Northwest HUD Lines
February 2017

HUD e-Briefs from Alaska, Idaho, Oregon & Washington

Leland Jones, Editor, (206) 220-5356 or Leland.jones@hud.gov

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

THANKS. . .
For making us smarter
. . .to the thousands of volunteers across the country who either already have headed out or shortly will, braving some of the nastiest weather of the year to conduct point-in-time counts of the homeless in their communities. The results, of course, are just a one-night "snapshot" of our nation's homeless and, as such, isn't used to derive the amount of HUD assistance a community will receive to serve the homeless. But the point-in-time has very real value, giving HUD and, even more importantly, the Continuums of Care that determine how at the community level those limited resources are most effectively used an up-to-date, pretty comprehensive profile of both the extent and the nature of homelessness in their community. Much is made these days of the importance of "data-driven approaches" in the services that government and its partners provide. There may be no better example of that than the data collected once-a-year across the country in the point-in-time count, giving all of us an idea of what we're doing well and, of greater interest, what we can do better. Thank you for taking some of your valuable time helping us to do our jobs better.

REMINDER
Until the Trump Administration names a new Regional Administrator for HUD in Region X, Deputy Regional Administrator Michael S. Look will serve as HUD's lead official in Alaska, Oregon, Idaho & Washington State.

GOT VIEIWS?
What should a "new, improved" CDFI look like?
The Department of the Treasury's Community Development Financial institutions program is seeking "public feedback" on "certain aspects of the certification criteria and process. These include how the primary mission test should be met; what the criteria should be for serving Investment Areas and Targeted Populations; and how a CDFI should demonstrate accountability to its Target Market, among other topics." Since its establishment in 1994, the program has certified more than 1,000 CDFI's with assets now totaling more than $100 billion in all 50 states. All comments should be submitted in writing by March 4th.

COMING SOON
Getting ready for CDFI 2017
Speaking of the CDFI program, the Department of Treasury has announced that it is "tentatively planning" to open its 2017 round of its Community Development Financial Institution & its Native American CDFI Program in "mid-February." In advance of that, it's already scheduled a number of financial & technical assistance workshops at its offices in Washington, D.C. Interested in attending? Visit their website

RESEARCH SEARCH
Does rapid re-housing work?
HUD currently is in the initial stages of a study to determine the effectiveness of the Rapid Re-Housing approach as an intervention in addressing the needs of families and individuals experiencing homelessness. As with any such undertaking, one of the first steps is a literature search to see what earlier studies and analyses have reported. So, if you're aware of any local, state, regional or national studies that have taken a look at Rapid Re-Housing as an intervention, we hope you'll share them with HUD by contacting HUD's Korin Bishop by February 8th. Thanks in advance for any assistance you might provide;

MAPPING THE MAATRIX
Where to go, who to call
The United States is a big country & the asset managers in the HUD Multifamily HUB in San Francisco & its satellite in Denver manage a good-sized chunk of it - more than 5,000 properties in 13 states. If you're the owner or managing agent of a HUD-assisted and/or insured property you might sometimes get confused about where you're supposed to go & who you're supposed to call to get your questions answered, your issues resolved. Our multifamily colleagues in San Francisco & Denver have just made it a whole lot easier to figure that out with publication of a map & a contact list outlining where to go & who to call. If your state's shaded blue, go to San Francisco & if it's green, head to Denver.

