Northwest HUD Lines
January 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

! ! ! HAPPY NEW YEAR ! ! !

FARE WELL
With a change in Presidential administration also means a change in appointive Federal positions. Come Inauguration Day, Donna Batch, HUD's Northwest Regional Administrator, will retire after some 17 years of distinguished Federal service. Until her successor is appointed by the new Administration, Michael Look, who came to HUD from the City of Seattle in 2016 will serve as HUD's acting Regional Administrator for Alaska, Idaho, Oregon & Washington. We wish both of them the greatest success.

A REMINDER
FHA single-family mortgage limits have gone up
As outlined in FHA Mortgagee Letter 2016-20 that was issued on December 1st, the limits on FHA single-family or "forward" mortgages on 1-, 2-, 3- & 4-unit homes have been increased for case numbers assigned on or after January 1st, 2017 in most of the nation's housing markets. To see the FHA forward mortgage limits in your market, please visit. Please also note that ML 2016-20 misstated the 2017 forward mortgage limits for the "special exception" areas of Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the Virgin Islands. Mortgagee Letter 2016-25 issued on December 22nd correctly states those limits.

CONTINUUM-ING
HUD support for homeless projects up slightly over 2015
As calendar year 2016 came to a close, HUD announced the results of what, year-in & year-out since 1999, has been its largest single funding competition - our Continuum of Care program, supporting the work of thousands of partners & projects across the country in our efforts to prevent and, ultimately, end homelessness. Nationally, this year HUD awarded some $1.9 billion to just over 400 Continuums across the United States, including a slight increase over 2015 to almost $100.2 million to 15 Continuums in our Region - $3,697,135 to Alaska, $3,669,450 to Idaho, $34,686,509 to Oregon & $58,134,240 to Washington State. The funds will support more than 380 projects across the four states, all of them recommended by our Region's 13 Continuums which are comprised of local governments, social service providers and homeless organizations and, given their extensive knowledge of the circumstances and needs on the streets of their community, are charged with the difficult task of establishing the priorities of how these HUD funds they receive would be most effectively used in their communities. The unfortunate reality is that there are always more needs than funds to meet them. "Since fiscal year 2010 the Congress has appropriated and HUD has allocated more than $520 million to support the work of our partners in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington to prevent and end homelessness. Their hard work has helped thousands of homeless individuals and families to get off the streets and into decent, affordable housing," said HUD Northwest Regional Administrator Donna Batch. "But much work remains to be done and we must continue to stretch our dollars efficiently and effectively to speed the day when anyone who needs a place to call home can have one." For a list of the projects recommended by Continuums and funded by HUD this year, visit.

CERTI-FINE
New rule outlines process for certification of HUD housing counselors
In November Secretary Julián Castro announced that HUD had, at the request of the Congress, published a final rule establishing the process by which, over the next three years, HUD will require that housing counselors participating in HUD programs be certified to offer counseling services to consumers by passing a standardized written examination and be employed by a HUD-approved housing counseling agency. The rule, it was explained, was necessary not because HUD counselors had done something wrong, but because they had done so much right, most notably during The Great Recession when, day after day after day, they patiently but expertly helped thousands upon thousands of homeowners facing foreclosure and renters facing eviction hold onto the places they called home. And did so for free. To achieve certification, counselors will need to demonstrate their competency in financial management; property maintenance; responsibilities of homeownership & tenancy; fair housing laws & requirements; housing affordability; and avoidance of, & responses to, rental & mortgage delinquency & avoidance of eviction & mortgage default. Once certified, counselors will be entered into online database of HUD-approved housing counseling agencies established & managed by HUD that consumers & partners can rely upon to quickly find a trusted, impartial and knowledgeable advisor who is required to put the consumer's best interest's firs & avoid fraudulent operators who prey upon those experiencing housing difficulties like eviction or foreclosure. For more about HUD & housing counseling, visit.

