The Housing Alliance is in the process of setting its 2011 legislative priorities. While the budget picture for both the remainder of this biennium and next biennium is bleak, the continuing recession and high unemployment mean the need for affordable housing and other safety net services remains critical. In 2011, we’re considering the following priorities: […]
Housing
More Pictures from our Trip to D.C.
While in Washington, D.C. for the National Low Income Housing Coalition‘s (NLIHC) Annual Conference, The Oregon Housing Alliance won NLIHC’s first ever State & Local Organizing Award for our work in 2009, an honor we shared with Oregon’s Community Alliance of Tenants. [flickr]http://www.flickr.com/photos/neighborhoodpartnerships/4555442948/[/flickr] DeDe Carney, NLIHC Board Member, poses with Janet Byrd, Executive Director of […]
Rents Continue to Rise Despite High Unemployment
Higher prices in the rental market continue to force Oregon families to choose between paying rent, putting food on the table, and paying utility bills. A national study reports that the cost of renting an apartment in Oregon has increased again, an alarming trend for a state with unemployment at 10.6% and whose number of […]
Neighborhood Partnerships and the Oregon Housing Alliance visit Washington, D.C.
On April 10, 2010, Neighborhood Partnerships staff traveled to Washington, D.C. for the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s (NLIHC) Annual Conference. We were kept busy– we won an award, attended a meeting of other statewide coalitions, learned about changes to federal policies related to affordable housing, and met with our congressional delegation. First up – […]
Oregon Housing Alliance to be honored by National Low Income Housing Coalition!
The Housing Alliance and Neighborhood Partnerships are pleased to announce that we’ve been selected to receive the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s (NLIHC) first annual State and Local Organizing Award! We are sharing this honor with another Oregon organization, the Community Alliance of Tenants. We’ll be presented with this award at the NLIHC’s Annual Conference […]
February’s Whirlwind Legislative Session
The short February legislative session was a whirlwind of activity. Neighborhood Partnerships was active in the session in partnership with the Housing Alliance as well as in support of the issue priorities we identified with our partners in Oregon Thrives. The Housing Alliance members had a very short list of priorities going into the session, […]
Have A Heart Day
On Friday, February 12 constituents gathered in Salem for Oregon Thrives’ “Have a Heart Day” in honor of Oregon’s 151st birthday and Valentine’s Day. Oregon Thrivesis an emerging coalition of advocacy and service organizations in Oregon, and Neighborhood Partnerships is a founding member and participates in the steering committee. NP staff went to Salem to […]
National Housing Trust Fund legislation would bring $15 million to Oregon
Efforts are underway at the national level to fund the National Housing Trust Fund. The House of Representatives recently passed the “Jobs for Main Street Act” (HR 2847) which would provide $1 billion for the National Housing Trust Fund, as well as $65 million for project-based housing voucher programs. However, whether these funds will be […]
Challenges we must meet
I recently had the pleasure of hearing Professor Myron Orfield speak at Portland State University’s “What’s the Big Idea?” Lecture Series, co-sponsored by Coalition for a Livable Future. Professor Orfield teaches at the University of Minnesota and was a former Minnesota State Legislator. Professor Orfield titled his talk “Creating Successful Communities: Sharing the Benefits and […]
Collaboration: as good as chocolate?
I was struck by this opinion piece in today’s Oregonian by Larry Wallack, now Dean of the College of Urban and Public Affairs at Portland State University. I had the pleasure of working with Larry beginning in 2004 as a group of us worked to hone messages that would help us build affordable housing champions. […]