Northwest HUD Lines
September 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

TEN YEARS ON
What's been done, what's left to do 10 years after Katrina struck?
Ten years and three ago Katrina struck our nation's Gulf Coast. "The road to recovery has been long and not without serious challenges," said HUD Secretary Julián Castro at a HUD Headquarters ceremony marking the occasion. "But it's also shown that though the storm was strong, the resilient spirit of the Gulf Coast was even stronger." In the days immediately following the disaster, many wondered whether the Region would ever recover, and, maybe even more, whether governments would be up to the very large task of speeding that recovery. In the 10 years since, Secretary Castro reported, HUD has invested nearly $20 billion. 158,000 households received direct compensation for their economic loss. 2,894 families received help to purchase homes. 12,660 housing units have been rehabilitated. 767 new housing units have been constructed. 35,597 affordable rental housing units have been provided. HUD assistance has helped the Housing Authority of New Orleans "ramp-up" to serve 20,000 residents today, up from 14,000 before Katrina. HUD has also helped fund 82 new schools, 11 higher education facilities, 13 healthcare facilities, 20 parks and recreational facilities, 52 water and sewer projects and restoration pf 22 fisheries in nine coastal parishes. HUD resources have helped 5,500 businesses and created 6,500 permanent jobs. Along the Gulf Coast, HUD, in other words, has done what you, the American taxpayer, expected HUD to do - its job. And so we will continue to do. For, as Secretary Castro noted, " as long as there are people who want to come home and communities that need to be rebuilt our job is not done."

RELIEF
Earlier this year the Oregon Legislature created the Wildfire Damage Housing Relief Account. In August, Oregon Housing & Community Services to provide grants of up to $5,000 to Oregon residents for the loss of housing they own in Oregon due to wildfire on or after July 1st, 2015. To be eligible, residents must have an annual income at or below 75 percent of the Federal poverty level. The home must be uninhabitable unless repaired or replaced and may be a stick-built, site-built (as in a manufactured home) or a recreational vehicle that serves as a primary residence. Applications must be filed within 180 days of the loss. Visit (www.oregon.gov/ohcs/Pages/wildfire-damage-housing-relief-program.aspx)

ENERGIZER
The Obama Administration & HUD Secretary Castro announce that FHA shortly will offer guidance on allowing FHA financing for purchase or refinancing mortgages on single-family homes with Property Assessed Clean Energy liens and, additionally, will offer homebuyers or homeowners who want to obtain an FHA-insured purchase or refinance mortgage for a single family home that receives a U.S. Department of Energy's Home Energy Score of 6 or higher will be eligible to increase their income qualifying ratio by 2 percent above the standard Single Family FHA limit. The new tools, says HUD Secretary Julián Castro, will "help homeowners make smart choices for their pocketbooks and for the environment."

DON'T BE SHY
For the 19th year HUD & and the American Planning Association have set a September 11th due date for nominations for the 2016 HUD Secretary's Opportunity & Empowerment Award. You know exactly the kind of project we're looking for, one that demonstrates "excellence in planning that has led to measurable improvements in employment, education, and/or housing choice outcomes for low- and moderate-income residents, with an emphasis on innovation and transferability." And you have a candidate, don't you? Then Visit (www.huduser.org/portal/elist/2015-aug_18.html). And do it today!

"LOCATOR, LOCATOR, LOCATOR"
From healthy homes to healthy kids in Alaska
Okay. The quote's wrong. But the recently-released new HUD APP? Well, it's fabulous. It's called the HUD Resource Locator and it offers "real-time HUD housing information at the fingertips of people looking to quickly connect with building managers, public housing authority representatives, and property management companies to inquire about housing availability and other housing-related questions." Hopefully, it'll make working with HUD even easier and our service better for our partners and customers. The app & Web site are available, for free via Apple iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hud-resource-locator/id1018440488?mt=8), Google Play Marketplace (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=resources.hud.gov.resourcelocator_android) and also on your browser at resources.hud.gov (http://resources.hud.gov/#&ui-state=dialog).