BRIEF BRIEFS
The University of Washington's School of Medicine launches first-in-nation mobile palliative care program to serve homeless on street facing a terminal illness, reports KIRO radio. . .Metro Parks Tacoma in Washington tells Daily Journal of Commerce it expects to start construction on new, 66,000 square-foot Eastside Community Center this spring. . .Cook Inlet Housing in Anchorage, Alaska, Northwest Integrity Housing in Eagle & Southeastern Community Action in Pocatello, Idaho, Central City Concern in Portland, Oregon & HopeWorks in Everett, Housing Authority of Skagit County in Burlington, Washington Growers League in Mattawa, Tri-City Partners Habitat for Humanity in Richland, Solid Ground in Seattle, Seattle/King County Habitat for Humanity in Sammamish, Poulsbo-North Kitsap Rotary Foundation in Poulsbo, Housing Hope in Arlington, Foundation for the Challenged in Kelso, Acres of Diamonds in Duvall & Yakima Habitat for Humanity win total of more than $3.1 million in Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines Affordable Housing Project funds to support development of more than 750 units of affordable housing. . .City of Hailey, Idaho's planning & zoning staff support proposed changes to permit high-density "micro-apartments" from 173 to 271 square feet in four blocks downtown, reports Idaho Mountain Express, to respond to "need for less expensive housing options in Wood River Valley". . .Oregon Association of REALTORS says its HOME - Homeownership Made Easy - Foundation will award more than $179,000 to homebuyers in need of assistance surpassing the $1 million in assistance it's provided since its creation in 2004. . .Idaho Falls, Idaho City Council seeks public comment on downtown revitalization plan to connect downtown to the nearby Snake River and "vice versa," says KIFI-TV. . .Seattle City Council committee okays sale of "mothballed" fire station in Lake City area to Low Income Housing Institute as site of 70 new units of affordable housing, says KING5-TV. . .Yakima, Washington Housing Authority gets okay to use former Marine Corps Reserve armory, says The Herald, and will now need to secure $10 million in funding to renovate facility. . .Catholic Charities receives permit to begin work on what ultimately will be 240 units of affordable housing called Copper River Apartments on 36 acres sold to it by Sisters of the Holy Name of Jesus & Mary near Spokane River Community College, reports Spokesman Review. . .Northwest Housing Alternatives in Milwaukie, St. Vincent de Paul of Lane County & Square One Village in Eugene, Community Alliance of Tenants, REACH Community Development, Neighborhood Partnerships, Transition Projects & the Library Foundation: Serving the People of Multnomah County in Portland win total of $1.6 million in winter 2016 grants from Meyer Memorial Trust

WHAT'S IN A NAME?
Tacoma's Dixon Village reflects its namesake
When friends & supporters of the Tacoma, Washington Housing Authority gathered on Wednesday, January 25th for a "rededication" ceremony at Dixon village, observed The News Tribune's Matt Driscoll, it wasn't to celebrate the new windows or roofs or siding that had resulted from the Authority's recent $4.1 million rehabilitation of the 32-unit affordable duplex community, its first top-to-bottom fix-up in 30-plus years. The project proved, said Driscoll, that the Authority "values its residents." But the guests, he added, had come for "much more than that," had come not to honor the Authority or a job well done, but to honor the man after whom the complex, way back in 1995, was named - Tom Dixon. Get to know him the way Matt did andyou figure out pretty quick why so many people showed up.

TINY HOUSE TALK
The jury's not in as Curry County debates tiny houses
Tiny houses make their first appearance in Curry County in the far southwestern corner of Oregon. Some residents approve, some don't and still others, like Gold Beach city administrator Jodi Fritts, just waiting to see "if they'll survive their 15 minutes of fame," reports The Coastal Pilot.

UN-SUNNY SOLAR
Solar as a year-round energy source
Just like a sunny day's the best to fix a roof, it's probably the best for panels to collect solar energy. But un-sunny isn't as bad as you might think. At least that's the word at Ridgeline Terrace, a new Alaska Housing Finance Corporation offering 70 units of affordable housing in the Mountain View neighborhood of Anchorage. Even during the darkest days of an Alaska winter, AHFC tells KTVA-TV, its 325 photovoltaic cells are at work, collecting the sun's rays, suggesting that solar cam be viable year-round in Alaska "It's renewable, it's free," says AHFC's Daniel Delfino. "So when oil prices go up or natural gas prices go up, solar power - if it's being provided by the panels on the side of the building - it's always going to cost the same."

"AND THE SURVEY SAYS. . ."
Residents of Salem, Oregon speak their mind
While "two-thirds of Salem (Oregon) resident say things in the city are headed in the right direction" and "nearly all residents are very or somewhat satisfied with services provided by the City generally," a telephone survey of 450 city residents by DHM Research of Portland from November 30th to December 4th reported that "when asked in an open-ended format what issue is most important for city leaders to address, 21% of residents mentioned an issue related to housing or homelessness," up "13-percentage point increase since this question was asked in May 2016." Forty-one percent of those surveyed said they were "satisfied" with "the job the City is doing in ensuring affordable housing" while 41 percent said they were "dissatisfied." Transportation was the second-highest concern with 20 percent of respondents saying it was "the most important issue."

