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Weekly Update
June 19, 2013
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SHA News
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SHA Welcomes Greg Sparks as its Interim Executive Director
Bob Erlenbusch has been a committed Executive Director for the past three years, and we wish him nothing but the best as he achieves important goals in homeless advocacy. We are excited to announce that Greg Sparks will act as SHA's Interim Executive Director.
Mr. Sparks has been professionally involved in affordable housing and community development for over 37 years. His career has focused in the non-profit housing community within California, working with Self-Help Enterprises, Rural Community Assistance Corporation, Peoples-Self-Help Housing Corporation, Rural California Housing Corporation and with Mercy Housing California. He currently serves as a consultant to organizations as they transition executive staff. He is a board member of the California Coalition for Rural Housing and the Board of Directors of the National Rural Housing Coalition.
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We hope all of our readers who are dads had a wonderful Father's Day. We'd like to extend a special thanks to all the fathers who support and love their children unconditionally. Read this heartwarming article about a dedicated father who is homeless.
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| Brandon Meyer and his 7 year-old son Nasir Meyer at the L.A. Family Housing Center in North Hollywood. (Photo by David Crane/Los Angeles Daily News) |
"Brandon Meyer is celebrating Father's Day with his son, Nasir, in a homeless shelter this year but the 33-year old single dad doesn't expect that to dampen his mood.
After Meyer was laid off last summer from his delivery driver job of nearly four years, he and Nasir, 7, were forced to give up their Reseda apartment in October. The two shared a couch at the homes of friends and a relative for months and at times stayed in motels before being referred to L.A. Family Housing's Sydney M. Irmas Transitional Living Center in North Hollywood, the San Fernando Valley's largest homeless family shelter."
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New Date for City of Sacramento Planning & Design Commission Workshop (6/27); Join Us for the Next Inclusionary Housing Community Stakeholders Meeting (7/3)
What: Inclusionary Housing Community Stakeholders Group Messaging & Framing Workshop
When: Tuesday, July 3, 2013, 3:00 p.m.
Where: Sacramento Housing Alliance
1800 21st Street, Suite 100
For more information*, contact Tamie Dramer at Tamie@sachousingalliance.org.
What: Planning and Design Commission Workshop on the Housing Element, Mixed Income Housing Ordinance, Housing Trust Fund Ordinance
When: Thursday, July 25, 2013, 5:30 p.m. Where: City Council Chambers 915 I Street, New City Hall
The City Planning Department is proposing potential changes to its Housing Element, which would eliminate the mixing of affordable units in new developments. While SHA supports going City-wide to expand the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, we oppose removing the mandatory requirements for mixing people of all income levels in new developments. Please join us July 3rd for a Messaging & Framing Workshop, which will be held in preparation for the Planning and Design Commission Workshop on July 25.
The purpose of this group is to educate and inform members of the affordable housing and social justice community about the 2013 City General Plan/Housing Element process and to organize around and advocate for the protection of the City's Mixed Income Housing Ordinance and expansion of its Affordable Housing Trust Fund.Your input and participation can help keep housing inclusive and within reach for everyone in our community. Click here for more information the City of Sacramento's housing needs.
Visit the City's General Plan and Housing Element webpages.
*Please notify us of necessary accommodations for your attendance at this meeting. We cannot provide transportation, but if you need any other assistance please let us know as soon as possible.
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Sacramento Bee Editorial Board: City and County Must Work as a Team on SHRA
Last Thursday, we announced that the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency/Joint Powers Authority was being considered for dissolution. The item was to be voted on by elected officials the following Tuesday. We urged you to contact the Mayor, your Councilmembers and County Supervisors to request an open conversation about this decision. Because of your great response, the potential dissolution of the SHRA was taken off of the City Council's and County Board of Supervisors' meeting agendas. We will continue to update you on the status of the SHRA/JPA, which maintains the distribution of 12,000+ housing choice vouchers.
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Ren�e C. Byer / Bee file, 2012
Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/06/17/5500001/city-and-county-must-work-as-a.html#storylink=cpy
Tavarus Blackmon plays with his daughter Hannah Cord-Blackmon in the backyard of a home in Oak Park that is subsidized through a program run by the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency. |
"Late Friday afternoon, Sacramento City Manager John Shirey pulled a controversial recommendation to terminate the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency from the City Council's Tuesday agenda. He was right to do so. It should never have been placed on the agenda in the first place, and certainly not with so little notice.
