Available on Google National & Global News Wire Service...

Click below...

http://tinyurl.com/y8z5z26

^^^^^^^^^^^^
Published on Indy Bay News Wire...

Click below...

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/01/02/18634048.php


[[[The public is invited and welcome to join Berkeley's public housing residents
in the struggle to save Berkeley's public housing sites from privatization, by
meeting with them on Saturday mornings from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, at Intercity
Services located at 3269 Adeline St., Berkeley, CA. 94702.]]]


Berkeley's public housing residents oppose privatization of their housing

By Lynda Carson -- January 1, 2010

Berkeley -- The plan to sell off Berkeley's 75 public housing units is harmful
to Berkeley's poor, elderly, and disabled population that fail to qualify for
the Section 8 program, or meet the minimum income requirements to reside in
so-called affordable housing units owned and operated by local non profit
housing developers.

  Recently the public housing residents of Berkeley received a shocking notice
dated October 27, 2009 announcing that the Berkeley Housing Authority (BHA) is
preparing to convert their public housing units into privately owned housing
subsidized by Section 8 voucher rental assistance, and that their housing would
be transferred to a local non profit housing developer.

  The BHA's scheme to file a Disposition Plan with the U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development (HUD) during December 2009, to dispose of 75 units of
federal and state scattered public housing units threatens to displace
Berkeley's poor from their housing by the spring of 2010. The BHA expects
approval of the Disposition Plan by HUD in the spring, and has already been
searching for a so-called non profit developer to transfer Berkeley's 75 public
housing units to.

  The City of Berkeley no longer wants to be responsible for a total of 61 public
housing units or it's additional 14 scattered site RHCP public housing units,
and wants the new owners to be responsible for financing, renovating and
operating the apartments for the next 50 years as so-called affordable housing
units. The 75 units of low-income public housing in 18 sites scattered around
Berkeley were built in the 1980s, and were created to house the poor in 44
three-bedroom units, and 31 four bedroom units.

  With most of the public housing units currently being occupied by many of
Berkeley's large low-income families, the residents have been informed that if
the Disposition Plan is approved by HUD and the BHA proceeds with converting the
public housing units to privately owned property, the tenants will most likely
be eligible for relocation assistance if they are to be displaced, after
receiving a 90 day notice requiring them to move. The BHA hired the firm of
Overland, Pacific and Cutler, Inc., to represent it and to assist in the
disposition plan, and the displacement of the residents from their public
housing units once the Disposition Plan is approved by HUD, and the Housing and
Community Development agency, of the state of California.

  Berkeley's public housing tenants have been alarmed by these developments and
have been meeting once a week on Saturday mornings at Intercity Services at 3269
Adeline St., in Berkeley, to unite and organize against the plans to privatize
and transfer the BHA's public housing units to a so-called non profit developer.
The public housing residents invite the public to get involved in saving
Berkeley's public housing before it is privatized and disposed of permanently.

  Organizers believe that their housing stability is at risk, and that through
their meetings leaders can emerge and speak truth to power in an effort to keep
their families from being displaced from their homes, by the underhanded scheme
to dispose of and privatize Berkeley's public housing to an unnamed so-called
non profit housing developer.

  Keith Carlisle is a resident of Berkeley's public housing and said, "The
disposition plan calls for the selling of the buildings to a private developer
with deep enough pockets to totally renovate the units. The housing authority
says that the units need at least $6 million in repairs. The average renovation
is slated to receive $60,000 to $75,000 dollars in upgrades. The problem is that
once these units receive that kind of upgrade, low income people will not be
able to afford them. This is gentrification thinly veiled under the banner of
urban renewal. The majority of the tenants are African American, Latino, or
foreign born nationals. Most are low to very low income. Many are disabled and
have become middle aged waiting on quality of life improvements promised by each
successive housing authority executive director and their staff."

  "We feel that we are being shown the door because those who are charged with
our care have abandoned that mission for profitability and that the plan is to
get rid of low income African American families in the City of Berkeley,
California. This is being done very quietly. The media is not being contacted by
the housing authority because they don't want any opposition from the concerned
public. It is truly the eleventh hour for many of us in Berkeley's public
housing. We want to get our story out in front of the general public in the hope
that public outcry will stop the proposed action of the Berkeley Housing
Authority," Carlisle said.

  The loss of Berkeley's public housing units means there would one less option
for the poor needing a place to call home, and would result in a great loss to
future generations of low-income families, the elderly and disabled who may not
have much of an income, and would become homeless if not for the existence of
public housing.

  Public housing allows some families with no income at all to reside in
Berkeley's public housing units, and if a family's income increases or
decreases, they are still allowed to reside in their public housing units
without being displaced. Public housing offers stability to Berkeley's
low-income families during recessions and hard times resulting in state budget
cuts that have been harming the poor, elderly and disabled.

  On the other hand, families in the Section 8 program may be terminated from the
program if their family income becomes too high, and tenants in the so-called
affordable housing units operated by non profit developers may face eviction for
earning too little money, or too much money, if they are not in one of the
housing assistance programs such as the Section 8 program or Shelter Plus.

  There is little stability for low-income renters in so-called affordable
housing units compared to those residing in public housing units, and many poor
people never earn enough to reside in so-called affordable housing rentals owned
and operated by non profit housing developers, because of minimum income
requirements that discriminate against the poor.

  The profit making push to privatize Berkeley's public housing sites is taking
place because HUD does not reimburse Berkeley for renting out public housing
units nearly as much as it would if the rental units were privatized and
converted to the Section 8 model, being promoted by those wanting to profit by
getting their hands on public housing, all across the nation.

  Once a so-called non profit housing developer gets their hands on Berkeley's
public housing units they will turn those rental units into money making
machines by exploiting the Section 8 program for as much money as is possible
for their renovation projects and rental units, after the displacement of
Berkeley's public housing tenants take place.

  Currently theres a $400 million funding shortfall in the Section 8 program all
across the nation, and as a result many Public Housing Authorities have had to
decrease the Section 8 funding subsidy to tens of thousands of low-income
renters recently. When non profit housing developers exploit the Section 8
program, the low-income tenants have to make up the difference in rent when the
housing authority does not have enough funding to cover the high rents being
charged to Section 8 tenants. Section 8 tenants are often being charged higher
rents than their counterparts, who are not in the housing assistance programs,
in so-called affordable housing sites in Berkeley and Oakland.

  As an example, a low-income Section 8 tenant in Berkeley or Oakland who resides
in a so-called affordable housing unit operated by a non profit housing
developer may find that the rent being charged for their one bedroom rental unit
is $1,000 per month, while someone else who is not in the Section 8 program may
only be charged $700 per month or less for an identical rental unit. The Section
8 program is being exploited to extremes by non profit housing developers who
claim that they offer affordable housing to the poor, but are actually taking
advantage of low-income renters in the Section 8 program by charging higher
rents than they do to those not in the housing subsidy assistance programs.

  As a result of the housing assistance programs being exploited to the max, the
Section 8 funding shortfalls across the nation are currently so bad that during
December of 2009, the New York Housing Authority rescinded 3,000 Section 8
vouchers and took them back from formerly homeless families, victims of domestic
violence, children aging out of foster care, and families in the child welfare
system in need of housing assistance. The loss of the 3,000 Section 8 vouchers
created more homelessness in the process, for those that need low-income
housing.

  Indeed, converting Berkeley's public housing units to so-called privatized
affordable housing units guarantees that most low-income families who do not
qualify for the Section 8 program or some other housing assistance program such
as Shelter Plus, and fails to meet the minimum income requirements of so-called
non profit developers, will find themselves left out in the cold, and homeless
if the BHA's Disposition Plan moves forward.

  The proposed Disposition Plan ensures that public housing will no longer be a
viable option for Berkeley's poor, and threatens the stability of large
low-income families needing a place to call home in Berkeley.

  Public housing is home to almost 3 million seniors, people with disabilities
and low-income families with children, and approximately one million children
live in public housing.

  The public is invited and welcome to join Berkeley's public housing residents
in the struggle to save Berkeley's public housing sites from privatization, by
meeting with them on Saturday mornings from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, at Intercity
Services located at 3269 Adeline St., Berkeley, CA. 94702.

  Lynda Carson may be reached at tenantsrule@...

Location:
New York Society for Ethical Culture
2West 64th St @Central Park West
New York, NY 10023 US
View Map
When:  Wednesday, January 13, 7:00PM    Add to my Outlook Calendar
Phone:  347-371-2544
INTERNATIONAL BLACK FILM FESTIVAL
in partnership with CINEMA LIBRE STUDIO and
the NEW YORK SOCIETY FOR ETHICAL CULTURE
Present

"DESERT BAYOU"
a Film by Alex Lemay

Join us for film screening, discussion, networking

DATE: Wednesday January 13, 2010
TIME: 6-9:30pm(film begins @7pm)
PLACE: NYSEC @ 2 W. 64th St. (Central Pk West)

FREE POPCORN

*Desert Bayou is a documentary about the worst natural and humanitarian disaster
that ever visited American shores.
*In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina 600 African Americans were airlifted to
the almost all White State of Utah.
*Desert Bayou  is a film about Race, Politics, and Religion

*****Film Followed by Discussion*****

www.blackfilmfrestival.net

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

The January meeting has been canceled

--- In hudnycha@yahoogroups.com, hudnycha@yahoogroups.com wrote:
>
> Reminder from: hudnycha Yahoo! Group
>  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hudnycha/cal
>
> NYC Resident Alliance
> Thursday January 14, 2010
> 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
> (This event repeats every month on the second Thursday.)
> (The next reminder for this event will be sent in 5 days, 23 hours, 58
minutes.)
> Location: East 22 Street at Park Ave, NYC NY
> Street: 105 East 22nd Street (near Park Ave. South), Conference Room 4A
> City State Zip: Hear about pending legislation, Quality of Life, NYCHA's
Budget Crunch   more
> Phone: Mandatory community service opinions can be posted in QB Group
>
> Notes:
> Monthly Meetings. #6, F, N, or R trains to 23rd Street. Sandwiches are served.
NYCHA and City Government reps frequently speak. Find out what is going to
happen to your apartment.
>
> Come to the next NYC PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENT ALLIANCE meeting and find out
what's going on with the Community Service Requirement, the NYCHA Plan, and
other important issues.
>
> Is the new Section 8 a secret plan to get you out? Will you be joining Katrina
refugees? Are you getting ready to pack your bags?
>
> CONFIRM meeting date and time via NYCPHRA@...
>
>
> All Rights Reserved
>  Copyright © 2010
>  Yahoo! Inc.
>  http://www.yahoo.com
>
> Privacy Policy:
>  http://privacy.yahoo.com/privacy/us
>
> Terms of Service:
>  http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>

--- In hudnycha@yahoogroups.com, hudnycha@yahoogroups.com wrote:
>
> Reminder from: hudnycha Yahoo! Group
>  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hudnycha/cal
>
> Housing Notebook Radio Show
> Wednesday January 6, 2010
> 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm
> (This event repeats every week.)
> Location: 99.5 FM WBAI-FM, New York
> Street: WBAI Radio show. On rare occasions there is a pre-emption
> City State Zip: NYC
> Phone: You can phone-in with your comments going on the air
>
> Notes:
> "Housing Notebook" radio show. Call in with your complaints and compliments
>
>
> All Rights Reserved
>  Copyright © 2010
>  Yahoo! Inc.
>  http://www.yahoo.com
>
> Privacy Policy:
>  http://privacy.yahoo.com/privacy/us
>
> Terms of Service:
>  http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>

Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the hudnycha
group.

