Breaking Ground - February 1999

Clinton Releases FY 2000 Budget

COHHIO Welcomes New Staff

Senator Cupp Introduces SB 48 - State NIMBY Legislation

Training for Continuum of Care Super NOFA

Housing Trust Fund Contact Information

Ohio Housing Trust Fund

COHHIO 1999 Annual Conference

AmeriCorps Members Honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Healthy Start - Ohio's Health Insurance Option for Children

Local Solutions For A National Agenda

Finance Professional Certification Programs Scheduled

Down and Dirty Ergonomics

Resources

 

Clinton Releases FY 2000 Budget

President Clinton submitted his full budget proposal for FY 2000 to Congress. The Administration's FY 2000 budget proposal requests $28 billion in funding for HUD, a $2.5 billion increase over HUD's FY 1999 budget. Given that the OMB budget passback proposed $27.3 billion, the FY 2000 budget proposal appears to be good news for HUD.

HUD FY 2000 Budget Chart
(selected programs, dollars in millions)

2000 Request
PROGRAM '98 Enacted '99 Enacted By President1
Housing Certificates Fund:
- Section 8 Contract Renewals $8,180 $9,600 $10,640
- New Section 8 Vouchers - 2832 4913
- Tenant Protection/Replacement Cert. 303 394 156
- Regional Opportunity Counseling NA 10 20
Public Housing Capital Fund 2,500 3,000 2,5554
Public Housing Operating Fund 2,900 2,818 3,003
HOPE VI 550 625 625
Drug Elimination Grants 310 310 310
Native American Housing Block Grants 600 620 620
CDBG 4,674 4,750 4,775
- Economic Dev't. Initiatives-setaside 138 225 125
-Youthbuild-setaside 35 43 75
Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction 60 80 80
HOPWA 204 225 240
Brownfields Redevelopment Program 25 25 50
HOME 1,500 1,600 1,610
-Housing Counseling Assistance-setaside 20 18 20
-Regional Affordable Housing-setaside - - 255
Elderly (Section 202) 645 660 6606
Disabled (Section 811) 194 194 194
Homeless Assistance Grants 823 9757 1,0258
Homeownership Zones - - 25
Abandoned Buildings Initiative - - 50
FHA Funds 657 621 699
Rural Housing and Economic Development - 25 20
Fair Housing Assistance Program 15 16.5 20
Fair Housing Initiatives Program 15 23.5 27
Total, HUD Discretionary Budget Authority 22,426 25,517 28,0359
Community Dev't. Financial Institutions 80 80 125
(Footnotes on next page)

House Appropriations Committee (from Ohio): Marcy Kaptur, Ralph Regula and David Hobson. House Appropriations Subcommittee on VA, HUD and Independent Agencies: Marcy Kaptur. House Switchboard: 202/224-3121.

FOOTNOTES

1 The President submitted his FY 2000 budget request to Congress on February 1, 1999. No funds for preservation were requested.
2 The FY 99 new vouchers are all for welfare to work programs. A total of $32 million is set-aside for these new vouchers in eight designated cities, the balance will be distributed through a national competition (the NOFA for this competition was released by HUD on January 28, 1999).
3 The President's request for new vouchers for FY 2000 would be divided this way: 42,000 fair share (not targeted at any specific group), 25,000 for families moving from welfare to work and 18,000 for persons who are currently homeless. Additionally, the President's request incorporates 15,000 units subsidized with vouchers within Low Income Housing Tax Credit properties for elderly persons.
4 HUD makes clear that this amount will only provide limited assistance to further reduce the backlog of modernization needs.
5 The regional initiative would target HOME funds to address critical housing needs in targeted regions that develop creative, interjurisdictional housing strategies.
6 The FY 2000 Presidential request includes $510 million for construction ($660 million was for construction in FY99), $100 million for elderly capital grants for modernization and conversion to assisted living and $50 million for elderly service coordinators. Not included is the outside-of-HUD expense of $87 million for 15,000 LIHTC vouchers.
7 No less than 30 percent to be used for permanent housing; requires 25 percent matching funds for all services.
8 This FY 2000 request includes $1.020 million in grants and $5 million for a multi-agency demonstration.
9 The President is also seeking an increase to the Low Income Housing Tax Credit cap from $1.25 to $1.75 per capita. However, the President is not seeking to index this cap to inflation.

