Breaking Ground - February 2001

Taft Proposes State Budget - Much Remains to be Done for Housing

How to Contact and COHHIO Staff

Why Advocate?

Bringing Welfare Reform Home

Worst Case Housing Needs in 1999

Crossing the Bridge... to Permanent Housing

COHHIO Conference Brochure and Registration

COHHIO News

COHHIO Membership

Resources

Taft Proposes State Budget - Much Remains to be Done for Housing
At the end of January, Governor Taft unveiled his state budget and as expected numerous programs in many departments were cut significantly due to the economic slow down, higher Medicaid spending and the prioritization of primary and secondary education. This had an impact on housing initiatives in the budget with some key programs receiving cuts and some new proposals not getting included in the Taft budget.

Ohio Department of Development

Actual Proposed Difference COHHIO’s Line Item/Program FY00/01 FY02/03 Goal

440 - Emergency Shelter Grants 3.153/2.999 2.825/2.899 - 0.428 3.5/3.7

406 - Transitional/Supportive Housing 2.829/2.827 2.827/2.827 - 0.002 4.0/4.5

638 - Housing Trust Fund-Appropriation 20.759/30.098 21.540/22.104 - 7.213 26.54/27.104

441 - Housing Trust Fund - GRF portion 7.760/7.760 20.0/20.0 25.0/25.0

Emergency Shelter Grants are cut by $428,000 and Supportive Housing (406) is cut slightly, as well, in Taft’s budget. In the last budget, the Housing Trust Fund was funded by $7.76 million a year from the General Revenue Fund (GRF) and approximately $12.5 million a year of interest earned from the Budget Stabilization Fund. Due to unprecedented demand for assistance, the Housing Trust Fund received an additional appropriation this year of $9 million from accumulated interest earned from the undistributed balance in the Housing Trust Fund account. For the next two years Taft is proposing $20 million a year in GRF and less than $4 million in interest from the trust fund account resulting in $7.2 million less in funding for the Housing Trust Fund. COHHIO is seeking to restore an adequate level of funding in all three programs.

COHHIO Proposes Three Housing Initiatives Utilizing Surplus TANF Funds
Taft’s budget does not propose to utilize much of the surplus Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) funds, estimated to be at least $400 million. Key members of the Ohio House of Representatives have made it clear that they intend to explore ways to utilize surplus TANF funds to provide additional support to low-income Ohioans. COHHIO has discussed three housing related proposals with key members of the House Finance Committee who have been very supportive of these ideas.
1.) Provide $10 million in the first year and $15 million in the second year to provide time limited rental assistance to eligible families to assist in making the transition from welfare to work. Administered as a competitive grant to county-wide collaboratives of human service and housing organizations. Funds would pay for rental subsidies up to two years for eligible families with a small portion of funds for administration and limited case management support.

2.) Provide $5.8 million in the first year and $7.5 million in the second year to provide operating and supportive services grants for transitional and permanent supportive housing projects serving families with children. Administered by the ODOD in conjunction with line item 406 to pay for operating/services for permanent or transitional housing projects serving both families (TANF or 406) and single adults (406). This initiative would likely replace the housing related services that are currently funded by the Housing Trust Fund - RFP.

3.) Provide $5.2 million in the first year and $6.5 million in the second year to provide funding for down payment assistance (including assistance to purchase mobile homes), grants for emergency shelter services for homeless families, home repairs and homelessness prevention.

Please be sure to contact members of the House and Senate Finance Committees and encourage them to support COHHIO’s initiatives. Also, plan on attending COHHIO’s lobby day and schedule meetings with your legislators. If you’re not sure who your legislators are, visit the COHHIO web page at www.cohhio.org and select “legislative directory,” then select your county. Below is listed the House and Senate Finance Committee members with their party affiliation, district number and direct phone number.

Senate Finance Committee:
Address: State House, Columbus, Ohio 43266-0604
Doug White, Chair, R, #14, 614/466-8082
James Carnes, Vice Chair, R, #20, 614/466-8076
Robert Gardner, R, #18, 614/644-7718
Bill Harris, R, #19, 614/466-8086
Jay Hottinger, R, #31, 614/466-5838
Jeffrey Jacobson, R, #6, 614/466-4538
Bruce Johnson, R, #3, 614/466-8064
Robert Spada, R, #24, 614/466-8056
Eric Fingerhut, Ranking Minority Member, D, #25, 614/466-4583
Robert Hagan, D, #33, 614/466-8285
Mark Mallory, D, #9, 614/466-5980
C. J. Prentiss, D, #21, 614/466-4857

 

House Finance Committee:
Address: 77 S. High St., Columbus, Ohio 43215

John Carey, Chair, R, #94, 614/466-1366
Charles Calvert, Vice Chair, R, #81, 614/466-8140
Stephen Buehrer, R, #82, 614/644-5091
Patricia Clancy, R, #35, 614/466-9091
Tony Core, R, #87, 614/466-8147
Kevin Coughlin, R, #46, 614/466-1177
David Evans, R, #77, 614/466-1482
Keith Faber, R, #84, 614/466-6344
Mike Gilb, R, #86, 614/466-3819
David Goodman, R, #25, 614/644-6002
Timothy Grendell, R, #68, 614/644-5088
James Hoops, R, #83, 614/466-3760
Jim Hughes, R, #27, 614/466-2473
Jon Husted, R, #41, 614/644-6008
Kerry Metzger, R, #97, 614/466-1695
Jon Peterson, R, #80, 614/644-6711
Tom Raga, R, #2, 614/644-6027
Jean Schmidt, R, #71, 614/466-8134
James Trakas, R, #15, 614/644-6041
Shawn Webster, R, #60, 614/644-5094
Ann Womer Benjamin, R, #75, 614/466-2004
Peter Lawson Jones, Ranking Minority Leader, D, #11, 614/466-5441
Dixie Allen, D, #38, 614/466-1607
Catherine Barrett, D, #31, 614/466-1645
Teresa Fedor, D, #52, 614/644-6017
Brian Flannery, D, #17, 614/466-3454
Ed Jerse, D, #14, 614/466-8012
Dan Metelsky, D, #61, 614/466-5141
Dale Miller, D, #19, 614/466-3350
Ray Miller, D, #22, 614/466-8010
Mary Rose Oakar, D, #13, 614/466-5921
Charles Wilson, D, #99, 614/466-8035

 

How to Contact and COHHIO Staff
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 Bush
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 - 35 E Gay St, Ste. 210,
Columbus, OH 43215-3138; 614/280-1984; 614/463-1060 (fax); www.cohhio.org.