BRIEF BRIEFS
Tacoma Housing Authority raises $36 million in private capital that will allow it to renovate 456 of its housing units thanks, in part, to HUD's Rental Assistance Demonstration initiative. . .Anchorage, Alaska police department enlists social workers, says Alaska Dispatch, to accompany officers as they try to persuade homeless to" to move people sleeping outside into housing and treatment as quickly as possible". . .President Obama signs Water Resources Development Act which includes funding, reports Oregonian, to keep 80-year-old promise by requiring Army Corps of Engineers to "build 41 to 49 houses at Bonneville Dam for members of the Warm Springs, Yakama, Umatilla and Nez Perce tribes whom the dam displaced from the banks of the Columbia". . .The non-profit Provail celebrates grand opening of 12-bed assisted living facility for victims of traumatic brain injury in Shoreline, Washington funded, reports KING5, by Washington Housing Trust Fund, King County Housing & Community Development & Federal Home Loan Bank. . .With the continuing expansion of Seattle's light-rail system, Enterprise Community Partners spearheads creation of revolving loan fund to acquire transit-accessible land as sites for affordable housing reports Planetizen. . .Washington Department of Commerce awards $33.5 million in Washington State Housing Trust Fund , HOME Investment Partnership Funds & National Housing Trust funds to produce or preserve 922 units of affordable housing in 20 projects across the state. . .Seattle Housing Authority wins $452,000 & Portland's Home Forward wins $110,000 in HUD Project SOAR funds to help low-income young people - and their moms and dads - living in public housing navigate the college application process. . .Central Oregon Homeless Council launches data-driven coordinated entry process to better focus providers to better serve the homeless, says Bend Bulletin. . .With increasing coastal erosion threatening to engulf its homes & school, village of Newtok, Alaska tells News-Miner it will seek a Presidential Disaster Declaration. . .Washington Department of Financial Institutions settles with unlicensed lender for using borrowers' pension funds for repayment of lump-sum loans. . .Business Oregon awards $11.7 million in CDBG funds for wastewater system upgrades, housing rehabilitation, new firehouse, Head Start & senior center renovations in Idanha, La Pine, Seneca, Mt. Vernon, Roseburg, Veneta, Newberg, Independence, Lebanon & Pendleton & Josephine, Coos & Curry counties, Oregon. . .With a light-rail extension to the Northgate area of Seattle, Washington, Mayor Ed Murray & King County Executive Dow Constantine pledges some $20 million to develop affordable housing convenient in the area. . .Vancouver, Washington City Council begins the process, reports The Columbian, of the best ways to use proceeds from the housing tax levy approved by 57 percent of the Washington city's voters this fall. . .Even though Housing Authority of Jackson County's new 50-unit Concord affordable housing complex in Medford, Oregon won't be ready for occupancy until June, says Mail Tribune, it's already received "a ton of applications."

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS. . .AGAIN
Helping households become self-sufficient
In his first remarks to HUD employees following his Senate confirmation as Secretary of Housing & Urban Development in July, 2014, Julián Castro off-handedly observed that he believed HUD had been misnamed. It should instead be called, he said, the Department of Opportunity. He's got a good point. HUD HOME funds, for example, provide families with a down-payment and, thus, the opportunity their first home. CDBG funds provide neighborhoods with the opportunity to upgrade water lines, pave a street or repair a part. Opportunity's a lot of what HUD resources are about. There may be no better proof, in HUD's program portfolio than the Resident Opportunities Self-Sufficiency or, for short, ROSS program. It provides modes grants to public housing complexes across the country to hire service coordinators who help low-income residents navigate completing their education, acquiring new skills, getting jobs or, even, buying a home. ""The equation is a pretty simple one," explains HUD Northwest Regional Administrator Donna Batch. "Provide opportunities and you promote self-sufficiency," And it works. In fiscal year 2015 year alone, for example, some 71,000 families participated in HUD self-sufficiency program. Of those, 4,625 families completed or "graduated" from the program. Some, 52 percent had escrow accounts which averaged $6,500 in savings and 36 percent exited the rental assistance program within a year of graduation. Twelve percent bought a home. That's good news. Even better news is that HUD has just award $32 million in ROSS funds to Catholic Community Service and Pribilof Islands Aleut Community of St. Paul Island in Alaska, the Coeur d'Alene Tribal Housing Authority in Idaho, Housing and Community Services Agency of Lane County and the Warm Springs Housing Authority in Oregon and the King County Housing Authority and the Yakama Nation Housing Authority in Washington and 102 other complexes nationwide. Which means, Secretary Castro might add, "a brighter future" for thousands more families which, of course, is - and always has been - precisely the goal of a department of opportunity called HUD.