   File        : /Roberts_rules.jpg
   Uploaded by : rita854
   Description : Roberts Rules of Order QUICK GUIDE

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To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit:
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rita854

Published on Indy Bay news Wire...

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/01/18/18635532.php


For Immediate Release

Contact numbers; Keith Carlisle 510/395-5999 or Rose Flippin 510/472-6499


[[[Speak out against the plan to sell Berkeley's public housing to a so-called
nonprofit housing developer!]]]


Rally To Save Berkeley’s Public Housing

When: 6pm on Tuesday January 19

Where: On the steps of Old City Hall
at 2134 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way
in Berkeley. Be There!


Rally To Save Berkeley’s Public Housing

Berkeley – The Berkeley Housing Authority (BHA) had until December 31st to
come up with a plan to manage its public housing, or to come up with a plan to
dispose of it’s public housing. The BHA decided to sell it’s 75 public
housing units, and filed a Disposition Plan with the Department of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD).

The public housing residents of Berkeley will rally on January 19th against the
plan to privatize their housing and invite the public to join them in protest to
save Berkeley’s 75 three and four bedroom public housing units from being sold
to a so-called nonprofit housing developer. Public housing families face
displacement and homelessness.

Public housing provides housing to poor families on General Assistance, SSI, and
Cal-Works, while nonprofit housing developers discriminate against these same
poor people by use of minimum income requirements, unless they are Section 8
tenants and can be exploited. Public housing belongs to the public, not profit
minded housing developers!

The loss of Berkeley’s public housing would result in one less option for the
poor, a loss of federal funding to Berkeley, and the loss of good union jobs in
the BHA. A bad plan!

There is also concern of a conflict of interest with BHA Board Member Carole
Norris, vice president of ICF Consultants and the plan to sell public housing to
a nonprofit developer. ICF Consultants are consultants for nonprofit housing
developers.

Join Berkeley’s public housing tenants for the January 19 rally in front of
Old City Hall, and then inside the City Council meeting as they speak out
against the privatization of our public housing! Stop the privatization of our
public housing!

Join us for the 6pm Rally and the 7pm City Council Meeting! Be There!

See articles below...

(Berkeley Daily Plant Newspaper)

Berkeley to Sell Off Public Housing Stock
By Riya Bhattacharjee

Berkeley Daily Planet -- Thursday January 07, 2010

Click below...

http://tinyurl.com/yb6hupx

>>>>>>>>>
(Berkeley Daily Planet Newspaper)

Partisan Position: Residents Oppose Privatization of Berkeley Public Housing

Berkeley Daily Planet -- Thursday January 07, 2010

Click below...

http://tinyurl.com/yajn84p

>>>>>>>>>
(Berkeley Post Newspaper)
Berkeley’s public housing residents oppose privatization

January 6 - 12

http://tinyurl.com/ybhkhgk

>>>>>>>>>
(SF Bay View Newspaper)

January 4, 2010
Berkeley’s public housing residents oppose privatization

Click below...

http://tinyurl.com/y874tvm

Published on Indy Bay News Wire...

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/01/20/18635737.php

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/01/20/18635736.php


[[[Berkeley tenants demand the resignations of Berkeley Housing Authority (BHA)
Executive Director Tia Ingram and several BHA board members for alleged wrong
doing in the housing authority! The tenants spoke out on Tuesday night at the
Jan. 19 Berkeley City Council meeting in opposition to the plan to privatize and
sell Berkeley's 75 public housing units to a so-called nonprofit housing
developer!]]]


Berkeley public housing tenants demand resignations

By Lynda Carson -- January 20, 2010

Berkeley -- Public housing and Section 8 tenants appeared at the January 19,
Berkeley City Council meeting to protest and speak out against alleged illegal
activities of the Berkeley Housing Authority (BHA), and it's policies to
privatize and sell their 75 public housing units to an unnamed non profit
housing developer.

Tenants held protest signs in front of Berkeley's Old City Hall in between harsh
rain storms pounding the Bay Area before stepping inside Tuesday's City Council
meeting to demand the resignation of BHA Director Tia Ingram, and a few BHA
board members involved in the actions to privatize and sell Berkeley's public
housing units that were built as recent as the mid 80s. The residents face
displacement from their housing and homelessness, as a result.

Public housing provides housing to poor people on Social Security, General
Assistance, SSI, the Cal-Works program and others with no income at all.
However, tenants are concerned that if their public housing is privatized and
sold to a nonprofit housing developer, they may be victimized and face
discrimination because nonprofit housing developers have minimum income
requirements that disqualify many poor people from residing in their subsidized
housing projects.

Numerous low-income tenants who spoke before the City Council included Keith
Carlisle, Zsanna Secreas, Penelope McKinney, Tequoia Nickson and Rose Flippin.
They spoke out passionately against the BHA's policies and alleged wrong doing
by BHA staff, while stating that around 209 low-income residents are affected by
the BHA's poor behavior, inadequate housing that has been allowed to
deteriorate, infestations of bugs and cockroaches, and actions that have
unlawfully tossed Section 8 tenants out of the housing assistance program.

"We are opposed to the selling of our public housing, and are calling for a full
investigation into the activities of BHA Director Tia Ingram, and some board
members including BHA chair person Carole Norris, for the mismanagement of
Berkely's public housing program and the lack of repairs to our housing," said
Rose Flippin.

Public housing tenant Keith Carlisle said, "Now that the mismanagement of the
BHA administration and its board are being called into question by HUD, the BHA
director and board want to sell off the problem that they have created. We say
no. We say you messed up and you must take responsibility and clean it up. We
want a new business model that places us the tenants in partnership with BHA and
HUD."

"In closing we ask that you recall the board that you created. We believe that a
conflict of interest exists. Ms. Carole Norris, Chair of the Board of the
Berkeley Housing Authority works for ICF Consultants. We understand that this
company is a paid consulting firm hired by the city of Berkeley for advice. Part
of this company’s mission is helping to provide “Affordable housing
strategies.” We don’t feel that Ms. Norris has our best interest in mind.
She is a major advocate for privatizing our family homes. We also ask that you
fire Ms. Tia Ingram. The Executive Director of BHA, she has committed several
illegal acts. She has closed the waiting list so that public housing tenants who
wished to move could not do so without losing their subsidy. Secondly she
continues to retaliate against tenants who exercise their rights as they relate
to habitability issues in their units. We have had enough of her and her
intimidation tactics. We ask you the
  city council to retake the roles of commissioners and help us to save our
public housing. Disposing of public housing is not a viable option, and public
housing needs to be here for current and future generations of poor people
needing low-income housing, regardless of their income,' said Carlisle.

Councilman Max Anderson stated that he is concerned about the tenants
complaints, and said he knows that when so many come forward to speak out
publicly, that something must be seriously wrong in the housing authority.

Councilman Kriss Worthington has supported the public housing tenants in their
opposition to the sell off of their public housing, and the tenants will
continue to try and get on an agenda item at a future City Council meeting, to
voice their full concerns.

The public housing residents invite the public to join them in the struggle to
save Berkeley's public housing on Saturday mornings from 10 - 12pm at Intercity
Services 3269 Adeline St., in Berkeley, for their weekly meetings.

Lynda Carson may be reached at tenantsrule@...

Host:   ALLEN DAWSON
Location:
New York Society for Ethical Culture
2West 64th St @Central Park West
New York, NY 10023 US

When:  Wednesday, February 3, 7:00PM    Add to my Outlook Calendar
Phone:  347-371-2544

INTERNATIONAL BLACK FILM FESTIVAL

in partnership with the
  NEW YORK SOCIETY FOR ETHICAL CULTURE Presents

"MRS GOUNDO'S DAUGHTER"
a film by Barbara Attie & Janet Goldwater

"FREE APPLES & SANDWICHES"

Join Us for Screening, Discussion, Networking with Friends

DATE: Wednesday, February 3, 2010
TIME: Doors open @6pm/ Film@7pm
PLACE:NYSEC 2 West 64th St, @(CPW)

DONATIONS ACCEPTED

*****Threatened with deportation Mrs G must convince a U.S. immigration judge
that her 2 year old daughter will be forced to undergo female genital mutilation
if returned to her native country of Mali*****

*****The film travels between a female circumcision ceremony in Mali and a
community in Philadelphia as it reveals how women are profoundly effected by
immigration law and political asylum struggles*****

*****Human Rights Watch IFF Official Selection*****

FILM FOLLOWED BY DISCUSSION

www.nysec.org
http://www.tofurky.com
/>www.redjacketorchards.com
www.blackfilmfestival.net


FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Revised Update: Save Berkeley Public Housing Struggle

January 25, 2010


Media Freedom Foundation on PNN
Meanwhile, aid continues to trickle in to the makeshift tent cities housing
hundreds of thousands of survivors. ... Berkeley public housing tenants demand
resignations ...

Click below...

http://mediafreedom.pnn.com/5174-independent-news-sources

>>>>>>>>>>>
San Francisco | Crosscurrents from KALW News
Berkeley public housing tenants demand resignations. 1/23/10 2:31pm. by Lynda
Carson The Berkeley Housing Authorities plan to privatize public housing by ...

