Previous Trainings

Recent trainings by Neighborhood Partnerships and its partners include:

NOVEMBER 20: Developing and Owning Supportive Housing

According to recent studies, Oregon has one of the highest rates of homelessness in the United States. Oregon communities, both large and small, are grappling with strategies to address this crisis. Supportive Housing is one promising strategy. Combining affordable housing with a range of supportive services helps people with special needs live stable and independent lives.

Oregon Opportunity Network was proud to coordinate a day long workshop on Developing and Owning Supportive Housing. The workshop provided an overview of the public policy, project development, operations, and inter-organizational relationships needed for developing successful supportive housing. Case studies of supportive housing projects developed by Oregon nonprofits were featured.

Trainers from the Corporation for Supportive Housing, Oregon Opportunity Network, Housing Development Center, and Neighborhood Partnerships presented on local and national efforts and experiences. This training was geared towards organizations considering supportive housing development, and towards community leaders engaged in local efforts to end homelessness considering permanent supportive housing as part of the solution.

TRAINING MATERIALS:

Section One
Section Two
Section Three
Section Four
Section Five
Section Six

OCTOBER 29 & 30, 2009: Building Capacity for Preserving Federally Assisted Housing in Rural Areas

This workshop was designed principally for project development and asset management staffs of community development corporations and other community based organizations. It explored the complex regulatory and development issues related to preserving federally assisted housing that is at risk due to expiring use agreements. It included presentations by HUD, RD and OHCS staffs as well as nonprofit and private developers with experience in preservation projects.

TOPICS INCLUDED:

  • Federal Regulations (HUD and RD) related to purchase and transfer of federally assisted properties by nonprofit purchasers
  • Section 8 and RD Rental Assistance rent setting and renewal processes
  • Capital Needs Assessment requirements and preservation rehab needs and processes
  • Energy Efficiency measures in older assisted housing
  • Bridge acquisition funding through the Oregon Housing Acquisition Project.
  • Permanent Financing strategies- Including viability of bonds and tax credits in today’s economic climate, HOME, federal loans or loan guarantees, funding opportunities under ‘Economic Stimulus’ legislation.

OUTCOMES:

  • Applicable preservation regulations and development process requirements.
  • Coordinating approval processes involving state, federal and private agencies.
  • Interim and permanent project financing strategies.
  • Methods of ‘greening’ older assisted housing.
  • Protecting and involving tenants in the preservation process.

TRAINING MATERIALS AND RESOURCES:

Training Curriculum
Additional Resources
All Federally Assisted Housing in Oregon

MARCH 12, 2009: Board and Staff Roles in Financial Management*

This workshop was designed for Board members, Executive Directors, and Financial Managers of community development corporations.  It looked at State of Oregon and IRS expectations of Board oversight and the systems, information, and skills Board members need to fulfill those expectations and provide effective leadership for their CDC. The training also examined key staff functions and the ways CDCs assign responsibility for monitoring financial performance and achieving financial outcomes.

TOPICS:

  • IRS and State of Oregon expectations of CDC board members
  • Financial information boards need for effective oversight and decision-making
  • How to evaluate the financial health of your CDC
  • Executive director, fiscal manager, housing developer, and asset manager roles in financial management
  • Financial management challenges in LIHTC projects, single asset entities, and home ownership programs

OUTCOMES

  • How to use GAAP basis financial statements to understand the condition of their CDC.
  • Supplemental reports needed to satisfy grant funders and lenders.
  • Board legal roles and responsibilities in relation to financial oversight.
  • Key indicators of financial health.
  • CDC responsibilities as General Partners in LIHTC projects and sponsors of Single Asset Entity development efforts.
  • Key tools and skills needed for effective financial management of CDCs.

TRAINERS:

Leon Laptook, Community Development Law Center
Kay Sohl, Kay Sohl Consulting

TRAINING MATERIALS:

Training Materials
Training Resources

*This training was also administered on November 13, 2008 in Medford and January 16, 2009 in Portland.

FEBRUARY 26, 2009: Making Good Asset Management Decisions

This training explored how CHDOs use and manage information to respond to external reporting requirements and how to make internal management decisions about their portfolios.  We evaluated organizations’ current strategies for meeting reporting requirements, overseeing portfolio performance, and providing information to the Board of Directors.  Participants outlined strategies for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of their information management systems through an analysis of the various technological systems required to meet their complex financial and compliance needs.  In addition, we included materials from vendors from property management and accounting software systems.

The training was targeted toward Executive Directors, Asset Managers, and Finance Directors of organizations with small to mid-size housing portfolios.  Following the training there werew technical assistance opportunities for CHDOs that have attended the training.  Up to 82 hours of technical assistance was available from HDC and TACS.

TRAINING TOPICS:

  • Assessment of types of asset management information, types of decision making, and reporting requirements from funders
  • Application of an “information systems map” for organizations to clarify roles and improve communications and information management within organizations
  • Develop an outline of strategies for organizations to streamline various information management systems or to prepare for developing a new system

OUTCOMES:

Participants obtained increased knowledge and skills to apply to their organization’s asset management activities as determined by a post-session evaluation.

TRAINERS:

Molly Rogers, The Housing Development Center
Margaret Mahoney, Technical Assistance for Community Services

TRAINING MATERIALS:

Training Power Point

Training Curriculum  [Part 1]
Training Curriculum [Part 2]
Training Curriculum [Part 3]

OCTOBER28-29, 2008: Affordable Housing Financial Management: The Intersection Between Accounting, Development and Asset Management
Kay Sohl, Kay Sohl Consulting
Molly Rogers, Housing Development Corp.

How can you be sure you are meeting federal standards for financial management and internal controls?  This two-day training focused on the intersection between the key elements for sound external and internal financial management of affordable housing organizations.

Ensuring the compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) has to be the most critical financial management issue for any nonprofit housing organization.  In many housing organizations, the Chief Financial Officer is responsible for producing income and expense statements, balance sheets, and budget to actual variance reports in GAAP.  However, as a housing organization’s portfolio grows and ages, so must its internal systems to track important asset management indicators related to property performance.  Cash flow from projects is generally the most essential revenue stream coming into the organization.  Generally the Asset or Property Managers assess property-level financial performance through proforma model analysis, usually set up by the housing developer.

These three positions intersect at many crossroads and need to learn each other’s language to best provide accurate and timely information to respond to an organization’s external and internal financial management needs.  For ongoing operations, clarity of roles between CFO and Asset Management is a common issue among non-profit housing owners where responsibility for financial oversight falls under both positions.

This financial information is critical for staff and Boards of Directors to make important policy decisions for the growth of their organization.  Examples of these policy and long-term strategic issues include: long-term financial planning, annual budget planning, project debt restructuring, software conversion, capital purchases, and changes to internal controls and procedures.

Topics from this workshop included:

  • Role clarification in financial management for external and internal controls
  • How to speak the language of GAAP and the language of Proforma
  • Introduction to property management accounting, reading and understanding financial reports
  • Accrual versus cash accounting
  • Understanding audited financials and proformas
  • Performance ratios for property management
  • Projecting financial viability through financial statements
  • Information systems: when to use an integrated system and when to keep accounting and property management financials separate

The training was targeted toward Executive Directors, Asset Managers, and Finance Directors of organizations with varying sized portfolios.

Training Materials

More Previous Trainings