Northwest HUD Lines
February 2015

HUD e-Briefs from Alaska, Idaho, Oregon & Washington
Bill Block, Region X Regional Director (206) 220-5356
Leland Jones, Editor

www.hud.gov/alaska	www.hud.gov/idaho
www.hud.gov/oregon	www.hud.gov/washington
http://twitter.com/hudnorthwest

! ! 12 ! !

TWEET TREAT
We hope the information Northwest HUDLines is of value to you. If it is, there's a way you can get a lot - but certainly not all - of what appears in Northwest HUDLines a lot earlier, a lot faster. How? With the Tweets we send two or three times a day, most days each week via Twitter at http://Twitter.com/hudnorthwest Rest assured, like Northwest HUDLines it's filled with information you can use. And we won't bother you with favorite recipes for chocolate chip cookies, tips on the care and feeding of a pet rock or minute-by-minute accounts of a shopping spree. Just, the news you need to do your job. So, if it strikes your fancy, we hope you'll join and follow us at http://Twitter.com/hudnorthwest Thanks.

"BILLIONS FOR MILLIONS"
The annual State of the Union Address is a big night offering a President a big state on which to address big issues. In his address to the Congress on January 20th President Obama didn't disappoint, offering, for example, an especially big idea that was particularly good news for middle- and working-class families looking to buy a home. He had ordered, he announced, a .50 percentage point reduction in the annual premium paid by homebuyers with FHA-insured mortgages receiving case numbers on or after January 15th, 2015. "Bureaucratic gobbledy-gook," you say. Not at all, especially when you realize that the basis point reduction will save the typical FHA borrower $900 a year and make it easier for some 250,000 families to become homebuyers. Over time, those savings will add up, says The White, savings "billions for millions" in the years ahead. Existing FHA-insured homebuyers - on New Year's Day 2015 there were some 7.7 million of them nationwide, including more than 300,000 in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington - should, adds FHA, check with their lender to see if refinancing is a safe, sound way for them to take advantage of the reduction in annual premium.

GAME CHANGER
February 15th is the deadline to sign up for or to renew your coverage under the Affordable Care Act. But there's still some confusion about what affordable health care has to do with the affordable housing provided to millions of Americans by HUD and its partners. "A lot," says HUD Secretary Castro. Which is why, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW8IBkOc0Bk&hootPostID=de9281308c80fd9baf0063dce8a6a5a2, he calls ACA enrollment a "game-changer."

XOXOXO
Over the last few years HUD and its partners have reported significant reductions in the number homeless veterans in the United States. One tool that has made an invaluable contribution to that reduction is the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supporting Housing program through which HUD provides rental vouchers and the VA provides clinical and other supportive services to help them get off the streets and into permanent, affordable housing. To date, for example, HUD has awarded some 4,200 VASH vouchers to housing authorities across Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. As a result of language in the original authorizing language, since the inception of VASH tribal housing authorities and entities have been prohibited from receiving allocations of VASH vouchers. That all changed with passage of the 2015 Appropriations Act which, for the first time, set aside VASH funding for Indian Country. Which is why, explains HUD Deputy Assistant Secretary Rodger Boyd, presently HUD is soliciting input on the "design of a demonstration program that will provide critical housing assistance and supportive services to Native American Veterans living on or near tribal lands." Comments are due February 25th.

! ! ! NEWS FLASH ! ! !
The January 30th Federal Register includes a HUD interim rule providing guidance to state and local governments on implementation of the National Housing Trust Fund which will be supported by funding from Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac and will serve as a "critical resource," says HUD Secretary Castro in "expanding the circle of opportunity" and the inventory of rental housing affordable for extremely low & very low-income Americans.

NEWS TO NOTE
FHA - the Federal Housing Administration - has issued Mortgagee Letter 2015-02 (/sites/documents/15-03ml.pdf) that provides FHA-approved lenders with the option to "delay calling" FHA-insured "revers" or home equity conversion mortgages as "due and payable" where there is an " eligible 'non-borrowing spouse." The option would delay foreclosure and allow that spouse "the opportunity to remain in the home despite their non-borrowing status." The Letter is effective with assignments accepted beginning June 1st.

