Breaking Ground - June 2000

McKinney Education of Homeless Children and Youth Allocations Decreased for Ohio

COHHIO To Co-Sponsor Welfare/Housing Conference

Housing Development Assistance Program (HDAP) in Trouble

COHHIO Changes Web Page Address (www.cohhio.org) and Email Addresses

Homeless Management Information Systems

Announcements

How to Contact...

Newsletter Info.

Rep. Ney Introduces “Predatory Lenders Protection Act” Under the Guise of Protecting Consumers

Housing Needs Report Shows Crisis Worsening

COHHIO Membership

Judge Blasts New York City Agency Over Eviction

Loangiant Gives Away Free Computers To Exploit Borrowers With Bad Credit

RFP for Homelessness Prevention Project

Activist Alert

The Economics of Ergonomics

National Coalition for the Homeless Seeks Executive Director

Resources

 

McKinney Education of Homeless Children and Youth Allocations Decreased for Ohio
Did you know that McKinney education funds allocated to Ohio for the next school year will decrease by 14 percent? This decrease occurred as a result of changes in the Hold/Harmless provisions for the school year 2000 funding of Title 1, Part A allocations.

Currently, there is a proposed increase in the McKinney Education of Homeless Children and Youth allocation. The proposed increase is $3.1 million in the House and $2.9 million in the Senate. If passed, this increase will help offset the loss of funding for homeless children in Ohio.

Please help us secure the passing of this increase by writing to your Senators and Representatives asking them to support the increase in funding for the McKinney Education for Homeless Children and Youth program.

If you would like more information on the McKinney funding or on contacting your legislators, please call Angela Lariviere at COHHIO at 614-280-1984.

 

COHHIO To Co-Sponsor Welfare/Housing Conference
Welfare time limits hit Ohio on October 1, 2000. On October 2, COHHIO and Ohio State Legal Services are co-sponsoring a conference on welfare and housing. Mark your calendars for this opportunity to get the most current information about what is possible as time limits take effect in Ohio as well as to hear what other states are doing to support families moving from welfare to work.

Learn what Ohio is doing in regards to:

* the Child Welfare recommendation for a $20,000,000 housing subsidy for families involved in the child protective system and/or with substance abuse and mental health issues;
* what is available for families who have met time limits;
* who remains on the roles and what is available to these families; and
* what is really happening to families who have left the welfare roles.

For more information, contact Pam Argus at COHHIO at 614/280-1984.

 

Housing Development Assistance Program (HDAP) in Trouble
In the April/May edition of COHHIO Notes From and For the Field, we reported that the Housing Development Assistance Program (HDAP) was set to receive just over $9 million from the Housing Trust Fund in the State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2001. This $9 million and change is to be combined with $10 million from the HOME Investment Partnership Program. All tolled, the HDAP program will be funded at just over $19 million for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins on July 1st.

While that may seem like a lot of money, let’s take a look at the requests that are already on the table. First, just under $5.3 million worth of HDAP projects were conditionally awarded or are under review now. These awards were conditional because the HDAP program literally ran out of money this year. That means that these projects will be funded out of next year’s allocation. Secondly, projects that are awarded low-income housing tax credits also receive HDAP funding. Though it is somewhat difficult to say with pinpoint accuracy, it is estimated that another $15.8 million will be needed from the HDAP program to fulfill these obligations both for Round I and Round II of next year’s tax credit program. Do the math. Before the next fiscal year even begins, requests for the HDAP program exceed $21.1 million. Suddenly, that $19 million doesn’t seem like all that much.

So what does this mean? Aside from being over $2 million short for the upcoming fiscal year, the Ohio Department of Development decided to close the HDAP program effective July 1, 2000, and will not re-open it until July of 2001. In other words, the state’s only true “bricks and sticks” grant program will not accept any new applications for at least a year. Bottom line; this is not acceptable.

As we reported last month, there will be an estimated $15.3 million by the end of the next fiscal year in the Housing Trust Fund account that has yet to be appropriated or obligated. Even with $6 million going into a yet to be designed revolving loan program, that still leaves $9.3 million up in the air. While we did report that several proposals had been submitted to the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) for funding from the $9.3 million in the Housing Trust Fund account, the setback of the HDAP program calls into question the future of these proposals. All or a substantial portion of the $9.3 million is needed to meet pending requests and to re-open the HDAP program prior to the state’s July 1st, 2001 target date.

There has been a lot of discussion about the future of the HDAP, aside from the current lack of available funds. On July 1st, the administrative responsibilities for HDAP will be transferred from the Office of Housing and Community Partnerships at ODOD to the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) Office of Planning, Preservation and Development. Additionally, some ODOD and OHFA officials would like to see a significant portion of the Housing Trust Fund be distributed as loans instead of grants. A primary target for this change would be both the tax credit and non-tax credit housing projects funded through HDAP. COHHIO and others have begun to express that this change will only serve to increase the costs of housing to the tenant or homeowner, which is inconsistent with the mission of the Housing Trust Fund. But so far, ODOD and OHFA are not convinced. For more information, contact COHHIO at 614/280-1984.

Those concerned about the future of HDAP, both regarding the lack of available funds and the loan versus grant issue should contact Joe Robertson at the Ohio Department of Development or Rita Parise at the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, 77 S. High Street, P.O. Box 1001, Columbus, Ohio 43216-1001. Mr. Robertson’s fax number is 614/752-4575, and Ms. Parise’s fax number is 614/466-0606.

