The Housing Alliance

Housing Alliance Update
January 22, 2009

The Housing Alliance Update & Announcements is a bi-weekly electronic newsletter to keep you up-to-date about everything the Housing Alliance is doing to win in 2009 — and how you can get involved!

The Oregon Legislature convened on January 12, and our work has begun to create a dedicated revenue source to fund affordable housing!

This email will update you on recent news and events that affect our work. It also includes information about upcoming Housing Alliance events, and actions you can take to help move our 2009-2011 agenda forward.

SAVE THE DATE
Lobby Day
Meet with your legislators to help gather support for our agenda and our bill. Mark your calendars!

Date: March 13
Time: More information coming soon!

2009-2011 AGENDA
We need $100 Million for housing to proactively meet housing needs in Oregon communities, from homelessness to homeownership. Given the current revenue situation, detailed below, we know that the state is unlikely to make that commitment. Moving forward, we need to address critical needs in our communities in spite of the revenue crisis.

2009 SESSION BUDGET ISSUES
The revenue forecasts look dire, with unemployment rising and incomes falling. Reduced incomes will mean reduced income taxes. Current projections estimate the 2007-2009 budget shortfall at $450-750 million, with a greater shortfall possible. The 2009-2011 budget projections now estimate a shortfall of $2-3 billion. The next official forecast update, to be released February 26, is not expected to be any more optimistic.

The session is therefore beginning with a rebalance of the 2007-2009 budget, including cuts to Housing and Community Services (HCS). The 2009-2011 budget will also cut expenses and the HCS budget. We can also expect efforts to raise revenues from new taxes and fees, in addition to the document recording fee.

OUR PROSPECTS
Even in the face of a tough budget, the Document Recording Fee proposal does have legislative support. Lottery backed bonds may also be a possibility, especially for uses that can demonstrate impact on job creation. However, General Fund revenues will be almost impossible to secure.

PROPOSED SOURCE OF FUNDS
We updated our Proposed Sources of Funds to account for the changed expectations and prospects. Our current proposal is:

Increase the Document Recording Fee
A modest increase to the existing state fee of $15 per document will create an ongoing dedicated source of revenue.
            Estimated $19.6 million in 2009-2011
Devote Lottery Proceeds to fund housing programs that support a vital economy-preserve existing subsidized rental housing and manufactured home parks.
           $ 19.4 million is needed in 2009-2011
Allocate General Fund to meet critical community needs
Prevent Homelessness, Hunger, Foreclosure, and preserve stable communities.   Allocate funds strategically to maximize impact of any federal investments.
Increase the Cap on the Oregon Affordable Housing Tax Credit
-SB 199-this will have little to no fiscal impact in 2009-2011, but will allow planning for future development.

Take a look at our 2009 Housing Agenda.

MOVING FORWARD ON THE DOCUMENT RECORDING FEE-HOUSE BILL 2436

We are now working to move the Document Recording Fee bill as quickly as possible, before the session becomes partisan. The bill will be introduced this week as House Bill 2436.

Our bill language is essentially identical to last session:

70% to support multi-family development (includes manufactured home park resident purchase)
14% homeownership
10% to end or prevent homelessness through the Emergency Housing Account
6% strategic investments in partner capacity

Support for our bill currently includes:

The Oregon Association of Realtors, the Oregon Bankers Association, and the Oregon Homebuilders Association who are co-requesting the document recording fee and supporting our agenda
The endorsement campaign is underway. See details below about how you can support the endorsement effort.
Lobby Day is scheduled for March 13! See below for further information about how to get involved.

The Governor's Budget
The governor's budget currently contains two new revenues for HCS: $16.3 million for preservation and $3.1 million for manufactured home park purchase by residents. However, it will also cut HCS staff and programs, including elimination of 12 staff positions and cuts in homeownership and homelessness funds.

The Federal Recovery Package
Creation of the Federal Recovery Package is underway. The most recent proposed legislation includes several potential funding sources that could help fill urgent budget shortfalls and support efforts to meet priority housing needs. However, support is needed to increase funding for housing in the legislation. If not addressed in the stimulus package, our communities will need housing development dollars, homelessness prevention funds, food and nutrition support, and community poverty solutions funds.

In the House, the proposed legislation includes $16 billion for affordable housing-less than 2% of the $825 billion being proposed.

In the Senate, the proposed legislation includes even less. The National Low Income Housing Coalition is calling on supporters to contact our senators and ask them to work to include:

$10 billion over two years for the National Housing Trust Fund
$3.6 billion for 400,000 housing choice vouchers over 2 years
$2 billion for the homelessness prevention component of the Emergency Shelter Grant Program

You can use this toll free number, 877-210-5351, for the congressional switchboard and ask to be connected to the housing staffers for your representatives' offices. You can also go to http://tinyurl.com/bgrha7 to find the direct numbers to those offices. For more details visit www.nlihc.org and read the most recent Memo to Members.

WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW

Contact Your State Legislators in Salem

Visit if you're in Salem
E-mail your support
Attend district meetings
You can go to http://www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr to remind yourself which legislators represent you, then look up their contact information at:
Senators: http://www.leg.state.or.us/senate
Representatives: http://www.leg.state.or.us/house

Support the Endorsement Campaign
Ask for their support of the Document Recording Fee! And please let us know of their support! Think about who you can recruit as an endorser! Endorsement Forms are available on our website. You'll also be contacted soon with more information.

Plan to be with us in Salem on Lobby Day
Mark your calendars!
On Friday, March 13, we'll be holding events all day. Meet with your legislators help gather support for our agenda and our bill.
More information coming soon...

Contact Your Federal Legislators
Let your legislators know that you support funding for housing in the Federal Recovery Program. Information on the proposed legislation and contact information is listed above.

For more information about joining the Housing Alliance please visit our website at http://www.oregonhousingalliance.org/joinus.html.

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.

Please email or call us with questions or ideas for how we can best keep you informed. Contact Janet Byrd or Michael Anderson.