BRIEF BRIEFS TOO
Community Frameworks of Bremerton & Spokane, Washington wins almost $1.7 million in HUD Self-Help Homeownership Program funds to support development of affordable, "sweat equity" homeownership units in Idaho, Montana, Oregon & Washington. . .Telling News Reviewthat "we're very excited" but the folks at UCAN "are even more excited," City of Roseburg, Oregon city manager says UCAN has won $3.4 million in CDBG funds towards $4 million of new Head Start Center in north Roseburg, Oregon. . .Thanks to $4.5 million in private donations from more than 20 organizations including the Starbucks Foundation, Schultz Foundation, Microsoft, Boeing & Amazon, re[orts Puget Sound Business Journal, Mary's Place says it will build three new shelters to house some 500 homeless families. . .$100,000 Reitman Foundation grant puts Juneau, Alaska Housing First within reach of funding entire cost of new facility for city's chronically-homeless reports The Empire. . .Low Income Housing Institute says it's completing construction of 70 "tiny homes" for two new "sanctioned" homeless encampments to open in Seattle, Washington's Georgetown neighborhood in February & Lipton Springs in April. . .With $100,000 from City of Tacoma, Washington, Tacoma Rescue Mission expands number of homeless families each night from 20 to 32 families, reports KING5-TV.. . .With 11 homes built & 24 homes reconstructed in Union County, Oregon under its belt, Grand Ronde Valley affiliate of Habitat for Humanity tells La Grande Observer it's looking for volunteers to help "in keeping the effort going forward". . .Vulcan Real Estate "triples down" on Seattle Housing Authority's revitalization of Yesler Terrace neighborhood, reports Puget Sound Business Journal, already buying one parcel & identifying two others to acquire to build 650 housing units, with first building of 195 units to include 39 affordable to families earning between 65 & 80 percent of area median income. . First nine tenants move into $12.5 million The Concord, says The Mail Tribune, the Housing Authority of Jackson County's new affordable housing complex in downtown Medford, Oregon providing 50 units for veterans, families & the disabled. . .Washington Department of Commerce's "regulatory road map" named semifinalist in 2017 Harvard University Innovations in American Government competition. . .Housing programs of Capitol Hill Housing, Downtown Emergency Service Center, El Centro de la Raza, Homestead Community Land Trust & Mercy Housing Northwest receive $100,000 each in Local Neighborhood LIFT grants from Wells Fargo, says MarketWatch. . .With 34.3 percent of its homes built after 2013, REALTOR.com says Meridian, Idaho has the most "new homes" for sale in United States (and, by the way, it's almost a full 10 percentage points ahead of Edmonds, Oklahoma which had the second most).

NOFA-TUNITY
HUD sets March 17th deadline for HUD-approved housing counseling agencies that did not receive similar direct funding from HUD or indirectly from a State Housing Finance Agency or an intermediary in the 2016-2017 comprehensive housing counseling competition to apply for up to 40 funding awards under the fiscal year 2017 Supplemental Comprehensive Housing Counseling Program. State Housing Finance Agencies that did not receive such funding in the 2016-2017 competition also are eligible. 

NOFA-TWO-NITY
Supporting those who support - and serve - homeless vets
The Department of Veterans Affairs has set an April 4th deadline for current transitional housing or service center grantees under its VA Grant & Per Diem Program to apply for renewal funding. The Department expects to make up to 600 awards under the program which promotes "the development and provision of supportive housing and/or supportive services with the goal of helping homeless Veterans achieve residential stability, increase their skill levels and/or income, and obtain greater self-determination." The grants cover 65 percent of the cost of building or renovating service centers or transitional housing, with the balance provided by a local match. Funds may be used to renovate, but not acquire facilities owned by Veterans Affairs. Per diem funds which cover a facility's operational costs will be awarded through a separate "per-diem only" funding notice. The funding awards are expected to support 12,000 beds for homeless veterans. For a more detailed summary of the competition, visit

NOFA-THREE-NITY
Revitalizing Oregon's downtowns
Oregon Department of Parks & Recreation sets March 17th deadline to apply for Oregon Main Street Revitalization grants of up to $100,000 to acquire, rehabilitate and construct buildings in designated downtown areas or promote revitalization efforts to promote investments, job creation or retention and business expansion in downtown. . .The Department also has set an April 14th deadline to apply for Preserving Oregon grants of up to $20,000 each for rehabilitation activities that will preserve historic resources listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. And, finally, the Department also has set May 12th deadline for Diamonds in the Rough grants of up to $20,000 to reconstruct or restore the facades of buildings that have been altered over the years. Visit

NO-FOUR-NITY
Funding-up Alaska's homeless programs
The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, in collaboration with the Mental Health Trust Authority, has announced that organizations seeking up to $3.5 million in Basic Homeless Assistance Program must submit an Intent to Apply letter no later than February 17th to be part of its state fiscal year 2018 funding competition. The Corporation added that the competition is not for individuals experiencing homelessness and seeking assistance. In 2015, the Basic Homeless Assistance Program - funded in part with HUD Continuum of Care grants - award grants to some 40 organizations serving the needs of the homeless in 20 Alaska communities.

