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We’ve been working for a while to try to re-train ourselves to communicate in ways that open up dialogue and conversation. So much of today’s political discourse is negative, focused on short term solutions, and wrapped up in telling a story that involves stark contrasts, heroes, and villains.

We would rather remind others and ourselves of the power we have when we try to be our best selves, together. We’re thrilled that our narrative seems to help us do that – create a receptive audience, so we can at least begin the conversations we need to have about our future as a state and a nation.

Perhaps because we have been working on our narrative, we’ve been sensitive to the use of narrative and Oregon stories by others. Two stand out to us: One by House Speaker Tina Kotek on the opening day of the Legislature, and one by Senator Chuck Thomsen about the “tuition equity” bill. Both tell a personal story, and remind us of our collective vision as Oregonians and as Americans. You can read Speaker Kotek’s speech here: Text of Speaker of the House Tina Kotek’s Speech to Joint Session and Senator Thomsen’s op-ed here: Why I support Tuition Equity for Oregon Students.

Next steps for our narrative project? We’ll be testing it a bit more, and then sharing what we learn with partners. Come to the Housing Alliance Lobby Day April 4th, or the Asset Builder’s Conference April 24th and 25th, and you’ll get the latest scoop on what we’ve learned.

In the meantime, here’s the latest version of our Oregon narrative.

“Oregon has a history of ingenuity, innovation and independence. Our state’s natural beauty, open spaces, and resources – from the rugged coastline to Steens Mountain, from lush farmland to high desert, from the mighty Columbia to the wild Rogue – have nurtured and inspired us for generations.

“We have the tools to create a better future, and to open doors for all Oregonians. We can harness our innovative spirit, our talent, and our energy. We can invest in people and create a better future for the next generation. We can ensure that every person, every family, and every community in Oregon can prosper.”
 

The slow economic recovery, high unemployment and continued wave of foreclosures in Oregon continues to make it more difficult for hard working Oregonians to find a safe, decent and affordable place to call home. In Oregon, we believe everyone needs a place to call home. As we work together to solve the current budget crisis, the Legislature needs to help make sure all Oregonians can meet their basic needs including a place to call home.

According to the report released today by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), the average rent and the income required to afford those rents continue to rise despite high unemployment and foreclosures. The study shows that the average two-bedroom rent in Oregon is $832, which would require a $16 hourly wage to afford. As rents continue to increase, more and more Oregon families find themselves experiencing homelessness for the first time.

This legislative session, the legislature will hear about several ways we can help prevent or end homelessness for Oregon families. The Emergency Housing Account (EHA) and the State Homeless Assistance Program (SHAP) provide short term help to stabilize individuals and families and prevent them from becoming homeless. EHA and SHAP also help people who are homeless or fleeing domestic violence to quickly enter safe, stable housing. However, EHA and SHAP have experienced severe cuts over the past few years, even as the need has skyrocketed.

Proposals this session will request an increase in General Fund dollars to restore the Emergency Housing Account (EHA) and State Homeless Assistance Program (SHAP) to their 2007 biennium levels, plus inflation. This requires adding back $3 Million to EHA and $1 Million to SHAP for a total of $7.5 Million (EHA) and $3.6 Million (SHAP).

Every year it is becoming more difficult for hard working Oregonians to find decent homes they can afford. This year, someone making minimum wage in Columbia County would have to work nearly twelve hours a day, seven days a week just to be able to afford a place to call home.

The report, Out of Reach 2013, was jointly released by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), a Washington, DC-based housing advocacy group, and Oregon’s Housing Alliance. The report provides data for every state, metropolitan area and county in the country. The report also defines a “Housing Wage”, which for Oregon is $16.00, or nearly double Oregon’s minimum wage. The Housing Wage is the hourly wage a family must earn—working 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year—to be able to afford rent and utilities in the private housing market. The average fair market rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Oregon is $832 —a number that has increased 37% since 2000.

This year, Oregon is the twenty-fifth most expensive state in the nation for renters. The National Housing Wage is $18.79.

For additional information, visit nlihc.org/oor/2013.

