North Carolina Housing Coalition

A voice to be heard and a story to be told

2011-06-20T14:28:00.029-04:00

Last Wednesday, the NC Housing Coalition headed to the heart of Harnett County, Lillington, North Carolina. We were on a mission to resume the Postcard Project, an ongoing initiative to convince our legislators that the NC Housing Trust Fund needs a dedicated revenue source. We believe that our legislators need to hear from those who have a safe, affordable place to call their own because of the NC Housing Trust Fund, so we went to Fairview Pointe and Fairview Manor, two housing developments built by money from the NC Housing Trust Fund.

As we approached Fairview Pointe and Fairview Manor, we were immediately taken aback by the beautiful buildings and peaceful atmosphere and could not help but notice the camaraderie among residents. At Fairview Manor, seniors gathered in the lobby to socialize and read newspapers, while children at Fairview Pointe rode bikes with their friends on the sidewalks.

The high temperatures did not stop residents from coming outside to get their pictures taken for the postcards. Not long after we set up our equipment, residents began asking questions and wanting to learn more about our project. They joined us for snacks while filling out postcards to send to Rep. David Lewis, Rep. Mike Stone, Sen. Harris Blake, Sen. Fletcher Hartsell, Sen. Bill Rabon, Sen. Bob Rucho, Sen. Tom Apodaca, and Sen. Kathy Harrington.

From single-parent families to individuals with disabilities to survivors of domestic violence, the residents of Fairview Pointe and Fairview Manor were eager to share their stories with us so that their voices could be heard by legislators. Some residents wanted to tell their legislators how they found themselves at Fairview Pointe and Fairview Manor:

"I went through domestic violence. During that emotional time, the NC Housing Trust Fund really is greatly appreciated. I am a single parent, and I am thankful for all that they do."

"I need affordable housing because I was displaced by Hurricane Katrina."

"Hopefully one day, homeless people can get off the streets, like I was at one time."

Other residents showed appreciation for the housing that they have in an effort to convince the legislators that North Carolina needs more affordable housing:

"Me and my daughter love living here. It is a very nice place to live. It is clean and safe."

"I really appreciate that people on a fixed income can find affordable, quality housing due to this trust fund."

"The affordability of nice, low-income housing is the best thing that has happened in this section of Harnett County."

Every resident's voice deserves to be heard, especially by the legislators, who are the ones that make decisions about the revenue source of the NC Housing Trust Fund. In addition, every resident's story deserves to be told. We are glad that the Postcard Project serves as a means to do both.

Check out these pictures of the residents in front of their homes, which were built by money from the NC Housing Trust Fund!

A picture is worth a thousand words…

2011-06-13T13:29:00.012-04:00

If you read our last blog post, you learned about why the North Carolina Housing Trust Fund is necessary for providing affordable homes in our state. In short, the Housing Trust Fund helps rehabilitate and preserve the existing housing stock in North Carolina and also creates new affordable housing. However, as you know, the Trust Fund receives inadequate funding, and the focus of the Campaign for Housing Carolina is to secure a dedicated revenue source for the NC Housing Trust Fund.

We wanted to let everyone know about our recent undertaking, the Postcard Project, which showcases how the NC Housing Trust Fund has given individuals and families a place they can call their own. We created the Postcard Project because we want lawmakers to witness the past successes of the Trust Fund, and the project is an effort to show lawmakers the faces of residents whose lives have been changed from housing provided by the Trust Fund.

Here’s the lowdown on how the Postcard Project works: At the housing developments, we host a get-together for the residents. At the get-together, we take pictures of families and individuals living in the housing and put them on the postcards to send to legislators. Each person signs a postcard for every legislator in their county and for the chairs of key committees. Then, we let the residents tell their stories by writing personal messages on the cards. So far, the NC Housing Coalition has traveled across the state to the housing developments of Brookridge, Maplewood Square, Hunters Hill, and Nia Point and to construction agencies that build affordable housing, such as Weaver Cooke and Village Crossing. To date, we have mailed approximately 1,007 postcards to 59 legislators representing 14 counties with many more to come.

Also at the get-togethers, we provide snacks, drinks, and activities for the children. In addition to being an opportunity for the residents to learn more about how to ensure that more affordable housing is built, the event serves as a way to build community. It is so touching to witness the smiling faces of residents and their appreciation for their homes, and although we cannot disclose pictures of the residents, we wanted to share a couple of photos of the housing developments from our past visits.

The photo above is from the opening of Brookridge in Raleigh, NC. (Developer: DHIC)

Above: Maplewood Square in Durham, NC, is a housing development for seniors. (Developer: DHIC)

Above: Nia Point in Charlotte, NC, is a housing development for families. (Developer: Crosland)

Above: Weaver Cooke in Greensboro, NC, is a construction agency. (Developer: Weaver Cooke)

This week, the Postcard Project will take us to Lillington, North Carolina, to visit Fairview Pointe and Fairview Manor, two housing developments for families and seniors, respectively. Thanks to Mills Construction, the developer, and United Property Management for helping organize the event. Stay tuned for an update!

Why we need the NC Housing Trust Fund

2011-05-25T14:33:00.005-04:00

Housing Trust Funds often don’t get the respect they deserve. It’s easy for someone to take them for granted, especially if one isn’t looking for housing or emergency shelter. However, affordable housing is something that improves the lives of so many people all over North Carolina. We need to more closely examine what families really need to have healthy, safe, and affordable housing. It’s especially important to do so during this time of economic recession and discussions of drastic budget cuts.

In North Carolina, legislators are in the midst of deciding how or if the Housing Trust Fund should be funded. Now’s the perfect time to take action and help them understand what a fully funded Housing Trust Fund could do for our state. I’ve heard several questions about the Housing Trust Fund, I think the answers make a clear case for why we need it to be fully funded.

Who benefits from the NC Housing Trust Fund?

The NC Housing Trust Fund provides funding for a wide range of projects and services throughout the state. All of the money allocated to the NC Housing Trust Fund goes into bricks and mortar for the projects, the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency absorbs all of the administrative costs.

The NC Housing Trust Fund provides the vital funding that so many programs need, such as: domestic violence shelters, affordable apartments for seniors, group homes for developmentally disabled youths, and transitional housing programs for the homeless. Not to mention transitional housing programs for veterans, or housing for children in foster care.

To sum up, the elderly, youth, women and children, veterans, and persons with disabilities all benefit from housing programs funded by the NC Housing Trust fund. It makes a strong impact in every community.

Why is a housing trust fund important for our state?

Right now, North Carolina has a shortage of 328,000 rental homes and apartments with incomes below 50% (and 30%) of local median income.

544,000 families in North Carolina pay more than they can afford for their rent, a 13% increase from 2000.

12,160 North Carolinians are homeless.

The Trust Fund has created 14,500 jobs

In North Carolina, the Housing Trust Fund is the only state appropriated funding source for providing permanent housing for homeless families, the elderly, or persons with disabilities. It allows seniors or persons with disabilities to continue living in their own homes through rehab and modification.

The Trust Fund needs a substantial, recurring appropriation in order to maintain its progress and continue helping families in need.

Why should we fund the NC Housing Trust Fund now?

The funding for the North Carolina’s Housing Trust fund has been volatile since its creation in 1987. It’s ranged anywhere from $20 million to $0.

This fluctuation in funding has made it difficult for affordable housing developers to have dependable funding sources. It often takes several years to plan a housing development. Local governments become hesitant to commit their municipalities’ limited resources when the Housing Trust Fund fluctuates so widely from year to year. That’s why we should take advantage of the opportunity legislators in NC have to create a dedicated revenue source in North Carolina. This would provide a way for communities to have a reliable source of funding they can count on every year.

Also, the Housing Trust Fund Study Commission, which recommended the creation of the Housing Trust Fund back in 1987, has favored creating or finding a dedicated revenue source for the Trust Fund especially one that is related to the real estate industry.

Who supports a Housing Trust Fund?

There is a broad coalition of organization that support the Housing Trust Fund. Click here to see a full list.

How can I help create a Trust Fund in North Carolina?

Call or email your state Senator today and urge him or her to support SB 462 and the NC Housing Trust Fund. You can find your legislator here. Here’s a link to a factsheet about the Housing Trust fund for some talking points. Together, we can make a great difference for families in North Carolina!

Veterans and Affordable Housing

2011-05-23T10:27:00.001-04:00

An often misunderstood, under-served and vulnerable population are our veterans. Recently, Chris, Carley, and Sonia met with Jeff Smith who leads the Veterans Leadership Council of NC-Cares (VLCNC-Cares). He shared some shocking statistics with us - one out of every three veterans returning from Iraq or Afghanistan suffer from mental health issues, including post-traumatic stress syndrome and an average of 18 veterans a day commit suicide. VLCNC-Cares is one of the few organizations working to connect homeless veterans to the services they need including finding safe and affordable housing. One way we can help them in their mission is to demand ample funding for the Housing Trust Fund which helps create housing for those who have sacrificed for our country.

Please take some time each week to let legislators know you care about these issues and what they mean for folks back home in their districts.

NC Housing Landscape

2011-05-17T13:10:00.005-04:00

In February, the Center for Housing Policy (CHP) published the Housing Landscape 2011. CHP found that nationally, housing affordability worsened significantly between 2008 and 2009 for working households. Working households are defined as those with incomes no higher than 120 percent of the median income in their area. In the United States, 10.5 million working households had a severe housing cost burden in 2009, which is an increase of almost 600,000 since 2008. A severe housing cost burden means the household is spending more than 50 percent of their income on housing costs.

According to CHP, North Carolina is one of the 25 states that had a significant increase in the share of working households with severe housing cost burden. Twenty percent of working households in North Carolina have a severe housing cost burden. North Carolinians who spend so much on their housing costs often have little left over for other essentials such as food, medical costs, transportation, and child care.

To view national and state statistics from the Center for Housing Policy's Housing Landscape 2011 click here.

Out of Reach

2011-05-10T13:53:00.001-04:00

On Monday, Out of Reach 2011 was jointly released by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, a Washington, D.C.-based housing policy organization, and the North Carolina Housing Coalition. The report provides the Housing Wage and other housing affordability data for every state, metropolitan area, combined non metropolitan area, and county in the country.

The 2011 Housing Wage for North Carolina is $13.81. The Housing Wage is the hourly wage a family must earn – working 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year – to be able to afford the rent and utilities for a safe and home in the private housing market. North Carolina’s Housing Wage has increased 30% since 2000.

Data from Out of Reach supports what we know about North Carolina: low income families are still struggling to find decent and affordable housing in communities across the state. While we work to rebuild our economy after the recession, we cannot forget the low and moderate income families across the state whose basic housing needs continue to be unmet.

Working at the minimum wage in North Carolina, a family must have 2 wage earners working full-time – or one full-time earner working 76 hours per week, 52 weeks per year – to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment.

The typical renter in North Carolina earns $11.52 per hour, which is $2.29 less than the hourly wage needed to afford a modest unit.

An estimated 50% of renters in North Carolina do not earn enough to afford a two-bedroom unit at the Fair Market Rent. This is the highest level in the history of this report which dates back nearly 20 years.

For more information and to view the report click here.

The Cost of the Budget Crises on Affordable Housing

2011-02-25T13:39:00.006-05:00

Lately, I’ve heard many different news stories about our state and national budget debates. It’s hard to wrap my head around all the numbers that fly around. I want to figure out what these cuts could mean for people who are looking for housing assistance from our government.

Last week the U.S. House passed a bill, known as H.R.1, as an attempt to address our national budget crisis. Even Speaker Boehner admits that it is “one of the largest spending cuts in American history”. H.R. 1 is a $1.2 trillion bill that would require $61 billion in cuts to the remainder of the 2011 fiscal year. This proposal moves to the Senate on February 28th. Congress has until the end of next week to reach a decision or else face a government shut down.

The federal budget cuts could have long lasting ramifications for housing programs across our country. The following programs would be dramatically affected by the cuts:

• Public housing- More than 43% of the public housing capital could be cut. This would greatly accelerate the reduction of public housing units and reduce the number of units available for elderly and disabled persons.

• Veterans Affairs- The proposed cuts would eliminate 10,000 new Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) vouchers, and 10,000 new homelessness demonstration vouchers. These new resources would have provided housing for 161,000 people who are currently homeless.

• Section 202 housing- This program, which provides housing for the elderly, would be cut by $587 million. A similar program, Section 811, provides housing for persons with disabilities. Section 811 would also be cut by $210 million. These cuts would prevent approximately 6,400 units from being built.

• Community Block Development Grant- This program, which has helped communities across the nation strengthen their affordable housing programs, would face funding cuts as great at 66%.

• Native American Housing Grant- $200 million could be cut from this program, resulting in approximately 1,750 households not being served.

Unfortunately, our state budget discussions are not looking any better for affordable housing advocates. Gov. Perdue presented her budget proposal on February 17. Gov. Perdue avoided a cuts only approach to the budget, and by doing so she preserved jobs for teachers, bolstered mental health funding, and protected community colleges. Together NC points out that even though the Governor’s budget proposal was pretty good, our state would still be devastated by the fact that thousands of people would lose their jobs and our university system would take a heavy funding cut.

The problem for our state elected officials is that Republican legislators are promising a cuts only approach to the budget. This is where major damage could happen to our state. If we were to close the budget gap the way Republicans propose the following problems would be created:

• Education- 5,000 teachers and 13,000 teacher assistants would be laid of from our public schools. Class sized would be increased at every grade level. 1,000 teachers would be laid off from our community colleges. This would eliminate 100,000 class registrations and create a $10 per credit hour increase.

• Smart Start and Community Health Services- These programs would face massive cuts which would prevent thousands of families from receiving the services they need.

• Real estate values- Real estate revenue dropped dramatically throughout 2009, leaving many state governments (like ours) with just over $4 in tax revenues for every $5 collected in 2008. The slow pace of the economic recovery will keep real estate revenues below pre-recession levels for years to come. This will hurt us as the need for public education, health care, and public safety continue to grow. This situation will not be improved with a cuts only approach to the budget.

• Closure of 4 state parks- We’d lose these parks, and all other state parks would close Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

• Families already aren’t getting the help they need- Without additional revenue for next year, North Carolina’s budget will be the smallest the state has had in over 40 years. Already, so many people are in need of more assistance. Wait lists for many Public Housing Authorities are years long or have been closed. We don’t need to shrink the resources so many families are already counting on.

These proposals could turn into our reality next year. However, they haven’t been enacted yet. We have the opportunity to make a difference for programs that serve so many families across our nation. If you agree that our governments need to take a different direction with their budgets you can make a difference. You can do so by contacting your Governor, state legislator, or Senator Hagan, or Senator Burr.

After looking more closely at these numbers it’s hard to believe that this is the best way forward for our country. We have the power to stand together and ask our elected officials to take a way forward that is socially just and fiscally sound.

If you’re concerned about the our NC budget, join TogetherNC

For more information about facts on the national budget click here, for facts on the state budget click here.

Affordable Housing and Job Creation

2011-01-28T10:32:00.002-05:00

Building affordable housing not only creates jobs in the construction sector, but also stimulates the local economy in less obvious but substantial ways.

According to an article called The Role of Affordable Housing in Creating Jobs and Stimulating Local Economic Development from the Center for Housing Policy, the development of affordable housing increases employment and spending in the local community, is an important source of revenue for local governments, and reduces the likelihood of foreclosure and the costs that are associated with it.

It’s not surprising to learn that the building of affordable housing creates jobs in the construction field and therefore supports businesses that supply the construction trade. But in addition, affordable housing further stimulates the economy when the workers spend their pay at the local retailers, health services, and restaurants. According to the article, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) estimates that building 100 new Low-Income Housing Tax Credit units can lead to the creation of more than 120 jobs during the construction phase. After the units are built, the residents continue to support about 30 jobs.

Local governments can also benefit from building affordable housing. Revenues from affordable housing include fees for permitting, zoning, utilities, as well as sales, income, or property taxes. NAHB estimates that 100 of the units when occupied by families generate $827,000 in local revenue immediately.

When families live in housing they can afford they will have more money to spend in the local community. Local business can receive benefits from the increase in the purchasing power of these families. Affordable housing that is also energy efficient will reduce the utility costs for the families, leaving them with even more money to purchase goods from local businesses. Additionally, builders of energy efficient homes stimulate the local economy by buying from local suppliers in order to reduce cost to the environment through transporting materials.

Affordable lending programs save the government money by reducing the chance for foreclosure. A study found that borrowers who received subprime loans were three to five times more likely to default on their mortgage than those who received prime loans through affordable lending programs. Local governments absorb many of the costs of foreclosures including boarding the property, trash removal, court and legal expenses, increased police and social services for the affected area, and demolition of severely distressed properties.

Increasing the support for affordable housing can be a way to create more jobs in North Carolina, but it can also stimulate local economies.

This is a short summary of the article, to read the full article click here.

A new start for a new decade

2011-01-07T10:54:00.003-05:00

With the start of a new decade, I’ve been thinking about what the future holds for our country. I hope that in my lifetime I see an expansion of affordable housing, along with increased compassion for those in need, and greater acceptance of cultural diversity. One recent study showed some interesting promise that we are starting to move in the right direction in terms of building more diversity within our neighborhoods.

Last month the US Census Bureau announced that housing segregation between African Americans and Caucasians is at the lowest level our nation has seen in over a century. The statistics from the survey state that the average Caucasian now lives in a neighborhood that is 79% percent white, compared to 81% in 2000. The average African American lives in a 46% black neighborhood, down from 49%. The results come from the American Community Survey, which gathering demographics from 1 in 10 Americans between 2005 and 2009.

The study also showed that the country’s largest population gains were in the suburbs. However, unlike past trends now minority populations are leading the way to the suburbs. Over a third of the new suburban dwellers were Hispanic (13.3 million), along with 2.5 million African Americans.

So, what do these housing trends mean for our future?

This evidence shows that our country is starting to become more inclusive and less concerned about racial issues while moving into new neighborhoods. I feel that diverse neighborhoods create rich opportunities for individuals to learn from one another. This diversity enhances our public schools and allows for each child to see the world from a new perspective.