 

COHHIO Changes Web Page Address (www.cohhio.org) and Email Addresses
COHHIO's new address for our web page is www.cohhio.org. Please be sure to update your address from our old address. In addition, staff email addresses will be changed as well. Each staff person now has an email address that consists of their first and last name (no space) at cohhio.org. For example, Bill Faith, COHHIO's Executive Director, has a new email address that is billfaith@cohhio.org. There is also a general account, which is cohhio@cohhio.org. The old web address and email addresses will remain available for a little while, but please update your records today! If you have any questions, please call Susan Francis at COHHIO at 614/280-1984 or email her at susanfrancis@cohhio.org.

Homeless Management Information Systems
At COHHIO's annual conference earlier this year, several homeless service providers indicated that they would like to learn more about how to accurately and consistently track homeless individuals and families. Through the use of Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS), many communities throughout the state are already using some type of centralized, automated data collection systems to compile and aggregate information on homeless services and the persons who utilize them.

With the need to collect and maintain this information becoming increasingly more important, so too has the need to establish common data standards across jurisdictions. In simplified terms, we need to make sure that we are comparing “apples to apples.” These standards include everything from identifying what information should be collected, instituting uniform measures by which this information is collected, and developing explicit methods that outline relevant reporting procedures. By establishing common data standards, collection techniques, and reporting methods, HMIS data can be compared across jurisdictions in an effort to better understand the dynamics of homelessness and the overall effectiveness of the services available.

If you are interested in learning more about HMIS, please plan on attending a half-day workshop sponsored by COHHIO in early August. This workshop will feature presentations from the Franklin County Community Shelter Board, along with other organizations throughout the state directly involved in the collection and use of HMIS data. If you are interested and would like additional information, please contact Rick Taylor at COHHIO at 614/280-1984.

Announcements
Congratulations to Donald Whitehead, COHHIO Board Member, for being recently elected to serve as the National Coalition for the Homeless President of the Board. Donald was very active in the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and currently works for the Goodwill Industries. Donald has been a COHHIO Board Member for several years.

Beatitude House Update. As we have written in previous issues of the newsletter, Beatitude House is fighting to keep transitional housing that members in their community of Youngstown are trying to shut down. The Supreme Court of the State of Ohio heard their case on May 24. A decision is not expected until at least December.

Join COHHIO's Workers Compensation Program and SAVE!! COHHIO saved its member 84 percent on premiums last year and the savings have been among the highest in the industry for three years in a row. For every $1 your company would have paid in premiums, with the COHHIO group, you would have paid .16 cents and saved .84 cents. Joining a group rating program is the only way to ensure that you won't pay any more than you have to for workers' compensation. The group rating option allows employers with good safety and claims records to pool together to enjoy discounted premiums. For more information on COHHIO's Workers' Compensation Group, please call Susan Francis at COHHIO at 614/280-1984.

 

How to Contact...

NATIONAL
National Coalition for the Homeless. Hotline:
202/775-1372 or http://NCH.ari.net.

National Low Income Housing Coalition
http://www.nlihc.org

President Clinton
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington DC 20500; 202/456-1414; 202/456-2461 (fax)
president@white house.gov

Senators Voinovich & DeWine
United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510
Voinovich - 202/224-3353; 202/228-1382 (f)
Voinovich - voinovich@voinovich.senate.gov
DeWine - 202/224-2315; 202/224-6519 (f)
DeWine - senator_dewine@dewine.senate.gov

Representatives
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515; 202/224-3121

STATE
Governor Taft
77 S. High St., Columbus, Ohio 43215
614/466-3555; 614/466-9354 (fax)

Ohio Senate
State House, Columbus, Ohio 43266-0604
614/644-5466 (fax-R); 614/644-1982 (fax - D)

Ohio House of Representatives
77 S. High St., Columbus, Ohio 43215
614/644-9494 (fax)

Legislative Directories are available by contacting us: COHHIO - 85 E Gay St, Ste. 603,
Columbus, OH 43215-3118; 614/280-1984; 614/463-1060 (fax). A legislative directory by county is available on our web page at www.cohhio.org.

 

Newsletter Info.

Newsletter of the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO) Summer •
Volume 5 • Issue 2. Editor: Susan Francis

COHHIO is a coalition of organizations and individuals committed to ending homelessness and to promoting decent, safe, fair, affordable housing for all, with a focus on assisting low-income people and those with special needs.

COHHIO Staff
Bill Faith, Executive Director; Pam Argus, Associate Director; Christina Buzzard, OCRP VISTA, Susan Francis, Communications Coordinator; Janet Holcomb, Administrative Assistant; Jill Russ, Section 8 Project Coordinator; Dreama Saunders, OTGA VISTA; Rick Taylor, Housing Policy Director; Ande Ucubagabriel, Fiscal Manager; Spencer Wells, Tenant Outreach Coordinator; Cathy Johnston, AmeriCorps Program Director;Angela Lariviere, AmeriCorps Project Coordinator/Youth Project Coordinator; Kevin Cunningham, Homeless Youth Project AmeriCorps VISTA, and Mary Scott, AmeriCorps Administrative Assistant.
85 E. Gay St., Suite 603, Columbus, Ohio 43215-3118; 614/280-1984; 614/463-1060 (fax); cohhio@cohhio.org; www.cohhio.org.