BRIEF BRIEFS
Washington State Housing Finance Commission provides some $188 million in financing to create or preserve 546 affordable housing units in Woodlake, Tacoma, Port Townsend, Bremerton, Olympia & Gig Harbor & launches new partnership with Pierce County & Bremerton to provide downpayment assistance of up to $20,000 per eligible homebuyer. . .City of Beaverton, Oregon loans $200,000, says Oregonian (www.oregonlive.com/beaverton/index.ssf/2015/08/beaverton_gives_200000_loan_to.html), to Bridge Meadows to help it buy land in city's southwest corner for its second intergenerational housing complex in Portland metro area. . .Ground is broken for new Boys & Girls Club, one of four projects totaling $30 million "focused on breaking the cycle of poverty" in Vancouver Housing Authority's Skyline Crest (www.vbjusa.com/news/top-stories/30-million-vha-project-to-have-huge-impact/?hootPostID=8b5cd2409c1e8749e5e3c19e0099061a) neighborhood. . .Seattle & King County launch "ambitious" plan, says KOMO News (www.komonews.com/news/local/Call-to-landlords-help-end-veteran-homelessness-by-end-of-year-321324301.html?tab=video&c=y), "to find every vet a permanent home by the end of this year:. . .Alaska Dispatch (www.alaskapublic.org/2015/06/02/juneau-to-become-third-city-in-alaska-to-shelter-high-risk-homeless/) says Alaska Housing Finance Corporation awards $3 million in State & HOME capital funds as well as $1.2 million in operating funds to The Glory Hole for 43-unit Housing First facility in Juneau. . .National coalition of 1,500 housing & community development organizations - including more than 70 from Alaska, Idaho, Oregon & Washington State - support (www.ksefocus.com/billdatabase/clientfiles/172/2/2397.pdf) HOME Investment Partnership. . .Seattle Globalist's Sarah Stuteville (www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/el-centro-constructs-an-answer-for-affordable-housing/) says El Centro de la Raza is constructing "an answer for affordable housing" in Seattle, Washington area. . .Peninsula Housing Authority and, says PTLeader (www.ptleader.com/news/peninsula-housing-authority-project-starts-in-pt/article_260c3ec0-4b83-11e5-a361-0b7c09981e11.html), break ground for Phoenix Addition in Port Townsend, Washington, five "self-help" homes being built from the ground up by prospective owners and lots of volunteers. . .Five renewable energy projects in Oregon win (www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2015/08/0226.xml&navid=
NEWS_RELEASE&navtype=RT&parentnav=LATEST_RELEASES&edeployment_action=retrievecontent) USDA Rural Energy for America grants. . .City of Boise introduces new Energize our Neighborhoods Website (http://pds.cityofboise.org/energize/energize-our-neighborhoods/about/) focusing, for now, on tracking and telling the story of revitalizing its Vista neighborhood. . .Consumer Financial Protection Bureau study (www.consumerfinance.gov/newsroom/cfpb-study-finds-electronic-mortgage-closings-can-benefit-consumers/?hootPostID=bac592ba8b12e49281fad58d89a426ea) finds that borrowers who "closed their mortgage using an electronic platform are generally better off on measures of understanding, efficiency, and feeling empowered than borrowers who used just paper forms". . .PCRI (www.pcrihome.org/archives/4078) of Portland, Oregon is certified as a HUD-approved housing counseling agency. . .OPAL Community Land Trust, says Seattle Times (www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/up-house-could-move-by-barge-to-orcas-island/?hootPostID=fb55edbb6ffdf285efaa2d6ddbb9e992), wants to try to relocate Ballard, Washington's UP Houses to Orcas Island. . .Portland, Oregon Mayor Charlie Hales says City will provide just over $900,000 to Cascadia Behavioral Health, Urban League of Portland & NAYA to, reports Oregonian (www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2015/08/charlie_hales_hopeful_1_millio.html), provide "on-the-ground support" to chronically homeless. . .Cold Climate Housing Research, says News Miner (www.newsminer.com/business/cchrc-certifies-window-producer/article_f0a14cf6-43eb-11e5-8e7c-07c46351d8a2.html?hootPostID=b40dca9f102e28ad38a5b45372c65279), taps Capital Glass Northern Windows of Anchorage, Alaska as first company to win Alaska Tough certification of products fit to handle state's climactic challenges.

GOT VIEWS?
Got views on proposed changes to HUD's equal participation of faith-based organizations rule?
HUD has proposed amendments to its existing regulations regarding the equal participation of faith-based (religious) organizations in HUD programs. It is intended to implement Executive Order 13559 signed by President Obama in November, 2010 which "sets forth principles clarifying that religious providers are welcome to compete for Federal funding without loss of their religious identity, and providing protections for program beneficiaries, including a referral process for beneficiaries who object to the religious character of an organization that operates a program with direct Federal funds." The public comment period ends October 6th

READY OR NOT?
Toolkit to help protect multifamily residents HUD& Enterprise Community Partners have published & posted Ready To Respond: Disaster Staffing Toolkit (www.enterprisecommunity.com/solutions-and-innovation/enterprise-green-communities/tools-and-services/ready-to-respond) to help multi-family property owners & managers "build emergency plans that promote business continuity, resident engagement and building protection" in the event of a disaster." It was prepared in partnership with 12 leading community development corporations (CDCs) from around New York and New Jersey who have dealt with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and is based on the Incident Command System (ICS), a planning framework used by federal, state and local first responder agencies to help structure command, control and coordination of emergency responses. "What we do today," noted HUD Secretary Julián Castro will put us on a more resilient path to weather the next disaster that will most surely come our way."