At the same time, it is clear that segregation still exists. We still have a ways to go before diverse populations are welcomed in every neighborhood. The study also showed that a large percentage of individuals still live in neighborhoods where the majority of people look just like they do.

Because of these neighborhood changes, in the future we may see contentious political fights over congressional redistricting. For instance, we could see a disappearance of congressional districts that once were majority African American. In the next couple of years we may also see new districts emerge that are majority Latino.

One thing the statistics mean for sure is that we will continue to have greater diversity in our country in the future. We should be prepared to nourish this diverse population and support new generations in finding healthy, safe, and affordable places to live.

To see the Census report click here.

For more information click here or here.

NCHC in the Triangle Christmas Tree Challenge!

2010-12-03T14:52:00.001-05:00

This year the North Carolina Housing Coalition entered the Triangle Christmas Tree Challenge. The Challenge is a new holiday tradition that allows nonprofits to communicate their message and win prizes. For the Challenge, non-profits were invited to decorate a Christmas tree at the American Tobacco Campus that will be displayed until January 2, 2011. There will be six prizes awarded for the trees that are deemed “best decorated.” The winners are determined in two ways: fans texting in their vote and a team of judges. Fans will choose the top three prizes by texting their votes starting at 8pm on Friday December 3^rd through midnight on December 16^th. The judges will select an overall favorite and the winners will be announced on Friday December 17^th.

Anne Ehlers, NCHC’s Development and Communications Coordinator, put her creativity to work and designed a beautiful silver and blue Christmas tree for the Coalition. Along with Anne, Regina Green, Sonia Ensenat, Barbara Goettsch, Chris Estes, and John Niffenegger decorated the tree on December 2^nd. Visit the Diamond View Park at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham and see the Christmas tree decorated by the team!

Please help support the North Carolina Housing Coalition by voting for our tree! You can text as many times as you want between 8 pm on Friday December 3^rd through midnight on December 16^th. To vote for our tree text TREE30 to 46988.

Sometimes you just need to hear good news…

2010-11-19T15:02:00.003-05:00

With all the bad news surrounding the increasing amount of foreclosures in North Carolina and around the nation, sometimes it is beneficial to hear some good news. Here’s a summary of some of the recent news articles on foreclosures. The Charlotte Business Journal recently published an article stating that NC residential foreclosures in October are up 40 percent from a year ago. About 4,818 NC homes were in the process of foreclosure in October which is up 13% from September. The article also talks about how the numbers could have been even higher if not for the freeze on residential foreclosures due to the robo-signing controversy.

Now let’s hear a little good news. WCNC.com published a more uplifting article. A woman on the verge of losing her home got another chance due to a little help from the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (NACA). The woman purchased the house and then fell on some hard times, with health problems and decreased hours at her work. She tried to negotiate with her bank, but instead the bank increased her payments and then a few months later started the foreclosure process. NACA began work on a loan modification with the woman. With NACA’s help, the bank agreed not to sell the house and re-modified her loan agreement with a lower fixed rate.

How about another one? In an article published by the Charlotte Observer, it describes how the Charlotte School of Law helped local homeowners. In 2007, the Charlotte Observer ran a series about Beazer Homes who had violated federal lending rules and through their aggressive sales tactics contributed to a high foreclosure rate in many of the Beazer Home developments in the Charlotte area. In 2009, the United States Attorney’s office charged Beazer Homes with mortgage and accounting fraud. Beazer Homes accepted responsibility for the charges and agreed to pay restitutions to the victims. The article goes on to talk about how the Charlotte School of Law students and faculty have been working for free to fill out the restitution fund claims. Since April they have helped 416 households and families have reported receiving restitution checks of up to $12,000. There may be thousands more families to help and the law school plans to continue their aid until the 2014 deadline.

During this Thanksgiving season, we should be thankful for all the agencies and programs across the state that are helping homeowners during this foreclosure crisis.

Click on the word "article" in each paragraph to read the full articles.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving

2010-11-18T10:38:00.008-05:00

Since Thanksgiving is next week, I’ve been thinking about what I have to be thankful for over the past couple days. A recent report by the NC Justice Center brought to light the fact that I have one more thing to be thankful for, my home. According to their numbers, there are thousands more North Carolinians who are filing for foreclosure than there were in 2009.

This month, North Carolina is projected to break last year’s foreclosure filing record. The North Carolina Justice Center reports that North Carolina is on the path to have 70,476 foreclosures this year. This number far outshadows the total number of foreclosures that happened in 2009, which were 63,286. NC is projected to break last year’s total number of foreclosures next week, on November 23rd.

The counties with the highest amount of foreclosure filings are Mecklenburg, Wake, Guilford, and Forsyth. (See statistics listed below.)

In order to stop this record number of home foreclosures we need all levels of government to make investments in quality affordable housing, especially rental units. Investments in affordable housing will not only give more families real options for safe housing, but also will stimulate local economies by creating new construction jobs.

Next year I hope we can be grateful that this unfortunate housing trend has been reversed and we see a growing number of families in safe, healthy, and affordable homes.

TOP 10 COUNTIES BY TOTAL PROJECTED FORECLOSURE FILINGS FOR 2010
Mecklenburg (11,713)
Wake (5,800)
Guilford (4,360)
Forsyth (2,532)
Union (2,132)
New Hanover (1,979)
Durham (1,900)
Gaston (1,828)
Brunswick (1,801)
Cumberland (1,698)

TOP 10 COUNTIES BY PER CAPITA PROJECTED FORECLOSURE FILINGS FOR 2010
Dare (2.76 percent of individuals)
Brunswick (1.63)
Currituck (1.45)
Mecklenburg (1.29)
Clay (1.16)
Cherokee (1.13)
Union (1.06)
Pender (1.05)
New Hanover (1.01)
Jackson (.97)

For a link to the full report click here

Is renting still affordable?

2010-10-29T12:10:00.002-04:00

I rent my house. In fact, I plan to be a renter for the next several years. As a young professional, I think my participation in the rental market is fairly common. Buying a house is daunting, especially when you don’t know where you want to live or whether you can afford a down payment. I had figured that most people who were like me and renting, were able to do so in a way that was safe financially. However, I was shocked to discover how wrong I was.

This fall, the U.S. Census Bureau released a report which stated that slightly over half of the people who rent, 51.6% to be exact, spend more than 30% of their income on rent and utilities. This trend hurts the lowest income renters the hardest.

At the same time, the amount of people renting has continued to grow. Across the United States, now 34.1% of families rent the houses, apartments, or mobile homes they live. Our housing market is feeling some strain. Tension continues to build as more and more consumers look for rental properties, and our unemployment rates continue to be high. It’s no wonder why so many people can’t find affordable housing.

So, what’s the solution? The National Low Income Housing Coalition suggests that one avenue to address this problem is to properly fund the National Housing Trust Fund. If Congress put forth $1.065 billion to fund the program (which they established in 2008), more people would have access to housing vouchers, communities would have more money to build housing, and more housing could be rehabilitated. This is one simple way we could move affordable housing forward in our country and help working families, or young people starting out, get back on their feet.

For more information click here

Is Homeownership a Foundation for Success?

2010-10-15T15:12:00.003-04:00

In the past homeownership was assumed to be more beneficial to children than rental housing. Now there is research demonstrating otherwise.

Several recent research studies have found that the benefits of homeownership on children were overstated. In the Center for Housing Policy’s Insights from Housing Policy Research series, Maya Brennan reviews new research on the effects of homeownership on children and discusses what policy implications this research might have.

Research studies in the past have found connections between homeownership and positive outcomes such as higher test scores, higher graduation rates, fewer behavioral problems, lower rates of teenage parenthood, fewer problems related to allergies and asthma, and better physical health. New research shows that it does not really matter whether a child lives in an owned or rented home. Other factors including residential stability, neighborhood quality, school quality, and the parents themselves are more influential for a child’s well-being.

Researchers are reassessing this data by using sophisticated study design and analytic methods, identifying and controlling for other possible contributing factors, and reviewing the selection of populations to be studied. After accounting for the differences between homeowners and renters, homeownership has little effect on children’s educational outcomes, children’s behavior, and children’s health. Instead, home environment and neighborhood characteristics influence test scores and achievement. The research also found that parents who choose homeownership have personality traits that are beneficial to children’s education. This may lead researchers to incorrectly conclude that homeownership is the reason for the benefits.

Policymakers have used the earlier body of research to promote homeownership for low and moderate-income households. These homeownership programs may not be yielding the intended benefits. Although, more research needs to be done to determine what types of housing policies will work best to improve children’s outcomes, current research implies that housing policy should be re-balanced to equally value both rental housing and permanent forms of homeownership.

Click here to learn more about this research and read the full article.

Your Support Matters!

2010-08-18T11:46:00.003-04:00

We recently received a call from Donald, a retired veteran in a wheelchair living on a fixed income. The distress in his voice was palpable. He’d been living with his daughter for 13 years but a series of unfortunate events meant he now had to find a new home.

He needed:
• an apartment with rent and utilities less than $400 per month
• a deposit equal to the rent
• wheelchair accessibility
• proximity to a grocery store, his doctor’s offices and a pharmacy

With a little creative networking, we connected Donald with an agency that helped pay his deposit and a housing development that matched his needs. When he called back to let everyone know he had found a place you could hear him smiling and he said, “y’all have been so great. You’ve done so much to help me, I owe you a Christmas present.”

Everyone at the Coalition smiled too. Of course, he doesn’t owe anyone a Christmas present, it’s what we do. But, we couldn’t do this work without your support.

Please make a personal contribution today and help us continue to connect clients with the help they need and create lasting change. All North Carolinians
deserve a decent, safe place to lay their heads at night.

Many thanks and warm regards,

Ben Collins
Board Chair, North Carolina Housing Coalition

Click here to donate online!

Housing Matters 8.17.2010

2010-08-18T11:44:00.001-04:00

It's busy here as we're processing conference registrations and getting our panelists together to finalize workshop presentations. Two important notes on the Affordable Housing Conference - please make room reservations at the Sheraton, and please nominate someone you think should be recognized as volunteer and professional of the year in the world of affordable housing. Click here for more information.

In the last issue of Housing Matters, I mentioned that I spoke on the News & Views radio program hosted by Chris Fitzsimon of NC Policy Watch. To listen to the interview, click here.

Special thanks to Griff Gatewood, who is leaving CASA in Raleigh for Duke Divinity School. Griff did a great job at CASA working on the front lines of providing housing options for persons with disabilities. Though we're sorry to see him go, we wish him all the best as he moves on to this new chapter in his life and career.

Many times during the course of two weeks, I attend meetings covering a wide array of issues connected with housing. Last week, I gave two presentations that connected transportation, housing, and sustainable communities. The first was to the LUCID working group of the Triangle J Council of Governments. This group brought together area land-use and transit planners for a discussion on the importance of transportation access to affordable housing. The other meeting was NC-DHHS' event, “NC Active Living Leadership Forum.” The Governor’s cabinet secretaries, senior staff, and many legislators attended, and there was a high-level discussion on what makes healthy, sustainable communities. I was pleased to be able to bring the issues of equity and housing for low- and moderate-income people into their conversation.

Tomorrow, I'm headed to Philadephia for a NeighborWorks Symposium on Sustainable Development and Affordable Housing. Next week, I'll be in Durham for a state-level conversation led by the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation on racial wealth disparities in our nation and state.

NCHC Annual Campaign
By now, all of you should have received an attractive mailer from us asking for your financial support. We'd like to thank everyone for supporting the Housing Coalition as organizational members. However, we rely on your personal contributions as well. Our goal is to expand our capacity to support local housing advocacy efforts across the state that will promote more affordable housing development in more integrated settings. I want to thank Anne Ehlers for her great work on the Campaign! Please note that the clear envelope is recyclable! To donate online, please click here.

NC 2010 Affordable Housing Conference – Sept. 16-17th, Raleigh
Thanks to all of you who've already registered for this year’s Annual Affordable Housing Conference. The Conference is several weeks earlier this year so be sure to register now to get the lower registration rates. Together with CICCAR and NCHFA, we’ll again be hosting the conference at the Raleigh Convention Center on September 16-17th. Click here for all the information and to register. There are still rooms available at the Sheraton hotel.

Each year at our Annual Conference, we recognize those individuals who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to advocate for affordable housing. We're asking for nominees for our Volunteer and Professional of the Year Awards. Winners will be recognized at the Coalition’s luncheon on the second day. Please nominate someone you think is deserving. Click here for more details.

NC Housing News
As mentioned in last week's Housing Matters, the NC Department of Commerce, Division of Community Assistance will be hosting Fair Housing Roundtables across the state to get public input on the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing in NC. It's very important that your stories be recorded so we can highlight areas that need attention, and eventually establish a Fair Housing Enforcement Center in NC. Please plan on attending one of these roundtables listed in the Announcements below.

Thanks again for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Chris Estes
Executive Director

Housing Matters 8.3.10

2010-08-04T10:49:00.002-04:00

I can’t believe it's August already! Typically, this has been one of our slower months, but that's definitely not going to be the case this year, as we prepare for the Annual Affordable Housing Conference and many other meetings across the state!

Last week, I had the pleasure of presenting to a Just Economics leadership class in Asheville. Just Economics takes grassroots leaders through a series of workshops to empower them to be more effective and active advocates for their communities around the issue of living wage jobs and sustainable community development.

I also spoke on the News & Views radio program hosted by Chris Fitzsimon of NC Policy Watch. I've been a regular guest on his show, and this time we discussed the current housing market, foreclosures, the need for more affordable rental housing, the Homeowner Protection Act, and our upcoming Affordable Housing Conference. We will post a link to the interview next week on our website, Facebook page, and Blog.

I also appeared on the St. Augustines’ morning radio program hosted by George Hausen, Director of Legal Aid of NC and fair housing advocate Octavia Rainey. We discussed how failing to integrate affordable housing in fast-growing areas is the underlying issue to the school assignment question for Wake County Schools.

New NCHC Program: Manufactured Home Communities Advisors!
I'm excited to announce that the NC Housing Coalition has been selected by Resident Owned Communities USA as a Technical Assistance Program Affiliate. We'll receive a $50,000 grant from the Corporation for Enterprise Development to work with residents of manufactured home communities to convert their parks into resident-owned co-operatives and their homes into appreciating assets. We've hired Kevin Drexel from Asheville to lead this multistate (NC, SC, TN, KY) effort. Kevin spent two years working with us on converting a park in Burnsville, NC to a community land trust in order to preserve the land and homes of the residents.

We will be featuring this new program in a workshop at our conference. If you are a local community organization or local government official, we hope you'll attend to learn more about how you can work with Kevin on this effort.

NCHC Annual Campaign
By now, all of you should have received an attractive mailer from us asking for your financial support. We'd like to thank everyone for supporting the Housing Coalition as organizational members. However, we rely on your personal contributions as well. Our goal is to expand our capacity to support local housing advocacy efforts across the state that will promote more affordable housing development in more integrated settings. I want to thank Anne Ehlers for her great work on the Campaign! Please note that the clear envelope is recyclable!

NC 2010 Affordable Housing Conference – Sept. 16-17th, Raleigh
Thanks to all of you who've already registered for this year’s Annual Affordable Housing Conference. The Conference is several weeks earlier this year so be sure to register now to get the lower registration rates. Together with CICCAR and NCHFA, we’ll again be hosting the conference at the Raleigh Convention Center on September 16-17th. Click here for all the information and to register. There are still rooms available at the Sheraton hotel.

Each year at our Annual Conference, we recognize those individuals who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to advocate for affordable housing. We're asking for nominees for our Volunteer and Professional of the Year Awards. Winners will be recognized at the Coalition’s luncheon on the second day. Please nominate someone you think is deserving. Click here for more details.

NC Housing News
As mentioned in last week's Housing Matters, the NC Department of Commerce, Division of Community Assistance will be hosting Fair Housing Roundtables across the state to get public input on the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing in NC. It's very important that your stories be recorded in the Analysis of Impediment so we can highlight areas that need attention and eventually establish a Fair Housing Enforcement Center in NC. Please keep an eye on our website, as we'll be posting more information as it's available.

Thanks again for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Chris Estes
Executive Director

NC SAVE$ Energy

2010-07-30T11:26:00.003-04:00

One of our ongoing goals at NCHC is to promote energy efficiency measures that reduce utility costs, preserve and improve NC's affordable housing stock, and reduce carbon emissions. That's why we are a member of the NC SAVE$ Energy Coalition. NC SAVE$ Energy (HB 1050) is a proposal by consumer, social justice, housing, and environmental groups to create an independent (non-utility) energy efficiency program for North Carolina. As introduced in the North Carolina House, this bill will enable residents all over the state to participate the economic and environmental benefits of energy efficiency. Programs could include weatherizing homes, appliance upgrades, and efficiency technology such as timers for lights and a/c and other cost-effective activities. For more information, visit www.ncsavesenergy.org and check out NC SAVE$ Energy's new video.

2010-07-29T14:01:00.003-04:00

What Wall Street Reform Means for Housing...

2010-07-29T09:11:00.000-04:00

On July 21, 2010 President Obama signed into law the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, sweeping legislation that covers a broad range of financial and housing policy issues. The Act contains several key provisions of importance to homeless and low income Americans.

•The law extends the expiration date for the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act (PTFA) from the end of 2012 to the end of 2014. PTFA ensures that tenants living in foreclosed properties can remain in their housing for as long as possible after the property owner / landlord is foreclosed upon and a new party takes ownership of the property. The Law Center hopes to make PTFA permanent, but is extremely pleased in the short term to see it extended.

•The law also clarifies an ambiguous provision of PTFA, explaining that the date of a "notice of foreclosure" means the date on which title to a property is transferred by a court order or through a non-judicial foreclosure process. Since in many cases tenants can only use PTFA to remain in their homes for 90 days after a notice of foreclosure, it was important to clarify that earlier notices to tenants did not start the 90 day clock after which a tenant would have to move. The Law Center anticipates that this provision will help keep tenants in their homes for longer periods of time, but will continue to monitor implementation of the law, to ensure that it is being vigorously enforced.