Representative Ney Introduces “Predatory Lenders Protection Act” Under the Guise of Protecting Consumers
The issue of predatory lending is receiving quite a bit of attention lately. In fact, it is difficult to have a discussion of lending practices today without hearing the terms “subprime lender” and “predatory lender” being tossed around. Between 1993 and 1998, the number of loans made by subprime lenders increased by more than 800 percent. What makes a subprime lender different from a predatory lender? While most subprime lenders serve a need by targeting borrowers with subpar credit histories, some go too far. Those that go too far are know as predatory lenders.

Lending practices become predatory when lenders target specific populations (usually low-income, minority and elderly homeowners) with high pressure marketing techniques, charge excessive fees, frequently refinance or “flip” the loan, and often times mislead the borrower. Ohio is not immune to this practice. Believe it or not, Ohio is third in the country with respect to the number, and fifth in the country with respect to the percentage of refinancing loans originated by subprime lenders. According to 1998 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data, more than 52,000 refinancing loans were made by subprime lenders within the state. The vast majority of these loans were made in substantially minority census tracts. In some of these census tracts, as many as 80 percent of all refinancing loans were made by subprime lenders.

While this information in and of itself is specific only to subprime lending, it does offer some insight on what has come to be known as predatory lending. While not all subprime lenders are predatory lenders, all predatory lenders are in fact subprime lenders. That being said, an increase in subprime lending activity throughout the State of Ohio correlates directly with an increase in predatory lending practices. It is estimated that approximately 25 percent of all subprime loans contain one or more terms that can be classified as predatory. If you apply that rationale, an estimated 13,000 of the 52,000 refinance loans originated by subprime lenders within the State of Ohio in 1998 were in fact predatory loans.

Make no mistake about it, there is money to be made here. As long as predatory lenders go largely unregulated, as long as they are allowed to take advantage of often times low-income minority and/or elderly households, and as long as we continue to sit idly by, they will continue to destroy entire communities one block at a time. Unfortunately, the situation in Ohio is representative of a larger epidemic. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), subprime loans are five times more likely in minority neighborhoods than in white neighborhoods, and three times more likely in low-income neighborhoods than in high-income neighborhoods. Clearly there is a problem.

In an effort to address this problem, several members of Congress have introduced their own versions of “anti-predatory lending” legislation. One such version was introduced in early April by Representative Bob Ney of Ohio’s 18th District. The Consumer Mortgage Protection Act of 2000 (H.R. 4213) is touted as “legislation that will enhance consumer protections, promote homeownership, and weed out abusive lending practices.” Unfortunately, this legislation weakens current consumer protections, does little to promote homeownership, and actually encourages abusive lending practices. In fact, this legislation is supported by the National Association of Mortgage Brokers.

The Consumer Mortgage Protection Act of 2000 places no restrictions on the financing of closing costs, it permits pre-payment penalties, it eliminates disclosure of indirect mortgage broker compensation, it eliminates the three-day pre-closing “cooling off” period, it allows brokers to keep private any indirect compensation they receive from a high cost lender, and it preempts all state anti-predatory lending laws. Just as there is a problem with predatory lenders who take advantage of less sophisticated or otherwise unsuspecting homeowners, there is a problem with this piece of legislation.

The Consumer Mortgage Protection Act of 2000 is a bad bill. It does little to protect consumers from abusive lending practices, while actually making it easier for predatory lenders to literally strip the equity from Ohio’s homes one block at a time. For more information, please contact Rick Taylor at COHHIO at 614/ 280-1984.

Housing Needs Report Shows Crisis Worsening
HUD's recent report, Rental Housing Assistance - The Worsening Crisis, documents the continuing, growing crisis in housing affordability throughout the Nation. The findings in this report make a compelling case for strengthening the Federal Government's efforts to ensure adequate supplies of decent, safe, affordable housing for the lowest income American families.

Worst case needs for housing assistance, already at all-time highs in 1993 and 1995, increased further between 1995 and 1997 despite continued vigorous economic expansion. In the fall of 1997 almost 5.4 million very low-income renter households - containing some 12.3 million individuals - paid more than half of their income for housing or lived in severely inadequate housing. Among very low-income renters, the share with worst case needs remained at 37 percent. These households represent five percent of the Nation's population and a disturbing one-sixth of all U.S. renters. Without Federal, State or local housing assistance, these renting families face severe financial pressures - many are merely a paycheck or unexpected medical bill away from homelessness.

The report contains six major findings:

1) Despite continued robust economic expansion, worst case housing needs have reached an all-time high of 5.4 million families (12.3 million individuals), increasing by 12 percent or 600,000 households between 1991 and 1997.

2) Families with worst case housing needs are working harder than ever. Between 1991 and 1997, despite a robust economic recovery, worst case needs increased more than three times as quickly for households with full-time earners than for all other very low-income renters.

3) The housing stock affordable to the lowest income Americans continues to shrink. The number of rental units affordable to extremely low-income families decreased by five percent between 1991 and 1997 - a loss of more than 370,000 units. For every 100 households at or below 30 percent of median income in 1997, there were only 36 units both affordable to them and available for rent by them, down sharply from 47 units in 1991.

4) The poorest families are increasingly the hardest hit by worst case needs. Between 1991 and 1997 worst case housing needs became increasingly concentrated among households with extremely low incomes. By 1997 more than three-fourths of those with worst case needs had incomes below 30 percent of the area median.

5) Worst case needs have become more concentrated among minority households. Worst case housing needs increased dramatically in minority households during the 1990s, whereas needs among non-Hispanic whites were stable.

