Breaking Ground - April/May 2000

Ohio Housing Trust Fund Set to Release $27 Million for July 1 - An Additional $9 Million to be Available this Fall

Affordable Housing Initiatives Needs Support

Organizations Speak Out Against Predatory Lending

IRS Targets Poor

COHHIO's 2000 Annual Conference Attracts 500 Participants

Ohio Balance of State Continuum of Care Selected as a "Best Practice"

Executive Director - National Coalition for the Homeless

Court Tosses Out Injunction Against Apartments For Addicts

Cuomo and Kasich Announce HUD Policy to Sell Homes to Local Governments for $1 Each

COHHIO Membership

Child Welfare Shareholders Recommend Housing Subsidy

Imagine...

Housing Authorities Awarded Statewide Section 8 Contract

NAHT Conference in June

Welcome COHHIO AmeriCorps*VISTA Members

OTAG - Preservation Project Welcomes New VISTA, Welcomes Back Two Returning VISTAs

AmeriCorps*VISTA Position Description

Resources

Steps to Help Prevent Workplace Violence

Mortgage Lending Discrimination Report Available

 

Ohio Housing Trust Fund Set to Release $27 Million for July 1 -
An Additional $9 Million to be Available this Fall
For those of you keeping track of recent developments associated with the Housing Trust Fund (HTF), there is some good news to report. Based upon the recommendations of the Ohio Housing Trust Fund Advisory Committee (OHTFAC) at their May 11th meeting, the Trust Fund is set to receive an unprecedented level of funding for State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2001. The $27 million surpasses last year’s funding of $22.2 million by nearly $5 million. Additionally, the OHTFAC established a committee to work with the Department of Development in examining possible uses of an additional $9.3 million in available funds for release this fall.

Existing program areas such as the Request for Proposals Program (RFP), the Housing Development Assistance Program (HDAP), and the Migrant Housing Labor Camp Improvements Program see modest increases over last year. A new project being funded under the HTF’s Special Projects Program is Habitat for Humanity’s - The House the Assembly Built. This is the first of three allocations totalling $2 million over the next three years for this $5,770,000 project. The project will result in the building of at least one home for low-income homeowners in each of Ohio’s 99 House Districts with the active participation of members of Ohio’s General Assembly. Other contributors to this project include the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati ($990,000), Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing ($140,000), and private local funds to be raised ($2,640,000).

The Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP) is not receiving HTF funds next year, based on the Department’s recommendation that this program can be made whole through an increased allocation from the federal HOME program. Similarly, the Downpayment Assistance Program (DAP), administered by the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA), will continue without funds from the HTF for SFY 2001. Instead, OHFA intends to fund that program with contributions from reserve funds that it maintains. The DAP program will be connected to OHFA’s Mortgage Revenue Bond program for homebuyers and will be distributed through the lenders who participate in that program.

The primary increase is coming from an estimated $6 million that is going into a new Housing Revolving Loan Fund proposed by the Department. The intent of the loan fund is to create a revenue stream that can be used to show that the HTF is perpetuating itself in part with repayments from the projects that are funded by the HTF. The Department did not offer any details on how a revolving loan program would work but did express willingness to explore a wide range of possibilities including soft second mortgages and admitted that in some cases some of the loans would not actually be repaid. Members of OHTFAC were skeptical about this proposal since projects receiving loans cannot as easily achieve the kind of income targeting that the HTF was intended to serve. According to the statute, a majority of its funds must be targeted to Ohio’s neediest citizens as follows:
• Preference for projects serving households with incomes below 35 percent of the area median income (AMI);
• At least 75 percent of the funds must go to projects serving households with incomes below 50 percent of the AMI; and
• No more than 25 percent of the funds may go to projects serving households with incomes between 50 percent and 80 percent of the AMI.

In most instances, cash grants are the most efficient means to make housing more affordable for Ohio’s neediest citizens. By using cash grants the portion of the total development cost that has to be financed can be reduced. By reducing the amount financed, the project pays less in debt service, which can translate into reduced rents. While there are questions regarding both the structure and administration of revolving loan funds, there exists a window of opportunity between now and early September to influence what will be done with these resources. The OHTFAC established a subcommittee to work with the Department on developing the details of the Revolving Loan Fund. The Executive Director of COHHIO, Bill Faith, was appointed chair of this subcommittee. The subcommittee will meet with ODOD officials over the summer to discuss the possibilities and deliver recommendations on this issue to the full OHTFAC by early September. Department officials indicated that they would be willing to scrap the revolving loan fund if it cannot be structured and administered in a manner consistent with the mission of the HTF. Anyone with suggestions or comments on this issue should contact Joe Robertson, the Assistant Director at ODOD and/or Bill Faith at COHHIO.

Over $9 Million in the HTF to be Appropriated
The $6 million going into the Revolving Loan Fund is part of an estimated $15.3 million worth of unappropriated dollars that will have accumulated in the HTF through interest earnings, recaptures, etc. by the end of the next fiscal year.

 

When the HTF was created in 1991, it was designed to actually make money. This money took the form of interest earned on funds that had been obligated (i.e. they had been awarded through grant agreements) but not yet spent. Up until recently, the earned interest was rolled back through additional appropriation authority into the HTF and made available through its various programs. That required sign off by the Administration and approval by the Controlling Board which is made up of members of the legislature and the administration. This has not happened for over two years. The result is an estimated $15.3 million by the end of the next fiscal year in the Trust Fund account that has yet to be appropriated or obligated. Even with the $6 million going into the revolving loan fund, there is $9.3 million up in the air.

The one exception to the situation described above, is that on May 8th, the Controlling Board did release $1,786,000 for 23 projects funded under the Request for Proposals (RFP) process conducted last fall. These 23 projects have been waiting since December, when the other 65 projects receiving funds through the RFP were announced, to receive their grant awards.