CLARIFICATI-ONE
In "response to reports that some owners" of HUD-assisted multifamily properties with Low Income Housing Tax Credits "may be attempting to terminate the tenancy of HUD-assisted tenants" because, for example, they may have an income "in excess of the LIHTC eligibility level," in January HUD issued a memorandum remaining owners that "terminations other than those permitted by HUD are prohibited." It added that such reasons do not include "failure to meet LIHTC requirements, including LIHTC-specific income and student eligibility rules."

CLARIFICATI-TOO
Are you the head of a HOME Investment Partnership participating jurisdiction wonder if, when, where and why HUD's 2013 Final HOME Rule applies to you and the work you do? Well, HUD's providing some answers in a recently-published clarifying guidance which, we hope, will tell you everything you need to know. For more, visit HUD publishes clarifying guidance on if, when, where & why 2013 final HOME rule applies to HUD HOME grantees at https://www.hudexchange.info/home/home-final-rule/requirements-applicability-charts/?utm_source=HUD+Exchange+Mailing+List&utm_campaign=d9232feac3-2013+HOME+Final+Rule+Applicability+Charts&utm_medium=
email&utm_term=0_f32b935a5f-d9232feac3-19315789.

BRIEF BRIEFS
Portland City Council reviewing plan developed by Portland Housing Bureau at request of Mayor Hales to address gentrification pressures in in north & northeast neighborhoods that would, says Portland Tribune, provide $8 million to produce up to 170 affordable housing units, $5 million to build 32 homeownership units and help 40 families purchase a home, $4 million to repair 240 homes and $3 million to buy land for still more housing. . .Salem Housing Authority tells Statesman-Journal that it will compete $28 million renovation - financed principally through private funds generated by HUD's Rental Assistance Demonstration Pilot - of three public housing complexes by February. . .Governor Bill Walker names Unalaska city manager Chris Hladick to lead Alaska Department of Commerce, Community & Economic Development. . .Yakima Board of REALTORS names Washington Housing Finance Commission Partner of the Year citing its homebuyer education program, "the perfect example of a strong partnership,". . .After "almost a decade of planning and working" on it, executive director Lona Hammer tells KEPR-TV, Kennewick Housing Authority finally celebrates groundbreaking for 32-unit Nueva Vista apartments with half the units for the formerly homeless and a quarter for persons with disabilities. . .RurALCAP unveils plans to build 20-unit affordable housing complex, reports Alaska Dispatch, its 16th affordable housing community in Anchorage and its first energy net-positive building.

NOFA-TUNITY
USDA has set a February 17th deadline to apply for an anticipated 10 Community Connect grants totaling $13 million to "provide service at the Broadband Grant Speed in rural, economically-challenged communities where broadband service does not currently exist." USDA will conduct a Webinar on this funding opportunity on February 3rd at 11 a.m. Mountain, 10 a.m. Pacific & 9 a.m. Alaska time. For information about both the funding announcement and the Webinar, visit http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/utp_commconnect.html.

NOFA-TOO-NITY
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack is encouraging state and local governments, Tribes electric coops and utilities and institutions of higher education to apply, by February 12th, for Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance grants under its Rural Energy for America Program. The funds assist agricultural producers and rural business with energy audits and information on renewable energy development assistance. The maximum grants are for $100,000. For more, visit http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/supportdocuments/rdSAnnouncementREAPNOSA10125.pdf.

NOFA-THREE-NITY
The Environmental Protection Agency in Region X - Alaska, Idaho, Oregon & Washington - is seeking applications by March 6th for three grants totaling $91,000 to "support locally-focused environmental education projects that promote environmental awareness and stewardship." Last year, grants were won by the Corvallis Environmental Research Center and School District 101 in Spokane. Nationwide, EPA expects to award $2.7 million for environmental education this year. For more, visit http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d96f984dfb3ff7718525735900400c29/
618c1f314c6b621c85257dcd00685aae!OpenDocument.

NO-FOUR-TUNITY
The Corporation for National & Community Service has set a deadline for grant making organizations of February 20th to send a letter-of-intent-to-apply and March 17th to submit the full application for some 40 Social Innovation Fund grants of up to $1 million each "to grow the impact of innovative community-based solutions that have compelling evidence of improving the lives of people in low-income communities." For more, visit http://www.nationalservice.gov/build-your-capacity
/grants/funding-opportunities/2015/social-innovation-fund-notice-funding.

