Using “Multi-Solves” to take on the Housing and Climate Crises Simultaneously
Date: Monday, Oct. 4
Time: 10:30 am - 11:30 am PDT (1:30 pm -2:30 pm EDT)
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Presenter:
Odetta MacLeish-White, Director of Georgia Initiatives, Center for Community Progress
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Description:
Odetta MacLeish-White, Director of Georgia Initiatives for the Center for Community Progress, will explore the need to recognize the dynamics of power and privilege in our conversations around sustainability and the development of affordable housing. Under-resourced communities have been multi-solving, repurposing, and living sustainably for generations but structural and institutional racism make it disproportionately difficult for communities of color, and the development partners who want to work with them, to access the resources they need to demonstrate robust community engagement and accomplish projects on time and on budget. MacLeish-White has worked for twenty years in affordable housing development, policy and financing. Her career has included empowering residents and community members to influence development and funding processes that impact their neighborhoods.
Converting Motels and Hotels into Affordable Housing—It Works!
Date: Monday, Oct. 4
Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm PDT (3:00 pm - 4:00 pm EDT)
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Moderator:
Yolanda Davila, BBVA
Panelists:
Megan Loeb, Associate Program Officer for Economic Vitality and Health at Oregon Community Foundation
Walter Moreau, Executive Director, Foundation Communities
Linda Taylor, H.O.M.E.S., Inc.
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Description:
States, cities and nonprofits are transforming older or vacant motels and hotels into short and long-term housing for the homeless. In this session you'll learn about strategies for creating permanent housing for youth aging out of foster care, the chronically homeless, and homeless veterans. The session will also explore hotels as rapid acquisitions to provide safe, socially distanced shelter for community members impacted by wildfires and COVID-19. Learn about the often complex financial structures cobbled together--often at great speed--to make these things happen, and how developers have navigated zoning challenges and NIMBY backlashes. These are creative opportunities to quickly stabilize older or vacant unused structures and to focus on creating long-term permanent housing.
Protecting Communities as LIHTC Affordability Periods Expire
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 5
Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm PDT (3:00 pm - 4:00 pm EDT)
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Panelists:
David Davenport, Managing Partner, BC Davenport, LLC
Ellen Lurie Hoffman, Senior Director of Federal Policy, National Housing Trust
Robert Rozen, Policy Attorney
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Description:
Predatory Low Income Housing Tax Credit Investors are a growing threat to communities and organizations. We'll discuss how these disputes drain resources from nonprofits, threaten the long-term affordability of properties, and undermine the well-being of residents and communities. Join us to learn about how litigation, federal legislation, and state and local policies can help mitigate this destructive trend and how your organization can protect itself from predatory investors.
Lessons from Hermiston, Oregon: Building Affordable Housing in Rural Communities
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 6
Time: 9:00 am - 10:00 am PDT (12:00 pm - 1:00 pm EDT)
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Panelists:
Nikolai Ursin, Housing Developer, Northwest Housing Alternatives
Bill Lanning, AIA, Principal, MWA Architects
Brian Layman, Project Manager, Walsh Construction Co.
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Description:
Rural communities face unique challenges when dealing with the affordable housing crisis. There's a shortage of affordable housing in rural Oregon, and for most small towns in the state, new construction means an uphill battle. Join the team of the Northwest Housing Alternative's Hermiston Family Housing project as they discuss some of the lessons learned and successes achieved in building affordable multifamily housing in Hermiston, Oregon.
Addressing Construction Workforce Gaps as Need for Affordable Housing Grows
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 6
Time: 10:30 am - 11:30 am PDT (1:30 pm -2:30 pm EDT)
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Moderator:
Mekha Abraham, Program Manager, OHCS Multifamily Energy Program
Panelists:
Michael Figueredo, OHCS, Weatherization Training & Technical Assistance Coordinator
James Metoyer, Workforce Development Training Manager, Earth Advantage
Lisa Palermo, Development Director, Oregon Tradeswoman
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Description:
In the next twenty years more than 580,000 new homes must be added in Oregon, and more than half of them need to be affordable. While the demand for new affordable housing continues to grow, a construction workforce shortage is also growing throughout the state. To meet the demand, the construction industry will need to attract new talent that's highly skilled, qualified, and diverse. In this session, you'll hear from state leaders offering multiple training programs to address this gap, including initiatives focused on the green building and energy-efficiency industry, which is growing fast as new energy policies are rolled out from the local to global level to drive down energy use and emissions from buildings. Audience participation is highly encouraged, so take part in order to better understand your construction workforce needs in affordable housing.