Click below...

http://kalwnews.org/regions/san-francisco

>>>>>>>>>>>
Pirate Cat Radio 87.9fm » Berkeley Tenants Rally Against Sale Of ...
Jan 23, 2010 ... Berkeley Tenants Rally Against Sale Of Public Housing. Filed
under: News Headlines — che-x @ 6:38 pm. Berkeley Public Housing tenants
showed ...
Click below...

http://www.piratecatradio.com/wordpress/?p=16502

>>>>>>>>>>>
Berkeley News and Media Report | Berkeley's public housing ...
Berkeley's public housing residents oppose privatization.
Page. 12. Tuesday, Jan 5th 2010. The plan to sell off Berkeleys 75 public
housing units is harmful ...

http://tinyurl.com/yglekpx

berkeley.newsborder.com/

>>>>>>>>>>>
(Indy Bay News Wire)

Berkeley's public housing residents oppose privatization of their housing
by Lynda Carson ( tenantsrule@... )
Saturday Jan 2nd, 2010 4:50 AM

Click below...

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/01/02/18634048.php

>>>>>>>>>>>
(California Black Media)

Berkeley Public Housing Residents Oppose Privatization
Friday, 08 January 2010 09:32

Click below...

http://tinyurl.com/yzp9sa3

>>>>>>>>>>>
(January Issue of Street Spirit Newspaper)

Berkeley's public housing residents oppose privatization
by Lynda Carson ( tenantsrule@... )

Not available on-line...

>>>>>>>>>>>
(Berkeley Daily Plant Newspaper)

Berkeley to Sell Off Public Housing Stock
By Riya Bhattacharjee

Berkeley Daily Planet -- Thursday January 07, 2010

Click below...

http://tinyurl.com/yb6hupx

>>>>>>>>>
(Berkeley Daily Planet Newspaper)

Partisan Position: Residents Oppose Privatization of Berkeley Public Housing
By Lynda Carson

Berkeley Daily Planet -- Thursday January 07, 2010

Click below...

http://tinyurl.com/yajn84p

>>>>>>>>>
(Berkeley Post Newspaper)
Berkeley’s public housing residents oppose privatization

By Lynda Carson -- January 6 - 12

Click below...

http://tinyurl.com/ybhkhgk

>>>>>>>>>
(SF Bay View Newspaper)

January 4, 2010
Berkeley’s public housing residents oppose privatization

By Lynda Carson

Click below...

http://tinyurl.com/y874tvm

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Rally To Save Berkeley’s Public Housing

When: 6pm on Tuesday January 19

Where: On the steps of Old City Hall
at 2134 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way
in Berkeley. Be There!

Click below...

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/01/18/18635532.php

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
January 19, 2010 -- Channel 2, KTVU 10 O'Clock News
Berkeley to privatize public housing

KTVU public housing news story not available on the web...

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
January 23, 2010 -- San Francisco Bay View Newspaper
Berkeley public housing tenants demand resignations
by Lynda Carson
Click below...

http://tinyurl.com/yfrtwvq

http://www.sfbayview.com/2010/berkeley-public-housing-tenants-demand-resignation\
s/

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
(Most Popular Websites)
Berkeley public housing tenants demand resignations

Click below...

http://tinyurl.com/ybrnoml

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Local Housing Authority Plans To Privatize Units

Stephanie Baer, The Daily Californian, 1/21/2010

Click below...

http://tinyurl.com/yhngdxo

http://www.dailycal.org/issue.php?id=2391

>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Tenants Rally Against Sale Of Public Housing

Riya Bhattacharjee, Berkeley Daily Planet, 1/21/2010

Click below...

http://tinyurl.com/ybvsjdn

>>>>>>>>>>>>>
City's Plan To Sell Public Housing Raises Tenants' Concern

Stephanie Baer, The Daily Californian, 1/20/2010

Click below...

http://tinyurl.com/yhyzsk9

>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Berkeley Public Housing Tenants Demand Resignations

Lynda Carson, Bay Area Indymedia, 1/20/2010

Click below...

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/01/20/18635737.php

>>>>>>>>>>>>>
(Los Angeles Indy Media)
Berkeley public housing residents demand resignations

by Lynda Carson Friday, Jan. 22, 2010 at 9:50 PM
Click below...

http://la.indymedia.org/news/2010/01/234245.php

>>>>>>>>>>>>>
News > Housing - The Daily Californian
A plan to sell Berkeley's 75 public housing units to private developers was
approved by the Berkeley Housing Authority in December...Read More" ...

Click below...

http://www.dailycal.org/category.php?id=21

>>>>>>>>>>>>>
(Urban Habitat)
Berkeley's public housing residents oppose privatization of their housing
Dateline: 01/01/2010
Source: Indy Bay
By Lynda Carson

Click below...

http://www.urbanhabitat.org/node/5073

>>>>>>>>>>>>>
(Topix News)
Berkeley's public housing residents oppose privatization of their housing

Click below...

http://tinyurl.com/yk7s7p6

>>>>>>>>>>>>>
(2010 Housing Rescue Plan)
Berkeley's public housing residents oppose privatization

Click below...

http://tinyurl.com/yb3ju3r

>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Tenants Together : News
Berkeley's public housing residents oppose privatization of their housing by
Lynda Carson, Bay Area Indymedia January 1st, 2010. Public housing residents of
...

http://www.tenantstogether.org/article.php?list=type&type=5&offset=20

>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Issue #2391 : Thursday, Jan 21, 2010 - The Daily Californian
Jan 21, 2010 ... Public housing residents are up in arms over a plan by the
Berkeley Housing ... Protesters Oppose Planned Bus Service Changes ... to the
planned privatization of bus services at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
...
Click below...

http://www.dailycal.org/issue.php?id=2391

>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Housing Hud
Partisan Position: Residents Oppose Privatization of Berkeley Public Housing.
Recently the public housing residents of Berkeley received a shocking notice,
...

http://www.alternative-housing.net/Housing-Hud

>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Public Housing Authority | News
Jan 6, 2010 ... Berkeley's public housing residents oppose privatization | San
... “It is truly the 11th hour for many of us in Berkeley's public housing.
...

http://www.public-housing-authority.com/news

Public Board Meeting in Queens

Date:

February 10, 2010

Time:

10:00am-11:00am

Address:

Queens Borough Hall

120-55 Queens Boulevard
Kew Gardens, NY 11424

Please let me know if you know of any members that will be attending.

Thank you,



If you wish to attend, CONTACT:
Dawn Fuentes
Director of Community Outreach and Training
The City of New York Civilian Complaint Review Board
40 Rector Street #2
New York, NY 10006
dfuentes@...

The Space


BENEFIT FOR HAITI in Long Island City, hosted by The Creek.
all proceeds wil go to Doctors Without Borders
Tuesday, February 2, 7pm to midnight


UPCOMING
Saturday, February 13th, an art and music event at our newest addition, The
Giant Space, including The Winter Cabin, Practice Space, and events, located at
the water's end of 46th Ave.  9pm on :: more info


Armory Arts Week 2010, March 2 - 7
The Space is incredibly pleased to be presenting 2 exhibitions in conjunction
with MoFA, The Museum of Fake Art

The Space is a not for profit corporation in the Queens Plaza, Long Island City
area dedicated to maintaining the artistic heritage of Long Island City, and
providing a foundation for the future of a thriving community of artists and the
arts.

The Space provides logistical support for artists and community projects, and is
helping to revitalize the area by refurbishing existing art locations,
renovating new underutilized spaces for use as artists' work and exhibition
venues, developing affordable housing for artists, and providing cultural events
and educational projects to the Long Island City community.

  Fardom Gallery showcases emerging and established artists on a monthly
rotationWe host monthly openingings, and bi-monthly closing receptions in
Manhattan on fifth avenue.  In warmer weather, we have weekly movie nights on
Wednesdays, all open to the public.

Gallery hours are:
Wed and Fri from 12pm - 9pm
  Thurs and Sat from 12pm - 6pm

This was forwarded to us. We are not familiar with the company.

Google the company before dealing with them.

Number of Openings: 400

Company Name: Securitas Security Services

Job Title: Security Guard

Minimum Experience Required: 6 months

Job Description: 400 Security Officers wanted. Part-time seasonal positions to
patrol and provide security at the New Yankee Stadium.

Requirements:

Must have HS Diploma or GED Must have great communication and writing skills.
Must commit to attend all 83 2010 home games. Must have customer service
experience. NYS 24 hr Security Officer training classes a plus. Must pass a drug
screen.

Must have reliable communication and transportation. No
criminal record. A valid NYS Driver's license. Must be able to validate
employment for the last seven years.

To Apply: Apply online at:
http://www.securitasjobs.com<http://www.securitasjobs.com/>
or call 212-629-5973 for more information.


Job Location: Bronx, New York

Pay: $10.35 Hourly

Benefits: No benefits mentioned.

Hours per Week: Not specified.

Duration: Part Time, Seasonal

Work Days: Work days vary

Shift: Varies

Public Transportation: Public Transportation is available.

Minimum Education Required: GED

Driver Licenses, Including Endorsements: Class D (Operator)

How to Apply: To apply, contact the employer by telephone, or on-line:
Phone:
  Resources, Human (212) 629-5973
Web-site: http://www.securitasjobs.com

Ms. Eurydice Robinson
Fatherhood Program Manager
116 John Street
Suite 2200
New York, NY 10038
(O) 212-791-4927
(F) 212-791-7655

"Youth at Risk, Unlocking futures"
www.nyyouthatrisk.org

Altho normally on first Friday
Monthly Queensbridge area Art Reception
this month will be
NEXT week.

See
http://www.licspace.org/


HOWEVER<
remember that first Friday is always "Pay what you wish"
at Nogucci Museum on Vernon near Costco.
Costco card not needed for Costco Liquor store
Visit Socrates Sculpture Park at same time.