BY THE NUMBERS
Like numbers? Well, we've got a few for you. In July, the Oregon Community Foundation (www.oregoncf.org/Templates/media/files/reports/top_indicators_2015.pdf) released an analysis of income inequality in Oregon. Smart Set publishes a study of cities with the highest "real" minimum wage (four are in Washington State). The July (http://labor.state.ak.us/trends/jul15.pdf) issue of Alaska Economic Trends has a report on the cost-of-living in Alaska while the August (http://labor.state.ak.us/trends/aug15.pdf) issue takes a look at what's happened to rent over the last decade in four of Alaska's major markets. The Economic Policy Institute (http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2015/08/26/where-is-the-most-affordable-place-in-the-u-s-to-raise-a-family/) looks at the question from the national perspective (and also releases a nifty 2015 Family Budget Calculator which, by the way, suggests that the easiest place to "get by" in the U.S. is Morristown, Tennessee) while the Oregon Center for Public Policy (www.ocpp.org/) uses the calculator to see where it's easiest in Oregon. Thinking ahead a bit, WalletHub (http://wallethub.com/edu/best-places-to-retire/6165/) publishes its 2015 analysis of 150 cities for the best and worst places to retire with Boise edged out of the top spot by only Tampa and Scottsdale.

NEWS TO NOTE
HUD streamlines to better serve rent-assisted families
HUD issues final rule (www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-08-20/pdf/2015-20551.pdf?hootPostID=b7bdd64250c39c0a281641b70638cef3) "streamlining" the portability processes for recipients of Housing Choice Vouchers effective September 21st. "Portability" is a is a "feature of the HCV program that allows an eligible family with" such a voucher "to use that voucher to lease a unit anywhere in the United States where there is a public housing agency" operating an HCV program.

NEWS 2 NOTE
HUD's also just published a brand-new Section 8 Renewal Policy Guide.

DON'T FORGET
All published sections of HUD's Single Family Housing Policy Handbook (Handbook 4000.1) take effect on September 14, 2015.

BRIEF BRIEFS TOO
Tacoma Housing Authority celebrates 75th birthday with Hilltop street fair. . .Cook Inlet Housing celebrates grand opening of Coronado Village, says Alaska Dispatch (www.adn.com/article/20140810/senior-rental-housing-opening-downtown-eagle-river?hootPostID=58a137dc0beccf68b8e9daaf86deb620"), 56 units of affordable housing for seniors in Eagle River, Alaska. . .HUD's Rental Assistance Demonstration pilot tops $1 billion in construction activity leveraged. . .After 20 years as executive director of Community Partners for Affordable Housing (http://cpahinc.org/docs/ED_Transition_Announcement.pdf) in Tigard, Oregon, Sheila Greenlaw-Finkis moving to direct the Community Housing Foundation in Washington County. . .Mayor Ethan Berkowitz of Anchorage, Alaska names Nancy Burke as city's new homeless coordinator says Alaska Dispatch (www.adn.com/article/20150812/new-anchorage-homeless-coordinator-focus-fair-housing?hootPostID=5891fad9ca12e83a2b6a56592d9a10de). . .Bainbridge Island, Washington, Housing Resources Board launches phase II of Ferncliff affordable housing development, says Inside Bainbridge (www.insidebainbridge.com/2015/08/18/phase-two-of-affordable-ferncliff-village-is-underway/?hootPostID=2885bb73ca48c5e05d859a8bcce25b08), adding building 16 townhouses to join 24 single-family houses already on site. . .St. Vincent de Paul of Northern Idaho begins construction of expanded dining and centralized laundry facilities at its Coeur d'Alene campus says CDA Press (www.cdapress.com/news/local_news/article_4eb62a85-90c7-5c6b-a0da-295a3f37dd38.html?hootPostID=022a8673d76bfd6a7c3bbe73cc6ffdbe). . .Community Frameworks (http://files.ctctcdn.com/fec8905b201/99aa243f-7e89-408d-83a0-a4fc8a30d3a4.pdf) to "transform" Lindaman Building - its new home office in Spokane, Washington - into 32 units of affordable rentals. . .Kurt Creager offers his perspective (https://www.portlandoregon.gov/phb/article/540446) as he takes the helm as director of the Portland Housing Bureau. . .RurALCAP of Anchorage, Alaska & Housing Hope of Everett, Washington among seven organizations nationwide selected for International Living Future Institute's Living Building Affordable Housing Pilot. . .Jet Industries of Salem, Oregon hosts golf tournament & raises $180,000, says Statesman-Journal (www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/2015/08/26/local-business-raises-homeless-veterans/32369423/), for Home of the Brave homeless vets organization. . Snohomish County executive John Lovick calling for county-wide summit this fall on impact of homelessness & lack of affordable housing says Bothell-Kenmore Reporter (www.bothell-reporter.com/news/321927051.html?hootPostID=b2af36aa559f951f6793e918fbfab0bc). . .USDA awards City of Jordan Valley, Oregon $30,000 to begin planning upgrade of its water system and City of Canyonville $9 million in loans & grants to build new wastewater treatment plant . . .Helping Hands Re-Entry and Portland's, Neighborhood Partnership, Portland Housing Center & Cascade Behavioral Health among 17 winners of Meyer Memorial Trust grants totaling $3.2 million in August. . .City of Tacoma launches revitalization of Lincoln District (www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/matt-driscoll/article31848612.html), its "most ethnically diverse neighborhood". . .Klamath & Lake Community Action in Oregon wins VA funds to provide housing & services to veterans & their families and wins and a Leightman Maxey Foundation grant to expand homeownership & financial services to Spanish-speaking residents says Herald & News (www.heraldandnews.com/news/klcas-offers-new-programs-for-veterans-hispanic-community/article_eb90b5e3-0aca-5f76-8d86-04a823e0ac3b.html). . .Snoqualmie - Washington state's fastest growing community - celebrates completion of HUD-assisted Town Center Infrastructure Plan - upgraded water & sewer lines, illumination, new curbs & landscaping - with community festival (www.ci.snoqualmie.wa.us/DesktopModules/Bring2mind/DMX/Download.aspx?
Command=Core_Download&EntryId=22114&PortalId=0&TabId=273) highlighted by chance to "dunk" Mayor Matthew Larson & other city officials. . .Catholic Housing Services of Western Washington & Seattle Office of Housing, reports Northwest Catholic (www.nwcatholic.org/news/local/patrick-place-seattle-supports-ex-homeless), celebrate blessing of 71-unit Patrick Place for once-homeless singles and couples.