NO-FIVE-TUNITY
Oregon Housing & Community Services has set an April 17th deadline to submit applications for some $8.8 million in grants and $29.7 million under its 2015 HOME notice of funding availability and $29.7 million in tax credits and grants under its 2015 LIHTC notice.`` in grants and tax credits under its 2015 under its 2015 HOME notice of funding availability. OHCS will offer a training session in Salem on February 11th. For more, visit http://www.oregon.gov/ohcs/Pages/multifamily-housing-funding-opportunities.aspx.

RE-BOOST
No matter the size of county, city, town or village, some, maybe a lot and certainly too many of its residents don't have a permanent place to call home. They are, simply put, homeless. Which is why, every year the Federal government in general and HUD in particular provide large amounts of funding to help all of these jurisdictions address and, we hope, end homelessness. This year was no different with Secretary Castro's announcement in January of the award of $1.8 billion to 8,400 homeless projects in more than 400 communities across the country. Some $3.7 million is going to support 28 projects serving the homeless in Alaska, $4.1 million to support 48 projects in Idaho, $26.7 million to support 135 projects in Oregon and $48.2 million to support 217 projects in Washington State. Most of the funding is being to renew support for projects that were recommended to HUD by Continuums of Care comprised of local homeless providers and local governments. This year, however, the King County/Seattle Continuum and the Portland/Gresham/Multnomah Continuum were among 15 winners nationwide of "bonus" funds to support new ways of addressing the needs of homeless and, ultimately, getting them off the street. "It's a national shame that anyone would call the streets their home," said Secretary Castro. "Working with our local partners, we're redoubling our efforts to support permanent housing solutions for our veterans and those experiencing long-term chronic homelessness. We're also focused on providing targeted assistance to families and young people who are falling between the cracks. As a nation, we can and must end homelessness." Amen.

BOOST
Our apologies. In last month's Northwest HUDLines we inadvertently forgot to report the significant affordable housing investments announced by Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber. They certainly are worth acknowledging, providing grants and tax credits to produce and preserve "nearly 600 units" of affordable housing in 14 projects - in Portland, Eugene, Salem, Medford, Hillsboro, Junction City, Canby, Happy Valley, Prineville, Dalles, La Grande, St. Helens and Scappoose. "We know these homes will make a huge difference for many Oregonians," said Margaret Van Vliet, of Oregon Housing and Community Services. We have "a vision that all Oregonians will have the opportunity to pursue prosperity and live free from poverty. We know the Oregonians who will move into these apartments across the state will have the opportunity to achieve this. We also know there is more to do to ensure every Oregonian can access safe and affordable housing." For more, visit http://www.oregon.gov/gov/media/Pages/press_releases/press_111014.aspx.

BOOST TOO
Alaska Housing Finance Corporation also has announced a significant investment in affordable housing, awarding $36.2 million in GOAL - Greater Opportunities for Affordable Living - to produce or renovate some 180 units in six projects in Cordova, Soldotna, Juneau and Anchorage. "The GOAL program is an important tool for creating affordable housing and assisting families and individuals getting safe and sufficient housing. Since the early 1990s the program has funded 5,285 units all across the state," said Bryan Butcher, the Corporation's CEO & executive director, adding that GOAL is "very fortunate to have continuing support from the Rasmuson Foundation,." The Corporation estimates that these awards will generate some $55 million in local economic activity. For more, visit http://www.ahfc.us/files/8214/2049/6429/010515_news_goal_award.pdf.

BRIEF BRIEFS TOO
In calendar 2014 FHA endorses 33,795 mortgages with a total dollar value of almost $6.3 billion in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon & Washington. . .Oregonian says Street Roots, the newspaper published by homeless Portlanders, to begin publishing weekly. . .Idaho Smart Growth Board member Dough Fowler wins Bridge Builder Award from Partners for a Livable Future. . .American Baptist Homes of the West & Bremerton Housing Authority celebrate grand opening of The Pearl at Oyster Bay senior housing, the last phase of the Authority's HOPE VI transformation of the Westpark neighborhood into Bay Vista. . .With grant funds from the U.S. Department of Energy, the village of Kake located in a rain forest in southeast Alaska joins five other Alaska villages to "go solar," says Juneau Empire, and found that it's not just good for the climate, but is considerably less expensive than the fuel oil which traditionally has served as the villages' power supply. . .Next Step Housing's Pear Tree Plaza special needs housing in Yakima one of only four nationwide designated by National Affordable Housing Management Association as 2015 Communities of Quality. . .Noting that few issues are more important to our local quality of life, Deborah Imse, executive director of MFNW, an association of rental property managers in the Portland area, tells Oregonian that fair housing will be "a major priority" for the association in 2015.

