The Housing Alliance

Housing Alliance Update
July 15 , 2011

The Housing Alliance Update & Announcements is an electronic newsletter to keep you up-to-date about everything the Housing Alliance is doing—and how you can get involved!

Housing Alliance Update, July 15, 2011

The Housing Alliance believes everyone needs a place to call home. Over the past legislative session, we have worked together to secure the resources we need to create strong communities across Oregon, and we’ve pulled together to protect those most affected by the economic recession.

The Housing Alliance and its many partners made significant progress during this legislative session, in spite of the state budget shortfall.

  • We secured Lottery Backed Bonds to preserve existing affordable housing. Unfortunately we were only able to secure $5 million. We will work in the February 2012 session to determine whether we can secure additional funds for this important effort. (HB 5037)
  • We extended the sunset for the Oregon Affordable Housing Tax Credit (OAHTC) until 2020, by demonstrating the incredible efficiency of this tax credit. (HB 2527)
  • We passed a bill which extended the sunset date until 2027 for a statute that allows local property tax exemptions for non-profit owned affordable housing. (HB 2354)
  • We protected funds for the Emergency Housing Account.
  • We increased protections for tenants living in foreclosed properties. (SB 491)
  • We passed protection for Community Land Trusts whose investments might be affected by foreclosure. (SB 519)

We also joined with other organizations to prevent the worst cuts to Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), and we worked to prevent hasty changes to the statutes governing the recordation of mortgage documents.

Together, we did amazing things. We participated in a Lobby Day that visited two-thirds of our State Representatives and Senators. We turned out for hearings and testified in front of Committees. We visited with Legislators, and we won some important victories. Most importantly, we made a difference for people across the state.

Even with these important gains and our huge successes, it’s important to recognize and understand that overall this Legislative session has been a disaster for low income Oregonians. The prolonged recession and the continuing shortage of affordable housing have left too many of our neighbors at risk of homelessness. Too many families are struggling to keep both a roof over their head and food on the table. Devastating cuts are coming in essential services and supports, and we know that the impacts of these choices will hit hardest and be hardest felt by those who are already hurting. While we made progress on many fronts, overall we have stepped backwards this session.

There will be significantly less emergency rent assistance available this year, as federal stimulus funds dry up while the recession continues. Many people will also be hurt by cuts to programs that provide support, such as Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF).

Housing advocates need to speak louder. We must all do everything we can to build up our voices, to work across issues, and to help legislators understand the impacts of their decisions on the men, women, and children in their districts who need the opportunity that stable housing provides in order to fully engage in the life of their community.

Please help us spread this message across Oregon. Join us as together we forge a plan to speak louder and do more to ensure everyone has a place to call home. Join us as we build a movement across Oregon that speaks out for our communities and our neighbors.

The Housing Alliance will soon start a listening tour of its members and others working to meet the needs of low income Oregonians. Over the next seven months, we will be looking to expand the voices of those concerned about the lack of safe, stable and affordable housing for all Oregonians. We will also continue our work to document the effects of the economic recession, and the effects of the 2011-2013 budget passed by the Legislature this session, on our neighbors. Interested in hearing more about the listening tour? Email Alison.

Help us as we strive to shift the conversation in our state from “we can’t” to “we must”. Join us as we talk about our neighbors and communities and our vision of what we want our communities to be, rather than about the budget and the deficit.

Want more information on the Housing Alliance?  Go to http://www.oregonhousingalliance.org.
For a full archive of Housing Alliance Weekly Updates, go to http://www.oregonhousingalliance.org/updates_archive.html

For information on the 2007 Legislative Session, click here.
For information on the 2005 Legislative Session, click here.
For information on the 2009 Legislative Session, click here.
For information on the 2010 Interim Session, click here.
For information on the 2011 Legislative Session, clich here.

Please email or call us with questions or ideas for how we can best keep you informed. Contact Alison McIntosh.