NOFA-TUNITY
Pilot to help victims of domestic violence with HIV/AIDS avoid homelessness
HUD has set an October 23rd deadline to apply for a total of $9.1 million under a pilot program to prevent victims of domestic violence "from falling into homelessness." Eligible applicants include state and local governments and non-profit organizations. Under the pilot collaboration between HUD and the Department of Justice's Violence Against Women - funds will provide transitional and other temporary housing "rental housing assistance and supportive services to low-income persons living with HIV/AIDS who are victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking." Nine grants may be awarded. Grantees are expected to "partner with local domestic violence and sexual assault service providers for client outreach and engagement and for comprehensive supportive services to ensure client success in the program." The funds, says HUD Secretary Julián Castro, "help vulnerable populations with HIV/AIDS to break the cycle of domestic violence and get the help they need." Visit

NOFA-TWO-NITY
Helping communities navigate HUD programs
HUD has set a September 25th deadline for to apply for a total of $44.9 million under its Compass Technical Assistance &Capacity Building Program County, city & town governments, public & Tribal housing authorities, tribal organizations (but not Tribal governments)i, institutions of higher education, for-profits, non-profits and small businesses are among those eligible to apply. The assistance will help communities and organizations "navigate complex housing and community development challenges by equipping them with the knowledge, skills, tools, capacity, and systems to implement HUD programs and policies successfully." Up to 18 grants are expected to be awarded, ranging from $250,000 to $15 million. Selected providers "may have a broad range of skills and expertise" or have "more targeted skills and expertise." Applicants are "encouraged to procure subcontractors and consultants to build a team with expertise in a range of HUD program areas." Visit FR-5900-N-06 (www.grants.gov/search-grants.html?agencies%3DHUD%7CDepartment%20of%20Housing%20and%20Urban%20Development) at grants.gov

NOFA-THREE-NITY
Competition opens for $58.8 million in Indian CDBG funds
HUD has set an October 14th deadline to apply for a total of $58.8 million in Indian Community Development Block Grant funds. Some 75 grants are expected to be competitively awarded with a ceiling of $1 million and a floor of $500,000. Eligible applicants include Tribes or tribal organizations applying on behalf of Tribes. Read more about how Tribes & Native Villages use ICDBG funds. To apply, visit FR-5900-N-23 (www.grants.gov/search-grants.html?agencies%3DHUD%7CDepartment%20of%20Housing%20and%20Urban%20Development) at grants.gov

NO-FOUR-NITY
Oregon homebuyer boost
Oregon Housing & Community Services has set a September 21st deadline for eligible organizations to apply for a total of $1 million in downpayment assistance grants. Funded under Oregon's Housing Opportunity Bill, the grants enable the organizations to provide downpayment assistance to provide down payment assistance "for low- and very low-income Oregonians and decrease the gap in minority homeownership." The maximum grant per applicant will be $100,000. In addition to being income-eligible, recipients of downpayment assistance must be first-time homebuyers and must complete a homeownership education program offered by a HUD-approved housing counseling agency. The maximum downpayment to a homebuyer may not exceed $15,000.

