Neighborhood Partnerships

Every year, the National Low Income Housing Coalition releases a report called Out of Reach. This report shows what it costs to rent a modest two bedroom apartment in every state, and shows what a renter would have to earn to afford an apartment at Fair Market Rent.  This year, the NLIHC is featuring State Partners on their blog, and how we use Out of Reach in our advocacy.  Alison McIntosh wrote for the blog today – check it out here: http://bit.ly/lGqKqg or read the text below. Out of Reach will be released on Monday, May 2nd at 9:30 a.m. PST. Stay tuned!

Neighborhood Partnerships and the Oregon Housing Alliance are State Partners in Oregon for the National Low Income Housing Coalition (www.nlihc.org), and we are excited about the upcoming release of the Out of Reach report.  Out of Reach is a great way for us to gain access to local data that can paint a picture of the scope of the problem faced by renters in Oregon who are in need of a safe, stable place to call home.

In the past, we’ve used Out of Reach in many different ways:

First, we use the Out of Reach data to help us with our County Need Sheets.  Our County Need Sheets detail the need for housing in each of Oregon’s thirty-six counties, and are a key tool for us to use as we talk to our State Legislature about the need for housing in their communities.  For example, each sheet talks about the Fair Market Rent for that community, as well as types of occupations and their incomes for people in those communities.

When we go to visit Legislators and educate them about the need for a continuum of responses to the housing crisis in our state – from homelessness to affordable rental housing to home ownership options – we use these sheets to talk about their specific communities.  We also give them to our members to talk about the need in their community, and we’ve found these sheets really helpful and very effective tools for legislators.

We are also big fans of something called Social Math here at Neighborhood Partnerships – it’s a way to make numbers more understandable and compelling to your average Legislator or reader.  For example, Out of Reach tells us that a worker earning minimum wage in Oregon must work 71 hours a week to afford a two-bedroom at the Fair Market Rent.  On our fact sheets, we say: “A worker earning minimum wage in Oregon had to work more than ten hours a day, seven days a week just to afford a two bedroom apartment in Oregon.”

Second, we also use Out of Reach to release media advisories and try to gather some local press on the high cost of housing in our communities. In the past, we’ve issued press releases, and have gained some media attention. This year, we’re planning a media advisory, and in addition, we will also release it on our blog and spread the word through Facebook.

We’re thankful to have partners like NLIHC who can help us with access to the Out of Reach data which we don’t have the expertise (or time!) to gather and analyze ourselves.   We’re looking forward to using it to highlight the need for affordable housing across Oregon.

We all need a safe, stable place to call home.  Unfortunately, all across Oregon, too many hardworking families, seniors and people with disabilities are at risk of losing their homes because the contracts that guarantee their affordable rents are ending. We cannot afford to lose this precious resource and allow our neighbors to become homeless.

All across Oregon, properties were built with assistance from Oregon Housing and Community Services Department (HCS), the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the US Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development program (RD). A combination of subsidies makes the units affordable to people on fixed incomes or even no income. As contracts for these rental subsidies expire, this housing is put at-risk, and action is needed to keep this housing affordable. We know that over 3,500 units across the state are at-risk of being lost if we don’t act now.

The Oregon Housing Preservation Project, which is run by the Network for Oregon Affordable Housing, or NOAH is working to preserve this valuable resource. Through funding from the State of Oregon, the MacArthur Foundation, Meyer Memorial Trust, Oregon Community Foundation, the Collins Foundation and several banks, the Oregon Housing Preservation Project has created a loan fund that helps non-profit organizations acquire the properties quickly when they are put on the market, and then seek permanent financing to rehabilitate and keep the properties and their federal rent subsidies in Oregon.

Preserving this housing makes sense.  The Oregon Housing Preservation Project knows that we can’t make new units fast enough or locate them as close to transit, jobs and amenities such as schools or medical care as the existing homes are.  One of every three people that lives in this housing is a senior or a person with a disability.

