July 02, 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 adjourned two nights ago after a session of very hard financial decisions. Housing advocates have a lot to be pleased about, in spite of the budget shortfall and many cuts.
To summarize our wins:
- HB 2436, the Housing Opportunity Bill creates a dedicated revenue source for affordable housing. An estimated $15 million will be generated in the 2009-2011 biennium.
- SB 5535 passed, providing $19.4 million in Lottery Backed Bonds to support preservation of existing affordable housing. $16.3 is for multi-family housing with federal rent assistance, and $3.1 million is for manufactured home parks.
- SB 952 -- Tenants living in foreclosed properties gain some protections.
- Funding for the Emergency Housing Account was cut in the General Fund budget - the cuts will be offset by the EHA portion of the document recording fee. While this hardly seems a victory, it was indeed a victory to maintain level funding this session.
- The State Homeless Assistance Program was maintained at level funding - cuts proposed early in the session were restored in the last hours.
We also lost funds for homeownership. These funds will be more than offset by the document recording fee, but the loss in funding is problematic as our communities work to recover from the loss of housing stability.
How did we do it?
When a small group of advocates formed the Housing Alliance in 2004, we had three main goals.
- First, we wanted to increase ongoing resources available to meet the growing need for affordable housing.
- Second, we wanted to move housing up the priority list for at least some legislators, from number eight or nine to up among the top three.
- Third, we wanted to build a cadre of housing champions in the legislature-representatives and senators who understood the needs for affordable housing in their districts and who cared enough about those needs to do some work on the issue.
How did we do it? You have all joined us, and you have been a consistent presence in the districts-arranging meetings and tours, making sure your legislators understand the work you do. We've educated ourselves and key legislators on the details of the issues and the severity of housing needs. We hired a top-notch lobbyist who works collaboratively with our great group of members, who is a consistent and trusted presence in Salem, and who helped us forge an agreement with private industry on our key issues.
Now, five years later, the 2009 Legislative Session has come to an end, and what a session it was! Though the recession colored much of what took place this session, we made huge strides forward for affordable housing. Of course, we still have much work to do to meet the housing needs of Oregonians, and all of us must begin to turn our focus forward and renew our commitment to working together through the Housing Alliance.
One high point of the session, of course, was passage of the Housing Opportunity Bill, HB 2436, through the House on February 17, 2009 and the Senate on February 26, 2009. The Housing Opportunity Bill creates a dedicated, ongoing source of revenue for affordable housing. The bill recognizes a spectrum of housing needs that the funds will work to meet over time-affordable multi-family housing, affordable homeownership opportunities, funds to help end or prevent homelessness, and funds to help non profit housing developers and housing authorities respond strategically to housing issues and needs.
A second highlight was Lobby Day, March 13, 2009, when we delivered "Housing Champion" and "Housing Advocate" awards to more than 40 legislators. They had all earned the recognition, not just by voting to support Housing Opportunity, but by going out of their way to bring another legislator along, to speak out in committee or on the floor, and to dig deeply into the details of the issue and build their own passion for making housing opportunity a reality. For many of us the best part of the day was hearing Senate President Peter Courtney and House Speaker Dave Hunt speak of the commitment they've made to meeting housing needs and the priority their members give the issue.
We can't quit now!
The last three Legislative sessions have been the best for housing in Oregon history thanks to the hard work and strong coalition represented by the Housing Alliance! With your help we raised the profile of affordable housing in the Legislature and cultivated legislative champions in the Capitol. And it made a difference! Just look at a recap of what we've accomplished:
2005: Regular Session
- Expansion of the Oregon Affordable Housing Tax Credit cap by $2 million.
- $26 million in new one time funding to house working families, seniors, veterans and people with disabilities, and to preserve existing housing.
- Another $2 million expansion for the Oregon Affordable Housing Tax Credit.
- Protections for renters displaced by condo conversion.Improved protection for manufactured home park residents.
- $2 million to seed the 'Housing Acquisition Fund' to preserve the homes of thousands of vulnerable Oregonians.
- $4 million for the Oregon Affordable Housing Tax Credit.
- Housing Opportunity Bill creates a dedicated revenue source for affordable housing.
- Funding for Emergency Housing Account spared the worst of the budget cuts.
- Tenants living in foreclosed properties gain some protections.
- Lottery Backed Bonds support preservation of existing affordable housing.
- State Homeless Assistance Program levels of General Fund ended up level over past years.
- Administrative rules for the Housing Opportunity Bill.
- Protecting housing funds as budget cuts continue, or restoring them if the economy picks up.
Thank you for your continuing partnership!
One final note:
We here at Neighborhood Partnerships have changed our name, and updated our website. We've added a news and blog section - please check it out to see what's going on in our part of the world!
When even your opponents carry your message, you know you've gotten your point across. Yes, everyone does deserve a safe decent place to call home. And together, we've made that vision more of a reality.
Need talking points? Click here.
Also, click here for data for your local area on housing costs.
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.
