5
Street roots
Jan. 21, 2011
THE ROOF, fro m page 4 .
much more money the Housing Alliance is
asking .for the EHA. It is waiting for
upcoming revenue forecast, showing how
much money the state expects to have fo r --
general fund expenditures. Those figures ■
are scheduled to be released in late January.
“We can’t expect the Legislature to fund
it a t the level the federal government did,”
says Ryan Fisher, the co-chair of
Community Action Coalition of Oregon, a
consortium of community action agencies.
“If we can protect the Emergency Housing
Account and restore the. allotment cuts it
weathered, that would go a long way to- ?
helping families who need i t ”
f at least one of Janet Bryd’s dreams
could come true, Oregon would spend
approximately $20 million dollars in each
budget on affordable housing.
Bryd knows she will have to dream on, at
least for a little while. But Oregon’s
increasingly unstable and unpredictable
revenue, and the subsequent budgets the
Legislature is then able to make, call into -
question whether there ought to be more
sources of dedicated revenue, in addition to
the document recording fee, that would be
used' exclusively for affordable housing.
Dedicated sources of revenue could come
from a particular “sin tax,” such as on
cigarettes, or beer, or even lattes, or by
passing a statewide or local levy or bond,
which would increase property taxes.
Portland has been considering a local
bond or levy to be used exclusively for
affordable housing for the past two years.
“It is a hard time to look at bonds or
levies,” McLennan says. “Polling is not
looking good for most topics right now.”
That more or less leaves the Legislature
to raise taxes as a means of generating
revenue. But with the Legislature evenly
I
split along party lines, it is unlikely that any
: Oregonians would understand the need for
more taxes.
“I would hope that (the Legislature)
would trust that the community is willing to
pay taxes and make investments for things
. that are important, well run, efficient, and
effective,” McLennan says. “If they
approach this session of the Legislature
saying ‘no new taxes,’ I think that’s a
mistake. People are willing to pay, they just
need to feel confident that it’s being well
done.”
Bryd agrees, and thinks it is absolutely
'necessary to hot only examine the current;,
tax structure and tax exemptions, but to
create hew ones.
“The state, as it’s currently moving ;
forward, doesn’t have enough money,” Bryd
says. “My fear is that the solutions
.advanced won’t address the underlying
structural issues, but will come at the
expense of people who are already hinting.”
■ The first major round of lobbying housing
advocates will make is scheduled for
February 14. It is not a coincidence it is on
Valentine’s Day—the advocates call the one-
day lobbying camping “Have a H eart”
Housing advocates will gather in a rally at
the state Capitol, and then meet individually
with as many legislators as possible to
discuss the Housing Opportunity Agenda.
, Fisher is helping organize the “Have a
Heart” event and expects at least 100
advocates, housing providers, and others
involved with affordable housing to be in
.¿Salem on February 14.
Affordable housing advocates are
optimistic that the majority of their agenda
items will pass through the Legislature.
Many items are non-partisan, sources say, '
and others don’t require any increase in
funding.
“I think the Legislature will be eager to
do anything positive that doesn’t involve
spending money,” Bryd says. “It’s up to us
to make a case.”
•
Many housing providers and advocates
new taxes will be created, especially given
fervently believe that a lack of affordable
that the recession continues.
housing for low-income people, and
“I would be at a loss about where we
increased destabilizing circumstances, will
might turn next for a dedicated revenue
greatly effect how people are able to meet
source,” Bryd says. “Anything you can think
their other needs — such as finding a job,
of has already been tapped in one way c»r
taking care of their children, and paying
another.”
their bills.
McLennan, Byrd and others think the
“If Oregonians don’t have a place to call
Legislature will have to raise taxes. They
home, then they can’t address the other
would not say what taxes need to be
challenges that are coming their way. I
created, or which ought to be raised. But
they see it as the only way to stop programs think our job is to make sure that we get
^that message out to legislators,” Fisher
from being cut so deeply that they will not
be able to function. McLennan thinks that
says..
2011 legislative agenda
fo r the Housing Alliance
• M aintain S u pport fo r Dedicated Revenue f o r A ffordable H ousing:
The document recording fee (enacted in 2009) supports development
and preservation of rental housing, homeownership. strategies to end
and prevent homelessness, and capacity o f non-profit partners.
• Increase the Em ergency Housing A cco u n t: This resource has been
fended a tth e sam e level sin ceit w as created, white the need is quickly
growing. Paid for b y the Emergency Housing Account, fee program
both helps io keep at-risk families in their homes and homeless families
to get off the streets.
• Preserve E xisting A ffo rda ble H ousing: Homes with federal rent
subsidies are at risk of conversion to market rate, as is some housing
built and owned by non-profit partners statewide. Lottery Backed B a ld s
could ffl financing gaps and preserve these affordable homes.
•R e s tru c tu re th e O regon A ffo rda ble Housing Tax Credit:. The
proposal would slightly restructure the tax credit to help ensure that this
tool, which helps keep rents' low, remains useful even in challenging
financial times.
• M aintain state ena bling legislation fo r local p roperty tax
abatem ent program s to in v e s t in properties: The Housing Alltance is
supporting an option to extend the enabling statute
for 15 years to
2027.
• C o ntinue and expand protections fo r tenants in foreclosed
properties: Proposed changes will bring greater stability and
permanency to protections for tenants, including notice requirements to
tenants o f a foreclosure sale and o f their rights throughout the process,
the removal o f unnecessary procedural barriers to protection, greater
clarity around who is covered and when, and sanctions for violation.
• Protect Tenant A cce ss to U tilities. W hen a tenant's rent includes
payment for utilities, and the landlord defaults on payments to the utility
company, that tenant bears the burden o f a shutoff. The 2011 legislative
concept aims to provide protection to tenants by strengthening notice
requirements to tenants before shut-off, and creating a structure by
which tenants can pay to the utility company the amount required to
avoid shut-off and then deduct that amount from rent owed to the
landlord.
.
.
• S ecure and preserve p u b lic s u b s id y d u rin g fore closure
proceed ings. This would allow public agencies andnonprofits Io
ensure that significant public investment is not lost during foreclosure,
while also requiring that they follow the sam e process as any other
foreclosure sale purchaser.
. •
• S u p p o rt the M anufactured H ousing Lan dlord Tenant Coalition:
Proposals moving forward in the.2011 legislative session to support
resident purchases o f manufactured home parks and protect tenants
whose park is converted to a subdivision.
• Recognize the problem o f hate crim es against people who are
homeless and implement specific penalties.
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