WHT'S UP?
Okay. Pull out your pencils and your calendars. It's a new year and HUD's housing, community & economic development partners are beginning to set dates for statewide, regional and even national conferences in which you may have an interest. The annual conference of the American Planning Association, for example, comes to Seattle April 18th to 21st and the International City Managers Association meets there September 27th to 30th while the International Living Future un-Conference arrives April 1st to 3rd. The Alaska Federation of Natives meets in Anchorage October 15th to 17th, the Northwest Community Development Institute convenes in Boise June 15th to 19th and the Inland Northwest Fair Housing Conference takes place April 23rd in Spokane. The Alaska Association of REALTORS meet in Homer September 29th to October 3rd while the Tiny House Conference hits Portland April 18th & 19th and the Washington Affordable Housing Management annual conference is in Tacoma from April 28th to 29th and the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance meets there May 13th & 14th. The Oregon Affordable Housing Management Association will hold its conference May 13th to 15th in Bend and Idaho Housing & Finance will host the 2015 Idaho Housing Conference October 6th & 7th in Boise. . .The Alaska Municipal League meets in Anchorage November 16th to 20th Oregon Opportunity Network will travel to Salem on April 22nd for its Spring Industry Conference while Housing Washington will convene October 5th, to 7th in Spokane. The Washington Association of REALTORS will hold its Spring Business Conference in Vancouver from April 15th to 17th while the Oregon League of Cities will meet in Bend from September 24th to 26th in Bend and the Alaska Conference on Housing & Homelessness will meet in Anchorage from October 12th to 14th. And that, friends, is just the events coming up this year. If you need more information or have an event you'd like to tell 45,000 of your colleagues about in the Northwest and Alaska, e-mail us at Leland.jones@hud.gov.

MAMA-NTRA
"My mama told me," Smokey Robins sings, "you better shop around." Most mamas would agree and, in most things, we listen to her - buying a car, booking a hotel or flight buying the week's groceries. Which is what makes a recent report from our nation's Consumer Financial Protection Bureau all the more amazing. "Almost half of consumers," it noted in January, "do not shop around for a mortgage when purchasing a home," don't spend the time or the effort to find the lowest cost for what's likely to be the single most expensive purchases in their lives. Which means they're probably means they're paying more than they should for the piece of the American Dream. How much more? "For a borrower taking out a 30-year fixed-rate loan for $200,000," the Bureau calculates, "getting an interest rate of 4 percent instead of 4.5 percent translates into almost $60 saved per month. Over the first five years, the borrower would save about $3,500 in mortgage payments." That's real money, real savings you would have gotten if you'd listen to Mama. And now there's a way you can. Along with its report, the Bureau has created an on-line Interest Rate Checker where you can find out the interest rates mortgage lenders are offering where you live and want to buy. Take time to collect and compare and you're almost certain to save money. And remember what Mama said - "don't be sold on the very first one." Shop around!

SMART-ERNATIVE
So, you're walking down the street and a homeless person asks you for spare change. What's the best response? Dig into your pocket, pull-out a dollar and hand it over. Or provide the person with information that might be worth a whole lot more than a dollar. The latter, says Mayor Brian Blad of Pocatello who, as part of his commitment to the Mayors' Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness, appointed a committee that came up with a pocket-sized Homeless Emergency Services Card that, on one side, has information about where to find emergency shelter and, on the other, a list of local agencies that provide meals. "This card gives members of the community an opportunity to have something that they could give to someone that they see on the street," Sunny Shaw of the Pocatello Housing Authority told KPV_-TV, that "gives them a place to go" and " makes that person who is giving them that card at least feel like they are addressing the issue and helping in some way."