Making Upgrades Count: Helping Residents Make the Most of Their New Energy Efficient Homes
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 6
Time: 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm PDT (4:30 pm - 5:30 pm EDT)
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Moderator:
Kristen Bellows, Marketing Lead, OHCS Multifamily Energy Program
Presenter:
Julia Sinex, Technical Manager, OHCS Multifamily Energy Program
Clayton Crowhurst, Housing Developer, Northwest Housing Alternatives
James Snowcarp, Maintenance Technician, Sunnyslope Manor, Cascade Management
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Description:
How can affordable housing properties maximize their investments in energy efficiency and realize cost savings? Helping residents understand how to use new equipment is a critical way to make that happen, but it's often overlooked. The OHCS Multifamily Energy Program is exploring new strategies to help residents understand the equipment in their homes and how to use it to reduce energy costs and improve comfort. Join this session to hear from an affordable housing developer and an on-site maintenance manager about how residents have responded to energy upgrades at their properties. Panelists will also discuss how we can better communicate with residents. You'll be strongly encouraged to contribute as we all brainstorm how to engage with residents after making property upgrades.
Creating Permanent Supportive Housing Through a Trauma Informed Lens
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 6
Time: 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm PDT (6:00 pm - 7:30 pm EDT)
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Presenter:
Briana Manfrass, Associate Principal, Pinnacle Architecture
Ryan Cain, Project Designer, Pinnacle Architecture
Stacey Witte, Executive Director, REACH (Relationship Empowerment Action Compassion Heart)
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Description:
Imagine being a veteran suffering from PTSD and addiction and living on the streets in a constant state of flight or fight. You’re invited to live in a new PSH (Permanent Supported Housing) community with a roof over your head, a comfortable bed, and services to get you on your feet. It sounds like a dream come true, but for that veteran it’s a drastic change filled with unknowns. Going from living outdoors to occupying an enclosed space surrounded by strangers can trigger traumas and make it very difficult to transition into a new life. Anyone who wants to create successful PSH projects needs to understand that residents have experienced trauma and it's important to create an environment that promotes a sense of pride and dignity. Attendees will hear from a professional who works with our community’s most vulnerable daily and learn how designers integrate their needs into PSH projects.
Trauma-Informed Design in Housing
Date: Thursday, October 7
Time: 9:00 am - 10:00 am PDT (12:00 pm - 1:00 pm EDT)
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Panelists:
Dr. Christa Jones, Psychologist, Behavioral Health, Multnomah County
Kim Stanley, Interior Designer, RID, IIDA, LEED AP ID+C, WELL AP, Carleton Hart Architecture
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Description:
A holistic approach to transitional and permanent supportive housing must consider the influence of trauma on a person’s wellbeing. We're seeing how close collaboration among service providers, designers, and development teams can help create a built environment that contributes to the healing process. A joint presentation by Dr. Christa Jones, a psychologist, and Kim Stanley, an interior designer (RID, IIDA, LEED AP ID+C, WELL AP), will open with an overview of trauma and trauma-informed care by Dr. Jones, whose work includes creating programs for people experiencing or working through trauma. She will provide an overview of how trauma manifests across the lifespan, and discuss re-victimization and trauma-informed practices. Kim Stanley will share her experience working on projects for people who have experienced trauma. Through case studies, she’ll explore how to effectively use design techniques that minimize architectural triggers and contribute to occupants’ wellbeing while also promoting their dignity.
Construction Contracting for Oregon Housing: The Basics
Date: Thursday, October 7
Time: 10:30 am - 11:30 am PDT (1:30 pm -2:30 pm EDT)
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Presenters:
Chris Walters, Partner, Construction Practice Group, Ball Janik LLC
Peter Willcox-Jones, Partner, Construction Practice Group, Ball Janik LLC
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Description:
Chris Walters and Peter Willcox-Jones, partners in the construction practice group of Portland law firm Ball Janik LLP, will walk through the basics of construction contracting for Oregon housing developers, sponsors, managers and owners. Topics will include assembling the design and construction team, choice of contracts, financing considerations, points of negotiation, insurance, best practices in the construction process, time and cost disputes, liens, and post-construction claims.
The Building Blocks of DEI, Mentorship & Partnerships on Affordable Housing Projects
Date: Thursday, October 7
Time: 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm PDT (4:30 pm - 5:30 pm EDT)
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Panelists:
Afton Walsh, Community Outreach Director and Project Manager, WALSH Construction Co.
