for the Uncommon Common Ground: New Dimensions on Race in America," published in 2002 by W.W. Norton & Co. For more info, visit www.policylink.org.
The summit continues Saturday, March 8th, from 8:30 am - 3:00 pm. Come together with other suburban and urban leaders and residents to strategize about how to shape the direction of our regions development in todays drastically changed economy. Participate in a series of workshops that aim to develop a collaborative, progressive agenda for protecting and improving our regions livability, and promoting economic success for all the regions residents.
Location information and registration will be available later this month on
the CLF website: http://www.clfuture.org.
Fannie Mae Foundation Accepting Applications for Maxwell Awards
The Fannie Mae Foundation is now accepting applications for the Maxwell Awards of Excellence program. This program recognizes the outstanding work of nonprofit organizations in developing and maintaining housing for low-income households. The Foundation will award up to $300,000 for six outstanding projects in four categories: three for projects that demonstrate innovative approaches to affordable housing preservation; and one each for projects in the categories of homeownership, rental, and special needs housing. The deadline for submitting applications is February 21, 2003. For more information about the program, please visit our website at http://www.fanniemaefoundation.org/grants/maxwell_awards.shtml.
Please share this announcement with your colleagues. If you have any questions, please call Keely O'Callaghan at 626.396.5360.
Coalition for a Livable Future 2003 Robert L. Liberty Regional Leadership Award Request for Nominations
The Coalition for a Livable Future (CLF) seeks nominations for its third annual Robert L. Liberty Regional Leadership Award. The Regional Leadership Award recognizes and rewards leaders who have made significant contributions to the livability of the Portland metropolitan region. Community members are invited to nominate an individual who has demonstrated initiative and creative leadership in addressing livability issues in the region.
The Award is named after Robert L. Liberty in recognition of his outstanding service to the citizens of the Portland metropolitan region, and to the protection of community livability. Mr. Liberty was the Executive Director of 1000 Friends of Oregon, and co-founder of the Coalition for a Livable Future. Last year, the Regional Leadership Award was presented to Congressman Earl Blumenauer, who has been a leading proponent of livability at the national level since he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1996, and has championed livability programs in the Portland area for the last 20 years.
This year's award will be presented at CLF's Regional Livability Summit on Saturday, March 8, 2003. At the summit, suburban and urban leaders and residents will come together to strategize about how to shape the direction of our region's development in today's drastically changed economy. Summit participants will consider how to use the Coalition for a Livable Future's proven model for collaboration across sectors to promote strategies for creating greater transportation choices, ensuring affordable housing in every community, producing more efficient use of land, supporting a sustainable regional food system, and protecting the environment, while ensuring economic prosperity for everyone in today's political and economic climate. A key element of the summit will be discussing strategies for ensuring that our approach to regional development and economic recovery includes initiatives for increasing the range of choices enjoyed by all people and equitably distributing the costs and benefits of how our communities develop.
Nomination Form
Please send us your nomination for an individual whose efforts have:
- Educated citizens about development and growth issues
- Implemented regional or local policies and practices that improve livability
- Confronted threats to the Portland metropolitan region's livability
- Demonstrated initiative and creative leadership
- Led to desirable environmental and social outcomes
Name of Nominee:
Phone:
Complete Address:
Email:
Nominated by:
Phone:
Complete Address:
Email:
Tell us in one page why this nominee should receive the Regional Leadership Award.
Send completed nomination forms to the Coalition for a Livable Future, 1220 SW Morrison, Suite 535, Portland, Oregon 97205, fax to 503-225-0333, or email to teresa@clfuture.org. Deadline for submission of nominations is 12:00 p.m., Wednesday, January 29, 2003.
Questions? Call Teresa Huntsinger at 503-294-2889 or email teresa@clfuture.org.
DiscounTech Offers Low-cost Desktop and Laptop Computers for Nonprofits
Generously discounted by Afterglow Technology, DiscounTech is offering reconditioned IBM, Compaq, Toshiba, HP, or Dell machines (all Pentium-based computers). The operating system is loaded, so you can get up and running quickly. We are offering three choices for our nonprofit customers:
* Pentium II Linux Desktop PC-Admin Fee: $189 (without monitor)
* Pentium II Windows XP Desktop PC-Admin Fee: $409 (without monitor)
* Pentium II Windows XP Notebook-Admin Fee: $699
But what exactly is "reconditioned," you ask? Reconditioned computers are used machines that have been well-maintained and deemed suitable for resale. All reconditioned offerings on DiscounTech are name-brand computers that have been checked by the Afterglow Technology team. They are warranted to arrive in working order.
We'll continue to add more reconditioned computers over the coming weeks, so check back often.
View the Afterglow Technology computers available at DiscounTech: http://www.techsoup.org/discountech.cfm?id=229
View the entire DiscounTech catalog of donated and discounted technology products: http://www.techsoup.org/DiscounTech/default.asp?btcfile=01.16.03
URGENT: Bush's Dividend-Tax-Exemption Proposal Will Destabilize LIHTC, New Markets
For those of you who aren't following this issue, the President's proposal to end "double taxation" of corporate dividends has a devastating impact on the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, the New Markets Tax Credit, as well as the administration's proposal to create a Homeownership Tax Credit.