OPPORTUNITIES EXPAND. . .AGAIN
Serving those who've served
Residents of public housing who may benefit from HUD's Resident Opportunities Self Sufficiency program already benefit from one HUD program - they have an affordable, permanent roof over their heads. That's not true, of course, for all of those HUD serves. Those, for example, like homeless veterans. Fortunately, since its establishment in 2008 HUD's Veteran Affairs Supportive Housing program has enjoyed bipartisan support in the Congress and, as a result, steadily increased VASH funding to provide permanent, affordable housing. That was true again this year as demonstrated by HUD's announcement last month that it was awarding an additional 529 VASH vouchers to housing authorities in 26 rural communities across the country. The awardees included the Northwest Oregon Housing Authority, Salem Housing Authority & Coos-Curry Housing Authority in Oregon as well as the Skagit County Housing Authority, Longview Housing Authority and, for the first time, the Okanogan County Housing Authority in Washington State. With these latest awards, HUD will now be able to provide VASH vouchers to provide permanent housing to 1,916 homeless veterans in Oregon and 2,910 homeless veterans in Washington State. "A place to call home," said HUD Northwest Regional Administrator Donna Batch, "is the least we can do in return for the service veterans have provided."

BRIEF BRIEFS TOO
Caldwell, Idaho REALTOR Tracy Kasper named REALTOR of the Year by Idaho Association of REALTORS. . .Portland, Oregon Mayor Charlie Hales & Multnomah County Commission Chair Deborah Kafoury say, The Oregonian reports, that The White House has cited their regional A Home for All initiative for its effectiveness in proving affordable, permanent housing to homeless veterans. . .With waivers from the Washington Department of Commerce & USDA, Yakima Housing Authority says it will utilize 10 units of housing for seasonal farmworkers in Granger, Washington as housing this winter for homeless families, says Yakima Herald. . .Fairbanks, Alaska City Council accepts $92,000 grant from Alaska Mental Health Trust, says News-Miner, to fund housing & homeless coordinator position. . .Housing Hope tells Herald that its new 50-unit family housing development in Smokey Point will be the biggest of the 70 projects it's developed in Snohomish County, Washington. . .Portland, Oregon City Council unanimously approves inclusionary zoning affordable housing set aside for new apartment & condominium developments says Oregonian. . .USDA says earlier this year it surpassed the $1 billion milestone for investments through the Multi-Family Housing Loan Guarantee Program to create and preserve affordable rural rental housing and, in 2016, invested $74 million to build and preserve 2,765 affordable rural rental apartments nationwide. . .Rasmuson Foundation select 6 director of Alaska non-profits & tribal councils for fully-paid sabbaticals to "to completely step away from their organizations" for "three- to six-month opportunities for rest, reflection and rejuvenation" that, on average, "extends a nonprofit director's tenure by three years". . .City of Tacoma, Washington Transit-Oriented Development Plan wins Federal Transit Admin/Smart Growth America Award. . .Portland Business Journal's Jon Bell says the hot topic at this year's 2016 Oregon Leadership Summit was - you guessed it - affordable housing. . .Seattle, Washington City Council votes unanimously, says CrossCut, to ,make "life easier for renters" by capping up-front fees & security deposits charged at lease-signing or move-in. . .Portland, Oregon Housing Center says it counseled 1,178 households & helped 395 families buy their first home in 2016. . .King County Executive Dow Constantine announces award of $41 million in Best Starts for Kids levy funds approved last year by voters for rental assist, 879 units of affordable housing & youth & family homeless prevention programs. . .With phase I completed & phase II still seeking financing, residents of Ravens' Roost tell The Alaska Dispatch what it's like to be Anchorage, Alaska's first co-housing "pioneers". . .After receiving more than 2 dozen ideas from "around the world," it looks like City of Bellingham will move a "big, rusting, spherical" acid ball once used to process wood pulp at a mill that closed in 2001 to its new riverfront park, reports KING5.

NOFA-TUNITY
Energy Department kicks-off $5 million Solar Challenge
The U.S. Department of Energy has set an early application deadline of January 6th, a general application deadline of March 17th and a "late-start" deadline of August 1st for its $5 million SunShot Prize: Solar in Your Community Challenge to "support innovative and replicable community-based solar business models and programs that will bring solar to underserved communities." The grand prize for the best low- & moderate-income project team will be $500,000 with the runner-up winning $200,000. The best low- and moderate-income program team, the best non-profit project team & the best non-profit project team will each win $100,000. In addition, the Challenge will award $2 million in Seed Awards to up to 50 teams "based on the size of the teams' projected portfolio of solar projects (project-focused teams) or their program's projected reach measured in aggregate nameplate capacity (kW, peak DC)" and will provide $2 million in technical assistance.  Eligible participants include citizens or permanent residents of the United States; and private or non-federal public entities, such as townships, tribes, corporations, or other organizations that are incorporated in and maintain a primary place of business in the United States. To see the specific Challenge rules, visit