NO-FIVE-TUNITY
Expanding housing for agricultural workforce
Oregon Housing & Community Services has begun accepting & is encouraging interested parties to apply "as soon as possible" for a total of $7.25 million under the in Agriculture Workforce Housing Tax Credit Program to ". incur costs to construct, install, acquire or rehabilitate agriculture workforce housing." The credit can be claimed for up to 50 percent "of eligible costs actually paid or incurred to complete" such housing. A "soft set-aside" of $750,000 is reserved until June 30, 2017 for on-farm projects. Immediate families may live in the housing "as long as one family member in the housing unit has been an agricultural worker either seasonally or year-round while living there."

NO-SIX-TUNITY
Federal Home Loan Bank fuels home buying in Alaska & the Northwest
In 2017 the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines which serves Alaska, Idaho, Oregon & Washington State has reserved up to $100,000 to award up to $15,000 per eligible households per eligible household for to "assist with down payment, closing costs, homeownership counseling or home repairs associated with a home purchase" through its Native American Homeownership Initiative. The Bank also has reserved $250,000 to provide up to $7,500 under its Home$tart & $100,000 under its Home$tart PLUS program to provide $15,000 to assist eligible households with such costs. The application window for all three of these Bank programs opened January 3rd.

NO-SEVEN-TUNITY
Connecting producers to consumers
USDA sets March 27th deadline agricultural businesses or cooperatives, producer networks or associations, community-supported agriculture networks, local governments, non-profit or economic development corporations, to apply for grants of between $50,000 &$500,000 through its Farmers Market & Local Food Promotion Program. In fiscal year 2017 USDA expects to competitively award some $13 million through the program to develop new market opportunities for farm and ranch operations serving local markets by developing, improving, expanding, and providing outreach, training, and technical assistance to, or assisting in the development, improvement, and expansion of domestic farmers' markets, roadside stands, community-supported agriculture programs, agri-tourissm & other direct producer-to-consumer market opportunities.

NO-EIGHT-TUNITY
Broadbanding the countryside
USDA has set March 13th as the deadline for local, county & state governments, Tribal governments, public & Indian housing authorities, non-& for-profit corporations & publicly-controlled institutions of higher education to apply for up to 10 grants of between $100,000 & $3 million under its Community Connect Program. The community-oriented broad banding program is s designed to provide financial assistance to provide service at the Broadband Grant Speed in rural, economically-challenged communities where broadband service does not currently exist." Funds may be used to deploy service to critical community facilities, rural residences & businesses to the broadband or to acquire & equip a community facility to provide free access to broadband service for at least two years.

NOFA-READY
Federal Home Loan Bank readying for the next round
The Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines which serves Alaska, Idaho, Oregon & Washington has released its 2017 Affordable Housing Program Implementation Plan and has announced that it expects to begin accepting on-line applications for the competitively-awarded fund starting June 1st with a "no later than" June 30th deadline to submit applications. Under the program, lending institutions that are members of the Bank team with community partners - non-profits, housing authorities, Tribes - to help cover the costs to produce or preserve affordable housing. As mentioned elsewhere, some 16 projects across Alaska, Idaho, Oregon & Washington were awarded funding in the most recent competition announced in December. So, if youand your organization are interested in competing, the time to get ready is now.