Here's why:
The Administration's proposal is designed to eliminate "double taxation," and so it provides that only those dividends based on earnings for which the corporation has paid taxes will be tax-free to share-holders. Conversely, then, if a corporation takes actions (such as purchasing low-income housing credits) to reduce its taxes, then it will have the effect of increasing the taxes paid by share-holders. Furthermore, the proposal provides that taxed earnings not distributed as dividends will be "deemed dividends" and will be added to the basis of share-holders stock, reducing ultimate capital gains. So, even if a company distributed a small portion of its earnings as dividends, corporate tax shelters (such as the housing credit) would reduce the amount of such "deemed dividends" distributed to share-holders. In either case, the value of tax credit investments to corporations would be greatly diminished.
Unless these problems are addressed, the value of tax credit investments to corporations would be greatly diminished, if not entirely eliminated. Most corporations would presumably forego such investments so as to maximize tax-free dividends to their shareholders.
This would be disastrous for the Housing Credit program, as corporate investment accounts for more than 98 percent of the equity capital generated by the Credit. The Housing Credit serves as the cornerstone of federal housing policy. It induces about $6 billion in private investment annually, and produces virtually all of this country's affordable rental housing. In total, it's helped create more than 1.3 million apartments since Congress created it in 1986.
We have all been in the process of learning about this issue over the past few weeks. There is a considerable amount being written about it, and I wanted to share what I've seen. Here are web links to this material:
* There was a Boston Globe editorial (1/28/03) titled "Endangered Housing" http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/028/editorials/Endangered_housing+.shtml that points out an unintended consequences of the Bush Administration's proposed dividend tax exemption: "ruination of the country's major program for the production of inexpensive rental housing: the low-income housing tax credit."
* A joint The joint statement by LISC and Enterprise on this issue at <http://www.liscnet.org/whatsnew/press/releases/2003.01.24.0.shtml>
* There is an article (1/29/03) on Forbes.com <<http://www.forbes.com/2003/01/29/cz_ae_0129beltway.html>> that
discusses this issue in some detail. Forbes.com has been covering many of the consequences (intended or not) of the President's proposal. (See links on the above page for more on this.)
* A number of national organizations, including the National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders (NAAHL), the National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA), LISC, Enterprise, and others have issued a public statement <<http://www.ncsha.org/uploads/ACF3C1A.pdf>> expressing concern about the "severely adverse impact" of the proposed dividend tax cut on the LIHTC
* David A. Smith outlines the major policy consequences <<http://www.recapadvisors.com/pdf/Wu24d.pdf>> of the dividend tax cut for the LIHTC in his Web Update of 1/23/2002. David's web site (http://www.recapadvisors.com) maintains a lot of current (and late-breaking) information on this issue.
* A letter from Fred Copeman
<<http://www.recapadvisors.com/pdf/EYClientLetter1-16-03revised.pdf>> of Ernst & Young contains analysis and a hypothetical example (1/16/2003).
* Letter from Representative Barney Frank to HUD Secretary Mel Martinez <<http://www.recapadvisors.com/pdf/Frank2Martinez030114.pdf>>
(1/14/2003).
* Letter from Representative Charles Rangel to HUD Secretary Mel Martinez <<http://www.recapadvisors.com/pdf/RangelMartinez030109.pdf>> (1/9/03).
Since this may be hard to understand, it has gotten relatively little coverage. As a result, if this is important to you, you should pass the word along.
Julie Orvis, Network/Events Coordinator, Institute for Community Economics, julie@iceclt.org
"Fair Taxes for All" is Back!
In the face of Bushs new tax proposal (misleadingly billed as a "growth and jobs plan to strengthen the economy"), the Fair Taxes For All Coalition has been reconvened by People for the American Way, the National Womens Law Center, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). A petition is being circulated opposing the Bush tax cut proposal: http://www.ombwatch.org/article/articleview/1303/1/160/
Affordable Housing NOW! Needs You for Our Speakers Bureau
Help build Affordable Housing NOW!'s base of supporters by joining AHN's Speakers Bureau. The purpose of the Speakers Bureau is both to educate the public on the dire impact of the affordable housing crisis and to inspire people to join Affordable Housing NOW!'s campaign for new funding sources for affordable housing. Whether you are a housing expert with extensive public speaking experience or some one new to advocacy that would like to develop leadership skills, AHN needs you to in our public education campaign. Speakers Bureau activities will include feasibility sessions with elected officials and decision makers, presentations to groups and organizations, conducting public forums and legislative testimony. To find out more about Affordable Housing NOW!, click here. To sign up for the Speakers Bureau, contact Teresa at 503/294-2889 or teresa@clfuture.org, or Ian at 503/460-9702 or iancat@aracnet.com. Become an active part of Affordable Housing NOW! today.
Housing Assistance Council Examines Links Between Housing, Health
Affordable housing and health are inextricably linked, according to a series of articles featured in the Fall/Winter 2002 copy of Rural Voices, the quarterly magazine of the Housing Assistance Council. From a variety of perspectives, the articles illustrate the reciprocal connection: a home can affect the health of its occupants, and residents' health considerations can affect their housing needs. Find a complete copy of the publication in PDF format by linking to http://www.ruralhome.org/pubs/ruralvoc.htm.
Senate Housing Voucher Plan Would Protect Low-Income Families And Result in Sounder Program Budgeting
By Barbara Sard and Will Fischer--The omnibus appropriations bill that the Senate approved on January 23, 2003 (H.J. Res. 2) includes provisions that would establish a new funding structure for the Housing Choice Voucher Program for fiscal year 2003. The House Appropriations Committee passed a bill (H.R. 5605) containing an alternative funding proposal on October 9, 2002.