NOFA-TWO-NITY
All's well when well's well
USDA's Rural Utilities Service has set a February 17th deadline for non-profits & Tribes with "expertise and experience promoting the safe, productive use of individually owned household water wells systems" and with the legal authority and practical experience to act as a lender to apply for Household Water Well System grant. The funds are used to establish and administer revolving loan funds to lend up to $11,000 at a fixed 1 percent rate for no more than a 20-year term to income-eligible households that own eligible individuals i who own and occupy their home in an eligible rural area to construct, refurbish, or service individually-owned household water well systems.

NOFA-THREE-NITY
USDA's Rural Utilities Service has set a March 31st deadline for local utility organizations to apply for zero-interest loans of up to $1 million and/or grants of up to $300,000 under its Rural Economic Development Loan & Grant program. The program enables the rural utility organization to "pass through" loans to local businesses "for projects that will create and retain employment in rural areas" or towns that have 50,000 or fewer residents. The ultimate recipients repay the lending utility directly. Application is made to USDA state offices.

NO-FOUR-TUNITY
AHFC opens Senior Accessibility Program competition
The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation has set a January 31st deadline for non-profits, municipalities or regional housing authorities to submit an Intent to Apply Form to be considered for funding through its $750,000 Senior Housing Accessibility Modification Program to m provide and administer grants to senior households (individuals 55 years or older) to make needed accessibility modifications to their owner-occupied or rented dwellings. Completed applications are due February 28th. For more information, contact Oscar Cedano at ocedano@ahfc.us.

NO-FIVE-TUNITY
AHFC opens HOME funding competition
The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation has set a January 25th deadline for interested organizations to submit an Intent to Apply Form under its $1.4 million HOME Opportunity Program. Funding "is only available to nonprofit organizations interested in providing down payment and closing costs assistance to lower-income homebuyers meeting program income eligibility guidelines." Completed applications will be due March 24th. For more information, please contact Derrick Chan at dchan@ahfc.us

GOT VIEWS?
In 2016 the Oregon Legislature directed the state's Land Conservation and Development Commission to establish a pilot Urban Growth Boundary expansion process for development of land dedicated to affordable housing for 50 years. Two jurisdictions will be selected for the pilots - one with a population of up to 25,000 and the other a population of more than 25,000. The Commission has prepared a draft rule to govern the pilot and is seeking input on it, with comments due & a public hearing planned on dates not yet specified by the Commission. For more, visit

BRIEF BRIEFS THREE
Meyer Memorial Trust in Oregon completes 2-year transformation of grants portfolio with award of $173 million to 155 projects in its new Building Community, Healthy Environment & Housing Opportunity initiatives. . .Union Bulletin reports that voters in Walla Walla, Washington will decide next year on whether to hike sales tax to support affordable housing. . .Metro Council awards $575,000 to 5 communities in Portland & Multnomah County to identify & eliminate barriers to middle income housing says Oregonian. . .Impact Capital has new digs - Suite 1645, 701 Pike Street, Seattle, Washington, 98101. . .Juneau, Alaska Assembly, says Associated Press, sells city-owned parking lot for $530,000 to Eagle Rock Ventures so Seattle-based firm can build 30 units of affordable housing. . .With more than 2,200 housing units in 48 buildings across city of Seattle, Washington under its belt, Capitol Hill Housing celebrates its 40th year of "building vibrant & engaged communities". . .City of Newberg, Oregon & Yamhill County Housing Authority win $4000,000 in CDBG funds from Oregon Business, says Newberg Graphic, to "further a program that's already underway: offering money for owners of manufactured homes to complete repairs and rehabilitation projects". . .Multi Service Center celebrates grand opening, reports Federal Way Mirror, of 44-unit William J. Wood Veterans House with HUD Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing vouchers from King County Housing Authority insuring units are affordable. . .Though initial HopeSource plans to build 50 units of affordable housing in Ellensburg, Washington are "dead," says Daily Record, Kittitas County Commission allocates $50,000 to support application for tax credit project at another, yet-to-be-identified location. . .Equitable Housing PAC, a group representing Oregon landlords, proposes creation of a $25 million-a-year rental assistance program following, reports Willamette Week, Oregon House Speaker Kotek "announced her support for overturning the state's ban on rent control and ending "no-cause" evictions.". . .Consumer Financial Protection Bureau takes action against three reverse mortgage lenders for making "false claims, including claiming that consumers could not lose their homes". . .Observing "that didn't take long," Oregonian reports that Portland Housing Bureau unveils plan to use funds from housing tax levy passed overwhelmingly by city voters to acquire & upgrade 263-unit Ellison House in city's northeast area. . .Low Income Housing Institute celebrates grand opening of Abbey Lincoln Court, 68 units of new "workforce housing" in Seattle, Washington's Central District. . .Salem, Oregon City Council okays funds for Salem Housing Authority's purchase & transformation of Yaquina Hall on the grounds of the old state hospital into affordable housing reports Statesman Journal. . .City of Tacoma Arts Commission awards $50,000 to 10 community arts projects "with a strong focus on arts that are accessible and affordable to the public". . .Yakima, Washington City Council selects site, says The Herald, for new homeless encampment. . .Already deemed one of nation's most diverse neighborhoods, Mountain View area of Anchorage, Alaska gets "good to the last drop" with new espresso bar financed, says The Post, by Anchorage Community Land Trust. micro-loan.