See
http://artcards.cc/
there are often Queensbridge area events;
E.G.: this Saturday on 24 Street

(Received Feb. 8, from the NLIHC)

Memo to Members, Vol. 15, No. 5
National Low Income Housing Coalition
February 5, 2010

***Register Now for NLIHC’s Housing Policy Conference April 11-14
NATIONAL HOUSING TRUST FUND
***President Obama Calls for $1 Billion for NHTF Again
THE ADMINISTRATION: FY11 BUDGET RELEASE
***President’s Budget Brings Mixed Funding Results, Bold Initiatives to HUD
Programs
***Administration Proposes New Rental Assistance Program for HUD
***HUD Budget Targets Homelessness
***VA Makes Homeless Priority in Budget
***President's Budget Includes Limits to Tax Deductions, Including Mortgage
Interest
CAPITOL HILL
***House and Senate Budget Hearings Bring Criticism of Budget
***House to Hold Hearing on Future of Housing Finance
***Veterans’ Housing Bill Introduced
***LIHEAP Bill Introduced
2010 CENSUS
***Census Would Receive Boost in President's FY 2011 Budget
***Website Offers Census Toolkit for Nonprofits
FORECLOSURE
***CT Attorney General Announces Steps to Enforce PTFA
DISASTER HOUSING
***Disaster Recovery Provisions in Administration’s FY11 Budget Proposal
***HUD & FEMA Complete Initial DHAP-Ike Extension
***US Mayors Call for Stafford Act Reform
FROM THE FIELD
***OH Advocates Push for Counseling Funds in State Foreclosure Legislation
RESOURCES
***National Data on Subsidized Housing Released
***Survey: Increase in Renters and Rental Units, No Decline in Vacancies
FACT OF THE WEEK
***For-Rent and For-Sale Vacancy Rates Vary by Region
NLIHC NEWS
***NLIHC Welcomes New Members
***Legislative Intern Joins NLIHC
***NLIHC Is Hiring: Vice President for Operations
***NLIHC Seeks Spring 2010 Interns
***2009 Advocates’ Guides Available

***Register Now for NLIHC’s Housing Policy Conference April 11-14
Plan now to attend NLIHC’s 2010 Annual Housing Policy Conference and Lobby
Day, to be held April 11-14 at the L’Enfant Plaza Hotel in Washington, DC.
Registration and hotel details are at www.nlihc.org/conference

Adrian Nicole LeBlanc, a visiting scholar at New York University’s School of
Journalism and author of the remarkable Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble and
Coming of Age in the Bronx, will address a plenary assembly on exploring poverty
through a journalist’s eyes.

HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan is confirmed as the keynote speaker at the
conference. The conference will also feature many additional opportunities to
engage with senior HUD officials. In addition, more than 30 plenary sessions and
workshops are designed to bring you up-to-date on federal housing policy issues.

The 28th NLIHC Annual Housing Leadership Awards Reception will be held on
Tuesday, April 13, from 6 pm to 8 pm at the Washington Court Hotel in
Washington, DC.  2010 honorees are Senator John Kerry (D-MA) and Representative
Keith Ellison (D-MN), who will receive the Edward W. Brooke III Housing
Leadership Award, and Gordon Cavanaugh, the first recipient of the Cushing Niles
Dolbeare Lifetime Service Award. This event is ticketed separately.

Please note that there are special rates available for residents of public and
assisted housing, for members of resident groups, and for other people with low
incomes. Please email outreach@... for more information.

Register today and invite your friends!

NATIONAL HOUSING TRUST FUND
***President Obama Calls for $1 Billion for NHTF Again
As the President did in his FY10 request, the Administration’s FY11 budget
includes $1 billion to capitalize the National Housing Trust Fund. The NHTF was
included as part of the mandatory funding request in FY10. In the FY11 request,
the NHTF is subject to PAYGO, which means that in order to secure funding, an
offset must be indentified elsewhere in the federal budget.
The budget proposal does not state what the offset should or could be.

THE ADMINISTRATION
***President’s Budget Brings Mixed Funding Results, Bold Initiatives to HUD
Programs
President Obama sent his FY11 budget request to Congress on Monday, February 1,
revealing a mixed picture for HUD funding following the Administration’s
announcement of a three-year freeze for many discretionary funding programs. The
President’s requested HUD budget would increase funding for vouchers and
public housing operating expenses, decrease funding for some capital programs,
and introduce several new program initiatives.

At a budget briefing on February 1, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan described the
decisions to increase and decrease funding as both promising and difficult steps
in “the process of long-term rebuilding” for HUD programs, a reference to
the cuts sustained by many programs during the previous Administration.
“Having stabilized HUD’s programs after years of slow starvation, the time
has come to begin transforming them--to make HUD’s housing and community
development programs more streamlined, efficient, and accountable,” Secretary
Donovan said in a press release.

The President’s budget proposes what HUD refers to as three “new and
cross-cutting” initiatives: a Transforming Rental Assistance initiative, a
Housing and Services for Homeless Persons Demonstration program, and a Catalytic
Investment Competition. The first initiative, Transforming Rental Assistance,
would begin to combine the more than 13 funding sources of rental assistance
currently administered by the department into a single, more efficient rental
subsidy while providing tenants with greater mobility options (see article
elsewhere in Memo).

Housing and Services for Homeless Persons Demonstration, the second initiative,
would provide $85 million to public housing agencies to house families and
individuals who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness, and to partner with
other agencies to provide services. Services would be administered by the
Department of Health and Human Services; the Department of Education; and state
agencies distributing Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid,
and behavioral health services (see article elsewhere in Memo).

The third new initiative, the Catalytic Investment Competition Grants, would
provide $150 million in economic development gap funding for projects targeting
the hardest-hit neighborhoods, in combination with other HUD-funded programs
(see the Community Development Fund section of this article).

The President’s total net budget authority for HUD would be $41.59 billion, a
$2.261 billion decrease from the net authority from FY10. However, Secretary
Donovan said that an increase in receipts from Ginnie Mae and the Federal
Housing Administration will allow HUD to provide a higher level of funding while
reducing the total budget authority request.

Specific components of the Administration’s proposed FY11 budget for HUD are
as follows.

Rental Assistance Programs. Secretary Donovan emphasized at HUD’s budget
briefing the Administration’s commitment to maintaining full assistance for
the tenant-based and project-based programs in order to preserve existing
vouchers and contracts.

The Tenant-based Rental Assistance Program would receive $19.55 billion in the
request, an increase of $1.4 billion over FY10, and would fund three new rental
assistance initiatives in addition to the Housing Choice Voucher program.

The budget would continue to fund tenant protection vouchers at $125 million, a
$5 million increase over FY10. These vouchers are provided to tenants of public
or assisted housing when their units are demolished or sold. Family
self-sufficiency coordinators would be level-funded at $60 million.

HUD anticipates that this funding level will allow renewal of all vouchers
leased by December 2009 and will provide assistance to at least 100,000 more
households than in FY10. The department anticipates serving a total of 2.2
million households, “the largest number of families ever assisted by this
program,” by the end of FY11. The Administration expects its FY11 budget to
renew all vouchers in use, renew all new vouchers funded in FY10, and provide
$85 million for about 10,000 new vouchers for homeless individuals and families.

NLIHC is pleased that the Administration has increased funding for the voucher
program, but does not believe the increase is sufficient to meet the needs of
extremely low income households, especially in the time of a steep economic
downturn. NLIHC is advocating for at least 250,000 new vouchers in FY11 to meet
the existing and growing need for housing affordable to extremely low income
households.

Several proposals to shift management of existing rental assistance programs and
create new programs reflect HUD’s intent to streamline its multiple rental
assistance funds under the new TRA initiative.

Along with changes to the capital portion of the Section 811 program (see
section on Capital Programs below), HUD’s budget request proposes shifting the
tenant-based rental assistance funds from the Section 811 program line item to
the Tenant-based Rental Assistance Program. The Housing for Disabled Persons
Mainstream vouchers currently in the Section 811 account would be fully renewed
within this new account at $114 million.

The budget would provide $66 million for a new Disaster Housing Assistance
Program (DHAP) for households assisted under the DHAP for Hurricanes Ike and
Gustav. The budget does not include new funding for Disaster Displacement
Assistance, which was funded at $80 million in FY09 and $3 million in FY10 (see
related article elsewhere in Memo).

Two rental assistance programs funded in FY10 are not included in the FY11
request: the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) vouchers and Family
Unification Program (FUP) vouchers. Non-elderly Disabled Vouchers were not
funded in FY10 and do not appear in the President’s FY11 budget. Vouchers
issued under these three programs are included in the general tenant-based
contract renewal line item instead.

HUD also proposes several administrative changes to the Tenant-based Rental
Assistance program that would strengthen oversight and evaluation, improve the
technological management systems, continue studying a administrative fee
allocation formula, study Housing Quality Standards, and eliminate the cap on
the number of households a public housing agency can serve. This last
administrative change is critical to the Transforming Rental Assistance
initiative.

The President’s budget requests an increase of $830 million for the
Project-based Rental Assistance account, bringing the total to $9.382 billion.
This proposed increase is smaller than the one the program received between FY09
and FY10. However, according to HUD, the increase would be sufficient to fully
fund the program’s approximately 18,000 contracts with private owners. The
budget request also includes HUD’s potential use of its authority, provided in
the 1998 Multifamily Assisted Housing Reform and Affordability Act, to make up
to $10 million of project-based rental assistance funds available for financial
assistance to tenant groups, nonprofit organizations, and others for use in
preserving this housing stock and providing tenant services.

Public Housing. HUD’s request would fully fund the public housing operating
fund at $4.83 billion, an increase of $54 million over FY10.

The Public Housing Capital Fund, however, would be cut under the President’s
proposal from $2.5 billion in FY10 to $2.04 billion in FY11. The capital fund
provides critical resources to improve the condition of the public housing
stock. The Administration says that the impact of decrease will be lessened
because of $4 billion in one-time funding for this account that was distributed
through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). HUD says
these funds will “reduce the backlog of capital needs” for public housing
while allowing HUD funds to be used in other programs in FY11. While the
Transformation of Rental Assistance (TRA) proposal could address a portion of
the capital fund’s unmet need, it is NLIHC’s position that a cut to the
capital fund will only serve to delay housing agencies’ ability to address the
$20 billion to $30 billion capital needs backlog.

The budget request does not include funds for HUD’s Resident Opportunity and
Self-Sufficiency grant program. This program has been funded at $40 million for
the last several years.

For the second year in a row, the President’s budget would eliminate funding
for the HOPE VI program and fund instead the new Choice Neighborhoods Initiative
(CNI) at $250 million. For FY10, Congress ultimately provided $135 million to
the HOPE VI program and funded CNI as a smaller demonstration program at $65
million.

Community Development Fund. Although the Community Development Fund (CDF) would
decrease under the President’s budget from $4.45 billion to $4.38 billion, the
largest component of the fund, the Community Development Block Grant formula
grants, is level-funded at $3.99 billion.

Economic Development Initiative Grants and the Rural Innovation Fund would be
discontinued in FY11. The Sustainable Communities Initiative, companion funding
to HUD’s new Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities, would continue
with level-funding at $150 million. In FY10, the President requested but did not
receive funds for the University Community Fund, and this request appears again
at $25 million.