•In addition, the law provides $1 billion in new funding under HUD's Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), a program that sends money to help rebuild housing in blighted communities. This new funding includes an ongoing requirement that 25% of NSP funds be used to benefit low income people.

•The law creates an Emergency Homeowners' Relief Fund at HUD, designed to provide temporary mortgage assistance to homeowners, to help avoid foreclosures. This program is funded at $1 billion.

•And finally, the bill sets up a HUD program to fund civil legal services to prevent foreclosure among homeowners and eviction of tenants in foreclosed properties. Unfortunately, the law does not provide money for this new program, meaning that it will not get off the ground until funds are appropriated by Congress.

NC HOUSING UPDATES...

2010-07-21T08:17:00.000-04:00

Settling back into work after taking some time off is always difficult, but at least the heat keeps me from wishing I was outside! I was glad to see some rain finally come our way, and hopefully more is in store to avert another drought.

This week, I will be presenting to the Triangle J Council of Governments, Council on Aging group, as Triangle J prepares to apply for a HUD Sustainable Communities Grant. Next week, I will be in Asheville to present to the Just Economics grassroots leadership class on the housing and financial challenges currently facing our economy.

NC Legislative News
Our state legislators returned to their home districts after several long days during the final stretch of the 2010 session. While many of the structural budget problems were left for next year’s Assembly, we're happy to report that several key housing-related pieces of legislation passed.

SB1015, The Homeowner and Homebuyer Protection Act, passed on the final day in a slightly weaker fashion than originally introduced. Working in coalition with other advocacy groups such as the NC Justice Center and the Center for Responsible Lending, we were able to fight off several attempts to water down the bill.

SB 1216 also passed and will extend and expand the State Foreclosure Prevention Program that is administered by the Commissioner of Banks office. This bill extends the program through 2013 and opens it to all types of home loans, not just subprime. See below for more details on these two bills.

Because of the hard work of Carley and our lobbyists at the Policy Group, no legislation passed that adversely affected affordable housing or impacted property tax assessments on LIHTC developments. Thanks to Steve Metcalf and his team at the Policy Group and to Carley Ruff for their great work at the General Assembly.

NC 2010 Affordable Housing Conference – Sept. 16-17th, Raleigh
Thanks to all of you who have already registered for this year’s Annual Affordable Housing Conference. The Conference is several weeks earlier this year so be sure and register now to get the lower registration rates. Together with CICCAR and NCHFA, we’ll again be hosting the conference at the Raleigh Convention Center on September 16-17th. Click here for all the information and to register.

Each year at our Annual Conference, we recognize those individuals who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to advocate for affordable housing. We are asking for nominees for our Volunteer and Professional of the Year Awards. Winners will be recognized at the Coalition’s luncheon on the second day. Please nominate someone you think deserving. Click here for more details.

NC Housing News
Next week, on July 27th, we’re happy to partner with NC Legal Aid to offering a Fair Housing and Reasonable Accommodations/Modifications Workshop in Greensboro. Click here for the details and to register.

Thanks again for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Chris Estes
Executive Director

HOUSING CHALLENGES: Where have we been, Where are we now and Where are we going?

2010-07-13T15:00:00.001-04:00

The Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, has released its annual The State of the Nation’s Housing report on June 14, 2010. This report provides a periodic assessment of the nation’s housing outlook and summarizes important trends in the economics and demographics of housing. The report continues to earn national recognition as a source of information regularly utilized by housing researchers, industry analyst, policy makers, and the business community.

In order for policy to be most effective – especially as it relates to housing, it is important to know the historical and current state of affairs, in order to successfully make plausible strides toward the future. According to The State of the Nation’s Housing 2009 report, the Summary of Housing Challenges revealed the following findings:

• Affordability Concerns – the share of cost-burdened households shot up by almost six percentage points between 2001 and 2007;
• Housing Conditions – about one in ten households in the bottom income quartile lived in inadequate housing in 2007;
• Employment Pressures – at the end of April 2009, unemployment had hit 8.9 percent or 5.7 million workers;
• Fragile Family Finances – aggregate household debt doubled;
• Race Matters - in April 2009, the unemployment rate was 15.0 percent for blacks, 11.3 percent for Hispanics, and 8.0 percent for whites;
• Crisis Responses – A study by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) revealed that state governments anticipated a revenue shortfall of $99 billion.

So what does The State of the Nation’s Housing 2010, Summary of Housing Challenges reveal compared to last year? The findings are listed as follows:
• Widespread Cost Burdens – the share of severely burdened households jumped to 16 percent in 2008;
• Income-Housing Cost Mismatch – in 2008, 24 percent of renters spent half or more of their income on housing;
• Unemployment & Housing Insecurity – in April 2010, 6.7 million workers had been out of work for more than six months;
• Household Deleveraging – between 2006 and 2009, bankruptcies climbed from 600,000 to 1.4 million.

Based on The State of the Nation’s Housing report, there were many housing challenges in 2009, while many of those same challenges were similarly indicated in the 2010 report. Despite, the previous and current years reported housing challenges, it is of essence to note the strides that are being made in getting America to brighter days.

So, exactly where are we heading? According to The State of the Nation’s Housing 2010report, the Housing Challenges summary has revealed the following:

• Federal Responses – 1.) States paid out $79.6 billion in unemployment benefits over the course of 2009, up from $32.4 billion in 2007; 2.) The federal government launched the Home Affordable Modification Program in 2009 to reduce housing payments for eligible households; 3.) While the $5.9 billion appropriated for The Neighborhood Stabilization Programs remains small – the program has been intended to target the neediest neighborhoods, even if only in a few areas; 4.) To help with local foreclosure prevention efforts, the federal government has also awarded $2.1 billion to Housing Finance Agencies in the five states with the steepest house price declines and an additional five states with high concentration of unemployment; 5.) The Choice Neighborhoods Initiative has launched, it is designed to make transformative investments in neighborhoods where public and assisted is concentrated; 6.) The government is also leveraging housing by providing some limited but path-breaking support for regional planning in coordination with the Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency.

In addition to the federal programs listed above in The State of The Nation’s Housing 2010 report, North Carolina, recently passed Senate Bill (SB) 1015, which will be instrumental for North Carolinian Homeowners and Homebuyers:

• Local Policy - on July 7th, SB1015 (the Homeowner and Homebuyer Protection Act) passed the NC Senate and is on its way to Governor Perdue for her signature. This Bill will help NC homeowners facing unprecedented job loss and risk of foreclosure by prohibiting foreclosure rescue scams.

It goes without saying that it will likely take years for the repercussions from the Great Recession to abate. In the face of the challenges, the Obama Administration has focused on streamlining federal housing programs and continues to move toward programs that secure the fair market rent system. While the federal budget deficit continues to loom, it may take some time to notice a dent in the widespread housing affordability issues. However, it is worth noting where we have been, where we are now, and where we are going in our journey for continued housing affordability success.

To read the full report, go to…
http://www.jchs.harvard.edu/publications/markets/son2010/index.htm

HOUSING UPDATES!

2010-07-07T15:11:00.002-04:00

Good afternoon! I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend and enjoyed the fantastic weather we had, as summer’s heat is back. We’ve been busy at the Coalition, as this year’s legislative session is drawing to a close. See Carley’s legislative update below for all the details. Chris and Regina are out of the office this week on well-deserved vacations, but the rest of the staff is hard at work.
We’re excited to announce that registration for this year’s Annual Affordable Housing Conference has opened! Together with CICCAR and NCHFA, we’ll again be hosting the conference at the Raleigh Convention Center on September 16-17th.

Each year at our Annual Conference, we recognize those individuals who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to advocate for affordable housing. We are asking for nominees for our Volunteer and Professional of the Year Awards. Winners will be recognized at the Coalition’s luncheon on the second day.

On July 27th, we’re happy to partner with NC Legal Aid in offering a Fair Housing and Reasonable Accommodations/Modifications Workshop in Greensboro.

As we’ve mentioned before, the Coalition has had an ongoing relationship with UNC’s School of Social Work Department. Over the years, we’ve had students intern at the Coalition, which has been a positive experience. We’re happy to announce that our two interns from last year have secured jobs in partner organizations. Alex Bidot is now with Orange County Habitat for Humanity and Jessica Parker is with the Northern Moore Family Resource Center. We wish them the best and look forward to working with them in the future. We’d also like to officially welcome Kareema Whitfield to the Coalition, who will be interning for the summer.

Congratulations to DHIC, DCLT, and Self-Help on the grand opening of Maplewood Square Apartments in Durham! This is a beautiful development for fixed-income seniors. It was wonderful to witness the community’s support at last week’s celebration.

Also, thank you to the Durham Housing Coalition for inviting Chris and Anne to speak at the Durham Affordable Housing Summit last Thursday. Durham is making great progress in regards to affordable housing.

Thanks again for your continued support.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

State
Homeowner and Homebuyer Protection Act

Thank you for contacting your House members about SB1015! Yesterday, SB1015, The Homeowner and Homebuyer Protection Act passed the NC House by a vote of 89 – 23, thanks to your action!

Today, the Senate will vote whether to concur with the House version of the bill. There has been considerable pressure to weaken or kill the bill. Let’s keep that from happening! Please call your NC Senator and urge him/her to vote YES on SB1015! Click here to find your legislator's contact information. If the bill passes today and becomes law, it will prohibit foreclosure rescue scams and add greater consumer protections regarding “rent to own” contracts and contracts for deeds.

Thank you again for your hard work and firm support of this legislation!

State Foreclosure Prevention Program
SB 1216 has passed favorably out of the House and will likely pass the Senate this afternoon. SB 1216 will extend and expand the State Foreclosure Prevention Program that is administered by the Commissioner of Banks office. The program, set to expire in October, was put into place in 2008 to address the influx of foreclosures due to subprime lending. Since its inception, the program has connected thousands of North Carolinians facing foreclosure with HUD-certified housing counselors and helped over 4,000 people avoid foreclosure. If passed, SB1216 will extend the program to 2013 and open it to all types of home loans, not just subprime. The program would be funded by a fee on foreclosure filings.

National

National Housing Trust Fund: H.R.4213

The U.S. Senate ended the June work period and left for the July 4th recess without acting on H.R. 4213, the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010 (the extender bill). However, two elements of the bill, extension of unemployment benefits and the homebuyer tax credit, were decoupled from the larger bill and brought up separately. Both the Senate and the House passed the extension of the tax credit, but the Senate once again failed to get enough votes to preempt a filibuster of the bill extending unemployment benefits.

The Senate could take up a version of H.R. 4213, which includes a number of extensions of business-related tax credits as well as the funds for the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF) and three important provisions related to the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program after the July 4th recess. All these provisions are paid for by closing several tax loopholes that benefit certain business interests. Some pro-business groups have indicated they are less interested in the “extenders” passing if they come at the cost of increased taxes.

Housing advocates are urging House and Senate leaders to attach the NHTF to whatever legislative vehicle is sure to pass.

Comments Invited on CRA Regulations
The agencies that regulate banks and thrifts request written or oral comments on whether and how they should revise their regulations to better serve the Community Reinvestment Act’s goals. Public hearings will be held in four cities between July 19th and August 17th. Written comments may be submitted through August 31st.

National Homeless Plan Released
Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness is intended to serve as a roadmap for action by federal agencies along with local and state partners in the public and private sectors, to end veterans and chronic homelessness by 2015, and to end homelessness among children, family, and youth by 2020.

PLAEASE ACT TODAY!

2010-07-06T08:19:00.001-04:00

Call your member of the House and ask them to Vote YES on SB1015 (the Homeowner and Homebuyer Protection Act) without any amendments that could weaken the bill.

Rep. Rick Glazier, Vice Chairman, 919-733-5601, Rick.Glazier@ncleg.net
(Cumberland)
Rep. Jimmy Love, Vice Chairman, 919-715-3026, Jimmy.Love@ncleg.net
(Harnett, Lee)
Rep. Jennifer Weiss, Vice Chairman, 919-715-3010, Jennifer.Weiss@ncleg.net
(Wake)
Rep. Hugh Blackwell, 919-733-5805, Hugh.Blackwell@ncleg.net
(Burke)
Rep. Alice Bordsen, 919-733-5820, mailto:Alice.Bordsen@ncleg.net
(Alamance)
Rep. Justin Burr, 919-733-5908, Justin.Burr@ncleg.net
(Montgomery, Stanly, Union)
Rep. James W. Crawford, 919-733-5824, Jim.Crawford@ncleg.net
(Granville, Vance)
Rep. Dale Folwell, 919-733-5787, Dale.Folwell@ncleg.net
(Forsyth)
Rep. Rosa Gill, 919-733-5880, Rosa.Gill@ncleg.net
(Wake)
Rep. Pat Hurley, 919-733-5865, Pat.Hurley@ncleg.net
(Randolph)
Rep. Darren Jackson, 919-733-5974, Darren.Jackson@ncleg.net
(Wake)
Rep. Linda Johnson, 919-733-5861, Linda.Johnson2@ncleg.net
(Cabarrus)
Rep. Earl Jones, 919-733-5825, Earl.Jones@ncleg.net
(Guilford)
Rep. Tim Moore, 919-733-4838, Tim.Moore@ncleg.net
(Cleveland)
Rep. Earline Parmon, 919-733-5829, Earline.Parmon@ncleg.net
(Forsyth)
Rep. Johnathan Rhyne, 919-733-5782, Johnathan.Rhyne@ncleg.net
(Lincoln)
Rep. Timothy Spear, 919-715-3029, Tim.Spear@ncleg.net
(Chowan, Dare, Hyde, Washington)

Please also contact:

Rep. Joe Hackney, Speaker of the House, 919-733-3451, Joe.Hackney@ncleg.net,
(Chatham, Moore, Orange)

NC Housing Update

2010-06-29T11:55:00.000-04:00

Each week, NCHC Staff cover the state working on a variety of issues. Here's what we've been up to.

Regina travelled to Concord to support the Time to Build workshop for Housing Counselors held by Prosperity Unlimited. She then headed down to the Davidson Housing Coalition’s Open House. This week, she is attending the National Alliance of HUD Tenants conference in Washington DC with two tenants from eastern NC.

Anne and I travelled to Lexington to attend the opening of the new Homeownership Center. The Center is led by the Lexington CDC, but includes multiple partners so it can serve as a “one stop shop” for resources. It serves everyone with housing needs in Davidson County. From there, we headed to Greensboro to the opening of Churchview Farm, an affordable seniors development built by George Carr and Beacon Management. Congratulations to both groups for making a real difference in those communities. With all of the inevitable NIMBY opposition, it was great to see such good local support at these events.

Last week, Carley and I also spent the day in Charlotte meeting with members of the Mixed Income Housing Coalition about how to add our input to proposed revisions to the city’s locational policy. These guidelines have a big impact on where affordable housing can be built in Charlotte. However, the current policy only affects where assisted multi-family developments can be located. It does not impact the location of Section 8 rentals and fails to consider broader community development strategies for vulnerable communities where tax credit multifamily development can be an effective form of community investment. We are glad that Charlotte has seen that change is needed in the policy and will encourage city leadership to look at the issue more holistically. Please let us know if your community is reviewing its locational policies and if we can help you provide feedback to improve them.

Next week, several staff will be at the opening of Maplewood Apartments in Durham. This is a collaborative effort between Self Help, Durham Community Land Trust, and DHIC of Raleigh. The next day, I will be speaking at the CDC Association’s Sustainability Conference in Charlotte, and the day after I will be at the the Housing Summit in Durham led by the Durham Affordable Housing Coalition. See the Announcements section for more information this opportunities.

ACTION ALERT: Ask your member of the NC House to vote YES on the Homeowner and Homebuyer Protection Act!

2010-06-24T16:22:00.005-04:00

Now, more than ever, your help is needed to protect homeowners and homebuyers from predatory real estate practices!

Contact your member of the NC House of Representatives TODAY and urge them to vote YES for SB 1015, the Homeowner and Homebuyer Protection Act!

The Issue:
Next week the NC House will vote on SB 1015, the Homeowner and Homebuyer Protection Act, sponsored by Senator Josh Stein. We are in a race to the finishline to pass this important bill before the legislative session ends!

SB 1015 will prohibit foreclosure rescue scams and add reasonable consumer protections to certain real estate transactions: lease-option or "rent to own" deals and contracts for deeds. These scams and real estate practices have been used in deceitful ways to exploit families who are desperately looking for ways to save their home from foreclosure and North Carolinians looking for an alternative path to homeownership.

Please act today!

Contact your member of the House and urge them to VOTE YES on SB1015.

To look up contact information for your House member, click here.

Please also contact:* Rep. Joe Hackney, Speaker of the House, Joe.Hackney@ncleg.net, 919-733-3451 (Chatham, Moore, Orange)

The Ask:
Please vote YES on SB 1015, the Homeowner and Homebuyer Protection Act. This bill will help NC homeowners facing unprecedented job loss and risk of foreclosure by prohibiting foreclosure rescue scams. It will also protect unsuspecting homebuyers from a range of predatory real estate practices that stand in the way of sustainable homeownership.

Thank you for your assistance and support. If you have any questions, please contact me at cruff@nchousing.org or 919-827-4496 .

In appreciation,

Carley Ruff
Policy and Outreach Coordinator
North Carolina Housing Coalition
Educating and Advocating for Change
http://www.nchousing.org/

Foreclosures by Race and Ethnicity: The Demographics of a Crisis

2010-06-23T13:39:00.001-04:00

The ongoing foreclosure crisis has been a disaster for many American communities – especially communities of color. According to the June 18, report by the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL), approximately 17% of Latino homeowners and 11% of African-American homeowners have lost their homes due to foreclosure or who are at “imminent risk” of foreclosure. According to the report, imminent risk is defined as two or more payments behind or in foreclosure process.

There is no single set of numbers that depict the story. CRL used several datasets to calculate the impact of foreclosures on people of color. Regardless of which database, compilation, or tabulation system used by CRL, the numbers add up the same and the results are disturbing. Of importance, is that these disparities hold across all income lines.