QUOTE TO NOTE
An era ends in Eugene
"This is Kitty Piercy's last month as mayor of Eugene. It seems fitting to recall some of the contributions she made to our community over the past 12 years. . .Piercy's dedication to civil dialogue extended to everything she did. Immediately after she was elected, Piercy changed the tone of City Council meetings from an often caustic atmosphere to one of respectful interaction among council members and staff. This ambiance continues. . .The revitalization of downtown Eugene is another product of Piercy's commitment to economic development. Dave Hauser, president of the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce, told me that Piercy "Did remarkable work negotiating with the City Council to revitalize downtown. It took political courage to pilot and support tools" like the Multi-Unit Property Tax Exemption program. "It has generated hundreds of millions of dollars in investments downtown. . .Equally important was Piercy's commitment to improving social conditions and protecting human dignity. In 2011, for instance, she urged the city council to organize the Opportunity Eugene Community Task Force on Homeless Solutions that made recommendations to address the problem. She also actively promoted the "Housing First" concept that urges everyone to set aside moral judgments and get the homeless housed. In response to First Lady Michelle Obama's call to end veteran homelessness by 2015, Piercy and Lane County Commissioner Pat Farr launched Operation 365 in 2014. This initiative found homes for 404 veterans, exceeding the initial goal of securing housing for 365 vets. . .As with other concerns, Piercy's accessibility was a common theme I heard regarding social issues. "Every time we called, whether it was about SquareOne Village, responding to hate, expanding affordable housing, or helping homeless veterans, Kitty was always there," said the Rev. Dan Bryant. . .Not everything has gone well, and like other cities Eugene still faces many challenges. But our community is markedly better off today than it was 12 years ago because of Kitty Piercy. Thank you, mayor, for a job well done." - Bob Doppelt, "Eugene is better off because of Kitty Piercy," The Eugene Register-Guard, December 29, 2016

QUOTEWORTHY
The "crisis" in Cannon Beach, Oregon
"If we do not address the housing crisis, we will not attract the workers in the hotel industries, the food service industries. If you can't supply the demand, eventually the demand is going to go away" - City Manager Brant Kucera of Cannon Beach, a resort community of 1,690 residents on the Oregon coast, in advance of the City Council's unanimous vote in support of an affordable housing plan proposed by its Affordable Housing Task Force, December 23, 2016, KATU-TV.