In an effort to “get the money out the door,” while at the same time meeting some of the pressing housing needs within the State of Ohio, the OHTFAC asked the same subcommittee developing recommendations on the Revolving Loan Fund to develop recommendations for the September meeting of the OHTFAC on the best uses of the $9.3 million. This subcommittee will work with the Department to examine existing programs funded by the HTF, new proposals already submitted to the Department, and any other proposals yet to be submitted to develop a set recommendations. Several state-wide organizations have submitted some exciting proposals that could be implemented with resources from the HTF. These include:
• Ohio Community Development Finance Fund: has requested $3 million to expand the extremely popular linked deposit program it operates to support affordable housing development projects. This proposal would support the creation of thousands of units of affordable housing and has a leverage ratio of about 5 to 1;
• Corporation for Supportive Housing: has requested $3 million as a demonstration program for capital reserves to help fund operating costs for several projects providing permanent supportive housing primarily for homeless and low-income single adults throughout the state;
• Midwest Affordable Housing Management Association: has requested $2.5 million annually to provide funds for a portion of the renovation costs of Section 8 housing projects in the Mark to Market program. The owners of this housing would have to commit to operate the projects as affordable housing for 30 years. This proposal would preserve and improve an estimated 6,250 units annually of very low-income housing at a cost to the state of $400 per unit;
• Ohio CDC Association: has requested that the existing Housing Development Assistance Program (HDAP) receive increased appropriations and made several recommendations for modifications to the HDAP guidelines;
• Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing: has requested $300,000 to match the funds OCCH commits to their Resident Development Fund which would be used for both OCCH projects and projects developed by other organizations in Ohio.

With credible proposals on the table and $9.3 million in the bank many of these proposals are likely to be funded. The Department indicated that some of the new proposals described above could be funded with the $6 million set a side in the Revolving Loan Fund, if that proves to be a workable match.

Another proposal adopted by the OHTFAC was that any project receiving benefit from the Housing Trust Fund will be required to give credit to the Ohio Housing Trust Fund in promotional materials and press releases related to the project.

Jerry Katz, a recently retired Vice President of a local bank, announced his resignation as Chairperson of the OHTFAC. Jerry served in this role with great distinction since the creation of the Housing Trust Fund back in 1991. His evenhanded and passionate leadership will be missed. COHHIO’s Executive Director was appointed Interim Chairperson of the OHTFAC. At his request, Bill Faith will hold this position until September of this year, when another Chairperson is to be appointed.

Given the status of the HTF over the past several months, the results of the Advisory Committee meeting are encouraging. Key programs received much needed increases and the Department expressed a strong willingness to support other critical housing needs with the active involvement of OHTFAC going forward.

Affordable Housing Initiatives Needs Support
In the last session of Congress, two key pieces of legislation were introduced that would have a dramatic impact on the ability of the housing industry to develop affordable housing. The first (H.R. 175/S. 1017) would increase the Low Income Housing Tax Credit allocation to states from $1.25 to $1.75 per capita. This increase not only returns some of the value of the Housing Tax Credit lost due to inflation since 1986, but it has the potential to reduce the overall competition for the credit which is at an all time high. Nearly half of the applications submitted in Ohio for the LIHTC are not funded due to the extreme demand.

The second piece of legislation (H.R. 864/S. 459) would increase the Private Activity Bond Cap from $50 to $75 per capita. As with the Housing Tax Credit, this increase would return some of the value to the Private Activity Bond Cap that has been lost due to inflation since 1986, while at the same time reduce competition. For the multi-family bond program in Ohio approximately one half of those who applied for the recent round of $33.6 million will be able to receive financing due to the extreme demand. Without adequate multi-family bonding authority, Ohio is not taking full advantage of the non-competitive 4 percent tax credit.

While these two pieces of legislation have been popular with most members of Congress, several members of the Ohio Delegation have yet to sign on and show their support. In fact Ohio has one of the lowest co-sponsorship records of any state in the nation. Eighty percent of the Congress have cosponsored both the tax credit increase and bond volume cap increase, but only 67 percent of Ohio members have cosponsored the tax credit increase and only 57 percent of Ohio members have cosponsored the bond volume cap increase.

The following members of our delegation have yet to sign onto the tax credit increase (H.R. 175/S. 1017): Senator Voinovich; and Representatives Boehner, Chabot, Kasich, Portman, Regula and Sawyer. The following members of our delegation have yet to sign onto the volume cap increase (H.R. 856/S. 459): Senator Voinovich; and Representatives Boehner, Chabot, Hobson, Kasich, Kucinich, Portman, Regula, and Sawyer.

These two pieces of legislation are vitally important for affordable housing development within the State of Ohio. Without these tools, our jobs would be much more difficult. Contact both Senator Voinovich and your Representative, and ask that they support these much needed resources. The Capital Hill Switchboard can be reached at (202) 224-3121. You can locate your representative by county on our web site at www.cohhio.org. MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD. For more information, contact COHHIO at 614/280-1984.

 

Organizations Speak Out Against Predatory Lending
Earlier this month, approximately 65 participants from 40 different agencies came together to begin working on a state-wide strategy designed to put “predatory lenders” out of business. The term predatory lending is used to describe various abuses towards elderly, minority, and low and moderate-income homeowners. Lending practices become predatory when lenders target specific populations (usually low-income minorities and/or the elderly) with high pressure marketing techniques, with excessive fees, with frequent refinancings (also known as “flipping”), and misleading sales techniques. Ohio is not immune to these practices. In low-and moderate-income and minority communities throughout the state, one or two predatory lenders often dominate the market, while prime lenders are nowhere to be found.

These predatory lenders are literally harvesting the equity that homeowners have built up over the years. By loading the loan with excessive fees, high interest rates, and unnecessary and pricey insurance premiums on the front end, predatory lenders are all but ensuring themselves a pay-off. In many ways, it is a win-win situation for the lender and a lose-lose situation for the borrower. If the borrower makes the monthly loan payments, which are often times inflated (excessive fees, high interest rates, and pricey insurance premiums), the lender is making a profit. If the borrower is unable to make the monthly payments, the lender forecloses and sells the house for a profit. This must not be allowed to continue.

This day-long strategy session included both an educational component and an information sharing component. After hearing from experts in the field, including Chip Bromley from Metropolitan Strategy Group and Peter Skillern from the Community Reinvestment Association of North Carolina (CRA*NC), participants had the opportunity to learn what steps are being taken throughout the State of Ohio when it comes to putting predatory lenders out of business.

In addition to learning more about the problem and sharing information with their peers, participants received copies of Ohio’s draft anti-predatory lending legislation along with copies of the predatory lending video used in North Carolina’s successful campaign. If you were unable to attend the strategy session and would like to receive copies of the aforementioned materials or would like to be placed on the predatory lending mailing list, please contact Rick Taylor or Christina Buzzard at COHHIO at 614/280-1984.

 

IRS Targets Poor
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is targeting low-income citizens at a higher rate for audits than wealthy people, according to Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, a nonpartisan data research organization at Syracuse University.