Among the report's findings:

• An estimated 2.5 million foreclosures were completed from 2007-2009 and an estimated 5.7 are imminent. (Independent estimates have suggested that up to 13 million homes will be lost through 2014.)
• Among completed foreclosures, most on mortgages made between 2005 and 2008, CRL estimates that 56 percent involved a white family. But, black and Hispanic families have received a disproportionate share, even when accounting for income: Nearly 8 percent of both groups have already lost a home, compared with 4.5 percent of white borrowers.
• The great majority of homes lost were owner occupied, as are those at imminent risk of being lost.
“As Congress finishes financial reform legislation, the rules on home lending need to get stronger, not weaker,” said Mike Calhoun, CRL president. “We need to make sure a foreclosure crisis of this type never happens again, and, though so many homes have been lost, it's not too late to prevent more damage."

To reverse the foreclosure trend, the CRL recommends policymakers strengthen efforts to prevent needless foreclosures. While the CRL praises the government’s volunteer Home Affordable Modification Program, it feels it doesn't go far enough in holding lenders' feet to the fire. CRL suggests a multipronged approach to mortgage modification that includes requiring all servicers to engage in loss mitigation and providing authority to bankruptcy judges to modify mortgages on principal residences.

To read the full report, go to….

http://www.responsiblelending.org/mortgage-lending/research-analysis/foreclosures-by-race-and-ethnicity.html

OBAMA ADMINISTRATION INTRODUCES MONTHLY HOUSING SCORECARD

2010-06-22T08:21:00.001-04:00

OBAMA ADMINISTRATION INTRODUCES MONTHLY HOUSING SCORECARD

IMPACT OF ADMINISTRATION EFFORTS SEEN IN SIGNS OF HOUSE PRICE STABILIZATION AND INCREASED AFFORDABILITY
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury today introduced a monthly scorecard on the nation's housing market. Each month, the scorecard will incorporate key housing market indicators and highlight the impact of the Administration's unprecedented housing recovery efforts, including assistance to homeowners through the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP). This scorecard contains key data on the health of the housing market including:

•After 30 straight months of decline and an expectation of continued nearly 14 percent decline, home prices leveled off in the past year and expectations have adjusted upward
•Mortgages are more affordable: due to historically low interest rates, more than 6 million homeowners have refinanced, saving an estimated $150 per month on average and more than $11 billion in total. And more than 2.5 million families have purchased a home using the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit.
•Servicers report that the number of homeowners receiving restructured mortgages since April 2009 has increased to 2.8 million. Additionally, nearly half of homeowners unable to enter a HAMP permanent modification enter an alternative modification with their servicer, and fewer than 10 percent of cancelled trials move to foreclosure sale.
•However, the foreclosure prevention initiatives are not intended to help all borrowers and the market will continue to adjust for some time. The supply of homes on and off market remains near all-time highs. It will take time to work though this large inventory.
"We already know that due to the Obama Administration's efforts, the housing market is significantly better than anyone predicted a year ago," said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. "This scorecard will allow the American people to monitor the Administration's efforts to strengthen the housing market on a monthly basis and hold the government and industry accountable. Demonstrating the progress in the housing market due to the Administration's policies, this month's report provides a broad set of indicators showing encouraging signs of recovery."

"The Administration's housing policies, combined with actions of the Fed, have lowered mortgage interest rates, helped stabilize home prices and reduced the rate of foreclosures, repairing some of the damage caused by the financial crisis to the financial security of millions and millions of American families," said Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. " And the Administration's loan modification programs have given more than a million responsible homeowners a chance to stay in their homes. We are going to keep working to help the Americans hardest hit by this crisis, and as we do we will make sure we are careful stewards of the scarce resources of the American taxpayer."

The Administration's goal is to promote stability for both the housing market and homeowners. To meet these objectives, the Administration developed a broad based approach including state and local housing agency initiatives, tax credits for homebuyers, neighborhood stabilization and community development programs, mortgage modifications and refinancings, and support for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. These efforts build on Federal Reserve and Treasury mortgage backed securities purchase programs that have helped to keep mortgage interest rates to record lows over the past year.

These initiatives have resulted in measurable progress, particularly in affordability of mortgage credit across the market. Low interest rates have helped more than 6 million families refinance, resulting in more stable home prices and $11 billion in total borrower savings. More than 2.5 million Americans purchased a home using the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit, helping to further stabilize home prices.

At the same time, FHA has helped maintain affordability by playing an important backstop role, stepping in to support home purchase and refinance activity at a time when private capital was fleeing the mortgage market. In addition, the FHA helped nearly 400,000 homeowners stay in their homes since April 2009 through FHA loss mitigation efforts, which include modification options. While providing access to affordable mortgage capital and helping homeowners prevent foreclosures, the FHA has also taken unprecedented administrative and regulatory steps to improve risk management and has pursued essential reforms to strengthen its finances.

Servicers report that the number of homeowners receiving restructured mortgages since April 2009 has increased to 2.8 million. This includes more than 1.2 million homeowners who have started HAMP trial modifications and nearly 400,000 who have benefitted from FHA loss mitigation activities. Of those in the HAMP program, 346,000 have entered a permanent modification saving a median of more than $500 per month.

The housing scorecard now incorporates the monthly Making Home Affordable Program Servicer Performance Report, including HAMP modification data that once again shows a month-over-month increase in permanent modifications, with average growth of roughly 50,000 permanent modifications per month over the last four months. Servicer data indicates close to half of the homeowners in HAMP trial modifications who were ultimately ineligible for a HAMP permanent modification were offered an alternative modification and less than 10 percent move to foreclosure sale In addition to the modifications through HAMP, servicers have adopted the HAMP guidelines as an industry standard and are now initiating their own modification agreements incorporating many of the HAMP affordability principles. . Homeowners who cannot afford a modified payment under HAMP may also be eligible for the Administration's Foreclosure Alternatives Program, to help relocate to more affordable housing that is sustainable over the long term.

The housing scorecard details new reporting on both the scope of Treasury's compliance activities and the areas of focus for compliance reviews under HAMP. Compliance activities include on-site reviews, file reviews and reviews of net present value (NPV) model applications. Also included are the first-ever results of compliance-related "second look" reviews of select servicers to ensure that potentially eligible borrowers were solicited and properly evaluated for HAMP. Treasury's compliance activities will lead to improvements in servicer performance and process improvements designed to minimize the likelihood that borrower applications are overlooked or that applicants are inadvertently denied a modification.

Complete Housing Scorecard available at: www.hud.gov/scorecard

HUD ISSUES 2009 HOMELESS ASSESSMENT REPORT TO CONGRESS: Individual homelessness down; Family homelessness up for second straight year

2010-06-18T10:39:00.003-04:00

HUD No. 10-124
Brian Sullivan
(202) 708-0685
www.hud.gov/news
FOR RELEASE
Wednesday
June 16, 2010

HUD ISSUES 2009 ANNUAL HOMELESS ASSESSMENT REPORT TO CONGRESS
Individual homelessness down; Family homelessness up for second straight year
WASHINGTON – The total number of homeless persons in America dropped slightly between 2008 and 2009 although the number of homeless families increased, almost certainly due to the ongoing effects of the recession. That’s the conclusion of the 2009 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, a yearly study by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development designed to measure the scope of homelessness across the country.

HUD’s latest report finds that 643,000 persons were homeless on a given night in 2009 while roughly 1.56 million people, or one in every 200 Americans, spent at least one night in a shelter during 2009. While the total estimated number of persons who experience homelessness as individuals declined by 5 percent, the number of homeless families increased for the second straight year.

“As a nation, we appear to be doing a better job sheltering those who might otherwise be living on our streets but clearly homelessness is impacting a greater share of families with children,” said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. “As patterns of homelessness change, we must use the latest data to tailor our response. The Obama Administration is committed to ending homelessness in all its forms.”

HUD’s annual assessment is based on two measures of homelessness:

•Point-In-Time ‘Snapshot’ Counts – these data account for sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons on a single night, usually at the end of January. On a given night in January 2009, volunteers throughout the nation counted 643,000 homeless people. A majority of these communities reported increases in the number of sheltered persons and decreases in unsheltered or ‘street homeless’ revealing a greater capacity and success in finding housing solutions for those who are homeless.
Long-term or chronic homelessness has continued a pattern of decline in the U.S. since 2006. HUD currently estimates that nearly 111,000 people were chronically homeless on a single night in January 2009, more than a 10 percent drop from 2008 and nearly 30 percent from levels reported in 2006. All of this year’s decrease in chronic homelessness occurred among the unsheltered ‘street population.’ Much of the decline since 2006 may be associated with the dramatic expansion of the permanent supportive housing stock, which increased from 177,000 to 219,000 beds during this time period.

•12-Month Counts – Using Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS), these data provide more detailed information on persons who access a shelter over the course of a full year. In the 2009 AHAR, 2,988 counties and 1,056 cities contributed HMIS data to produce national estimates of sheltered homeless. HUD estimates that 1.56 million persons experienced homelessness and found shelter between October 1, 2008 and September 30, 2009. A typical sheltered homeless person is a single, middle-aged man and a member of a minority group. Of all those who sought emergency shelter or transitional housing during 2009, the following characteristics were observed:

•78 percent of all sheltered homeless persons are adults.
•61 percent are male.
•62 percent are members of a minority group.
•38 percent are 31-to-50 years old.
•64 percent are in one-person households.
•38 percent have a disability.
HUD’s report also reveals the following trends:

From 2008-2009:

•Between 2008 and 2009, the number of individuals in emergency shelters and transitional housing programs dropped by nearly 58,000 people or 5 percent. Meanwhile, sheltered homeless persons in families increased by almost 19,000 people or 3.6 percent.
•When families are considered as households rather than as the separate people in the households, the increase was nearly 11,000 families between 2008 and 20098, a seven percent increase over the 159,142 sheltered homeless families in 2008.
From 2007-2009:

•Between 2007 and 2009, the drop in the number of sheltered homeless individuals was 80,000 people or about 7 percent. This decline may be related to the ability of communities to place people into an expanding stock of permanent housing, which increased from about 177,000 to 219,000 beds during this time period.
•In 2009, nearly 62,000 more family members were in emergency shelter or transitional housing at some point during the year than had been in 2007. Considered as households rather than as separate people, the growth in sheltered family homelessness over the three years was almost 40,000 families, representing a 30 percent increase.
Looking Ahead

The long-term impacts of the recession are unclear. A recent study found a nearly five-fold increase in the rate of housing overcrowding, suggesting that many families are doubling up in response to the economic downturn. If some of these family support networks already are struggling to make ends meet, some of the doubled-up families may find their way into the homeless residential service system during 2010.

On the other hand, as the nation comes out of the recession and as the stimulus funding made available through the Homeless Prevention and Re-housing (HPRP) Program starts helping families in crisis avoid shelter, it also is possible that family homelessness will decline during the next reporting period. Indeed, as of May 2010, HPRP has already served more than 350,000 people and approximately 75 percent of the funds have been used for prevention services.

Painter, Gary. 2010. What Happens to Household Formation in a Recession? Research Institute for Housing America and the Mortgage Bankers Association.

###

HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov.

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Washington D.C. ……Here She Comes!

2010-06-14T14:34:00.001-04:00

Janice Williams, a tenant of Maxton Village Apartments, who hopes to attend the National Alliance of HUD Tenants (NAHT) Conference in Washington D.C. this year. Her first trip to the NAHT conference was in 2006, along with tenants from seven HUD properties from around the state, making North Carolina the largest state delegation of HUD tenants represented that year.
The NAHT conference offers workshops presented by tenants from around the nation on topics ranging from “How to Start a Tenant Association” to “How to Purchase Your Building”. Stories are shared about struggles and victories in the fight to preserve their affordable housing properties. There are heart-warming parts of the conference during honors remembrances of the deceased. HUD officials are always invited to speak followed by a Q&A session with them about specific tenant protections and preservation of affordable project-based properties. Deputy Assistant Secretary of HUD, Carol Galante, will be the guest speaker this year.
During our last attendance at the conference in 2008, we were able to schedule legislative office visits to meet with congressional staffers. Janice took advantage of the opportunity to talk to her congressman’s staffer about improvements made at Maxton Village Apartments as a result of the Mark to Market program. It was good for them to hear about what was going on at her apartment complex from a tenant’s perspective.
So here we are in 2010 and Janice is working hard to return the conference in Washington DC. To help pay for the trip and conference registration Janice held a dinner fundraiser in April. As she prepared dinners for her customers, she would stop momentarily to pass around photos of her past trips to the D.C. conference. She even remembers many tenants by name and the states they were from! Janice made a small profit and plans to hold another fundraiser later this month.
What is important to understand about Janice is that her determination to overcome obstacles doesn’t just apply to being an advocate for resident in her apartment complex. She has been recently diagnosed with MS but has not let this illness hamper her determination and willpower. She has continued to be active in her community and is looking forward more than ever to taking her message of the importance of affordable housing to her federal legislators in Washington.
I will accompany Janice to the NAHT conference. While in Washington I will meet with Congressional staff to discuss resources for tenant organizing, a HUD program the Coalition administered from 1998 to 2006, promoting tenant participation in at risk expiring Section 8 buildings. –Regina Green

Closing a door on homebuying abuses

2010-06-11T12:45:00.000-04:00

http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/06/09/521697/closing-a-door-on-homebuying-abuses.html#ixzz0qZ226AM7

State Legislative Update

2010-06-10T12:23:00.002-04:00

Last week, SB1015, the Homeowner and Homebuyer Protection Act passed favorably out of the House Committe on Financial Institutions. The bill then moved on the House Judiciary II Committee (J2) for review. The J2 Committe met today to discuss SB1015, and per the request of Chairman Glazier, the bill was put into a sub0committee for further review. Members of the sub-committee include Rep. Rhyne, Rep. Jackson, Rep. Gill, Rep. Glazier, and Rep. Hurley. The bill will likely be scheduled for a committe vote early next week.

As noted in previous issues of Housing Matters, SB1015 would prohibit foreclosure rescue scams create reasonable regulations and standards for options to purchase or "rent to own" contracts and contracts for deeds. These scams and unscrupulous real estate transactions are used to exploit and manipulate families struggling to pay a home loan or families who are having trouble obtaining a loan to purchase a home.

Thank you for your outpouring of support for this bill! Please continue to call and email the Speaker of the House and members of the House Judiciary II Committe and urge them to vote YES on SB1015.

ACTION ALERT: Urge your lawmaker to protect homeowners and homebuyers facing predatory real estate practices

2010-06-03T11:26:00.016-04:00

ACTION ALERT: Join NC Justice Center in urging lawmakers to protect homeowners and homebuyers from predatory real estate practices

Soon, the NC House Judiciary Committee II (J2) will meet to discuss SB1015, The Homeowner and Homebuyer Protection Act, sponsored by Senator Josh Stein. This bill would prohibit foreclosure rescue scams and create reasonable regulation and standards for option to purchase or "rent to own" contracts and contracts for deeds. These scams and unscrupulous real estate transactions are used to exploit and manipulate families struggling to pay a home loan or families who are having trouble obtaining a loan to purchase a home.

Please act today!

Contact the members of the House Judiciary Committee II and urge them to support SB1015.

Rep. Rick Glazier, Vice Chairman, 919-733-5601, Rick.Glazier@ncleg.net
(Cumberland)
Rep. Jimmy Love, Vice Chairman, 919-715-3026, Jimmy.Love@ncleg.net
(Harnett, Lee)
Rep. Jennifer Weiss, Vice Chairman, 919-715-3010, Jennifer.Weiss@ncleg.net
(Wake)
Rep. Hugh Blackwell, 919-733-5805, Hugh.Blackwell@ncleg.net
(Burke)
Rep. Alice Bordsen, 919-733-5820, mailto:Alice.Bordsen@ncleg.net
(Alamance)
Rep. Justin Burr, 919-733-5908, Justin.Burr@ncleg.net
(Montgomery, Stanly, Union)
Rep. James W. Crawford, 919-733-5824, Jim.Crawford@ncleg.net
(Granville, Vance)
Rep. Dale Folwell, 919-733-5787, Dale.Folwell@ncleg.net
(Forsyth)
Rep. Rosa Gill, 919-733-5880, Rosa.Gill@ncleg.net
(Wake)
Rep. Pat Hurley, 919-733-5865, Pat.Hurley@ncleg.net
(Randolph)
Rep. Darren Jackson, 919-733-5974, Darren.Jackson@ncleg.net
(Wake)
Rep. Linda Johnson, 919-733-5861, Linda.Johnson2@ncleg.net
(Cabarrus)
Rep. Earl Jones, 919-733-5825, Earl.Jones@ncleg.net
(Guilford)
Rep. Tim Moore, 919-733-4838, Tim.Moore@ncleg.net
(Cleveland)
Rep. Earline Parmon, 919-733-5829, Earline.Parmon@ncleg.net
(Forsyth)
Rep. Johnathan Rhyne, 919-733-5782, Johnathan.Rhyne@ncleg.net
(Lincoln)
Rep. Timothy Spear, 919-715-3029, Tim.Spear@ncleg.net
(Chowan, Dare, Hyde, Washington)

Please also contact:

Rep. Joe Hackney, Speaker of the House, 919-733-3451, Joe.Hackney@ncleg.net,
(Chatham, Moore, Orange)

"We're telling legislators the following: In these challenging economic times, as many North Carolinians face lost jobs and the threat of foreclosure, we must make sure that struggling homeowners and aspiring homebuyers are protected from predatory real estate practices. Vote yes on the Homeowner and Homebuyer Protection Act SB1015 to protect the economic well-being of your community and your constituents. "

Please send this important message, and feel free to add your own stories as well.

Thank you for your support!

Carley Ruff
Policy and Outreach Coordinator
NC Housing Coalition

Documenting Poverty, Economic Distress and Challenge in North Carolina

2010-05-25T09:54:00.001-04:00

The term poverty in and of itself does not fully describe the hardship faced by individuals surviving in it. The lack of safe and quality housing, inadequate education, choosing between health insurance and food, these are some of what persons living in poverty manage on a daily basis. UNC Center for Poverty, Work and Opportunity recently published a study with funding from Z Smith Reynolds Foundation titled Documenting Poverty, Economic Distress and Challenge in North Carolina. This report describes the history of economic decline that characterized North Carolina for so many years. It then moves to the great strides North Carolina has made in education and the tremendous population growth and demographic changes North Carolina has experienced. However, it asserts that there is still much to be done.