Maurice Rahming, President, O'Neill Construction Group
Kenechi Onyeagusi, Executive Director, PBDG
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Description:
Join this panel discussion on the importance of diversity, mentorship, and partnership in the architecture, engineering and construction industries when we're building affordable housing. You'll learn what construction contractors, trade partners, and trade associations are doing to encourage and support underrepresented industry partners to ensure success on the project and in the community.
Engaging Neighborhood Associations and Navigating Appeals of Affordable Housing Proposals
Date: Friday, October 8
Time: 9:00 am - 10:00 am PDT (12:00 pm - 1:00 pm EDT)
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Presenter:
Damien Hall, Chair of the Land Use and Real Estate practice groups, Ball Janik LLC
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Description:
Oregon has recently adopted changes to state law that provide protections for affordable housing projects in the land use appeal process. Neighborhood Associations are active participants in local land use processes and have, at times, utilized appeals to affect the outcome of proposed developments. In this presentation Mr. Damien Hall, Chair of the Land Use and Real Estate practice groups, with Ball Janik LLC, will provide an overview of the current land use appeal framework and a close look at how it affects affordable housing; strategies practitioners can use to decrease the likelihood of land use appeals; and ways to work for a successful resolution of unavoidable appeals.
The Integration of Affordable Housing and Healthcare Services for a Comprehensive Whole-Person Approach
Date: Friday, October 8
Time: 10:30 am - 11:30 am PDT (1:30 pm -2:30 pm EDT)
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Panelists:
Mary-Rain O'Meara, Director, Real Estate Development, Central City Concern
Kerrie Bartel-Christensen, Interim Senior Vice President of Real Estate Strategy and Operations for Providence St. Joseph Health in the Oregon Region
Rose Bak, Chief Program Officer at Catholic Charities of Oregon
Matt Godt, Senior Project Manager/Business Development Manager, Walsh Construction
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Description:
Join the conversation, moderated by Matt Godt of Walsh Construction Co., as panelists from Central City Concern, Catholic Charities of Oregon, and Providence St. Joseph Health Oregon discuss how the integration of comprehensive care for the whole person and safe, stable shelter can successfully address the problem of chronic homelessness in communities. Health can’t happen when people don’t have safe and stable homes. To improve health outcomes, the organizations aimed to build affordable housing combined with onsite health services for lower income working people, including those who have experienced homelessness. Creating a comprehensive whole-person approach involves providing direct access to housing, which supports lifestyle change; attainment of income through employment and/or accessing benefits; integrated health care services that are highly effective in engaging people who are often alienated from mainstream systems; and the development of peer relationships that nurture and support personal transformation and recovery.
Building Inclusive Communities: Promoting New Housing Developments Through a Fair Housing Lens
Date: Friday, October 8
Time: 10:30 am - 11:30 am PDT (1:30 pm -2:30 pm EDT)
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Presenters:
Jamie Gatewood, Education & Outreach Coordinator, Fair Housing Council of Oregon
Samuel Goldberg, Education & Outreach Specialist, Fair Housing Council of Oregon
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Description:
Just bringing up inclusive housing can spark fraught discussions and resistance. This session will help attendees untangle these debates by seeing them in a civil rights framework. We will discuss the basics of fair housing, the history of residential segregation in Oregon, and current developments in state land use processes in order to help dispel common myths about new housing development and ensure that governmental jurisdictions understand their responsibilities for enforcing fair housing rules. We'll also discuss the differences between affordable and fair housing, and how to bridge the divide between them so that both goals can be achieved. Finally, we will talk about the status of Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rules, and the impact they have on the development of inclusive communities.
Lessons in Community and Family Resilience from the 2020 Wildfires
Date: Thursday, Oct. 7
Time: 9:00 am - 10:00 am PDT (12:00 pm - 1:00 pm EDT)
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Moderator:
Kim Travis, Wildfire Recovery Manager, Oregon Housing and Community Services
Panelists:
Ryan Flynn, Assistant Director of Disaster Recovery and Resiliency, Oregon Housing and Community Services
Michael Morter, Wildfire Recovery Ombudsman, Office of Oregon Governor Kate Brown
Candace Jamison, Executive Director, Marion County Housing Authority
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Description:
In early fall of 2020, Oregon experienced a devastating series of wildfires, losing nearly 4,200 homes and forever changing the lives and landscapes in its varied pathways. The fires left thousands of residents homeless and economically vulnerable; the state was already reeling from a severe shortage of affordable housing, escalating costs for land and materials, a growing gap between rental rates and wages, and unprecedented levels of housing insecurity made worse by COVID-19. Panel participants will outline lessons learned and how we can be more prepared for future disasters, provide a status of new resources (HB 5006) to address the 2020 wildfires, and discuss the importance of modular construction to expedite recovery.
