Category Archives: Uncategorized

Fair Housing Choice Committee Needs Members

Posted on by

From the Portland Housing Bureau:

Analysis of Impediments (AI) to Fair Housing Choice

The Portland Housing Bureau (PHB) is looking for people interested in participating on the committee to conduct the Analysis of Impediments (AI) to Fair Housing Choice.

On behalf of the consortium of the City of Portland, the City of Gresham and Multnomah County, PHB is required to submit to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) certification that it is affirmatively furthering fair housing. This certification has three elements and requires that the County:

  1. Complete an Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI);
  2. Take actions to overcome the effects of any impediments identified through the analysis; and
  3. Maintain records reflecting the actions taken in response to the analysis.

Background

HUD defines impediments to fair housing choice in terms of their applicability to local, state and federal law. In Multnomah County, barriers would include:

• Any actions, omissions or decisions taken because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, mental or physical disability, source of income, marital status, sexual orientation, and gender identity (protected classes) which restrict housing choices or the availability of housing choice.

• Any actions, omissions or decisions that have the effect of limiting housing choices or the availability of housing choice on the protected classes listed above.

The AI process involves examining various data and interviews with a variety of key stakeholders variety of sources related to housing, which affect people protected under fair housing law.

PHB has contracted with Fair Housing Council of Oregon (FHCO) to conduct fair housing testing within Multnomah County. A full report on the Multnomah County testing is expected in February 2011. Back in April, the FHCO released a report on fair housing testing FHCO conducted in Ashland and Beaverton to see whether renters face housing discrimination. The FHCO sent African-American and white testers with the same credentials to look at apartments advertised in newspapers and online. The testing showed that more than 75% of Black testers in Ashland and Beaverton faced discrimination.

Continue reading →

Local Leaders Institute This Weekend

Posted on by

From the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods:

Are you interested in learning about the history of Portland from local leaders and understanding why it is relevant today? How do you get more participation from your group?

Join the dynamic Local Leaders Institute this Friday, Nov 12 from 5-8pm and Saturday, Nov 13 from 10am-3pm in NE Portland. http://bit.ly/LocalLeadersInstitute

Come out Friday evening and hear from local and national representatives from Portland, Oregon. Spend an evening and dinner with former Senator Margaret Carter, former City Commissioner candidate Betty Harris and Vancouver Avenue Baptist Pastor J.W. Hennessee. The topics will cover the history of the Neighborhood System and its initial purpose and role in local government and in the community; the local history of Portland and the changes to culture, environment and demographics; and how to become a motivated leader in your community. Each presenter will speak, followed by a question and answer session. The amount of rich history and energy present for this session will be fantastic!

Continue reading →

New Housing Planned for Vacant MLK Frontage

Posted on by

Ivy City Homes is the name of a new mixed-income housing development planned for Ivy Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. just south of King Neighborhood. It is to be one of the first projects nationally to earn the Earth Advantage Community certification for sustainability.

A public/private partnership with the Portland Development Commission, the project provides a provision for permanently affordable homeownership with a subcontractor base consisting of a high percentage of minority-owned, women-owned, and emerging small businesses. Permanent affordability of 30% of the units to families earning up to 80% of the median family income through a partnership with Proud Ground, a community land trust with deed covenants that restrict the resale prices of the permanently affordable units through future resales.

The homes are to achieve a LEED for Homes certification with energy-efficiency of 45% over current energy code and will have energy efficient appliances and secure bike parking. Construction on the 28 units of residential and live/work space is scheduled to be completed summer 2011. Of the 28 units available for sale, approximately nine will be affordable to families earning 60-80% of the median family income for the area.

http://aristondev.com/projects/ivy-city-homes

Join the King Neighborhood Tree Planting!

Posted on by

In partnership with Friends of Trees, the King neighborhood is planning a tree planting project for February 12, 2011! Join us on Saturday morning to help plant trees and create a healthier community.

Planting a tree in your yard or parking strip creates long lasting benefits enjoyed by everyone. Did you know that trees remove pollutants from the air? A typical tree absorbs 10 pounds of pollutants, cleans 330 pounds of carbon dioxide, and creates 260 pounds of oxygen each year. Having cleaner air in your neighborhood has all sorts of health benefits, such as reduced asthma rates. Trees also help intercept and retain 760 gallons of rainwater each year, which help keep our rivers clean and help save us money on stormwater fees. Trees can cool our homes in the summer and shade our city which helps us stay cool all summer. Trees raise the property value of your home by up to 20%. Also, unlike many other things, trees appreciate in value each year. And by planting trees now, we can keep our city green into the future.

This winter, King residents will be offered street trees starting at $35.00. The cost will include a site inspection by the Urban Forestry Department to ensure you choose the right tree for your home, hole digging, help with planting your tree, stakes, mulch, ties, labels, follow-up monitoring, and information on proper tree care techniques. For more information, please visit www.friendsoftrees.org.

Planning has begun for the King Tree Planting event, to participate please contact Irek at (503) 828-6943 or king@plantitportland.org.

Give Two Hours for Loaves and Fishes

Posted on by

David Lomax of KNA asks:

Got 2 hours?

I am volunteering at the New Seasons Market – Concordia store on Sunday, November 21, 2010. I invite you to join my Martin Luther King Jr. Loaves and Fishes team by volunteering for a 2-hour shift.

Loaves & Fishes Centers, The Meals-On-Wheels People, is having a fundraiser the five days preceding Thanksgiving. It is called Donate Dinner. Donate Dinner is one of the largest volunteer events in the Portland metropolitan area. Last year, 1,500 people volunteered for 2-hour shifts and the outcome was incredible – they raised more than $230,000 to support the Meals-On-Wheels program.

What do I need you to do? Greet customers as they come into the store to shop for their Thanksgiving dinner. Smile, hand them a Donate Dinner card, and let them know that if they would like to donate to the Meals-On-Wheels program they tell the cashier when they check out. Their grocery receipt will include their tax-deductible nonprofit donation receipt. It is that simple!

Please join my team for a 2-hour shift. Last year, each volunteer raised an average of $225 per shift! All proceeds are invested in our local senior population.

Together, we can make sure that no senior in our community goes hungry or experiences social isolation. Please join me and the more than 1500 other volunteers to raise critical funds to feed our elder population. Click here if you want to view my team’s current schedule.

If you are not available on Sunday, November 21, 2010 to volunteer for my team, please go to www.donatedinner.org and see if another date and store are available. It takes a village to feed our seniors!

Loaves & Fishes Centers, The Meals-On-Wheels People is a secular nonprofit corporation that prepares 5,000 meals each weekday for seniors in Multnomah, Washington and Clark counties. Unlike most other Meals-On-Wheels programs, our local Loaves & Fishes has never had a waiting list for meal services. Why? Because of the generous community support from volunteers and donors, a meal can be delivered within 24 hours of notification.

David Lomax
MLK Center Loaves & Fishes
5325 NE MLK BLVD
Portland Oregon 97211
(503)-953-8207 Phone
(503)-988-4899 Fax
dlomax@lfcpdx.org
www.loavesandfishesonline.org