8 de agosto de 2022
Contacto para medios de comunicación:
Delia Hernández
HCS.mediarequests@hcs.oregon.gov
Oregón supera la meta de ayudar a financiar 1,000 viviendas permanentes con servicios de apoyo para personas sin hogar
SALEM, Ore. – El Departamento de Vivienda y Servicios Comunitarios (OHCS, por sus siglas en inglés) anuncio que superó la meta del Plan Estatal de Vivienda de 2019–2023 de ayudar a pagar por la construcción de 1,000 viviendas permanentes con servicios de apoyo (PSH, por sus siglas en inglés). El Concilio para la Estabilización de Vivienda de Oregón aprobó la semana pasada financiación para la construcción de unas 250 viviendas con servicios de apoyo lo que ayudo a la agencia a superar su meta un año antes de la fecha fijada. Hasta el momento, OHCS se ha comprometido a ayudar a pagar la creación de un total de 1,255 viviendas PSH.
“Lograr este objetivo es la manifestación de un esfuerzo colectivo entre la gobernadora, la Legislatura de Oregón, socios comunitarios, Naciones Tribales, agencias federales, estatales y locales, desarrolladores de vivienda, negocios y comunidades locales”, dijo la directora de OHCS Andrea Bell. “No aceptamos la falta de hogar como un hecho de la vida. Invertir en soluciones humanas y dignas que sabemos funcionan es lo que las personas de Oregón se merecen y a la vez ahorramos dinero de los fondos públicos. Estoy orgullosa de lo que hemos logrado. Al avanzar hacia adelante, estamos dispuestos a construir y avanzar soluciones juntos”.
La vivienda permanente con servicios de apoyo es un modelo que se ha comprobado funciona para apoyar a individuos y familias carentes de hogar. Este tipo de vivienda es una estrategia reconocida nacionalmente para afrontar la falta de vivienda crónica, la cual provee vivienda profundamente asequible y permanente con servicios extensivos para albergar a personas independientemente de las barreras que enfrenten.
Alder House, localizada en el centro de Portland, es un ejemplo de vivienda permanente con servicios de apoyo en Oregón. Alder House provee 130 departamentos a individuos con ingresos bajos, con 30 departamentos designados como vivienda permanente con servicios de apoyo. Todos los hogares reciben servicios para ayudar a construir el sentido de comunidad y mejorar la estabilidad de los residentes, además de que los 30 hogares PSH reciben administración intensiva de casos. Alder House tiene una sala comunitaria donde residentes pueden organizar eventos y convivir con sus vecinos.
Alder House está cerca de varias opciones de transporte y supermercados, para que las personas tengan acceso a las necesidades básicas. Con un enfoque principal en facilitar el acceso a la vivienda, Alder House ayuda a las personas a conectarse con los recursos que necesitan para permanecer en sus hogares y prosperar en sus comunidades.
Los esfuerzos para construir más viviendas permanentes con servicios de apoyo en Oregón continúan dada la magnitud de la necesidad de vivienda en el estado. Actualmente, hay nueve proyectos PSH en Oregón participando en el Instituto de OHCS para Vivienda con Servicios de Apoyo de 2022. La agencia continuará trabajando junto a la comunidad para encontrar soluciones innovadoras y orientadas en la equidad con la meta de ayudar a familias que carecen de vivienda. Para más información sobre este trabajo, visite el sitio de internet de OHCS.
August 8, 2022
Media Contact:
Delia Hernández
HCS.mediarequests@hcs.oregon.gov
Oregon surpasses goal to fund 1,000 permanent homes with supportive services for people experiencing homelessness
SALEM, Ore. – Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) announced it has exceeded the 2019–2023 Oregon Statewide Housing Plan goal to fund 1,000 units of permanent supportive housing (PSH). The Housing Stability Council approved last week funding for almost 250 PSH homes. OHCS has now committed to funding 1,255 PSH homes, which is a year ahead of the scheduled target date of 2023.
“Achieving this goal is a manifestation of collective galvanizing of the governor, Oregon Legislature, community partners, Tribal Nations, federal, state and local agencies, developers, local businesses, and local communities,” said OHCS Director Andrea Bell. “We do not accept homelessness as a fact of life. Investing in humane, dignified solutions that we know are effective is what the people of Oregon deserve and optimizes public funds. I am proud of what we have accomplished together. As we continue pushing forward, we are eager to learn, build, and advance solutions together.”
Permanent supportive housing is an evidence-based model for supporting people and households experiencing homelessness. PSH is a nationally recognized strategy to address chronic homelessness. It provides deeply affordable and permanent housing with wraparound services to house people regardless of barriers they may face.