THOUGHTWORTHY
The challenge we face
"I begin with" Tacoma Housing Authority's "mission as its Board has defined it. The mission comes in parts. The main part is to house low-income people, with a focus on the neediest. THA does that in three main ways. First, we develop real estate. We build, buy and rebuild properties that we then rent. We are one of our region's larger residential landlords. Second, we also help other nonprofit organizations that share our mission to finance and develop their housing. Third, we help people pay the rent to private landlords. Our various rental assistance programs do that. All that is hard work, as our partners know. Yet we do not count that as the harder part of our job. The world knows how to do that work when it tries. It knows how to finance housing, design it, build it, manage it and rent it. The world knows how to design and run rental assistance programs. The world does not know nearly as much about the next part of THA's job. This next part seeks ways to spend a housing dollar, not just to house people, but also to get two other things done. First, THA seeks to help them succeed, not just as tenants but also, as our mission statement contemplates, as "parents, students, wage earners and builders of assets." We want their time with us to be transforming in these ways, and temporary. We want this for adults. We want this emphatically for children because we do not wish them to need our housing when they grow up. Second, we seek to spend a housing dollar to help our communities succeed and to help them do so equitably. We seek ways to help neighborhoods be "attractive places to live, work, attend school, shop and play" and for our city and county to be places that low-income people experience that are "safe, vibrant, prosperous, attractive, and just." The world does not quite know how to do that. What I so admire about THA's staff and our many partners are their efforts to find it out. When it works it is a very good use of a housing dollar." - Michael Mirra, executive director, Tacoma, Washington Housing Authority Thanksgiving Message, November 24, 2016

FACT-SINATING
A regional recession?
"The volatile housing market of the past 15 years is widening the divide between pricey urban and coastal areas and more affordable inland regions, creating large swaths of winners and losers based largely on geography. Average U.S. home prices rose 5.6% in the 12 months through October, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Home Price Index, which covers some of the U.S.'s largest metropolitan areas. Prices in these areas plummeted 27% from the peak of the housing boom in 2006 to the bottom of the bust in 2012, but set a record high in September, according to the index. Adjusted for inflation, prices are still roughly 15% below the peak. Much of the spoils have been concentrated on the high end. A study by Weiss Analytics, a housing-data firm, found homes in ZIP Codes where the median value is $500,000 to $1 million are now worth 103% more than they were 16 years ago, before a boom in the mid-2000s was followed by the worst housing crash since the Great Depression. Home prices in those areas have shot up 39% since the bust. Yet many places around the U.S. missed out on the recent boom, with prices remaining essentially flat during the same period. In ZIP Codes where the median home was worth $100,000 to $150,000, prices have risen 16% since the trough of the market and are now worth 24% more than they were in 2000. The contrast offers one explanation for the frustration building in the mostly rural, middle-American areas that helped propel Donald Trump to victory in the presidential election. In counties that voted for Mr. Trump, home prices have been largely flat for the past 15 years, according to a county-by-county analysis of home values and voting patterns by real-estate tracker Zillow. In areas that went for Hillary Clinton—mostly coastal urban areas such as California's major markets—home values plunged from 2006-2012 but have roared back since. In January 2000, just before the housing market's boom-bust cycle began, homes in counties that voted for Mrs. Clinton in 2016 were worth $36,000 more than those in the counties that voted for Mr. Trump, according to the Zillow analysis. Today, the gap stands at almost $97,000. . ." - Laura Kusisto, "Housing Gains Highlight Economic Divide," The Wall Street Journal, December 27, 2016

FUN-TASTIC
Geo-mapping's never been this much fun
"You are what we eat," we used to be told. In this hyper-electronic age, we now also are what we watch. That's the premise, apparently, of a collection of maps published by The New York Times that show which television shows - from Dancing with the Stars to Modern Family, Duck Dynasty to The Daily Show, The Tonight Show to The Voice - are hot and which are not for every county in the United States, . Type in a ZIP Code and you can even learn which places most like the most like the shows popular where you live and which like them the least. Whether that has anything to do with the price of tea in China or whether the Cleveland Browns ever will win a Super Bowl, Northwest HUDLines doesn't have a clue. But if you've ever heard yourself complaining "there's nothing to watch on TV tonight," why not check out what they're watching in Greenwood, Mississippi. It might just hit the spot.

WORTH A WATCH
Mayor Charlie Hales of Portland passes the torch
"I think there are people who think I personally created homelessness. I've been criticized sharply for criminalizing homelessness and not criminalizing homelessness. But here's the reality: The West Coast cities are all dealing with this problem. The west coast of the United States has about a third of the nations' homeless. You can't stay outside in Minneapolis during the winter. A lot of the nation's homeless are here. Not because they've moved here. Most of them are from here. They are victims of a series of problems: High housing costs, evictions, addictions - there are all kinds of stories of why those people are on the street. What we've learned in the successful veterans' homeless effort, is if we think about the individual humanity instead of the ugliness of the problem, we make a lot of progress. We've housed 1,294 veterans in permanent housing. Of course, there are still more homeless people than we have shelter or permanent housing for but we've opened 650 shelter beds and put half a billion dollars into affordable housing construction over the next 10 years. Portland's leading the way on these issues. Do we still have homeless people? Yes. And I said back in the beginning of the year, I want our police officers to be able to say, ‘You can't sleep there.' But if they can finish that sentence by saying, ‘But there's a shelter bed here or a housing program there,' that's a solution rather than just chasing them around town. People are transfixed by the ugliness of homelessness because it is ugly. But what I've done and what the city has done is focused on making progress." -- Mayor Charlie Hales of Portland, Oregon, in a lengthy conversation with Laural Porter on KGW-TV's Straight Talk, just days before completing his term as the city's chief executive. For the full interview, visit.

