The Latest News
December 2018
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The 2008 recession is now officially over. We weathered that financial storm and begun to build more units, but increasingly at the higher end of the market. Middle income folks lost their sub-prime mortgaged homes, became renters, and are now paying astronomical rents. Side note – the perpetrators were bailed out.
Cost of housing and real estate continue to grow causing low and moderate income people to pay more of their income towards housing. So where am I going with this? This is where you come in. More important now than ever before, housing authorities must take on the responsibility of providing adequate affordable housing options for their communities. We have to add inventory at the moderate level that is not being produced by the private market. We have to communicate that to law and policy makers from the local to federal levels. Let us have those hard conversations with them and make them aware of your existence and how you can be that catalyst to smooth out the market and provide the needed affordable inventory. We have a few tools at our disposal, such as the tax credit program, but all in all we need more than that to make a real difference. We need to land-bank as land is the biggest impediment and cost driver to building affordable housing, especially in urban communities. We need to ask public funders to increase grant levels to use as equity when we build. We need to be smart and nimble with the capital markets, i.e. finding lower interest rate money so we can keep rents low. Banks have to know that we can make money for them, just not at the rates they ask of the private market.
OK that was not much of a Christmas message, but there is no better time to start to think about transforming your organizations for the New Year so to better respond to the affordable housing challenge. Have a fruitful 2019!
Saeed Hajarizadeh
PNRC President
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Mark Your Calendars for the
2019 PNRC-NAHRO Annual Conference
April 28-30, 2019
Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront
The 2019 Conference Planning Committee is working hard to bring to you another great conference. In 2019 we will have seven tracks including Emerging Leaders, Finance, Housing & Healthcare, Maintenance, Leadership for Executives & Commissioners, Resident Services and Section 8/Public Housing & Continuum of Care. We are lining up the breakout sessions, keynote speakers, exhibitors and other activities that we are certain will provide you with the professional development and networking opportunities that you expect each year. We hope to see you there for another attendance record breaking conference!
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ORFH Director of Housing Policy named to Washington State Housing Trust Fund Policy Advisory Team
Korbie Jorgensen Haley, Director of Housing Policy for the Office of Rural and Farmworker Housing (ORFH), has been appointed to a three-year-term on the 31-member Washington State Housing Trust Fund Policy Advisory Team (PAT). The Policy Advisory Team is part of the Housing Finance Unit (HFU) of the Washington State Department of Commerce and is a subcommittee of the Governor’s Affordable Housing Advisory Board (AHAB).
The Policy Advisory Team represents the broad array of interest groups that comprise the affordable housing community across Washington State.
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Jorgensen Haley, a Yelm resident, was selected because of her background as an affordable housing developer with ORFH. Her experience operating a small family farm in Yelm will also enable her to represent the interests of rural communities in Washington State.
As part of the team, Jorgensen Haley’s role will be to periodically review administrative policies and procedures related to HFU programs and make recommendations to the HFU, Dept. of Commerce, and AHAB. PAT members are expected to ensure that stakeholders and constituents of the group(s) they represent are informed of key issues discussed by the PAT and any resulting recommendations. PAT meetings are held quarterly in Olympia. Meetings are open to all interested parties.
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The Housing Authority of Snohomish County Acquires Carvel at Harbour Point in Mukilteo to Provide Relief to Cost Burdened Families in the Area
Carvel at Harbour Point, located at 4500 Harbour Pointe Blvd in Mukilteo, was built in 1998 and consists of 230 units in the master-planned Harbour Pointe community. The location of the property was unincorporated at the time of HASCO’s incorporation in 1971 but was incorporated into the City of Mukilteo in 1991. The property is in an ideal location, close to schools, retail and public amenities.
As a long-term owner, HASCO is committed to maintaining the viability and the current affordability levels at the property. Our strategy will be to slow down the rate of increase on current rents by maintaining the existing finish levels or completing more modest unit renovations when needed. Acquisition of this project supports HASCO’s mission: We envision a future where all Snohomish County residents have safe and affordable housing. Where community becomes opportunity and where housing becomes a home.
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Drowning under a rising economic tide
POCATELLO — The region’s poorest residents haven’t benefited from recent economic prosperity, and have actually been falling further behind, according to officials who provide services to locals in need.
Compounding the problem, Sunny Shaw, executive director of Housing Alliance and Community Partnerships, or HACP, recently warned the City Council the community has a severe shortage of affordable-housing options.
