Neighborhood Partnerships

Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) and Neighborhood Partnerships (NP) recently awarded supplemental grants for eight innovative and collaborative proposals to reach communities who are currently underserved by the Oregon Individual Development Account (IDA) Initiative. IDAs are a proven program that helps families across Oregon build a stronger financial foundation.

The Oregon IDA Initiative, housed here at NP, is supported through donations by individuals and businesses; contributions made to the Oregon IDA Initiative are eligible for a 75% IDA Oregon tax credit. To receive a 2011 tax credit, donations must be received by December 31, 2011. Donations may be made by check, online, or by contributing stock or mutual funds. For more information or to donate go to http://ida.neighborhoodpartnerships.org.

Revenue collected in 2010 allowed the Initiative to allocate about $1 million in funds to strategically reach communities currently underserved by the Oregon IDA Initiative. In a highly competitive process, eighteen proposals from collaborations including forty-two organizations were received by the September 1, 2011 deadline. The proposals requested a total of $3.3 million.

Several collaboratives proposed education IDAs to help individuals get the training and degrees they need to be skilled and competitive in the workforce and as small business owners. Bienestar, Innovative Changes, International Refugee Community Organization (IRCO), Mercy Corps Northwest, and NeighborWorks Umpqua received awards for their innovative proposals.

Other proposals will support microenterprise IDAs that will help individuals and families start businesses that can become the income stream for their households as well as provide jobs for others. Hacienda Community Development Corporation and Microenterprise Services of Oregon were awarded funds for this purpose.

Awards were also made to provide home repair and homeownership IDAs to increase financial stability and protect assets for low income families, and the Native American Youth and Family Center and IRCO received resources for this area. For a current list of awards, go to http://ida.neighborhoodpartnerships.org/IDARFP2011.

Oregon nonprofit groups shared ideas to give everyone in the state opportunities to better themselves financially at the “Rebuilding the Path of Opportunity: 2011 Asset Builders’ Conference” held in Silverton last week. Over 100 professionals from community development corporations, family centers, community action agencies, micro-enterprise organizations, housing authorities, and social services agencies joined together to share and learn how to build financial assets for all Oregonians. The conference was hosted by Neighborhood Partnerships, CASA of Oregon, and NeighborWorks Umpqua.

Margaret Van Vliet, Director of Oregon Housing and Community Services, opened the conference. Oregon Housing and Community Services plays a key role in expanding opportunities for low income Oregonians throughout Oregon. She addressed how the Oregon Individual Development Account Initiative (IDA) is an important program in the Department’s effort to build assets for lower income Oregon families and that she valued the many deeply committed and talented individuals and organizations that make the Initiative work.

Neighborhood Partnerships is a leader in asset building programming and policy in Oregon. NP houses the Oregon IDA Initiative, which is the largest state IDA program in the country. In addition, NP both leads and collaborates with others to promote and defend other policies that support financial stability in lower income families, such as legislation for low income housing and reductions to TANF. Kathy Turner, Program Director with Neighborhood Partnerships and the Oregon IDA Initiative states, “As the lead partner in developing the conference, we are very pleased with the level of engagement by our partners. Our shared vision is to create pathways of opportunity for all Oregonians–we all benefit when all of Oregon families and communities are thriving. This conference is an opportunity for partners to come together, share our best ideas, creatively address challenges, gain new perspectives and tools, and energize ourselves for the coming year.”

The conference featured several hands-on workshops about how to provide financial education, an introduction to financial coaching, how to support savers, how to protect assets, how to work with vulnerable populations, how to use behavioral economics in program planning, how to develop a banking program for folks who don’t typically use financial institutions, and much more. For example, Rebekah Barger, a program manager for NeighborWorks Umpqua, presented a session on how to build an IDA program focused on youth. As part of her workshop, she unveiled a newly minted financial education program designed to engage young adults.

When asked about the importance of financial education, Barger said money management skills need to start early. NeighborWorks Umpqua teaches young people about financial fitness and saving for college through a special program called “Gear Up.” Barger says the “Gear Up” program is a real eye-opener for most teens. “No matter how prepared they are, the kinds of things that they stumble over and have a hard time really absorbing, and almost are in denial of, are the realities of what it costs to live.” Personal finance isn’t a required course in Oregon schools. Barger believes it should be, and that it should be taught starting in junior high or earlier.