NO-FIVE-TUNITY
USDA seeks urban & community forestry proposals
USDA has set a November 23rd deadline for state governments, public & Tribal housing authorities, native organizations, school districts and public institutions of higher education & non-profits to respond to a request-for-proposals for a total of $800,000 under its 2016 National Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Cost Share Grant Program. Up to 75 proposals may be funded. This year's applicants are expected to address at least one of three priority issues - analysis &solutions for development & redevelopment impacts on urban & community forests; building human health through urban & community forestry; and, climate change & its impact on trees & water. The funding is not provided for local or state-wide projects. Visit (www.fs.fed.us/ucf/nucfac.shtml)

ONE-LAST-TUNITY
Preserving rural America's affordable multifamily inventory
USDA has announced "the time frame" for accepting applications from existing Sections 514, 515 and 516 USDA-assisted rural rental housing to participate in a preservation and revitalization demonstration program. Under the program, existing "loans will be restructured to ensure sufficient resources are available to preserve the ability of rental projects to provide safe and affordable housing for very low-, low-, or moderate-income residents." Participating projects "will be expected to be revitalized to extend their affordable use without displacing tenants because of increased rents." No additional rental assistance will be made available under the demonstration program. Participating projects seeking debt deferral and other program funding tools should submit applications within 120 days of August 3rd, 2015. Those seeking only debt deferral may submit until December 31st, 2015. Visit (https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/08/03/2015-18990/notice-of-solicitation-of-applications-nosa-for-the-multifamily-preservation-and-revitalization-mpr#h-4)

BRIEF BRIEFS THREE
What "works" for homeless families
A very happy 25th to more than 40 organizations comprising the Spokane Low Income Housing Consortium (www.slihc.org/) who, since 1999, have developed 3,700 affordable rental units & helped more than 2,000 families buy homes. . .It took longer than planned, says South Whidbey Record (www.southwhidbeyrecord.com/news/321102391.html?hootPostID=38725034de982aa7083229487bbbec52), but the Island Housing Authority finally celebrates grand opening of 26-unit, $6.8 million Sunny View affordable housing in in Freeland, Washington. . .ARCH Community Housing & Blaine County Housing Authority moving forward, says Idaho Mountain Express (www.mtexpress.com/news/blaine_county/housing-authority-moves-ahead-with-mid-valley-project/article_97f3151c-4783-11e5-a590-ef997d68ade1.html?hootPostID=f4103c610be038b3300687d872c4aefc), with two-acre affordable housing development in Ketchum, Idaho. . .News Tribune (www.kplu.org/post/seattleites-are-finding-affordable-housing-tacoma?hootPostID=0d5d3e7980b8d6fccddf102039616b82) says Seattleites searching for affordable housing are looking at Tacoma, Washington, a hop, skip & Sound Transit trip away. . .With CDBG funding, City of Lynwood, Washington completes 204th Street Extension that, City Manager tells Lynwood Today (http://lynnwoodtoday.com/city-expresses-appreciation-as-204th-street-sw-extension-project-wraps-up/), "obviously connects important parts of our community". . .August issue of Alaska Economic Trends (http://labor.state.ak.us/trends/) notes that the state which has contributed the most migrants to Alaska is not New York, not California, not even Washington State, but Texas, the state Alaska displaced as the largest in the Union. . .Washington Department of Ecology (www.ecy.wa.gov/news/news.html) provides emergency funding to drought-stricken communities in Benton, Stevens, Chelan and Yakima counties & Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe "support critical water supplies". . .Salem Arms Community Housing Association (http://files.ctctcdn.com/fec8905b201/99aa243f-7e89-408d-83a0-a4fc8a30d3a4.pdf) acquires 6-unit Newark apartments it's managed since 2012 from Spokane Housing Authority. . .City of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho unveils plans, says CDA Press (www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/aug/02/coeur-dalene-planning-redevelopment-of-sherman/?hootPostID=6c1b139202bb73a14fa6b48c839816b4), to redevelop Sherman Avenue, the city's eastern gateway. . No Limits in Fairbanks, Alaska helps former prisoners transition back into mainstream, says News Miner (www.newsminer.com/news/akrecovery/southside-center-caters-to-people-leaving-prison/article_776e4d00-4eec-11e5-882c-27fe81f21bc7.html?hootPostID=bb3607ad8eecec92bf9fcc46cd271bd1). . .Mayor Charlie Hales & Commissioner Dan Saltzman unveil plans, says Oregonian (www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2015/08/housing_grocery_projects_comin.html
?hootPostID=0f344e992ead76d09a2e60c3c7be15f8), for much-needed grocery store and affordable housing in northeast Portland, Oregon. . .So far in calendar year 2015, the Yakima, Washington metro area has topped $2 billion in mortgages insured by FHA, the Anchorage, Alaska area has topped $8 billion in FHA mortgages, the State of Idaho has topped $22 billion in FHA mortgages and the Seattle-Bellevue, Everett, Washington area has topped $45 billion in total mortgages insured by FHA.