Most of the population and economic growth in North Carolina has occurred in metropolitan centers like Charlotte, the Triangle and Triad. Because of this, when people think of poor areas in the state, they naturally think of rural North Carolina. However, that is not completely true. According to the Center’s report, rural areas in North Carolina have witnessed, “…persistent patterns of economic distress. But the state’s poorest census tracts are more likely to be located in large metropolitan areas that are, otherwise, on average, more prosperous. These communities have generally higher poverty, child poverty, and unemployment rates, and lower high school graduation, average income, and homeownership rates, than their rural counterparts.” There are concentrations of poverty within our cities that are just as, if not more, economically devastated as rural counties.

As the study points out, this is the danger with looking at a whole county for poverty figures. Take Wake County for example, the Area Median Income (AMI) is $79,000 a year. But, some segments of Wake County have an average income of less than $27,000 a year. Looking at a county as a whole for poverty indicators hides the pockets of poverty within the county that need services. Instead, counties should be broken up into smaller districts to analyze poverty rates.

When looking into possible interventions, there should be both person-based and place-based economic strategies used to decrease poverty rates. Person-based strategies are programs similar to Section 8 and public housing; whereas, place-based strategies include community development using multi-faceted approaches including economic incentives to developers.

North Carolina has a unique arrangement of needs: rural areas with patterns of economic distress, urban concentrations of poverty, and communities that are experiencing situational poverty due to the economic downturn. We must be willing to provide services unique to the need and location. North Carolina has made impressive steps forward. Using some of the tactics outlined in this report and others, we can help our beloved state continue to grow and thrive.

To read the full study, click here.

Call to Action: Ask House Committee to Vote Yes on Homeowner and Homebuyer Protection Act

2010-05-20T10:14:00.003-04:00

Please act today to protect homeowners and homebuyers from predatory real estate practices!

The Issue:

Next Tuesday, May 25th, the NC House Committee on Financial Institutions will meet to discuss SB1015, The Homeowner and Homebuyer Protection Act, sponsored by Senator Josh Stein. This bill would prohibit foreclosure rescue scams and create reasonable regulation and standards for option to purchase or “rent to own” contracts and contracts for deeds. These scams and unscrupulous real estate transactions are used to exploit and manipulate families struggling to pay a home loan or families who are having trouble obtaining a loan to purchase a home.

Please act today!

Contact the Speaker of the House and members of the House Financial Institutions Committee and urge them to vote YES on SB1015 next Tuesday.

Speaker Joe Hackney, Joe.Hackney@ncleg.net, 919-733-3451 (Chatham, Moore, Orange)
Rep. Hugh Holliman, Chair, Hugh.Holliman@ncleg.net, 919-715-0873 (Davidson)
Rep. Harold Brubaker, Vice-Chair, Harold.Brubaker@ncleg.net, 919-715-4946 (Randolph)
Rep. Becky Carney, Vice-Chair, Becky.Carney@ncleg.net, 919-733-5827 (Mecklenburg)
Rep. Larry Hall, Vice-Chair, Larry.Hall@ncleg.net, 919-733-5872 (Durham)
Rep. Arthur Williams, Vice-Chair, Arthur.Williams@ncleg.net, 919-733-5906 (Beaufort, Pitt)
Rep. Tricia Cotham, Tricia.Cotham@ncleg.net, 919-715-0706 (Mecklenburg)
Rep. Jerry Dockham, Jerry.Dockham@ncleg.net, 919-715-2526 (Davidson)
Rep. Beverly Earle, Beverly.Earle@ncleg.net, 919-715-2530 (Mecklenburg)
Rep. Pryor Gibson, Pryor.Gibson@ncleg.net, 919-715-3007 (Anson, Union)
Rep. Rick Glazier, Rick.Glazier@ncleg.net, 919-733-5601 (Cumberland)
Rep. Robert Grady, Robert.Grady@ncleg.net, 919-715-9644 (Onslow)
Rep. Maggie Jeffus, Maggie.Jeffus@ncleg.net, 919-733-5191 (Guilford)
Rep. Daniel McComas, Danny.McComas@ncleg.net, 919-733-5786 (New Hanover)
Rep. Wil Neumann, Wil.Neumann@ncleg.net, 919-733-5868 (Gaston)
Rep. Johnathan Rhyne, Johnathan.Rhyne@ncleg.net, 919-733-5782 (Lincoln)
Rep. Mitchell Setzer, Mitchell.Setzer@ncleg.net, 919-733-4948 (Catawba, Iredell)
Rep. Tim Spear, Tim.Spear@ncleg.net, 919-715-3029 (Chowan, Dare, Hyde, Washington)
Rep. Thom Tillis, Thom.Tillis@ncleg.net, 919-733-5828 (Mecklenburg)
Rep. William Wainwright, William.Wainwright@ncleg.net, 919-733-5995 (Craven, Lenoir)

The Ask

In these challenging economic times, as many North Carolinians face lost jobs and the threat of foreclosure, we must make sure that struggling homeowners and aspiring homebuyers are protected from predatory real estate practices. Vote yes on the Homeowner and Homebuyer Protection Act SB1015 to protect the economic well-being of your community and your constituents.

***

Please feel free to share your stories regarding these real estate practices with the committee members as well.

Thank you for contacting these Committee members. If you have any questions, please contact me at cruff@nchousing.org or 919-827-4496.

In appreciation,

Carley Ruff

Policy and Outreach Coordinator
North Carolina Housing Coalition
Educating and Advocating for Change
www.nchousing.org

Call your Senator and Representative and ask them to fund NHTF!

2010-05-19T09:49:00.003-04:00

Thanks to all of you who signed on to the national letter asking Congress to fund the National Housing Trust Fund. The National Housing Trust Fund campaign hand-delivered its national sign-on letter urging immediate NHTF funding to every Senator and Representative during the week of May 10. The letter was signed by more than 2,250 organizations representing each of the 435 Congressional districts as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico -- a scope that is considered unprecedented in federal housing advocacy!

Now, we expect that funding for the National Housing Trust Fund could be considered by Congress THIS WEEK. Please take one more step to ensure the National Housing Trust Fund becomes a reality.

Call 877-210-5351, the toll-free number for the Congressional switchboard, and ask to be connected your Senators' offices. (To find your Members of Congress, click here.) Once connected, please ask for the housing staff person and relay the following message:

Our community needs a National Housing Trust Fund to help build, rehabilitate and preserve housing for people with the lowest incomes. I understand that H.R. 4213, the tax extender bill, is expected to include $1 billion for the initial NHTF funding and $65 million for project-based vouchers to support NHTF homes. Please work to ensure that this much-needed funding for the National Housing Trust Fund is included in the bill, and please support H.R. 4213 when it comes up for a vote.

After calling your Senators, call your Representative with the same message.

******

Details

Funding for the National Housing Trust Fund is expected to be included in H.R. 4213, the American Jobs, Closing Tax Loopholes, and Preventing Outsourcing Act, which will be brought to the floor of the House of Representatives during the week of May 17. The bill will include $1 billion as the initial NHTF capitalization and $65 million for project-based vouchers to be coupled with capital grants. If funded at this level, the NHTF could provide an additional $23 million to support the development of affordable housing in North Carolina in 2011.

The Senate could take up the bill this week as well; if not, the Senate is expected to complete the bill before the Memorial Day recess.

For More Information

Need to learn more about the National Housing Trust Fund before signing on? Click here for background information. To see the NHTF sign-on letter and list of signatories, click here. Organizations can continue to sign the letter at www.nlihc.org/sign/.

Thank you for your support of affordable housing and the NC Housing Coalition.

Sincerely,

Carley Ruff

Policy and Outreach Coordinator
North Carolina Housing Coalition
Educating and Advocating for Change
www.nchousing.org

Cars, Employment and Homes

2010-05-13T11:29:00.006-04:00

The Brookings Institute just released a report titled The State of Metropolitan America; which discusses the changes happening in cities across America related to commuting, income and poverty, work, households and family, among others. North Carolina has been growing rapidly. The population is expected to double by 2020. This report shed light on an interesting perspective of how all of this growth affects individuals and families’ quality of life.

The current trend to manage growth has been to expand or ‘sprawl’ outward away from city centers like Raleigh, Charlotte, and the Triad. However, with the lack of convenient public transportation, this has led to an increase in one-driver commuting. The Brookings Institute found that the Triad and Charlotte areas had the largest increase in one-driver commuters in North Carolina, an increase of between 1 and 5.3% between 2000 and 2008. Not only does the rise in one-driver commuting affect the environment with the increase in carbon gases emitted into the atmosphere, but it impacts the quality of life of residents. Long commutes mean less time spent with family and friends before and after work. In addition, long commutes require more money to maintain upkeep on vehicles, car payments, and gas.

There are some possible solutions that would decrease extensive commutes. Municipalities should adopt smarter growth patterns when planning for new development. By smarter growth, we mean more ‘compact’ communities where housing, transportation; jobs and recreational activities are all combined to make more accessible districts. HUD (US Department of Housing and Urban Development) has caught on to this idea and recently launched the Partnership for Sustainable Communities with collaboration from DOT (Department of Transportation) and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). This new interagency partnership will funnel federal resources and support local planning through the Office of Sustainable Communities. The office’s mission is to create strong communities by connecting housing to employment, fostering local innovation, and contributing to a clean energy economy. We believe this is a great step forward and continue to support the coordination of these efforts.

To read the full report by the Brookings Institute, click here.

To Join Us, Become a Member and receive more housing related updates, click here.

Housing Matters 5/11/2010

2010-05-12T16:04:00.003-04:00

Dear Supporter,

This week, the “short session” of the NC General Assembly opens. The short session is designed to make adjustments to the budget that was passed the previous year and to handle bills that passed through either the House or the Senate. This year, legislators will be facing another budget shortfall of nearly $1 billion.

A few weeks ago, Gov. Perdue released her budget that attempted to address many of the challenges the state is facing while bringing the overall budget into balance. We were pleased to see no cuts to housing programs, but know that there were many painful cuts to services needed by low-income and vulnerable populations.

For this reason, we will again play an active role in the Together NC coalition. This coalition encourages legislators to create a budget that can more efficiently and effectively meet the needs of the state’s residents in a balanced approach of cuts and revenue reforms. For more information on Together NC, click here.

Two non-budget related efforts we will be working on are the continued funding for the Commissioner of Banks’ Foreclosure Prevention Programs (which included funding for housing counseling organizations) and a Homebuyer/Homeowner Protection Act that is led by Sen. Josh Stein (Wake). More information on these efforts will follow in future Housing Matters.

We are especially pleased that Kris Fountain, the new director of the NC Association of Housing Counselors will be working out of our office while he is in Raleigh to advocate on housing counseling issues. We look forward to taking a lead role with Kris to generate more funding for better consumer protections related to home buying and the foreclosure process.

Please visit the legislative update section below for the latest news out of the General Assembly and to see our NC Legislative Agenda.

NC Housing News

On May 28th, I will be on a panel at the NC Community Development Conference to talk about the legislation that passed last year making affordable housing a protected class under the NC Fair Housing Act. This conference brings together Community Development departments of local governments from across the state. We are hoping to educate local governments on why they need to be more proactive on affordable housing in their communities and less discriminatory in working against these efforts.

The Brookings Institute has released a new report on the nation’s metropolitan regions that is an interesting read for those involved in affordable housing. A news article on the report is included in this issue. The report discusses several NC regions and highlights the need for more affordable housing in areas where jobs are being created as well as transit centers that are created to manage growth. The report is available on their website for free download.

Read our Blog and “Friend” Us!
Please continue to check out our blog and Facebook page. Our staff will be using these two pages as a way to get current information out to you on a daily basis. Please visit nchousing.blogspot.com and give us your thoughts. Our Facebook page is located here.

Thanks for all that you do and your continued support.

Sincerely,

Chris Estes
Executive Director

To receive this and other housing related updates become a member at our website!

Representing NC in DC

2010-04-30T12:41:00.004-04:00

“The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home.” This quote from Confucius was Senator Jeff Merkley’s opening line as he addressed hundreds of affordable housing advocates at the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s recent conference. Chris and I, along with a dozen other dedicated advocates from North Carolina were sitting amongst the crowd.

Merkley, the Junior Senator from Oregon, is a housing advocate in his own right. Before coming to Washington DC, he was director of Habitat for Humanity of Portland and director of housing development for Human Solutions, another affordable housing provider in Oregon. He is the only current Senator who has worked in the affordable housing industry. He spoke the crowd about the Housing legislation that will, with any luck, be moving in the U.S. Senate this year. He spoke of the impending financial reform bill and the need for a strong consumer protection agency. He shared that he recently added an amendment to the bill banning prepayment penalties because “we need to deal with consumer issues on a real-time basis”. He also announced that Senator Schumer of New York will be introducing a housing preservation bill as a companion to the bill that moving in the House.

Conference-goers heard from many other leaders on affordable housing issues including Representative Barney Frank, Donna Gambrell, Director of CDFI for the Treasury Department, and Shaun Donovan, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

While in DC, our North Carolina contingent spent a day and a half meeting with our members of Congress on Capital Hill. We were lucky to have advocates representing all parts of the housing spectrum to help convey our priorities to the Congressional members. Victor Galloway of NCIMED shared the importance of financial reform and strong consumer protections; Nicole Kiefer of the ARC and Kay Zwan of the disAbility Resource Center gave compelling testimony for the need to pass reform of the section 811 housing program for individuals with disabilities; Denise Neunaber of the NC Coalition to End Homelessness asked members to adequately fund McKinney-Vento to better serve the homeless in our state.

For me, it is always invigorating and humbling to be in DC, our nation’s capital; to stand in the shadow of the Capitol Building, where decisions are made that shape the future of our county. As I was proud to be able to represent the NC Housing Coalition, educate our elected officials about the housing needs in North Carolina, and share the experience with so many passionate and devoted affordable housing advocates.

Carley Ruff

Policy and Outreach Coordinator

Farewell

2010-04-23T16:46:00.002-04:00

Well, the end of the year has come. It seems like such a short time ago that I was greeting you all as an intern at the Housing Coalition. I have really enjoyed the time that I have spent at the agency. While here I was able to interact with many of you in the community through our statewide asset forums, board meetings, and general community meetings.

I want to especially thank the staff of the Housing Coalition, you have been a great support throughout the year. I learned so much while interacting with you. I appreciate all the time we spent together.

In two weeks, the other intern, Alex, and I will be graduating with our Masters in Social Work from UNC-Chapel Hill. Although this is a very exciting time for us, we regret having to leave such a wonderful organization that truly advocates for the best interest of North Carolinians. I look forward to hearing about the continuing success of the agency. I wish you all the best of luck!

Best Wishes!

Jessica Parker

Raleigh New Development Code: Diagnostic and Approach Report - Comments from the North Carolina Housing Coalition

2010-04-21T16:26:00.005-04:00

On Tuesday, April 20, our Policy and Outreach Coordinator, Carley Ruff, presented the following to the Raleigh City Council:

Good evening and thank you for the opportunity to offer my comments on the Diagnostic and Approach Report for Raleigh’s New Development Code. My name is Carley Ruff and I live at 3939 Glenwood Ave. Raleigh, NC 27612. I am speaking on behalf of the North Carolina Housing Coalition. We are a statewide non-profit organization working to increase investment in quality, affordable housing that promotes self-determination and stable communities for low- and moderate-income North Carolinians. Although the NC Housing Coalition serves the entire state, we are headquartered here in Raleigh and are extremely invested in the future growth and development of our Capital City.

In general, we are pleased with the recommendations put forward in Code Studio’s Diagnostic and Approach Report. I’d like to focus my comments on the portion of the DAR that focus on housing choice and affordable housing.

Housing Choices
Raleigh’s current code discourages a variety of housing types and the Housing Coalition agrees this must change. The Housing Coalition supports adding a variety of defined housing types in all residential neighborhoods, such as semi-attached, duplexes, accessory dwellings, townhouses and other innovative housing strategies. Allowing for greater housing variety increases opportunities for affordable housing development.

The Diagnostic and Approach Report states that housing variety should be included in “existing residential districts where appropriate.” How will you define which areas are “appropriate”? The Housing Coalition believes that in order to ensure that affordable housing opportunities are widely available, a variety of housing types should be allowed in all residential neighborhoods as long as they fit the neighborhood context. Current zoning should be reviewed to ensure that this type of variety is allowed. New developments and retrofits in existing neighborhoods should not be exempt from being required to provide affordable housing options.

Accessory Dwelling Units
We support the recommendation to extend the use of accessory dwelling units. Accessory dwelling units may be the best strategy for promoting housing choice and increasing density in existing neighborhoods that are unwilling to alter their suburban character. The Housing Coalition agrees that the city should allow accessory dwelling units, both attached and detached, in all residential districts. Small lot housing presents another innovative and potentially successful strategy that is currently blocked by the existing development code.

Life Cycle Housing
The Housing Coalition also applauds the recommendation to pursue the principle of life cycle housing. This not only promotes a diversity of housing type, but also diversity among the families and individuals living within the same community; another way to create community cohesion. Again, we believe that opportunities to follow the “lifecycle housing” model should be available in all residential neighborhoods.

Inclusionary Zoning
As the report notes, inclusionary zoning has the potential to be a powerful and positive tool to create affordable housing options throughout the city. While some communities have used incentivized voluntary inclusionary zoning programs, the most effective programs are mandatory. They produce more units, for a wider range of people, with greater predictability. The Housing Coalition believes that mandatory inclusionary zoning is the only way to ensure that affordable housing options are available in high growth areas of the city and particularly in the development around transit lines. It would ensure a variety of housing choices for Raleigh’s diverse and growing labor force. As Wake county moves to neighborhood-based school assignment, mandatory inclusionary zoning would help to economically diversify neighborhoods and schools.