Oregon was a pioneer in using a combination of federal, state and local resources plus on-going federal rent assistance in the 1980′s and 1990′s to build housing in all corners of Oregon to meet community needs.  Now, the Oregon Housing Preservation Project has built outstanding partnerships through Housing and Community Services (HCS) to preserve this housing. Other partners include Enterprise Community Partners, the Community Alliance of Tenants, and the City of Portland’s Housing Bureau. Outcomes to date are impressive and speak to the commitment of partners involved in this effort.  Neighborhood Partnerships also is a partner in this effort – helping to create and maintain a database of properties affected by this problem.

In partnership with the Housing Alliance, the Oregon Housing Preservation Project is supporting a request in the Governor’s budget to provide $10 million in Lottery Backed Bonds to help fund the preservation of these properties. We have the tools to preserve this valuable resource, but need additional resources.

We all need a safe place to call home.  Our communities are better and stronger when everyone has access to the opportunity that a safe, stable home provides.  Neighborhood Partnerships is pleased to partner with NOAH and the Oregon Housing Preservation Project to maintain this important effort and help make sure these families and neighbors continue to have a safe place to call home.

February 14, 2011 is Valentine’s Day and Oregon’s birthday! Demonstrate your love for Oregon by joining the Oregon Housing Alliance and Oregon Thrives for “Have a Heart Day” in Salem.  We all have a stake in addressing the problems our communities and neighbors are facing as a result of the recession. Please join us to speak to our legislators about the problems we face and how the prolonged recession has left our neighbors at risk of foreclosure or even homelessness.

We’re joining with Oregon Thrives and will meet in Salem at the State Capitol to thank and support our legislators for continuing to “Have a Heart.”  We all understand that housing gives people an opportunity to build better lives and this is our chance to talk to those who represent us in Salem that share these values, but may need a little encouragement.

We’ll convene at 8 am for coffee and rolls, pick up legislative materials, and fill out valentines. We’ll begin promptly at 8:30 for a brief welcome, and a review of legislative materials for meetings. Then we’ll receive expert advice on how to express ourselves effectively in the meetings, and we’ll practice our message of the day to make sure we’re heard loud and clear.

For the rest of the morning and the afternoon, we’ll be sharing our values and vision for Oregon with our state legislators.  We’ll have a room open during the visits for check-in, reports, filling out thank you cards, or to just catch your breath.

Come join the Oregon Housing Alliance and Oregon Thrives for Have a Heart Day on February 14, 2011.

RSVP today to Alison, amcintosh@neighborhoodpartnerships.org, or 503.226.3001 x107.  Need a ride to Salem? Let us know.

The Housing Alliance, as well as Neighborhood Partnerships, believes that we all have a stake in addressing the problems our communities and neighbors are facing.  In Oregon, we’ve always pulled together to overcome hardship, and we believe in protecting those most impacted by the economic downturn.

In too many communities across Oregon, our neighbors are struggling to pay the rent or their mortgage.  The Housing Alliance knows that housing gives people an opportunity to build better lives, and that our communities are stronger when people have a safe, stable place to call home.  In 2011, the Legislature can act to prevent more people from falling into homelessness by prioritizing the basic needs of those most impacted by the recession.

While the problems our state is facing may seem daunting, there is good news.  We know how to solve the problems we are facing, and we’ve done it before.  We also know that how we respond to these problems will affect how our state recovers.   The Housing Alliance and its members will be calling on Legislators in 2011 to continue to invest in proven programs and solutions that meet these basic needs.

You can join us – either as a Housing Alliance member, or on our Lobby Day.  We’ll be joining with Oregon Thrives in Salem on Monday, February 14th, for Have a Heart Day. Be sure to mark your calendars now! Questions or to RSVP please e-mail Alison.

Our agenda for 2011 includes:

Continue investment in affordable housing that meets critical needs in our communities;

Increase the Emergency Housing Account (EHA);

Preserve existing affordable housing so we don’t fall further behind;

Restructure the Oregon Affordable Housing Tax Credit (OAHTC);

Maintain state enabling legislation for local property tax abatement programs;

Update definitions for the Farmworker Housing Tax Credit;

Continue and extend protections for tenants in foreclosed properties;

Protect tenant access to utilities;

Secure and preserve public subsidy during foreclosure proceedings;

Expand allowable master and short form documents;

Support resident purchases of manufactured home parks; and

Recognize the problem of hate crimes against people who are homeless.

