20,000 socks, 250 advocates, 50 legislators and a great Housing Opportunity Day
Last week’s Housing Opportunity Day was the most successful ever. More than 250 advocates participated, 20,000 socks were collected, more than 50 legislators were met with. We had one great hearing in the House Human Services and Housing Committee, there were 2 major news stories (Statesman Journal, KATU) and a half dozen more leading up to March 11.…
What you need to know for March 11 Housing Opportunity Day
Housing Opportunity Day is tomorrow, March 11, and we expect a record turn out. Here’s what you need to know: 1) Location First United Methodist Church 600 State St, Salem, OR 97301 (Google Map) Note: the original event listing said we’d be meeting on the capitol steps. 2) Agenda Doors open at 9:15. Some meetings…
March 2 Housing Opportunity Update
1. Tick Tock We’re expecting nearly 200 people at Housing Opportunity day on March 11. Most have already registered and we’ve started to reserve the busses. The morning will include some legislative meetings, briefs on the Housing Alliance agenda, practice legislative meetings and will lead into a noon rally where we’re piling 20,000 socks on the…
Feb 24 Housing Opportunity Update
1. Big OHCS Hearing The declining capacity of our homeless services providers to find permanent housing options for families is creating bottlenecks and driving up costs in other parts of the system. High rates of foreclosure are driving more families into the rental market, which leads to higher rental prices. The Emergency Housing Account, the…
Housing Opportunity Update – Feb. 17
We’re trying a new weekly update format. Let us know if you love it or hate it. 1. Turning Socks Into Homes The Emergency Housing Assistance/State Homeless Assistance Program (EHA/SHAP) funding suffered during the recession. In 2014, we were able to get funding back to 2007 levels. Now it is time to try to meet current…
5 Housing Bill Updates You Might Have Missed Last Week
This is the first weekly update for the 2015 legislative session. Sign up to never miss a thing. By Omar Carrillo Tinajero The first week of the legislative session is now behind us. Though it has only been five days, we have gotten a taste of how fast the next five months will go. As…
Small Community Advocacy Grants Available
We are excited to announce availability of small community grants to elevate our voice and strengthen our housing advocacy in the state capitol. (Thanks to Meyer Memorial Trust for creating this opportunity). As you may know, the Housing Alliance is committed to securing more resources for housing that is affordable and to advocate for policy changes that will ensure…
Top 5 Affordable Home Stories in 2014
If Oregon wants to build a thriving 21st century economy, send kids to school prepared to shape the future and ensure all of us are healthy and happy we must start and end our days in a home. That vision will only become a reality because people like you continue to stand and speak up.…
One Truth About Health and Education That We All Need To Talk About
Governor Kitzhaber recently articulated: “Oregon cannot meet any of its long-term health or education goals when children are homeless, and Oregon should find the very idea of homeless families to be unacceptable.” More importantly, he walked the walk by recommending a substantial investment of other funds for housing development to the tune of $100 million…
New Legislative Money Ensures Balance in Foreclosure Negotiations For A Bit Longer
We’ve got some great news. Thanks in part to advocacy from Oregon Housing Alliance members more Oregon families will have access to foreclosure avoidance counseling through the Oregon Foreclosure Avoidance (OFA) Program. Having a mediation case manager helps bring some comfort and balance to foreclosure conversations that are often difficult. The Joint Emergency Board allocated $659,300 from the general…