Alder House, located in the heart of downtown Portland, is one example of what permanent supportive housing looks like in Oregon. Alder House provides 130 apartments for individuals earning low incomes, with 30 apartments designated as permanent supportive housing (PSH). All households receive supportive resident services to help build community and improve housing stability, and the 30 PSH households also receive intensive case management services. Alder House features a community room in which residents can organize events and convene with neighbors.
In addition, it is near various transportation and grocery options, so people have easy access to their basic everyday needs. With a housing first approach, Alder House helps people get connected with the resources they need to stay stable in their homes and thrive in their communities.
The work to build more PSH developments in Oregon continues given the magnitude of Oregon’s housing needs. Currently, there are nine PSH projects throughout the state participating in the 2022 OHCS Supportive Housing Institute. Moving forward, OHCS will continue to work alongside community and partners to find innovative and equity-centered solutions to help families who are experiencing homelessness. For more information about this work, visit the OHCS website.
Aug. 1, 2022
Media Contact:
Delia Hernández
HCS.mediarequests@hcs.oregon.gov
State of Oregon and City of Eugene announce House America partnership
The state and City of Eugene join Washington County and Bend as Oregon House America communities
SALEM, Ore. — Oregon Housing and Community Services Director Andrea Bell and Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis announced that Oregon Governor Brown and Mayor Vinis have joined U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s House America: An All-Hands-On-Deck Effort to Address the Nation’s Homelessness Crisis. The announcement was made today at the opening celebration for The Nel, a permanent supportive housing community for people experiencing chronic homelessness in Eugene.
“Housing is a critical determinant of health, that has never been more evident. At the local, state, and federal levels, we must take every action necessary to work towards ensuring the people of Oregon have a safe and affordable place to call home,” Director Bell said. “That is our commitment and collective responsibility.”
OHCS and other House America partners will work with HUD and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness to use federal, state, and local resources to help reach national goals. The House America partnership aims to re-house at least 100,000 households experiencing homelessness nationwide and add at least 20,000 new affordable homes into the development pipeline by Dec. 31, 2022.
Oregon is committing to re-house 3,500 people and fund the creation of 214 permanent supportive homes by the end of 2022, including small towns and rural communities in the state. The City of Eugene commits, by the end of 2022, to adding 152 units to their housing development pipeline that will serve people exiting homelessness, an additional 47 units for extremely low-income households, and is committed to re-housing 45 households from homelessness into housing.
HUD’s 2021 Annual Homeless Assessment Report found 9,048 sheltered and unsheltered homeless individuals in Oregon, 2,317 of whom were in Lane County. COVID-19 has created greater urgency to address homelessness, given the heightened risks faced by people experiencing homelessness.
“Secretary Fudge and I are thrilled to have the State of Oregon and City of Eugene signing on to House America,” said HUD Regional Administrator Margaret Salazar. “Oregon and Eugene have been at the forefront of affordable housing development at a national level, and it makes sense that they would leverage their expertise and innovation as part of this initiative. They join two other House America communities in Oregon – Washington County and Bend – and their commitment to getting more people indoors is what House America is all about.”
Through the American Rescue Plan, communities now have historic resources—70,000 emergency housing vouchers and $5 billion in HOME Investment Partnerships grants—to help more Americans obtain the safety of a stable home. In Eugene, HUD awarded 184 Emergency Housing Vouchers and $4,728,637 in HUD HOME Investment Partnerships Program funding, a resource that can be used to achieve Eugene’s housing goals.
“The City of Eugene is pleased to sign onto this important initiative. We look forward to working with HUD and the other House America partners to continue our work towards addressing the homelessness crisis, making homelessness in our community, and across America, rare, brief and non-recurring,” said Mayor Vinis.
The Nel fits within Oregon’s House America target goals by creating 45 studio apartments where there will be on-site property management and supportive services. As a Permanent Supportive Housing Program, The Nel will feature services aimed at helping people stay permanently housed, such as case management, health care, connections to employment and educational services, and assistance with independent living skills.
More than 100 states, cities, counties, and Tribes have joined House America to date. For more information, visit the HUD House America website.
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August 1, 2022
Media Contact:
Delia Hernández
HCS.mediarequests@hcs.oregon.gov
White House summit will highlight long-term eviction reform
OHCS Director Andrea Bell to share state and local eviction prevention efforts
SALEM, Ore. — Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) invites the public to attend a virtual summit hosted by the White House. OHCS Director Andrea Bell will share how Oregon worked to help tenants and landlords prevent evictions throughout the pandemic and the collective work moving forward. Please join tomorrow, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, from 9:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. (PST), to hear about the need to build on the American Rescue Plan’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program to ensure long-term eviction reform, including highlighting model innovations across the country. Click HERE to register.