BRIEF BRIEFS THREE
Washington Governor Inslee orders stepped-up efforts to help estimated 13,000 young people find "safe, stable place to call home" by ensuring kids existing public systems like foster care have "place to go," enhanced crisis intervention for families facing housing instability & improving education & employment outcomes for homeless youth. . .The Atlantic's CityLab says Tyrone Poole, once a "young man moving up" who suddenly found himself homeless ,has created a Portland, Oregon start-up that is "smashing barriers to affordable housing" one rental application at a time. . .Campaign for Grade-Level Reading names Nampa & Pocatello housing authorities in Idaho & King County, Seattle & Tacoma in Washington to 40-member honor roll for "exemplary work" in helping to "boost children's literacy". . .Tanana Chiefs Conference receives $500,000 grant from Alaska Department of Health & Social Services to establish 12-bed "sobering center" in Fairbanks says News-Miner. . .Calling St. Helens, Oregon, "a prime spot to try something like this," private developer Carl Goffman proposes transforming 36 former cargo containers into "cube-like, condo-style" affordable housing complex on city-owned site reports South County Spotlight. . .Bellingham, Washington businesses donate solar roof to Baker Place - seven studio apartments for chronically-homeless women operated by the nonprofit Lydia Place - that will achieve some "$53,000 in energy savings and rebates over 25 years," says The Herald. . .Despite opposition from south Tacoma, Washington residents & businesses, reports News Tribune, City Council votes unanimously to acquire two parcels aside for "drop-in center for teens and young adults and an overnight shelter for young adults". . .Port Townsend, Washington real estate agent Teri Nomura, reports The Leader, honored by AAUW & the University Women's Foundation of Jefferson County as their 2017 Woman of Excellence for her work in advocating affordable housing. . .Pennies for Quarters, a nonprofit that wants to build 40 "tiny houses" on a field near Pt. Angeles, Washington, got a "big boost" this past holiday season - a check from any anonymous donor for $10,000 reports KING5-TV, with i tiny Kent, Washington City Council adopts, says The Reporter, ordinance prohibiting denial of housing to current or prospective tenant "on the basis that the person proposes to pay a portion of the rent from a source of (government subsidy) income" such as Section 8, Social Security or veterans rent subsidy programs. . .Lauren Walker, the executive director of Fair Housing Center of Washington & former two-term Tacoma, Washington City Council member, named to fill Council vacancy caused by resignation of at-large member, reports News Tribune.

QUOTE TO NOTE
Why we do what we do
"It's nice to have the American Dream come true" - Bret Garner (U.S. Army, ret.), on accepting the keys, with his wife Jhay, the keys to a home they and dozens of volunteers built under Habitat for humanity Mid-Willamette's Home for Heroes program in Salem, Oregon, Statesman Journal, January 28, 2017.

NOTABLE & QUOTABLE
How big & how broad Seattle's next housing boom?
"Seattle's on pace to have more apartments built this decade than the previous 50 years combined. Most of those units haven't opened yet - 2017 is going to be a record year for apartment construction and that's after we just had four straight record years. Except, this time it's going to be twice as many units opening than we've seen in any other year in the city's history. Historically, the city sees 1,000 or so units pop up each year. And the last few years we've seen about 5,000. So there's definitely been a boom. What we are seeing now though is the demand has just been so intense that rents have gone up so much anyway. The number of units needs to continue to increase for the rents to go down. . .If you're a middle-class renter looking for a typical apartment, or in a lower income bracket, these new apartments are not going to be something you can afford to rent. In theory, these apartments lift people who are in the upper class out of those typical apartments and reduce competition for regular renters. But realistically, there's not a lot of that which happens. You need to wait for the apartments to get older to become more affordable and outdated, that sort of thing. That can take decades. For rents for middle-class renters to go down, it might take a while." - Mike Rosenberg, real estate reporter for The Seattle Times, on KIRO-TV, January 3, 2017