NOT-SO-FAC-TASTIC
What do wildfires cost? Thanks to hotter, more unpredictable & longer fire seasons - today they average 78 days longer than in the 1970's - for the first time in its 110-year history, the U.S. Forest Service (www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2015/08/0225.xml&navid=NEWS_RELEASE&navtype=
RT&parentnav=LATEST_RELEASES&edeployment_action=
retrievecontent&hootPostID=0d15c22cb440035f1e6e782cc9eb9a69) is devoting more than 50 percent of its budget to fighting fires. And, thanks to climate change, that's likely to go even higher.

WORTH A VIEW
Alaska Public Television' Alaska Edition (www.alaskapublic.org/2015/08/21/151336/) asked homeless providers & advocates if there are any "workable solutions" to ending homelessness. And got answers worth thinking about.

WORTH A LOOK
EPA's just published the Tribal Green Building Toolkit (www.epa.gov/region9/tribal/greenbuilding-toolkit.html?hootPostID=edda339133763e108912756f1ee9101f) which, it says, shows "how tribes and other communities can prioritize and implement green building codes, policies and practices."

WORTH A READ
What happens to a town when the Mayor leaves, the school closes and there's only one kid left? Join Michelle Theriault Boots of The Alaska Dispatch on a visit (www.adn.com/article/20150808/last-kid-cold-bay?hootPostID=af457181b56d73877c98eb679feef062) to Cold Bay, Alaska.

QUOTABLE & NOTABLE
Affordable housing as "big business"
"I've spent the last several months trying to understand the almost incomprehensible business of affordable housing. One of the most surprising takeaways is that affordable housing is a big business that encompasses an eclectic line-up of professionals from lawyers and accountants to construction workers. Also part of the mix: for-profit and nonprofit real estate developers. "Affordable housing is important to the regional economy for more reasons than you might think," said Chris Medford, president and CEO of Community Attributes Inc., a Seattle economic development consulting firm that recently completed a study outlining the economic impacts of the industry. The impacts totaled more than $2.4 billion across Washington state last year. You would think I would have turned tail and fled when I heard the affordable housing business described this way: "It's an odd field. It's very geeky. It's complicated. It's ugly. It's hard to do." That is how M.A. Leonard described it during a June panel discussion. She is a vice president in the Seattle office of Enterprise Community Partners, a real estate services company that provides capital for affordable housing projects. While affordable housing is a tough nut to crack, it's vitally important. It's the public policy topic of 2015 in Seattle, where housing costs are soaring. . .Community Attributes Inc. (CAI) conducted the study for the Housing Development Consortium of Seattle-King County, a 109-member organization that includes firms and groups ranging from the nation's largest bank, JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) to small nonprofits that build and manage affordable housing. The CAI study found that the affordable housing industry last year directly supported 4,500 jobs in Washington state, with $369 million in wages. Add in the direct and induced impacts, and statewide the industry supported 14,600 jobs, $884 million in wages and a whopping $2.44 billion in revenue." - Marc Stiles, Puget Sound Business Review (www.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/2015/08/geeky-affordable-housing-industry-pumps-2-4b-into.html?hootPostID=0930a61024e64143ab00cf35bec916f3), August 21, 2015

QUOTEWORTHY
Do street fairs tell us anything about a place?
". . .As you may know, I recently returned from the Dark Side, having spent the prior three years working in Seattle. My family lived on Hilltop for the duration of that stint, as we do today; I rode the Sounder commuter train to Pioneer Square each morning and returned each night, happy to be back. The reaction when I would tell people from Seattle that I lived on Hilltop was strangely uniform: big eyes, surprised expressions, questions about violence and crime. It's a conversation I grew accustomed to. And it's a conversation those who champion Hilltop are desperately trying to change. This work was on full display Saturday during the second annual Hilltop Street Fair. Though it will take far more than a one-day-a-year festival to turn the page on decades of negative publicity, the celebration and sense of community that carried this year's festival were impossible to deny. Event organizer Kristie Worthey, who said she's lived on Hilltop "off and on" since the 1980s, told me that an estimated 10,000 people visited this year's street fair, doubling last year's debut. She said the festival's mantra is: "Come see Hilltop with fresh eyes." When it comes to changing perceptions, what I saw Saturday didn't hurt. Sometimes in Tacoma we have a tendency to gloss over shortcomings and crown mediocre efforts as something far greater. This was not one of those occasions. The Hilltop Street Fair, with its music, food and local vibrancy, was legitimately cool. . ." - Matt Driscoll, The Tacoma News Tribune (www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/matt-driscoll/article32259903.html), August 24, 2015