Interested in joining the Housing Alliance or learning more about our agenda? E-mail Alison for details.

On August 26, the state of Oregon received another revenue forecast with more bad news.  This revenue forecast indicated the state has an additional $377 million less than expected for the current biennium (2009–2011).  In addition to the $563 million less than expected in May 2010, the state budget is now $940 million short in this biennium after the legislature made cuts to programs and increased taxes through Measures 66 and 67.

Misery loves company, and the state economists are now expecting the revenue shortfall for 2011–2013 will be $3.3 billion—much, much more than the $2.5 billion expected as late as May.  We’ve already experienced cuts to services and state government—now the question is how much will legislators and the Governor ask us to cut before they begin to consider other options?

Further cuts to the general fund budget—which primarily funds schools, public safety, and human services—will be disastrous for the state.  Cuts to housing and human services lead to increased need for emergency services.  A family just scraping by with $418 in cash assistance a month from TANF who then receives a cut of $25 or $50 often ends up at the local food pantry to feed their kids, relying on emergency rent assistance, or may even become homeless and end up in a shelter. These emergency services are more expensive in the short (and long) term than prevention, but state government instead chooses to cut these services, rather than make difficult choices about increasing revenue.

The Governor has asked agencies to prepare budgets with cuts up to 25% for the 2011–2013 biennium.  For Department of Human Services, this will mean additional cuts to services for seniors, people with disabilities and families who can’t make ends meet in this tough economic climate.  It’s time to ask ourselves what the role of government is, and what kind of state do we want to live in.

It’s time to ask ourselves what the role of our public structures are, and how much we value and depend on these structures.  And if we value them, what can we do to ensure they continue?

It’s time for Oregonians to start talking about what public structures we value, and whether we’re willing to pay for those public structures. It’s also time for the Governor and the Legislature to start talking about revenue solutions to a revenue problem—we can’t cut our way out of this budget hole. Instead we need to look at our revenue streams—tax loopholes, tax credits, the kicker, among others.

The Governor and his reset commission have labeled this a “dark decade” of budget deficits and recession. While the revenue forecast is bleak, this is also an opportunity to engage Oregonians in a conversation about what the role of government is, and what they want the state to look like.  We’re interested in a state that believes in taking care of its neighbors, investing in its future, and makes smart choices about where to spend its revenue.

The Housing Alliance is gearing up for the upcoming 2011 Legislative Session.  We have a series of membership meetings planned, and we are getting ready to finalize our agenda.

In September and October, we’ll hold two Housing Alliance Membership Meetings.  We will be meeting in Salem on Monday, September 27, 2010 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Friday, October 29, 2010 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Prospective members may be invited to attend, but will not be allowed to vote—please contact Alison McIntosh if you are a prospective member or have an organization you would like to invite. Find out how to join the Housing Alliance!

Another revenue forecast is scheduled to be released on August 26, 2010.  We will be watching this closely, both to see what it holds for the remainder of this biennium as well as 2011-2013.  Early reports are predicting another downturn—which will make meeting needs and balancing the budget even harder than we already anticipated.

We are continuing to refine our list of legislative priorities.  Right now, the list includes:

Maintain Document Recording Fee Resources for Affordable Housing;
Increase the Emergency Housing Account;
Preserve Existing Affordable Housing;
Maintain current tools to keep affordable housing affordable, including the Oregon Affordable Housing Tax Credit and maintaining state enabling legislation for local property tax abatement programs;
Permanent supporting housing construction to help end homelessness;
Increasing resources to support Minority Homeownership;
Expanding protections for tenants in foreclosed properties;
Supporting resident purchases of manufactured home parks;
Supporting land trusts; and
Protecting homeless from hate crimes.

A full and more detailed list is available here.

Questions? E-mail us.

On Friday, July 16, 2010, Bridges to Housing case managers, staff, and Multnomah County partners gathered to appreciate and celebrate the success of the program, now four years old.

Commissioner Deborah Kafoury, describing herself as a member of the Bridges to Housing fan club, welcomed families, case managers and those who’ve worked at the City and County to make this program a success.  Commissioner Kafoury also announced the great news that Multnomah County had committed over $400,000 to services in 2010-2011 for Bridges to Housing!