COHHIO Welcomes New Staff

Rick Taylor has recently joined the ranks of COHHIO, as our Supportive Housing Director. Rick comes to us from Moundbuilders Guidance Center in Newark, Ohio where he served as their Housing Coordinator. Prior to that, Rick was the Planning and Development Coordinator with Neighborhood Properties, Inc. out of Toledo. His experience in both an urban and rural setting will no doubt come in handy.

Janet Holcomb, who is COHHIO's new Administrative Assistant, spent the past year working as an COHHIO AmeriCorps Houses the Homeless Member at the Homeless Shelter in Washington Court House. Her responsibilities included helping clients find housing, jobs, babysitters; directing them to the appropriate agencies as needed; coordinating transportation to and from Doctor's appointments, job interviews, etc.; and speaking at area church groups informing them of the great need to help the homeless in Fayette County.

We have two more staff that will be joining us this month. Mary Brubaker will be our AmeriCorps Leader and Jill Russ will be working on our OTAG project. Look for their introductions in the March newsletter.

Senator Cupp Introduces SB 48 - State NIMBY Legislation

Senate Bill 48 was recently introduced in the Ohio Senate by Senator Cupp which could put numerous requirements on the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) and the multi-family projects funded by the agency. The new proposed requirements are as follows:
• OHFA shall not approve funding for any multifamily housing project unless the project sponsor has provided notice to the following officials of the community where the project is to be located or in some cases within a half mile of the project location:
• the sanitation engineer
• the superintendent of schools
• the director of public safety
• any local or regional planning commission
• the mayor
• members of the elected legislative body
• clerk of any municipal corporation
• members of the board of township trustees
• members of the board of county commissioners
• OHFA shall not approve funding for the construction of any multifamily housing under any program the agency administers unless the elected legislative body of the city, county or township approves, by majority vote, a resolution supporting the project.
• Prior to funding any multifamily project, OHFA must do both of the following:

Provide a written response to any comments it receives, which expresses an objection to the project, from the local elected legislative bodies within a half mile of the proposed project. In addition, OHFA must hold a public hearing, in the county in which the project will be located, to solicit and receive comments of residents from the community where the project will be located.

This bill has not yet been assigned to a committee in the Senate. A less extensive version of this legislation which resulted in the requirement for project sponsors to provide notice to local elected officials was included in the last state budget bill. COHHIO staff will be advocating against the enactment of this proposed legislation.

Training for Continuum of Care Super NOFA

In response to the HUD announcement of early release of the Continuum of Care Super NOFA, COHHIO and the Ohio Department of Development, with participation from the Ohio Department of Mental Health, held trainings. On February 1, representatives of seven of the eight entitlement cities participated in a round table training and discussion, utilizing specific feedback from HUD on their last year's submission. On February 2, 80 representatives from Ohio's Balance of State communities came together for training.

The actual date for release of the Super NOFA is still not known, although HUD indicates it will be out in February. Within fifteen days of release of the NOFA, training will be held which will include any specific changes in the new NOFA. If you missed the February 1st or 2nd trainings and would like to be included in the training following the release of the NOFA, please contact Pam Argus at COHHIO at 614/280-1984 or Bob Johnson at the Ohio Department of Development at 614/752-8096.