QUOTE TO NOTE
Remembering seven of our best & the bravest
"One of our most critical assets in this fight is the courageous firefighters who work on the front lines. There are more firefighters on the ground today fighting fires than at any time in the nation's history. They work nights, weekends and holidays under difficult circumstances. While we do everything we can to reduce risk and ensure their safety, our firefighting personnel have been particularly hard hit this year. We've now lost seven precious lives over the course of this fire season, including three firefighters who perished just yesterday in Washington, and many more have been injured in the line of duty. We mourn for those lost, offer support to their families and loved ones, and pray for the continued recovery of those injured." - Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture, August 20, 2015

NOTES TO NOTE
HUD sets September 4th deadline to comment on FHA's proposed rule (www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-07-06/pdf/2015-16479.pdf) establishing deadline for lenders to file claims against FHA. . .Oregon Housing & Community Services sets September 4th deadline to apply for $28 million in Multifamily Housing Gap Closing Assistance (www.oregon.gov/ohcs/DO/technical-advisories/2015/06-23-15-GHAP-NOFA-Technical-Advisory.pdf) funds. . .ARCH - A Regional Coalition for Housing - sets September 9th deadline (www.kingcounty.gov/socialservices/Housing.aspx) to apply for capital funds to serve the homeless. . .King County Department of Human & Community Services sets September 10th deadline (www.kingcounty.gov/socialservices/Housing.aspx) to apply for capital funds to serve the homeless. . .HUD & American Planning Association set September 11th deadline to submit nominations for the 2016 HUD Secretary's Opportunity & Empowerment Award (www.huduser.org/portal/elist/2015-aug_18.html). . .All published portions of HUD's revised Single Family Housing Policy Handbook (Handbook 4000.1) become effective September 14th. . .City of Seattle Office of Housing sets September 14th deadline (www.kingcounty.gov/socialservices/Housing.aspx) to apply for capital funds to serve the homeless. . .EPA & USDA set September 15th deadline for communities to apply for technical assistance under Local Foods, Local Places (http://www2.epa.gov/smartgrowth/local-foods-local-places) to "create walkable, healthy, economically vibrant neighborhoods through the development of local food systems". . .Oregon Housing & Community Services sets September 21st deadline for eligible organizations to apply for total of $1 million in downpayment assistance grants. . .King County Combined NOFA for Homeless Housing (www.kingcounty.gov/socialservices/Housing.aspx) sets September 22nd deadline to apply for Operating Support, Rental Assistance & Supportive Services fund. . .HUD sets September 25th deadline to apply for Compass Technical Assistance &Capacity Building (www.grants.gov/search-grants.html?agencies%3DHUD%7CDepartment%20of%20Housing%20and%20Urban%20Development) Program funding. . .HUD sets September 28th deadline to submit public comments on selection process for upcoming 3rd round Promise Zones competition. . .USDA Rural Utilities (www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2015/07/0221.xml&navid=
NEWS_RELEASE&navtype=RT&parentnav=LATEST_RELEASES&edeployment_action=retrievecontent) Service sets September 28th deadline to comment on interim rural broadbanding rule and September 30th deadline to apply for loans & loan guarantees to expand broadband coverage, especially in rural area with 15 percent or more households not currently being served. . .Washington State Housing Finance sets October 5th to 7th for Housing Washington Conference (www.wshfc.org/conf/index.htm) in Spokane & Idaho Housing & Finance sets October 6th & 7th for 2015 Idaho Housing Conference (www.idahohousing.com/ihfa/2015-housing-conference.aspx) in Boise, Idaho. . .HUD sets October 14th deadline (www.grants.gov/search-grants.html?agencies%3DHUD%7CDepartment%20of%20Housing%20and%20Urban%20Development) to apply for $58.8 million in Indian Community Development Block Grant funds. . .USDA sets November 23rd deadline to respond to request-for-proposals under its $800,000 2016 National Urban & Community Forestry Challenge Cost Share Grant Program (www.fs.fed.us/ucf/nucfac.shtml). . .Oregon Housing & Community Services sets December 31st deadline to apply for $9 million under its Manufactured Dwelling Parks Preservation Program (www.oregon.gov/ohcs/HD/MFH/2015-MDP-NOFA/NOFA-4188-MDPP.pdf).

COMING UP

Portland Housing Bureau & Portland Development Commission hold public hearing on City's Housing Set-Aside Policy, September 1st, Portland, Oregon.

HUD hosts 2015 Fair Housing & Equal Opportunity National Training & Policy Conference, September 1st to 3rd, Washington, D.C..

HUD's Northwest Office of Native American Programs & North American Indian Housing Council host workshop on Self Sufficiency Programs, September 2nd, Tacoma.

HUD Rural Gateway hosts Peer-to-Peer Teleconference on State of Infrastructure in Rural America, September 3rd, teleconference.

HUD's Office of Housing Counseling hosts Webinar on U.S. Small Business Administration disaster recovery programs, September 8th, on-line.

HomeFree USA hosts 11th annual Reaching Millions National Leadership & Housing Counseling Training Conference, September 8th to 11th, Portland, Oregon.