This is a reverse in a trend that used to audit wealthy citizens at a rate ten times higher than low-income citizens. Last year, the IRS audited 1.36 percent of taxpayers with incomes less than $25,000, compared with 1.15 percent of taxpayers with incomes more than $100,000.

This reversal seems to come at the hands of Congress. Congress has ordered the IRS to crack down on the Earned Income Tax Credit program. More than 70 percent of the low-income audits were related to misuse of this program. At the same time, Congress also passed reforms that limits the IRS's ability to audit the more complicated returns of the wealthy.

Much of the data by the Clearinghouse is available online at www.trac.syr.edu.

 

COHHIO’s 2000 Annual Conference Attracts 500 Participants
Housing 2000: An Agenda For the Future, held last month in Columbus, was the largest COHHIO Annual Conference ever! Nearly 500 people from across the state, including emergency shelter providers, transitional housing providers, permanent housing providers, not-for-profit and for-profit housing developers, fair housing advocates, homeless service providers, state and local government officials, and financial institutions joined together to learn about housing related issues and to set an aggressive agenda for the future.

The conference was designed around six different tracks, all of which represent current projects sponsored by COHHIO. These tracks included the preservation of affordable housing, welfare reform and its impact on housing, affordable housing development, community reinvestment, strategies to end homelessness and capacity building. Of the feedback received to date, participants seemed to appreciate the content of the conference and described it as interesting and thought provoking.

Special thanks to the Ohio Department of Development, the Ohio Department of Mental Health, and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for their financial support of this year’s conference. Without their support and that of the participants, the conference could not have been so successful.

In case you missed it, COHHIO’s 2001 Annual Conference will be held on April 2-4, 2001 at the Radisson Airport Hotel in Columbus.

 

Ohio Balance of State Continuum of Care Selected as a “Best Practice”
Earlier this month, the Ohio Balance of State Continuum of Care was selected as a “best practice” by the Housing Assistance Council (HAC). HAC is a national not-for-profit corporation that has been helping organizations build affordable homes in rural America since 1971. HAC is conducting a "best practices" case study of rural continuum of care systems that were awarded 1999 Continuum of Care funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). With the help of HUD staff, HAC identified four rural continuum of care systems, one of which happened to be Ohio’s Balance of State Continuum of Care. By conducting an in-depth case study of each system, HAC hopes to provide rural organizations with effective examples to aid in planning a continuum, identifying partners, and meeting the needs of the rural homeless.

 

Executive Director - National Coalition for the Homeless

Duties:
- Implement board directives and established programs, including development of annual work plan and monitoring.
- Oversee day-to-day operations of the office and coordination of board operations.
- Supervise unionized staff.
- Function as the principal spokesperson in dealing with public officials and the media.
- Prepare annual budget in conjunction with board executive committee.
- Represent NCH to other national and local advocacy groups.
- Coordinate NCH fund development efforts; including preparing grant proposals and maintaining relations with both funders and prospective funders.
- Coordinate public policy initiatives, grassroots organizing, and public education.

Demonstrated Skills and Abilities:
- Supervised a staff, recruited employees, evaluated work, and maintained high level of staff retention.
- Implemented a team management approach.
- Communicated effectively with media in previous work.
- Communicated effectively in writing and verbally in previous work.
- Managed a grassroots local, state or national advocacy organization.
- Raised funding for a $1 million non-profit organization from diverse public and private sources.
- Successfully demonstrated sound fiscal management.
- Implemented and monitored a successful strategic planning effort.
- Worked successfully with a diverse volunteer board of directors.
- Detail orientated, ability to delegate, good follow-through and ability to hold people accountable.

Qualifications:
- At least 3 - 5 years in a position of similar responsibility.
- Masters level degree in related field or equivalent experience.
- Extensive working knowledge of homeless and housing issues.
- Proven ability working with diverse people.
- Demonstrated commitment to social justice.

Deadline is June 30th. A letter of interest with salary requirements and resume should be mailed to NCH ED Search Committee, 1012 14th Street, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005-3406 or e-mailed to suewatlovp@aol.com.

 

Court Tosses Out Injunction Against Apartments For Addicts
Advocates for Homeless Allowed More Time to Prepare

The dispute over an apartment building for recovering alcoholics and drug addicts in Bexley [a suburb of Columbus] is going back to court.

The Franklin County Court of Appeals threw out a permanent injunction granted to Bexley last year, saying Friends of the Homeless and the Community Housing Network should have been given more time to prepare their case in the county Environmental Court.

The case is being returned to Environmental Court Judge Richard C. Pfeiffer Jr. for a hearing in which both sides will be allowed to present additional evidence.

“Basically, what the court of appeals has done is take this case back to square one, instructing the trial court to start over and have a trial on the merits, where everyone has a chance to prepare and present their case,” said Gordon P. Shuler, an attorney representing the Community Housing Network.

Last March, Pfeiffer granted Bexley’s request for a permanent injunction. The city has argued that the Community Housing Network’s use of the property at 540 North Cassady Avenue required city approval.

The ruling came about three weeks after the complaint was filed and one week after a hearing before Pfeiffer. At the hearing, Pfeiffer consolidated a preliminary injunction hearing with a trial on the merits of the case.

At the time, Friends of the Homeless and the Community Housing Network had argued they were unprepared to proceed. They told the appeals court that they would have presented more evidence and conducted more extensive cross examinations of witnesses had they been aware the case was more than a preliminary hearing.

In a decision written by Judge Dana Deshler Jr., the appeals court agreed that the agency and the Community Housing Network were denied the “full opportunity to develop their arguments and present their case.”

Bexley City Attorney James Gross said, “We remain fully prepared to try this case on the merits and believe we will be successful.”

The appeals court did not address the legal issues, which center on Bexley’s zoning laws.

Pfeiffer had ruled that use of the building by Friends of the Homeless is quasi-public as defined by Bexley ordinance because residents receive services. He said such use may continue only if granted a conditional-use variance by Bexley.

Pfeiffer sided with the agency for the homeless on the number of apartments permitted in the building. Bexley had argued the current zoning rules allow a maximum of four units. Pfeiffer considers the 12-unit building grandfathered in under old zoning laws because it had been continuously occupied.

All of those issues will be revisited.

Friends of the Homeless officials are pleased with the appeals court decision.

“I think we’ll make another effort to see if we can resolve this without having to go through more rounds of litigation,” said Richard A. Cordray, an attorney for Friends. “If we can’t, we will continue to proceed to protect these men’s ability to get the treatment they need and to have housing.”

The appeals court previously stayed the permanent injunction pending the appeal. That has allowed the facility to operate.