The conference also included presentations and discussions about national and state policy issues that impact lower income Oregonians. One such topic was credit and financial products and their impact on our low income neighbors. Carmina Lass, Program Director of Innovative Changes, a Portland group which makes microloans to people whose only other option might be an expensive payday loan, says she sees all the unrest today about banks and fees in a positive light. She says it could make people smarter about money. “People are really seeing the opportunity to take charge of their finances–working on better financial planning, better choices in terms of credit, but also learning how to evaluate financial institutions and the products that they offer, and find better products that meet their needs.”

The importance of having a stronger financial foundation is underscored by a recent research. In an emergency, according to the National Bureau of Financial Research, half of all American households would be unable to come up with $2,000 within 30 days, and about one in five would have to pawn something to get it.

Lass says that’s a good reason to start budgeting and saving. “Managing your money is stressful at any income level, and so the first step is just to start thinking about how to plan. Whatever there is, planning–just the act of planning out, for the next month, or next week, or even for the next day–is something that can help decrease the stress.”

At the closing plenary, Nita Shah, Executive Director of Microenterprise Services of Oregon summed up a core value for those present, “Poverty is unacceptable. We should never allow ourselves to look at a person who is poor and be complacent.” Panelists shared case studies of individuals who have worked to change their lives–which highlighted the critical functions that practitioners provide with financial education, coaching, encouragement, training, and more. The conference ended on a note of both concern and optimism for the future–those present recognize that the economic challenges of low income families may be increasing in the coming years, but they remain committed to creating pathways to prosperity for our neighbors across Oregon.

During the conference, the Public News Service wrote several stories on the conference and Oregon’s role in the national asset building movement. You can read them here and here.

Neighborhood Partnerships is in the process of hiring an Oregon IDA Initiative Program Coordinator!

Neighborhood Partnerships (NP) is a dynamic, innovative statewide non-profit seeking a talented professional to join our team as the Oregon IDA Initiative Program Coordinator. The Program Coordinator will support statewide asset building activities and the Oregon Individual Development Account (IDA) Initiative. All qualified persons are encouraged to apply and will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, familial status, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability for which a reasonable accommodation can be made, or any other status protected by law.

General Summary:
The Oregon IDA Initiative Program Coordinator supports NP’s asset building activities, primarily the Oregon IDA Initiative.

Primary Responsibilities:
Overall Program Oversight and Support

• • Manage and refine program components of Oregon IDA Initiative
• • Ensure the Initiative maintains standards of excellence, including adherence to IDA statute, administrative rules, and standard operating procedures
• • Establish and maintain good working relationships with Fiduciary Organizations (FOs) and their partners

Training and Technical Assistance

• • In partnership with Grantees, design and implement an annual training calendar
• • In partnership with Grantees, design, develop, and evaluate training and technical assistance modules in support of OR IDA goals, possibly including development of web-based training for Fiduciary Organizations
• • Oversee training logistics, including negotiation of training costs and contracts with providers

Grant Allocation, Oversight and Reporting

• • In conjunction with the Program Director, develop and oversee request for application process for standard and supplemental requests for proposals for the Oregon IDA Initiative
• • Negotiate contracts and work plans with Initiative grantees, including timely review and management of grant reports and payments
• • In conjunction with the fiscal department, schedule and conduct annual program reviews
• • Maintain current files and records on FOs
• • Manage NP AFI grant allocation and reporting

Evaluation and Database

• • Oversee IDA Database training, upgrades, maintenance, implementation, and assure quality standards
• • In conjunction with the Program Director, oversee and manage IDA Evaluation development, implementation, and outcomes

Communications and Website

• • Coordinate updates to IDA website, in conjunction with contractors and other NP staff
• • Coordinate transition of IDA website to WordPress
• • Track and document IDA success stories for implementation in publications and web
• • Update IDA Member Website as necessary

Required Experience, Skills, and Qualities:

• • Bachelor’s degree in applicable field
• • 3 to 5 years of progressively responsible and applicable positions
• • Knowledge of and experience in financial education and financial literacy field
• • Strong group process skills and proven capacity to build collaborative relationships
• • Strong writing and communication skills; including creative problem solving skills
• • Strong organizational and project management skills; ability to multitask
• • Warm, friendly, and professional attitude
• • Passionate about creating opportunities for low income people

Desired Experience and Skills

• • Knowledge of and experience with asset building and individual development accounts
• • Experience with Word Press website platform
• • Experience working with grantees in collaborative setting and managing contracts
• • Experience developing, managing, and providing technical assistance and training
• • Experience managing consultants

Full time employment with excellent benefits; salary based upon experience.

To apply, please send cover letter, resume, and three references to:
Kathy Turner at kturner@neighborhoodpartnerships.org; no calls please.
The position will be open until filled.

We know that Oregon is at a crossroads, and we continue to face difficult choices. The deepest recession in decades is lingering, impacting both families and state tax revenues. The choices we make today must be designed to spur our economic recovery and build the best possible future for the people and businesses of our state.

The Legislature has asked each State Agency and Department to prepare a list of proposed cuts to general fund dollars ranging from 3–14%. After the Legislative session in February which cut state budgets and basic safety net services, we are now cutting into bone and making choices that result in homelessness, hunger and other negative outcomes for our families. You can see the list of proposed cuts to Housing and Community Services here and the Department of Human Services here.

The unfortunate reality is that too many Oregonians are having to choose between paying for rent and paying for medicine and food. We know what works, and we need to make sure that we have systems in place to ensure that everyone has the basic necessities. The important and critical basic safety net services which DHS operates are designed to ensure that families can meet their basic needs. However, cuts made during the previous Legislative session have already stripped these programs bare and no longer give families pathways out of poverty. The further cuts outlined in the documents for public comment would make severe cuts to helping families meet their basic needs and would allow too many of our families and neighbors to fall into homelessness or worse.

At many pivotal moments in our state’s history we have chosen to build a brighter future for ourselves and our children. We did this not simply by asking what we can afford to do today but also asking what we must do to protect our future. Our state has tremendous resources at our disposal—hard working people, ingenuity and financial resources that can all be brought to bear in order to build a better quality of life for our state. The state budget decisions we make reflect our commitment to making that future a reality. Getting there may require more of our collective resources, but our future is worth it.

The Legislature will meet this week and hear a Revenue Forecast which will give us next steps. Will the Legislature implement these cuts? Or will they make different choices? We ask that the Legislature look to state agencies and departments which do not provide basic safety net services to make any additional cuts; look to revenue solutions; and look to tax-side expenditures including both deductions and tax credits.

Neighborhood Partnerships is pleased to release its 2010-2011 Annual Report. Each year, we release an Annual Report to quantify our work over the past year. You can also view previous Annual Reports. Each year, we build and manage strong partnerships that create change and advance progress in our community, and work to enhance the lives of Oregonians across the state through high profile collaborations, initiatives and programs. We work to ensure that Oregon remains the state we all value: a place that offers all of us a chance to thrive; a state where the ladder of opportunity is within reach; a place where race and class inequities are addressed and not overlooked; a place with adequately supported systems to move us forward together; and a place in which we build on our traditions of acting together for the common good.

As you know from reading this blog, there have been a lot of changes to safety net programs for Oregon families over the past several months due to state budget cuts. The Oregon State Legislature needs to know what the impact of the cuts were, and you now have an opportunity to help us tell the story!

In August, a workgroup was formed which is seeking to help the Legislature understand the impact of the budget cuts that were made during the 2011 Legislative session. The workgroup is mainly comprised of DHS staff, but also incorporate partners, including members of the TANF Alliance, such as Neighborhood Partnerships.

As part of the workgroup’s interest in understanding the impact of the budget cuts, we have created a survey. The survey is sponsored by the workgroup, the Family Services Review Commission, the Oregon Department of Human Services, among others.

We need your help! Please consider filling out this survey on changes to the TANF Program! Have the changes to the TANF program affected your agency or your agency’s ability to serve clients? We want to hear from you!