Housing Choice Vouchers (sometimes referred to as "Section 8" vouchers) enable recipients to obtain decent housing while typically paying 30 percent of their income in rent. Vouchers are widely considered to be a highly effective form of housing assistance. For example, the bi-partisan, Congressionally-chartered Millennial Housing Commission concluded in a recent report that the housing voucher program is "flexible, cost-effective, and successful in its mission," and should be a "linchpin" of national housing policy.
The conference committee that meets in the coming weeks to draft a final appropriations bill will face a choice between the two very different proposals for funding the voucher program that are contained in the House and Senate bills. For the following reasons, the Senate bill offers a sounder approach:
The Senate bill would maintain the federal governments longstanding commitment to fund all existing housing vouchers. The House bill, by contrast, would eliminate approximately 125,000 vouchers that would otherwise have been made available to low-income households struggling to find affordable housing. This cut the first such reduction in the history of the voucher program would occur at a time when the need for housing assistance is large and there are long and growing waiting lists for voucher assistance in many communities.
The budgeting system established by the Senate bill would make it less likely than under the House bill or past practices that the voucher program would be either overfunded or underfunded. The Senate bill provides a funding level for existing housing vouchers ($12.1 billion) that is between the level provided in the House bill ($11.7 billion) and the level provided in both the Administrations budget for fiscal year 2003 and the original appropriations bill passed by the Senate Appropriations Committee in July 2002 ($12.5 billion). The intermediate level provided in the new Senate bill offers substantial savings compared to the Administrations budget and appears to reflect a more realistic estimate of the amount of funding the voucher program would actually need than either the Administrations budget or the House bill. Furthermore, the Senate bill contains new provisions that would enable the voucher program to accommodate cost shifts that occur due to changes in housing market conditions or other factors that cannot be foreseen at the beginning of the fiscal year.
The Senate bill would require the prompt transfer of vouchers from local housing agencies that have been unable to use them to agencies that can. Some local housing agencies have been chronically unable to use large numbers of the vouchers they are authorized to administer, while others use all or nearly all of their vouchers and have long waiting lists for voucher assistance. HUD has established a system for reallocating unused vouchers to agencies that can use them to serve additional families, but has not implemented this system effectively and has transferred only a very small number of vouchers. The Senate bill would require HUD to reallocate additional vouchers within five months of the date the bill is enacted. The Senate bill also takes other steps to strengthen the current reallocation system, making it more likely that vouchers authorized by Congress will reach families they were intended to serve.
For full report: http://www.cbpp.org/1-24-03hous.pdf
Fannie Mae Foundation Operating Support Grants Available
The Fannie Mae Foundation also is accepting grant requests for operating support from national, regional, and local organizations working to achieve one or more of the following goals: increase the affordable housing supply; increase sustainable homeownership and build individual and community wealth; and create healthy and vibrant neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. Grants range from $5,000 to $150,000. The deadline for letters of inquiry is February 13, 2003. For more information, contact the Grants Management office: 202-274-8057, or email grants@fanniemaefoundation.org.
2003 ReThink: Innovation in Ecological Design and Construction Workshop Series Feb 4-May 23
The Office of Sustainable Development's Green Building Division (G/Rated) and Metro are proud to announce the launch of one of the nation's most comprehensive green building training series for commercial and residential building design and construction professionals in February 2003. ReThink: innovation in ecological design and construction is a sixteen-week course delivering new ideas and technical training around four core building productivity and conservation modules: Water, Energy, Construction materials and Economics. A number of leading local and national experts CHALLENGE accepted building practice wisdom; TEACH alternative, practical, productive solutions for today's design challenges and INSPIRE ideas, action and commitment to new and better design technologies.
HIGHLIGHTS
- February 13: Healing Water in the City with Gil Kelly, Portland Planning Bureau Director; Dean Marriott, Bureau of Environmental Services Director; Mike Houck, Urban Naturalist for Portland Audubon Society; and Richard Register, President of Berkeley, CA Ecocity Builders
- March 5: A Renewable Energy Future for the US with Donald Aiken PhD., acclaimed physicist and renewable energy expert
- April 2: Aligning Material Need with Material Scarcity with Steve Loken, nationally recognized authority on resource efficiency
- April 9: An screening of Blue Vinyl - 2002 Sundance Film Festival award-winning documentary
- May 8: Integrated Design - Better Buildings, Cheaper Costs with Kevin Hydes and Peter Busby, award-winning leaders in environmental building
FOUR COMPLETE MODULES
- February 4 - 28: Integrating WATER with buildings
- March 5 - 28: ENERGY effective design & technologies
- April 2 - 25: Innovative BUILDING MATERIALS and recycling
- May 8 - 23: Green building ECONOMICS
REGISTRATION & DETAILS: Evening lecture, commercial and residential learning track packages are available. Class size is limited so sign up now at www.sustainableportland.org or www.green-rated.org to electronically REGISTER ON-LINE. All sessions to be held at the Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center, 721 NW 9th Ave, in Portland's Pearl District.
- Commercial Track: $80 per module; $250 entire course
- Residential Track: $80 entire course
- Lectures including David Suzuki lecture & Blue Vinyl screening: $10 each
For more details, contact 503-823-7725 or go to the web at http://www.sustainableportland.org or http://www.g-rated.org.