Eleven people live in the facility, which has been running smoothly, said Ed O’Reilly, associate director for Friends.

“The people in there are doing well and have not caused any kind of untoward incidents with their behavior,” O’Reilly said.

The Community Housing Network was in contract to buy the property when the legal battle put the sale on hold. The Community Housing Network continues to have the building under contract for purchase from the owner, James Duckworth, said Susan Weaver, executive director of the Community Housing Network.

Pfeiffer had called the case the first of its kind. Advocates for the homeless had been following the case closely, because they promote similar housing in the county.

Written by Tim Doulin. Reprinted with permission by the Columbus Dispatch, March 8, 2000, 6B.

 

Cuomo and Kasich Announce HUD Policy to Sell Homes to Local Governments for $1 Each
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) launched a new initiative to sell local governments thousands of HUD-owned homes for $1 each to create housing for families in need and to benefit neighborhoods.

HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo and Congressman John Kasich announced the new HUD Good Neighbor Policy and said it is good for neighborhoods, communities and families.

Under the policy, single-family homes that are acquired in foreclosure actions by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA - which is part of HUD) will be eligible for sale to local governments around the nation for $1 each whenever FHA is unable to sell the homes for six months. About 3,000 homes will initially be eligible for sale to local governments under the initiative, with additional homes available for sale each month.

By selling vacant homes for $1 after six months on the market, HUD will make it possible for communities to fix up the homes and put them to good use at a considerable savings. The newly occupied homes can then act as catalysts for neighborhood revitalization, and attracting new residents and businesses to an area.

Local governments buying HUD homes for $1 can sell or rent them to low and moderate-income families, to first-time homebuyers, or to groups that will use the homes to provide services such as child care centers or job training centers.

Homes in extremely deteriorated condition, where rehabilitation is not feasible, will be demolished by HUD and the vacant lots will be offered for sale to the local government for $1.

To launch the new initiative, the first house sold under the Good Neighbor Policy will be in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio towns in the initial round include Batavia, Cambridge, Centerville, Cincinnati, Clyde, Columbus, Dayton, Delaware, Gallipolis, Grove City, Kenton, Mansfield, Middletown, Mt. Orab, New Richmond, Newton Falls, Sciotoville, Springfield, Warren, West Cleveland, Youngstown and Zanesville. There are a total of 26 homes in Ohio for the initial round.

 

Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio Membership
Name
Organization
Address
City, State, Zip
Phone, Fax, County
Individual: _____ $35 (Regular) _____ $75 (Benefactor) _____ $250 (Sustainer) _____ $10 (Low-Income) _____ Fee Waiver Requested
Agency (according to budget): _____ $35 (100,000 or less) _____ $75 (100,001-250,000)
_____ $125 (250,001-500,000) _____ $200 (500,001-1 million)_____ $250 ($1 million-$1.5 million) _____ $300 (over $1.5 million)

Please send your tax deductible check to COHHIO at 85 E. Gay St, Ste. 603, Columbus, Ohio 43215.
Thank you for your support!

 

Child Welfare Shareholders Recommend Housing Subsidy

A $20 million dollar pilot project to subsidize housing expenses for Ohio Works First and low-income working families involved with child protective services is one of twenty-one recommendations coming from the Child Welfare Shareholders Group. Included in the recommendation are families with addiction and/or mental health issues. If funded, the recommended subsidy would be for a maximum of 24 months and would be funded with Federal TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) and State Maintenance of Effort (MOE) dollars.

This is the process which produced the housing subsidy recommendation. During the latter half of 1999, the Child Welfare Shareholders Group met to form recommendations to the Ohio Department of Human Services, the Ohio Legislature and Administration. These recommendations represent the collective thinking and experience of hundreds of people involved in the area of child welfare in Ohio regarding the future needs of Ohio’s children and families.

In a three day retreat in March, the many months of work of community forums and subcommittee recommendations were condensed into twenty-one recommendations. The recommendations were organized into five major areas: Systemic Issues, Foster Care and Adoption, Protective Services, Preventive Services and Child Care. The Housing subsidy was prioritized as number one under the category of prevention.

Following a series of community forums aimed at consumers of child welfare services, agencies and other parties, the Shareholders Group finalized their recommendations and presented them to the Ohio Department of Human Services. For further information, contact Pam Argus at COHHIO or Anne Wolcott at ODHS at 614/752-9202.

 

Imagine...a valley town where the water supply is being depleted. Imagine that no matter how hard the people try to conserve or how hard they work at catching rain water to stall the coming disaster, they are still threatened with "dying of thirst."

Now, imagine that on a hill above this town, there is a reservoir of fresh, clear, clean water that can stay this disaster. What would be the logical thing to do? Release the water. Right? But, no those in power have decided to save it for a real emergency.

We do have a population "dying of thirst." But their thirst is for safe, decent, affordable housing. These are the Ohio Works First participants and others like victims of domestic violence and those who are winning the battle over substance abuse. Those who have done their part and are now working.

The only problem is that they are working at minimum or low wage jobs that keep them from being eligible for rental assistance. Yet the amount of income they receive is not enough to pay market rent, buy food, provide medical care for their families, purchase clothes and keep their cars insured and fueled (or pay for child care, if that is an issue).
Why don't we support their efforts by giving them the "water" they need. If we use some of the TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) and Maintenance of Effort (MOE) funds to assist them with their security deposits and the first month's rent, then for the next 12 months offer them rental assistance to fill the gap between 30 percent of their net income and market rent. We can reward them for a job well done. We can also provide the stability and security of a "home", something most of us take for granted.

Housing, affordable housing, is a critical need for low income families in Ohio. The need has not been appropriately addressed even though the funds are there in the TANF and MOE funds to do just that.

Let's not keep the water in the reservoir. The thirst is great, the need is now. Release the funds to assist those working families and others who deserve decent, safe and sanitary housing at a price they can afford.

Submitted by Melanie Brammer, Home Buyer Education and CHIP Specialist, Greene County Department of Development, who was inspired to write this article after attending a welfare reform and housing workshop at COHHIO's annual conference.

 

Housing Authorities Awarded Statewide Section 8 Contract
A consortium of eight public housing authorities in Ohio has been selected by HUD to serve as the contract administrator for project-based Section 8 properties throughout the state. In the past, HUD was administrator for the majority of the projects, while the Ohio Housing Finance Agency and individual housing authorities administering some as well. Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority (MHA) will serve as the lead agency, and will establish a non-profit organization, Assisted Housing Corp., to administer the program. Assisted Housing Corp. will then contract with each of the eight housing authorities and IMR Global-ORION, an information technology company in Cleveland, to perform services under the program.