Shirey's recommendation produced a firestorm of protest from local housing advocates. They complained, justifiably, that they had been blindsided. Neither the city manager nor anyone else had notified them about..."
Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/06/17/5500001/city-and-county-must-work-as-a.html#storylink=cpy
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Help End Hunger Now! Sign the Sacramento Hunger Coalition's Online Petition, Call & Tweet
Thank you to all of those who participated in the Sacramento Hunger Coalition's inaugural Hunger Action Week.
Here are some steps YOU can take to end hunger now:
1. Sign our online petition to demand a 2013 hearing on the state of hunger in California.
2. Call 1-855-48TABLE (488-2253) to be connected to your representative and share this crucial information:
The House will soon review a Farm Bill that includes up to $20 billion in cuts to SNAP. Your Representatives need to hear from you. When you call, you will be connected to your member of Congress' office. Here's what to say:
"SNAP, formerly food stamps, is a critical anti-hunger safety net program that effectively and efficiently helps 47 million low-income Americans put food on the table. You must work to protect and strengthen SNAP, as you consider the 2013 farm bill."
"I urge you to support efforts to restore cuts to the program and to vigorously oppose any proposals that cut SNAP."
"As a constituent and a voter, I plan to stay informed about how you and your colleagues address hunger in the United States."
3. Tweet & Call Congress
Step 1: Find your representatives - As the Farm Bill passed through the Senate June 10, the House should be a priority. Representatives are expected to discuss the legislation this week.
The Senate: http://www.govsm.com/w/Senate
The House of Representatives: http://www.govsm.com/w/House
Step 2: Tweet Congress
@[mysenator] Saw @PlaceAtTheTable and hunger is a voting issue to me. No cuts to #SNAP or our food safety net! #endhungernow
@[myrepresentative] Saw @PlaceAtTheTable and I need you to make ending
hunger a priority NOW. Will vote accordingly. #endhungernow
Step 3: Tweet friends to do the same!
Hunger in America is a political condition. Tell your reps to make ending
hunger a priority NOW. #endhungernow
After clicking the link below, please add a personal message to scroll to the Help End Hunger section of this e-newsletter.
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Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute Open House Today
The Sacramento Housing Alliance is proud to sponsor a unique leadership program for the Sacramento region. The Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute identifies, trains, places and supports low-income people and people of color for priority boards and commissions seats in the Sacramento region. Priority seats are those that influence equity in terms of transportation, land use, housing, jobs and the environment.
The program will develop leaders who are knowledgeable about the issues, are prepared with technical and political knowledge, and are able to make decisions to advance opportunity, community well-being, and equity in the Sacramento region.
Please join us on today, June 19 for an informational Open House on the Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute. After giving a background on the goals and development of the program, we will answer any questions you may have regarding the program. Please share this invitation with your networks.
Who should attend:
Individuals interested in being nominated to the program and organizations interested in nominating individuals.
When:
Today! Wednesday, June 19, 2013, 4:00 - 5:30 p.m.
Where: The meeting room in Mercy Housing California's 7th & H (720 7th Street, Sacramento (entry through lobby on 7th)
For more information and to RSVP:
Please contact Veronica Beaty at
(916) 455-4900 x 306 or
Veronica@sachousingalliance.org
Nominations Materials
The nomination period is open for the 2013 cohort of the Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute. The nomination period has been extended to June 25.
To nominate someone for the 2013 Cohort or seek nomination yourself, please review the Nominations Packet materials below:
BCLI Overview
Guidelines for Nominations
Nomination Cover Sheet
Priority Seats
The Boards & Commissions Leadership Institute is made possible through generous support from the California Endowment and Sierra Health Foundation.
Questions about the BCLI and the nominations process should be directed to Veronica Beaty, Land Use Policy Director for the Sacramento Housing Alliance. Please email her at veronica@sachousingalliance.org. or call (916) 455-4900 x 306.