We believe that promoting housing choice for Raleigh residents should be considered in all aspects of the new code. From future transportation corridors to existing established neighborhoods - safe, quality, affordable housing connected to jobs, services, and high achieving schools should be available to everyone who calls Raleigh home.

Spring Break

2010-03-30T15:12:00.002-04:00

Good afternoon! I hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful weather. Hard to believe that April is just around the corner! It's spring break for many in the Triangle, including Chris, who is out on a well-deserved vacation.

We've been busy here at the Coalition. On Friday, March 16th we hosted our sixth Assets Policy Forum in Charlotte in partnership with the NC Assets Alliance. We had our largest crowd to date, with over 70 folks attending. A special thanks to Carley and our two wonderful interns, Alex and Jessica, for all their hard work. We hope to schedule one more forum in the Triangle area in the upcoming weeks. Stay tuned!
As the number of foreclosure starts in NC continue to escalate, Regina is moving forward with her foreclosure prevention work. This year, the NC Housing Coalition will be partnering with local branches of United Way and the NC Institute of Minority Economic Development to co-sponsor community education workshops around the state. Although Legal Aid attorneys plan to continue training housing counselors and housing service providers, it is the Coalition’s goal to reach as many consumers and homeowners as possible in the year 2010. Please see the announcements section below for upcoming events on April 12 in Havelock and on May 4 in Raleigh. If you have a community or professional need for foreclosure prevention education, please contact Regina Green at (919) 827-4494 or rgreen(at)nchousing.org.

Anne is hard at work preparing our 2009 Annual Report. You probably received an email from her yesterday. If you have any good housing and people pictures you think exemplify quality affordable housing and would like to have them featured in our report, please send them to Anne Ehlers at aehlers(at)nchousing.org.

The CHIN staff have trainings scheduled on HPRP and ESG reports. For more information, please visit their website: www.nchomeless.org. Finally, Vickie and Charmaine are busy preparing for our upcoming audit.

I was in Wilmington last Wednesday for a fair housing workshop. We had an attentive group, and I'd like to thank our presenters Lesley Albritton from the Greenville NC Legal Aid office and Ida Baker from the Fayetteville NC Legal Aid office, as well as Wanda Coston and the folks at New Hanover County for helping make it a success. We'll be in Durham tomorrow for another workshop, and will be planning more across the state later this spring and summer.

NC Housing News
Please note the article on the closure or Partners for Homeownership. For the past thirteen years, Jane Milner and the Partners for Homeownership foks have been helping people become homeowners that would not have been otherwise served by the market. Due to the poor economic climate, they have had to close their doors. We thank them for their hard work and dedication, and wish them the best on future endeavors.

National Housing News
Register now for NLIHC’s Housing Policy Conference to be held April 11-14th at the L’Enfant Plaza Hotel in Washington, DC. Registration and hotel details are here.

Carley has included a Legislative and Outreach update below.

Read our Blog and “Friend” Us!
Please continue to check out our blog and Facebook page. Our staff will be using these two pages as a way to get current information out to you on a daily basis. Please visit nchousing.blogspot.com and give us your thoughts. Our Facebook page is located here.

Thanks for all that you do and your continued support.

Sincerely,

John Niffenegger
Membership and Training Coordinator

NCHC featured in NLIHC's Memo to Members

2010-03-23T15:29:00.004-04:00

The North Carolina Housing Coaltion was featured in this week's Memo to Members, put out by the National Low Income Housing Coalition. The NLIHC highlighted our Affordable Housing Primer and Housing Communications Manual as useful tools for education and advocacy.

The article can be found at:

http://www.nlihc.org/detail/article.cfm?article_id=6876

Staff Meeting

2010-03-16T16:08:00.003-04:00

I know, I know. A staff meeting hardly seems worthy of a blog post. But, as many of you know we have several staff members spread out across the state and we only get together once a quarter. It was great to see everyone and get caught up on what everyone is doing. Our CHIN staff has been working tirelessly to integrate HPRP into the system. Carley and Chris are busy preparing for the upcoming legislative session. Regina and John already have a list of trainings scheduled and I've been rolling out grant applications and reports. In addition to business, it's always great to hear what everyone's families are up to and what activities they have planned. One of the best things about staff is that we all genuinely enjoy each others' company. Tomorrow is our annual staff photo. Check back on Friday to see the results.

Check out our Op-ed!

2010-03-08T10:42:00.005-05:00

Chris, Carley and Jessica wrote a fantastic op-ed about housing and schools. Check it out!

http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/03/07/372352/housing-is-key-school-equality.html?storylink=misearch

Busy Week

2010-03-05T12:41:00.002-05:00

It's been a busy week for the Housing Coalition. Of course, the big news here in Wake County is that the school board voted to eliminate the diversity policy. Chris and Carley have authored an op-ed about how this will effect housing patterns. Look for it in this weekend's N&O. A big thanks to Jessica Parker, one of our MSW interns for pulling the op-ed together.

We hosted another Asset Building Forum along with the Assets Alliance in Fayetteville. Next Friday we'll be in Asheville for another forum. Come join us if you can.

We ended the week on a high note at a joint committee meeting of Blueprint. For those of you who don't know, Blueprint is partnership of more than 40 progressive state-level nonprofits. All are committed to improving the common good by pursuing an integrated communications and civic engagement strategy. It was great to feel the support and encouragement from all these organizations with the same goal. Thanks to Stephanie Bass, Tom Burton, Sean Kosofsky and Erin Byrd for the inspiration this afternoon.

Coming Soon: Text Message Fundraising!

Have a great weekend everyone,
Anne

Housing Matters 3.2.10

2010-03-02T16:26:00.001-05:00

Since our last edition of Housing Matters we’ve had another snowfall and have more expected tonight here in the Triangle! It has been quite a real winter, though still nothing like they are experiencing in the Mid Atlantic and New England areas. Still, I know I will be glad when spring finally gets here, as will all of the families struggling with energy bills and poorly insulated housing.

Last week, we held our quarterly Board Meeting and I am excited to announce that we have added two new Board Members and elected new officers for the Coalition. Cindy Weeks, Mountain Housing Opportunities, and Robin Merrell, Pisgah Legal Services (both of Asheville), have joined our Board. Both bring a significant amount of experience in development and advocacy across the spectrum from homelessness to homeownership and we are looking forward to having them on the Board.

Ben Collins who has been serving as Treasurer for the Coalition has been elected Board Chair. Helen McInnis who had served as Chair for four years is stepping down, but will serve as Vice Chair until the fall to help Ben with the transition. Tony Portal, Reznick Group, joined the Board in November has been elected Treasurer. Other members of our Executive Committee include Ned Fowler, director of Northwest Regional Housing in Boone, Stephanie Workman of the Employment Security Commission in Lenoir, Jabrina Robinson of the Banks Law Firm in Durham, and Antoinette Kerr, director of the Lexington CDC in Lexington.

NC Housing News
Last week, we held our third Assets Policy Forum in partnership with the NC Assets Alliance. This event was hosted at the Winston-Salem Urban League and was led by former NCHC Board Member Dan Kornelis of the Forsyth County Housing Department. It was the best Forum yet with more than 40 folks in attendance and great energy and enthusiasm by everyone. Thanks to Dan for his great leadership and to our interns Jessica Parker and Alex Bidot for all of their work in making this such a successful event.

The Housing Coalition has been partnering with the Alliance to use these Forums as a way for us to hear from folks across the state about what is happening in their communities as well as to engage them in our state and federal advocacy efforts. I am proud to announce that I was elected to the Executive Committee of the Assets Alliance and look forward to even more work together in the future.

Our next event is tomorrow in Fayetteville (click here for more info) with another planned for next Friday in Asheville (click here for more information).

Thanks to Cindy Wiggins-Tiede of CICCAR for letting me carpool with her to the Palmetto State Affordable Housing Conference in Columbia. It was great to see so many folks who live in NC attend and to get to spend some time with staff and Board leaders from the SC Affordable Housing Coalition. As we are the largest Housing Coalition in our area, I am hopeful we can work more closely with our counterparts in SC, VA, and GA on housing advocacy. I also got some great ideas for our Annual Housing Conference that we have already started planning for September in Raleigh.

National Housing News
National Low Income Housing Coalition Policy Conference
Register Now for NLIHC’s Housing Policy Conference to be held April 11-14th at the L’Enfant Plaza Hotel in Washington, DC. Registration and hotel details are here.

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

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

Read our Blog and “Friend” Us!
Please continue to check out our blog and Facebook page. Our staff will be using these two pages as a way to get current information out to you on a daily basis. Please visit nchousing.blogspot.com and give us your thoughts. Our Facebook page is located here.

Thanks for all that you do and your continued support.

Sincerely,

Chris Estes
Executive Director

Board, Bills and Brainstorming

2010-02-26T11:47:00.005-05:00

Board
We have the best board. Yesterday was our quarterly board meeting and as always, I was blown away by the talent and enthusiasm of these folks. Our dedicated board chair, Helen McInnis, will be ending her term this fall and in preparation, the board elected a new chair to take the reigns. Congratulations to Ben Collins,who has become our new chair after serving 4 years as a member. Two new board members were elected, Cindy Weeks of Mountain Housing Opportunities and Robin Merrell from Pisgah Legal Services, both in Asheville. Much of our success over the past few years is due to this amazing group. Thank you for your commitment!

Bills
We introduced our 2010 Legislative Agenda yesterday. Since this will be a short session in the legislature, we will be focusing on bills and issues that we began work on in 2009. Of course, at the top of our list is the Housing Trust Fund. We need to protect the $10 million in recurring funding. We will also work to keep the $3 million in recurring appropriations for the Home Protection Program. This helps homeowners pay their mortgage when they've lost their job through no fault of their own. The Coalition will continue to be an active voice for the appropriate use and efficient distribution of ARRA weatherization funding in the state. More details about our Legislative Agenda will be posted on our website soon.

Brainstorming
Over the last month or so we have been working with the NC Assets Alliance to hold Regional Asset Building forums across the state. These forums are serving as brainstorming sessions for the Coalition and Alliance to help us better understand the issues facing folks in different parts of the state. Up next are Fayetteville, Asheville and Charlotte. Please check out the events page on our website or facebook page for more details.

Bringing Hope Home Photo Project Off and Running

2010-02-24T09:46:00.004-05:00

We've been talking about it for months, our collaboration with Alex Harris from the Duke Center for Documentary Studies, but this week, it's finally off and running. Alex and I made our first trip to the Rocky Mount/Wilson are on Monday and Tuesday. We met some amazing people. Special thanks to Stewart Mitchell at the Golden Leaf Apartments, Rocky Mount City Council Members Reuben Blackwell and Andre White and Rocky Mount native Pat Washington. The pictures will be posted soon. Below is some info about the project. Please let us know if you'd like to participate.

We’re working with Alex Harris, a professor from The Duke Center for Documentary Studies, on a photography project. 40 years ago, when he was an undergrad, he traveled across NC taking pictures of people living in substandard housing. He recently decided to do a retrospective on this work but wanted to insure today’s photographs could benefit a higher purpose. That’s when he reached out to the NC Housing Coalition.

We’re connecting him to our contacts and partners across the state to capture images of people still living in substandard housing today. This will help us, and our legislators, better understand the work that still needs to be done in regards to housing. He will also photograph families, seniors and persons with disabilities living in new affordable housing developments to help us better communicate to our legislators the benefits of investing in affordable housing. This is a two year project culminating in a traveling exhibit that will spend 2 weeks in the NC Legislature, and then tour the state’s key districts along with our strategic partners. This project holds the potential to completely reform how we, as a community, discuss housing. But, we need your help. We’ll be in touch soon to talk about Alex visiting your community and what you would like him to capture locally. Each agency will have access to the final photographs from their community to use in their own communications work.

HUD Creates Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities

2010-02-18T11:04:00.003-05:00

HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan formally announced the launch of HUD’s new Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities (OSHC) on February 4th. The office will operationalize the Administration’s Sustainable Communities Initiative, which was funded at $150 million in FY10 appropriations, the level requested by the Administration.

Shelley Poticha, who came to HUD in July of 2009, has been named the director of OSHC, which is under the purview of Deputy Secretary Ron Sims.

OSHC will work to coordinate federal housing and transportation investments with local land use decisions in order to improve housing affordability, increase access to housing and employment opportunities, reduce transportation costs, save energy, and reduce pollution. The office will oversee two primary grant programs: a $100 million Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Program and a $40 million Community Planning Challenge Grants Program.

As part of the February 4 announcement, OSHC issued an “Advance Notice and Request for Comments,” seeking public feedback regarding how the Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Program should be structured, in anticipation of the issuance of a Notice of Fund Availability (NOFA) for the funds.

The goal of the Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Program is to support multi-jurisdictional regional planning efforts that integrate housing, transportation, environmental impact, and economic development decision-making.

HUD is considering three funding categories for the program:

1. Where there are no existing regional plans for sustainable development, grants would support the preparation of such plans. Funds could be used for: “visioning and scenario planning exercises,” data analysis, urban design, outreach efforts to achieve broad consensus on a single “vision/scenario,” and adoption of a plan by all appropriate regional governmental bodies.

2. Where there are regional sustainable development plans, grants would support the preparation of more detailed programs to implement those existing plans. Examples of detailed programs include: inter-jurisdictional affordable and fair housing strategies, corridor transit-oriented development plans, land banking and acquisition strategies, and revenue sharing strategies.

3. Where regions have already implemented meaningful regional sustainable development plans, grants would provide incentives that could result in even greater action. Incentives might include funding for pre-development costs, land acquisition, or capital for infrastructure.
Two levels of funding are being considered. For large metro areas of more than 500,000 people, maximum grants might be $5 million, while for small metro or rural areas with fewer than 500,000 people, maximum grants might be $2 million. At least $25 million is set aside for small metro or rural areas.

A tentative schedule for rolling out these grants begins with regional listening sessions from February 16th to March 1st (locations and dates will be posted at http://portal.hud.gov/portal/page/portal/HUD/program_offices/sustainable_housing_communities), webcast briefings during the week of March 1st, comments due March 12th, a NOFA published the week of March 12th, applications due by June 5th, and awards announced on August 2nd.

A separate NOFA will be issued for the Community Planning Challenge Grants Program. This program will provide incentives for jurisdictions to make key changes in local zoning and land use ordinances that will encourage sustainable growth.

HUD’s Sustainable Communities Initiative reflects the agency’s involvement in the Administration’s broader conversation about livable communities. In June, the Administration announced the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, a cooperative effort among HUD, the Department of Transportation, and the Environmental Protection Agency. The three agencies of the Partnership have six Livability Principles guiding their effort to coordinate federal policies, programs, and resources to build more sustainable communities.

Link to the OSHC webpage at: http://portal.hud.gov/portal/page/portal/HUD/program_offices/sustainable_housing_communities

The Advance Notice and Request for Comments for the Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Program is available at: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-2979.pdf

Link to the Partnership for Sustainable Communities website at: www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/partnership

Click here for the latest on all federal housing news from the National Low Income Housing Coalition, Housing Assistance Council and other groups.

Bringing Hope to Communities: Partnership of NC Nonprofits Helps Prevent Foreclosures

2010-01-13T16:16:00.001-05:00

Mt. Airy, NC – January 13, 2010 – In late October, Donald McClusky stepped through the doorway of Salisbury Community Development Corporation (CDC) and took a seat, waiting for a Foreclosure Prevention Workshop to begin. “I don’t know why I’m here,” he said-exasperated by his efforts to save his house-a modest wood-planked cottage with an open living, dining and kitchen area downstairs and one loft bedroom upstairs. It’s situated on twenty-four acres of land just outside of Mt. Airy. Donald was three months behind on his mortgage.

A Vietnam veteran and independent stock broker, Mr. McClusky had not worked since he suffered a devastating heart attack and other health complications in 2007. Facing mounting medical bills, he drained his IRA to help cover the costs. Fortunately, he regained his health, but at that point, the economy had turned sour and he was unable find work.

Mr. McClusky arrived at the workshop with little hope. This was his last ditch effort to save his home. Not long after the program began, Donald stood and openly shared his story with the audience, hoping someone would be able to help. Immediately, Lou Adkins, a HUD approved housing counselor at Salisbury Community Development Corporation, offered to review his case. She felt confident that Donald’s situation could be turned around. Feeling somewhat relieved, he explained the details of his mortgage to the counselor.

In less than a week, the counselors at Salisbury CDC had contacted Wells Fargo and Donald’s loan was temporarily modified through the Making Home Affordable program (www.MakingHomeAffordable.gov). This is the Obama Administration’s new foreclosure rescue program designed to help homeowners refinance or modify mortgage payments to a level that is affordable to them now as well as in the future.

His monthly payment went from $1107 to $486. In three months, his loan will be reviewed and his payments may adjust slightly, but will still remain affordable. Thanks to his perseverance and the hard work of the housing counselors at the Salisbury CDC, Donald will be spending the winter by his fireplace.

The Foreclosure Prevention Workshop attended by Mr. McClusky is part of the Mortgage Foreclosure Prevention Project, run by the NC Housing Coalition, Legal Aid of NC, the NC Justice Center and five other nonprofits. Over the last 3 years, the project (funded through a grant from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation) has hosted over 50 workshops across the state geared toward educating home owners on the foreclosure process and the options available. Dede Carney, a NC realtor/broker says “the Foreclosure Prevention Workshop is the best nuts and bolts workshop on this subject. It is very timely information presented in the most practical, non-threatening way that everyone can grasp.”

In addition to the Making Home Affordable Program, other programs are also available to assist homeowners facing foreclosure. The first step is to contact a HUD approved counselor in your area. Go to www.hud.gov and click on Foreclosure to find a counselor. The key in preventing foreclosure is to be proactive. As soon as you begin experiencing difficulty in making your payments, contact a counselor for assistance.

The North Carolina Housing Coalition is the state’s leading advocacy and resource organization on affordable housing. If you would like more information on where to find assistance please contact the Coalition at www.nchousing.org.

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-17T15:42:00.006-05:00

This is our final annual campaign letter. It is from our Executive Director, Chris Estes.