The third of HUD’s three new and cross-cutting initiatives, the Catalytic
Investment Grants, is included in the CDF account at $150 million. While few
details about the program are known at this time, the program would target
funding to communities with the greatest economic development need and provide
funding for reclaiming vacant land, removing property related obstacles to
economic recovery, and supporting economic activity in combination with
transit-oriented development. In a briefing, Assistant Secretary Mercedes
Márquez emphasized HUD’s intention to coordinate between departments and
funding programs, and noted that HUD envisions the Catalytic Investment Grants
being paired with other HUD funding sources, such as the Neighborhood
Stabilization Program (NSP) or CNI, to leverage further resources and extend the
impact of HUD’s funds.

Capital Programs. While voucher, project-based Section 8, and some public
housing funds are strengthened in the President’s budget request, capital
programs, including the HOME, Section 202, and Section 811 programs, are
reduced.

The HOME program would be funded at $1.65 million in FY11, a $175 million
decrease from FY10.

The budget proposes a dramatic decrease of funding for the capital portions of
the Section 202 program for housing for the elderly and the Section 811 program
for housing people with disabilities. The Section 811 program, which was funded
at $300 million in FY10, would be funded at $90 million in FY11. This would
fully fund contract renewals, contract amendments, construction amendments, and
awards. An additional $114 million in rental assistance funds would continue to
support the program but would be shifted to the Tenant Based Rental Assistance
Program. In total, the Section 811 program would experience a $96 million
decrease between FY10 and FY11. The Section 811 program is a small but effective
program in preventing highly vulnerable people from becoming homeless by
providing permanent supportive housing. NLIHC supports the House and Senate
legislation to reform this program and allow it to more successfully serve this
population. “The
  Administration continues to seek reforms to make this program more efficient
and effective,” HUD’s budget documents say.

The Section 202 program would be funded at $274 million in FY11, a $551 million
dollar decrease from FY10 funding. Of this proposed funding, $184 million would
fully fund rental assistance renewals and contract amendments, and $90 million
would be available for service coordinators and services in congregate housing.
New construction and new project-based rental assistance would not be funded.

The budget request states HUD’s intention to redesign the Section 202 program
to allow project sponsors to build larger projects with greater economies of
scale, reduce regulatory barriers to allow sponsors to leverage other sources of
funding, improve service provisions by building partnerships with the Department
of Health and Human Services, and change application requirements to provide
more preferences for the extremely frail elderly, “who are in the greatest
need of supportive housing.” Past studies of the Section 202 program, HUD’s
budget request says, have highlighted construction delays, cost overruns, and
lengthy development times. Advocates, however, are concerned about cutting back
production of affordable elderly housing units when the need for such units is
great.

Secretary Donovan described the changes to the Section 811 and 202 programs as
“the hardest decisions in the budget.” He said that these programs need to
be reformed and aligned better with programs such as the Low Income Housing Tax
Credit, which he said produce “ten times more housing” for the elderly.
Citing problems with targeting projects to the areas with elderly housing need,
high vacancy rates and difficulty in combining with other financing, Secretary
Donovan said that both the 202 and 811 programs need reforming to become more
efficient and effective programs.

Homeless Resources. Homeless Assistance Grants would receive a significant
increase of $190 million dollars in FY11, to bring funding levels to $2.06
billion. Along with the new Housing and Services demonstration program, this
increase serves to illustrate the Administration’s stated commitment to
addressing the homelessness crisis. While pleased that the Administration is
dedicating housing resources to support its commitment in these ways, NLIHC
remains concerned that other budget requests, such as the elimination of any new
Section 811 units, could well contribute to homelessness among vulnerable
populations.

Fair Housing. Despite proposing an $11 million reduction in Fair Housing funding
for FY11, the Administration spoke strongly of its support for HUD’s fair
housing work during its February 1 briefing. HUD’s fair housing activities
would be funded at $61 million, lower than the FY10 funding level but still at a
level that is $7 million to $17 million above the programs’ funding levels
from FY02-FY09. Secretary Donovan and Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and
Equal Opportunity John Trasviña spoke to the accomplishments the fair housing
division has achieved in the last year and of their the plans to continue to
strengthen HUD’s fair housing work.

Policy and Research. HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R)
account would increase by $39 million, to $87 million, under the President’s
FY11  budget. This increase would allow HUD to dedicate $55 million to
“restore and enhance” housing surveys that provide HUD with critical data on
housing need. Seven million dollars would be dedicated to evaluating the Choice
Neighborhoods program, the Family Self-Sufficiency program, and Rent Reform
options. NLIHC supports improving and expanding the data collection and program
evaluation at HUD.

Additional Programs. Two programs serving special populations, the Native
American Housing Block Grants and the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grants,
would be cut under the President’s proposal. The Native American grants would
be funded at $580 million, a $120 million decrease from FY10. The Native
Hawaiian grants would decrease by $3 million and be funded at $10 million for
FY11.

The Housing Opportunity for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program would be funded at
$340 million, a $5 million increase over FY10. This funding level would continue
the trend of increasing resources for the HOPWA program.

The President’s proposal increases the Housing Counseling program slightly to
$88 million. While only a $500,000 increase, this boost would mark the fourth
year of improved funding for the program.

The Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control program would be level-funded for the
third year at $140 million dollars. Prior to receiving level funding, this
program had seen declines in funding for several years.

Low Income Housing Tax Credit. Finally, outside the HUD budget, the President
also proposed extending the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) exchange
program, created in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Under
this program, states’ LIHTC allocating agencies can exchange a portion of
their 9% tax credit allocation for cash that can be used as equity in
LIHTC-eligible projects. The President’s proposal would extend the program
through 2010.

While the extension of the 9% exchange program is one of the changes needed to
revitalize the LIHTC, advocates have also been seeking other changes, including
extending the exchange program to the 4% LIHTC program, expanding the investor
base by extending the ability of investors to use credits against past income,
and amending the tax laws to encourage investment in LIHTCs by smaller
corporations and limited partnerships.

NLIHC issued a statement and an updated budget chart upon the release of the
President’s request. View the statement at:
http://www.nlihc.org/detail/article.cfm?article_id=6736&id=48   and the budget
chart at: http://www.nlihc.org/doc/FY11-Budget-Chart-HUD-Programs.pdf

The Administration’s complete FY11 budget proposal is available at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/Appendix/

***Administration Proposes New Rental Assistance Program for HUD
As part of its FY11 budget request released on February 1, the Administration
has proposed a new, multi-phase program that would begin to streamline HUD’s
13 rental assistance programs into a single form of subsidy.

The new initiative, called Transforming Rental Assistance (TRA), would begin in
FY11 with a first phase in which $350 million would be committed to allow public
housing agencies (PHAs) and private owners of federally subsidized stock to
voluntarily convert their current federal housing subsidy streams into a new
Rental Assistance for Preservation and Transformation (RAPT). The new federal
subsidy stream would be something akin to the project-based voucher program, HUD
staff said in a briefing on February 2.

HUD staff said TRA would aim to preserve existing public and assisted housing
while putting the converted units on a path to have sufficient ongoing subsidies
through a new RAPT funding stream. TRA would have three broad goals:
streamlining the funding and regulation of HUD’s rental assistance programs,
helping to infuse properties with federal subsidies that can help attract
private capital, and providing residents of these units with additional mobility
options, which these programs currently do not provide. HUD Assistant Secretary
for Public and Indian Housing Sandra Henriquez, at HUD’s February 2 briefing,
said that the new program would maintain income-based rents, allow owners to be
in a position to address immediate and long-term needs of their properties, and
maintain essential resident protections.

HUD staff reported at its February 2 briefing that the agency hopes to provide
Congress with a legislative proposal for TRA by March 1. HUD staff also noted
that, absent new authorizing language enacted this year, the language included
in HUD’s budget documents, if adopted within the FY11 HUD appropriations bill,
would provide HUD sufficient authority to move forward with RAPT. Staff noted
that the agency plans to continue to consult with stakeholders during the
development of the RAPT program.

Of the $350 million requested for the initial phase of the program, $290 million
would supplement existing operating subsidies for approximately 300,000 units.
The funding would be to improve these units and also to provide some
administrative funds to convert these units to the new RAPT subsidy. The
proposal assumes $20,000 to $25,000 in rehabilitation needs per unit, according
to Barbara Sard, Senior Advisor for Rental Assistance. HUD notes that bringing
greater subsidy into each of the units will also enable owners to leverage
private financing, which will allow owners to better address properties’
capital needs. HUD estimates that the $350 million in TRA’s first phase could
leverage $7.5 billion in private capital for these 300,000 units.

Another $50 million of the $350 million requested would be used to meet the
mobility goals of TRA. These funds would be used to encourage voluntary regional
partnerships among PHAs to enlarge their service areas and mobility assistance
to tenants, both of which would allow voucher holders access to areas of
opportunity while maintaining the RAPT project-based subsidy for the owner.

In units converted under TRA, residents would have the right to move out of
their homes and maintain rental assistance with a housing choice voucher. The
property would also continue to maintain its RAPT assistance. HUD is not seeking
new vouchers that could be provided to residents who use their mobility rights.
While a new pot of vouchers to provide mobility options for TRA residents would
be ideal, the federal government’s budget constraints do not allow HUD to
request such a pool of new vouchers at this time, HUD staff said.

HUD is working to determine how many people in the converted units might utilize
their mobility rights and how housing choice vouchers will be accessed for this
purpose. Currently, when a project-based voucher holder seeks to take advantage
of mobility options available to them, they typically go to the top of the
waiting list and receive the next voucher. If a PHA were to convert a
significant number of units to RAPT, it is conceivable that people currently on
the housing choice voucher waiting list would continue to languish while RAPT
households are served.

Ms. Henriquez said HUD would continue to consult with stakeholders on what
resident  protections will operate under TRA. HUD has had several stakeholder
meetings to discuss the development of its TRA proposal, including one with more
than 30 residents of public housing. The National Housing Law Project
coordinated this meeting with HUD, which included representatives from NLIHC’s
Board of Directors, membership and staff.

It is NLIHC’s assessment that the TRA initiative demonstrates HUD’s
commitment to the preservation of public and assisted housing and will be a
model for housing assistance that can enhance funding, streamline programs for
tenants and administrators, and eventually help add to the stock of housing
affordable to extremely low income people. While many details remain to be
worked out, NLIHC looks forward to participating in discussions with HUD and
Congress to ensure that residents’ rights are protected, mobility remains a
key feature of RAPT, and that the public investment in public and assisted
housing is preserved.

***HUD Budget Targets Homelessness
The President’s HUD budget for FY11 to Congress reflects the
Administration’s ongoing interest in addressing the country’s homelessness
crisis, and would both increase funding for homeless assistance to support
implementation of the HEARTH Act and create a new homelessness demonstration
program. In a press release, HUD Secretary Donovan said the agency will “more
than double the annual rate at which HUD assistance creates new permanent
supported housing for the homeless.”