The eight housing authorities that will be performing management and occupancy reviews are: Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati, Portsmouth, Canton, Akron, Trumbull County and Toledo. Each of the eight will cover a geographic area. Canton and Akron will cover the Cleveland area together.

Assisted Housing Corp. will establish a central office in Columbus, and contract with IMR Global-ORION to administer the Section 8 payments to the property owners. Approximately 40 jobs will be created in Columbus at Assisted Housing Corp.

Columbus MHA Director of Special Projects, Steve Havens, said that the implementation of the program will be phased in over time, starting September 1, 2000. Right now they are working on developing an implementation plan, hiring staff, and negotiating the final contract with HUD. The projects that the consortium will oversee does not include Section 202 and Section 811 housing or troubled projects that are currently in HUD’s Enforcement Center. HUD will continue to monitor those projects. The group will be providing administrative oversight for approximately 64,000 units of project-based Section 8 in Ohio, which are divided into about 1,032 contracts.

 

NAHT Conference in June
COHHIO will send up to 10 tenant leaders to the National Alliance of HUD Tenants (NAHT Conference) on June 3-5 in Bethesda, Maryland, just outside of Washington DC. COHHIO will pay plane fare, accommodations and conference registration for tenants who are selected by bona fide tenants groups* in HUD subsidized buildings. Tenants groups will be required to pay for NAHT membership ($25), and delegates or their organizations will be required to pay for meals that are not provided at the conference, as well as incidental expenses.

*A bona fide tenants group meets the requirements that HUD lays out in Handbook 4381.5: HUD expects owners/agents to recognize legitimate resident organizations which meet regularly, operate democratically, are representative of all residents in the development, and are independent of non-resident owners and management agents. Owners/agents may not impede the reasonable efforts of residents to organize or activities of resident organizations to reasonably represent resident interests (24 CFR, Part 245.105).

Several other groups in Ohio will be sponsoring tenants to attend the conference. Mt. Vernon Plaza Tenants associations will be sending several members and the Alliance of Cleveland HUD Tenants and Cleveland Tenants Organization will be sponsoring a delegation of Cleveland area tenant leaders.

For more information on how your group might qualify as a sponsored delegate, call COHHIO’s Housing Hot Line at 888/290-RENT (toll free).

 

Welcome! COHHIO AmeriCorps*VISTA Members
Welcome to the following VISTA members who have joined COHHIO to work on the Homeless Youth project.
Athens: Christie Keaveny is a recent graduate of Ohio University. She has been actively involved in many community organizations in southern Ohio during her five years of residence. Christie is currently working on gathering information about state and national programs that affect Homeless Youth. She is also working on contacting homeless or formerly homeless youth in southern Ohio. Christie is placed at Rural Action and can be reached at 740/767-4938.
Cleveland: Kevin Blackledge is a recent graduate of Kent State. He has relocated to Cleveland from Canton to work as a VISTA. Kevin is currently working on the Youth project's web site as well as organizing homeless youth and service providers in Cleveland. His placement site is with Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless in Cleveland and can be reached at 216/241-1104.
Columbus: Kevin Cunningham is a high school graduate and community leader and is involved in many community projects. He is from Youngstown, and currently has a community garden in Columbus and is involved with many youth programs. Kevin is placed at the COHHIO office in Columbus and can be reached at 614/280-1984.
Northwest Ohio: Alicia Stefano has already completed two years of service as an AmeriCorps Member with COHHIO. She is currently working on researching programs available to Homeless Youth in Northwest Ohio. Alicia is placed at WSOS in Fremont and is currently working with all areas of Northwest Ohio including Toledo. Alicia can be reached at 419/333-6029.

All VISTA’s can be reached through the Youth web site at http://community.cleveland.com/cc/cohhio or through the COHHIO web site at http://members.aol.com/cohhio/index.html. Questions regarding the Homeless Youth Project should be directed to Angela Lariviere at COHHIO at 614/280-1984.

OTAG-Preservation Project Welcomes New VISTA, Welcomes Back Two Returning VISTAs
The Outreach and Technical Assistance Grant (OTAG)-Preservation Project is pleased to welcome back our two returning AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteers from last year, Mabel Weaver and Warren Perkins. We also welcome the addition of our new AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteer, Dreama Saunders. All three recently attended the National Alliance of HUD Tenants (NAHT)-AmeriCorps*VISTA four-day Pre-Service Orientation/In-Service Orientation (PSO/ISO) training held in Austin, Texas.

- Mabel Weaver serves as our VISTA tenant organizer in Columbus. She joined the preservation project team last summer, and has been busy working on Mark-to-Market and below-market properties in the Franklin County area.
- Warren Perkins also joined the project last summer. He serves as our VISTA tenant organizer in the Cincinnati area. Warren has been working with tenants mostly in Mark-to-Market properties.
- Our newest member of the preservation team, Dreama Saunders, works on tenant organizing from the COHHIO office. She answers the Housing Hotline (888-290-RENT) and provides information and referrals to callers. She distributes tenant organizing materials, and assists other preservation project team members in tenant organizing.

If you have tenant organizing, Mark-to-Market, or preservation questions, feel free to contact Jill Russ, Spencer Wells or Dreama Saunders in the COHHIO office at 614/280-1984, or toll-free at 888/290-RENT. Welcome Dreama, and welcome back Mabel and Warren!

 

AmeriCorps*VISTA Position Description

Background:
AmeriCorps*VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) program assigns individuals 18 years and older, on a full-time, year-long basis, to public and private non-profit organizations. The project on which the VISTA will be assigned must focus on the mobilization of community resources and the expansion of the capacity of community-based organizations to solve local problems. Programing should encourage permanent, long-term solutions to problems confronting low-income communities.

The Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO) is looking for an AmeriCorps* VISTA member to help carry out the activities of the Ohio Community Reinvestment Project (OCRP). The mission of OCRP is to promote the investment in Ohio’s low-income communities and communities of color through six main areas:

• Increased access to affordable financial services;
• Housing credit to facilitate maintenance and production of low-income housing;
• Housing credit to low-income individuals;
• Credit for community economic development;
• Small business lending;
• Direct investments in and partnerships with organizations addressing the survival and community development needs of low-income and minority Ohioans

Duties/Responsibilities:
The primary duties/responsibilities of the AmeriCorps*VISTA will include the following:

- Assist with developing and maintaining partnerships with Ohio’s financial institutions;
- Develop and implement reinvestment strategies which will bring additional resources to low-income and minority communities that will address the long term needs of the community;
- Assist in carrying out the education and outreach component of OCRP’s anti-predatory lending campaign;
- Create links between communities and resources available through financial institutions;

- Find opportunities for organizations to promote innovative programs to financial institutions, especially those programs that will result in job creation for low-income people;
- Promote and increase OCRP membership;
- Assist in the preparation of OCRP publications;
- Assist in planning community reinvestment relevant workshops at COHHIO’s 2001 Annual Conference;
- Maintain communication with the 16-member OCRP Steering Committee.

Qualifications:
Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Familiarity with issues related to housing, community/economic development, and community reinvestment essential. Ability to work well both independently and in a supervised setting.

Living Allowance: $716 per month

Benefits: Health coverage and optional life insurance coverage for AmeriCorps*VISTA member only; relocation allowance if you must relocate.

Educational Award: $4,725 (or stipend accrued at $100 per month)

Commitment: One year, beginning June 2000

The AmeriCorps*VISTA member will work closely with and report directly to the Housing Policy Director


Please send a resume and cover letter to:

Coalition on Homelessness
and Housing in Ohio
Attention: Rick Taylor
85 East Gay Street, Suite #603
Columbus, Ohio 43215-3118
Fax: 614/463-1060
E-mail: cohhiort@aol.com

Deadline: May 31st, 2000.

 

Resources
TRAININGS
The Ohio Department of Development (ODOD), Office of Housing and Community Partnerships (OHCP) is offering several trainings:
• Lead Abatement Licensure Trainings. Lead Inspector Training - July 10-11, Findlay. Will equip inspectors with the specialized skills necessary to conduct accurate and defensible building/housing inspections for lead-based paint. The course follows EPA and HUD guidelines. Lead Risk Assessor Training, July 12-14, Findlay. Will familiarize participants with the likely locations of lead hazards; the interpretation of results of paint, dust, soil and water testing; and the development of abatement reduction responses. Residential Lead Abatement for Supervisors/Contractors Refresher Course, July 18, Columbus. Will provide certified supervisors/contractors with a review of the Residential Lead Abatement Training for Supervisors/Contractors training and update participants regarding personal protective equipment, safety practices and Ohio's lead abatement laws and regulations. $100 for each training. For more information, call Tom Sherman at OHCP at 614/466-2285.
• September 25-29 - Housing Development Finance Professional Certification Program, Columbus. Training will focus on housing development finance: problem solving and deal structuring. The registration fee is $350. For more information, call Mary Dupler at OHCP at 614/466-2285.
• Plumbing System Training. Will help housing rehabilitation specialists understand, inspect and specify work to repair, upgrade or replace residential plumbing systems. The workshops will be held on: July 11-12 - Smithville; July 25-26 - Perrysburg; August 8-9 - Chillicothe; and August 22-23 - Xenia. The workshop is free but registration is required. For more information, call Dana Leas at OHCP at 614/466-2285.
• Housing Workshops. OHCP and the Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing are conducting a series of workshops focused on housing development resources. The first day will review the Housing Development Assistance Program and the second day will provide a housing manual and will review the creation of a development timeline, predevelopment essentials, project development forms, pointers and pitfalls and technical assistance. Remaining workshops will be held: August 17-18 - Toledo; October 19-20 - Cleveland; December 14-15 - Dayton; February 15-16, 2001 - Columbus and April 19-20, 2001 - Akron. The workshop is free but registration is required. For more information, contact Kim Carter at OHCP at 614/466-2285.

The Ohio Historic Preservation Office (OHPO) is offering free Building Doctor Clinics. The remaining clinics are: June 1-2 - Hamilton area; June 22-23 - Westerville; July 13-14 - East Cleveland; August 17-18 - Aurora; September 14-15 - Fremont; and October 12-13 - Grandview Heights. Designed to help solve common, old-building problems and help owners make informed repair and improvement decisions. They will also visit older buildings in or near the communities where a clinic is being held to examine problems and prescribe cures. Interested participants must register to attend. For more information, call OHPO at 800/499-2470.

June 13 - 14 - Ending Domestic and Global Hunger: Partnerships for Empowerment, Columbus Institute for Leadership in Church and Society, Columbus. Will focus on global and domestic hunger and is designed to assist congregations, agencies and individuals become better equipped to serve as educators and advocates for the challenge of ending hunger in the world. The keynote speaker is David Beckmann, the executive director of the Bread for the World. $20. For more information, contact Trinity Lutheran Seminary at 614/235-4136.

Basic Skills in Affordable Housing Development, Ohio CDC Association. To help build capacity for designing, financing, and implementing projects for low and moderate income home buyers and renters. June 19 - 22 - Affordable Single-Family Housing Development ($80-120); July 18-21 - Multi-Family Rental Housing ($80-120); August 15 - 17- Compliance Issues, Construction Management and Financial Management ($60-90); September 19-21 - Codes and Standards, Methods and Materials ($60-90); and October 17-19 - Project Presentation, Role Play, Review and Exam ($60-90). For more information, contact the Ohio CDC Association at 614/461-6392.
PUBLICATIONS
Alzheimer’s Early Stages: First Steps in Caring and Treatment is meant for providers working with residents with the disease whose families and housing staff are struggling to assist them in remaining as self-reliant as possible. It can be viewed, downloaded and printed at http://www.rush.edu/patients/radc/manual.html.

“Choosing the High Road” is a new report from Responsible Wealth that reveals that more than 50 business owners have signed RW’s Living Wage Covenant, pledging to pay their own employees over $8 an hour, and to publicly advocate for higher wages for all low-income workers. It presents research on the business benefits of higher wages: lower worker turnover and absenteeism, reduced training costs, higher morale and higher productivity, and a stronger consumer market. Over 40 cities and counties have adopted living wage ordinances and over 120 living wage campaigns are underway. The report is available at www.responsiblewealth.org/press/living_wage_report_pr.html.

Combining Funding Sources for Rural Housing Development, Housing Assistance Council, provides seven case studies to illustrate factors that lead to rural nonprofit funding success and describes how some developers use common funding sources by blending programs. For more information, contact HAC at 202/842-8600 or visit their web site at www.ruralhome.org.