Newsletter of the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO) February 2001 • Volume 6 • 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; Rebecca Bartholomew, AmeriCorps Program Coordinator; Kevin Cunningham, Youth Empowerment Program VISTA, Susan Francis, Communications Coordinator; Janet Holcomb, Administrative Assistant; Cathy Johnston, Advocacy Coordinator; Angela Lariviere, Youth Empowerment Coordinator; Warren Perkins, OTAG VISTA; Jill Russ, Section 8 Project Coordinator; Mary Scott, AmeriCorps Program Support Administrator; Rick Taylor, Housing Policy Director; Ande Ucubagabriel, Fiscal Manager; Kurt Weidner, AmeriCorps Leader; and Spencer Wells, Tenant Outreach Coordinator. 35 E. Gay St., Suite 210, Columbus, Ohio 43215-3138; 614/280-1984; 614/463-1060 (fax); cohhio@ cohhio.org; http://www.cohhio.org.

Why Advocate?
For the past several months now, we have been encouraging you to speak out about or advocate for a variety of housing related issues at the state level. Whether it’s been pushing for an increase in funding for the Housing Trust Fund, advocating for the creation of a pilot TANF/housing subsidy program, or supporting the passage of comprehensive anti-predatory lending legislation, we have been urging folks to get involved and make their voices heard. With the publication of Governor Taft’s budget late last month, it is becoming more and more clear that the issues we care about are not priorities for this administration.

It has often been said that there are two ways to get what you want in the world of politics...dollars and people. Let us be honest here. Given those options, we are more likely to be successful with people rather than dollars. That is why now, perhaps more so than in the past, we have been making a concerted effort to help folks understand the importance of speaking out and advocating on behalf of those that we serve. If we don’t, who will?

Our colleagues in Washington state were faced with a flat-funded Housing Trust Fund for several years. Much like Ohio, the level of resources stayed roughly the same, while critical housing needs went unmet. In 1997, affordable housing advocates launched the Housing Our Community campaign to increase funding for the Housing Trust Fund to $100 million per biennium.

The campaign drew on years of groundwork creating and expanding a grassroots statewide network.  In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, Seattle-area housing advocates recognized the need to reach out to communities around the state to influence state policy.  The Washington State Low Income Housing Network, a statewide housing coalition, was created and staffed in 1993 to broaden and strengthen the network.

As the 1999 legislative session began, over 330 organizations and individuals from around the state were part of the campaign’s grassroots network. 

In addition to those in the network, a database of 4,500 contacts had been maintained and used to identify potential advocates in specific legislative districts.  In the fall, before the legislative session began, campaign organizers gave presentations around the state, focusing on areas that had not been involved in state policy advocacy in the past.  This outreach work was successful in recruiting over 100 new housing advocates.

Throughout the session campaign staff distributed weekly legislative alerts to advocates on the progress of housing  bills.  The alerts were distributed by e-mail, broadcast fax, and regular mail.  Action items were outlined in each alert for immediate response.  Advocates were organized to testify at hearings and contact legislators in key positions at key times.

The campaign’s success during this legislative session is due to the carefully orchestrated efforts of grassroots advocates from around the state and the breadth of the advocacy network.  The root of the campaign’s success is large numbers of people from many different areas contacting their legislators about the need for state investment in affordable housing.

Some of the other important lessons of the campaign are:
Bi-partisan/statewide support.   The campaign focused on developing support from rural areas. The campaign also developed relationships with both Democratic and Republican legislators who later championed housing issues during the session.

A well-organized network for targeted lobbying.  Moving a bill through the legislative process requires lots of relationships and persistent advocacy.  Throughout the process key legislators are critical to the success or failure of a bill.  The campaign had members from across the state who we were able to quickly mobilize when needed.  Their network mobilized supporters in targeted districts throughout the session including bringing people to the capital from all corners of the state for hearings.

Building relationships during the off session.  Once the legislative session starts, schedules quickly fill and arranging meeting times to discuss issues becomes difficult.  The campaign urged advocates to work with their legislators before the session started.  Many of their key advocates arranged site visits, one-on-one meetings, and town meetings with their legislators to discuss housing issues during the off session.

Plugging away even in bad years.  In years where housing does not seem to be a top priority for legislators, it is easy to lose motivation for the cause.  But by continuing with their message consistently, eventually they were heard. The organizing and education work during the off years poised them to take advantage of opportunities created by the last elections and the increased visibility of housing needs.

Having a consistent and clear message.  A campaign message needs to be short, easy for all advocates to remember and recite, and share the vision of the group.  “$100 million for the Housing Trust Fund.”  Many other human service campaigns share their dedication to low-income housing and have started to include $100 million for the HTF in their legislative agendas.

Combining grassroots advocacy with skilled lobbying.   The Campaign had the significant help of a skilled and experienced lobbyist who worked in concert with the advocacy network.  The lobbyist had developed relationships with legislators over several years and identified targets and action items during the session.

In addition to these important tactics, the Housing Our Community campaign drew upon the support of several cities and counties, banks and thrifts, communities of faith, community action agencies, housing authorities, and other statewide advocacy coalitions.

The campaign materials that outlined the economic benefits of affordable housing development, the track record of the Housing Trust Fund, success stories, and the need for additional resources.  They did a photographic display in the capital rotunda highlighting success stories of families benefiting from the Housing Trust Fund.

This year they secured $78 million in state capital funding for low income housing, up 23 percent from $54.7 million in the previous biennial budget.  They are now planning interim strategies to reach their goal of $100 million for the 2002-2003 biennium.

Perhaps we could pull a page or two from Washington state’s playbook. While many of you have been actively involved in the Housing Trust Fund campaign at one point or another over the past ten years, there is still work to be done. As we have been reporting over the past several months, the Housing Trust Fund has been on a roller coaster of sorts. Within the past year, we have seen the state’s only true “bricks and sticks” grant program shut down due to a lack of funding, we have seen a philosophical shift away from making affordable housing resources available in the form of grants in favor of loans, and we have seen the future of several supportive housing projects jeopardized because of the administration’s inability and/or unwillingness to do the right thing. While the future of the Housing Trust Fund becomes more and more unclear everyday, thousands of families throughout the State of Ohio are facing critical housing needs.