Housing Trust Fund Contact Information

Funding levels for the Housing Trust Fund will be determined over the next few months during the budget process. The Housing Trust Fund has invested $76 million in local communities all across the state. It is important for each community to contact their legislators and express their support of the Housing Trust Fund. COHHIO will be working diligently on this issue throughout the entire budget process. We hope you will join us in our efforts. Please find a list below of House and Senate Members sitting on the Finance Committees. While it is important to contact all state legislators, these Members should receive special attention. Please find a fact sheet on the following page that will provide you with information to share with your legislators.

House Finance and Appropriations Committee Members
Ron Amstutz (R)
Catherine Barrett (D)*
Barbara Boyd (D)
John Carey (R)
Gary Cates (R)
Edward Core (R) - VICE CHAIR
Robert Corbin (R)
Kevin Coughlin (R)
Rex Damschroder (R)
David Goodman (R)
James Hoops (R)*
Gene Krebs (R)
Peter Lawson Jones (D)
Priscilla Mead (R)
Dan Metelsky (D)
Kerry Metzger (R)
Dale Miller (D)
Ray Miller (D)
Don Mottley (R)
Bob Netzley (R)
Jacquelyn O'Brien (R)
Darrell Opfer (D)*
Jeanine Perry (D)
Sally Perz (R)
Tom Roberts (D)
Dennis Stapleton (R)*
Erin Sullivan (D)
E.J. Thomas (R) - CHAIR
Rose Vesper (R)*
Charles Wilson (D)
Ann Womer Benjamin (R)

Senate Finance and Financial
Institutions Committee Members
James Carnes (R)
Robert Cupp (R)
Robert Gardner (R)
Eric Fingerhut (D)
Leigh Herington (D)
Jay Hottinger (R)
Bruce Johnson (R)
Merle Grace Kearns (R)
Anothony Latell (D)
C.J. Prentiss (D)
Roy Ray (R) - CHAIR
Doug White (R)

Contacting Your Legislators

If you're not sure who your representatives are or how to contact them call your local Board of Elections or call COHHIO at 614/280-1984!

Ohio Housing Trust Fund

Affordable Housing in Ohio: The Unmet Need
• Nearly one in every four Ohioans - almost 1 million families
- lacks safe, decent, affordable housing
• Home ownership rates have fallen for young Ohio families in the past decade
• 25% of elderly Ohioans are inadequately housed

Background
After the voters approved the Constitutional Amendment for Housing in 1990, the Ohio General Assembly created the Housing Trust Fund in 1991. Two committees, one created by the General Assembly and one created by Governor Voinovich, recommended a funding level of $50 million a year from various sources such as an increase in the Recordation Fees and General Revenue Funds. While this funding level has yet to be achieved, the General Assembly has approved a total of $76 million, $39 million in the last biennium.

The Housing Trust Fund has proven to be a practical, cost effective and flexible way to help meet Ohioans’ affordable housing needs. The Ohio Department of Development distributed funds to;
• help young families with a down payment to buy their first home
• build and rehabilitate apartments for working families
• modify homes for accessibility for handicapped or elderly Ohioans
• prevent homelessness through short term rent and mortgage assistance
• provide housing counseling and other services to help Ohioans maintain housing or achieve home ownership

Funding - Past and Future
In the last biennium the General Assembly approved $39 million for FY 98 ($18.5 million) and FY 99 ($20.5). The sources of funds was $13 million in interest from the Human Services Budget Stabilization Fund from the prior biennium, $13 million from the same source from the FY 98/FY99 biennium and $13 million from the General Revenue Fund. Since it has been difficult to reach consensus in the General Assembly around increasing the Recordation Fee for the Housing Trust Fund, we are recommending a funding level of $50 million a year from the General Revenue Fund and any other sources.

A Record of Achievement
Over 78,000 Ohio families have received critical housing assistance through the programs of the Housing Trust Fund. The results of the Trust Fund investment are plain to see:

2,938 new affordable apartments constructed
1,719 rental units rehabilitated
6,402 homes repaired or rehabilitated
10,002 households received short term rental assistance
2,696 first time home buyers received down payment assistance
12,996 individuals and families received housing related services
28,815 households received homelessness prevention assistance
12,907 households received supportive housing services

The Trust Leverages More Investments
For every dollar provided by the Housing Trust Fund - FIVE dollars is leveraged from private investments and federal resources. The Housing Trust Fund helps to create jobs - 15% of Ohio’s work force is employed in housing related work.