Enterprise Foundation materials. 1) Fundraising Series. Materials available include Organizing Your Office and Staff for Your Fund-Raising Efforts, the Fund-Raising Process, Establishing a Relationship with a Federated Campaign, and Staging Special Events. 2) Media Relations: Publicizing Your Efforts. Includes information on understanding the media's rules, how they work, what they consider newsworthy and the mechanics of getting your news into newspapers and onto television and radio. Other manuals in the Communication Series include Action Alerts, Neighborhood Tours, Brochures, Newsletters, Annual Reports and Communications: Getting the Word Out. For more information, contact Tanai Sanders at the Enterprise Foundation at 800/205-5122 or by email at tsanders@enterprisefoundation.org.

HUD USER. In the Crossfire: The Impact of Gun Violence on Public Housing Communities provides the first comprehensive analysis of gun-related violence in public housing, focusing on the challenges public housing communities face in reducing crime. (ACCN-HUD11014), free. Insulating Concrete Forms: Comparative Thermal Performance informs builders how to better evaluate the thermal performace of ICFs and identifies opportunities to optimize their use in residential construction (ACCN-HUD11003), $5. Concrete Masonry Homes focuses on the attachment or installation of foundations, floors, roofs, insulation, utilities, and finishes to concrete masonry (ACCN-HUD11004), $5. Hope VI: Community Building Makes A Difference examines the best practices that have emerged from the community-building and supportive services of Hope VI (ACCN-HUD11010), $5. Building Communities and New Markets for the New Century, 1998 Consolidated Report provides information on how to maximize resources by making smart public investments and partnering with private and nonprofit organizations to build strong communities (ACCN-HUD8791), free. Now Is The Time: Places Left Behind in the New Economy - America’s Northeast examines the economic challenges and the untapped potential of America’s Northeast, focusing on its central cities (ACCN-HUD 8786), free. Univerity-Community Partnerships in America: Current Practices, Volume III shows the combined strength of institutions of higher education, local governments, community-based organizations, school districts, and public housing authorities acting in patnership, (ACCN-HUD8782), free. The Rehab Guide is intended to inform the design and construction industry about state-of-the-art materials and innovative practices in housing rehabilitation. The Rehab Guide: HVAC/Plumbing (ACCN-HUD8797), $5; The Rehab Guide: Kitchens & Baths (ACCN-HUD8796), $5; and The Rehab Guide: Partitions, Ceilings, Floors & Stairs (ACCN-HUD8798), $5. For more information, call HUD USER at 800/245-2691.

Ohio Directory of Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management Programs, Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution, provides an updated list of dispute resolution and conflict management programs offering a wide variety of services, including mediation, conciliation, facilitation, conflict evaluation and arbitration. To receive a free copy, call the Commission at 614/752-9595.

Ohio Housing and Community Development, Ohio Department of Development Annual Report, details the myriad of programs that ODOD operates, that provide direct and indirect assistance to Ohio homeowners, renters, homeless citizens and local communities. To receive a free copy, call OCHP at 614/466-2285.

“The Outsider: A Journey Into My Father’s Struggle With Madness,” is a new book examining mental illness and homelessness. The book chronicles a son’s struggle to understand the mental illness that took over the life of his father, a college sociology professor who developed schizophrenia and ended up homeless. After losing contact with his father, he found that his father had died in 1995, homeless on the streets. Copies should be available at your local bookstore. The authors name is Nathaniel Lachenmeyer.

AWARDS
Ohio Historic Preservation Office Awards recognize outstanding achievements in preservation, rehabilitation or adaptive use of historic properties; including longtime care of a historic property, preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, or adaptive use of an important building or site. Deadline is July 1. For a nomination form, call OHPO at 614/297-2470.

2000 Governor's Award For Excellence in Housing & Community Development. To acknowledge innovative programs, projects and policies implemented using Ohio Small Cities CDBG Program and HOME funds administered by the state. The award categories are: Creative Homeownership Projects; Exemplary Low-Income Rental Projects; Innovative Public/Private Partnerships; and Outstanding Program Implementation (including Minority and/or Women's Enterprise). Deadline is June 9. For more information, call Betsy Giffin at OHCP at 614/466-2285.

JOB OPENINGS
Community Based Planner, Metropolitan Strategy Group. Responsibilities include: analyzing and mapping data, pertaining to community reinvestment issues, using GIS; gathering and analyzing original data when necessary; providing GIS technical assistance to other non-profit organizations; interfacing with other non-profit advocacy groups, development corporations, municipalities and lenders; and contributing to agency newsletter, assisting in planning of bi-monthly Forums, annual conference and other related community reinvestment projects. $25,000 - $32,000. Requirements include Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Urban Planning, Geography, or related field; experience using GIS ArcView or Map Info programs; experience using Windows OS, SPSS, and database software; strong commitment to fair housing and fair lending issues; ability to work independently; and willingness to work as a team member in a small organization. Forward cover letter and resume to: Charles Bromley, MSG, 3130 Mayfield Rd., Ste. W207, Cleveland Heights, OH 44118, 216/371-4285; 216/371-0934 (fax) or metrostrategy@compuserve.com.

Community Development Program Director, Enterprise Foundation. Design and manage sustainable capacity building and operating support programs for community development corporations in the Columbus area, to provide staff and management functions to the board comprised of funders. Qualifications: seven years related experience, Bachelor’s degree, excellent public speaking, presentation and communications skills, proficient in word-processing and spreadsheets. Attractive salary and benefits. Resumes to: Human Resource Department, Enterprise Foundation, 10227 Wincopin Circle #500, Columbia MD 21044, 410/772-2702 (fax).

Executive Director, Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition. Strong organizational and development skills, supervision experience, ability to coordinate services on a broad basis, liaison with the community at large, and a history of strong social justice involvement. Full time position/salary/benefits. Resume to: C. Jones, Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition, 1506 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45210.

OTHER
Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing - www.occh.org. Includes project information including information and photos of all projects as well as project profile pages; and other links to the latest affordable housing news, upcoming events and conferences and links to some of the best affordable housing sites on the web.

HomeSharing, a non-profit program serving Columbus and Franklin County since 1985, is a housing option for older adults; people with disabilities and single adults of all ages. HomeSharing matches people who have space in their homes with others who need affordable housing. Each match must involve at least one person who is an older or disabled adult. Sometimes one sharer helps the other with chores or errands. For more information, please call HomeSharing at 614/221-4663.