Shaw explained the strong economy is inflating the cost of housing and other living expenses. Consequently, dollars aren’t stretching as far for workers earning Idaho’s $7.25-per-hour minimum wage, or receiving stagnant Social Security or disability payments. And as good jobs enter the market, the poorest in the community often lack the education to qualify.
Citing statistics from the Urban Institute’s County Affordability Map, Shaw said there are 100 extremely low-income Bannock County residents in need of housing for every 66 affordable units available. A household of four earning a combined salary of $25,000 is considered extremely low income.
“As our economy grows, we are not keeping up with the demand for affordable housing,” Shaw said. “We need to figure out ways we can do that.”
See entire story here.
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Seattle and King County Housing Authorities team up
with King County to house 426 additional homeless and disabled households
The Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) and the King County Housing Authority (KCHA) received notice of new federal voucher funding to help house the region’s most vulnerable and homeless households. In total, the three recent funding awards will enable the two housing authorities, working in partnership with King County, the Federal Veterans Administration (VA) and the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families, to house 426 additional households.
Earlier this year, the housing authorities applied to the federal government for additional housing vouchers in three separate categories. They worked in partnership with the King County Department of Community and Human Services to propose a coordinated program in which the vouchers could immediately be put into use to help homeless veterans, homeless families and youth, and adults with disabilities secure stable housing and the support services they need to remain stably housed.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded the new vouchers through three separate programs: Mainstream Vouchers for non-elderly adults with disabilities; Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) Vouchers for homeless veterans, provided jointly through HUD and the VA; and Family Unification Program (FUP) Vouchers, which are used to assist both homeless families with children who are involved with the child welfare system and foster children at risk of homelessness as they age out of the system at age 18. Awards in Seattle and King County were as follows:
SHA: Mainstream - 79; VASH - 15; FUP - 75
KCHA: Mainstream - 99; VASH - 97; FUP - 61
The King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) has several divisions that work directly with the special populations the vouchers will assist, and it oversees the region’s coordinated Homeless Management Information System. The housing authorities will work with DCHS and community partners to identify individuals and families eligible for and most in need of the additional vouchers. The KCHA Mainstream award builds on the Authority’s Housing Access and Support Program (HASP), which is already supporting 1,800 disabled households in partnership with King County and community-based providers as well as existing VASH and FUP programs that are providing 1,196 vouchers. SHA, which currently serves 769 households with Mainstream, VASH and FUP vouchers, is working with DCHS to identify people who have been in shelter housing long term and no longer need intensive services if there is a stable housing option, thus freeing up capacity in the system for homeless people to newly come into shelter and obtain the higher level of services.
More than 30 partner agencies are working to support these households through King County’s homeless crisis response system. They help identify eligible people, assist them through the voucher application process, help find appropriate rentals including physically accessible units, assist voucher recipients through the leasing process and provide home and community-based services after a household has received a voucher through this partnership.
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Chris Pegg Retiring at End of the Year
HOSWWA Executive Director and NAHRO Fellow will be retiring at the end of the year. Chris served
on the NAHRO Board of Governors from 2001-2009 and from 2011-2013, served as NAHRO Legislative Network Chair 2011-2013, served as Vice President-Housing 2001-2003, served as PNRC Regional President 2005-2007 and past president 2007-2009.
Thank you Chris for your many years of dedication, innovation and service to the housing industry.
To see more about Chris' accomplishments,
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Groundbreaking for Driftwood Point
The groundbreaking for Driftwood Point, a 27-unit affordable housing community in Long Beach, WA, took place on Tuesday October 30, 2018. This project, when completed in 2019, will provide subsidized housing for homeless families with children and other vulnerable populations. A partnership between the Joint Pacific County Housing Authority (JPCHA), owner of the property, and Housing Opportunities of SW WA (HOSWWA) made this development possible. It includes 18 two-bedroom units, 3 one-bedroom units and 6 three-bedroom units. Project development services and on-site management will be provided by HOSWWA.
City Officials that attended the event were, the Mayor, City Councilmembers, City Manager, and Planning Director of Long Beach. Additionally in attendance were Board members from JPCHA and HOSWWA. As well as development team members of JPCHA and HOSWWA, Freedman Associates, Laura Smith from Bank of the Pacific, Kelly Rupp from LeadToResults, Erik Fagerland who is the architect, and the construction crew from Pacific Tech Construction.
The project is projected to be completed in the Fall of 2019 and ready for occupancy early winter of 2019. The approximate cost of the project is $8M.