6) Poor families living in the suburbs most frequently face worst case needs. Both very low-income renters and extremely low-income renters remain more likely to have worst case problems in the suburbs than elsewhere.

The findings contained in this report have important implications that policymakers at all levels - Federal, State, and local - should consider in determining housing policy and administering programs.

These findings demonstrate that the housing affordability problems facing American families, particularly those at the lower end of the income scale, have not been alleviated by this extended period of overall economic expansion. Instead, the affordability crisis is worsening for these at-risk families. The number of families with worst case needs for housing assistance continues to grow.

An effective response to this crisis must combine numerous approaches to overcome different aspects of these problems. The following are among the implications of this report's findings on rising worst case housing needs and diminishing supplies of affordable housing:
• The Federal Government must continue to expand rental assistance to overcome this affordable housing crisis and reduce the number of families suffering worst case housing problems.
• Federal rental assistance is critical for working families with worst case needs, whose incomes are increasingly consumed by rent, leaving them less able to spend on food, medical care, education, or other necessities.
• Federal programs that supply affordable housing-such as the HOME Investment Partnership program, Community Development Block Grants, and the Low-income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) - must be complemented by continued expansion of tenant-based rental assistance to relieve worst case housing needs. Without tenant-based subsidies, the extremely low-income households most likely to have worst case needs can rarely afford the housing created by these programs.
• Additional Federal programs that help provide permanent affordable housing for vulnerable populations, including the Housing for People With AIDS and Shelter Plus Care programs, should also be expanded to better meet the continuum of housing needs for extremely low-income Americans. The Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly and the Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons With Disabilities programs are important vehicles for providing affordable housing and supportive services for these needy populations.

Rental Housing Assistance is based on data from the 1997 American Housing Survey and is available free of charge from HUD USER. For a copy, call 800/245-2691 and request document ACCN-HUD11029.

 

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!

 

Judge Blasts New York City Agency Over Eviction

Concluding that a New York City Housing Authority policy to evict tenants for even minor criminal acts encourages homelessness and substitutes jails for public housing, a Manhattan judge has overturned the eviction of a man ordered removed from his apartment based on his convictions for turnstile jumping.

In a decision citing statistics on the link between homelessness and criminality, Supreme Court Justice Emily Jane Goodman ruled that Ricky Faison was denied a fair hearing, and that the New York City Housing Authority had used the wrong standard in rejecting his tenancy.

She also suggested that the New York City Housing Authority's treatment of tenants' criminal behavior improperly imposes more restrictive eligibility requirements than federal law allows.

"The Housing Authority's perception of tenants who are convicted of crimes or violation[s] such as turnstile jumping as outlaws amounts to relegating to homelessness large numbers of African-Americans and
Hispanics and to making correctional facilities the new mode of public housing," Justice Goodman wrote in Matter of Faison, 400592/99.

Mr. Faison, who is black, was born in 1956 in the apartment in question, in the General Grant Houses project in Manhattan, and lived there with his mother and other family members until his mother died in November 1995. After his mother's death, he applied for remaining family member status and to be listed as the tenant of record.

But in January 1996, the Housing Assistant of General Grant Houses notified Mr. Faison that he had been found "ineligible for the tenancy" in light of a "criminal verification check" that showed he had been convicted several times of misdemeanor transit fare evasion. The following month, he was ruled ineligible for tenancy until December 1999, a finding that amounted to a permanent exclusion due to the New York City Housing Authority's long waiting list.

Mr. Faison later appeared pro se at an administrative hearing at which the New York City Housing Authority stipulated that he was a remaining family member.
But the hearing officer upheld the eviction in October 1998, finding that Mr. Faison had "not met the burden required to become eligible for public housing." Mr. Faison filed the instant Article 78 petition challenging that decision.

Judge Goodman granted Mr. Faison's challenge, finding that, since he was a lifelong resident of his mother's apartment, he was already a tenant under federal law and therefore not subject to the eligibility requirements of new tenants, including the criminal verification check.

Hearing Improprieties
Judge Goodman also vacated the decision based on improprieties in Mr. Faison's administrative hearing, which she called "replete with due process violations." The judge noted that the burden of proof was wrongly placed on Mr. Faison to prove he met the new applicant eligibility criteria and that "the Hearing Officer failed to honor Mr. Faison's explicit request to bring in character witnesses and, in fact, made light of it in a cruel and demeaning manner."

Finally, Judge Goodman asserted that the New York City Housing Authority decision to seek evictions based on turnstile jumping convictions was an improper expansion of federal eligibility standards, which refer only to acts adversely affecting the health, safety and welfare of other tenants.

And the judge suggested that eviction would doom Mr. Faison to a future in incarceration. "Because of the cycle of homelessness and imprisonment, it cannot be overlooked, that over 30 percent of African American males nationwide between the ages of twenty and twenty nine were under criminal justice supervision in 1994, the year before the instant dispute arose," Judge Goodman wrote. "If Mr. Faison were to be made homeless by the Housing Authority prevailing in this case because of the crime of farebeating, his chances of entering the criminal justice system in a profound way, would significantly increase."

Written by Bruce Balestier, New York Law Journal, April 26, 2000.

 

Loangiant Gives Away Free Computers To Exploit Borrowers With Bad Credit
Melissa Brantley, a 32-year-old Detroit city worker, just got her first personal computer. She can't wait for her 10-year-old son to start using it to write his school papers and play games. She intends to use it to surf the Web.