COHHIO 1999 Annual Conference
March 8, 9, 10, 1999

Plan on attending COHHIO's Annual Conference being held on March 8, 9, 10. To receive registration information, please call COHHIO at 614/280-1984. Please find below our conference agenda.

Tentative Conference Agenda

Monday, March 8, 1999
9:00-10:00 Registration with Coffee
10:00-10:15 Welcome- Bill Faith, COHHIO
10:15-11:30 Opening Address- Invited- HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo or Governor Bob Taft
12:00-1:30 Lunch- Dr. Beecher Hicks, Metropolitan Baptist Church, Washington DC

1:45-3:15 Workshop Set A
Organizing the Community to Preserve Affordable Housing
Presenter: Spencer Wells, Cleveland Tenants Organization

Public Housing Reform: What is it?
Presenter: Sue Livensparger, Legal Aid Society of Cincinnati

Housing for Women In Recovery
Presenters: Ginny O’Keeffe, Amethyst and Nancy Jones, WAIT Program

The Community Reinvestment Act from a Regulator's Perspective
Presenter: Representative from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

Spinning off Nonprofit Mental Health Housing Development
Presenters: Teresa Nieberding, New Housing Opportunities and Bill Harper, Warren County ADAMH Board

How to Start and Maintain Street Newspapers
Presenters: Donald Whitehead, Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and Brian Davis, Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless

3:30-5:00 Workshop Set B
Ohio’s Lenders-Are They Meeting the Credit Needs of Your Community?
Presenters: Don Eager and Linda Eager, Donald B. Eager & Associates; and a Representative from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

Successfully Serving the “Hard to Serve”
Presenter: Tina Patterson, The Other Place

Organize Ohio!
Presenter: Jack Kilroy, Organize Ohio!

Purchasing Section 8 Properties: Technical Assistance Resources for Nonprofits
Presenters: Jim Klein, Community Development Finance Fund and Doug Klingensmith, Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing

New Housing Options: Blending ODMH and ODOD Funds
Presenters: Kathryn Kazol, Elaine Gimmel and Carol Catalano, EDEN; Rita Hutchinson and Anne Combs, Clermont Counseling Center, Nancy Nickerson, ODMH and Bob Johnson, ODOD

Tuesday, March 9, 1999
8:00-9:00 Registration with Continental Breakfast
9:00-10:30 Welfare to Work Partnership: Resources for Success
Presenters: Zina Pierre, Small Business Administration; Elisa Johnson, Welfare to Work Partnership; Bill Sykes, The Limited, Inc.; Howard Nusbaum, Ohio Hotel and Motel Association; and a former recipient

10:45-12:15 Workshop Set C
Public Housing Reform: Case Studies About Income Disregard
Presenter: Steve Olden, Legal Aid Society of Cincinnati

Blended Management
Presenters: Kitty Cole and Ann Bihrle, Lakefront SRO

Follow-up Workshop on the Welfare to Work to Panel Discussion

Beyond "Housing as Housing": Best Practices
Presenters: Carol Duncan, ICAN; Anthony Penn, Community Housing Network; Tammy Weaver, Coleman Professional Services

Update on Restructuring Section 8 Properties
Presenters: Hal Keller, Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing; Rita Parise, Ohio Housing Finance Agency and Preston Pace, HUD

Occupancy Standards and Reasonable Accommodation
Presenters: Mike Smalz, Ohio State Legal Services Association; and Andy Margolis and Lynn Clark, Fair Housing Contact Service

12:30-2:00 Lunch - Beth Shinn, New York University
2:15-3:15 Plenary Session-John Weiler, Corporation for Supportive Housing, New York and Pat Tucker, Lakefront SRO, Chicago