The HEARTH Act was enacted in 2009 and, once implemented, will streamline
HUD’s homeless assistance program while also placing more emphasis on the
prevention of homelessness. Funding for HUD’s homeless assistance programs
would increase to $2.06 billion, a boost of $190 million, the largest increase
in the program’s history, Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and
Development Mercedes Márquez said in a briefing. Ms. Márquez said that HUD is
midway through the process of developing regulations to implement the HEARTH
Act, and will time completion of these regulations to be in line with the start
of the FY11 budget.

A new proposal made in the budget request, the Housing and Services for Homeless
Persons Demonstration, funded at $85 million, would provide public housing
agencies with grants to house families and individuals who are homeless or
at-risk of homelessness and partner with other federal and state agencies to
provide services to households.

This demonstration would be funded within HUD’s tenant-based assistance
account (see related budget article elsewhere in Memo). Services would be
administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); the
Department of Education (DOE); and state agencies distributing Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid, and behavioral health services.
President Obama has urged federal agencies to collaborate on critical policy
issues.

The demonstration would create two programs, one serving individuals who are
chronically homeless and the other serving families that are homeless or at-risk
of homelessness. The program for chronically homeless individuals would provide
4,000 vouchers for single, childless adults with income up to 100% of the
federal poverty level who are already enrolled in Medicaid. Services would
include Medicaid case management, substance abuse treatment and mental health
services. Organizational applicants would be required to partner with state
Medicaid and behavioral health agencies to provide services. HHS says funds from
the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will be
available as part of this competitive initiative. An evaluation of the program,
focusing on long term stability of tenants will be performed by HHS as part of
its collaboration with HUD.

The program for families would serve households with children who are either
experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness with 6,000 vouchers. HUD
and DOE will target vouchers to areas with concentrations of homeless
households. DOE reports that 60% of the 1 million homeless children reported are
enrolled in just 1,000 school districts. HUD will seek applicants with a
holistic approach to services for families. Grantees will be expected to partner
with the district homeless liaison as well as the state or local agency
administering TANF.  While there is additional funding for vouchers proposed in
HUD’s budget, the DOE’s homeless children and youth budget, which funds the
homeless liaisons, is level-funded.

Both programs would allocate vouchers competitively based upon a housing
authority’s demonstration of partnership with state and local health and
service agencies and collaboratively established goals for an effective program.
Award criteria will be developed jointly by HUD, HHS, DOE, and the Interagency
Council on Homelessness.

In the briefing, Ms. Márquez and Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian
Housing Sandra Henriquez both acknowledged that the 10,000 new vouchers and
9,500 units of rental assistance for supported housing are not sufficient to
fully address the nation’s homelessness crisis. Secretary Donovan tasked HUD
staff with going through each program to identify impact on homelessness and
ways that programs could combine resources and collaborate on housing people who
are homeless.

To identify ways HUD programs can better serve homeless persons, the agency also
held a series of focus groups of federal agency and community partners. NLIHC
participated in one of these focus groups around the best ways that HUD can
serve people who are homeless and people with special needs.

***VA Makes Homeless Priority in Budget
While the bulk of funding to address issues of housing and homelessness is
included in the HUD budget, significant components of the budget for the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are also dedicated to issues of
homelessness. By establishing “eliminating veteran homelessness” as one of
three goals for the VA for FY11, the President’s budget request continues the
Administration’s overall commitment to addressing the growing number of
homeless households in the country.

The VA budget proposal includes an increase of $294 million to address veteran
homelessness, to bring the total dollars in the VA budget dedicated to the issue
to $799 million. Unlike HUD’s discretionary funding programs, the VA’s
discretionary programs are not subject to the broad three-year budget freeze
proposed by the President.

The VA has an ambitious goal of reducing the number of homeless veterans from
the current level of 131,000 to 59,000 persons by June of 2012. To house an
additional 62,000 veterans in this period of time, the VA will invest additional
funds and partner with HUD, the Department of Justice, the Department of Labor,
state and local agencies, and nonprofits.

The VA says “homelessness is primarily a health care issue,” and to this end
the agency will provide $3.4 billion in health care services for homeless
veterans in addition to the $799 million in homeless-specific funds, for a total
of $4.2 billion dedicated to the care of homeless veterans. The VA anticipates
that costs associated with homeless veterans will decrease after the agency
shifts its focus to education, jobs, treatment programs, and homeless prevention
resources.

The Administration’s budget proposal includes two initiatives for
homelessness: the Combat Homelessness Pilot Program, which would be funded at
$26 million, and the Zero Homelessness Initiative, which would be funded at just
under $294 million.

The Combat Homelessness Pilot would aim to prevent veteran families from
becoming homeless by partnering with nonprofits, consumer co-ops, and other
agencies to identify at-risk households and to provide services to help
households maintain housing stability.

The Zero Homelessness Initiative would help to house currently homeless veteran
households by expanding the capacity of the HUD-VASH (Veterans Affairs
Supportive Housing) voucher program, the grant and per diem program, and two
health care programs. HUD did not request additional VASH funding in FY11, but
VASH vouchers from FY09 and FY10 are still in the lease-up process.

The VA also plans to intensify outreach efforts, create a call center to link
homeless and at-risk veterans to services, offer additional substance abuse
clinicians, and provide resources to veterans involved with law enforcement
agencies. The department plans to fund 100 community sober living houses as
well.

***President's Budget Includes Limits to Tax Deductions, Including Mortgage
Interest
In another non-HUD component of the President’s recently released FY11 budget
that has implications for advocates of low income housing, the budget seeks to
limit the value of tax deductions for high-income households, including
deductions for mortgage interest.

As his FY10 budget request did, the President's FY11 budget proposes capping at
28% the rate at which high income households, those earning $200,000 or more a
year for individuals and $250,000 or more for couples, can itemize their
deductions.

The value of itemized deductions for households is the total amount of their
deductions multiplied by their top income bracket. This rate for these
upper-income households is currently 33% or 36%. Capping the rate at 28% means
that for every dollar deducted by these households, the U.S. Treasury will
capture 5 to 8 cents of tax it would not otherwise. The White House estimates
that capping the rate on deductions could raise $291 billion over 10 years,
which would be applied to deficit reduction.

This proposal is of note because housing advocates have long criticized the
mortgage interest deduction, which tends to reward better-off households that
hold a mortgage on an expensive house.  The mortgage interest deduction provides
little benefit to lower and middle income households, who are less likely to
own. Even when they do own, they have smaller homes and mortgages, less taxable
income, and lower tax rates, and therefore receive less benefit.

A recent publication from the Joint Committee on Taxation reported that in 2008
there were just more than 5 million itemized individual returns with adjusted
gross incomes of over $200,000, and 90 million with incomes below $50,000.  The
vast majority of the upper income households, just over 4 million, claimed the
mortgage interest deduction, at a cost of $27.4 billion to the federal treasury.
Roughly 4 million of the lower income households also claimed the mortgage
interest deduction.  Not only was this just 5% of these households, but the
benefit of the deduction to these households was only a little over $3 billion.

This tax provision proposal did not gain any traction last year due to industry
opposition and concerns about its impact on charitable giving, which can also be
deducted.  Its prospects this year are also highly uncertain.

CAPITOL HILL
***House and Senate Budget Hearings Bring Criticism of Budget
The House and Senate Budget Committees each held hearings on the President’s
FY11 budget proposal this week. At each hearing, committee members were
generally supportive of the budget in the short-term, but criticized the
Administration for not proposing a long-term plan to address budget deficits.

The hearings are the House and Senate Budget Committees’ first steps in
working on an FY11 budget resolution. The budget resolution establishes a
framework for spending on federal programs and sets the maximum amount of
funding allowed for discretionary and mandatory programs.

Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orzsag testified at a House
Committee on the Budget’s “Fiscal 2011 Budget” hearing and a Senate
Committee on the Budget’s “President’s Fiscal 2011 Budget Proposal”
hearing, both held on February 2. At each, Mr. Orzsag described the short-term
plan for continuing to spur the nation’s economic recovery and proposed that
additional long-term steps be developed collaboratively with a bi-partisan
fiscal commission.

This commission, described in the President’s budget message, would identify
policies that will balance the budget by 2015. The President’s proposal to
create a fiscal commission to “identify additional policies to put our country
on a sustainable path” came under fire from minority members in both the House
and Senate.

Many members of both the House and Senate committees supported the short-term
plan established in the President’s budget proposal, including introducing a
tax credit for employers to incentivize increasing payrolls and providing a
range of supports to small businesses. Many of the proposals are in line with
those provided in the testimony of Douglas Elmedorf of the Congressional Budget
Office at the “Budget and Economic Outlook” budget hearings (see Memo,
1/29).

The Senate Budget Committee held a second hearing on February 4, titled,
“President’s Fiscal 2011 Budget and Revenue Proposal.” At that hearing,
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner testified about the strengths of the budget
request, including its creation of an employment tax credit, extension of tax
credits for small businesses, and the elimination of small business capital
gains taxes. As in the other Senate Budget Committee hearing and the House
Budget Committee hearing, members spoke in support of the short-term budget plan
but said the plan needed to provide a long-term solution as well.

Secretary Geithner’s responses were similar to Mr. Orzsag’s; he urged the
creation of a bi-partisan commission to propose a long term sustainable fiscal
policy that addresses the debt. Secretary Geithner added that the nation needed
to address education and health care reform as part of a long term fiscal
policy.

As the next step in the FY11 appropriations process, the Appropriations
subcommittees responsible for portions of the budget will hold hearings on
department specific budgets. The House Appropriations Subcommittee on
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies is planning
a hearing on the President’s budget with HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan
testifying on February 10 at 2 pm in room 2359 of the Rayburn House office
building.

***House to Hold Hearing on Future of Housing Finance
The House Committee on Financial Services will hold a March 2 hearing to begin
the process of determining the future of housing finance and the federal
government’s role in responsible homeownership and the supply of affordable
rental housing.

This first hearing will focus on entities that support the mortgage market,
including the Federal Housing Administration, Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae, Freddie
Mac, the Federal Home Loan Banks, and private lenders and securitizers. Treasury
Secretary Timothy Geithner and HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan will testify at the
hearing and other witnesses from the advocacy community, academia, and industry
may be added. The location and time for the hearing will be made available at a
later date.

