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May, 2015      
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From The Director's Desk John Miller Portrait
Portland's "State of Housing" Report: A Call to Action

Last week the City of Portland published a report titled "State of Housing in Portland." For many of us living and working in the city, the report offered very few surprises. Instead, it provided hard evidence of realities and trends that we've known anecdotally for many years: A majority of families can't afford their housing costs; there are not enough affordable homes on the market to meet the need; wages have been stagnant as housing costs have skyrocketed; poverty has shifted east; and minority populations have been displaced from close-in city neighborhoods to the outskirts and suburbs. Market forces are not meeting the housing needs of the community, yet the city does not have the resources to keep up with the swelling demand. Now we have the facts to back up a reality we've witnessed developing for several years.

This picture is not unique to Portland. Eugene, Corvallis, Hood River, Bend, Roseburg, Medford and several Coastal communities can paint very similar pictures. Indeed, it does seem that the need is almost everywhere in the state. Many thanks to all of you who are working hard to reverse these trends. Your tireless dedication to solving this problem is invaluable. Throughout the state we have seen continued positive work despite these trends. When we have the resources, we can and do make a big difference in our communities. We just need more resources.

The good news is that some significant help may be on the way. In the capitol this session housing is on everyone's lips. The Governor has made "$100 million for housing" a priority. OHCS has emerged from its transformation process stronger than before, and ready for action. Lifting the ban on Inclusionary Zoning may actually happen! There are several housing related bills that are moving along with very little resistance. This is shaping up to be a very good session for housing but we still have a long way to go and will need your help to get there - watch for alerts and emails from us - and take action!

There is also a lot of work happening outside of Salem. Communities throughout the state are looking for affordable housing tools that would address their needs, and taking action to implement those tools. Oregon ON is about to work with many jurisdictions just outside of Portland to set strategies to meet their growing housing needs. It's refreshing to see that all around the state citizens and leaders are taking action.

Portland's "State of Housing" report may not have contained too many surprises, but it has served as a wake-up call to both the community and elected leaders. I'm optimistic that we will finally start to see needed significant investments in our affordable housing infrastructure throughout the state. As an industry we have the will and the skill to solve this problem. Together with our elected leaders we can create a less bleak picture - of the Oregon we all want to live in.

Thanks in advance for your continued help in this effort!

What's Happening?
News From Our Members
Spring Conference attendees
Upcoming Events
Oregon ON and Industry Wide 

Portland Public Forum: State of Housing Report May 8
Oregon ON Leadership Retreat May 18-19
Oregon ON Fall Industry Support Conference Sept 22
Oregon ON Gala Sept 21

NHA Annie Ross House Plant Sale May 9
Grand Opening of Orchards at Orenco June 29

Policy Updates
Building Oregon's Future: Tell legislators about your vision for Oregon homes

What would it mean to you if Oregon made a significant investment in safe, decent, affordable homes? Click here to learn more about the proposed $100 million investment in housing, and share your hopes and ideas for housing opportunity in our state. Add your voice to the thousands of Oregonian calling for bold action to tackle our statewide housing crisis.

 

Join us in Salem on  May 13!
Housing Opportunity Day is just around the corner - show your support for $100 million for homes, emergency rent and shelter assistance, preservation of affordable homes, foreclosure prevention counseling and more. 

RSVP today!


Member Spotlight Proud Ground Logo
Proud Ground

How Forever-Affordable Works
It's simple. Proud Ground has an agreement with its homeowners. If they ever decide to sell-and they don't ever have to-they will share any gain in value in their home with another moderate-income homebuyer, someone just like them. Family after family, resale after resale.

What's important to keep in mind is that when funds are invested in a Proud Ground home to make it affordable, that investment only happens once, at the first sale. That's it. After the first investment of funds, no extra funding is needed, ever, to keep the home affordable at future resales.

This works because the funding is in the form of a grant that never requires repayment-the funding stays with the home. Equally important is that the first homeowner shares the home's appreciation with the next homeowner in the form of an affordable sales price, and that homeowner will do the same with the next, and so on.

Here's an example:
Alicia (Proud Ground homeowner #294, shown getting her keys from PG Realtor Tyler) bought a Proud Ground resale home for just $156,500.
The home's value? $235,000.

That's right: Alicia paid $78,500 LESS than the home's full market value. And what a home: Built in 2011 Alicia's new 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath condo is Earth Advantage-certified energy efficient (low utility bills!) with other green features such as bamboo floors and triple-pane windows.

NO ADDITIONAL FUNDING was required to make Alicia's home affordable, because that happened at the first sale. And that's all that's needed.

How affordable are Proud Ground homes?

Alicia's $1,059 monthly house payment, which includes taxes, insurance & HOA fees, is just about what she had been paying in rent


Don't Forget to Sign Up!
Upcoming Oregon ON Events

May 18-19, 2015 - Leadership Retreat presented by Umpqua Bank 

Join Oregon ON, Umpqua Bank and fellow directors and leaders at the Oregon Garden Resort for a retreat focused on leadership issues and industry challenges.  Attendees will received 1 ½ days of learning, including:


June 1st - Stay Tuned: First Annual Oregon ON Innovation Award

Oregon Opportunity Network is excited to announce a new award that will be delivered at our Fall conference! The Oregon ON Innovation Award, presented by Bank of America, seeks to award an individual or team who has uniquely changed the affordable housing landscape in Oregon. Entries will be evaluated based on sustainability, collaboration, and overall impact. Projects must be replicable/scalable and include success metrics. The winner of the Innovation Award will receive an award, a cash prize, and the chance to present their project/idea at the Oregon ON Fall Industry Support Conference!

 

Sign up here to be notified of official announcement and instructions on how to apply


September 21st   - Save the Date: Oregon ON Awards Gala 
September 22nd - Save the Date: Fall Industry Support Conference

Sponsorship opportunities for the Conference and the Gala
Our Annual Gala will be at the Oregon Convention Center on September 21st. The Conference will convene the next day at the same place. Contact us for more information

Contact:
Desi Bellamy 
Communications and Development Manager
847 NE 19th Ave. Ste. 150 Portland, OR  |  503.823.4041