Primary financing is through the sale of Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, Washington State Housing Trust Fund, Pacific County Document Recording fees, and Joint Pacific County Housing Authority loans. Pre-development financing was provided by the Bank of the Pacific, and construction financing by US Bank NA.
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Our Read More, Learn More Initiative participated in The Free Little Library
Two “Little Libraries” that just opened at affordable housing units here have an ambitious purpose: Boosting high school graduation rates and breaking the cycle of poverty.
“The correlation between smoking and cancer is less than the correlation between not being able to read at the third grade level and not graduating from high school,” said Gus Nolte, board vice chairman Housing Opportunities of Southwest Washington (formerly the Longview Housing Authority).
The Little Libraries will provide families living in the Tulip Valley and Lilac Place apartments with 24-hour access to books.
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Catholic Charities Breaks Ground on project to Help Homeless Families, Disabled, and Low-Income Residents Gain Housing in Wenatchee
Catholic Charities Housing Services (CCHS) broke ground on a $16.9 million, 67-unit affordable housing development located at 1545 S. Mission Street in Wenatchee, Washington. This innovative development utilizes a Housing First model to provide affordable housing and integrated services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness, people with disabilities and low-income residents. The four-story, 71,846 square foot building will be comprised of one, two and three bedroom units to serve a broad spectrum of affordable housing needs in the community.
“Today is the culmination of more than three years of planning and simply would not have been possible without strong partnerships with a number of community agencies, City and County support as well as other public and private partners”, said Bryan Ketcham, CCHS director.
The development will have on-site management, a community room and meeting spaces for services. The development team consists of MC Lundgren - General Contractor, Beacon Development Group - Development Partner, ZBA Architecture - Architect, The Housing Authority of Chelan County, and the City of Wenatchee - Property Manager.
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Bremerton passes 2019 budget, outlines $128 million in spending
The City of Bremerton’s 2019 budget includes $100,000 from the general fund to Bremerton Housing Authority to support a local rental assistance program that will provide rent subsidies, eviction prevention, and a security deposit revolving loan fund.
See entire story here.
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Sunset Court Apartments
The Renton Housing Authority (RHA), as General Partner of the Sunset Court LLP, is leading the way in the development and construction of the Sunset Court Apartments (Project) in Renton, WA. The 50-unit project will be home to working individuals and families, people with disabilities, and homeless who are seeking an affordable place to live, raise children, age comfortably, build fulfilling lives, and to contribute to their community.
The Project is located at 1144 Harrington Ave NE and consists of a site area of approximately 87,000 sq. ft. The Project consists of 4 buildings, ranging from two-stories to three-stories, containing one, two and three-bedroom residential units, with a total building area of 47,693 SF. Of the fifty units, twenty-five (25) will be set-aside at 50% AMI, and twenty-five (25) to be set-aside at 30% AMI.
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Union leader named to Housing Finance Commission
Governor Jay Inslee has named Noe Castillo, Jr., of the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters to the Washington State Housing Finance Commission.
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Castillo, who is director of labor compliance and education for the Carpenters, will immediately start serving his four-year term as the union seat on the Commission. He will vote in his first meeting today at the Housing Finance Commission in downtown Seattle.
“We are excited to have Noe’s perspective and leadership on the Commission as we work together on our state’s housing challenges,” said Karen Miller, chair of the Housing Finance Commission.
Castillo, a native of central Washington state, joined the Carpenters’ Union in 1994 and has since served as delegate and treasurer for Exterior-Interior Systems Local Union 41 in Renton.
After six years as an organizer, he was appointed director of labor compliance and education at the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters.
Castillo is passionate about helping defend non-union carpenters from unscrupulous contractors. He lives in Issaquah with his wife and three daughters.
As a Commissioner, he will help to oversee programs that have helped more than 73,000 people become homeowners and financed more than 128,000 affordable apartments statewide.
“I am excited for this opportunity and can’t wait to get started,” Castillo said.
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Kim Herman inducted into national Affordable Housing Hall of Fame
Kim Herman, executive director of the Washington State Housing Finance Commission, will be inducted into the national Affordable Housing Hall of Fame.
The recognition by Affordable Housing Finance magazine will be presented today in a ceremony at the Affordable Housing Developers Summit in Chicago, Ill. Each year, AHF honors four leaders who have made a notable difference in the lives of low-income Americans.
Kim Herman has been a champion of affordable housing throughout Washington state and the country for more than 40 years. His work has helped Washington’s most disadvantaged people, including seniors, farmworkers, and the homeless, as well as moderate-income families.