TINY TALES
If you've ever taken your family by car on a long-distance road trip, you've probably got memories to share. Of how great it felt to hit the road but, also, of how quickly the kids sniping and snarking in the back seat made it a journey you feared might never end. Which brings us to "tiny homes" and a recent account posted by Liz Pleasant on Christmas Eve, 2014 in Yes! magazine of two families - one in Oregon, the other in Minnesota - transitioned from too big to pretty darn small and "made it work." With kids, no less! "Inspiring tale," some will say. "Are you nuts," others are sure to respond. You be the judge. For more, visit http://www.yesmagazine.org/happiness/tiny-house-living-how-two-families-made-it-work.

MICRO THE MACRO
"We always knew that each community has a different set of housing challenges," Faith Li Pettis, chair of the Governor's Affordable Housing Advisory Board recently told the Committee on Community Development & Tribal Affairs in Olympia. Which is why last year, for the first time in "over a decade," she explained, the Board undertook a comprehensive statewide - but county-by-county, region-by-region - look at housing needs in Washington State. "Now we've quantified those housing needs county-by-county, region-by-region, so solutions can be more targeted and tailored to community needs." It will serve as "a baseline of housing data that everyone could agree on," added Kim Herman of the Washington State Housing Finance Commission, "and that we could measure progress against in coming years." For more, visit http://www.commerce.wa.gov/commissions/AffordableHousingAdvisoryBoard/
Affordable-Housing-Needs-Study/Pages/default.aspx.

DOGGIE TALE
Dogs are a man's best friend, right? Well, they may be even more than a friend to those "living on the fringes," like homeless men and women. Think homeless and dogs, says Chris Lazarus of Portland Animal Welfare recently told The Oregonian, any you think "a young guy with a mean pit bull." Not so, a "stereotype," he says, noting that those he helps are mostly older people, vulnerable families, folks on the street. What's going on? See Monique Balas' story at http://www.oregonlive.com/pets/index.ssf/2015/01/pet_talk_human-animal_bond_a_l.html?hootPostID=52853e454fb1a8da803a03975c124fd0.

MAP-STERFUL
As communities grow and expand, transforming once rural into more populated areas, folks trying to decide whether and where USDA Rural Development housing, community development and business programs are in effect can get pretty bleary-eyed looking at lines that pretty blurred. Not anymore with USDA's introduction of its on-line Income & Property Eligibility Site. What used to require a cartographer to decipher is now as easy as typing in an address in a pretty user-friendly mapping system. Take a look!.

BRIEF BRIEFS THREE
Idaho Housing & Finance Association's statewide Avenue of Hope campaign raises $273,000 in additional funding to some 29 housing assistance organizations through over 1,200 individual contributions over 3-week period in December. . .Formerly of JOIN, Marc Jolin named director of Portland's A Home for Everyone campaign to end veteran homelessness as JOIN's Will Harris to serve as its interim director. . .Washington Department of Financial Institutions levies fines of some $280,000 against three illegal, unlicensed payday lenders. . .Inside Philanthropy magazine names Seattle's Paul G. Allen its inaugural Philanthropist of the Year. . .SeaTac & Spokane among 14 cities nationwide to be selected for Smart Growth America technical assistance in 2015.

FAC-TASTIC
In 2014, the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation's "mortgage portfolio increased by 10 percent to $2.5 billion. Total operating expenses decreased by 7 percent. AHFC mortgages assisted 1,930 families and individuals getting into a new home. AHFC's Public Housing Division serviced nearly 6,000 Alaskans and families. AHFC weatherized 3,360 homes, providing an average annual savings total of $1,300 per year, per family. • 1,682 Alaskans participated in AHFC HomeChoice classes." From AHFC's 2014 annual report, January 9, 2014, now on-line at http://www.ahfc.us/files/2714/2067/7437/2014_AHFC_Annual_Report_Building_Alaska.pdf

NOTEWORTHY
Ten years ago, the editors of The Oregonian observed, Portland "embraced" a national commitment to end chronic homelessness. Ten years later, it reports, "thousands still sleep outside every night" in the Portland metropolitan area. It assigned Anna Griffin to explain why and, in an ambitious multi-part series launched in January, she tries to do precisely that, discussing the challenges Portland has faced, those it's met and those it hasn't. What Anna has produced - Our Homeless Crisis (http://www.oregonlive.com/portland-homeless)- is certainly worth your time to read. Agree or not with everything she writes and reports, it will help all of us do our jobs better.