***Veterans’ Housing Bill Introduced
Representative Joe Sestak (D-PA) on February 2 introduced H.R. 4569, the
“Expanded Housing for America’s Veterans Act.” The bill would lower rents
for veterans receiving VASH (Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing) vouchers by
amending the U.S. Housing Act of 1937 to change the percentage of a tenant’s
income that is paid towards rent from 30% to 25%. This change would reduce the
rent burden of households currently paying 30% of their income towards rent.

The HUD-VASH program combines rental assistance administered by HUD with
services provided by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. There are no
additional funds for this program requested in the President’s FY11 budget
proposal. The bill was referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.

***LIHEAP Bill Introduced
Representative Edward Markey (D-MA) introduced H.R. 4554 on February 2, a bill
to reauthorize the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) for FY11
through FY14.

The bill, the Energy Assistance for American Families Act, would increase
funding levels for LIHEAP to $7.6 billion per year, while extending assistance
to households whose income does not exceed 75% of the state median income.

“Our economy may finally be heating up, but the effects of a recession,
periods of cold weather and rising energy prices are still having a chilling
effect on thousands of Bay State families.” Mr. Markey said in a February 2
press release describing the importance of the bill.

Advocates supportive of LIHEAP are disappointed with the release of President
Obama’s FY11 Budget, which would reduce LIHEAP funding to $3.3 billion, from
the prior FY10 level of $4.5 billion. However, the FY11 budget proposes the
creation of a new mandatory mechanism, or trigger, which would respond to
increases in both energy prices and the number of households in poverty by
providing additional LIHEAP funding when certain trigger thresholds were met.

The bill has 25 cosponsors. It was referred to the House Committees on Energy
and Commerce, and on Education and Labor.

2010 CENSUS
***Census Would Receive Boost in President's FY 2011 Budget
The Census Bureau would receive $1.3 billion under the President's proposed FY11
budget, an amount met with support by advocates. While the FY11 budget is a drop
from the $7.3 billion the agency received in FY10, the current year includes the
massive costs of conducting the decennial census this April.

The budget includes funds for the Census Bureau to tabulate the 2010 U.S. Census
and provide population counts to the states for the purpose of political
redistricting.  The agency will also begin releasing data products to the
general public and begin assessing the quality and coverage of its 2010 effort.

Beyond these initiatives related to the 2010 Census, the budget request includes
a number of initiatives of interest to low income housing advocates.

Population data that are usually released a year or two after the decennial
census will instead be released this year as part of the American Community
Survey (ACS).  The ACS is an annual survey of 2.9 million households. The Census
Bureau has been conducting the survey since 2000, and this year it will use 5
years of data (2005 to 2009) to provide information on local population and
housing characteristics down to the block level.  New data for each subsequent
five year period will continue to be made available every year after 2010.

In its FY11 budget, the Administration is requesting an increase of $44 million
for the ACS to increase the sample size from its current 2.9 million housing
units to 3.5 million housing units.  This will not only provide more accurate
data  for smaller communities in future years, it will also allow 100% follow-up
with unresponsive households in remote areas of Alaska and American Indian,
Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Homeland areas.  Households in these areas
are currently greatly underrepresented in the ACS.

The President is also proposing $26 million initiative to continuously update
the Master Address File, which the Census Bureau uses to find households for its
surveys.  Continuously updating the file will allow the Census to keep better
track of changes in the location of housing and population both in existing and
newly constructed communities, again providing more accurate information on the
population and its housing.

While these data improvements should be useful for advocacy, they should also
improve program administration. A number of federal housing programs such as the
National Housing Trust Fund, Section 8, and Community Development Block Grant
program depend on ACS data for their distribution and administration.

Another item in the Administration's request is $5 million for an initiative to
supplement the official poverty measures with annual, alternative measures of
poverty.  These are measures that seek to take better account of the significant
variation in the costs households face but also in the benefits, such as housing
assistance, households receive in calculating who is in poverty, in order to
provide a more accurate picture of poverty in America.

***Website Offers Census Toolkit for Nonprofits
As the 2010 U.S. Census, set for April, approaches, advocates and service
providers are urged to get the word out about how important a complete Census
count is while reminding participants that the Census is completely
confidential.

The Nonprofit Voter Engagement Network (NVEN) has a number of online resources
that nonprofits can use to encourage people to get counted in the 2010 Census,
including an online toolkit that contains, in English and Spanish, a one-page
explanation of the Census, fact sheets, sample forms, and maps to help identify
local Census offices. Other materials include posters that organizations can
display to foster greater participation in the Census.

Census data are used to help measure housing need, and are used in part to
determine how much money jurisdictions receive from some key federal programs,
including Community Development Block Grants, public transportation funds, Head
Start, and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food grants.

Find NVEN’s online toolkit and additional resources at www.nonprofitscount.org

FORECLOSURE
***CT Attorney General Announces Steps to Enforce PTFA
Connecticut’s Attorney General, Richard Blumenthal, announced on February 1
steps his office is taking to enforce the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act
(PTFA). Under the PTFA, enacted in May 2009, most tenants in foreclosed
properties can remain in their homes for the remainder of their lease or 90
days, whichever is longer.

In his announcement, Mr. Blumenthal said his office has received complaints from
tenants evicted from their homes in violation of the PTFA and, in response, has
sent roughly 30 cease-and-desist letters to companies that have violated the
PTFA. The letters notify the companies of their legal obligations under the PTFA
and request that they follow the law.

"Tenants in foreclosed properties—victims of their landlord's financial
failures—deserve to be treated fairly and lawfully when forced to find a new
home. Law firms, realtors and lenders have moral and legal obligations to
provide fair notice and time for tenants to find alternative housing after
foreclosures. We are alerting law firms, lenders and real estate companies that
they must follow this law or face legal action,” Mr. Blumenthal said.

Mr. Blumenthal’s actions were backed by a December 2009 report titled
Violation of the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act: A Report on
Noncompliance in Connecticut by Foreclosing Lenders, Real Estate Agents, and Law
Firms. This report, which was written and compiled by the five legal services
programs in Connecticut (New Haven Legal Assistance Association, Greater
Hartford legal Aid, Connecticut Legal Services, Legal Assistance Resource Center
of Connecticut, and Statewide Legal Services), evaluates statewide compliance
with the PTFA.

After conducting surveys, interviewing evicted tenants, and reviewing court
filings, the report finds “widespread non-compliance with the requirements of
PTFA that constitute unfair and deceptive trade practices by foreclosing banks,
their real estate agents and their attorneys.” The abuses identified by in the
report include real estate agencies, banks, and law firms giving oral or written
notices that require tenants to leave immediately without telling the tenants
about their rights under the PTFA or providing unintelligible or misleading
statements about the tenant’s rights under the PTFA.

The report urges the Attorney General to ensure that financial institutions and
their agents comply with the law by requiring them to stop deceptive practices.
In addition, the report asks the Attorney General to make sure that these
institutions have procedures for identifying tenants in a foreclosed properties
and ensuring that their rights under the PTFA are recognized and protected.

The Attorney General’s announcement can be found at
http://www.ct.gov/ag/cwp/view.asp?A=2341&Q=455062

DISASTER HOUSING
***Disaster Recovery Provisions in Administration’s FY11 Budget Proposal
The Administration’s FY11 budget proposal includes several provisions directly
affecting disaster housing recovery from the 2005 and 2008 hurricanes, as well
as one provision allowing FEMA to better partner with HUD to encourage
activities that reduce damage resulting from a future disaster.

The only specific disaster recovery funding request in HUD’s budget proposal
is $66 million to convert eligible recipients of Disaster Housing Assistance
Program for Hurricanes Ike and Gustav (DHAP-Ike) to the Housing Choice Voucher
program. Creating such a conversion program recognizes advocates’ concern that
the slow pace of housing recovery in Ike- and Gustav-affected areas could
ultimately result in homelessness for thousands currently receiving disaster
rental assistance. DHAP-Ike was set to expire in March, but was recently
extended (see article elsewhere in Memo).

Through a set-aside to provide additional voucher renewal funding to certain
public housing agencies (PHAs), HUD’s proposal would allow the Housing
Authority of New Orleans (HANO) a one-time adjustment in order to ensure
adequate funding of all its vouchers. Immediately after hurricanes Katrina and
Rita, PHAs in affected areas were granted authority to combine their public
housing and voucher funding in order to provide assistance to displaced
residents in a manner most appropriate considering the housing stock available.
Based on continued approval for such combining of funds, HANO may need
additional money to fully fund its current voucher commitment.

PHAs still providing rental assistance through the Disaster Voucher Program
(DVP) would be eligible for an adjustment in voucher renewal funding from the
same set-aside. However, HUD expects to successfully transition the final DVP
recipients to permanent vouchers by the recently extended program end date,
September 30 (see Memo, 1/8), so additional funding authorization is simply a
precaution.

HUD’s budget proposal also recognizes that disaster recovery efforts bring
with them extra staffing needs and expenses. Any PHA administering disaster
vouchers would be eligible for additional administrative funds.

The budget proposal for DHS includes $100 million for the National Predisaster
Mitigation Fund at FEMA. The Administration promises to strengthen inter-agency
coordination to “incentivize state and local government to plan for and
implement pre-disaster mitigation strategies.” Through FEMA predisaster
mitigation funds and HUD’s Sustainable Communities Initiative, the aim is to
make sure community development efforts always include elements that mitigate
the risk of damage from future disasters.

The full HUD and DHS budget proposals are available at
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/Appendix/

***HUD & FEMA Complete Initial DHAP-Ike Extension
HUD and FEMA issued on February 4 an extension of the Disaster Housing
Assistance Program for Hurricanes Ike and Gustav (DHAP-Ike) through May, giving
recipients in Texas and Louisiana additional time to find placement in more
permanent housing. Though this initial action offers only a few additional
months past the prior March expiration, advocates expect further extension of
the program soon.

This extension means the approximately 11,000 families still participating in
DHAP-Ike can continue to receive rental assistance through May 27, which the
official press release cites as “the latest date allowed by the program’s
current grant authority.” However, HUD officials indicate they will continue
to work with FEMA to obtain additional grant authority in order to extend the
program further. It is unlikely that all DHAP-Ike recipients will find permanent
housing solutions before the end of this initial extension period.

The Administration’s FY11 budget proposal contains a request for $66 million
to convert eligible DHAP-Ike recipients to the Housing Choice Voucher program
(see article elsewhere in Memo). But should that provision end up in the final
FY11 appropriations bill, it would take effect no earlier than October, the
beginning of the FY11 year. HUD and FEMA would need to extend DHAP-Ike well past
October in order to allow sufficient time for the conversion.