Photo by Maileen Hamto, Portland Housing Bureau

Commissioner Nick Fish discussed the importance of the regional effort, and talked about the critical contributions made by various partners: the Housing Authority of Portland, which dedicated project-based Section 8 vouchers, making housing affordable for these families and allowing funds to be spent on case management; the City of Portland, who contributed resources to build new affordable housing units and to reprogram existing units to create 139 units dedicated specifically to this program; and Multnomah County, who committed funds for services to continue the program.

Photo by Maileen Hamto, Portland Housing Bureau

Janet Byrd of Neighborhood Partnerships described the four county effort, and the importance of the ongoing evaluation, which is being conducted by Portland State University.  Janet also talked about the private funds raised to support Bridges to Housing and thanked the many foundations who have contributed over the past four years.  She also described the huge contribution of time from Regional Steering Committee volunteers and thanked them for their efforts.

Jean DeMaster talked about the contribution and partnership shown by housing providers, and property and asset managers, and how important their support had been to making the program successful.   Suzanne Washington recognized the dedication and hard work of case managers who have been working alongside these families since day one.  The case managers have played a huge role in helping these families maintain their housing, and move forward on their goals.   She thanked them for their commitment to the program and to the families

Photo by Maileen Hamto, Portland Housing Bureau

We also had the opportunity to hear from some of the families who have participated in Bridges to Housing.  Several were generous enough to tell us their stories of how they came into the program, and how it’s helped them.  We heard from a family of four, who camped for a year after losing their rental apartment when it was sold.  The father is now back in school and earning a degree in green building.  We also heard from a family who escaped domestic violence and substance abuse and is now also back in school.  Commissioner Kafoury said it best when she reminded us that the families are the one and only reason this program matters.

Photo by Maileen Hamto, Portland Housing Bureau

Thanks to everyone who came, and thank you especially to the families who shared their stories and their afternoon with us.

Photo by Maileen Hamto, Portland Housing Bureau

Also special thanks to those who donated food or raffle prizes to the event: Cupcake Jones, New Seasons Market, Starbucks, World Cup Coffee, Human Solutions, and Ellington Handbags.  Thanks to Maileen Hamto of Portland Housing Bureau for taking photographs. And thanks to Hacienda CDC’s Micro Mercantes for a wonderful lunch.

Federal spending on affordable housing and preventing and ending homelessness continues to improve!  We are very pleased that on Thursday, July 1, 2010 the House Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (T-HUD) Appropriations Subcommittee marked up its Fiscal Year 2011 spending bill.  This subcommittee oversees funding for the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, and sets spending levels for federal housing programs.

Some highlights of the appropriations bill include: A 10% increase to $2.055 billion in funding for HUD’s McKinney-Vento programs which serve homeless families and individuals.  While this is great news, estimates indicate that to fully implement the Hearth Act will require $2.4 billion.  The Hearth Act was the 2009 reauthorization of the McKinney Vento act, and it expanded the definition of homelessness; expanded homelessness prevention activities; and increases efforts to serve homeless families and children, among other things.  (Read a summary here.)

The bill also requested $75 million for additional VA Supportive Housing (VASH) vouchers to serve homeless veterans, continued funding for housing programs for seniors and people with disabilities; and increased funding for the tenant based rental assistance program renewals.

The bill does not provide funding for two new HUD initiatives, the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, or PETRA (Preservation, Enhancement and Transformation of Rental Assistance). Choice Neighborhoods Initiative is a HUD proposal to replace HOPE VI, a program which was designed to rehabilitate and replace distressed public housing properties.  PETRA is a proposal by HUD to transform its current programs.  The proposed changes would: streamline its current subsidy programs, change the way public housing is rehabilitated and preserved in the future, and promote resident choice.  Advocates for affordable housing and their residents are concerned about some components of PETRA, while HUD asserts that PETRA will be both beneficial and critical to the future of affordable housing.

Funding for the National Housing Trust Fund was not included in this appropriations bill.  Advocates are still hopeful that the Senate will again consider legislation to fund the Trust Fund through the Tax Extenders Bill (HR 4213).  A $1 billion investment into the Trust Fund would bring over $15 million to Oregon.