The PC was free, along with a year of Internet access, courtesy of Loangiant.com (www.loangiant.com), a Southfield, Michigan, mortgage lender known until a few months ago as World Wide Financial Inc. Ms. Brantley received the computer as a gift from Loangiant after she refinanced her two-year-old home mortgage, increasing it to $40,000 from $29,000.

The PC was no free toaster. It was part of an effort by Loangiant to "bridge the digital divide," according to a press release announcing the company's PC-giveaway campaign now under way in the Detroit area. "We're not only talking the talk, but walking the walk," Loangiant President Andy Jacob told a Southfield newspaper in March.

But in the weeks since signing her name to the loan papers, Ms. Brantley has come to realize just how much that free PC will end up costing her.

Loangiant is a "subprime" lender, specializing in borrowers with credit problems, who don't qualify for lower-rate loans. Ms. Brantley, who has made several late mortgage payments, turned to Loangiant for the $11,000 loan in order to make renovations to her 51-year-old bungalow-style home and buy her three-year-old daughter a ceiling fan and a bed. She was hoping to have some money left over to buy a computer.

Then, she was delighted to learn about Loangiant's free PC and Internet access offering. And she was impressed with how quickly Loangiant handled her application. "You don't have time to think, it all happens so fast," she says.

The "balloon" loan Ms. Brantley agreed to came with an interest rate of 13 percent and heavy penalties if she pays it back ahead of schedule. Her closing costs were more than double those of a conventional loan and included payment of more than four points. When the loan comes due in 2015, she will have made payments of $79,560 and owe a lump sum of $34,971.86.

In the subprime lending industry, famous for its aggressive marketing tactics, Loangiant's PC-giveaway has attracted notice and drawn criticism from consumer advocates. Far from closing the gap between the
computer age's haves and have-nots, critics say, the PC giveaway tantalizes poor consumers into taking on debt that they may never be able to pay off.

Ms. Brantley says she doesn't feel tricked, exactly. But "looking at it now, perhaps I could have gotten a better deal," she says. She's particularly concerned that the points Loangiant added to the loan didn't go toward lowering her interest rate, as they do on typical mortgages.

Loangiant makes nearly half its loans to minority customers, most of them African -Americans. Its agreement with Ms. Brantley, who is black, "is an example of predatory loans that are devastating our communities, and particularly African-American and lower-income communities," says Valerie Coffin, national researcher at the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or Acorn, which has gone on the attack against practices of some subprime lenders.

Loangiant's Mr. Jacob strongly denies his company or the PC campaign takes advantage of borrowers. "I could certainly categorically deny that this is a predatory loan," he says. "I take offense to it. It's inaccurate. We did a good service for Ms. Brantley." He says details from her recent financial history would explain the terms of her loan and declined to elaborate, citing her privacy.

Advocates say the free PCs can make unsophisticated consumers less likely to question details of their new loans. "These enticements are beside the point," says Jean Constantine-Davis, litigation attorney for AARP Foundation, a nonprofit affiliate of the AARP. The advocacy group has taken a lead in battling predatory practices by some subprime lenders. The PCs "distract" consumers from "looking at their interest rate, the fees and what it's going to cost monthly."

The subprime lending industry has come a long way in the past 20 years, Mr. Jacob says, greatly narrowing the gap between prevailing interest rates and those it charges its credit-impaired clients.

Loangiant says it supports efforts to make the industry even better. "We agree with Acorn. Predatory lending equals abuse," Mr. Jacob says. "We're not predatory. We do not participate in these predatory lending practices."

Loangiant, which recently moved its operations onto the Internet in March, has plans to take the PC giveaway national starting in September. The company is planning a $4.7 million ad campaign including prime-time network TV commercials. The 39-year-old Mr. Jacob, with his toothy smile, sandy hair and green eyes, will star in the spots as pitchman. A former personal trainer and gym owner, he has appeared in commercials that have been bombarding Michigan markets for years with the phrase "Cash Fast When You Need It Most."

Loangiant sees the Internet as its own road to fast cash. When it was a traditional lender, with branch offices and loan officers who met directly with each borrower, "we had 10 percent to 15 percent growth a year no matter how hard we tried," says Jack B. Wolfe, the company's 39-year-old chief executive officer. "With the Internet, all of a sudden you could create an enterprise that could operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year."

Last year, Loangiant originated $518 million in loans --about 75 percent of them considered subprime. The more subprime loans, the better the potential profit margins. "The most profitable companies in the mortgage business are subprime lenders," says Vincent Daniel, analyst at CIBC World Markets.

True, borrowers with poor credit histories tend to default on loans more often than those with good credit do. Subprime lenders cover their risk on the loans that will go bad by charging all borrowers a hefty interest rate and fees. Often, lenders like Loangiant sell their loans at a discount to larger financial institutions, effectively getting rid of the risk while getting more capital to make more loans.

But the borrowers in the subprime lending industry have even more at risk. Defaulting on a loan can mean losing one's possessions, including a home. Even Loangiant's own Web site acknowledges that more than two-thirds of the households that use its services find themselves "back in a negative credit situation" within a year.

Advocates of subprime borrowers say Loangiant's PC giveaway targets low-income communities in a way that few other subprime lenders have dared to do. In the past, lenders have offered free trips or other rewards, but the prizes tend to have mass appeal. The promise of a free computer, however, is a potent strike at the heart of people striving on the other side of the nation's digital and economic divide.

Mr. Wolfe says Loangiant's goal is to get its clients into the "American dream of being debt free." That won't be the case for Ms. Brantley for some time.