HUD began DHAP-Ike in November 2008 under a funding agreement with FEMA (see
Memo, 10/17/08), unlike DHAP for hurricanes Katrina and Rita, which was
initially a FEMA program and transitioned to a HUD-run and FEMA-funded model
later. In May 2009, DHAP-Ike recipients began paying $50 per month toward rent,
an amount that increased by $50 each month thereafter. During the extension,
recipient share of rent will continue to increase on schedule. Hardship waivers
were available to those unable to pay those amounts.

The press release from HUD and FEMA is available at:
http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=50365

***US Mayors Call for Stafford Act Reform
During its January 20-22 gathering in Washington, DC, the U.S. Conference of
Mayors unanimously voted to approve a report proposing to reform the Robert T.
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act).  The
recommendations to improve the use of disaster recovery funds in the period
immediately following a disaster stem from the work of a task force chaired by
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, and include specific suggestions on disaster
housing assistance.

Among its recommendation, the report addresses the need to promptly finish the
National Disaster Housing Strategy (NDHS) process, which began in 2006.  FEMA,
in the final days of the Bush Administration, released the long-overdue NDHS,
but passed much responsibility for finalizing and implementing a housing plan to
a National Disaster Housing Joint Task Force (see Memo, 1/23/09).  The mayors
call for the final plan to rely less on travel trailers and vouchers for
temporary housing needs and ask that the Stafford Act allow for increased use of
funds to repair existing housing for that purpose.  According to the report,
FEMA must “fully engage [HUD] as a partner” in order to use disaster housing
funds most effectively.

The creation of a national disaster case management system is another priority
outlined in the report, to ensure that all affected individuals, especially
those with special needs, receive adequate post-disaster assistance. Currently,
FEMA and the Administration for Children and Families have an initial agreement
for a model disaster case management program, but must still develop final
guidelines and regulations (see Memo, 12/11/09).

Additional recommendations for changes to Stafford Act language that would
affect housing include: ensuring households with legitimate reasons to separate
after a disaster, such as situations of domestic violence or return of one
person to the affected area for work, are not prevented from receiving needed
assistance; providing disaster housing assistance to recovery workers; and
allowing temporary mortgage or rental payments when the disaster directly causes
financial hardship.

Among broad concerns for effective disaster recovery discussed in the report is
the official creation of a “catastrophic disaster” distinction that would
bring with it the ability to waive Stafford Act provisions and allow the federal
government to cover the full cost of any eligible activity.  This would include
hazard mitigation work, something for which the report requests increased
funding no matter the extent of the disaster.

“One of my goals throughout our recovery from Hurricane Katrina has been to
share what we have learned to help ensure that no other city will experience
what we did in New Orleans,” Mr. Nagin said.

The report, provided to both Congress and the Obama Administration as well as to
the Administration’s Long Term Disaster Recovery Working Groups, distinguishes
between recommendations requiring legislation or regulatory changes. The federal
Long Term Disaster Recovery Working Groups, led by HUD and FEMA, is currently
generating recommendations on effective disaster recovery strategies to present
to the President in April (see Memo, 10/30/09).  Advocates expect such
recommendations to ultimately result in legislation, including reform of the
Stafford Act.

The report is available at:
http://www.cityofno.com/Portals/PublicAdvocacy/Resources/Stafford_Act_Reform_Tas\
k_Force_Report.pdf.

FROM THE FIELD
***OH Advocates Push for Counseling Funds in State Foreclosure Legislation
As federal funds for foreclosure counseling dwindle and the number of
foreclosures in the state continues to rise, Ohio advocates are calling on the
state’s Senate to include much-needed funds for foreclosure counseling in
upcoming foreclosure legislation. The Foreclosure in Ohio Cost Us (FOCUS)
Coalition, a broad coalition of 130 advocates that includes the Coalition on
Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO), an NLIHC state partner, hosted a
press event on January 20 that sent the message to legislators that counseling
dollars are vital to decreasing the state’s rising foreclosure rate.

The FOCUS press event, “Counseling is the Key,” focused on the role that
housing counselors play in foreclosure prevention by helping homeowners steer
through the difficult system of mortgage servicing. “Certified counselors are
vital to helping homeowners navigate the system,” said Ohio Attorney General
Richard Cordray, who spoke at the event. “Unfortunately, given the high volume
of foreclosures, housing counseling agencies’ budgets are tight and resources
are short.”

Counseling funds were included in the State House Foreclosure Prevention bill
(H.B. 3), which passed the House in May 2009. It is not yet clear, however,
whether which of several Senate foreclosure bills, if any, will include these
funds.  State Senator John Carey (R), Chair of the Senate Finance Committee,
agreed to take testimony on all foreclosure prevention ideas. On February 2,
Bill Faith, executive director of COHHIO and an NLIHC board member, testified
before the committee to offer support for foreclosure counseling funds in
upcoming foreclosure legislation.

In addition to providing testimony on this issue, the coalition will continue to
meet with legislators and build grassroots support for possible legislative
avenues.

Rising foreclosures rates have been a concern for the state for several years,
and recent tabulations have revealed a deepening crisis. According to the
Mortgage Bankers Association, of the 1.5 million mortgage loans serviced in
Ohio, 15% were in foreclosure or past due in their payments in the third quarter
of 2009, which is up from 13% in the first quarter and 14% in the second
quarter. State officials expect total foreclosure filing numbers for 2009 to be
greater than the 85,773 filings reported for 2008.

FOCUS expects the state housing crisis to continue to worsen as federal dollars
for foreclosure counseling dwindle. The National Foreclosure Mitigation
Counseling Program (NFMC), the federal program that distributes foreclosure
counseling grants to the states, has been appropriated $63 million for 2010,
down from its previous level of $180 million. It is estimated that by the end of
the first quarter of 2010, program funding will be completely spent. Ohio
counseling programs receiving NFMC dollars have reported up to an 83% success
rate for homeowners that complete the counseling process. Because counseling
services will be cut without adequate funding, advocates are calling on state
legislators to fill the funding gap.

“Ohio’s foreclosure numbers continue to break records while federal
counseling dollars to states are being cut by 70% in 2010,” Mr. Faith said.
“As the [state] senate begins hearings on multiple foreclosure bills, funding
for counseling must be a priority. It’s a proven strategy that makes all other
foreclosure prevention and mitigation efforts more effective.”

At the press event, homeowners offered testimonials in support of foreclosure
counseling. One Cleveland homeowner who fell behind on payments due to health
problems tried to resolve the issue with the bank who serviced his mortgage but
was not offered a feasible solution for staying in his home. However, his hope
was restored when he met with foreclosure counselors who were able to resolve
the situation with his lenders, allowing him to stay in his home.

For more information: Cathy Johnston, COHHIO, cathyjohnston@...

RESOURCES
***National Data on Subsidized Housing Released
HUD released on February 4 the highly anticipated 2008 edition of A Picture of
Subsidized Housing (Picture). This dataset describes the characteristics of
HUD-assisted and Low Income Housing Tax Credit housing units as well as the
households living in them. The previous edition of this report included data
from 2000.

According to this dataset, the number of hard units of HUD-assisted housing has
decreased by about 200,000 since 2000, which includes a loss of a little more
than 125,000 public housing units. At the same time, the number of Housing
Choice Vouchers has increased by almost 400,000. The LIHTC program saw a great
deal of growth over this time period, with an addition of more than 700,000
units, bringing the total number of LIHTC units up to almost 1.7 million.
Overall, there are currently 6.7 million HUD-assisted and LIHTC units (including
vouchers) available in the country.

Data in Picture are summarized at various geographic levels, including national,
state, Core-Based Statistical Area, county, city, census tract, and public
housing agency. It is also possible to see information at the project-level by
program and state. The type of variables that can be found in this dataset
include total assisted units, occupancy rates, average rents, average household
incomes, age, race and disability status of households, number of bedrooms in
unit, and many more.

This release of the data allows advocates to create custom queries by choosing
the geographic level of interest, the program of interest, and the variables of
interest. Currently, the summary files for the 2008 data are not yet available
for download. Once available, these summary files will allow advocates to
download and import the entire national dataset at different geographic and
programmatic levels for further analysis.

HUD previously posted a 2004 edition of this dataset, but pulled it off of HUD
User due to some inconsistencies in the data. NLIHC will continue to work with
HUD to ensure that these datasets are accurate and informative.

For more information about this dataset, including the data dictionary and to
create your own custom queries, go to:
http://www.huduser.org/portal/picture2008/index.html

To see previous editions of this dataset go to:
http://www.huduser.org/portal/datasets/assthsg.html

***Survey: Increase in Renters and Rental Units, No Decline in Vacancies
The housing market did not begin to work off its inventory of vacant for-rent
and for-sale homes in the last quarter of 2009, according the most recent data
from the Housing Vacancy Survey, released by the U.S. Census Bureau on February
2.

Overall, 85.5% of all housing units in the country were occupied in both the
fourth quarter of 2008 and the fourth quarter of 2009.  The gross vacancy rate
was 14.5%.  The rental vacancy rate (10.7%) remained higher than a year ago
(10.1%) and statistically unchanged from the previous quarter (11.1%). The rate
for for-sale one- to four-unit buildings was 2.7%, statistically unchanged from
the fourth quarter 2008 and from the third quarter of 2009 (2.6%). The remaining
vacant units were either seasonal or otherwise not for-rent or for-sale.

The Census estimates the country added 334,000 owner households in the last
quarter of the year and 709,000 renters. Despite the growth in the number of
renters, the rental vacancy rate has yet to decline because the number of rental
units, vacant and occupied, continues to expand with demand. In the past year,
the number of vacant for-rent units increased by 379,000, while the number of
for-sale units declined by 119,000 units.  Much of the rented and for-rent stock
was previously for sale.

Another sign of the growing supply of rental properties is that the median
asking rent for a vacant rental ($680) was down from the previous quarter a year
before, though this measure tends to jump around and a longer term trend in
rents has yet to establish itself in the data.

At 67.2%, the homeownership rate is statistically lower than it was in the third
quarter of 2009 but unchanged from a year prior. Eighty-one percent of the
households with family incomes above the national median and 50.2% of those with
incomes below own a home.  Both groups saw their homeownership rate decline. 
Black householders saw a significant decline in homeownership in the past year. 
Forty-six percent of black householders owned a home in the fourth quarter.

The most recent press release from the Housing Vacancy Survey, as well as
detailed and historical tables and other supporting materials can be found at
http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/housing/hvs/hvs.html

FACT OF THE WEEK