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July 29, 2022
The next Housing Stability Council meeting will be from 9 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Friday, August 5, 2022. The meeting will be held electronically due to the current COVID-19 health crisis. You can find all updated meeting materials on our website.
Webinar Meeting Only
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0gaTLc20SYSFgConBPN2kw
AGENDA:
9:00: Meeting Called to Order - Roll Call
9:05: Public Comment
9:30: Report of the Chair
9:45: Report of the Director
10:00: Central Services Division (pg. 05)
Sarah Roth, Central Services Administrator
10:30: Housing Stabilization Division (pg. 10)
Jill Smith, Interim Director, Housing Stabilization
11:15: Affordable Rental Housing Division (pg. 12)
Natasha Detweiler-Daby, Interim Director, Affordable Rental Housing
Transaction Approvals
11:45: 15 min break
12:00: Affordable Rental Housing Division (pg. 165)
Natasha Detweiler-Daby, Interim Director, Affordable Rental Housing
Policy Decisions
ANOAH Pilot: Acquisition of Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing Funds: Mitch Hannoosh, Senior Operations and Policy Analyst; Trinity Kerr, Operations and Policy Analyst
4% LIHTC Programmatic Update Recommendation: Roberto Franco, Assistant Director Development Resources & Production; Natasha Detweiler-Daby, Interim Director Affordable Rental Housing
Reference memo in packet (not prioritized for discussion):
12:45: Homeownership Division (pg. 49)
Emese Perfecto, director, Homeownership
Homeownership Market Cost Offset Fund: Talia Kahn-Kravis, Operations & Policy Analyst
Homeowner Assistance Fund: Ryan Vanden Brink, Assistant Director of Homeowner Assistance Programs
1:45: Meeting Adjourned
29 de julio de, 2022
Contacto para medios de comunicación:
Delia Hernández
HCS.mediarequests@hcs.oregon.gov
SALEM, Ore. — El Departamento de Vivienda y Servicios Comunitarios (OHCS, por sus siglas en inglés) cerrará completamente el Programa de Asistencia de Emergencia para el Alquiler de Oregón (OERAP, por sus siglas en inglés) después de las 11:59 p.m. el 12 de agosto de 2022.
El portal de OERAP permanece cerrado a personas solicitando ayudo por primera vez. Se recomienda a inquilinos con solicitudes incompletas o que necesiten ayuda adicional entregar sus materiales de inmediato. No se están aceptando nuevas solicitudes, pero las solicitudes en ya en el sistema que sean completadas y entregadas para el 12 de agosto se continuarán procesando mientras haya fondos.
Recientemente se notificó al estado que recibiría casi $7 millones en fondos federales adicionales de asistencia de emergencia para el alquiler del Departamento del Tesoro de Estados Unidos. Estos fondos apoyarán a familias e individuos que hayan presentado solicitudes de recertificación para obtener asistencia adicional de OERAP.
“A lo largo de la pandemia, nuestra agencia y nuestros socios comunitarios han trabajado muy duro para distribuir los recursos críticos de emergencia con el objetivo de crear estabilidad para inquilinos vulnerables y arrendadores con dificultades financieras. Todo al servicio de apoyar una recuperación equitativa,” dijo Jill Smith, directora interina de la División de estabilización de Vivienda en OHCS.
OHCS ha pagado $390.38 millones en ayuda de emergencia para el alquiler a 60,829 hogares. Se calcula que la asistencia de emergencia temporal ha ayudado a unos 130,000 residentes de Oregón a conservar sus viviendas durante la pandemia de COVID-19.
OHCS inicio OERAP en mayo de 2021 y después de un comienzo inicial lento, Oregón ha sido nombrado con frecuencia dentro de los cinco mejores estados en distribuir asistencia por la Coalición Nacional de Vivienda para [personas de] Bajos Ingresos. Debido a la gran necesidad, la agencia recibió fondos adicionales del Departamento del Tesoro y la Legislatura de Oregón. La agencia y sus socios comunitarios han distribuido más de 500 mil millones de dólares en asistencia para el alquiler de fondos estatales y federales desde enero de 2021.
De acuerdo a la Coalición Nacional de Vivienda para [personas de] Bajos Ingresos, Oregón está en el primer lugar en el país en el porcentaje de fondos de asistencia para el alquiler pagados y comprometidos.