This campaign has been a long time in the making. From the initial appropriation of $5 million in the 1991-1992 biennium, the Housing Trust Fund has grown over ten fold, to a record appropriation of $54 million in the current biennium. This growth, while substantial, is not enough. Even with the best biennium to date, we are scarcely more than half way to our goal of $100 million for the Housing Trust Fund per biennium. In fact, looking at Governor Taft’s budget proposal for the upcoming biennium (2002-2003), the Housing Trust Fund is slated to receive just under $44 million. We are moving in the wrong direction. Now is the time to speak out. Now is the time to advocate on behalf of those that you work with. The critical housing needs within the State of Ohio are getting worse not better. It is time to be heard.

 

Please contact COHHIO at 614/280-1984 to see how you can be heard. And plan on attending COHHIO's Lobby Day on April 4.

Bringing Welfare Reform Home
The following article is excerpted from “briefly STATED” with the permission of the Center on Urban Poverty and Social Change. It validates with strong and clear research, done by Claudia Coulton and associates, what COHHIO hears from providers of shelter and housing about the housing hardships facing families leaving welfare. The full report and the executive summary are available at http://povertycenter.cwru.ed or by contacting the Center on Urban Policy and Social Change in Cleveland, Ohio at 216/368-6946 (phone), or 216/368-5158 (fax).

This important research can serve as a powerful educational tool when you speak with your legislators about your community’s needs for affordable housing. Funding for the Housing Trust Fund and COHHIO’s proposal for a pilot housing subsidy for families leaving welfare for work are critical in meeting the needs of low income families for stable, affordable, safe housing.

Housing Experiences of Those Leaving Welfare
Securing decent, affordable housing remains one of the most daunting challenges to low-income families and one of the more serious threats to successfully transitioning from welfare to work. Housing costs can devour large portions of a family’s income, reducing resources needed for necessities like food, medicine and clothing, as well as for expenses related to jobs and job-training.

Burdensome housing expenses severely limit where low-income families can live, often stranding them in distressed neighborhoods and substandard living conditions, or in areas far from employment opportunities. It can help to fuel a destabilizing mobility rate that means some families are moving often, but seldom moving up or out of poverty.

Unfortunately, and for a variety of reasons, housing has not been prominent in the public policy debates in the wake of welfare reform. With agendas set at different levels of policy-making, there has not been a coordinated effort to meet the housing needs of those leaving welfare.

The Center on Urban Poverty and Social Change studied housing affordability and hardship among Cuyahoga County families leaving welfare during a recent one-year period. Among other findings, the research discovered a large gap between actual family incomes and what families would need to make in order to pay fair market rent without encountering a rent burden. It is this gap, with all its implications, that Ohio policy-makers must now address.

The Affordability Gap
The Center’s study, Issues of Housing Affordability and Hardship Among Cuyahoga County Families Leaving Welfare, Quarter 4, 1998 - Quarter 3, 1999, found that a significant segment of those leaving welfare were paying disproportionately high amounts for housing -related expenses.

Among respondents to the study’s survey, 65 percent encountered what the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) deems a rent burden: paying more than 30 percent of monthly income on housing-related expenses. The study also found that 38 percent experienced severe rent burden, which HUD defines as spending more than 50 percent of income on housing-related expenses.

The research shows it is not high housing costs so much as low income that accounts for housing expenses claiming such a large portion of family resources. Although 87 percent of the respondents worked at some point in the first six months after they left welfare, half were not earning enough per hour or working enough hours per week to raise their family above the U.S. poverty threshold, which would require an hourly wage exceeding $6.50 at the traditional 40-hour week. Ohio’s housing wage - the minimum a family needs to avoid a rent burden while paying fair market rent - stands at $10.10 an hour for a 40 hour week. Only 13 percent of respondents met that housing wage. In fact, the majority of the respondents fell significantly short of achieving the Ohio housing wage and would have to work more than one full-time job at the current pay rate to keep rent burdens at bay.

Just how big is the gap between what these welfare leavers earn and what they would need to earn to avoid a rent burden? The average former welfare family currently in that category would need $322 more per month to pay fair market rent without encountering a rent burden. For 17 percent of the families with a rent burden, the short fall exceeds $500 a month.

While approximately half of those who receive housing assistance also receive some other public assistance, most welfare families receive no housing subsidies but rather pay for their own housing in the private marketplace. Families leaving welfare compete with other low-income renters for a short supply of subsidized and otherwise affordable housing. HUD found that housing shortages were more heavily concentrated among the very low-income families, since the number of housing units this group can afford declined by almost 370,000 units nationwide between 1991 and 1997.

A Quality of Life Gap
Encountering a rent burden or a severe rent burden reverberates throughout the lives of those attempting to succeed after leaving welfare. While 35 percent of respondents moved at least once in the six-month period after leaving welfare - far exceeding the roughly 8 percent moving rate of the general population - those with rent burdens were even more likely to move in that time period. Forty-two percent of those paying more than 50 percent of their income - the severe rent burden category - moved at least once in the six months. Such high moving rates can have negative impacts on family stability, job retention and children’s education. Respondents with rent burdens also experience more problems with plumbing, heat, insects and rodents and other signs of neglect and disrepair. Other housing problems such as evictions or loss of utilities are also three to four times as common among respondents in the severe rent burden category than those without rent burdens.

As housing costs are likely to represent the largest single expense of a family leaving welfare, the portion of total income spent on housing goes a long way toward determining where these families are able to live. Using a neighborhood stress index designed by the Center, the research found more than two out of three respondents are living in neighborhoods with the highest levels of distress, characterized by poor job access, social isolation and difficult social circumstances. An additional 18 percent lived in slightly better, though still distressed, neighborhoods. And, while respondents experienced a high level of mobility as already described, most simply moved from one distressed neighborhood to another.

A Policy Gap
The rent burden for families leaving welfare in Cuyahoga County is significant and far exceeds the capacity of the current system of public and subsidized housing. Moreover, it is likely that issues of affordability have limited such families’ access to economic opportunities. Welfare policy has recognized that families moving from welfare to work will continue to require assistance with basic needs such as nutrition, medical care, childcare and transportation. Housing affordability and mobility are also necessary for stable employment, yet these issues have not been addressed within the broader issue of welfare reform. Without attention to these issues, the promise of welfare reform will remain unfulfilled.

