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 2007 - and how you can get involved!

Dear Housing Alliance Partners:

It's not over yet!

By now, you may all have heard that HB 3551, to establish a dedicated funding source through a document recording fee, is tied up in legislative wrangling. In spite of having 12 Republican Representatives who have committed a yes vote on the bill, the Republican leadership has asked the caucus to vote no. But, until the final gavel, there's hope.

And, there's significant good news coming out of Salem on the rest of the Housing Alliance package!

SB 5517
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SB 5517 The Housing and Community Services budget passed today. This budget contains $16 million in new revenue to build housing plus services for people coming out of homelessness, and represents a huge win for very low income populations. Also, $8 million in new funds to support the preservation of affordable housing.

HB 3201
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HB 3201 has also passed, which is the "omnibus tax credit bill" you may have heard about. On page 39 of that bill is an increase to the Oregon Affordable Housing Tax Credit cap, or limit to $13 million, as well as changes that allow the credit to be used to support preservation of affordable housing and purchase of manufactured home parks in addition to its current use to support the development of new rental housing.

HB 3186
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HB 3186, which expands protections to tenants in properties converting to condominium, is also waiting for the Governors signature.

More later in the week, as the session winds down.

Good job all, and keep at it!

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.