SB 8 – Expanding Affordable Housing Options on Commercially Zoned Properties
Date: Thursday, Oct. 7
Time: 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm PDT (4:30 pm - 5:30 pm EDT)
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Moderator:
Mary Kyle McCurdy, Deputy Director, 1000 Friends of Oregon
Panelists:
Ariel Nelson, Lobbyist, Oregon League of Cities
Joel Madsen, Executive Director, Mid-Columbia Housing Authority & Columbia Cascade Housing Corporation
Emily Reiman, Executive Director, DevNW
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Description:
SB 8 was passed during the 2021 legislative session making it easier for affordable housing developers to build on land not zoned for residential use bypassing local zoning and conditional use development processes. Join this panel discussion to learn more about strategies for engaging with planners to ease implementation in your local jurisdiction. Hear from local developers who advocated for this project and the types of projects they envision will now be easier to site and build working in partnership with faith-based communities and on land zoned for commercial use. Also learn how HB 2008 provides for property tax exemptions on property of religious organizations used solely to provide affordable housing to low-income households.
Discover the Oregon Affordable Housing Tax Credit
Date: Thursday, Oct. 7
Time: 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm PDT (6:00 pm – 7:00 pm EDT)
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PRESENTERS
Martin Jarvis, Program Analyst, Oregon Housing and Community Services
Tai Dunson-Strane, Production Analyst, Oregon Housing and Community Services
Ken Morrell, Portlfolio Administration and Compliance, Oregon Housing and Community Services
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Description:
The OAHTC is a financing tool unique to Oregon and has recently had a statutory update to better align with funding from Rural Development, along with an increase to the cap! Joined by others from OHCS, OAHTC program manager Martin Jarvis will lead this session highlighting these recent updates, along with a review of the program use and compliance requirements of OAHTC funding. Topics of discussion will include: what the credit is and how it works, how it can benefit both property owners and tenants, why it’s so important in our current housing climate, program exemptions and key compliance requirements.
Presenting the OHCS Funding Calendar and Frameworks for Review and Input
Date: Friday, Oct. 8
Time: 9:00 am - 10:00 am PDT (12:00 pm - 1:00 pm EDT)
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Presenters:
Natasha Detweiler-Daby, Assistant Director Planning and Policy, Oregon Housing and Community Services
Amy Cole, State Development Resources Manager, Oregon Housing and Community Services
Angela Parada, Tax Credit Program Manager, Oregon Housing and Community Services
Andrea Matthiessen, HOME / HTF Program Manager, Oregon Housing and Community Services
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Description:
OHCS is mid-way through the process of finalizing their biennial funding calendar, prescribing what funds will be offered for development and preservation of affordable rental housing in 2022 and 2023. Attend to hear the latest updates, have the opportunity to provide input, and learn about next steps.
OHCS Planned Preservation Investments
Date: Friday, Oct. 8
Time: 10:30 am - 11:30 am PDT (1:30 pm -2:30 pm EDT)
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Presenters:
Natasha Detweiler-Daby, Assistant Director Planning and Policy, Oregon Housing and Community Services
Amy Cole, State Development Resources Manager, Oregon Housing and Community Services
Martin Jarvis, State Tax Credit Program Analyst, Oregon Housing and Community Services
Ed Brown, Gap Program Analyst, Oregon Housing and Community Services
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Description:
The 2021 Oregon Legislature invested a record $100 million into the preservation efforts of Oregon Housing and Community Services. Over the past several months, OHCS and stakeholders have engaged in deliberate conversations about preservation, providing a wealth of recommendations over the use of these resources. Please attend to dig into the current proposal for the funding calendar on these resources as well as proposed frameworks for prioritizing these investments.