The Center’s welfare research program is carried out in collaboration with and funding from the Cuyahoga County Board of County Commissioners and the Federation for Community Planning. Additional support is provided by the Cleveland Foundation, the George Gund Foundation, the Joyce Foundation, and the U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Health and Human Services.

For more information on this study, or to find out what COHHIO is working on in this area, contact Pam Argus at COHHIO at 614/280-1984 or pamargus@cohhio.org.

 

What the Study Found
• Only half of those who left welfare for work earned enough to pull their families above the poverty threshold.

• Thirty-eight percent spent one-half or more of their income on housing, defined by HUD as a severe rent burden.

• Only 13 percent earned enough to avoid encountering a rent burden.

• Forty-two percent of those paying more than half their income in housing expenses moved at least once in a six-month period.

• Those with severe rent burdens were most confined to distressed neighborhoods far from where most jobs are.

Worst Case Housing Needs in 1999
In the closing days of the Clinton Administration, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released A Report on Worst Case Housing Needs in 1999: New Opportunity Amid Continuing Challenges. The report found that in 1999, the number of households with worst case housing needs (those with incomes below 50 percent of the area median income who pay more than half of their income for housing or live in severely substandard housing) actually decreased by at least 440,000 or eight percent, between 1997 and 1999. In spite of this decrease, some 4.9 million households still have worst case housing needs. These 4.9 million households include 10.9 million people, among them 3.6 million children, 1.4 million elderly, and some 1.3 million disabled adults.

The report also found that while the number of households with worst case housing needs is on the decline, the number of affordable rental units (those with rents affordable to households with incomes at or below 50 percent of the area median income) shrank by some 1.1 million or seven percent between 1997 and 1999. By 1999, for every 100 renter households with incomes below 50 percent of area median income, there were only 70 units both affordable to and available for rent by them, well below the 76 units per 100 households observed in 1991.

The overall picture is a mixed bag. The reduction in worst case needs reflects the strong success of the economic and housing policies of the Clinton Administration and shows that further progress in reducing worst case needs is clearly possible. Yet 4.9 million households still have worst case needs for rental assistance ­ a critical problem that requires continued attention and funding. Moreover, the continuing decline in the number of rental housing units that are affordable without governmental subsidies ­ a factor attributable primarily to ongoing rent increases ­ implies that the current progress could be highly vulnerable to an economic downturn.

In addition to outlining the “state of affordable housing” in this country, the report also offers a variety of policy recommendations including:

Expand Rental Assistance
• Over the past several fiscal years, Congress and the President have taken the important step of increasing Section 8 rental assistance for the nation’s most vulnerable families. Despite the increase in the number of families assisted under Section 8, fewer than one out of four families eligible for all forms of federal rental assistance (including public housing and project-based assistance) actually receives it. While a massive increase in assistance on the scale necessary to completely make up this shortfall remains unlikely due to federal budgetary pressures, a significant increase in Section 8 assistance is desperately needed.

• The Section 8 tenant-based voucher program remains by far the most effective and cost-efficient means of eliminating worst case needs. Most telling, vouchers alone could solve the worst case housing problems for 77 percent of the current families with such needs - that is, the 3.6 million very-low income renter households whose sole housing problem is a housing cost burden of 50 percent or more of their annual income. Vouchers have the added advantage of working with the private market to provide families with real choices of where to live and allowing flexibility to move near job opportunities, thus aiding welfare-to-work efforts. Recent legislative provisions, program improvements and streamlining of regulations have increased the program’s flexibility and effectiveness.

Produce More Affordable Housing
• One of the key findings in this report is that the number of rental units that are affordable to the nation’s lowest income families continues to shrink, primarily as a result of rent increases. This accelerating drain on available housing resources, combined with barriers to the production of new affordable housing, requires a comprehensive response. While the production of new multifamily housing has rebounded from the stagnant period in the late 1980’s and 1990’s, it has yet to achieve the record levels of the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. In addition, much of the new production that does occur is focused on higher cost luxury rental units.

• This decline in the new production of affordable rental housing is due to a number of factors, including the overall economic climate, changes in the federal tax code, the absence of significant federal production resources (particularly cost-intensive programs such as Section 8 New Construction and the Section 236 program), and local regulatory barriers and decision-making that hinder new construction or that allocate resources to middle income homeownership rather than affordable rental production. The following programs can help to reverse the tide and produce more affordable rental housing:

• There is a continuing need for FHA Multifamily Insurance in order to facilitate the availability of private market credit for affordable housing. FHA’s Multifamily Risk Sharing program is particularly effective in this effort by combining the resources of federal and state housing agencies to leverage the maximum possible amount of private loan financing. Congress’ recent enactment of legislation to make the Risk Sharing Demonstration a permanent program was an important recognition of this vital need. Further progress in developing an efficient secondary market for affordable multifamily loans is an essential component of this strategy.

• Recent legislation passed by Congress and signed by the President to increase available funding under the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program, as well as for Private Activity Bonds, is another essential component of an effective affordable housing production strategy. These increases will generate critically needed resources for State and local housing development agencies. The resources available to State and local government could be further enhanced by increasing resources for and effectively targeting the HOME and CDBG block grant programs.

• The strong evidence of a worsening decline in affordable housing also argues convincingly for a new targeted federal production program. Such a program should be targeted towards areas, types of units and renters that face the worst shortages of housing; it should be based on increasing the availability of affordable housing, either through new construction or through substantial rehabilitation of existing housing; and it should be structured so as to couple incentives for development (either through grant, loans, or loan guarantees) with rental assistance, which could take the form of tenant-based assistance to provide renter families with maximum housing choice.

• Other critical efforts to increase the availability of affordable housing should include the following: increased use of Section 8 for homeownership in those areas where homeownership costs less than rental housing; retaining the emphasis within HUD’s Continuum of Care program on permanent housing with services as a long-term solution to the problem of homelessness, including building on recent Congressional enactment of a dedicated funding account of $100 million for the renewal of Shelter Plus Care contracts; further reform of HUD disposition of multifamily and single family properties, including improved coordination with local governments to better utilize this specific stock as a resource for expanding affordable housing opportunities; and efforts at the State and local levels to boost production, including removal of regulatory barriers and the encouragement of States to use welfare reform funds for housing initiatives that have been found to enhance welfare to work activities in localities across the country.