QUOTEWORTHY
"Blaming the 10 year plan for the fact that we still have homeless people is like blaming the surgeon in the ER who treats you after an auto accident for not making a safer car. The surgeon had nothing to do with the car in which you were injured. The surgeon is trying as hard as possible to put you back together." - Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish, The Oregonian, January 16, 2015, commenting to Anna Griffin on the premise of The Oregonian's Our Homeless Crisis series.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"Supporting a nonprofit that touches the world you know best - in our case, housing - is the perfect fit to what we were being taught in class. ABODA helps major corporations transition their employees to a new market while Way Back Inn helps homeless children and their families with transitional housing so they can rebuild their lives." - Dave Caple, president & CEO of ADOBA, a corporate housing firm telling the January 12th Redmond Reporter about a partnership the two organizations 15 years ago as a result of a graduate course he took at Seattle University that has now helped some 1,500 children & their families move from transitional to permanent housing.

WORTH A READ
Carter Bahler is four-years-old. Toddlers being toddlers, you wouldn't expect that he'd pay much attention to homelessness. But he does. So much so, in fact, that he's taken his life's savings of $25 and sold some of his toys to help out the homeless in Eugene. Why? "Because I want to," he told Mark Baker of The Register Guard. "'Cause I like to. 'Cause they're homeless people." Some kid, some story. For more, visit http://registerguard.com/rg/news/local/32678641-75/through-a-childs-eyes-the-perplexity-of-homelessness.html.csp#?hootPostID=0ae4ffe9a64d313d5808b407a9af5bd5

WORTH A LOOK
Want to find out if a geographic area, a particular property or a household is eligible for U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development home loan programs.? Best place to start is its on-line mapping tool at http://eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov/eligibility/welcomeAction.do?NavKey=home@1&hootPostID=
69c8be2e3146cd0757e8d2c6c3ed0578

WORTH A WATCH
Did you miss HUD Secretary Julián Castro at The National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, January 13th? Lots of provocative thoughts on homeownership as well as a solid 30 minutes of question-and-answer with audience. View it all at http://www.press.org/events/julian-castro-secretary-us-department-housing-and-urban-development

DITTO
What's health care have to do with housing? Why's the Affordable Care Act so important to the people and communities HUD serves? As HUD Secretary Castro. "The average income for a HUD-assisted family is $12,500. That means that folks often have to between health insurance and or putting food on the table. No person should ever have to make that choice. No family should see their chances of becoming self-sufficient be diminished because of their medical bills. No American should have to decide between having good health and a place to call home. No person should be forced into foreclosure because they become sick or injured." More at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW8IBkOc0Bk

INNO-VOTE!
HUD wants to hear from you! It's identified 26 innovative projects across the country that, it believes, are great models for innovative solutions in other communities. And it would like to hear your opinion on which three of those 26 most strike your sense of innovation. Those of us at HUD who serve Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington are particularly pleased - as in ECSTATIC - that 8 of these 26 Innovations of the Day come from those four states -- The Coeur d'Alene Tribal Housing Authority's 18-unit straw-bale housing development in Plummer, Idaho, Alaska Housing Finance Corporation's Environmental Choice Housing and its Rental Assistance for Former Prisoners initiatives Program, the Tacoma Housing Authority's College Housing Program, the Bellingham Housing Authority's "Poti-crete" project, the Oregon Opportunities in Partnership Program's HOPWA-funded Elevating Clients through Financial Stability initiative and the International Sustainability Institute's Active Streets and its Alley Network projects in Seattle. And if we could pad the ballot box and vote for all 8, we would. But we're limited - like you - to picking just three and we, like you, have got to vote by February 10th. We'll be sure to vote and we hope you will too. For more, visit http://www.huduser.org/portal/iod/searchDB.html

