We are now more than 60% done with the 2018 Legislative session. In even numbered years, the Legislature convenes for a very short and fast thirty-five day legislative session. This year, the Housing Alliance is seeking a significant increase to the document recording fee, which is a dedicated, ongoing source of revenue which helps prevent and end homelessness, build more affordable homes, and creates access to homeownership.
We need your help! HB 4007 has moved out of the House Committee on Human Services & Housing and the House Committee on Revenue. The bill has one more stop before heading to a final vote on the House and Senate floors. We need your help! Would you consider calling or emailing your Legislator today to tell them about why creating housing opportunity is so important for Oregonians?
Here is what you need to do:
1) Find your Legislator by visiting here: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/FindYourLegislator/leg-districts.html. Enter your address, and a map will pop up with a star, and show you both your Representative and Senator, and their email addresses and phone numbers.
2) Will you email or call? Pick one, and off we go!
3) First, introduce yourself. Let them know you’re a constituent!
4) Tell your Legislator why housing opportunity is important to you. Consider using one of our values based messages (here: https://www.oregonhousingalliance.org/talking-about-home/)
5) Share why it’s important to you that everyone in your community have a safe place to call home. Do you have personal experience with housing instability, or has someone close to you experienced housing instability? Have you volunteered at a shelter or at your church to help people experiencing homelessness?
6) Ask your Legislator to support HB 4007, which will increase the document recording fee. The document recording fee is a fee charged when you record the documents on a home purchase or change to the title, or other real estate documents. Currently the fee is $20, and it goes to three purposes:
- 10% goes to emergency rent assistance;
- 14% goes to help folks access homeownership – right now, it’s used for down payment assistance and education and counseling; and
- 76% goes to build more affordable homes.
Within each of these accounts, 25% is set aside to serve veterans.
We want to increase the document recording fee to $60, which would provide desperately needed resources to help support creating housing opportunity in communities across Oregon.
7) Thank your Legislator for their time.
Easy! You’re done, and you’ve made an important difference for people experiencing housing instability in our state.
Questions? Email Alison.