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Action Alert! Sign SHA's Open Letter to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors
Are you a resident of Sacramento? Your signature onto our Open Letter will send a clear message to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors that everyone in our community deserves an affordable home. Together, we can safeguard the landmark Inclusionary Housing Ordinance in Sacramento County*, as well as housing for Extremely Low-Income households in the Housing Element portion of the County's General Plan.
Spread the word on this important cause to other Sacramento residents! After clicking the link below, please add a personal message to scroll to the Action Alert section of this e-newsletter.
*The County Inclusionary Housing Ordinance is one of several "tools" used by the County to produce housing that is affordable for households with incomes below the Area Median Income of $76.000 per year.
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Local News
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Press Release: Mutual Housing awarded more than $14.5 million for farmworkers' development in Woodland
"Without redevelopment funding, developing affordable housing communities have to rely even more heavily on tax credits. Because the economy is picking up, private investors are willing to buy them again.
Mutual Housing California has been allocated more than $14.5 million in aggregate federal and state tax credits, which they can use to raise more than $12 million for the development of housing in Woodland for agricultural workers."
Read the full press release here.
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Folsom Draft Housing Element and General Plan Vision & Guiding Principles Available for Public Review
The City of Folsom is performing an update to its Housing Element, which affects the affordability and accessibility of housing. Please provide your input to help keep housing inclusive and within reach for everyone in our community. Also join the City of Folsom's conversation about the city's vision and guiding principles.
The following information is from the City of Folsom.
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The City of Folsom has completed a draft of the 2013-2021 Housing Element, which is now available for public review and comment. The Housing Element is part of the General Plan, and contains the goals, policies, and implementation programs to preserve, improve, and develop housing for all economic segments of the community.
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Please Join Us!
The City of Folsom is updating its General Plan and would like to hear from you! Share your ideas for making our great city even better.
Community Workshop #1 Summary: Opportunities, Challenges, and a Vision for the Future
The summary for the first Community Workshop is now posted on the Folsom 2035 General Plan website. The summary describes all the public input we received at the workshop. You can download a copy of the Community Workshop #1 Summary here.
The purpose of the workshop was to begin developing a vision for the Folsom General Plan, and to have the community identify the city's major assets, issues, and opportunities on which the General Plan should focus. The City held the workshop in the Folsom Community Center on April 2, 2013, and over 60 participants attended.
Vision and Guiding Principles Ready for Public Review
The City received hundreds of comments from participants at the first Community Workshop and the online Town Hall Forum, which are the basis for the Draft Vision and Guiding Principles posted on the Folsom 2035 General Plan website. You can download a copy here.
The City is seeking your input on the Draft Vision and Guiding Principles through the Folsom 2035 Town Hall Forum. Visit the Town Hall Forum to answer the following question: Do the Draft Vision and Guiding Principles reflect your vision for the city?
You can access the featured question here. You can also send written comments to:
Scott Johnson, AICP, Planning Manager Folsom City Hall, 2nd Floor 50 Natoma Street Folsom, CA 5630 sjohnson@folsom.ca.us
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The Tribune: Capitol Alert: Matsui completes food-stamp challenge with a few cents to spare
Three days and $13.37 later, Rep. Doris Matsui of Sacramento said she was struck by how challenging it was to eat properly on a food-stamp budget.
Matsui was among 30 House Democrats who took part in the SNAP Challenge to protest cuts in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program proposed in Congress. She and her colleagues lived on the average benefit of $4.50 a day.
"While this was temporary for me, it is reality for the millions of Americans who are never sure where their next meal will come from," Matsui wrote on her Facebook page. "As we debate the Farm Bill in the House this week I will continue to oppose outlandish cuts to the SNAP program."
Read Curtis Tate's full article here.
Read more here: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2013/06/17/2550195/capitol-alert-matsui-completes.html#storylink
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Interpreting the Affordable Care Act Event
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State News
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SB 391 Moves to Assembly: We Need Your Help
As we reported last Wednesday, thanks to all your hard work, the California Homes and Jobs Act passed the Senate 27-12 and now heads to the Assembly.
We are back in action and focusing our attention on the first committee that will hear the bill: The Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee.