What’s next?

The Senate Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee will also markup its Fiscal Year 2011 spending bill.

Want to know more?

If you’re interested in learning more, the National Alliance to End Homelessness and the National Low Income Housing Coalition are both tracking this issue.  Download the NLIHC summary of spending since FY 2005 and proposed FY 2011 levels.

On Thursday, June 24, Neighborhood Partnerships staff attended the Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon‘s Interfaith Summit on Homeless Children, Youth, and Families. Over 200 people from across Oregon also attended, including many from the faith community, non-profits, and government.

After an opening interfaith devotional the first panel on Childhood, Youth, and Family Homelessness in Oregon began. Members of this panel gave participants background on the current state of homelessness in Oregon and some of the efforts underway to help those in need. After a short break, the group moved right into an overview of the four small group topics for the afternoon. They included: Shelter and Services; Preventing, Reducing, and Ending Family Homelessness; Education of Homeless Children; and Homeless and Runaway Youth.

The group moved outside to enjoy the sunny weather and hold a walking vigil late morning. We heard a bit about the history of churches marching for social justice. Over lunch keynote speaker Barbara Duffield of the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth spoke about why it’s so critical to ensure homeless children have access to education.

Afternoon breakout groups filled the afternoon, with Neighborhood Partnership’s Executive Director Janet Byrd helping to lead the panel on Preventing, Reducing, and Ending Family Homelessness. We talked in our session about the various responses to homelessness, how to contact the folks in your community working on 10 Year Plans, and how churches can and are playing important roles in this effort.

The day ended with a call to action and a discussion about next steps. Neighborhood Partnerships is excited to meet so many folks from across the state who are interested in and committed to ending homelessness in Oregon. We’re looking forward to taking the next steps with our faith-based partners!

If you’re interested in hearing more about the day, or want to get involved moving forward, contact us or Kevin Finney from Ecumenical Ministries.

On June 16, a rainy Wednesday in Salem Oregon, 50 people from across the state joined Neighborhood Partnerships, Oregon Housing and Community Services, JP Morgan Chase, and others in a thoughtful and provocative conversation about minority homeownership.  Victor Merced began the day by calling on all of us to look carefully at what we are doing now that works, and to think about how to do more to close the minority homeownership gap.

A review of available data shows us that we need to create 30,000 or more new homeowners from communities of color to close Oregon’s homeownership gap.  This task will require the hard work of all existing partners, and some creative work to improve our impact, increase the tools we have at our disposal, and increase the resources available to us.

The good news, though, is that partners now hard at work in Oregon know how to accomplish this.  We heard from several speakers about the barriers that we need to overcome in various communities across the state, and reviewed materials gathered from the City of Portland’s Operation Home efforts.  Then, we heard from a diverse panel about a sampling of the successful efforts now underway.  Strategies shared included a tribal-sponsored down payment initiative, maintaining a multi-cultural staff, focus groups and homebuyer clubs, and land trusts to increase affordability.  Creative partnerships, efficient use of resources, and genuine commitment to reaching people in their communities were evident in all the examples shared by the panel and participants.  And we know we just scratched the surface and did not have time to acknowledge all of the expertise in the room.

Regrettably we couldn’t hear from everyone, and we only touched on key strategies. But our goal was to highlight possibility and commit to taking the next steps together to increase resources and political will to close the gap.

Several next steps were identified.

Best practices sharing through practitioner networks. Oregon Opportunity Network will discuss possible next steps for peer learning and sharing.

State funding decisions for use of the document recording fee. Roberto Franco shared timelines for the five program areas to be funded through the document recording fee. Neighborhood Partnerships will track these timelines and processes and facilitate comments on priorities and processes.

Our Oregon plans to continue discussing legislation that would tie financial education to some loan products. Neighborhood Partnerships will track development and facilitate Housing Alliance consideration of proposals.

There was lots of interest in improving our data—on historical trends in homeownership rates, on the impacts of foreclosures, and on lending practices. Neighborhood Partnerships will follow up on these ideas in the coming months.

Email Janet with your thoughts, or let us know what you’d like to be part of in the comments section of the blog!