Sponsored by: City of Portland Office of Sustainable Development, Nike, Metro, Betterbricks, CH2MHill, Neil Kelly Cabinets, Group Mackenzie, Walsh Construction, Winkler Development Co, City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services, and Hot Lips Pizza.
Pacific Green Party Hosts Forum on Housing and Homelessness Feb 20 in Portland
Thursday, February 20th, the Pacific Green Party is hosting a community forum on housing and homelessness. Panelists, including representatives from Affordable Housing NOW!, the City of Portland and Housing Authority of Portland, will examine how Portland can insure availability of affordable housing and end homelessness. Forum runs 7:00 to 8:45pm @ Multnomah County Central Library, public meeting room, SW 10th and Taylor, downtown Portland. Call 971-244-0127 for more information or email Chuck Fall at <chasperry@earthlink.net>
Oregon Bond's New Website
OHCS's Single-Family Finance Section has launched a new website to provide first-time home buyers, lenders, nonprofit organizations, Realtors®, and developers one-click access to the Department's first-time homebuyer programs and information. Check it out at http://www.oregonbond.us/. The site was named after the Department's popular home loan program, commonly referred to by lenders as the "Oregon Bond" loan.
Consolidated List of Measure 28 Cuts
This 12-page report lists, by month, every cut beginning in January, through the end of the current biennium. At this point there are no reductions planned in May and June 2003.
The report lists the month the cut will begin, a brief description of the cut and who is affected, which program is taking the cut, and the source of the cut. http://www.hr.state.or.us/budget/
Tech Advice: Always Practice Safe Computing
In last week's By The Cup, we warned you about virus hoaxes. So it seems only appropriate that this week we warn you about real viruses. Viruses are developed and discovered every day. Nonprofit organizations could benefit from the security of anti-virus software.
Keep virus definitions updated quickly and easily with the latest version of Symantec AntiVirus. Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition 8.0 and other generously donated Symantec products are available now at DiscounTech. Please note that the limit is one Symantec product per organization per year.
Licensing (including media) is available for these administrative fees:
*1 user at $20
*5 users at $35
*10 users at $50
*25 users at $85
*50 users at $120
*75 users at $175
*100 users at $195
To order Symantec products, please go to: http://www.techsoup.org/techsoup.cfm?id=250
For more information on viruses and staying protected, check out:
http://www.techsoup.org/virusvaccination.cfm?btcfile=virusvaccination.cfm
Senator Deckert and Representative Kafoury Introduce Bills to Lift RETT Preemption
Senator Ryan Deckert and Representative Deborah Kafoury will introduce two separate bills to lift Oregon's preemption against a real estate transfer tax (RETT). A RETT dedicated to affordable housing would generate significant on-going funding for a regional housing fund. The transfer tax has gained much support from housing activists, business and civic leaders, and elected officials as the logical and most effective long-term resource base for affordable housing. 38 other states use a RETT to fund affordable housing.
Deckert and Kafoury, long time advocates for affordable housing, both support lifting the RETT preemption to allow local communities to address the affordable housing crisis.
"For more than a decade, the Portland area has suffered a growing crisis in affordable housing," said Representative Kafoury. "In view of the budget shortfalls at the federal, state and local levels, we must allow local communities to find local solutions to fund affordable housing."
Affordable Housing NOW!'s RETT Action Committee is coordinating efforts of supporters of the RETT for affordable housing. Lobbyists from Oregon Action, 1000 Friends of Oregon and United Seniors for Oregon are working on the bills in Salem. The City Club of Portland, Neighborhood Partnership Fund and Portland City Commissioner Erik Sten's office are building alliances with support among the private housing industry.
Affordable Housing NOW! will mobilize its supporters to participate in Oregon Action's Lobby Day on April 1, as well as organizing supporters to testify in the Senate and House hearings later in the session.
"With the cross state coalition of tenants, housing advocates, land-use advocates, advocates for seniors and people with disabilities and civic officials, we have a broader base of support then past years," said Sam Chase, executive director of the Community development Network. "We all need to rally around lifting the preemption this session, and then make the RETT a reality for the Metro region in May 2004. If 38 states use the RETT for housing, it is time for Oregon to do the same."
To get involved with Affordable Housing NOW! RETT campaign, email mike@cdnportland.org. To learn more about Affordable Housing NOW!, go to: http://www.cdnportland.org/cdc_news.html#RGInit
Chicago Housing Advocates Weigh in on Plan to End Homelessness in 10 Years
Chicago is doing a decent job of "managing" homelessness, but not nearly enough to end it, Mayor Daley said Tuesday, embracing an ambitious plan to shift the focus away from shelters and toward permanent housing with a bottomless network of social services.
At a time when Chicago is grappling with an affordable housing crisis made worse by the dismantling of CHA high-rises, Daley's goal of ending homelessness by 2012 "rings hollow" unless he's prepared to support a 30 percent affordable housing set-aside on all residential projects, said Kevin Jackson, executive director of the Chicago Rehab Network.
"We can no longer expect this problem to be solely solved by what the Department of Housing does. There simply is not enough housing stock that's affordable," Jackson said.
Daley acknowledged that it will take "creative" financing and an influx of federal funding to accomplish the city's goal of replacing 1,000 of its 6,200 shelter beds in the next 18 months with transitional or permanent housing.