The bill could be heard as early as June 19, so we need to get letters to the committee members by June 12th (today!).
- Take Action: Visit SB 391's Action Center to download a sample letter to send to the members of the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee.
Thank you again for taking action. Watch for a full campaign update coming soon.
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WCLP Human Services Budget Summary
State legislators are expecting to pass another on-time budget before the constitutional deadline to pass a balanced budget of June 15th. This year's budget takes small, but important, steps to address deep poverty and a growing lack of opportunity for our poorest neighbors. Read more.
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CA Pan-Ethnic Health Network: State Legislature Votes to Approve Medi-Cal Expansion
On Saturday, June 15th, the state legislature took a historic step towards fulfilling the promise of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by passing legislation that expands Medi-Cal to 1.4 million low-income individuals and families in California. More than two-thirds (67%) of the newly eligible will be from communities of color and one-third will speak English less than very well. Key provisions of AB x 1 1 and SB x 1 1 include:
- Expanding eligibility to childless adults and those with incomes up to 138% of the Federal Poverty Level ($15,856 per year for an individual).
- Maintaining state-only Medi-Cal for currently eligible individuals. Parents and caretakers will also be allowed to stay in Medi-Cal with their children.
- Providing newly qualified childless adult immigrants here for less than five years with coverage through Covered California with the same premium, cost-sharing, and benefits as in Medi-Cal.
- Streamlining the process for renewing coverage.
The legislature also passed key budget trailer bills that will improve the health of our communities. These bills include a restoration of most dental services and oral nutrition to 3 million adults on Medi-Cal starting in May 2014, improvement of mental health and substance abuse services, and an extension of Medi-Cal coverage for former foster youth until other options become available under the ACA. The legislature also approved $500 million for health programs through a managed care organization (MCO) tax and cut $300 million from county funds that support the safety net programs that will serve the 3 to 4 million remaining uninsured.
The bills now move to Governor Brown for his signature. Be sure to check the CA Pan-Ethnic Health Network's Policy Center at www.cpehn.org for more information on other key health bills.
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National News
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Think Progress: Connecticut Passes Landmark 'Homeless Person's Bill of Rights Law'
| Credit: Shutterstock |
"Connecticut is on the cusp of enacting a major new law to protect people who are homeless from discrimination.
Last week, Connecticut lawmakers passed the "Homeless Person's Bill Of Rights" at the literal 11th hour - 11:30pm on June 5th, one half hour before the legislative session ended. The bill, SB 896, a landmark piece of legislation to protect homeless individuals' rights, adds homeless people as a protected class who can't be discriminated against in..."
Read Scott Keyes' full article here.
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Neighborhood Funders Group Presents Tenant Organizing Across the US Webinar
Register Now
What: Tenant Organizing Across the US Webinar
Where: Register here for link.
When: Tuesday, June 25
Neighborhood Funders Group's Tenant Organizing Across the US Webinar will feature community-based organizations that have won major victories, and those in the midst of campaigns for smart, fair community development. Register today and log onto this webinar to learn about these models for broad-based tenant organizing:
- the rights of tenants in foreclosed building
- successful fights against mass rent-hikes and evictions
- fair local neighborhood development informed by the expressed needs of local residents
- land zoning to benefit local low-income tenant residents--not corporate developers
- holding landlords accountable to court orders to repair building to a habitable condition
- collective bargaining with Section 8 tenants
- an historic victory this month in Chicago, lead by the Albany Park Neighborhood Council, that makes Chicago the second largest city in the U.S. to implement this type of protection for renters living in foreclosed buildings - learn more about the victory in Chicago here.
Join the Neighborhood Funders Group June 25th, and hear from tenant organizers and legal advocates from around the country!
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JOIN SACRAMENTO HOUSING ALLIANCE
Our mission is to work for safe, decent, accessible, affordable housing and healthy communities for homeless and low-income people through advocacy, education, leadership development and civic engagement.
Jessica Merrill
Communications Director
Sacramento Housing Alliance
1800 21st Street, Suite 100, Sacramento, CA 95811
Work: (916) 455-4900 x302
Cell: (707) 330-6838
jessica@sachousingalliance.org
www.sachousingalliance.org
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STAY CONNECTED
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