3:30-5:00 Workshop Set D
Supportive Services
Presenters: Kitty Cole and Ann Bihrle, Lakefront SRO, Chicago

Influencing County Welfare Plans
Presenters: Beth Kowalczyk, Ohio State Legal Services Association and Margaret Halbert, United Way and Community Chest
Housing Homeless Single Adults
Presenters: Barbara Poppe, Community Shelter Board and Beth Shinn, New York University

Assessing Affordable Housing Development Needs in Your Community
Presenters: Roy Lowenstein, Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing and Phyllis Beyers, Rural Opportunities, Inc.

Housing Assistance Program 101 Training
Presenters: John Hoover, Neighborhood Properties and Tammy Weaver, Coleman Professional Services

Accessing Section 8 Vouchers for Nonprofit Housing Projects
Presenters: Dennis Guest, Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority and Susan Weaver, Community Housing Network

5:00-7:30 Legislative Reception

Wednesday, March 10, 1999- Lobby Day
8:00-9:00 Breakfast Buffet
9:00-10:00 Lobby Day Briefing - Bill Faith, COHHIO and Gayle Channing Tenenbaum, Channing and Associates
10:00-4:00 Hospitality Suite/ Report back/snacks


FOR REGISTRATION INFORMATION, CALL COHHIO AT 614/280-1984.

AmeriCorps Members Honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Life’s persistent and most urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?" - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

On January 18th COHHIO's AmeriCorps Houses the Homeless Members remembered and celebrated the life and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King devoted his life to serving others and our COHHIO AmeriCorps team is doing the same. On this day of service AmeriCorps members:
Worked in a food pantry; restored the boys and girls locker rooms at a community center into a usable facility; cleaned a community basketball court and gym; updated files at a health clinic; prepared and served dinners at the Salvation Army and prepared food baskets; fixed doors, windows and replaced base boards for low-income residents; assisted in activities that educated children about Dr. King and the importance of his work; sorted, washed and mended clothing that was donated for low income children; and provided set up and clean up services at several MLK Day community events.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday was certainly a day on, not a day off for our AmeriCorps team. Thanks to all of them, and all of you, for your continued dedication to making our communities better places.

 

HEALTHY START
Ohio’s Health Insurance Option for Children

Beginning January 1, 1998, the State of Ohio expanded free health insurance coverage to Ohio children up to age 19, in families at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level. Insurance under Ohio’s Health Insurance Plan for Children is provided through Healthy Start. Healthy Start began providing health insurance coverage for children and pregnant women in 1989. Healthy Start eligibility was previously limited to pregnant women and younger children at lower incomes. With the new eligibility expansion, many more children now have access to health insurance.

Healthy Start provides coverage of: doctor visits, hospital care, immunizations, prescriptions, vision services, dental services, health check-ups and preventive care, mental health services, substance abuse services and other services

Families can apply for Healthy Start on behalf of their children by filling out a simple two page form called the CPA (Combined Programs Application). To get the form, and for assistance completing the form, families can call the Consumer Hotline at 800/324-8680. People with hearing problems should call TDD 800/292-3572. Applications are also available at county departments of human services, WIC sites, and CFHS clinics. Healthy Start coverage does not affect a family’s future eligibility for Ohio Works First, including time limits.

The following chart can help determine whether children can be covered by Healthy Start insurance. When income is calculated, some expenses (related to child care or work) may help lower “countable” income which is used to determine eligibility for coverage. So, even if a family’s total income is higher than what is listed here, children may still be eligible for coverage.

Number in family Monthly Family Income Guide for Children’s HEALTHY START Eligibility
1 $1,006.00
2 $1,356.00
3 $1,706.00
4 $2,056.00
5 $2,406.00

If you have any questions about Healthy Start, call the Consumer Hotline at 800/324-8680. The Hotline is staffed from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on weekdays, and from noon to 5:00 p.m. on weekends.