But he argued that City Hall could do more to stretch the dollars it has. Chicago spends $50 million a year on a homeless population that advocates peg at 15,000 a night. But 80 percent of the money is gobbled up by 10 percent to 20 percent of the homeless. They are the chronically homeless who bounce from shelter to shelter as they battle substance abuse and mental illness.
If that core group could be stabilized with a network of treatment programs, it would free up funding for affordable housing for those whose homelessness is more temporary. They are the victims of illness, joblessness and domestic violence.
"We have to do more than just manage homelessness. Our objective should be to prevent homelessness and, ultimately, to end it," Daley said.
The mayor added, "You set your priorities on ... human needs. ... I believe this is what government has to do at a time of crisis. ... Anyone can build anything, but what priorities do you have to rebuild a soul?"
Philip Mangano, head of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, hailed the plan developed by Chicago advocates and service providers as a "national model."
In addition to building more single-room occupancy sites and supportive housing in the next five years, the plan calls for better coordination with mental institutions, prisons and hospitals to make sure housing is available for those who are released. For families, the city would do more to subsidize rents and mortgage payments.
John Donahue, executive director of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, who has protested a shortage of SROs downtown, praised Daley on Tuesday even as he acknowledged the plan "cannot work without more money . . . As I said to the mayor, 'I'll ride a bike with him all the way to Washington because that's where the resources have to come from.'"
Copyright 2003 Chicago Sun-Times, Inc. January 22, 2003 Wednesday
More Bush Cuts: Renters Receiving U.S. Aid to Pay More
The New York Times details how Bush's budget proposal will increase rents to thousands of people receiving federal housing aid in a February 11 article. To read more, click here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/11/politics/11HOUS.html?ex=1045980435&ei=1&en=2b1ef2932425f3d4
City Club Hosts Hunger in Oregon Forum February 28
Rachel Bristol, executive director of the Oregon Food Bank, and Patti Whitney-Wise, executive director of the Oregon Hunger Relief Task Force discuss hunger in Oregon February 28 from 12:15-1:15 p.m. at the Multnomah Athletic Club. The statistics are played over and over on the nightly news. Oregon is the hungriest state in the nation. From 1999-2001, 14 percent of all Oregon households were food insecure. And while many are aware of these rates and figures, the true scope of this crisis remains inconceivable to most. Oregons hungry arent necessarily homeless, jobless masses. They are working renters, families with children, single mothers struggling to make ends meet in faltering economy. How did Oregon reach this point? What are the implications of hunger for individuals and the broader community? What needs to be done at the community, state, and federal levels to ensure a solution?
Two of Oregons most knowledgeable hunger experts outline how we got here and how we can possibly get out of this crisis. With a combined 57 years of experience between them, Rachel Bristol of the Oregon Food Bank and Patti Whitney-Wise of the Oregon Hunger Relief Task Force, both began their work in hunger relief as VISTA volunteers. Now executive directors of their respective organizations, Bristol and Whitney-Wise will present a status report of the state of hunger in Oregon. Join us! Register online at www.pdxcityclub.org! Luncheon reservations and cancellations, call (503) 241-9242 by 2 PM Wednesday, February 26. $16 for members, $18 for non-members. Coffee tickets are $5 at the door. General seating is free for members and $5 for non-members. Doors open at 11:30 AM.
Regional Livability Summit Opportunity for Housing Advocates to Build Alliances
The Coalition for a Livable Future's Regional Livability Summit, March 7 and 8 in Portland, is an opportunity for advocates for affordable housing to come together to strategize about how to shape the direction of our regions development with activists working on transportation, the environment, land use and progressive planning.
Identifying collaborative strategies and establishing new cross-issue coalitions will be crucial to developing a progressive agenda need to create a sustainable, equitable, region.
To register, go to the CLF web site: http://www.clfuture.org or email teresa@clfuture.org.
Follow Housing Activity in Salem with AOCDO Newsletter
From now until the end of the legislative session, the Association for Oregon Community Development Organizations will be producing Developing News Capitol Edition. Developing News Capitol Edition is intended to keep you updated on whats happening in the legislature. If you would like to receive Developing News Capitol Edition please send an email to smcdonald@aocdo.org.
Fannie Mae's KnowledgePlex Resource for Community Development Housing News
Want to know what is happening in housing? Go to http://www.knowledgeplex.org and sign up for their Knowledgeplex email list. Get the week in review of the latest housing news. KnowledgePlex.org is your comprehensive, interactive resource for the affordable housing and community development field to share knowledge, build relationships, and shape the future of American communities.
Nature's Northwest 5% Day Benefiting Coalition for a Livable Future Feb. 24
Here is an easy way to help Coalition for a Livable Future maintain its vital role in shaping our region: Support CLF's work by shopping at the Nature's Northwest Laurelhurst store Monday, February 24. 5% of net revenues from sales at the store on that day will benefit CLF. The Laurelhurst Nature's is located at 2825 E. Burnside St. in Portland. You get groceries, CLF gets funding. What could be better?
Portland's Bureau of Housing and Community Development Needs Your Help
Just a reminder that the City's Bureau of Housing and Community Development is holding a small number of focus groups to get input on stakeholders' perceptions of our strengths and weaknesses as well as what changes and strategic directions we should consider as we plan our future work. We have invited a limited number of people to attend these meetings and hope that you will consider participating.
