November 16, 2006
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 get ready to win in 2007 - and how you can get involved!
1. Messaging trainings in Portland, Eugene and Bend.
The Housing Alliance is please to announce three important training opportunities coming this fall. We have arranged for Renee Davidson of Grassroots PR to give three half-day trainings on effective ways to talk about the Housing Alliance agenda and how to win support in 2007.
It is crucial that Housing Alliance member organizations and supporters speak with a consistent voice as we enter the Legislative session. Every Housing Alliance member organization should have a representative at one or more of these trainings. Please let contact Amy to register.
Trainings will be held in the following locations:
Portland:
November 28, 1 – 4:30 PM
YWCA of Portland, Collins Conference Center
1111 SW 10th Avenue, Portland
Eugene:
November 29, 1 – 4:30 PM
Santa Clara Place Apartments
150 Santa Clara Avenue, Eugene
Bend:
December 6, 9 AM – 12:30 PM
Eastlake Village Apartments
675 NE Bellevue, Bend
RSVP now to reserve your spot! .
2. Condo conversion working group update
The Condo Conversion working group met Nov. 14 to discuss questions and concerns raised by Housing Alliance members. A revised proposal is currently being developed and will be circulated to the membership no later than Nov. 21. All members organizations will have two weeks to consider the proposal before the Dec. 5th Congress, where we will take a final vote. Contact Ian Slingerland of the Community Alliance of Tenants or Amy with any questions or concerns.
3. Call for additional agenda items (Open to Housing Alliance members only).
Do you have additional agenda items that you would like the Housing Alliance to consider? If so please email a description of the issue to Amy. We will have time at the Dec. 5th Congress to discuss any new proposals coming from member organizations. Please be prepared to give a three minute presentation of your proposal at the Congress.
4. Reminder: Things move quickly during the Legislative session.
Member organizations need to nominate one representative who checks email religiously and is authorized to vote on behalf of the organization within 24 hours. Please send the name and contact information of your representative to Amy.
5. Inclusionary Zoning strategy work group (Open to Housing Alliance members only).
Is Inclusionary Zoning a top priority for your organization? A work group is forming to discuss strategy. Contact Amy if you would like to get involved.
6. Notification proposal update.
The notification work group is working on a revised proposal that will go out to the Housing Alliance membership by November 21. We will take a final vote on the proposal at the Congress on Dec. 5th. Contact Sophia McDonald at smcdonald@aocdo.org or (503) 223-4041 for more information.
7. Housing Alliance Congress - December 5th
11 AM to 3 PM
Salem Public Library
Room: Anderson A & B
585 Liberty St SE, Salem, OR 97301
We will de-brief the election and get a preview of the upcoming session from our legislative counsel. We will also finalize the remaining items on our legislative agenda… Don’t miss this important event! Join us as we gear up to WIN in 2007!
8. Endorsement Campaign Contest: Pledge to get 10 endorsements from your partner organizations and have a chance to win $1,000 for the non-profit housing organization of your choice!
2007 Housing Opportunity Agenda Endorsement Contest
127 organizations and prominent individuals have endorsed our campaign to secure $100 million for affordable housing! 91 have endorsed overturning the preemption on inclusionary zoning. See who has already endorsed at: http://www.oregonhousingalliance.org/2007_agenda_Item1_endorsements.html
That’s a terrific start, but we need 400 more endorsements in the next three months. We want to send a powerful message to the Legislature that affordable housing is important to Oregonians. To make that happen WE NEED YOU! If every member of the Housing Alliance secures 10 endorsements we will be there!
Help expand housing opportunity for Oregonians and win big bucks for your favorite housing organization!
The Housing Alliance is gathering endorsements for our two lead agenda items: $100 Million for Homes for Hardworking Families and Our Neighbors on Fixed Incomes and Lifting the Pre-emption that Prohibits Local Communities from Using Inclusionary Zoning. The Housing Alliance’s goal is to gather 500 endorsements before the 2007 Legislative session begins in January.
To help us reach our goal and in the spirit of friendly competition, the Neighborhood Partnership Fund (courtesy of Enterprise Community Partners) is offering to donate $1,000 to the non-profit housing organization of choice of the individual who collects the most valid endorsements of our two lead agenda items between now and the Housing Alliance Congress on December 5 in Salem.
If the endorsement strategy worked in Ohio, we can make it work in Oregon!
In 2005, the State of Ohio passed a similar funding package for housing to what we are seeking in Oregon. In their successful campaign, they gathered over 800 endorsements and won broad, bi-partisan support of their agenda before their 2005 Legislative session began. The Housing Alliance goal is to secure 500 endorsements for both lead agenda items by the start of the Legislative session in January 2007.
Who can endorse?
We are seeking the endorsements of organizations, businesses, religious congregations, social clubs, elected officials and prominent individuals. What is most important is that we show a broad range of support across the state. Don’t overlook the people you work with everyday: the vendors, management companies, develop partners, social service partners, school and elected officials that work with you to do your work will likely endorse our agenda… they just need to be asked!
All endorsements are welcome! Be creative. Get active. And win $1,000 for your favorite non-profit housing organization.
What is the process?
It’s simple! Just email, fax or mail in the completed endorsement forms to the Housing Alliance c/o the Neighborhood Partnership Fund, Attn: Amy Fauver, 1020 SW Taylor Street, Suite 680, Portland, OR 97205.
For more information on the endorsement campaign and for PDFs of the $100 million and Inclusionary Zoning endorsement forms, go to http://www.oregonhousingalliance.org/alerts.html
Questions? Contact Michael Anderson at (503) 335-9884 or Amy Fauver at (503) 226-3001 x102.
9. Tools for Local Advocacy are now online at www.oregonhousingalliance.org
The Housing Alliance website has information for each County in Oregon comparing wage/income by profession or source of income versus local housing costs. Just go to http://www.oregonhousingalliance.org/story_wages_v_housingcosts_x_County.html, and click the County for which you want information to download a PDF file.
Thanks to the Housing Alliance Outreach Committee and the staff of AOCDO and NPF for their work getting this together!
10. Lobby Day is February 6, 2007 at the Capitol in Salem!
Don’t miss this important day of advocacy. Mark your calendars now!
11. Display boards needed for Lobby Day.
Do you have a pretty display board that showcases your organization’s work? If so, bring them to Lobby Day! Please contact Amy at afauver@tnpf.org if you have display boards we can bring to Salem February 6.
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 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 or Michael Anderson.