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Ochoco School Grand Opening
On Monday, October 29
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, Housing Works joined partners, sponsors, community members and state-level dignitaries to celebrate the grand opening of Ochoco School Crossing. Ochoco Grade School served the community of Prineville for nearly 70 years, before closing its doors in 2013. Housing Works purchased the property, and with the help of Low Income Housing Tax Credits and HOME funds from the state of Oregon, the abandoned school has gained a second life as an affordable apartment community. Ochoco School Crossing is a mix of studio, one, two and three bedroom apartments. The property is income restricted to households at or below 50% AMI. All 29 units were leased up in seven days, driving home the desperate need for more affordable housing in Prineville.
Speakers at the grand opening included Sarah DeVries, State of Oregon Housing Stability Council Member, Mayor Betty Roppe, Representative Mike McLane and Senator Dennis Linthicum. Additional speakers representing Wells Fargo, NeighborImpact, and Crook County Parks & Recreation District participated. The property was dedicated to Tom Kemper, Housing Works former Executive Director, who was instrumental in getting Ochoco School Crossing funded and built.
Afterwards, speakers gathered in front of the residential entrance to cut the ceremonial red ribbon. Guests were allowed to tour the property, with peeks into 9 of the 29 already occupied apartments, wide interior hallways and three community rooms. The former gym, where the speakers addressed event guests, will soon operate as a community recreation center.
The Ochoco School Crossing campus is a wonderful mix of affordable housing, space for community gatherings and classes, opportunities for connecting through the onsite recreation center, and plenty of outdoor space to mingle and bond as a community.
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Awards of Merit in Housing and Community Development
Applications for 2019 are now being accepted
The NAHRO Agency Awards Program was created to give national recognition to the achievement and innovation of NAHRO agency/organizational members throughout the country; to provide additional opportunities to inform the public of the best in housing and community development; and to create a resource bank of information on significant, innovative activities performed by housing and redevelopment agencies and community development departments. Since 1989, NAHRO has honored more than 6,000 programs. The awards application process opens in October and closes in January.
The Agency Awards Program is a two-tiered program consisting of the Awards of Merit and the Awards of Excellence. The first tier of the program, the Awards of Merit, are submitted to National NAHRO and sent to Regional Juries for review. The second tier of the program, the Awards of Excellence, are selected from the Award of Merit winners nominated for an Award of Excellence by the Regional Juries. They are sent to National Juries who may select up to 24 Awards of Excellence in a given year.
The Awards Application consists of two main parts. A Program Summary that describes the program in 100 words or less and a Program Narrative that creates an overview of the program that addresses a set list of questions/topics in 2,400 words or less. For more information,
please review the 2019 Awards Flyer.
2019 Deadlines
/Application Fee:
Regular: $75 by December 14, 2018
Late: $150 by January 11, 2019
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2019 NAHRO Biennial Elections
The NAHRO leadership changes hands biennially with the election of a President and Senior Vice President by the NAHRO membership.
Campaigning for biennial elections begins at national conferences in even-numbered years and concludes with the election in the fall in odd-numbered years. NAHRO Associates and Allied Individual members are eligible to seek the office of NAHRO President or Senior Vice President.
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Candidate for President:
Sunny Shaw, CME
Executive Director,
Housing Alliance and Community Partnerships
Pocatello, ID
208-233-6276
Twitter: @sunnyshaw7
Candidate for Senior Vice President:
Patricia S. Wells. CME
Deputy Executive Director,
Oakland Housing Authority
Oakland, CA
(510) 874-1516
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2019 Calendar
'What Home Means to Me'
Each year, NAHRO's Housing America campaign holds a poster contest for children living in affordable housing owned or administered by NAHRO member agencies. Participants create posters that express the theme of “What Home Means to Me.” The contest is a collaborative effort of NAHRO’s local and state chapters, regional chapters and national NAHRO.
Proceeds from the calendar sales go to a fund for the contest winners. The 12 national honorees will each receive $100 Visa gift cards. The Grand Prize honoree will receive an iPad; his or her family will also be provided with transportation to and from, as well as lodging at NAHRO’s 2019 Washington Conference. The Grand Prize honoree will also receive a framed copy of their original artwork and will tour Capitol Hill.
This year, calendars are available for $9.99. Shipping charges are included. All of the proceeds go to the 2019 contest winners' gifts.
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For a list of all of the job openings in the region, please visit our
website.
If you have position you would like included in the newsletter and on the website, please email Regional Service Officer, Kristen Damazio at
kdamazio@nahro.org
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