Today, too many Oregonians are forced to make choices between paying rent and putting food on the table. Nearly one in four residents is considered asset poor, meaning they don’t have enough savings or assets to survive a loss of income for three months.

Oregon can do better. There are specific and effective strategies to create opportunity for all of our residents.  We have the tools to create a better future, and to open doors for all Oregonians.  We can harness our innovative spirit, our talent, and our energy.  We can invest in people and create a better future for the next generation. We can ensure that every person, every family, every community in Oregon can prosper.

Two things the State Legislature can and should do in 2013 to create pathways to opportunity for all Oregonians are:
(1)    To help low-wage workers afford food and other necessities, the Legislature should extend the Oregon state Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC, which is set to expire at the end of 2013, and increase the value of the credit to 18% of the federal credit.
(2)    To avoid discouraging saving for retirement, Oregon should allow modest retirement savings for applicants to the Oregon IDA Initiative.

Oregon also received a “D” as it relates to Homeownership. Homeownership is a key way families build assets and provide stability over time.  We have a low rate of homeownership, as well as unaffordable homes and high housing cost burden for both renters and homeowners, meaning residents spend too much of their income towards housing.

We can do better though, and we can protect and promote opportunity through affordable housing and homeownership.   To increase homeownership rates, lower the housing cost burden and prevent foreclosures, Oregon should continue to invest in its IDA programs and other proven strategies to support first-time homebuyers. The Legislature should also act to strengthen foreclosure protection and prevention laws ensuring pre-foreclosure mediation by a neutral third party.

Read the media advisory about the release here, or check out the Assets & Opportunity Scorecard for Oregon here.

We wrapped up a successful year in 2012 by reaching our $10 million goal, thanks to the Oregon IDA 75% Tax Credit. We are grateful to the many individual and businesses across Oregon who contributed so generously and helped us hit this milestone.

These contributions will go to work across the state to create opportunities for at least ,1400 more Oregonians with low incomes who are eligible to enroll and start saving with an IDA. The Oregon IDA Initiative is a proven approach which provides access to financial education and matching funds to achieve dreams of owning a home, starting a micro-enterprise, or continuing education for the over 2,500 Oregonians currently enrolled. For more information on the Oregon IDA Initiative, including information on how to donate and how to apply for an Oregon IDA, visit our website.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for news of the 2013 Oregon Asset Builder’s Conference on April 23-25 in Salem. The 2013 Conference will bring us together to be energized, inspired, and even better equipped to move forward. We are currently working with our partners to plan, and we’re seeking ideas for break-out sessions. We’d love to hear your proposal! Ideas are due on February 8. You’ll see more information about the Conference and registration instructions soon.

In the 2013 Legislature, were also working together to make a small change in the statutes governing the Initiative that will allow us to better serve Oregon households with low incomes. Right now, State law exempts $20,000 plus a potential IDA participant’s first home and one vehicle from the net worth calculation when determining eligibility, but includes all retirement savings, even at very modest levels. These current limits on assets mean that many of our Initiative Partners have had to turn away otherwise eligible participants because of their modest retirement savings.

We are proposing that the first $60,000 of the applicant’s retirement savings also be exempted from the calculation of net worth. We’ll be working together to pass HB 2316. This proposed technical adjustment to the original legislation removes a barrier to building the very habits the Initiative is designed to foster. We need to empower Oregonians to build pathways to overall financial wellness throughout their lives – including successful, planned retirements. We need to reinforce the value of saving for the future. Please join with us in supporting this change.

For more information or with questions about our proposal, contact Janet.

Our work is driven by a vision of an Oregon whose beauty and riches combine to offer opportunity and a bright future to all who live here. As we know, that isn’t the case in Oregon today.

Please, join us as we work in 2013 to make a difference in Oregon communities. Your donation of any amount — $25, $100, $250, or more — to Neighborhood Partnerships will help us move our work forward and will mean real, lasting results for Oregonians.

Our work – shepherding resources, policy development, advocacy, communication — has a lasting impact on Oregon.
o We work with partners to energize the Housing Alliance;
o We have continued to mobilize resources to build the financial resilience of Oregonians with low incomes through the Oregon Individual Development Account Initiative.
o Our expertise in strategic communications has deepened, and we help our partners hone their skills at cultivating messages.

