This past December Governor Kate Brown announced her support for a proposed housing budget of $406.1 million in resources & investments to focus on housing stability for families with children, veterans, and the chronically homeless, as well as accelerating the supply of housing throughout Oregon.
A public hearing will be held this Monday, March 25 on Oregon Housing and Community Services’ budget before the Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on Transportation and Economic Development.
Please consider submitting written testimony, which is being accepted through Wednesday, March 27 at 3 pm. Housing Alliance has a blogpost with helpful suggestions.
This is our opportunity to help Legislators understand how public resources create housing opportunities in communities across Oregon. Now is the time to show your support for increasing investment in OHCS’ budget. Oregon is at a turning point. We must decide—together—what we want to be over the next 20 years.
Primary components in the budget the Housing Alliance is encouraging advocacy for include:
- Additional resources to support preventing or ending homelessness, through investments in the Emergency Housing Account and State Homeless Assistance Program, or investments in ending homelessness for children and families;
- Additional resources to support investments to assist renters in the private market.
- Additional resources to support developing new affordable rental homes.
- Additional resources to maintain affordable housing.
- Additional resources to support developing new affordable homes for sale.
Ask for the committee’s support of your priority issue in the OHCS budget. Here is what the Housing Alliance is supporting. Pick one that relates to the subject of your letter:
- $50 million in on-going funds for the Emergency Housing Account and State Homeless Assistance Program;
- $20.5 million to support preventing and ending homelessness specifically for children and families;
- $20 million to support renters in private market rental housing to access information, legal assistance, and hotline services (among other supports);
- $200 million to develop new affordable homes across Oregon (80% to affordable rental homes, 20% to affordable homes for sale);
- $100 million to preserve existing affordable rental housing; or
- $1.24 million to help people access foreclosure counseling.
For more info on written testimony in support of SB 5512: The Housing Alliance has a blog post with talking points, who to address letter to, and more details.
Written testimony: Send your letter to: jwmtr.exhibits@oregonlegislature.gov.
https://housingoregon.org/time-to-show-our-support-for-ohcs-budget/