WORTH A VISIT
Upsides & down of mobile home ownership
What can go wrong in a mobile home park? Well, join NPR's Daniel Zwerdling on a visit to Syringa, Idaho. And what can go right? Well, head east with him for a visit to Fridley, Minnesota. Two different places, two different models, two completely different stories.

WORTH A LISTEN
A boundary or a barrier?
KUOW-FM's Joshua Mc Nichols pays a visit to Snoqualmie Pass in eastern King County, Washington to see whether Urban Growth Boundaries help or hinder communities' efforts to address an affordable housing crisis. Some say yes, some say no.

JUST PUBLISHED
Documents & data drops of interest
HUD launches Community Assessment Reporting Tool (CART) to make the what's & where of HUD investments, says Secretary Castro, "more accessible & easier to find.". . .Portland Housing Bureau publishes 2016 State of Housing in Portland study. . .HUD posts 6-part video on How to Use CDBG Funds for Housing Activities. . .KLCC-FM posts Eugene City Club Forum on whether inclusionary zoning can solve Eugene, Oregon's affordable housing crisis. . .HUD issues Disaster Recovery Toolkit to assist communities in responding to the needs of the homeless in the aftermath of disaster. . .Using American Community Survey from 2011 through 2015, Census Bureau takes a look at what urban & rural residents have - and don't have - in common across 40 housing, social & economic characteristics. . .With some 75 stories on homelessness published in its pages this year, Yakima Herald takes a step back and tries to summarize both myths & realities of the homeless in the Yakima Valley of Washington. . .Idaho housing & Finance Association issues 2016 Homelessness Community Report. . .HUD publishes guide on Resources on Homeless Preferences for Multifamily Property Owners & Agents

NOTES TO NOTE
Oregon Housing & Community Services to begin accepting applications for Agricultural Workforce Housing Tax Credits after January 1st. . .AHFC sets January 25th deadline to submit Intent to Apply form for $750,00 in Senior Accessibility Program funds & January 28th deadline to submit same for $1.4 million in HOME Opportunity Program funds. . .EPA sets January 31st application deadline for $1.2 million Environmental Justice Small Grants program. . .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 . .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. . .EPA sets March 17th deadline to apply for Solar in Your Community Challenge to assist communities to increase areas to solar power in low-income communities. . .AHFC sets March 24th deadline to submit completed application for HOME Opportunity Program funds. . .USDA Rural Utilities Service sets March 31st deadline for local utility organizations to apply for Rural Economic Development Loan & Grant program.

COMING UP
Alaska Association of REALTORS hosts 2017 Leadership Conference, January 3rd & 4th, Anchorage, Alaska. Visit

HUD hosts Webinar on HUD Webinars on Equal Access & Sexual Identity Rule, January 10th, on-line. Visit

Seattle-based Zillow "live-streams" 2017 Economic Forum, January 11th, from the Newsum in Washington, D.C. Visit

Idaho AHMA offers a Day in the Life of a Property Manager workshop, January 17, Boise, Idaho. Visit

HUD hosts Webinar on HUD Webinars on Equal Access & Sexual Identity Rule, January 18th, on-line. Visit

Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians hosts 2017 winter conference, January 23rd to26th, Chehalis, Washington. Visit

Washington AHMA hosts Certified Professional of Occupancy workshop, January 24th to 26th, Seattle, Washington. Visit

Northwest Indian Housing Association hosts quarterly meeting, January 24th & 25th, Seattle, Washington. Visit

HUD Oregon hosts free Basics of Fair Housing workshop, January 25th, Portland, Oregon. Visit

Portland State University Institute of Sustainable Solutions host 15th annual Ecology & Conservation Symposium, February 6th, Portland, Oregon. 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

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

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

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