We’d like to hear from organizations or churches that serve people who also receive TANF, current or former TANF clients, family and friends of someone with TANF benefits, people who have applied for TANF, and DHS case workers or JOBS contractors.

Help us tell the Oregon legislature how changes to the TANF program are affecting families with children by filling out this survey: http://www.fsrcoregon.org/. The survey is available now until Wednesday, November 9th. Please fill it out today!

This survey is anonymous and participation will NOT affect anyone’s TANF benefits. You will not be asked to share your name.

Thank you for sharing your story. This information can help shape the future of TANF in Oregon. Interested in passing along the survey to others? Download a flyer here: http://bit.ly/v73dmf. Questions? Contact Alison at amcintosh@neighborhoodpartnerships.org or Jessica at TANFsurvey@gmail.com or 503.595.5501 x305.

For Immediate Release
October 3, 2011

For More Information, Contact:
Janet Byrd
503.516.4698

Cuts continue to impact Oregon families

Oregon’s Department of Human Services implemented additional cuts on October 1 as a result of the budget passed by the Legislature for 2011-2013 in June. These cuts impact hundreds of Oregonians, and are on top of cuts that took effect on July 1.

The Department of Human Services made additional cuts to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program on October 1. The TANF program supports families in times of crisis by providing safety net services such as small amounts of cash assistance, help finding employment and meeting basic needs.

“The 2011 Legislative session was a disaster for low income families in Central Oregon,” said Kenny LaPoint, Housing and Resident Services Director for Housing Works in Redmond. “The continuing recession and cuts to safety net services have left too many of our neighbors at risk of homelessness. These devastating cuts to essential services and supports will hit hardest and be hardest felt by those who are already most affected by the recession. “

On October 1, there will be additional cuts implemented as a result of the 2011-2013 budget. As a result of these cuts, there will be cuts to a program that helped provide supplemental assistance for families with disabilities. On October 1, there will also be changes to the eligibility process for TANF, which may make it more difficult for families in crisis to get the help they so desperately need.

“The Legislature can make different choices. We can have a strong safety net in Oregon to protect those among us who are struggling,” said Mike Fieldman, Executive Director of United Community Action Network in Roseburg. “The TANF program provided a safety net for families who were struggling to keep a roof over their head and their children fed. We need a state that will help protect families and children and give children an opportunity to succeed in school and life.”

These cuts come a few months after a series of other devastating cuts to these critical safety net services. On July 1, there were cuts to a program which helps families get back to work, including services such as job placement and training, child care assistance and transportation assistance. These services often were the only services available in communities to help families get the skills and assistance they needed to go back to work.

“Cuts to the safety net that we provide for families in Oregon have been devastating. We all have moments of needing assistance, and too many of our families are without personal safety nets to protect them during times of recession,” said Janet Byrd, Chair of the Housing Alliance. “We need the Legislature to prioritize providing basic needs to help families most affected by the recession, including restoring any available funding to the TANF program.”

The Housing Alliance is calling on the Legislature in February to consider the impact of their 2011-2013 budget, and the consequences for our families and neighbors.

For Immediate Release
September 28, 2011

For More Information, Contact:
Alison McIntosh
503.816.2882

Oregon passes a grim new milestone: more than 20,000 students were homeless last year

Homelessness among Oregon’s school children has increased again, according to the latest report by the Oregon Department of Education. Each year, school districts across Oregon count the number of children who experience homelessness at least once during the school year.  During the 2010-2011 school year, homelessness increased to 20,545 students enrolled in K-12, an increase of nearly 8% despite federal stimulus funds designed to prevent increases in homelessness during the recession. The State of Oregon can and must do more to protect those among us most affected by the economic downturn.

Too many families in our community can’t afford a safe, stable place to call home,” said Katey Townsend, Homeless Outreach Program Coordinator for the Lincoln County School District.  “We work hard to make sure that homeless children have the support and resources needed to stay in school; stable housing is a critical ingredient to our students’ wellbeing and success.”