Dear Concerned Citizen,

As everyone knows this has been one of the most challenging, uncertain and active periods in the history of the affordable housing movement. With great challenges have come tremendous responses from the Federal Government, state agencies, and local for profit and nonprofit organizations. I am proud to say that the Housing Coalition has played an active role in creating solutions. We’ve provided direct technical assistance to organizations and communities, influenced public policy and helped people in crisis find the resources they need.

For me, the highlights of our work in 2009 began with hosting our first ever Policy Summit in the spring that brought together over 150 folks to learn about how to access recovery act funding. We completed more foreclosure prevention workshops this year than any other year of the program. We’ve received tremendous feedback from clients across the state who have been able to stay in their homes because of the information they received at these workshops. Our Carolina Homeless Information Network was recognized as HMIS of the Year by HUD and successfully prepared hundreds of agencies to participate in the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program. We launched our outreach program by providing staff support to local housing advocacy coalitions in Charlotte, Asheville and Raleigh. We also facilitated Fair Housing trainings for over 300 property managers and landlords. In addition, we launched our first ever Annual Campaign and produced our first Annual Report since 2001. To top it off, this fall we co-hosted the largest affordable housing conference in NC with CICCAR and NCHFA, and held a special training track for housing counselors.

Through all of this, the NC Housing Coalition has remained steadfast in our efforts to be the advocate for low income people in need of quality affordable and accessible housing. We strive to be the connection between those of you in the field and the information you need to do your work and to connect you to the partners and resources that will help you meet these many challenges our state is facing.

Our reward is your success. It is your grand opening, seeing your residents talk about how much they love their new home and how your housing has allowed them the freedom to live outside of an institution. It is the stories of developers able to build when they didn’t think it was possible. It is the relief from the client on the phone when they get information about who can help in their local community. This is what makes our work so special. We hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year.

Warm Regards,
Chris Estes
Executive Director, NC Housing Coalition

Please click here to donate.

Home for the Holidays!

2009-12-15T09:56:00.002-05:00

Below is a letter from Jack Lloyd, a mortgage defense attorney for Legal Aid of North Carolina.

Dear citizen,

As an attorney with Legal Aid of North Carolina's (LANC) Mortgage Foreclosure Defense team, my work, like the work of many non-profit employees across North Carolina, is greatly enhanced by the network of non-profits encouraged and coordinated by the North Carolina Housing Coalition (NCHC). It is through this network that my work can meet the comprehensive needs of our clients. By facilitating relationships and joint projects among North Carolina non-profits, the Coalition expands the reach of Legal Aid's services and increases the depth and quality of our work.

Over the past year, NCHC has invited me and other LANC foreclosure attorneys to help lead continuing education workshops on the foreclosure process for housing counselors. Housing counselors are on the front line of the mortgage crisis. By including attorneys in their training and by providing non-profit collaboration, the Coalition has empowered hundreds of housing counselors to handle foreclosure cases more extensively before having to refer the homeowners to attorneys. This increased capacity on the part of counselors allows the attorneys to handle the more complex, time-consuming cases.

Recently, a family of four in the greater-Charlotte area was facing a near-disastrous situation: Doctors treating the uninsured, out-of-work father for heart failure discovered he also had a brain tumor-a month after determining that one of his daughters required new pins in her spine to combat scoliosis. The costs were overwhelming. The bank, unwilling to allow the family anymore time in their home, pushed to foreclose. The family, having no where to live exceept their car, contacted a housing counselor. Fortunately, their counselor had recently been to one of NCHC and LANC's continuing education workshops.

The counselor, therefore, knew not only the foreclosure basics (enough to stave off foreclosure until the case was referred to an attorney), but also the contacts she needed within the LANC foreclosure team for a smooth and efficient transfer of the case. Working with the housing counselor, the LANC attorneys discovered numerous problems with the bank's claims and forced the bank to dismiss its case. Although health problems remain for the father, because of the network and workshops created by the NC Housing Coalition, the family will be spending this Christmas in their home, not in their car.

Please donate generously to NC Housing Coalition. Their work helps many of us to do our work better, and that's good for all North Carolinians.

Yours very truly,

Jack Lloyd
Mortgage Foreclosure Defense Attorney
Legal Aid of North Carolina, Inc.

Please click here to donate.

You can make a difference! Contribute to our Fall Campaign

2009-12-11T09:17:00.005-05:00

Below is a message from our Director of CHIN (Carolina Homeless Information Network).

Greetings:

This week our thoughts turn to giving thanks for the abundance and blessings we have received. This is the season of the year when thousands of people in North Carolina give of their time and talents by volunteering in soup kitchens and homeless shelters to help the neediest among us. It is a wonderful gesture of concern for our neighbors who no longer know the comfort and security of having a home. Thankfully, the outpouring of generosity literally saves the lives of those experiencing the harsh reality homelessness. Still, it is not enough.

Homelessness is not seasonal. If you look closely, the number of homeless individuals and families is growing and the need for assistance is greater than ever. Agencies that serve the homeless are trying to meet this need. However, contributions are scarce and competition for funding is increasingly competitive. Anecdotal stories of volunteers serving Thanksgiving meals are not enough.

Today, funders require data to document the need and justify future resources. Data is needed to make informed decisions. When agencies tell their story they need statistics, numbers to prove their program’s effectiveness. When they need statistics on homelessness they turn to the Carolina Homeless Information Network (CHIN), a homeless management information system managed by the North Carolina Housing Coalition (NCHC).

Data from CHIN is used to understand the changing face of homelessness. Currently more than 350 agencies across North Carolina depend on CHIN to enter information on the services and shelter provided to the homeless. As data is gathered it is used to determine an unduplicated count of individuals served. Funders, policy makers, and service organizations rely on CHIN to tell the story. CHIN provides agencies with sophisticated reports that are used for federal, state, and local reporting requirements.

Your contribution to the North Carolina Housing Coalition helps ensure that CHIN will be available for all agencies that seek to help the homeless and precariously housed. The NCHC has quietly become a national leader in addressing the continuum of housing concerns, from homelessness to home owner. No other organization in North Carolina has the vision and capability to make a difference for so many people in need. We need your contribution to help those who are working so tirelessly to help others.

This holiday season, give the gift of knowledge. Your contribution will help the NCHC continue its ground-breaking work, and through your financial assistance, we will change lives.

Best regards,
H. E. "Hunter" Thompson
Carolina Homeless Information Network
North Carolina Housing Coalition

Click here to donate!

Contribute to Our Fall Campaign!

2009-12-09T10:14:00.002-05:00

The North Carolina Housing Coalition works to help families across the state find and keep safe and affordable housing. Below is a letter from the ARC of North Carolina which describes our partnership and the fruits of our joint efforts.

June 12, 2009 was a big day for 19-year-old Tyler. Not only did he graduate from Salisbury High, but he also moved into his own apartment. He works part-time at a nearby restaurant, and enjoys hosting his parents and brother, as well as his pastor’s family, for dinner. Tyler has a developmental disability, and until fairly recently, a group home may have been his only housing option once he became an adult and moved out of his parent’s home.

David moved in next door on the same day. Though he is 50, he had been living with his elderly parents because he couldn’t find an affordable, wheelchair-accessible apartment. His new apartment features wider doorways, lowered countertops, and a roll-in shower, all of which allow David a greater measure of independence.

People with disabilities like Tyler and David are typically priced out of the housing market and left with inappropriate or unsafe housing options. Without affordable rental options, many people with developmental disabilities remain at home with aging caregivers or move into group homes, even though they do not need this level of supervision. Still others resort to adult care homes, which are often inappropriate as these homes are not designed to meet their needs.

Founded in 1953, The Arc of NC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to securing for all persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities the opportunity to realize their goals and choose where and how they learn, live, work and play. For many years, The NC Housing Coalition has been an invaluable partner in expanding the range of affordable housing choices available to people with disabilities.

Tyler and David live in a new supportive housing project developed by The Arc of NC using the HUD 811 Supportive Housing Program and the NC Housing 400 Program. Created in 2006, the Housing 400 Program finances independent and supportive living units for people with disabilities. The Coalition advocated for both of these programs, and is working to expand the Housing Choice Voucher Program, which will also help mitigate the growing housing crisis for people with disabilities.

The strong advocacy work of the NC Housing Coalition is crucial to increasing the supply of affordable, accessible housing so that David, Tyler and others can fulfill their dream to live as equal partners and valued members of our community. We applaud the Coalition for its work and encourage you to support and further the Coalition’s work by becoming a member or making a personal contribution today.

Please click here to donate!

Our Fall Annual Campaign has begun!

2009-12-04T09:29:00.003-05:00

Below is a letter from a Board member of the NC Housing Coalition, Tharesa Lee.

Tears come to my eyes when I think of my mother moving our Carolina Model home from the Long Point Community to Pollocksville after my father died. If any of you remember Carolina Model homes, you know that it was not much good after it got to Pollocksville. Though, it was a roof over our heads and I am thankful for it to this day.

When I see children living in poverty, it brings back those memories. A child is brought into the world not knowing whether he or she is rich or poor, but before they reach their first birthday it is apparent in many cases. Housing is a poverty issue and it tugs at the very heart of so many around the state, including myself. My story is a personal one and so the tears flow just a little bit easier.

Growing up in Jones County in a dilapidated structure was not a pretty picture. But, this experience helped me understand the critical need for safe, decent and affordable housing. North Carolina citizens are some of the most resourceful, giving, and understanding people I know. I’m always amazed how we come together to help one another. Solving the housing crisis is no different. It will take all of us to connect the dots between housing, poverty, and education. One does not work without the other.

That’s why we, at the Neuse River Community Development Corporation, Inc. (NRCDC), are members of the NC Housing Coalition (NCHC). The Coalition works as a statewide network to help overcome barriers to affordable housing. But they can’t do it alone. When Chris Estes, Executive Director of NCHC, heads to the General Assembly or Washington, DC he needs to be able to say that he has the whole state behind him, from Murphy to Manteo. The Neuse River area is behind him 100 percent.

The Coalition is at the forefront of fighting for issues like fair housing and preventing predatory lending. NCHC helps clarify these issues and continues to advocate on behalf of all North Carolina residents. Advocacy is what defines who we are, how we are going to get to where we need to go, and gives the rest of us the guts to carry out the work.

The Coalition provides continuing education on a variety of subjects dealing with housing throughout the state. Recently, we partnered on a Foreclosure Prevention Workshop that not only provided invaluable information but ultimately led to saving the home of a Craven County woman. The mayor of New Bern attended, Mount Olive College was a gracious host and Chick-fil-a served lunch. I simply mention all of these names, because it goes to the heart of the Coalition and NRCDC, partnerships.

Partnerships are how we get our work done and the Coalition understands this. It supports those of us in the trenches and understands what is happening on a grassroots level. I have recently been talking to some other organizations about joining, because we need a united front. The membership is so reasonable and pays for itself quickly. Please become a part of something larger than yourself. Support statewide housing advocacy. Won’t you make an extra effort to join the Coalition this year or make a personal contribution?

Warm Regards,
Tharesa Lee
NCHC board member and Executive Director of the Neuse River CDC

Please click here to donate.

2009-12-02T10:20:00.001-05:00

Dear friends and supporters:

This letter marks the beginning of the North Carolina Housing Coalition’s first ever annual campaign. As Policy and Outreach Coordinator for the NC Housing Coalition, I not only have the privilege to advocate for affordable housing to our elected leaders, I also have the pleasure of meeting and working with many of you, our partners, around the state. I am humbled by your tireless efforts to provide, promote, and preserve quality affordable housing in your communities. Your work has made it possible for countless individuals and families to attain a place to live with security and pride.

In my time with the NC Housing Coalition, one of the most inspiring groups that I have worked with is also a group with some of our youngest partners. In August, I travelled to Concord to meet with a team of high school students volunteering with Habitat for Humanity of Cabarrus County. The students had come to the conclusion that they needed to bring the housing challenges in their community to the attention of their local and state officials. During my visit, we discussed the state of affordable housing in their community, and the steps that can be taken through local, state and federal policy to affect change. These students used that information to make a presentation to their local elected leaders. The day of the presentation, the conference room at their Habitat affiliate was packed with officials including city council members, county leaders, state representatives, and congressional staffers. The infectious enthusiasm of these young and eager advocates reinforced my belief in the power of advocacy on a local level.
For over 20 years we have supported your efforts through state and federal advocacy, technical assistance, and the distribution of information, research and best practices. In 2009, I joined the staff as part of an initiative to expand our support of affordable housing advocacy on the local level. We now provide staff and technical assistance to local advocacy coalitions in Asheville, Charlotte, and Raleigh, but this is just the first step. Our vision is to expand this work to many more communities around the state. Through local coalition building, we can help communities like yours to build a base of support, advance community education, present recommendations to local officials, promote better land use policies, and ultimately pave the way for providing housing for all who need it. In order to make this vision a reality, we need your help.

In these challenging times, when affordable housing is needed more than ever, I hope that you will consider making a personal gift to the NC Housing Coalition. Your financial support, in any amount, is vital to our campaign for housing that ensures working families, people in crisis, seniors and persons with disabilities may live with dignity and opportunity.

In hope and gratitude,
Carley Ruff
Policy and Outreach Coordinator

Please click here to donate.

Gov. Perdue signs the Consumer Economic Protection Act

2009-09-18T14:41:00.000-04:00

Greeting from Jessica Parker, Social Work Intern

2009-09-14T11:45:00.005-04:00

I wanted to give an official greeting to the Housing Coalition members. I am one of two new social work interns at the Coalition from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. My choice of the Coalition as a field placement stemmed from my deep passion for social justice and advocacy work. Previous work experiences in the mental health and social services fields defined this passion into my desire to work in grassroots coalition building and government policy. I realized that in these areas I can affect real change. This organization is a perfect conjunction of these interests.

I am excited about working with the great and knowledgeable staff here at the Coalition. I have already learned a lot about housing policy and the current housing issues in North Carolina. I will be working closely with Carley and John around housing policy and outreach work and the conference in November. I look forward to communicating and working with you all throughout the course of this year.

Best,
Jessica Parker

(Also pictured is Alex Bidot, Social Work Intern)

Legislative Wrap-Up for 2009

2009-08-24T13:31:00.005-04:00

The General Assembly wrapped up its 2009 session by passing several pieces of legislation that help advance the issue of affordable housing and respond to the housing crisis in NC. Thank you to our members and the diligent work of Al Ripley and Bill Rowe at the NC Justice Center and Chris Kukla at the Center for Responsible Lending for helping us to achieve the following successes for housing in 2009:

Senate Bill 810, Affordable Housing/No Discrimination, was ratified by the General Assembly and was presented to Governor Perdue on August 5th. This legislation, championed by Senator McKissick of Durham, makes it a violation of the North Carolina Fair Housing Act to discriminate in land-use decisions or permitting of developments based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicapping condition, familial status, or the development contains affordable housing for families or individuals below 80% of area median income. The bill does allow decisions to be based on considerations of over-concentration of affordable housing and other considerations like traffic and environmental concerns. This is landmark legislation as North Carolina is the first state in the nation to include affordable housing as a protected class in its Fair Housing law. Led by Bill Rowe at NC Justice Center, this bill had very strong support from the NC Homebuilders, NC Apartment Association, and NC Realtors.

SB 661, Landlord-Tenant Changes, for the first time, sets minimum standards for rental housing across the state. It will ensure that all units to have safe wiring, flooring, roofs, and chimneys; access to water; operable locks; operable toilets; sources of heat; no rat infestation due to defects in the building; and no flooding problems. This legislation will go a long way in helping local governments address the supply of substandard rental housing that is unhealthy for residents and as well as a barrier to economic development in lower income neighborhoods. Big thanks to Bill Rowe at NC Justice Center and the folks at ACORN for their work on this bill.

House Bill 1586, the Community Land Trust Property Taxation bill, passed the Senate on the very last day that they were in session and has been signed into law by the Governor. It helps to ensure the long-term affordability of Community Land Trust homes by clarifying the tax valuation process. Community Land Trusts, such as those in Durham and Orange Counties, provide sustained affordable housing by placing resale restrictions on the homes within the boundaries of the land trust. HB 1586 guarantees that these resale restrictions are taken into account in the appraisal of homes, so that the homeowners are not overtaxed. It will help support the supply of affordable housing in the state and will result in a more consistent, efficient and equitable system of taxing land trust homes. Thanks to Representative Luebke, and Senator McKissick for their tireless work toward the passage of this bill. Special thanks to Andrew Foster and Matt Lipsky at the Duke Law Clinic, Selina Mack from the Durham Community Land Trust, and Christine Westfall from Orange Community Housing and Land Trust for all of their work drafting, editing and advocating for this bill.

House Bill 148, Congestion Relief/Intermodal Transport, was ratified by the General Assembly and includes a special caveat regarding affordable housing. The bill authorizes referendums for a ½ cent sales tax increase for the Triangle and Triad areas for light rail networks and a ¼ cent authorization for all other counties for bus and other public transport expansion. As transportation and affordable housing are inextricably linked, the bill requires municipalities to plan for 15% of the housing around transportation hubs to be affordable to people at 60% of median area income or below. The popularity of light rail will bring significant gentrification and displacement around the stations. This legislation will help to ensure that low and moderate wage workers and transit dependent individuals can access the light rail network when it is developed.

Other important legislative victories for affordable housing in 2009:

Senate Bill 974 – Consumer Economic Protection Act of 2009 - This important legislation offers homeowners greater protection in the foreclosure process. It also protects all consumers from abusive debt buying and debt collecting activities.

House Bill 806 – Notice on liens for HOA Assessments - This bill requires Home Owners Associations to take stronger steps in maintaining the correct addresses of members. It also requires that HOAs must notify a homeowner 15 days before a lien is filed about any alleged debt. The HOA must also notify the homeowner about a lien once it has been filed.

House Bill 1057 – Abolish Certain Deficiency Judgments - This legislation prohibits deficiency judgments on predatory mortgage loans in North Carolina.

House Bill 1058 – Increase Statutory Homestead Exemption - This act increases the homestead exemption so that individuals with debt can keep their homes rather than having homes sold to satisfy a judgment. It increases the exemption from $18,500 to $35,000.