NOTES TO NOTE
Pacific Northwest Regional Council of NAHRO sets February 7th deadline to submit your design for its new logo. . .HHS' Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration sets February 9th deadline to submit applications from Continua of Care that have not participated in its SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access & Recovery TA project. . .HUD sets February 9th deadline to apply for grants of up to $30 million under Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Program. . .HHS' Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration sets February 9th deadline to apply for outreach, access & recovery technical assistance to Continuums of Care promoting access to SSI & SSD that have never received such assistance. . .King County Housing Authority opens & sets February 10th deadline to apply, on-line, for Housing Choice Voucher waiting list. . .USDA sets February 12th deadline to apply for Energy Audit & Renewable Energy Development Assistance Grant s of up to $100,000. . .USDA sets February 17th deadline to apply for Community Connect grants of between $100,000 & $3 million. . .Corporation for National & Community Services sets February 20th deadlines for eligible grant making organizations to submit letter-of-intent- to-apply & March 17th to submit full application for $41 million in Social Innovation Fund grants "to grow the impact of innovative community-based solutions that have compelling evidence of improving the lives of people in low-income communities". . .USDA sets February 20th deadline to apply for Tribal Colleges Research Program grants. . .EPA Region X sets March 6th deadline for Northwest organizations to apply for $91,000 in environmental education grants. . .Oregon League of Cities sets February 27th deadline to submit proposal for a "compelling" panel discussion at its 90th annual conference in Portland in September. . .Preservation Idaho sets March 6th deadline to submit nominations for 2015 Orchids & Onions awards. . .HUD sets March 16th deadline for eligible jurisdictions to submit applications under $1 billion National Disaster Resilience Competition. . .CDFI extends deadline to submit new funding applications from Native American Community Development Financial Institutions and Small & Emerging CDFIs to March 5th. . .Pacific northwest Council of NAHRO sets March 31st for kids K to 12 to submit posters for "What Home Means to Me" contest. . .Oregon Housing & Community Services sets April 17th deadline to apply for funding under its 2015 HOME & its 2015 LIHTC notices of funding availability. . .Department of Veterans Affairs sets April 20th deadline for current Transition in Place grantees to apply to renew their 2012 Per Diem Only grants. . .Department of Labor's Employment & Training Administration sets April 30th deadline to apply for total of $100 million under American Apprenticeship Initiative.

COMING UP
Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians host winter conference, February 2nd to 5th, Lincoln City.

USDA Rural Utilities Service hosting Webinar on Notice of Funding Availability for $13 in Community Connect broadband grants, February 3rd, On-line.

HUD's Alaska Office of Native American Programs & Association of Alaska Housing Authorities host Developing Alaskan Sustainable Housing workshop, February 3rd through 5th, Anchorage.

Alaska Forum on the Environment, February 9th to 15th, Anchorage.

Oregon Housing & Community Services hosts training session on 2015 HOME & 2015 LIHTC notices of funding availability, February 11th, Salem. Contact carol.kowash@oregon.gov or carole.dicksa@oregon.gov

King County Office of Civil Rights hosts workshop on Fair Housing Basics for Maintenance Personnel, February 17th, Seattle.

HUD's Northwest Office of Native American Programs holds "listening session" on proposal to include LGBT non-discrimination policy in HUD's Indian Housing Programs and on the design of the new HUD Native Veterans Affordable Supportive Housing Project, February 18th, Seattle. To attend in-person or view remotely, Amy.Oakley@HUD.GOv

Oregon AHMA hosts two workshops - one on developing maintenance plans, the other on OSHA hazards - February 18th, Salem.

4th annual Great Basin Consortium Conference, February 17th to 19th, Boise.

HUD Northwest hosts on-line Fair Housing Basics Webinar, February 18th, on-line.

Oregon AHMA hosts Tax Credit Workshops, February 24th & 25th, Salem.

Oregon AHMA hosts Resident Services Seminar, February 26th, Salem.

Alaska Association of Housing Authorities & HUD's Alaska Office of Native American Programs host Indian Housing Plan/Annual Performance Review workshop, March 3rd to 5th, Anchorage.

HUD's Office of Housing Counseling offers Webinar on "IRS & Housing Counseling Agencies," March 10th, on-line.

Oregon AHMA hosts Maintenance Workshops, March 12th, Grants Pass.

Oregon AHMA hosts Basics of HOME Occupancy workshop, March 17th, Eugene.

King County Office of Civil Rights hosts First Steps -- Best Practices to Promote Fair Housing workshop, March 18th, Seattle.

King County Office of Civil Rights hosts Advanced Fair Housing workshop, March 18th, Seattle.

Oregon AHMA hosts Basic Occupancy Survival Skills for the Rookie Rural Development Housing Manager, March 18th, Eugene.

Alaska Association of Housing Authorities & Alaska's Office of Native American Programs host Admission & Occupancy workshop, March 23rd to 26th, Anchorage.

****