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About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (May 19, 2010)
Page 21 Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, Ore. Wednesday, May 19, 2010 Demand for state programs grows Illinois Valley Chamber of Commerce greeters Dulcie Moore and LaVina Fonseca visited two new businesses in Cave Junction on Thursday, May 14. (Right) Moore met with Michelle Mauri, owner of Dragonflyz, clothing and gift store at 315 S. Redwood Hwy. At Wheels a Turnin’, a garden supply shop at 1001 Caves Hwy. Fonseca and Moore met Daniel, Kelly, and Athena Demuth. The greeters welcome the new businesses and encourage them to become members of the I.V. Cham- ber. (Photos by Michelle Binker, Illinois Valley News ) NOTICE OF BUDGET HEARING With Oregon’s unem- ployment rate remaining at more than 10 percent, more Oregonians than ever before count on public services to help get through economic tough times. Demand for Supplemen- tal Nutrition Assistance Pro- gram benefits (formerly food stamps) and Temporary As- sistance for Needy Families (TANF) increased again last month, and it’s anticipated that the trend will continue. In March, a total of 696,306 Oregonians received SNAP benefits, an increase of 23 percent from one year ago, and nearly 44 percent since July 2008, when Oregon’s unemployment rate was just above 6 percent. Last month, a total of 26,661 families received TANF — up 9 percent from a year ago and 34 percent from July 2008; this program is available only for extremely low-income Oregon families. “In the current difficult economic environment, eve- ryone knows someone who is out of work or working re- duced hours,” said Erinn Kel- ley-Siel, director of the Chil- dren, Adults and Families Division in the Dept. of Hu- man Services. “One of the main reasons that SNAP numbers are so high,” she said, “is that peo- ple have been unemployed for longer periods of time. That creates the double effect of families staying on the program longer while, at the same time, more families who need SNAP benefits to feed their families become eligible.” SNAP benefits provide an important bridge for peo- ple who are unemployed or underemployed and earn too little to meet their basic nutri- tion needs, she said. TANF helps families pay for shelter and other necessities that par- ents would not be able to oth- erwise afford. It also provides case management services for families struggling due to unemployment, underem- ployment or incapacitation of a primary wage earner. There are 160 DHS loca- tions across the state where Oregonians can apply for SNAP, TANF and other benefits for which they may be eligible. Many state and federal programs have online applications. Go to: www.oregon.gov/DHS/ assistance/. Eligibility Noted To be eligible for SNAP benefits, families must earn less than 185 percent of the federal poverty level, with other factors. For a family of four, the income limit is less than $3,400 per month. The maximum benefit for a household of four totals $668 per month. The overall average SNAP benefit per household is approximately $250 per month. Approximately three- fourths of all SNAP house- holds have some form of in- come, which results in the actual benefit level received being reduced from the maxi- mum. Benefits are determined on a sliding scale, based on household income, and are distributed through the Ore- gon Trail Card that is used like a debit card to purchase food. SNAP benefits can be used to purchase food for the household to eat, such as breads and cereals; fruits and vegetables; meats, fish and poultry; and dairy products. SNAP benefits are in- tended to act as a supplement to a family’s overall food budget -- not to cover it en- tirely. In many households with little or no income, it can be the primary means to meet the family’s nutritional needs. To be eligible for TANF, parents with children must earn less than the total monthly income limit. For a two-parent family with two children, that maximum is $795, with an asset limit of $2,500 (not including the fam- ily home, or the first $10,000 value of family vehicles). The maximum benefit for a family of four, with no other income, is $647 total per month. TANF provides temporary assistance and case management services for families struggling due to unemployment, underem- ployment or incapacitation of a primary wage earner. TANF and related pro- grams also provide employ- ment and training services, child care while looking for work or other alternatives, assistance seeking Social Se- curity Income or Social Secu- rity Disability Income, and help to flee or stay free from domestic violence. Public housing benefits noted in study Public investment in af- fordable housing develop- ment generates significant economic benefit, creates jobs and supports local business. So observed Victor Merced, director of Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS), regarding his department’s newly pub- lished Housing as an Eco- nomic Stimulus (ohcs.oregon. gov/OHCS/DO_Economic Stimulus.shtml). This demon- strates that federal stimulus money for housing will add value to Oregon’s economy, Merced stated. “Each dollar our agency invests in housing creates $11 in benefit to the Oregon econ- omy,” he said. “And that doesn’t include the immeas- urable benefits to an individ- ual or family of having a safe, quality, affordable home.” Housing as an Economic Stimulus explores the eco- nomic and community bene- fits of affordable housing, especially important in to- day’s distressed financial environment. To receive a copy, contact OHCS at (503) 986-2000. The report also is posted at ohcs.oregon.gov. “Each dollar spent on affordable housing helps to revitalize family incomes, business coffers and govern- ment revenues,” Merced said. “Housing recipients,” he opined, “benefit from reduced risk of homelessness, safer neighborhoods, improved physical and mental health, and raising motivated chil- dren who succeed at school and in life.” The publication describes the benefits of three innova- tive housing projects, sup- ported by OHCS funding: New Winds in Florence; The Watershed at Hillsdale in Portland; and Conifer Gar- dens in Medford. Topics in the booklet include funding options, project development effects, hard and soft costs of construction, jobs created by each project, economic ef- fects on residents and com- munities, and environmental results of “green” building. The three housing pro- jects described in this report generated more than 200 lo- cal jobs and nearly 250 jobs statewide. Every $13,000 that OHCS invests in a housing project creates approximately one local job, a significant result since OHCS invests more than $900,000 on aver- age in a housing project. During the past five years, OHCS and its private sector funding partners fi- nanced more than 11,000 units of affordable housing for a development investment of $375 million. “By funding affordable housing, OHCS positively impacts individuals, families and communities throughout Oregon,” according to Merced. “Our results con- tinue to make us proud, and the rewards are notable. Infu- sions of public dollars for housing generate exceptional pay-back.” OHCS is the state’s housing finance agency and community services program administrator. It provides financial and program support to create and preserve oppor- tunities for quality, affordable housing serving Oregonians of lower and moderate in- come. And it administers federal and state antipoverty, homeless, energy assistance and community service pro- grams. The OHCS mission is to “Provide leadership that en- ables Oregonians to gain housing, become self- sufficient and achieve pros- perity.” Click on http:// www.ohcs.oregon.gov/. USDA boosts grants to SNAP program USDA grants of up to $5 million to improve access to and increase participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) -- formerly the Food Stamp Program -- will be awarded, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced. Grant applications for organizations can be obtained at www.grants.gov or at www.fns.usda.gov/snap or by phoning the grant officer, Lisa Johnson, at 703-305- 2848. The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 authorized USDA to award $5 million in grants for state and local gov- ernment and private non- profit organization projects to simplify SNAP application and eligibility systems and improve access to SNAP benefits by eligible house- holds. This year, USDA is in- terested in funding projects that apply a process improve- ment process (PIP) to the state agency’s application, certification and recertifica- tion procedures to make them more efficient and effective. USDA also is interested in funding projects that involve a partnership between a state For all your home repair/maintenance needs call Mike at 541-531-6220 Licensed, bonded, & insured. CCB 174891 agency and one or more pri- vate non-profit organizations. The deadline to submit grant proposal applications is June 23. USDA’s Food & Nutri- tion Service oversees the ad- ministration of 15 nutrition assistance programs that touch the lives of one in four Americans during the course of a year. “The largest program, SNAP, puts healthy food on the table for more than 38 million people it serves each month, half of whom are chil- dren,” said Vilsack. Concrete Remodeling New Construction Decks Outbuildings FREE Estimates