Currently we have scheduled six focus groups in the following locations:
Thursday, February 20 9-11am OAME 4134 N. Vancouver (Inner N/NE)
Tuesday, February 25 3-5pm Midland Library 805 SE 122nd (East Portland)
Friday, February 28 9-11am Ritzdorf Court 1225 SE Belmont (Inner SE)
Monday, March 3 9-11am SE Works 6927 SE Foster Rd. (Outer SE)
Wednesday, March 5 3-5pm Outside In 1132 SW 13th (Downtown)
Thursday, March 6 3-5pm St. John's Library 7510 N. Charleston (N. Portland)
Please contact Ruth Benson at (503) 823-2392 or at rbenson@ci.portland.or.us. We will call you in advance of the session to confirm your attendance. Please call Ruth as well if you are interested in participating but none of the session dates work for you.
Thank you for your interest and willingness to assist BHCD.
HUD Conference on the Federal Faith-Based and Community Initiative May 6 in Vancouver
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is sponsoring a Regional Conference for Faith-Based and Community Organizations to be held in Vancouver, Washington, on May 6, 2003. This conference will be FREE and will provide faith-based and community organizations with information about capacity building, federal funding resources, federal agency faith-based initiatives, and networking opportunities. If your organization is interested in publicizing the event, contact Roy Scholl, Oregon Faith-Based Initiative Coordinator, USDHUD, at 503.326.3985 or by e-mail, Roy_Scholl@hud.gov. Registration information for individuals will be available in early April through the Oregon Faith-Based, Grass Roots, and Other Community-Based Initiatives Listserve. Please feel free to pass this message to anyone that may be interested in attending the conference and encourage them to subscribe to the listserve to get updated information.
Determining Whether to Outsource Technology Projects
When does it make sense to outsource a technology project instead of doing it in-house? This article from Tech Soup will help you make this important decision: http://www.techsoup.org/articlepage.cfm?articleid=453&topicid=11&btcfile=articlepage453
Affordable Housing NOW! Urges RETF Supporters to Call Salem Legislators
Affordable Housing NOW! is asking housing advocates to contact your Representative and Senator and urge them to allow a hearing for lifting the preemption against a real estate transfer fee (RETF). There is exciting progress in Salem on getting preemption lifted prohibiting a Real Estate Transfer Fee! Our coalition of supporters, from housing advocates to land use advocates, from Medford to Portland, is broader and more diverse than any time before. The commitment from legislators Deborah Kafoury, Ryan Deckert and Jackie Dingfelder is very strong. But our Senators and Representatives must hear from their local constituents that they need to lift the RETF preemption and allow local communities to address their housing needs.
A real estate transfer fee is a commonly used method to raise funds for affordable housing. A small fee of, for example, half of one percent could be charged when a property is sold. In this way, the housing market helps to support affordable housing for community residents. For over a decade, Oregon affordable housing advocates have identified a RETF as the best source for new affordable housing funding, both because of the nexus between the fee and funding affordable housing, and because of the flexibility of the revenue. Current state law prohibits RETFs throughout Oregon. (To learn more about the REFT, click here).
Please call your State Senator and Representative and ask them to allow local communities access to the best tool to address our increasingly desperate housing crisis. Currently there are two RETF related bills, HB 2595, a bill introduced by Representatives Deborah Kafoury and Jackie Dingfelder that would simply lift the preemption, and SB 863, a bill introduced by the Senate Rules Committee at the request of Senator Ryan Deckert that would use a RETF to fund schools. Affordable Housing NOW! must work to persuade the Senate is the RETF ideal tool for local communities to solve their housing crisis.
Talking Points: Tell your Senator and Representative that we need a hearing on lifting the RETF preemption for housing because local communities must have the opportunity to address their local housing crisis. Tell them that we need complete communities: We should be able to grow up, go to school, raise our families and retire in our communities. Affordable housing is the key to complete communities. Local governments need tools to make complete communities possible, and the Real Estate Transfer Fee is the best tool we have for funding affordable housing. To get contact information for your legislators, go to: http://www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/findset.htm
Other RETF Updates:
On March 5, RETF supporters offered coordinated testimony to the House Committee on Business, Labor and Consumer Affairs on HB 2639, on a bill sponsored by the Oregon Association of Realtors that would create a voluntary program where interest accrued while down payment and closing costs are in escrow could be used for first-time homebuyer programs. The estimated revenue generated by this program would be $500,000 annually for the entire state (A RETF would generate an estimated $50 million in Portland alone). Gary Conkling (Oregon Home lobbyist), Ian Slingerland (CAT), the legislative chair from the Oregon Disabilities Commission, Randy Tucker (1000 Friends lobbyist), John Blatt (AOCDO) and Michael Anderson (CDN) all testified, collectively emphasizing that while the bill is not a bad idea it's just a drop in the bucket, not a solution. Most who spoke specifically asked for a hearing on HB2595, Representative Kafoury's bill that would lift the preemption that has been referred to this same House Committee. Committee Chair Representative Betsy Close was cordial, but says she doesn't want to raise taxes. Several legislators raised questions about the possible negative impact a RETF could have on the real estate market, an argument that is easily countered with the success that 35 other states have had using a RETF.
If you would like to get involved with Affordable Housing NOW!, contact Michael Anderson at mike@cdnportland.org or 503/335-9884.
2003 is the year we get this done!
