2005 Legislative Session Review
Alliance Prevails on OAHTC, EITC Legislation!
Victories Increase Opportunity, Provide Relief
CONGRATULATIONS on a successful first session
as a housing advocacy coalition!
The session ended with two of our four priority bills having passed (see below for detail). This is indeed something to be proud of. We also worked hard through the session to build relationships and educate our legislators, in the hope of developing more passionate supporters and champions in both houses and on both sides of the aisle.
And, most importantly, we developed and solidified relationships among us as partners in a new model of collaborating for legislative action. We worked well together, discussed difficult issues in a respectful way, and shared the burden of keeping the coalition going. Here's a special thank you to all of you who showed up, wrote letters, delivered testimony, provided background info, and all of the many other essential tasks.
SUCCESSES IN THE 2005 LEGISLATIVE SESSION:
Passed Senate Bill 996, Oregon Affordable Housing Tax Credit
(Vote: Senate 28 to 2, House 58 to 0)
The bill has been signed, and credits are being used. This bill expands the cap on credit sales to $11 million and extends the sunset to 2020 on a program that directly reduces rents to low income renters by offering a tax credit to banks.
Senate Bill 31
This Bill, passed in the last hours of the legislative session, includes parts of HB 2046, the Earned Income Tax Credit Expansion. This bill is a joint effort with hunger and children’s allies to put money in the pockets of low income Oregonians. It is still awaiting the Governor's signature.
HIGHLIGHTS of the SESSION INCLUDE:
Legislative Caucus, October 18, 2004
This event brought together representatives of each of the then 27 member organizations and allowed opportunity for frank and spirited discussion of strategy and goals. Most notable about the day was the commitment of partners to remain engaged in spite of disagreements and to achieve a consensus position on critical issues.
Lobby Day, February 1, 2005
More than 100 participants came for Lobby Day, from across the state. This allowed us to schedule constituent visits with two thirds (60) of the legislators, including leaders from both parties in both chambers. We began the day with a briefing and advocacy training, and at noon held a press conference on the steps of the capital. Both the briefing and the press conference drew heavily on messages tested by opinion polls. We got radio, newspaper and TV coverage of the event.
Web site launched, February 1, 2005
Senate Revenue Committee Hearing, Portland, March 4, 2005
We were offered the opportunity to make the case for affordable housing, and presented more than two hours of well planned testimony that provided an overview of the issues, compelling arguments, and passionate stories. We presented a skit on affordable housing development which dramatized the complexity of funding affordable housing.
House Speaker Tour of Affordable Housing, April 1, 2005
Republican House Speaker Karen Minnis toured affordable housing developments in her district with Housing Alliance representatives for two and a half hours on a Friday afternoon. This was an unprecedented opportunity for direct contact and persuasion, which has reaped benefits throughout the legislative session with her support of parts of our agenda.
Press conference with Children First of Oregon connecting housing affordability to hunger is an example of the alliances that have been strengthened this session through the Housing Alliance
Numerous legislative hearings in both houses have provided a chance to tell our story and use our messages, and to mobilize along with our allies to paint a picture of how housing issues intersect with hunger, health, human services and education.
Again, CONGRATULATIONS! And here's to gearing up for more next session!
For more 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 Amy Fauver (afauver@tnpf.org) or Michael Anderson (mike@cdnportland.org)
Alliance Prevails on OAHTC, EITC Legislation!
Victories Increase Opportunity, Provide Relief
CONGRATULATIONS on a successful first session
as a housing advocacy coalition!
The session ended with two of our four priority bills having passed (see below for detail). This is indeed something to be proud of. We also worked hard through the session to build relationships and educate our legislators, in the hope of developing more passionate supporters and champions in both houses and on both sides of the aisle.
And, most importantly, we developed and solidified relationships among us as partners in a new model of collaborating for legislative action. We worked well together, discussed difficult issues in a respectful way, and shared the burden of keeping the coalition going. Here's a special thank you to all of you who showed up, wrote letters, delivered testimony, provided background info, and all of the many other essential tasks.
SUCCESSES IN THE 2005 LEGISLATIVE SESSION:
Passed Senate Bill 996, Oregon Affordable Housing Tax Credit
(Vote: Senate 28 to 2, House 58 to 0)
The bill has been signed, and credits are being used. This bill expands the cap on credit sales to $11 million and extends the sunset to 2020 on a program that directly reduces rents to low income renters by offering a tax credit to banks.
Senate Bill 31
This Bill, passed in the last hours of the legislative session, includes parts of HB 2046, the Earned Income Tax Credit Expansion. This bill is a joint effort with hunger and children’s allies to put money in the pockets of low income Oregonians. It is still awaiting the Governor's signature.
HIGHLIGHTS of the SESSION INCLUDE:
Legislative Caucus, October 18, 2004
This event brought together representatives of each of the then 27 member organizations and allowed opportunity for frank and spirited discussion of strategy and goals. Most notable about the day was the commitment of partners to remain engaged in spite of disagreements and to achieve a consensus position on critical issues.
Lobby Day, February 1, 2005
More than 100 participants came for Lobby Day, from across the state. This allowed us to schedule constituent visits with two thirds (60) of the legislators, including leaders from both parties in both chambers. We began the day with a briefing and advocacy training, and at noon held a press conference on the steps of the capital. Both the briefing and the press conference drew heavily on messages tested by opinion polls. We got radio, newspaper and TV coverage of the event.
Web site launched, February 1, 2005
Senate Revenue Committee Hearing, Portland, March 4, 2005
We were offered the opportunity to make the case for affordable housing, and presented more than two hours of well planned testimony that provided an overview of the issues, compelling arguments, and passionate stories. We presented a skit on affordable housing development which dramatized the complexity of funding affordable housing.
House Speaker Tour of Affordable Housing, April 1, 2005
Republican House Speaker Karen Minnis toured affordable housing developments in her district with Housing Alliance representatives for two and a half hours on a Friday afternoon. This was an unprecedented opportunity for direct contact and persuasion, which has reaped benefits throughout the legislative session with her support of parts of our agenda.
Press conference with Children First of Oregon connecting housing affordability to hunger is an example of the alliances that have been strengthened this session through the Housing Alliance
Numerous legislative hearings in both houses have provided a chance to tell our story and use our messages, and to mobilize along with our allies to paint a picture of how housing issues intersect with hunger, health, human services and education.
Again, CONGRATULATIONS! And here's to gearing up for more next session!
For more 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 Amy Fauver (afauver@tnpf.org) or Michael Anderson (mike@cdnportland.org)