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) has received a request from the Ohio Council of Information and Referral Providers (OCIRP) to use 2-1-1 as a statewide referral assistance information line, first in central, northeast and the western areas of the state and eventually on a statewide basis. OCIRP supports 36-member information and referral agencies whose primary business is connecting people to valuable health and human services. Problems and issues for which referral assistance is sought include substance abuse; domestic violence; financia,l legal, and fuel assistance; prenatal health and home care; hospice services; adolescent activities; education programs; family counseling; elder services; support groups; housing and crisis intervention; employment services and job training; child care; and transitional support services. The PUCO has not yet granted OCIRP the authority to implement this service code, however, it has made a preliminary finding that OCIPR has met the service code criteria.

Free furniture, Ohio University - June 12-16, July 17-21 & July 31 - August 4. Approximately 400 sets of furniture are available including dresser/desks, chairs and modified day beds due to the replacement of furniture in four residence halls. Used mattresses may be available. If you have a truck on site when the furniture is being removed from the buildings on the above dates, arrangements can be made to load your truck. For more information, contact Teresa Iles at 740/593-9762 or email at iles@ohio.edu.

Steps To Help Prevent Workplace Violence

How serious is the problem? Each year between 1992 and 1996, more than 2 million people became victims of violent crime while at work or on duty (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1998). Homicide is the leading cause of job-related deaths for women and the second leading cause of job-related deaths for men (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1998).

What can your organization do to prevent workplace violence? Here’s some tips from the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Pre-Incident Violence Prevention and Preparation

- Pre-Employment Screening. Employers who conduct effective background checks can often improve productivity and reduce the number of personnel prone to exhibiting violent behaviors.
- Use a job application form that includes an appropriate waiver and release (permitting the employer to verify the information reported on the application). Check references, conduct background checks and use drug screening.
- Evaluate the need for screening contract personnel who work at your facility.

- Take Advantage of Community Resources. There are many programs and resources in the community that can help you develop your workplace violence plans. Some examples follow.
- Invite local police into your firm to promote good relations and to help them become more familiar with your facility.
- Use law enforcement and security experts to educate employees on how to prevent violence in the workplace.
- Place lists of contact persons, crisis management plans, evacuation plans and building plans where they can be made available to emergency responders.

- Establish Ground Rules for Behavior. Organizations that do not tolerate drug abuse or aggressive interaction lower the risk of workplace violence.
- Organizations should inform employees about policies concerning drugs, violent acts, and possession of weapons so that employees know exactly what is expected of them.
- Implement procedures for your organization to become a drug-free workplace.
- Disseminate to all employers a policy of zero tolerance to threats or actual violence at the workplace.
- Establish a policy applicable to everyone employed by the company or on company property prohibiting the possession of weapons which have not been authorized by your organization.

- Employee and Manager Training. In order for policies and procedures concerning workplace violence to be effective, they must be implemented in conjunction with appropriate employee training.
- Train managers and other selected individuals on appropriate ways to handle employee termination’s, layoffs, and discipline.
- Suggest local police encourage victims of threats and violence outside the workplace to notify their employers about the incident when warranted so their employers can take appropriate measures to help protect them and their coworkers from possible future incidents of violence at the work site.
- Have available for your employees information about the potential for violence in the workplace, how to recognize the early warning signs of a troubled or potentially violent person, how to respond to those individuals, and how to report such incidents.

- Prevention Programs. Companies need to have programs in place to assist troubled employees and to address managerial concerns before violence or threats arise.
- Provide confidential employee assistance programs to deal with emotional, substance abuse, marital, and financial problems. Or provide employees with a list of relevant community resources.
- Conduct exit interviews when employees retire, quit, or are transferred or terminated to identify potential violence-related security or management problems.

- Reporting Procedures. All employees should know how and where to report violent acts or threats of violence.
- Encourage employees to report and establish avenues of communication so they can do so without fear of reprisal or criticism:
• incidents of threats, harassment, and other aggressive behavior;
• conditions where employees are subjected to excessive or unnecessary risk of violence;
• suggestions for reducing risk of violence or improving negative working conditions.

- Prepare a Threat Management Plan. It is important to prepare a threat management plan so that when a threat occurs everyone will know that there is a policy and will understand what to do. The plan might include designating a threat management team; providing guidance concerning liaison with outside assistance; providing guidance developed in concert with local authorities for collecting and preserving evidence, including interviews of involved parties; managing of communications regarding the incident, for example, media relations, internal communications, and possible use of a rumor control desk; managing the release of sensitive information where appropriate; assigning responsibilities for contacting the families of victims; managing clean-up and repairs; making decisions about returning to work; notifying customers and suppliers about changes in orders; providing employees and their families with information about their benefits; and managing operations and trauma care after the crisis.

Information taken from the International Association of Chiefs of Police, “Combating Workplace Violence.” The Bureau of Workers Compensation, Division of Safety and Hygiene has resources available on preventing workplace violence. For more information, call the Division of Safety and Hygiene at 800/644-6292.

 

Mortgage Lending Discrimination Report Available
A recent report prepared by the Urban Institute on behalf of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) indicates that minorities trying to buy homes still face discrimination by lending institutions. What We Know About Mortgage Discrimination in America provides a comprehensive review of the best available evidence on possible discrimination by mortgage lenders. The report's three major findings are as follows:
- Discrimination can begin at the early stages of the mortgage lending process, including pre-application inquiries by would-be borrowers.
- At later stages of the process, racial disparities in loan denial rates, cannot be "explained away" by differences in creditworthiness or by technical factors affecting the analyses.
- Good intentions on the part of lenders are not enough.

The report concludes by recommending priority next steps in measuring mortgage discrimination and developing policies and practices to better combat it. The recommendations include:
- expanded research on lender decisions about office locations, advertising and outreach, and referrals that may discourage minorities from ever applying for loans with some institutions;
- stepped-up testing at the pre-application stage and possibly the loan approval stage as well, for research, enforcement and self-assessment by lenders themselves;
- replication and enhancement of the methodology employed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston in new, nationwide studies of mortgage lending, including systematic analysis of mortgage loan performance to determine the "business necessity" of lending criteria and procedures that disproportionately disadvantage minorities.
- expand research on loan terms and conditions, including objective examination of relatively recent market trends such as risk-based pricing and credit-scoring formulas, as well as analysis of overage and fees; and
- rigorous evaluation of fair lending "best practices" to find out what really works to increase lending to traditionally underserved groups.

The report concludes that lending institutions need tools that they can use to monitor and assess their own anti-discrimination efforts.

What We Know About Mortgage Lending Discrimination in America is available from HUD at http://www.hud.gov/hudrpts.html.

(614) 280-1984 Voice
(614) 463-1060 Fax

cohhio@cohhio.org