Affordable Housing NOW! General Meeting March 12 at CAT Offices
Affordable Housing NOW! invites you to a general meeting March 12 from 6:30 to 8:00 at the Community Alliance of Tenants. The agenda will include:
1. A presentation by Janet Byrd on the affordable housing bond/tax levy
research commissioned by Community Development Network, The Neighborhood
Partnership Fund, the Portland Business Alliance and the Portland
Metropolitan Home Builders Association.
2. Action Plan for lifting the Real Estate Transfer Fee preemption.
3. Development of an Affordable Housing Now! platform regarding spending
priorities for new affordable housing resources.
The meeting will be held at Community Alliance of Tenants- 2710 NE 14th.
(the corner of NE 15th and Knott inside Augustana Lutheran Church.)
Call or email Ian at CAT (iancat@aracnet.com, 503-460-9702) or Michael
Anderson at CDN (mike@cdnportland.org, 503-335-9884) with questions.
Governor, Legislature Put Housing Trust Fund on Chopping Block
On Monday Governor Ted Kulongoski signed SB859, a bill that would eliminate Oregon $15 million Housing Trust Fund if the state's revenue falls more than $150 million below the Feb 28 revenue forecast. The Housing Trust Fund provides funding for affordable housing in perpetuity and demonstrates a long term commitment from the state government to fund affordable housing.
Representative Jeff Merkley has introduced three bills that could provide funding for affordable housing: HB 3417 (regulating that a portion of revenue generated from Tax Increment Financing be dedicated to affordable housing) and HB 3418 and HB 3419 (both implementing filing fees).
From now until the end of the legislative session, the Association for Oregon Community Development Organizations will be producing Developing News Capitol Edition to keep you updated on whats happening in the legislature. If you would like to receive Developing News Capitol Edition please send an email to smcdonald@aocdo.org.
Leadership Award Winners Challenge Myths about the Real Housing Crisis
Public perception about housing and homelessness may be as big an obstacle to addressing the housing crisis as inadequate public funding, according to several winners of the Ford Foundation's 2002 and 2001 Leadership for a Changing World award.
"Many politicians would have you believe that affordable housing is a lost cause. Nothing could be further from the truth," says Brad Lander, Executive Director of the Fifth Avenue Committee, a community development corporation that has created hundreds of affordable, resident-owned housing units in Brooklyn. "Ask Ricardo Sosa, a N.Y.C. firefighter who was part of the rescue effort on September 11, 2001, if we can turn the housing crisis around."
Sosa's battalion lost over 20 men that day. The sad truth is that N.Y.C. firefighters cannot afford to live in the city they protect. A lifelong Brooklynite, Sosa recently thought his family would be forced out by rising housing prices. But now, Sosa owns a beautiful two-family home just one mile from his firehouse. He bought the home at below-market price from Fifth Avenue Committee, agreeing to rent an attached unit to a low-income family at an affordable rate.
"You see, affordable housing programs work. My family and I are living proof," Sosa said in a recent speech. "Keeping firefighters living in our neighborhoods is a good investment."
View the entire article at: http://leadershipforchange.org/program/press/012803.php3
2003 HUD Income Limits Increase Sharply
Effective February 20, 2003 the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released its FY 2003 Income Limits at http://www.huduser.org/datasets/il/fmr03/index.html. The figures include new estimates of Oregon's median family income, as well as estimates of the area median incomes adjusted by household size. For HUD income limits for Portland, go to: http://www.ci.portland.or.us/bhcd/new/MedianIncome03.PDF.
Affordable housing providers rely on the figures as the maximum household income limits for many affordable housing programs serving very-low, low, and moderate income households. The figures show Oregon's median family income increased sharply in 2003 by $7,400 to $56,300. As a result of the newly released figures, the State Housing Council at its meeting on February 28, 2003 adopted new household income limits for OHCS's Residential Loan Program also known as the "Oregon Bond Loan." The new limits for the Department's below-market rate home loan program are as follows: $56,300 statewide; $65,300 for Benton County; and $65,800 for the five-county Portland metropolitan area.
Online Resource to Better Assist Local Businesses in Tough Economic Times
Portland, Ore. - Local businesses needing information about public and private sector programs to assist in business start-up or expansion now have a new, easier-to-use online resource. The Portland Development Commission's (PDC) BusinessInPortland website has been redesigned with new navigation, expanded content and an integrated search tool to speed business research and access to resources.
"We are excited about the many opportunities PDC offers to help businesses thrive," said Jennifer Johnson PDC's Small Business Advocate and the manager of the site. "The BusinessInPortland website is a key part of that, offering a one-stop access point for our services as well as a search tool to identify other business information and services. Despite the economic slow down, we want to encourage local business expansion. Access to information and resources is a first step."
The site includes updated and expanded information on starting your own business, business networking, business news, finance, marketing and research, information on sustainable development, business opportunities, as well as information on taxing, licensing, regulations and permits. In addition, the site provides a full listing of PDC business resources including loans and financial assistance, contracting opportunities, site location assistance and economic data.
Offering increased interactivity, the site provides for user feedback and suggestions. A survey linked to the home page gives users the opportunity to suggest improvements and additions. "We are going to work continually on the site to make sure it meets a variety of business needs," said Johnson.
"Our primary goal is to stimulate job creation and retention especially among Portland's small businesses. They are the true backbone of job growth in our region."
Nearly 95 percent of businesses in the Portland metro region have 50 employees or less. These small firms employ 255,294 people with a payroll of nearly $2.1 billion.