QUOTEWORTHY
Portland's new Mayor talks housing & homelessness
Less than a month on the job, Portland's new mayor talks affordable housing
Israel Bayer, executive director of Street Roots - "So you decided to keep the Portland Housing Bureau in your portfolio; it's the first time, I think, in my tenure - I've been in Portland on and off for 16 years - that I can remember a mayor ever taking that under their wing. I guess what's your reasoning and what's your vision for the bureau?"
Ted Wheeler, Mayor of Portland, Oregon - "The reasoning is that when I ran for mayor, housing affordability was the single No. 1 issue that this community was concerned about. People are experiencing high levels of anxiety about being priced out of our community. The Housing Bureau isn't the only bureau that addresses the problem of affordability, but it's the key bureau. The Housing Bureau is at the nexus for all the other bureaus that have a role to play in housing affordability - whether it's the Bureau of Development Services or the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability or some of the other bureaus involved in permitting, like fire. The Housing Bureau is the bureau that sets the agenda. I felt as mayor it was incumbent upon me to be the leader of that bureau. There really was no debate about it. People understood that if I was elected mayor, I was going to take the Housing Bureau. That was the reason, now the vision. It's twofold. No. 1, I want to enhance and protect the rights of people who are tenants, and this is more specific to renters. I want to make sure that fewer people find themselves forced out of their housing situation and find themselves on the street by protecting their rights first and foremost and implementing a just-cause eviction process here in the city of Portland - which I hope to do in tandem with Commissioner Eudaly soon. Second of all, I want to make sure we're doing everything we can to increase the supply of affordable and workforce housing in this city. We've already got a pretty good plan in place. The housing bond has been passed; that's one great resource for us. There's more the city can do in improving its own procedures and policies around housing. Specifically, we can greatly reduce the cost and the time it takes to get affordable housing online. We can move affordability to the front of the line. My view is, in a perfect world, if somebody comes forward and says I want to bring workforce and affordable housing to Portland, Oregon, I want to roll out the red carpet; I want to eliminate as much as possible. I want to speed up the process for building affordable housing as much as possible." - Street Roots, January 19, 2017.

FACT-ASTIC
Hope has a record year in Idaho
Thanks to a record 2,232 donations, Idaho Housing & Finance Association's annual Avenues of Hope fundraising campaign generated $501,439 to support the efforts of 40 organizations statewide to serve the state's homeless. That's up 30 percent over what was raised in 2015. "It's been an exciting" one-month "campaign for us," said Gerald Hunter, the Association's executive director "and we're happy to be able to help so many nonprofits and the communities they serve." Congratulations to all involved!

FACT-SINATING
What's a kid cost?
If you're a parent, brace yourself. USDA has issued an analysis estimating that it will cost an average of $233,610 for middle income parents to raise a child born in 2015 through the end of their 17th year. Big bucks, right? But it's almost $12,000 less than USDA's estimated costs for a child born in 2014. USDA also reported that lower-income families will spend less - an estimated $174,690 - while higher-income families will spend more - some $372,210. Housing accounts for 29 percent and food for 18 percent of the estimated costs for middle-income parents with child care/education costs coming in at 16 percent, transportation at 15 percent, and health care at 9 percent. Clothing was the smallest expense, at 6 percent, and other miscellaneous child-rearing necessities from birth to age 18 accounted for 7 percent. This report does not include costs related to pregnancy or college costs.

WORTH NOTING
FHA in 2016
With the collapse of the mortgage market & the onset of the Great Recession, low- and moderate-income first-time homebuyers & current, but potentially at-risk homeowners didn't have a lot of options available to them. No surprise, then, they sought refuge with 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration - FHA. So much so, in fact, that FHA enjoyed some of the highest-volume years in its more than 80-year history. In calendar 2009, for example, FHA endorsed just 100,479 mortgages in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon & Washington. Time passes, things change and a long recovery has ensued and conventional lenders are back in the business of helping people buy or refinance their homes. So much so, in fact, that in calendar 2016, FHA endorsed just 62,485 in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon & Washington - a 38 percent reduction. And that's good news for FHA which, since its creation, has never wanted to be a market leader, but just a safe, sound and smart option for low- and moderate-income households looking to own their piece of the American Dream.  

JUST PUBLISHED
Documents & data drops of interest
HUD publishes "comprehensive assessment" of housing needs of American Indians & Native Alaskans. . .USDA Alaska & Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco publish Alaska Rural Homeownership Resource Guide. . .HUD economists issues National Housing Market Summary for the 3rd quarter of 2016. . .National Alliance to End Homelessness posts Creating Systems & Culture Changefocusing on the move to & expansion of rapid re-housing to better serve the homeless, including detailed looks at work being done in Pierce County & Tacoma, Washington.