King County Office of Civil Rights hosts All About Service Animals workshop, September 10th, Seattle, Washington.

Habitat for Humanity of Tacoma/Pierce County celebrates 30 years of "housing & hope," September 10th, Tacoma.

Seattle hosts Seattle Design Festival "all over the city," September 12th to 25th, Seattle, Washington.

Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians hold annual fall conference, September 14th & 15th, Spokane, Washington.

Historic Seattle hosts "happy hour" to kick-off InterUrban, a series of events designed to connect "historic preservation to urban planning and policy," September 15th, Seattle.

Oregon AHMA hosts Certified Professional of Occupancy training, September 15th to 17th, Salem, Oregon.

Idaho Nonprofit Center hosts 12th annual Idaho Statewide Nonprofit Conference, September 15th & 16th, Boise, Idaho.

Washington Association of REALTORS hosts fall business conference, September 16th to 18th, Wenatchee, Washington.

Interfaith Task Force on Homelessness hosts One to One-Creating the Political Will to End Homelessness conference, September 16th, Bellevue, Washington.

Oregon Infrastructure Finance Authority hosts workshop on Seismic Rehabilitation Grant Program, September 17th, Redmond, Oregon.

Oregon Housing & Community Services hosting stakeholder session on Qualified Allocation Plan & 2016 Low Income Housing Tax Credit NOFA, September 18th, Salem, Oregon.

Seattle Office of Housing Housing Levy Community Meeting to discuss the 2009 Levy & "discuss the future of this proven community resource to create and preserve affordable housing," September 21st, Seattle.

Oregon Opportunity Network hosts annual Fall Industry Conference, September 22nd, Portland, Oregon.

Annual Idaho Heritage Conference, September 22nd to 24th, Moscow, Idaho.

EPA hosts Webinar on Incorporating Green Infrastructure in Housing Development, September 23rd, on-line.

Oregon League of Cites hosts 90th annual conference, September 24th to 26th, Bend, Oregon.

South Sound Collaborative &NW EcoBuilding Guild host workshop on Code Innovations & Policy Leadership for Restorative Development, September 24th, Tacoma, Washington.

Oregon Infrastructure Finance Authority hosts Resources for Redeveloping Brownfields workshop, September 29th, Coos Bay, Oregon.

Oregon Association of REALTORS hosts fall business conference, September 29th to October 2nd, Bend, Oregon.

The Washington Chapter of the American Planning Association hosts a Webinar on Big Data & Small Communities on the challenges & opportunities created by U.S. Census data in analyzing smaller communities, October 2nd, on-line.

HUD Seattle hosts Continuum of Care Recipient Conference, September 30th, Vancouver, Washington.

Idaho Association of REALTORS hosts annual business conference, September 30th to October 3rd, Sun Valley, Idaho.

Alaska Association of REALTORS hosts annual conference, September 29th to October 3rd, Homer, Alaska.

HUD's Northwest Office of Native American Programs & North American Indian Housing Council host workshop on Developing Tribally-Determined Wage Rates, September 29th, Bow, Washington.

Oregon Infrastructure Finance Authority hosts Resources for Redeveloping Brownfields workshop, October 1st, Klamath Falls, Oregon.

Former Congressman Barney Frank, author & journalist Johann Hari & NPR's Michelle Norris headline Housing Washington Affordable Housing Conference, October 5th to 7th, Spokane, Washington.

Futurist Dennis Burns, national political analyst Charlie Cook & author Rebecca Ryan headline Idaho Conference on Housing & Economic Development, October 6th & 7th, Boise, Idaho.

Portland hosts GoGreen 15, the Sustainability Conference for Business & Government, October 6th, Portland, Oregon.

HUD Seattle hosts on-line Basics of Fair Housing Webinar, October 7th, on-line.

Idaho Chapter of American Planning Association hosts annual conference on "Rural Spaces, Urban Places," October 7th to 9th, Sandpoint, Idaho.

HUD Seattle hosts on-line Basics of Fair Housing Webinar, October 7th, on-line.

Oregon State Historic Preservation Office hosts 2015 Oregon Main Street Conference, October 7th to 9th, The Dalles, Oregon.

Alaska Coalition on Housing & Homelessness holds its annual conference, October 12th to 14th, Anchorage, Alaska.

Oregon AHMA hosts workshop on Managing USDA Rural Development Compliance, October 14th & 15th, Salem, Oregon.

Oregon Chapter of American Planning Association hosts annual planning conference on "Oregon Recovers," October 15th & 16th, Portland, Oregon.

Oregon AHMA hosts Focus Friday session on effective communications strategies for managers & service coordinators, October 23rd, Salem.

Neighborhood Partnerships hosts 2015 RE: Conference focusing on the what-you-need-to-knows of individual development accounts, October 28th & 29th, Salem, Oregon.

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