Written by Barbara Martinez, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal, May 18, 2000.

For more information on COHHIO's efforts to stop predatory lenders, please call Rick Taylor at COHHIO at 614/280-1984.

 

RFP for Homelessness Prevention Project
COHHIO recently received tentative funding for a new 50-member, three-year AmeriCorps Program. The program is slated to start January 1, 2001. Members will be placed at non-profit agencies around the state engaged in homelessness prevention activities as outlined in the “Requirements at a Glance” listed below.

If after reviewing the requirements of the program you are interested in receiving an RFP for member(s) to be placed at your agency in 2001, contact Cathy Johnston at COHHIO at 614/280-1984 by June 30. After June 30, COHHIO will be scheduling regional information sessions and distributing RFP’s about the program to interested participants.


“Staying Home” - A Homelessness Prevention Program - 2001-2003

REQUIREMENTS AT A GLANCE
1. AmeriCorps Members must provide direct service in a *supplemental support capacity in one of the following program categories:
a. preventive services to Ohioans facing loss of housing;
eligible activities for this position would include: assessment of client needs, information and referral to community resources, identification of community resources, perform
housing searches, develop and track available housing recruiting volunteers and increase the capacity of the agency.

b . preventive services to Ohio youth in danger of remaining in the cycle of homelessness;
eligible activities for this position would include: assessment of client needs, information and referral to community resources, identification of community resources, coordination of after school and other educational activities, recruitment of volunteers and increase the capacity of the agency.

c. prevention of homelessness by increasing affordable housing stock;
eligible activities for this position would include: repair, rehabilitation or construction of low income housing units, recruitment of volunteers, work with volunteers and increase the capacity of the agency.

*AmeriCorps members provide direct service support, they are not staff. Agencies should be aware that up to 20 percent of the member’s time may be spent on trainings or other AmeriCorps/COHHIO assigned activities.

2. The agency share of the cost of each AmeriCorps member is an up front cost that is nonrefundable The per member costs per year are as follows: $2,000 in 2001; $2,500 in 2002 and $3,000 in 2003. 3. The agency must provide in-kind support and necessary training and supervision for members to complete their service assignments.
4. If your agency is requiring the member to conduct agency business outside the agency, the member must have access to agency transportation.
5. Your agency must have both a Drug Free Awareness Policy and Sexual Harassment Policy in effect and name COHHIO as a coinsured on your agency’s liability insurance.
6. Agencies must agree to the quarterly reporting requirements and participate in the recruitment process.

 

Activist Alert
COHHIO is implementing an activist alert network. Those wanting to be added to the network may be contacted by mail, phone, fax or email.

Please check below the topics you would be interested in receiving alerts about and add your contact information to the form below. We would only be contacting you if you select a topic that has a pressing need for some action.

 

Topics:

__ Welfare Reform

__ CRA/OCRP

__ Section 8/Housing Preservation

__ Homeless Youth

__ Federal/State Budget Issues

__ Housing Trust Fund

__ Supportive Housing

 

__ Criminalization/Violence Against Homeless

__ Housing Development

__ NIMBY

__ General Housing Issues

__ General Homeless Issues

__ Other _________________________

 

Name:
Organization:
Address:
City, State, Zip
County, Email:
Phone, Fax:


Please return this survey to Susan Francis, COHHIO, 85 East Gay Street, Suite 603, Columbus, Ohio 43215-3118 or fax to 614/463-1060. For questions, call Janet Holcomb at COHHIO at 614/280-1984.

 

The Economics of Ergonomics

Q. What is ergonomics?
A. Ergonomics is the science of fitting the job to the worker. When there is a mismatch between the physical requirements of the job and the physical capacity of the worker, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) can result.

Q. What ergonomic services does BWC offer employers?
A. BWC’s Division of Safety & Hygiene offers three courses on ergonomics as well as ergonomists that will work with employers to design ergonomically-correct work environments. For more information, call 800/OHIOBWC and press 22.

Q. What are MSDs?
A. MSDs are injuries and disorders of the muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, joints, cartilage and spinal discs. Examples of MSDs include carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, sciatica, herniated disc and low back pain.

Q. What causes work-related MSDs?
A. Prolonged exposure to ergonomic risk factors - force, repetition, awkward postures, static postures, vibration and cold temperatures particularly in combination or at high levels - is likely to cause or contribute to an MSD or aggravate the severity of a pre-existing MSD.

Q. What are the solutions to eliminate or reduce MSDs and related costs?
A. MSDs are often easy to prevent. Adding a book under a monitor or padding a tool handle are typical fixes used in ergonomics programs. Ergonomic interventions also may include: adjusting the height of working surfaces to reduce long reaches and awkward postures, putting work supplies and equipment within comfortable reach, providing the right tool for the job and the right tool handle for the worker, varying tasks and encouraging short authorized rest breaks, providing mechanical lifting equipment and reducing the weight and size of items workers must lift, providing ergonomic chairs or stools, and supplying anti-fatigue floor mats.

Q. What are the essential elements of an effective ergonomics program?
A. Essential elements of an effective ergonomics program include management leadership and employee participation; hazard information and reporting; job hazard analysis and control; training; MSD management; and program evaluation. These core elements are typical of any comprehensive safety and health program, such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s safety and health program management guidelines.