Local Solutions For A National Agenda
Washington Policy Conference

The National Low Income Housing Coalition and the National Congress for Community Economic Development is holding a Washington Policy Conference on March 29-31. Thirteen national organizations are joining together for one large conference where housing practitioners and residents can connect with community development practioners. The forum will provide timely information on federal policy and legislative measures affecting low-income housing assistance, production, preservation, development, and management and community economic development. For registration information, call 202/234-5009.

Finance Professional Certification Programs Scheduled

In 1999, ODOD’s Office of Housing and Community Partnerships (OHCP) will sponsor the National Development Council’s (NDC’s) three-week Housing Development Finance Professional Certification Program and the four-week Economic Development Finance Professional Certification Program.

The housing program focuses on the financing of affordable housing projects, as described below:
• HD 410, scheduled for April 12 -16, explores the skills required to successfully develop affordable, owner-occupied, single family housing.
• HD 420, scheduled for June 21 -25, presents a detailed look at the financing and development of multi-family rental housing.
• HD 430, scheduled for September 13 -17, blends the financial analysis techniques covered in the first two courses with the problem solving and negotiating skills needed to successfully close complex housing deals.

The economic development program explores the skills that are essential to be successful at stimulating job creation, as described below:
• ED 101, scheduled for April 12 -15, explores the financial skills required for the successful practice of economic development within the context of an overall economic development finance system.
• ED 201, scheduled for June 21 -25, builds upon the skills taught in ED 101 and acquaints students with the most financially sophisticated techniques available to analyze the creditworthiness of operating a business.
• ED 202, scheduled for September 13 -17, presents a step-by-step overview of the real estate development process from the perspective of the market investor.
• ED 300, scheduled for November 15 -19, integrates the business credit and real estate finance skills learned in the previous weeks with the creative demands of deal structuring.

Individuals completing either of these programs and passing the comprehensive examination will be certified as development finance professionals. Each training session includes text readings, short lectures and case studies. The cases are completed either during or after class and are designed to train participants to screen, analyze and package housing/economic development deals. The registration fee for the housing development program is $285 per week per participant. The economic development program registration fee is $500 per participant per week. Due to ODOD’s co-sponsorship, registration costs for these sessions are substantially lower than normal. All training sessions will be held in Columbus.

Questions regarding the NDC Finance Professional Certification Programs being sponsored by ODOD should be directed to Rick Knapp, of OHCP, at 614/466-2285.

Down and Dirty Ergonomics - The Practical approach for achieving greater productivity
What's the new "P" word for safety? According to Paul Myers of Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. in Marietta, Ga., it is profitability. Employers have moral, legal and ethical responsibilities regarding safety, says Myers, but without profit, long-term employment is impossible. And what is the greatest obstacle to profitability for companies today? Costs.

Companies can maintain profit margins in this type of environment by controlling costs, including the cost of workers' compensation. And according to Liberty Mutual statistics for the last several years, 38 percent of workers' compensation costs and cases are musculoskeletal injuries. These injuries include low-back pain or upper extremity cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs), such as tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome. Liberty Mutual places the average cost per occurrence at about $8,400 for both low-back and cumulative trauma disorders. Based on a 5-percent profit margin, a company would have to sell $168,000 worth of products or services, to pay these costs.

There are resources and tools companies can use to reduce the costs associated with musculoskeletal injuries. Myers says one of the most effective is ergonomics-the discipline of designing the job within the capabilities and limitations of the people who perform that task. Ignoring worker capabilities and limitations may lead to CTDs and/or low-back pain. As a result, workers' compensation claims increase, which raises costs. It is essential that the equipment be designed with accommodations for the capabilities and limitations of the workers who will use the equipment.