Retain Existing Affordable Housing
• Finally, both the persistence of worst case housing needs for almost five million families and the accelerating decline in the affordable housing stock show the critical importance of maintaining the existing stock of good quality affordable housing. These efforts should include:

• Full funding for the renewal of expiring Section 8 contracts (both tenant-based and project- based);

• Continued provision of operating and capital funds to maintain and modernize public housing;

• Continued funding for the HOPE VI initiative to transform obsolete public housing de- velopments;

• Continuing HUD’s efforts to reduce the number of owners that are opting out from the project-based Section 8 program through the mark-to-market and mark-up-to-market pro- grams, including improved coordination with State and local housing agencies to generate additional resources for the revitalization of this housing stock; and

• Providing additional federal resources and establishing local initiatives to facilitate reha- bilitation of existing private affordable housing.

For additional information on the report or to view the report on-line, please visit HUD USER at: www.huduser.org and click on the link for A Report on Worst Case Housing Needs in 1999: New Opportunity Amid Continuing Challenges, Executive Summary, January 2001.

 

Crossing the Bridge...to Permanent Housing
Over the past few months, COHHIO has been working collaboratively with the Ohio Department of Mental Health (ODMH) to offer a traveling “dog & pony” show, designed to help communities expand the number of safe, decent, and affordable permanent housing options available to persons with serious and persistent mental illness. This training, which covers everything from how to access rental subsidies and other subsidized housing resources to how to navigate the complicated world of landlord/tenant law, offers front-line and administrative staff the opportunity to learn skills that can benefit their clients.

If you are interested in learning more about the training or would like to see about the possibility of scheduling one for your community, please contact Liz Gitter at ODMH at 614/466-9963.

 

"Housing Ohio"
COHHIO’s 2001 Annual Conference
April 2, 3 & 4

Tentative Conference Agenda
Monday, April 2
9:30 - 10:30 Registration and Coffee
10:30 - 10:45 Welcome
10:45 - 11:30 Plenary Session
12:00 - 1:00 Lunch and Keynote Speaker
1:00 - 5:00 Institutes

Tuesday, April 3
8:00 - 9:00 Registration and Continental Breakfast
9:00 - 10:00 Keynote Speaker
10:15 - 12:00 Workshop Set A
12:00 - 1:30 Lunch and Keynote Speaker
1:45 - 3:15 Workshop Set B
3:30 - 5:00 Panel Discussion
5:00 - 7:00 Reception

Wednesday, April 4
7:30 - 9:00 Breakfast Buffet at Statehouse Atrium
9:00 - 4:00 Lobby Day Activities, including meetings with your legislators

COHHIO’s 2001 Annual Conference, “Housing Ohio" is guaranteed to provide an arena to...learn about innovative housing programs and successful service delivery models; exchange information and ideas with other professionals in your field; and get updates on federal and state legislative issues related to your work. Workshop topics will be focused around the eight identified conference tracks listed on the following pages.

Plenary Sessions/Panel Presentation
The 2001 conference will have something for everyone! Hear from seasoned professionals, as they speak about issues relevant to the “housing business,” including:
- federal housing policy in a new administration;
- welfare reform and the corresponding burden on housing affordability;
- the economic disconnect and corresponding disparity between this country’s rich and poor; and
- the continued funding for homeless assistance programs.

In addition to the individual workshops and plenary sessions, the 2001 conference will feature a panel presentation entitled “Faces.” On Tuesday, April 3rd, you will have the opportunity to hear first-hand from people that have either experienced homelessness, received assistance from the Housing Trust Fund, been victimized by a predatory lender, or are struggling to pay rent as they transition from Welfare to work.
Institutes
This year’s conference kicks off with a series of Institutes, which will offer attendees the opportunity for an in-depth examination of some of today’s “hot” topics. Topics for the Institutes include:

Preserving Ohio’s Affordable Housing: More Information for Non-Profit Housing Developers and Tenants. This Institute will provide non-profit housing developers, tenants, and other interested stakeholders with information about acquiring and preserving project-based Section 8 housing in Ohio. The discussion will focus on state resources and local HUD initiatives to preserve the housing stock, and provide examples of success stories in Ohio. State and national experts in the field will provide updates on the laws and regulations governing project-based Section 8 properties and the Mark-to-Market program.

Housing Subsidy/Welfare Reform Funding. Support has grown for COHHIO’s pilot housing subsidy for low-income and TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) families. This Institute will provide you with in-depth information about this important housing subsidy proposal and how it could benefit your clients and your community. Learn the latest on where this proposal stands and what you can do to help make it a reality for families in need of a housing subsidy. We will explore the federal, state, and local requirements for implementing this subsidy.

Employment, Housing and Mental Health Recovery. This Institute will move teams of mental health system local collaborators to understand and plan for the "desired state" in assisting consumers to achieve both permanency in community and employment. Developing the ability to simultaneously and effectively assist consumers to choose, get and keep both jobs and housing is important both for individual recovery from serious mental illness and for mental health consumers to have the opportunity to contribute in terms of economic prosperity in our communities and state. Participants will develop an understanding of how to overcome barriers and seize opportunities based on employment and housing best practice elements. The training will enhance the teams’ abilities to develop specific local priorities and plans towards meeting the desired state for housing and employment in their community. This Institute is made possible by Projects For Assistance in Transition From Homelessness.

Strategies to End Homelessness. Can homelessness ever be eliminated? Does the Continuum of Care in and of itself really end homelessness, or does it merely “manage” the problem? In a new administration, will the Continuum of Care change dramatically? Should the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Programs be dismantled and emphasis be put on other “mainstream” programs? Would this approach open the door to additional resources? Who should be paying for supportive services for the homeless...the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)? Does the notion of “direct housing” end homelessness? Are we doing enough at the front end, by trying to prevent people from becoming homeless? These are some of the questions likely to be asked and answered during this Institute.