Q. Do workplace ergonomics programs work?
A. Employers of all sizes have had success in using ergonomics programs as a cost-effective way to prevent or reduce MSDs, keeping workers on the job and boosting productivity and workplace morale.
A General Accounting Office (GAO) study of several ergonomics programs found that these programs reduced MSDs and associated costs for those employers. GAO also found that programs and specific job fixes were not necessarily costly or complex for employers. Employers have used a flexible framework that includes the six key elements previously mentioned.

Workstation Ergonomics
Ergonomics is the study of people and their work environment. You can use it to help reduce the risk of employee injury by identifying factors present in the workplace which contribute to injury. Factors which increase the risk of cumulative trauma disorders, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, include repetitive motion, awkward posture, high forces and contact stresses (direct pressure on nerves or blood vessels).

Position your computer workstation to minimize these risk factors by following these tips.

Monitor and keyboard
- Place the monitor and keyboard directly in front of you to eliminate twisting of the neck and back.
- Put the monitor at a minimum of 18 to 24 inches from your eyes. (Greater than 25 inches is preferred, but adjust the font size appropriately.) This adjustment will help reduce eyestrain.
- Adjust the seat height and keyboard height so that the forearms and thighs are nearly parallel with the floor. This adjustment will help distribute weight evenly over the legs and will help the wrists remain in a neutral posture (in line with the forearm).
- The top of the monitor should be at or slightly below eye level, so that the neck can remain in its natural posture of 10 to 15 degrees of forward bending.
- Place your wrists in a neutral posture (in line with the forearms and not bent toward the thumb or toward the little finger).

Feet and legs
- Make sure your feet rest flat on the floor or use a footrest to support them to avoid mechanical pressure on the back of the legs.
- The inward curve of your lower back should rest against and be supported by the chair’s backrest. This support will help the spine remain in its natural posture, minimizing the risk of back pain.
- There should be approximately a hand’s thickness between the front edge of the chair and the back of your knees. This clearance will eliminate the need to sit forward in the chair, away from the back support.

Document holder
- If work is read from source documents, place a document holder at about the same distance from the eyes and at the same level as the monitor.

Taken from the BWC Focus Magazine, Spring 2000.

 

National Coalition for the Homeless Seeks Executive Director
Mission Statement: The National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) is a national advocacy network of people who have experienced homelessness, activists, service providers and others committed to a single goal. That goal - our common bond and mission - is to end homelessness. We take it as a first principle of practice that people who have experienced homelessness must be actively involved in all levels of our work. We are committed to creating the systemic and attitudinal changes necessary to end homelessness. At the same time, we work to meet the urgent needs of persons who either are currently homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

Position Summary: The Executive Director of NCH is responsible for providing management of the coalition and carrying out the policies, programs and public policy initiatives established by the board of directors. The position is based in our Washington, DC national headquarters. Some travel is required.

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 dollar 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 oriented, 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.

Hiring Process:
NCH is an equal opportunity employer. People who are homeless and formerly homeless are encouraged to apply. Applications are due June 30th by 5 p.m. EDT. Applications should include a letter of interest with salary requirements and resume and can be mailed to NCH E.D. Search Committee, 1012 14th Street NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005-3406 or e-mailed to suewatlovp@aol.com. No phone calls or faxes will be accepted. Salary range and benefits are competitive with other national homeless and housing advocacy organizations. Applicants must be available for a face-to-face interview in Washington, DC on July 20th. NCH will pay out of town travel expenses.

 

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. Residential Lead Abatement for Supervisors/Contractors, July 31-August 4, Akron. Presents EPA model abatement supervisor curriculum. Focus on identification of proper work techniques for paint, dust and soil. Will help with identification of most cost-effective abatement methods. $100 for each training. For more information, call Tom Sherman 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.
• Housing Development Finance: Problem Solving and Deal Structuring, September 25-29, Columbus. Focus on the structuring of housing deals that are complicated by a variety of issues, both financial and non-financial. Participants explore structuring options which most effectively use local, state and federal dollars to maximize public-sector leverage. $350. For more information, call Mary Dupler at OHCP at 614/466-2285.

The Ohio Historic Preservation Office (OHPO) is offering free Building Doctor Clinics. The remaining clinics are: 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.

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. 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.

AWARDS
Ericsson Internet Community Awards. Five prizes worth up to $100,000 each in in-kind services to non-profits that demonstrate how the Internet can be used to meet a critical community need. The program is designed to identify the most creative and significant new Internet projects from idea to reality. Deadline is July 17. Contact Ericsson, c/o Edelman Public Relations, 1200 Brickell Avenue, Suite 500, Miami, Florida 33131, 305/358-1270 (fax) or visit their web page at www.ericsson.com/erica.

HUD Secretary's Award for Excellence. Each entry must meet the following criteria: homeownership; sale price is below the median home price of the MSA; homes built through a collaborative effort of local government, private industry, and nonprofit and community groups; homes embody design excellence; homes demonstrate innovation in technology; regulatory barrier removal; contribution to neighborhood revitalization and/or community development; and the first home must have been completed or the first model home must have opened between May 1, 1998 and July 15, 2000. To receive a registration form, call 847/390-2101. The registration form and a $100 registration fee must be received by July 1. The final application must be received by July 15.

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.