Funding
The 2009 budget process was a very difficult one, with over a $4B deficit just to fund current programs and enrollment growth and Medicaid spending. We worked very hard at the beginning of the session to advocate for more funding for the NC Housing Trust Fund during the time of NC’s greatest housing crisis. While we could not secure any additional funding we were able to protect the recurring funding already in place for the Housing Trust Fund and the Home Protection Program from being cut any further. This was one of the few areas to escape percentage cuts. This means that the Housing Trust Fund received $10M recurring and the Home Protection Program received $3M recurring. The legislature also provided over $1.5M for the HOME matched needed by NCHFA for federal HOME funding.

The big loss was the $7M in non-recurring funds for the Housing 400 program in the Housing Trust Fund. Obviously, we hope to resume this program’s funding as soon as possible, but next year’s budget expects to be just as bad, if not worse, in terms of deficits.

The major opportunity still in front of us is the federal budget process and the potential of funding from the National Housing Trust Fund. Congress will resume housing budget discussions in September, and we will be looking for your help in advocating for increased housing funding.

Carley Ruff
Policy and Outreach Coordinator

An Inspiration for Housing Advocacy in Cabarrus County

2009-08-19T11:27:00.003-04:00

It is often said that wisdom comes with age, but I have discovered that truly, wisdom knows no age…

Recently, I had the great opportunity to spend time with a group of high school students volunteering with Habitat for Humanity of Cabarrus County. They are the steering committee for the Youth United Program, an initiative in which youth sponsor and build a Habitat home. However, these young leaders have gone above and beyond the call of duty. In addition to the hard work of fundraising and construction, they have discovered the important role of advocacy in accomplishing Habitat’s mission.

Last year, the Youth United group was disheartened to discover that their local Habitat for Humanity affiliate would not be able to build as many homes and serve as many families as it had the year before, because of shrinking funds. The students realized that this problem might be avoided if there were more state and federal dollars devoted to the development of affordable housing. With the help of Habitat Cabarrus, they decided to take the matter into their own hands and hold an informational forum for their local, state, and federal elected officials to let them know of the issue. Prior to the event, the steering committee invited Chris Estes, from our organization, to come and share information about housing needs and data for North Carolina. They used that information to fashion a presentation for the forum.

Because of the success last year’s event, the steering committee was eager to hold another in 2009. I had the pleasure of holding an advocacy workshop with the group, as Chris did last year. I shared information about the importance of advocacy, housing data for North Carolina and Cabarrus County, and the legislative priorities of the NC Housing Coalition as well as Habitat for Humanity International. The students used that information, as well as their own research and experience to make a presentation to their local elected leaders last Friday. The conference room was packed with officials including city council members, county leaders, Representative Linda Johnson, and Deputy District Director for Congressman Larry Kissell.

As a younger person working in housing advocacy, I am certainly aware of the fear and intimidation that comes with addressing elected officials. Will I be taken seriously? Will they care what I have to say? These inspiring students have not let their fear get the better of them, quite the opposite actually. They are using their enthusiasm and knowledge to make a positive impact. If we all had the drive, passion, and clarity of thought of these young leaders -- what a world this would be!

Everyone, at any age, deserves a safe, decent, affordable place to live. Just the same, we can advocate for housing whether we are five or ninety-five.

Thank you to our Youth United friends in Cabarrus County for keeping us all inspired!

Carley Ruff
Policy and Outreach Coordinator

Chris talks about the foreclosure crisis on NC Now

2009-08-05T16:00:00.002-04:00

Home Saved from Foreclosure

2009-07-21T15:36:00.003-04:00

Who would have imagined that attending a workshop could change the rest of your life...

That’s exactly what happened to a 72 year old Craven County resident who was 10 months behind on her mortgage when she walked into a foreclosure prevention training sponsored and coordinated by the NC Housing Coalition and the City of New Bern. For the sake of keeping her name anonymous, we’ll call her “Mrs. P”. Mrs. P listened attentively as one by one, speakers from NC Commissioner of Banks (NCCOB), HUD and Legal Aid of NC took the podium. Mrs. P sat quietly as she noticed that questions from the audience were coming from housing servicers and realtors... not homeowners (like her). Nevertheless, Mrs. P felt a glimmer of hope and a sense of refuge while being addressed by professionals, educating the audience seated before them.

As she listened to how NC Commissioner of Banks’ “State Home Foreclosure Prevention Project” is sometimes able to get a stay (postponement) on a foreclosure and how HUD’s “Making Home Affordable Program” could offer a loan modification, and how Legal Aid of NC’s “Mortgage Foreclosure Project” saves homes using legal defense... she became as optimistic as ever. She made sure she spoke with each presenter before leaving.

The following day, a Craven County sheriff knocked on Mrs. P’s door, serving her a notice of the foreclosure hearing and sale. Mrs. P was crushed, knowing she could lose her home within weeks! She contacted me that afternoon and I put her in touch with several agencies about possible options to save her home. We found out that the NCCOB had been working on Mrs. P’s case since the day of the workshop. They were able to get a 30 day extension on the foreclosure hearing and sale. In the meantime, not giving up, Mrs. P completed a counseling session by phone, which made her eligible for the “Making Home Affordable Program”.

In less than two weeks after attending this workshop, Mrs. P’s mortgage loan had been modified to a payment that she could afford (not more than 31% of her income). More excitingly is the fact that her insurance payments, city and county taxes are now escrowed into this lower payment (unlike before). Mrs. P is SAVING approximately $700 per month and her home has been saved! All of the services Mrs. P received were FREE!

Regina Green
Foreclosure Prevention Coordinator

Grand Opening of Fairview Pointe Apartments

2009-07-15T13:03:00.009-04:00

Hi Folks,

Welcome back to our blog! We have some great news to share. The Fairview Pointe Apartments, a new multi-family affordable housing complex, just opened on Monday, in Lillington. Congratulations to our Investor Council Member, Fred Mills, who was the contractor on the project! They're absolutely gorgeous and the playground is just begging for little kids to come and play.

I drove down to Lillington for a festive, if wet, ribbon cutting ceremony. The Housing Finance Agency did a wonderful job organizing this event. Congressman Etheridge and Senator Blake were also on hand to say a few words and check out the new face of affordable housing.

As one of the newer staff members, it was great for me to see the product of all the hard work. These apartments were partially funded by the Housing Trust Fund and are a Tax Credit Development. Meeting a few of the residents who have already moved in was heart warming. You can't help but get excited for someone who just moved into a new home! Check it out at www.upmapartments.com and select Fairview Pointe.

Take care,
Anne Ehlers
Communications and Development Coordinator

NC Lending Laws lend Model to a Nation in Crisis

2007-11-08T14:23:00.000-05:00

Well we don’t see this too often, so when it’s written we should celebrate it:
"North Carolina’s progressive laws may become
a nation-wide model".

Think you misread that? Think again. That’s a quote from an article in the latest edition of BusinessWeek, regarding the need for stiffer predatory lending penalties to combat the current home foreclosure epidemic sweeping the country.

Predatory lending laws in NC have been strengthened with regularity since 1999, when groundbreaking and comprehensive predatory lending regulations for home loans were passed. In August, Governor Easley signed the North Carolina Home Loan Protection Act into law. The law bans penalties for borrowers who pay off their mortgages early and mandates lenders to verify income, and is also expected to limit the fees brokers collect for arranging certain high-rate mortgages. This most recent victory for North Carolina homeowners, and previous legislation that paved the way, are now the talk of national politicians eager to help the folks back home, more and more of whom are starting to experience a mortgage interest rate and fee explosion.

While the picture in North Carolina is less than rosy—foreclosure filings have jumped 39% in the past six months —it seems that thanks to a strong legislative stand we’re faring far better than the national average of 56%.

Predatory lending in the subprime mortgage market has resulted or will ultimately result in over 2.2 million foreclosures for American families in the coming years, costing homeowners as much as $164 billion, primarily in lost equity. The Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) reports that 1 out of every 5 subprime loans issued in 2005-06 will end in foreclosure. Foreclosures will inordinately affect low-income communities and communities of color (currently African Americans are three times more likely to receive a subprime loan than whites), putting homeownership and the ability to build equity out of reach for yet another generation. Those who stand to benefit most from ownership are those who will be hit hardest.

Legislation recently introduced in Congress by NC Reps. Miller and Watt, among others, (H.R. 3915, called the Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act of 2007) would mirror current North Carolina law in its protection of future mortgage consumers and its confrontation of the predatory lending status quo. To support the current national movement (it’s facing opposition from groups like the Mortgage Banker's Association and could use your active support) or to read more about it, check out information on CRL’s website.

Housing Update 09.05.07

2007-09-06T10:02:00.000-04:00

Last week, two important announcements were made about our nation’s economic progress and the mortgage lending / foreclosure crisis.

In the first, the American Community Survey (from the US Census Bureau) showed a couple of statistics that seemed to indicate that things are improving in that both the number of people working and median household income had risen. However, further analysis showed that what is actually happening is that more people are working per household, but they are on average earning less than last year (this grows even more when adjusted for inflation). Another disappointing stat showed that despite this increase in the labor force, the number of people without health insurance had risen. The grim reality, the economic “recovery” that started in 2001, has not produced gains for low and moderate income families. For more about this analysis, read the press release by the NC Justice Center in this Update.

In the second announcement, President Bush announced his response to the nation’s foreclosure crisis. You can read more about the analysis of his proposals, along with additional insight by Martin Eakes of the Center for Responsible Lending in today’s Update. There are several additional thoughts I hope to make in an Op-Ed this week as well.

One thing I hope to bring forward is that the state has a program that is well-positioned to respond NC’s foreclosure problem: the Home Protection Pilot Program. It offers mortgage assistance and housing counseling to homeowners who have lost their jobs, and has saved several hundred homes since its inception in 2004. The program could have been expanded to serve more counties, handle more issues than just job loss, and provide more housing counseling, but we could not get the NC General Assembly to even consider such an action. Instead, we had to work hard with several of our legislative allies, like Sen. Dorsett and Rep. Goforth, to keep the program from being cut. Hopefully, it will not take a dramatic worsening of this crisis to generate the kind of response from state legislators that is needed on this issue.

NC Housing News

Monthly Fair Housing Training Series
NC Housing Coalition invites you to attend a Rights and Responsibilities of Landlords and Property Managers Training. This training will focus on the rights and responsibilities of landlords and property managers under Fair Housing laws, including Reasonable Accommodations, and NC Landlord-Tenant Law.

Registration costs are $20 for NC Housing Coalition members and $30 for non-members. Registration is required, and closes a week before each event. For more information and to register, please click here.

Fair Housing for Affordable Housing DevelopersWe are pleased to announce the publication of Overcoming Municipal Barriers: a Guidebook for Affordable Housing Developers by Amy Curry and the Duke Law Community Enterprise Clinic.

We hope this guidebook helps builders and nonprofit organizations better understand their rights under fair housing law. We also hope that it leads to more successful challenges to communities that are discriminating against affordable housing by denying or delaying their approval. This month we will be printing 200 of these guidebooks for distribution; in the meantime, you can download a free copy in .PDF format by clicking here.

NC Housing Preservation Project
The goals of this project are twofold: to compile a complete list of all the subsidized rental units (including vouchers and PHA units) in the state, and to establish a “monitoring” network that will ensure that any units threatened with conversion or demolition can be preserved as affordable units. For more information on this project, visit the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s project website at www.preservationcatalog.org or please contact us at the NC Housing Coalition by emailing jniff@nchousing.org if you are interested in participating.

National Housing News
Click here for the latest in national housing news, courtesy of NLIHC and HAC.

To read the full Housing Update, click here. This will open an Adobe PDF document on our website.

Thanks for being a member of the NC Housing Coalition,

Chris Estes
Executive Director

Save the Date!

2007-08-31T15:04:00.000-04:00

On October 12th, the NC Housing Coalition is co-sponsoring a conference with the UNC-CH Law School entitled "One People, One Nation? Housing and Social Justice: The Intersection of Race, Place, and Opportunity." This conference aims to invigorate a new dialogue among advocates, explore new approaches to housing solutions, identify structural dynamics that keep people spatially isolated by economics and race, increase public awareness of how housing problems impede numerous social justice goals, and discover avenues for actors, advocates, and academics to work together to advance the promises of "one people, one nation."

The conference will be held Friday, October 12, 2007, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at the George Watts Hill Alumni Center at UNC-CH.

Click here for the Conference Brochure and here for the Registration Form.

Thank you for your support of the NC Housing Coalition and the many North Carolinians who need quality affordable housing in our state.

New Tools for Fair Housing

2007-08-31T14:59:00.000-04:00

North Carolina Housing Coalition is pleased to announce two Fair Housing related news items:

We will be hosting Fair Housing and Reasonable Accommodations Trainings in September, October and November.

Overcoming Municipal Barriers: A Fair Housing Guide for NC's Affordable Housing Developers is now available.

Fair Housing Trainings
NC Housing Coalition invites you to attend a Rights and Responsibilities of Landlords and Property Managers Training.

This training will focus on the rights and responsibilities of landlords and property managers under Fair Housing laws, including Reasonable Accommodations, and NC Landlord-Tenant Law. This training is designed for landlords and property managers of developments that serve low- to moderate-income residents. Certificates of attendance are available.

Raleigh: September 14, 2007, 9:00 am – 12:30 pm in the Meeting Room at the RDU Airport Authority Building; 1000 Trade Drive, RDU Airport, NC 27623.

Asheville: October 26, 2007 , 9:00 am – 12:30 pm in the small conference room (209) at the Haynes Center at ABTCC Enka Campus; 1459 Sand Hill Rd., Candler, NC 28715.

Winterville: November 2, 2007 , 9:00 am – 12:30 pm in the Leslie Building Auditorium (Room 143) at Pitt Community College; 1986 Pitt Tech Rd., Winterville, NC 28590.
Registration costs are $20 for NC Housing Coalition members and $30 for non-members. Registration is required, and closes a week before each event.

For more information and to register, please contact jniff@nchousing.org.

Overcoming Municipal Barriers: A Fair Housing Guide for NC's Affordable Housing Developers
Despite producing some of the best examples of affordable housing in the country, those who build affordable housing, both for-profit and non-profit, still face considerable opposition from local governments across our state.

We believe that this opposition is based in misguided perceptions of what is being proposed and often driven by discriminatory stereotypes about race and class. It can also take the form of outdated stereotypes about design and economic impact based on the failed large-scale urban renewal developments of fifty or more years ago.

The Housing Coalition is committed to changing the perception of the public and local governments about what affordable housing looks like and what its impact in their community will be both by conducting a public information campaign and by challenging discriminatory development decisions in the courts.

We are pleased to present this guidebook by Amy Curry and the Duke Law School Community Enterprise Clinic and hope it helps builders and nonprofit organizations better understand their rights under fair housing law as developers of affordable homes. We also hope that it leads to more successful challenges to communities that are discriminating against affordable housing by denying or delaying their approval.

This guide is available for download from our website and will soon be available in hard copy. To download a .PDF copy, please visit our website: www.nchousing.org.

Housing Update 8-22-07

2007-08-22T15:41:00.000-04:00

While the NC Legislature has gone home, there is still a great deal to do as we shift gears to speaking opportunities and ways to get involved in the many discussions happening around our state that are connected to housing issues.

Last week, I enjoyed the opportunity to spend part of day with Ryan Miller from Sen. Dole’s staff in Washington. Ryan was in NC on a week long tour of housing developments across the state on an itinerary arranged by Denise Neunaber of the NC Coalition to End Homelessness.

We spent the morning showing off housing built by CASA in Raleigh as models for housing for persons with disabilities. Thanks to Debra King and her staff from CASA, who did a great job talking about how the various sources of funding are needed to produce these quality independent living opportunities. We hope to bring Sen Dole on as a co-sponsor of the National Housing Trust Fund bill when it is introduced in the Senate in the coming weeks. Thanks to Denise for all of her work arranging Ryan's visits and to Ryan for taking time to come see all the great examples of affordable housing in our state.

Later that day, I headed down to Fayetteville to speak to the NC Association of County Commissioners on affordable housing issues. This was an opportunity to talk about the impact the lack of affordable housing has on both their spending in human services (because of the increased costs serving persons with disabilities in particular) and their difficulty in hiring needed public employees in high land costs areas. It was also great to be speaking alongside Sue Perry-Cole from the CDC Association who talked about their report looking at workforce housing issues in Brunswick County. Thanks to Anthony Allen from the Commissioners Association for inviting me to speak.

NC Housing News

Monthly Fair Housing Training Series to begin in September

NC Housing Coalition invites you to attend a Rights and Responsibilities of Landlords and Property Managers Training. This training will focus on the rights and responsibilities of landlords and property managers under Fair Housing laws, including Reasonable Accommodations, and NC Landlord-Tenant Law.

This training is designed for landlords and property managers of developments that serve low to moderate income residents. Certificates of attendance are available.

Raleigh: September 14, 2007, 9:00 am – 12:30 pm in the Meeting Room at the RDU Airport Authority Building; 1000 Trade Drive, RDU Airport, NC 27623.

Registration costs are $20 for NC Housing Coalition members and $30 for non-members. Registration is required, and closes a week before each event. For more information and to register, please click here. Trainings are scheduled for Asheville in October and Winterville in November with more to come in other parts of the state in 2008.

NC Housing Preservation Project

We spend a lot of time here focused on increasing resources for the increased production of new quality affordable housing in our state. Another very important issue is the preservation of the affordable housing stock already in place.

Two weeks ago we held the first meeting of interested parties in the NC Housing Preservation Project at the NC Housing Finance Agency. The goals of the project are twofold: to compile a complete list of all the subsidized rental units (including vouchers and PHA units) in the state, and to establish a “monitoring” network that will ensure that any units threatened with conversion or demolition can be preserved as affordable units.

If you are interested in being a part of such a preservation effort, please contact us at the NC Housing Coalition by emailing jniff@nchousing.org.

National Housing News

Click here for the latest in national housing news, courtesy of NLIHC and HAC.