NOTES TO NOTE
On January 3rd, Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines - which serves Alaska, Idaho, Oregon & Washington - opened its application windows for $250,000 under its Home$tart & Home$tart Plus as well as $100,000 under its Native American Homeownership Initiative to provide up to $15,000 to provide up to $15,000 for down payment, closing & other costs associated with home buying. . .City of Tacoma sets February 3rd deadline to submit City of Destiny award nominations spotlighting volunteers who've "driven the City of Tacoma forward". . .Seattle Housing Authority opens lottery for place on Housing Choice Voucher waiting list from February 6th to February 24th. . .USDA Rural Utilities Services sets February 6th for qualified non-profits to apply to lend loans of up to $11,000 to qualified homeowners to replace or repair their wells under its Household Water Well System program . .Idaho Housing & Finance Association sets February 8th deadline for public comment on its proposed 2017 Action Plan for Idaho's Affordable Housing & Community Development Program. . .Alaska Housing Finance Corporation sets February 17th deadline to receive Intent to Apply letters from organizations seeking funding under its Basic Homeless Assistance Program competition. . .HUD sets February 21st deadline to submit nominations for new Tribal Intergovernmental Advisory Committee. . .AHFC sets February 28th deadline to submit completed application for Senior Accessibility Program funds. . .USDA sets March 13th deadline to apply for up to 10 Community Connect grants to broadband rural communities. . .Oregon Department of Parks & Recreation sets March 17th deadline to apply for Oregon Main Street Revitalization grants of up to $100,000 to acquire, rehabilitate and construct buildings in designated downtown areas or promote revitalization efforts to promote investments, job creation or retention and business expansion in downtown. . .HUD sets March 17th deadline for approved housing counseling agencies & state housing finance agencies not funded in the fiscal year 2016 Comprehensive Housing Counseling grant competition to apply for the 2017 Supplemental Comprehensive Housing Counseling funding opportunity. . .AHFC sets March 24th deadline to submit completed application for HOME Opportunity Program funds. . .USDA sets March 27th deadline to apply for Farmers Market Promotion Program of grants from $50,000 to $500,000. . .USDA Rural Utilities Service sets March 31st deadline for local utility organizations to apply for Rural Economic Development Loan & Grant program. . .Oregon Department of Parks & Recreation sets April 14th deadline to apply for Preserving Oregon grants of up to $20,000 each for rehabilitation activities that will preserve historic resources listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. . .Oregon Department of Parks & Recreation sets May 12th deadline for Diamonds in the Rough grants of up to $20,000 to reconstruct or restore the facades of buildings that have been altered over the years. . .Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines sets June 30th deadline to submit applications for Affordable Housing Program funds.

COMING UP
All Home & City of Seattle Office of Human Rights hosts Best Practices in Emergency Shelter workshop, February 6th, Seattle. Visit

Bureau of Indian Affairs Northwest Region Land Title & Records, Realty & Housing Office& HUD's Office of Loan Guarantee host Mortgage Conference, February 7th & 8th, Airway Heights, Washington. Visit

Oregon AHMA hosts workshop on latest Oregon Housing & Community Services Low Income Housing Tax Credit Manual, February 9th, Salem, Oregon. Visit

Oregon AHMA hosts Managing HUD Compliance workshop, February 14th & 15th, Salem, Oregon. Visit

King County Office of Civil Rights hosts First Steps-Best Practices to Promote Fair Housing workshop, February 15th, Seattle, Washington. Visit

King County Office of Civil Rights hosts Advanced Fair Housing seminar, February 15th, Seattle, Washington. Visit

Association on American Indian Affairs & DK Associates hosts workshop on Working in Indian Country: Building Successful Business Relationships with American Indian Tribes, February 16th, Olympia, Washington. Visit

NeighborWorks America hosts NeighborWorks Training Institute, February 20th to 24th, Seattle, Washington. Visit

Washington AHMA hosts EIV Training workshop, February 22nd, Tacoma, Washington. Visit

Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines hosts Affordable Housing Program workshop, February 23rd, Portland, Oregon. Visit

Washington AHMA hosts EIV Training workshop, February 23rd, Spokane, Washington. Visit

HUD Seattle hosts Continuum of Care Fundamentals workshop for Continuum recipients & sub-recipients, March 9th, Seattle. Visit

HUD Idaho hosts Fair Housing Accessibility FIRST Construction & Design workshop, March 14th, Boise, Idaho. Visit

Washington State Housing Finance Commission hosts Fundamentals of Low Income Housing Tax Credit Compliance workshop, March 14th, Seattle, Washington. Visit

Washington State housing Finance Commission hosts Advanced Low Income Housing Tax Credit Compliance workshop, March 15th, Seattle, Washington. Visit

Pacific Northwest Regional Council of NAHRO & King County Housing Authority host Family Self Sufficiency Workshop (with proficiency test), March 27th & 28th, Tukwila, Washington. Visit

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