Preschools & Housing: Integrating early childhood learning centers in affordable housing development
Date: Friday, Oct. 8
Time: 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm PDT (4:30 pm - 5:30 pm EDT)
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Moderator:
Brian Stewart, VP Director of Client & Community Relations, Oregon/Washington, PNC Bank
Panelists:
Leslee Barnes, Director, Preschools for All, Preschool and Early Learning Division Director, Department of County Human Services, Multnomah County
Jilian Saurage Felton, Housing Development Director, Community Partners for Affordable Housing
Rick Ruzicka, Senior Operations & Policy Analyst, Oregon Housing and Community Services
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Description:
Recently approved Oregon legislation and a voter approved universal preschool measure in Multnomah County suggest new opportunities for the integration of early childhood learning centers in affordable housing developments. HB 5011 directs OHCS and the Oregon Department of Education Early Learning Division to produce a research study by winter 2022 and then develop a pilot grant proposal to support the co-location of affordable housing and early learning or childcare centers. Housing developers see opportunity to provide a critical resource for residents and neighbors by adding commercial spaces to accommodate early childhood learning centers in new housing developments. Hear from governmental, developer and preschool administrator perspectives on the challenges and opportunities related to expanding childcare services for low-income households throughout Oregon.
Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley: New legislation championing affordable homeownership and ending homelessness
Friday, October 8
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm PDT (3:00 pm - 4:00 pm EDT)
PRESENTERS
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden
U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley
Madison Moskowitz, Domestic Economic Policy Advisor, Office of U.S. Senator Ron Wyden
Matthew Traylor, Housing Policy Advisor, Office of U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley
DESCRIPTION
Oregon's U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley join us to explain new legislation they have introduced designed to address America’s crisis of housing availability and affordability by reducing the shortcomings of current housing policies and funding levels. After brief comments, the Senators’ policy staff will join for Q & A. Senator Ron Wyden’s DASH Act will make a generational investment to end childhood homelessness and tackle the housing affordability crisis by issuing Housing Choice Vouchers to all families with children; greatly increase the production of deeply affordable housing for families exiting homelessness and reform the Low Income Housing Tax Credit. Senator Merkley’s Affordable HOME Act will invest $40 billion per year in the National Housing Trust Fund; lower the cost of housing so everyone can afford a place to live; and build an emergency housing program to deploy resources during large-scale disasters like wildfires.
City of Eugene Opens Applications for Exemptions to Support Building Local Affordable Housing
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Oregon Community Reinvestment Coalition Organized to Work with NCRC on Bank Merger CBAs
For years, the Pacific Northwest had trailed other parts of the country in bank investments under the Community Reinvestment Act. This began to change when Oregon and Washington organizations joined with the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) to negotiate Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs) with the merger of Umpqua and Columbia Banks and with US Bank’s purchase of Union Bank.
These agreements were built on the convening of the Oregon Reinvestment Summit in 2017, which Housing Oregon helped convene. This past month on October 11, Housing Oregon and NCRC brought together fifty people from a diverse range of organizations as the Oregon Community Reinvestment Coalition to begin identifying strategies for engaging with these banks as their CBAs go into effect in 2023.
Through these and additional agreements, Oregon organizations have an opportunity to build the capacity of Communities of Color led organizations, to implement Communities of Color mortgage initiatives, to transform community and housing development lending and to partner on Communities of Color and rural wealth creation strategies.
Many of the same organizations participated in a meeting last fall 2021 with the CEOs of Umpqua and Columbia banks to share priorities for investments in their communities. As a result of those meetings, and with the leadership of NCRC, the banks have agreed to strong CBAs that include many of the priorities advocated for.
We now have a renewed sense of urgency to come together to identify strategies and action steps to hold the banks accountable to follow through on implementation of their respective Community Benefit Agreements.
Umpqua/Columbia Bank’s merger is committing a total of $8.1 billion, of which Oregon and Washington are the primary states. While a smaller dollar amount, this is a significant investment for Oregon. US Bank is committed to a $100 billion multi-state agreement.
In addition, NCRC is nearing completion of a CBA with BMO Harris which is acquiring Bank of the West, which has numerous branches in Oregon.
Housing Oregon wants to thank both Jerry Kellman, Senior Advisor for Organizing, and Catherine Petrsz, CRA Coordinator, both with NCRC, for their leadership on these efforts.
Several workgroups being organized will prepare a strategy and process for meetings with Umpqua Bank in early 2023, in areas already prioritized in the Umpqua Community Benefits Agreement. We are also exploring organizing a second Oregon Reinvestment Summit in autumn 2023.
If interested in getting involved, contact Brian Hoop at 503-475-6056 or brian@housingoregon.org.