Predatory Lending...Who, What, When, Where, and Why? There has been a tremendous increase in the number of mortgage loans made by lenders specializing in lending to borrowers with sub-par credit histories. Between 1993 to 1998, refinance loans made by prime lenders rose by roughly 2.5 percent, while refinance loans made by subprime lenders increased by nearly 900 percent. This increase in subprime lending activity has opened the door for abusive or “predatory” lending practices. Lending practices become predatory when lenders target specific populations (usually low-income, minority, and/or 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. Learn more about predatory lending practices, who is being targeted, and what is being done to stop it.

Workshop Tracks

Affordable Housing Preservation
- Housing 101: An Overview of Affordable Housing Programs. Learn about the wide-range of affordable housing programs in use today, from Low Income Housing Tax Credits to Public Housing and Housing Choice Vouchers, and everything in between. The discussion will focus on who these programs intend to serve, the demographics of tenants that actually utilize the programs, and what we need to do as affordable housing developers and managers to enhance and best utilize the housing that we are providing. Next steps and future needs in affordable housing will also be covered.
- Strategies for Preservation of Affordable Housing. Real, live, and working local, state, and national strategies to preserve affordable housing will be discussed, with a focus on Project-based Section 8 housing. Experts in the preservation field will provide information on what is and what is not working throughout the country and in individual states to preserve affordable housing. How these strategies came about, and what you can do to get involved in saving at-risk affordable housing will also be covered.

Welfare Reform & Housing
- Creative Uses of PRC Funds for Housing Related Expenses. Hear from urban and rural project developers about their creative experience in using welfare reform resources to meet the needs of TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) and other low-income families in their communities. Funding opportunities continue to be available in most communities for homelessness prevention and short-term housing needs such as funding for eligible families in shelter, emergency rent and utility payments of up to four months, and funding for necessary supportive services to assist families through crisis to stability. You will learn what it takes to access and implement this important family support in your community.
- Expanding Affordable Housing Options. With a number of rental markets across the country becoming “tighter,” it is no wonder that families receiving rental assistance are having a difficult time finding a place to call home. Resources such as PRC funds or Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers that provide much needed rental assistance are only half of the solution. What good is rental assistance if there is no place to rent? Learn about successful techniques that have been used to expand the number of affordable housing options available for families receiving rental assistance.

Mental Health Housing & Employment
- Access to Benefits. This workshop offers benefits training as it relates to Social Security Benefits and Medicaid used by mental health and other consumers, particularly as they relate to employment and housing. Participants will learn opportunities for advocacy for mental health consumers; gain an understanding of complex Medicaid spend-down guidelines, and learn about work incentives, buy in strategies, medical expense strategies and others to maximize a consumers positive experience utilizing public benefits to secure permanency in community and jobs. The workshop is open to those invited to the mental health institute on day one as well as others who may find this useful in assisting consumers.
- Employment, Housing and Mental Health Recovery. During this workshop, the teams of mental health system local collaborators which participated in the day one mental health institute will work in facilitated individual teams to develop specific local plans and priorities for assisting mental health consumers in achieving permanency in community and jobs. Agenda topics include Building a Firm Foundation; Principles of Role Recovery; Identifying Skills and Support Needs; Goal Retention and Contingency Planning; Identifying and Utilizing Natural Supports; and Exploring New Partnerships.

Strategies to End Homelessness
- What About Homeless Youth? With independent youth representing one of the fastest growing segments of this country’s homeless population, what is being done to meet their unique needs? In the Fall of 2000, COHHIO launched its Youth Empowerment Project (YEP), in an effort to first better understand the distinctive needs of homeless youth and secondly, to offer real and practical solutions to meet these needs. Learn more about the YEP project and ways that your agency can get involved.
- Can Homelessness ever be Eliminated? At a time when this country is sitting on an estimated $200 billion budget surplus, why is it that more and more Americans are finding themselves homeless? Have we as a society resigned ourselves to the fact that homelessness is an intractable social issue that will forever exist? Do the resources exist to actually end homelessness? What is the future of the Continuum of Care? These are just some of the questions that will be answered by experts at the national, state, and local levels regarding new as well as existing strategies to end homelessness.

Predatory Lending
- Beyond the Anecdotal Evidence. A questionable loan practice designed to literally strip away the equity that borrowers have built-up in their homes over a period of years, has emerged. Lending practices become predatory when lenders target specific populations (usually low-income, minority, and/or 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. 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. Learn more about the devastating impact predatory lending is having on Ohio’s communities.
- Now What? The statewide anti-predatory lending campaign, recently dubbed the Ohio Coalition for Responsible Lending, is designed to literally put an end to predatory mortgage lending practices within the state. A three-pronged approach consisting of legislation, litigation, and education will form the foundation of this campaign. Learn more about the work of the Coalition and find out how your organization can get involved.

Lobbying/Advocacy
- Coalition Building: How to Win on Statewide Issues. Can one person make a difference? Maybe. Can 50 or 100 people all working toward a common goal make a difference. Absolutely. Over the past few months, we have found ourselves fighting battles that had already been fought and won. Nothing is to be taken for granted. Today, perhaps more so than in recent memory, the stakes are at an all-time high. Find out the fundamentals to building successful coalitions around statewide housing related issues. Learn the basics and figure out how your organization can get involved.
- Local Housing Trust Funds. Housing trust funds are public funds established by legislation, ordinance or resolution to receive specific revenues, which can only be spent on housing.  The key characteristic of a housing trust fund is that it receives on-going revenues from dedicated sources of funding such as taxes, fees or loan repayments.  Having funds that are committed to housing over time is crucial because housing advocates have long had to compete with numerous social causes to secure dwindling public resources for affordable housing. Learn the specifics about the City of Columbus’ efforts to create a local Housing Trust Fund as well as other state and local models.

Affordable Housing Development
- Resources for Affordable Housing Development. Hear the specifics about programs that offer much needed resources for affordable housing development. Get the proverbial scoop on recent changes to the Housing Development Assistance Program (HDAP)...find out when to apply and how much to ask for. Learn about the FHA insured mortgage product administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development...find out what impact this resource could have on your affordable housing development.
- Obstacles to Affordable Housing Development. Have you ever tried to site “affordable” housing? If so, then you’ve probably heard the acronyms that usually get tossed around: NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard); BANANA (Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Never Anytime); NOPE (Not On Planet Earth), and the list goes on. Has your community adopted exclusionary zoning ordinances designed to preclude affordable housing development? Find out what communities are really concerned about, and how, with a little work, they can become partners in the development of affordable housing.