Your contribution to Neighborhood Partnerships – in any amount — matters, and will make a difference. We cannot do this work without your help.

You may also want to consider a contribution directly to the Oregon IDA Initiative, which qualifies for a 75% Oregon State tax credit. You can learn more about the Oregon IDA Initiative at www.oregonidainitiative.org.

The Scorecard will not only give Oregon a grade about how we’re doing to help our residents access and build financial resiliency, it will also paint a picture of how Oregonians are doing financially. It will measure job quality and incomes, access to education and homeownership, and will measure both income poverty (how much people earn) and asset poverty (how much people are able to save).

One of the most effective ways to help people move out of poverty is the Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC. The EITC is for working families, and helps them make ends meet by providing a refund at tax time. Many families use the refund to pay rent, repair a car, pay down debt, or start saving. In Oregon, we have a state EITC that’s due to sunset in 2013, unless the Legislature chooses to renew it. Neighborhood Partnerships and the Housing Alliance are supporting efforts to extend this tax credit and help make sure working families across Oregon have a pathway out of poverty for themselves and their children.

Neighborhood Partnerships has also been working with advocates across the state to discuss how we can better build household financial resilience in Oregon. We met in late October, and are planning to meet again in February, after the release of the CFED Scorecard. If you’re interested in joining us to discuss rebuilding pathways to the middle class for all Oregonians, please email Alison.

Conducted by the Portland State University’s Regional Research Institute, the evaluation report includes data on IDA accounts opened between January 2008 and December 2011, including data on over 1,100 graduates. The report again indicates positive, long term changes to financial habits of IDA Participants, plus demonstrates the benefits of assets such as a home, an education, or a small business.

Highlights include:

• Participants reported major changes in financial behaviors and confidence as a result of the education and encouragement they received. Most notably, there were large increases in the percentage that used a budget to monitor spending, regularly made deposits to a savings account, and had an emergency fund.

• Many participants reported maintaining important financial practices even 12 months after they completed their IDA experience. For example: 55% were still using a budget in contrast to only 30% who said they used a budget prior to opening their IDA account, and 52% still had an emergency fund to tide them over during difficult times.

• Beyond the immediate results of newly acquired assets for individual participants, the goals of the Oregon IDA Initiative are to build financial resilience that impacts family and community over the long term. Many participants indicated longer term benefits of their participation in the Oregon IDA Initiative, and some noted how their participation has had ripple effects – benefiting their children, other family members, their friends, co-workers, and community.

• IDA participants who were not able to complete their savings goals often cited aspects of the program they found helpful, such as learning to budget.

The Oregon IDA Initiative is a proven approach which provides access to financial education and matching funds to help Oregonians achieve their dream of owning a home, starting a small business, or continuing their education. This successful collaborative effort provides the skills and funds to help rebuild Oregon’s middle class, and, in the process, rebuild Oregon. Building financial stability and resilience is a first step.

The full evaluation report can be viewed here. Also  here more about the evaluation report in this story, including an interview with a program graduate.

• Re-build the financial strength of Oregon’s communities from the ground up,
• Increase access to the tools and strategies that will work to help Oregonians build pathways to the middle class, and
• Use tested public policy tools to help us move forward?

Please join us for a roundtable discussion on Monday October 29th, 1:00 p.m. in Salem. We’ll be looking at materials developed at the national level to inform state and local policy discussions, and we will be hearing updates from folks in Oregon who are doing this important work.

Monday, October 29
1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
YWCA
1255 Broadway Street NE Suite 110
Salem, OR 97301

We know there will be exciting work going forward in Oregon in the next legislative session, around the Earned Income Tax Credit, foreclosure counseling, and other issues. Join us to learn what others are doing and share your work.

Please let Alison McIntosh know if you have a policy initiative you’d like to talk about at the Roundtable. And, please RSVP to Haley Cloyd to let us know you’ll be joining us.

Questions? Call Janet Byrd at 503-226-3001 ext. 103 or Alison McIntosh at 503-226-3001 ext. 107.