BWC's Division of Safety & Hygiene ergonomic consultants can assist companies by providing an analysis of the physical relationship between workers and the workplace, and by formulating solutions for problems. Problems may include manual materials handling, cumulative trauma disorders, low-back injuries and video display terminals. Ergonomists are located in service offices statewide.

In addition, the division's training center offers three courses in ergonomics at its Pickerington location and five branch locations in Ohio. The video library has more than 30 titles relating to ergonomics, and Safety & Hygiene library provides access to still more information in the field of ergonomics. For more information about Safety & Hygiene services, call 1-800-OHIOBWC and press 22.
Ergonomics today is not strictly a safety issue; it also is a productivity and efficiency question. "Examining the entire work process will indeed find potential hazards, a safety issue, but it also will point out disparities between the process and the desired output (quality) and the associated costs, a production issue," says Brad Ridenour, an ergonomics consultant for Safety & Hygiene. "Just adjusting the heights of a worktable, for instance, can solve a problem of low-back pain for employees and increase the speed of the operation because workers no longer have to bend and lift."

Low-back pain will affect 80 percent of the population some time during their work lives, says Myers. Add weight and force factors to the often-awkward positions from which workers perform their jobs and the potential for injury increases. The muscles that enable us to straighten when we bend are small in comparison to our torso, a 10-to-one ratio. Thus, if you weigh 100 pounds the force exerted on the lower back is 1,000 pounds. The human back was designed to handle certain tasks in certain positions. If we deviate from these positions, the back is operating outside its capabilities and limitations. When we have to twist our torsos to place an object that we've lifted, for example, the strain on our backs increases.

These are the difficulties faced by both management and employees in workplaces across the United States. How do we begin to deal with injuries that can be prevented by using ergonomic principles? First, do the math. Suppose a company has $200,000 in workers' compensation claims and has a 5-percent profit margin. Covering that loss means the company has to sell an additional $4 million worth of products. Speaking in these terms spreads the concern throughout the company because the extra production could affect profit sharing, overtime, raw material costs and other areas of production.

For most companies, this scenario is unacceptable. It is important for companies to pinpoint those operations where most claims costs are generated. Then examine the process to see what changes are feasible and cost-effective. This information, coupled with figures showing options for correcting the problems and projected cost savings, should be enough to convince the company to make changes.

Excerpted from BWC Focus Magazine, Autumn 1998.

All-Ohio Safety and Health Congress & Exhibit
March 30 - April 1, 1999, Cleveland Convention Center

Make the Move to Better Strategies, Bureau of Workers Compensation. The Congress will include general sessions, education sessions, and safety product displays. Admission is free. For more information, call 800/6446292, ext. 22.

 

Resources
HUD User Publications. A Picture of Subsidized Households in 1998: United States Summaries (ACCN-HUD8626) $15; A Picture of Subsidized Households in 1998: Supplement on Incomes & Household Members (ACCN-HUD8633) $5; and Welfare Reform Impacts on the Public Housing Program: A Preliminary Forecast (ACCN-HUD8507) $5. The November issue of U.S. Housing Market Conditions includes updates on the third-quarter housing market as well as describes the state of the cities data systems, a new, convenient way to obtain basic economic and demographic statistics on cities and their suburbs. U.S Housing Markets is a quarterly magazine and costs $30 per year. To order publications, call 800/245-2691. If you are a regular user of HUD User, you can start a deposit account ($50 minimum) with them. For more information on the deposit account, call 800/245-2691.

Growing Smart Legislative Guidebook, American Planning Association. Helps states and other entities interested in reforming planning statutes. Contains model statutes and commentary for planning and the management of change. The guidebook is available free of charge at http://www.planning.org.

Community Development Specialist, City of Lima. Responsibilities: under general supervision, performs planning functions and public relations activities. Qualifications include a bachelor's degree in community planning, geography, economics, sociology, landscape architecture or related fields supplemented by practical government experience following graduation from college. For more information, call Nicole Barrington, Director of Human Resources, at 419/221-5277.

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

cohhio@cohhio.org