The BusinessInPortland website was first launched in 2001 and was a key tool recommended in the Mayor's recently completed Economic Development Strategy. PDC has been working to enhance the site as part of the implementation of that strategy. The site was funded in part with Oregon State Lottery Funds administered by the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department. PDC, the city's agency for urban renewal, housing and economic development, maintains the website. The site can be accessed at http://www.businessinportland.org
Frederick P. Rose Architectural Fellowship Deadline March 31
The Frederick P. Rose Architectural Fellowship was established in 1999 by The Enterprise Foundation. The Fellowship creates partnerships between new architects and community-based organizations to direct the skills and passions of the architects in the service of low- and moderate-income communities. The Fellowship is designed to promote architectural and community designs in low-income communities and encourages architects to become life-long leaders in public service and community development. The Fellowship honors the late Frederick P. Rose, the prominent developer and philanthropist, who believed strongly in the value of good design and the spirit of public service. Applications must be received by March 31. For more information and online application go to:
http://www.enterprisefoundation.org/RoseFellowship/index.asp.
Fannie Mae Foundation/Kennedy School of Government Fellowship Extended to March 31
The Fannie Mae Foundation is pleased to announce that the deadline for accepting applications to the Fannie Mae Foundation/ Kennedy School of Government Fellowship program has been extended to March 31, 2003.
Fellows attend one of two Senior Executives in State and Local Government programs scheduled to be held from June 8-28 and July 6-25. In addition, fellows also attend special housing sessions coordinated by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University.
This fellowship program provides an opportunity to encourage and cultivate leadership for senior public and nonprofit officials at the state and local level for improving affordable housing opportunities and related community development programs.
Fellowship funds cover the cost of the admission deposit, program tuition, and room and board for the session.
A more detailed program description and application materials may be obtained from our web site at http://www.fanniemaefoundation.org/grants/kennedy_school.shtml.
City Club of Portland Discusses Business and Affordable Health Care March 14
City Club of Portland presents "Walking the Health Care Tightrope: Balancing Healthy Businesses and Healthy Workers" March 14 at the Multnomah Athletic Club featuring Barney Speight, director of public policy and government relations, Kaiser Permanente, Alice Dale, president, Service Employees Local 49, and Alisa Brake, owner, Food 4 Less #4.
The program runs from 12:15 - 1:15 PM. Register online at http://www.pdxcityclub.org! Luncheon reservations and cancellations, call (503) 241-9242 by 2 PM Wednesday,
March 12. General seating is free for members and $5 for non-members. Doors open at 11:30 AM.
Forty-one million Americans live without insurance - over 400,000 in Oregon alone - and they may not be who you think they are. Twenty five percent are children, and eight of ten are from working families. As rising costs are pushing health care coverage out of reach for many employers - the traditional source of health care for many workers - family coverage has become more of a luxury than the norm.
As part of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's national Cover the Uninsured week, City Club is hosting a roundtable to discuss the joint interest of business and labor in making certain that all Americans have access to affordable health coverage. Barney Speight, director of public policy and government relations for Kaiser Permanente, will discuss health care coverage from the multiple perspectives of health care provider, insurer and business. Alice Dale, executive director of Service Employees Local 49, will represent labor unions' interest in making sure that all workers have health insurance coverage. In addition, Alisa Brake, owner of Food 4 Less #4, will discuss the challenges of providing health care coverage for employees.
Join us for this critical discussion!
Community Design and Decision Making Workshop April 24-26 in San Francisco
The 5th Annual Working Session "Tools for Community Design and Decision-Making: Information Technology in Action" will take place April 24-26, 2003 at San Francisco's Renaissance Parc 55 Hotel. The Working Session on Tools for Community Design and Decision-Making will explore how the application of new technical and non-technical visioning and planning tools can improve local decision-making when used to address growth and development issues. Planners and decision-makers will get a chance to review and work with a variety of tools that are currently available to:
* develop and visualize design options;
* more fully inform and involve stakeholders in the planning process;
* analyze the impacts of policy choices;
* create development scenarios, and;
* build consensus among the stakeholders.
The event will include a review of tools and their appropriate applications, tools demonstrations, training opportunities, and case studies of local governments that are successfully using design and decision tools to solve urban and environmental problems.
Hands-On Digital Charrette: A centerpiece of TCDDM V will be a hands-on digital charrette. The digital charrette concept envisions planners and tool providers working collaboratively on various aspects of a specific planning situation over the course of the three day conference. It is a unique opportunity to see new tools, in a real time setting, applied to realistic problems and opportunities in regional and neighborhood planning. This hands-on experience will be limited to 60 participants, so sign up today if you are interested.
Creating A Dialogue: Periodically, throughout the event, participants in the general conference will be able to contribute to the digital charrette process. Tool providers will exchange information with community planners and activists about the range of tools and techniques available. In turn, those with experience developing successful communities will provide feedback to developers on the usefulness of existing tools and how they might be improved or enhanced.
To register, go to: http://www.regionalstewardshipmatters.net/TCDDM/. For more information, go to: http://www.placematters.com/email/TCDDM_Announce.html
McAuley's 8th National Women & Housing Conference May 1-4 in Oakland, Calif.
McAuley's National Women & Housing Conference celebrates women-led community development groups, as well as the McAuley Institute's 20th anniversary of supporting affordable housing and communities. It is sponsored in part by The National Network of Women in Community Development. For more information, visit the McAuley web site; for registration materials, email conference@mcauley.org.
|
|