Ensuring all Oregonians have the opportunity that a stable home provides

2014 Housing Opportunity Agenda

Member Organizations 211 Info AFSCME Local #3135 Alliance for Family & Housing Success Bienestar CASA of Oregon Central City Concern City of Corvallis City of Eugene City of Gresham City of Portland City of Tigard Clackamas County Clackamas Housing Action Network Coalition for a Livable Future Community Action Partnership of Oregon Community Action Team, Inc. Community Alliance of Tenants Community Housing Fund Community Partners for Affordable Housing Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon Enterprise Community Partners Fair Housing Council of Oregon Farmworker Housing Development Corp. Habitat for Humanity of Oregon Hacienda CDC Housing Advocacy Group of Washington Co. Housing Development Center Human Solutions Impact Northwest JOIN Lane County Legal Aid and Advocacy Center League of Women Voters of Oregon Lincoln County Metro NAYA Family Center Neighborhood Economic Development Corp. Neighborhood Partnerships NeighborWorks Umpqua Network for Oregon Affordable Housing Northwest Housing Alternatives Northwest Pilot Project Oregon Action Oregon Food Bank Oregon Housing Authorities Oregon Opportunity Network Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon Portland Community Reinvestment Initiatives, Inc. Proud Ground Raphael House REACH CDC Rose CDC St. Vincent DePaul of Lane County Shelter Care Sisters Of The Road Street Roots Transition Projects Washington County Willamette Neighborhood Housing Services

The Housing Alliance knows that we all have a stake in addressing the problems our communities and neighbors are facing. In Oregon, we believe in protecting those who continue to feel the effects of the recession and struggle to find pathways out of poverty. Housing gives people an opportunity to build better lives, and our communities are better and stronger when we and our neighbors can afford to pay rent and still have money left over for food or medicine. Were asking the Legislature to take action in 2014 to ensure housing opportunity. The Housing Alliance will lead the following efforts:

Prevent homelessness through restoring the Emergency Housing Account and State Homeless Assistance ProgramThis is our most flexible resource to end and prevent homelessness. This resource has seen several cuts in recent years, while the need is growing at an alarming pace. The Emergency Housing Account (or EHA) and State Homeless Assistance Program (or SHAP) help keep at risk families in their homes, and help homeless families get off the streets and stabilized. We are requesting an additional $1.5 million to EHA and $0.5 million to SHAP for the remainder of the 2014 biennium. This would return funding levels to the 2007 level, plus inflation. (Lead) Foreclosure and housing market recovery. In 2012 and 2013, Oregon enacted historic foreclosure reform with SB 1552 and SB 558. We need to continue to work to restore Oregons housing market through implementation of SB 1552 and other strategies. The Legislature should dedicate an additional $800,000 towards the implementation of the law. These additional resources will maintain the critical system homeowners rely on for essential information, counseling, legal support, mediation services and direct financial relief. (Lead) Support opportunities for residents to purchase manufactured home parks. Manufactured home parks are one of the largest sources of privately owned affordable housing in Oregon. These communities are home to seniors and people with disabilities living on fixed incomes, and families who are just starting out. They provide a stable and affordable place to call home for our neighbors. Legislation proposed in 2013 (HB 3007) that did not advance resulted in a workgroup with representatives from park owners and resident advocates led by Representatives Whisnant and Nathanson. The resulting compromise proposal represents significant and meaningful concessions by park owners and residents. It includes positive changes to current law for both sides. The goal is to allow residents to compete to buy their parks from willing landlord/owner sellers, but with a process which is comparable to the practices of the private market. (HB 4038) Preserve Existing Affordable HousingAcross the state, thousands of people with very low incomes live in homes with federal rent subsidies and in manufactured home parks. Many of these homes are at risk of conversion to market rate, including some housing built and owned by non-profit partners statewide. We cannot afford to lose this precious resource or displace our vulnerable neighbors. We need an additional $5 million in Lottery Backed Bonds to fill financing gaps and preserve these affordable homes. (Lead)

Contact us:
Public Affairs Counsel Mark Nelson, Justen Rainey PO Box 12945 Salem, OR 97309 (503) 363-7084 www.oregonhousingalliance.org

Housing Alliance c/o Neighborhood Partnerships 310 SW Fourth Avenue, Suite 715 Portland, OR 97204 503-226-3001 x103

The Housing Alliance will support the following items:

Complete the investment in 211 Info. Protect all Oregonians by ensuring everyone has access to the information they need, when they need it. The Legislature should act and invest $1.1 million in 211 Info. This critical funding will ensure 211 Info continues to provide information and referral services in all 36 Oregon counties, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. (Support)

Provide clarity and certainty for affordable housing providers by passing HB 4039. We need to maintain the tools and strategies that work to make housing accessible to all Oregonians. One such tool is to allow local assessors to exempt affordable housing properties from paying property taxes through the general charitable exemption, ORS 307.130. This lowers costs and makes housing accessible to more community members with low incomes. In recent months, non-profit housing providers who have been deemed previously eligible for a property tax exemption have begun receiving property tax bills. Any property tax bill will likely result in rent increases for residents on fixed incomes. HB 4039 will simply grandfather in any property that had received the exemption as of July 1, 2012. (HB 4039)(Support)

Questions? Contact Janet Byrd at jbyrd@neighborhoodpartnerships.org

Agenda as of February 2, 2014