Practical Matters in Supportive Housing
- Does the Harm Reduction Model Really Work? While programs that require participants to be “clean” or “sober” tend to alienate hard core users, harm reduction programs appeal to hard-to-reach clients by offering varying levels of basic assistance. Like it or not, both legal and illegal drug use is part of our world. Harm reduction strategies understand and accept this reality by working to minimize the effects of drug use rather than ignoring or condemning them. Learn more about the harm reduction model and whether or not it makes sense for your program.
- Legal Issues in Supportive Housing. Because it is difficult to balance all the seemingly competing interests involved in developing and operating supportive housing and to identify what must be done to actually meet the requirements of the various laws and implementing regulations, it is important for providers to make the most informed decisions they can. Learn more about a framework that can be used to analyze specific issues and situations, thereby helping providers to make the best decisions possible in light of all of the applicable laws, regulations, and interpretations, while keeping the goal of providing stable housing to those with the greatest barriers firmly in mind.

Lobby Day
Please plan on attending the legislative breakfast the morning of Wednesday, April 4th, from 7:30am to 9:00am at the Capital Atrium at the Statehouse. Shuttle buses will begin leaving the hotel as early as 7:00am and will continue throughout the day until 4:00pm. Following the breakfast, we will hear from a brief yet inspirational keynote speaker, who will set the tone for the rest of the day and get folks fired up for their legislative visits.

This lobby day, perhaps more so than any in the past, is critically important. With a governor and an administration that has yet to view housing as anything more than a distraction, with a record number of state legislators feeling the pinch of term limits, and with a new administration in the White House, the world in which we operate is changing. It is important that you call now to make an appointment to meet with your state legislators on Wednesday, April 4th. If you can do only one thing to help on the next state budget - this should be it.

Take the opportunity to share the successes of your organization with your state legislators and the impact you have had on their district. Let them know that you are concerned about issues like the future of the Housing Trust Fund and the increasing prevalence of predatory lending practices within the state. Briefing materials on these as well as other issues will be provided at the conference. If you need information on how to contact your state legislators, please call your county board of elections or COHHIO at 614/280-1984.

In an effort to make a real impact on state legislators with respect to housing related issues, we are asking each agency and/or individual to participate in our “Lego Lobby Day” campaign. We are asking lobby day participants to encourage children in their community to build Lego houses that can be presented to state legislators.

If you are interested in coordinating the house building activities in your community, please contact Cathy Johnston at COHHIO at 614/280-1984 or via e-mail at cathyjohnston@cohhio.org.

*Please note that the agenda, keynote speakers and workshop topics are subject to change. As we make changes to the agenda, we will post the revised agenda on our web page at http://www.cohhio.org. Or, you may call us starting on March 26 and request an agenda be faxed or mailed to you prior to the conference.

Who Should Attend?
Housing & homeless advocates, social service providers, shelter & transitional housing operators, clients & program participants, nonprofit housing developers, welfare advocates, community development officials, fair housing advocates, supportive housing providers, federal, state & local government personnel, mental health & substance abuse professionals & anyone else concerned with the provision of decent, safe and affordable housing and services for low-income people.

Hotel Accommodations
The Radisson Airport Hotel is offering a discounted room rate of $89 per night! Conference participants are responsible for making reservations by calling the Radisson at 614/475-7551. Be sure to tell the hotel operator you are part of the COHHIO conference. To get the special rate, you must make your reservations by March 16. There are a limited number of rooms available.

Continuing Education Units
COHHIO will apply for approximately 12.5 CEU’s for Social Workers and Counselors.

 

Registration
Registration fee includes conference materials, coffee breaks and soda breaks, two lunches, a reception, a continental breakfast and a breakfast buffet at the Statehouse Atrium.

Scholarships
A limited number will be available to those who demonstrate a financial burden and would not otherwise be able to attend the conference. Please submit your written request, via fax or mail, to Rick Taylor at COHHIO. The deadline is March 2, 2001.

How to Become a COHHIO Member
You can become a member by attaching a check for your membership with your conference registration form. If you have questions, please call Janet Holcomb at COHHIO. Membership fees for organizations are based on your organization's budget. They are: $35 ($100,000 or less); $75 ($100,000-$250,000); $125 ($250,000 - $500,000); $200 ($500,000 - $1 million); $250 ( $1 million-$1.5 million); and $300 (over $1.5 million). An individual regular membership is $35.

Registration
(1 person per form, form can be copied, please print clearly)

Name
Organization
Address
City, State, Zip
Phone, Fax, E-Mail
Counties Served

_____ Please check for vegetarian lunch

Conference Registration: $150 (COHHIO member) and $200 (non-member), regardless of how many days you plan on attending the conference. Membership fee: ________ (optional)

TOTAL ENCLOSED: _____________ (COHHIO Federal Id. #31-1189029)
Payment Amount: Check # ____________ OR Purchase Order #__________________

Checks can be made out to COHHIO and registrations may be sent to 35 East Gay Street, Suite 210, Columbus, Ohio 43215-3138. Credit cards are not accepted. Payment must accompany registration. No phone or fax registrations. Registrations not guaranteed after March 26. Questions? Call 614/280-1984.

COHHIO News
Predatory Lending Info on the Web...
As you may or may not know, COHHIO has been actively involved in a state-wide anti predatory lending campaign. This campaign, recently dubbed the Ohio Coalition for Responsible Lending, consists of representatives from the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) of Ohio, the Ohio State Legal Services Association (OSLSA), the Ohio Community Development Corporation Association (OCDCA), the Toledo Fair Housing Center, Metropolitan Strategy Group, the Lorain County Reinvestment Coalition, Columbus Housing Partnership, the Ohio Chapter of the NAACP, the Columbus Urban League, the Miami Valley Fair Housing Center, Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME), the League of Women Voters of Ohio, Fair Housing Contact Service, and Consumer Credit Counseling of Miami Valley.

As this campaign continues to take shape, we are looking for new ways to share and exchange information. With that in mind, we have been updating the COHHIO web page (www.cohhio.org) with current information on anti-predatory lending campaigns throughout the country. You will be able to find fact sheets and reports specific to subprime and/or predatory lending within the State of Ohio, as well as links to other sites with additional information. You can also download a copy of the resolution we are asking communities to pass, in an effort to draw attention to this pervasive issue.