“Oregón es uno de los pocos estados con mejor desempeño, esto se debe a nuestra capacidad para escalar el programa rápidamente gracias a los fuertes vínculos con nuestros socios comunitarios”, dijo Smith. “Siempre supimos que incluso con niveles históricos de asistencia, la necesidad en Oregón continúa superando los fondos disponibles. Estoy agradecida con la Legislatura de Oregón por su gesto visionario al otorgar fondos adicionales para la prevención de desalojos y así apoyar a individuos y familias de Oregón que luchan por salir adelante. Sabemos que la necesidad continúa”.
Tras cerrar OERAP, el trabajo para prevenir desalojos permanecerá una prioridad principal. OHCS creo el Programa de Prevención y Desvió de Desalojos (ORE-DAP) con parte de los $100 millones en fondos para prevenir desalojos que recibió en diciembre 2021 de la Legislatura de Oregón.
El objetivó del programa es dar ayuda rápida a individuos en riesgo de perder sus hogares al otorgarles asistencia para el alquiler y otros recursos críticos relacionado con la vivienda como asistencia con sus casos, mediación y servicios legales. ORE-DAP está siendo administrado a nivel estatal por Agencias de Acción Comunitaria en conjunto con organizaciones que otorgan servicios culturalmente específicos. Para información sobre los recursos de ORE-DAP, inquilinos deben contactar a su Agencias de Acción Comunitaria o llamar al 2-1-1 para ser conectados con recursos locales.
Información importante del cierre de OERAP para inquilinos
Inquilinos que recibieron asistencia anteriormente y aún necesitan ayuda, deben completar el proceso de recertificación antes de las 11:50 p.m. del 12 de agosto de 2022. Los solicitantes aún deben ser elegibles para recibir asistencia para calificar para el pago de la recertificación.
Los solicitantes pueden utilizar el portal y verificar el estado de su solicitud para asegurarse de que esté completa. Los inquilinos con solicitudes de recertificación incompletas deberán proporcionar los documentos o la información que falta. Si no finaliza ni presenta las solicitudes de recertificación pendientes antes de la fecha límite, podría perder las protecciones de desalojo SB 891.
Si los inquilinos son elegibles para volver a presentar una solicitud y necesitan asistencia adicional, recibirán un correo electrónico con instrucciones sobre cómo volver a presentar la solicitud. Los fondos restantes de OERAP son limitados e incluso si un solicitante es elegible, no hay garantía de que su solicitud sea pagada.
Para más información sobre recursos de ORE-DAP en su área, puede contactar a su Agencia de Acción Comunitaria local o llamar al 2-1-1 para ser conectado con recursos. Inquilinos que les preocupa un desalojo, deben llamar al Proyecto de Defensa contra Desalojos de los Servicios Legales de Oregón al 888-585-9638 o visitar su sitio de internet.
Arrendadores pueden ser reembolsados por costos relacionados al no recibir pago del alquiler y cargos por pagos atrasados durante el periodo de protección de desalojos. Pueden solicitar ayuda al Programa de Garantía para el Arrendador conocido como Landlord Guarantee Program.
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July 29, 2022
Media Contact: Delia Hernández
HCS.mediarequests@hcs.oregon.gov
SALEM, Ore. — Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) to close the Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program (OERAP) on Aug. 12, 2022. The portal remains closed to new applicants. Tenants with current incomplete applications or in need of recertification are encouraged to submit their materials right away. No new applications are being accepted but tenants with existing applications in the system who fully submit their completed applications by the August 12 will continue to be processed as funds remain.
The state was recently notified that it would receive nearly $7 million in additional federal emergency rental assistance funding from the U.S. Department of the Treasury. This funding will support families and individuals who have submitted recertification applications for additional OERAP assistance.
“Throughout the pandemic, OHCS and our partners have worked relentlessly to distribute critical emergency resources to create stability for vulnerable renters and cash-strapped landlords—all in service to supporting an equitable recovery,” said Jill Smith, interim director of the Housing Stabilization Division at OHCS.
OHCS has paid out $390.38 million in emergency rental assistance to 60,829 households. The temporary emergency funding helped an estimated 130,000 Oregonians stay in their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
OHCS launched OERAP in May 2021, and after an initial slow start, the agency catapulted to become a state regularly ranked within the top five according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC). The agency was awarded additional funding from the U.S. Treasury and Oregon Legislature based on the demonstrated need. The agency and its partners have distributed more than half a billion in rental assistance from state and federal funding since January 2021.
Oregon has provided the highest percentage of assistance out of all the states, according to the NLIHC, ranking Oregon first in the nation in the percentage of emergency rental assistance funds paid out and obligated.