Across Oregon, the number of homeless school children is now over 20,000.  In the Medford School district, more than one in ten students is homeless, and statewide an average of one student per classroom is homeless.  As the recession continues, more and more of our Oregon families find themselves homeless for the first time.

The Housing Alliance knows that the devastating cuts to essential services and supports are impacting our families and neighbors, and we know that these impacts hit hardest those who are already hurting.  “There are more homeless children in Oregon than ever before.  Without a safe place to call home, kids struggle to succeed in school,” said Martha McLennan, Executive Director of Northwest Housing Alternatives.  “We’re asking the Legislature to protect programs that support hard working families. The prolonged recession and the continuing shortage of affordable housing have left too many of our neighbors at risk of homelessness.”

“In Oregon, we believe everyone needs a place to call home.  While the Legislature accomplished many things before they adjourned in June, it’s important to recognize and understand that overall this past Legislative session was a disaster for low income Oregonians,” said Alison McIntosh of the Oregon Housing Alliance.  “We’re failing our children by letting them experience homelessness.  We all want kids to succeed in school and life – for their future and ours.  To succeed, they need a place to call home.”

Each year, school districts across Oregon and the United States track the number of students who experience homelessness.  Districts and homeless school liaisons work to ensure kids can stay in school and try to help students with transportation and other assistance like food and housing.

As the 2012 session approaches, the Housing Alliance is calling on the Legislature to consider the impacts of the 2011-13 budget and the possibility of allocating additional resources to help families most affected by the economic downturn.

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Neighborhood Partnerships is pleased to announce that applications are now available for the second round of our Advocates College, thanks to the commitment of our lead trainer, Patrick Bresette of Demos, and the generosity of our funders. The first Advocate’s College was a huge success, and has had immediate benefits for participants. We’ve written about the first round of the Advocate’s College on our blog here, here and here—read all about it! Round Two of the Advocate’s College will:

• First and foremost, our goal is to support established leaders and communications professionals who are working to create an Oregon which offers its diversity of residents opportunities to thrive, pathways out of poverty and disenfranchisement and adequately supported public systems and structures as shared tools for these goals.
• Second, we want to train and support an emerging cadre of leaders and communicators as they work on issues and in cross-issue coalitions to develop messages and materials that resonate and move an advocacy agenda. We will select participants who have a clear issue focus and advocacy or campaign plan, a commitment to strategic communications, and a recognition that building public support for governmental action and resources is an underlying priority. This session of the advocates’ college will prioritize individuals who are doing grass roots organizing or voter engagement.
• And third, we intend to improve communications across issue silos. We want to build our ability to advance a broadly shared view of what it takes to build a state and communities where opportunity is real, asset building is a priority and citizens are engaged in creating the future. We hope to support one another’s efforts to address critical needs, and together address the underlying resource and public will challenges that hamper all of our success.

Dates:
Sessions will be held in Portland from 10 am to 4 pm on four dates:

• Thursday October 27, 2011
• Thursday December 8, 2011
• Thursday January 12, 2012
• Thursday March 15, 2012

Patrick Bresette of Demos will be our lead trainer, assisted by Dr. Liana Winett of Portland State University and Janet Byrd of Neighborhood Partnerships.

Selection Criteria:
Download the full description of the Advocate’s College. The application is now available, and is due at Neighborhood Partnerships by September 9, 2011. Our application and pre-training questionnaire are designed to help us select the cohort most able to put these skills into use, and to tailor our sessions to support their progress.

Questions about the Advocate’s College, the application process or anything else? Email Alison or read more about it.

After more than twelve years in the Jeffrey Center, Neighborhood Partnerships is relocating to new offices on July 11, 2011 to the Board of Trade Building on Southwest Fourth Avenue between Southwest Stark and Oak Streets.  We will be setting up our telephone and computer systems (including email) during the week of July 11.  If you are trying to reach us during that period, we appreciate your patience!  We will do our utmost to respond as quickly as possible that week!

NP’s new address will be 310 Southwest Fourth Avenue, Suite 715; Portland OR 97204, effective July 11.  Until July 11, please use our current address of 1020 SW Taylor, Suite 680; Portland OR 97205.  Our phone and fax numbers, email and website addresses will remain the same.