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.     Housing Alliance Congress – Please RSVP!
 
RSVP to Amy via email and let her know if you would like to purchase a box lunch for $10.
 
December 5th
11 AM to 3 PM
Salem Public Library
Room: Anderson A & B
585 Liberty St SE, Salem, OR 97301
 
2.     There are several remaining agenda items that need resolution.  We will discuss each of these in detail at the Congress. Please be prepared to take a final vote on items 1 and 2.
 
A.     Notification: Work group final proposal
The Notification Work Group's final recommendation to the Housing Alliance is to ask the Legislature to charge Oregon Housing and Community Services with convening a broad-based work group on preservation issues. This work group would be responsible for coming up with a proposal on notification for the 2009 Legislative Session. The work group would also be responsible for establishing better communication about projects that are expiring and the resources available to keep them affordable. The work group believes better communication on these issues will go a long ways toward meeting the goal of preserving expiring projects. Work group contact: Sophia McDonald of AOCDO via email or (503) 223-4041.
 
B.     Condominium conversions: Work group final proposal
The work group met last week and developed a final proposal for consideration by the Housing Alliance membership (attached).  The issue background piece that was previously circulated is also attached. Work group contact: Contact Ian Slingerland of the Community Alliance of Tenants via email.
 
C.     Manufactured Home Parks
The manufactured home park group of the Landlord Tenant Coalition is currently working on a negotiated agreement to better protect tenants when a manufactured home park is sold and converted to another use.  We will hear an update on the result of the status of the negotiations at the Congress and have an opportunity to discuss options for this agenda item.
 
D.     Inclusionary Zoning
We will devote time at the Congress to clarifying what we want to ask for regarding inclusionary zoning.  The agenda currently includes working to repeal the preemption on inclusionary zoning.  A small work group of members interested in working on this issue has been identified but has not yet met.  The Housing Alliance will need an active group of members willing to devote time and resources to the inclusionary zoning issue if we hope to be successful in overturning the preemption.  Please take time to reflect upon your organization’s capacity and desire to work on this issue.  We will discuss strategy and approach to inclusionary zoning at the Congress.
 
We will also discuss alternative inclusionary zoning legislation that is currently under development by the Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC).  The legislation would direct LCDC to do rulemaking which would allow local governments to quickly and easily expand their urban growth boundaries to add new land for residential development so long as some as-yet-undefined portion of the new land were dedicated (donated or sold for a reduced price or developed) for affordable housing. This is a form of voluntary inclusionary zoning, since the landowner would be allowed to develop some of the new land for market-rate housing, while the balance of the new land is used for affordable housing. The result of this concept should be a supply of low-cost land limited to use for affordable housing development. Consumers of the new land include new manufactured home parks.
 
E.     New proposals for consideration
The November 16 Housing Alliance Update included a call for any additional agenda items that Housing Alliance members would like to see considered for inclusion on the legislative agenda. 
 
The Housing Alliance’s newest member, Portland Community Land Trust, submitted a proposal concerning affordability covenants and deed restrictions.  To obtain a copy of the proposal, contact Amy via email. Please review the proposal prior to the Congress.  We will have an opportunity to learn more about the proposal from its chief sponsor and discuss it in detail. 
 
If you have an additional agenda item that you would like the Housing Alliance to consider please email a description of the issue to Amy via email.  Please be prepared to give a three minute presentation of your proposal at the Congress.
 
3.     Proposed uses of the $100 million.  Do you know them?
Can you recite the proposed uses of $100 million in your sleep?
 
If not, click here and review carefully and attend one of the Messaging trainings (see #5).  We all need to know what we are asking for!
 
4.     Document Recording Fee legislation to be introduced by Interim Senate Revenue Committee tomorrow at 10 AM!
With this critical first step we are on our way to winning $100 million! Feel free to come to the Capitol tomorrow morning. The hearing will take place @ 10 AM after the revenue forecast.
 
5.     Messaging trainings in Portland, Eugene and Bend. Who is representing your organization?
The Housing Alliance is pleased 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 contact Amy via email 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!  Contact Amy via email
 
6.     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 via email
 
We will make every effort to give groups as much time to respond as possible, but sometimes we will need to act immediately.  Thanks for your understanding. 
 
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.