“As one of a handful of top-performing states, our program attributes our ability to scale the program quickly to our strong partnerships. Yet the demonstratable need remains,” said Smith. “We always knew that even with record levels of assistance, the need in Oregon continues to far exceed the available funding. I’m grateful to the Oregon Legislature for taking the forward-thinking step of funding additional eviction supports for struggling Oregonians. We know the need continues.”
As OERAP closes, eviction prevention will remain a top priority. OHCS created the Oregon Eviction Diversion and Prevention (ORE-DAP) Program with part of the $100 million in eviction prevention funding the agency received from the Oregon Legislature in December 2021.
The new program aims to quickly assist Oregonians facing evictions by delivering rental assistance and other critical eviction and housing-related resources such as case management, mediation, and legal services. This program is being administered statewide by community action agencies in partnership with culturally responsive organizations. To access ORE-DAP resources, tenants may contact their community action agencies or call 2-1-1 to be connected to resources in their area.
Important OERAP closure information for tenants
Tenants who previously received assistance and still need help must complete the recertification process on or before 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 12, 2022. Applicants must still be eligible for assistance to qualify for recertification payment.
Applicants may log in to the portal and check the status of their application to ensure it is complete. Tenants with incomplete recertification applications will need to provide missing documents or information. Failure to finalize and submit outstanding recertification applications by the deadline could result in the loss of SB 891 eviction protections.
If tenants are eligible to reapply and need additional assistance, they will receive an email with instructions on how to reapply. Remaining OERAP funding is limited, and even if an applicant is eligible, there is no guarantee their application will be funded.
Rental assistance remains available at the local level. For more information, tenants can call 2-1-1 or visit oregonrentalassistance.org. Individuals who have received an eviction notice should contact Oregon Law Center’s Eviction Defense Project for legal support. Landlords can be reimbursed for eligible non-payment costs such as rent and late fees incurred during the “safe harbor” period by applying to the Landlord Guarantee Program.
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July 20, 2022
Media Contact: Delia Hernández
HCS.mediarequests@hcs.oregon.gov
SALEM, Ore. — Oregon Housing and Community Services Executive Director Andrea Bell testified before the Senate Committee on Finance on Wednesday morning. Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., convened the congressional hearing to examine the role of tax incentives in affordable housing.
During the hearing, Director Bell explained how the tax code supports affordable housing for rental and homeownership because the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic has made it even harder to produce affordable housing. Construction costs have gone up drastically due to the rising cost of commodities needed for construction, supply chain disruptions, and workforce shortages.
“In the state of Oregon, nearly 70 percent of all rental homes financed in the last five years relied on bonds,” Director Bell said. “Housing finance agencies and our partners across the nation are doing everything that we can to prevent deals from falling through, but the unfortunate reality is that sometimes-financing gaps are simply too large and, in some cases, there are no resources to pull from.”
Similar to other states, Oregon has a severe housing supply shortage. Even though OHCS is substantially ahead of schedule three years into the 5-year Statewide Housing Plan, with nearly 19,000 affordable homes in the pipeline, 90 percent of the goal of 25,000 homes, it is not enough to meet the growing need. More than 584,000 homes are needed to meet our state’s population growth over the next twenty years. Nearly half of those homes must be built to be affordable to low-income Oregonians.
“With rising interest rates, escalating home prices, skyrocketing rents due to the mismatch of supply and demand, many would-be homeowners are often left stuck renting,” testified Director Bell. “And more than 70 percent of extremely low-income renters across the United States spent more than half of their income on housing in 2021. That is 70 percent of individuals that have to make tough decisions every single month throughout the year about what bills they will be able to pay and how they are going to get by.”
Director Bell urged Congressional action to address the housing crisis and advance four bills she addressed in her testimony—The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (AHCIA), the LIFELINE Act, the Affordable Housing Bond Enhancement Act, and the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act—to truly address the affordable housing crisis for both renters and homeowners.
The AHCIA is bipartisan legislation that would increase the supply of affordable housing by over 2 million homes, supporting 3 million jobs and generating $120 billion in tax revenues and $346 billion in wages and business income. The most critical provisions in the AHCIA for increasing production are lowering the 50 percent test for bond-financed Housing Credit developments and increasing the Housing Credit volume cap. Lowering the 50 percent test is especially important for Oregon because of the state’s high demand for bond cap. If the threshold for generating the full amount of 4 percent credits were lowered from 50 percent to 25 percent of total project costs, OHCS could finance more affordable housing using the same amount of total bond cap.
Director Bell’s full congressional testimony can be viewed here.
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