PUBLICATIONS
HUD USER. A Guide to Deconstruction provides an overview of the process with a focus on community development opportunities and describes the components of deconstruction and its benefits and presents ways to make it part of a community revitalization strategy. Deconstruction is the taking apart or removing of some building components for reuse before demolition. $5 (ACCN-PTH11019). The Long Term Effects of Housing Assistance on Self-Sufficiency addresses the intensified debate about the fundamental purpose of housing assistance for the poor. The core question is whether the traditional goal of decent, affordable housing should continue to be viewed as an end in itself or as a means to economic independence. Free (ACCN-HUD11015). Rental Housing Assistance - The Worsening Crisis documents the continuing, growing crisis in housing affordability throughout the Nation. Free (ACCN-HUD11029). For more information, call 800/245-2691.

Money Management Series, The Enterprise Foundation. Manuals available through the Money Management Series include: Creating a Budget That Works, Improving Your Accounting Software, Assessing Your Organization's Finances, Sound Financial Management, Developing Realistic Cash Flow Projections, Understanding Financial Statements and Understanding the Federal Rules for Nonprofit Fiscal Management. For more information, call Tanai Sanders at 800/205-5122 or email at tsanders@enterprisefoundation.org.

What Fair Housing Means for People With Disabilities, The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law. This publication, which has been updated, explains who is protected by federal laws, who must comply with them and who enforces each law, as well as how to request accommodations and what to do if a request is not granted. A sample housing discrimination form, a list of resources and notes on case law are included. Much of the information is for renters. $4, plus $2 shipping. For more information, write the Bazelon Center at 1101 15th Street, N.W., Suite 1212, Washington, DC 20005, or visit their web page at www.bazelon.org.

JOB
Staff Attorney/Policy Analyst, National Employment Law Project (NELP). A non-profit organization that specializes in economic Justice issues of special concern to the working poor is looking for an individual with a policy advocacy background to promote reform of the Ul system and other workforce development programs to better meet the needs of low-wage and women workers. Responsibilities include Work with NELP's team of attorneys and policy advocates to generate support for reform of the UI and Workforce development systems to meet the changing needs of low-wage and women workers; provide technical assistance to groups working on state campaigns and engage in federal-level policy advocacy; research and write publications analyzing key policy initiatives and participate in trainings, conferences and other outreach activities. Send cover letter, resume and three references to: Staff Attorney/Policy Analyst Search, National Employment Law Project, 55 John Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10038.

OTHER
Idealist, a project of Action Without Borders, is looking for stories to post on their web site, which receives over a million hits in a month. These stories will help to publicize the work that individuals and organizations around the world are doing in their communities. By collecting stories from local sources and sharing them with a wider audience through the Idealist homepage, they hope to inspire more action and creativity. To submit a story, it should be: 1) stories about people and organizations that took the initiative, collaborated with others, and got something done, 2) these stories should have already appeared in print in a local newspaper, organizational newsletter, etc. and they should be on the Web so that Idealist can simply point to them from the Idealist web page; and 3) for now, all stories should be in English. If you have a story you would like to send to Idealist, email lorene@idealist.org with a link to the article. If you have any questions, call Action Without Borders at 212/843-3973.

Free furniture
Ohio University, Athens
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 three residence halls. A fourth building will also be available, the dates are unknown at this time. The desk/dresser units are mostly made of hardwood. The chairs are wooden with upholstered seats and the bed frames are steel. Used mattresses may be available. All of these items are available at no charge. 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. Otherwise, you must load your own truck. For more information, contact Teresa Iles at 740/593-9762 or email at iles@ohio.edu.

 

Internet Resources
The following is a brief compilation of internet sites that may be helpful in identifying and researching potential funding sources and other useful information. Please realize that some of these sites may not be valid or in good working shape.

 

Foundations
Council on Foundations - www.cof.org
The Foundation Center - www.fdncenter.org
Foundations On-Line - www.foundations.org

Businesses/Corporations
Hoover’s Online - www.hoovers.com
Annual Report Service - www.prars.com
Company Locator at Who Where? - www.whowhere.com
Corporate Philanthropy News - www.rpbooks.com
Securities and Exchange Commission/SEC-EDGAR -
www.sec.gov/edgar.htm
WallStreet America -
www.getnet.com/wallnet/02profile/02mmore.html

Non-profits and Nonprofit Resources
Action Without Borders - www.idealist.org
Grants Web - infoserv.rrtonet.psu.edu
Grant Guides Plus - www.grantseeker.com/ggp
Guidestar - www.guidestar.org
Internal Revenue Service - www.irs.ustreas
Internet Nonprofit Center -
www.nonprofits.org/library/gov/irs/search_irs.shtml
The Internet Prospector - plains.uwyo.edu/~prospect
Largest Gifts to Non-profits List -
www.tc.umn.edu/nlhome/g248/bergq003/waPD_Index.html
National Society of Fund Raising Executives (NSFRE) - www.nsfre.org
National Center for Nonprofit Boards - www.ncnb.org
Philanthropy Journal - www.philanthropy-journal.org
The Grantsmanship Center - www.tgci.com
U.S. Nonprofit Gateway - www.nonprofit.gov

Media - nonprofit trades, business journals and major newspapers
American City Business journals - www.amcity.com
Business Week - www.businessweek.com
Chronicle of Philanthropy - philanthropy.com
Forbes On-Line - www.forbes.com
National Public Radio (NPR) - www.npr.org
Newslink - www.newslink.org
News and Observer (NANDO) - NandO.net
Nonprofit Times - www.nptimes.com
PRNewswire - www.prnewswire.com
USA Today - www.usatoday.com
Wall Street Journal - dowvision.wais.net

Web Resources
The World Wide Web Consortium - www.w3.org/pub/WWW.

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

cohhio@cohhio.org