As this campaign moves forward, we understand the need to have access to accurate and up-to-date information. Hopefully, this web page will serve that purpose. If you have questions or would like to receive additional information on predatory lending within the State of Ohio, please contact Rick Taylor at 614/280-1984 or via e-mail at ricktaylor@cohhio.org. If there additional items you would like to see on the web page, please contact Susan Francis at COHHIO at 614/280-1984 or susanfrancis@cohhio.org.

COHHIO Launches List Serves
COHHIO has launched two list serves focused on two major areas of work. Our predatory lending list serve has been up and running about a month now. The Housing Trust Fund list serve was activated a few weeks ago. It's a great way to keep up on what's happening on these two developing issues. To join onto the predatory lending list serve, please email Rick Taylor at ricktaylor@cohhio.org. To join onto the Housing Trust Fund list serve, please email Cathy Johnston at cathyjohnston@cohhio.org. Questions? Contact Susan Francis at COHHIO at 614/280-1984 or susanfrancis@cohhio.org.

COHHIO Welcomes VISTA
The COHHIO OTAG Project welcomes Warren Perkins, AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteer, to the COHHIO Columbus office. Warren served as our VISTA volunteer under the OTAG Project in Cincinnati for the past one and a half years, working out of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. While in Columbus, he will be working on tenant outreach and organizing in Columbus area project-based Section 8 properties, answering the COHHIO Housing Hotline, and providing information to tenants throughout the state. Tenants and others interested in more information about the OTAG Project and preservation of affordable housing in Ohio may call Jill Russ, Spencer Wells or Warren Perkins at the COHHIO office at 614/280-1984, or toll free on the COHHIO Housing Hotline at 888-290-RENT.
AmeriCorps Member Reflects on a Year of Service ...
AmeriCorps has been a wonderful experience that I wish everyone could have. I met lots of good people from all areas of Ohio representing different nationalities and backgrounds. What a feeling...a wonderful feeling that you don’t get too often in a lifetime. Each event lifted me spiritually and gave me courage to return home afterwards to do the things that I needed to do in my personal and professional life. AmeriCorps gave me the chance to volunteer in different organizations and taught me that one person can make a difference and a group of AmeriCorps workers can really make a difference in one year. By AmeriCorps Member Karen Karrick.

Don't Miss COHHIO's Conference
A conference brochure is included in the newsletter. Please take a moment to get registered. The conference will be held on April 2 - 4 at the Radisson Airport Hotel in Columbus. COHHIO's annual conference will include in-depth institutes, plenary sessions, panel discussions and workshops. As well as plenty of opportunities to network, share ideas about what's working in your community and to seek input for problems facing your community. The conference will end with a Lobby Day, making our legislators focus on the issues that directly affect the problems and solutions in your community. Please plan on attending.

CORRECTION. In the January newsletter, the Housing Trust Fund RFP announcements were listed. New Avenues, which was one of the organizations funded, was incorrectly identified as being from Lancaster. This is incorrect. New Avenues is in Butler County. We apologize for any confusion.

Become a COHHIO member
If you aren't already a member of COHHIO, please consider joining our efforts. COHHIO is a coalition of organizations and individuals that works on all aspects of homelessness and housing. We can not do this work without the support of others. And by being a member, you will be guaranteed of receiving vital information from COHHIO, including all the issues of our newsletter, action alerts, funding alerts, and disounts to our conference.

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 35 E. Gay St, Ste. 210, Columbus, Ohio 43215.
Thank you for your support!

 

Resources
TRAININGS
March 23 - Predatory Lending in Ohio: Searching for Solutions, The Urban Center, Cleveland. For more information, visit the Urban Center's website at http://urbancenter.csuohio.edu/predatorylending.htm.

CDC Trainings. Introduction to Micro-enterprise Development - March 5-7; April 3-5 and May 2-3; and Basic Skills in Affordable Housing Development Workshop Series - starting April 17. For more information, contact the Ohio CDC Association at 614/461-6392 or ohiocdc@ohiocdc.org.

Building Doctors, Ohio Historical Society. Will teach old-building owners how to recognize and solve some of the most common sources of problems in maintaining older buildings. Also will make rounds of ailing buildings within five miles of the host community to examine problems and prescribe cures. The clinics and consulations are free. Clinics will be held in Eaton on April 26 & 27; Medina on May 17 &18; Zanesville on May 31 & June 1; London/Plain City on June 14 & 15; Chardon on July 19 & 20; Bellevue on August 16 & 17; Tiffin on September 13 & 14 and Chagrin Falls on October 11 & 12. To register, call 800/499-2470.

PUBLICATIONS
HUD materials:
HUD USER. Industrializing the Residential Construction Site. Examines the means and methods available for integrating and industrializing housing construction sites and the housing industry. $5. ACCN-HUD11073. The Rehab Guide: Site Work. Contains an overview of site rehabilitation, including porches/decks, driveways, underground wells, and landscaping. This is the final volume in the Rehab series. $5. ACCN-HUD11066. For more information, contact HUD USER at 800/245-2691or huduser@aspensys.com.
Strategies for Success: Reinventing Cities for the 21st Century. A blueprint for cities making the transition from the old to the new economy and is built around 10 case studies of cities in all parts of the country that have found ways to boost their local economies and jobs lost when their older industrial base declined. Akron is one of the 10 cities that was chosen. To download this report, visit HUD USER’s web site at http://www.huduser.org/publications/polleg/success.html.
Recent Research Results. Contains short summaries of reports recently released. This month’s article include: Housing Policy Issues Examined and Discussed; A Message from the Assistant Secretary; Strategies Improve Homebuilding Industry; and Site Work Completes Rehab Guide Series. To download this report, visit HUD USER’s web site at http://www.huduser.org/periodicals/rrr.html.

Ohio Historic Preservation Office Awards. Recognizes outstanding achievements in preservation, rehabilitation and adaptive use of historic properties, as well as publications and educational programs that promote the preservation of historic places in Ohio. The awards are presented in two categories: Preservation Merit and Public Education and Awareness. For a nomination form with full details, contact that Ohio Historic Preservation Office at 614/297-2000 or visit www.ohiohistory.org/resource/histpres/programs/awardscoverpage.html.

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

cohhio@cohhio.org