The Legislature has now been in session for just over a month and things are moving very quickly. Here’s a brief update on the bills we are leading and supporting this session.
Update
- The bill to remove barriers for tenants with Section 8 vouchers to rent homes in their preferred communities (HB 2639) had a public hearing on Wednesday, March 6, 2013.
- HB 2417, which would increase the real estate document recording fee by $5 to address a range of housing needs for Veterans has been voted out of the House Veterans Services & Emergency Preparedness Committee and also had a hearing in the House Committee on Human Services and Housing on Wednesday, March 6, 2013. Please consider having your organization endorse this proposal!
- Our proposed bill to continue building a system to provide homeowners with essential information, counseling, legal support, mediation services, and direct financial relief (SB 558) had a Senate Committee on General Government, Consumer, and Small Business Protection hearing on February 27, 2013.
- Last week, a team of partners met with Legislators and Legislative Leadership to share the progress made to date, the continuing need in all Oregon communities, and the commitment of public and private partners to preserve existing affordable housing across all of Oregon.
Bills that we’ve added to the Housing Alliance agenda that we’re supporting are also speeding through the legislative process:
- The bill to extend the Agricultural Workforce Housing Tax Credit (HB 2980), a key tool for housing development, will have a hearing today, Friday, March 8, 2013 in the House Human Services & Housing Committee.
- HB 2316, which would ensure that eligible participants with modest retirement savings are not turned away from the Oregon Individual Development Account (IDA) Initiative due to current limits, also has a public hearing in the House Committee on Human Services and Housing this afternoon.
- The two bills we support, HB 2446 and HB 2447, to extend sunsets in 2014 on the tax incentive for sales of parks to residents, CDCs, or housing authorities and on the tax credit for residents displaced by park closure, have been voted out of committee and referred to the Joint Committee on Tax Credits.
- SB 507, which would extend the sunset and expand the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to create a pathway out of poverty for Oregon families, had a public hearing on March 1, 2013. It will likely have another hearing on March 13, 2013.
- The bill to institute an advisory committee to develop recommendations for a general assistance program to serve low-income, childless adults with disabilities, HB 2712, was voted out of the House Human Services and Housing Committee and referred to Ways and Means.
- The City of Portland’s property tax exemption bill, HB 2349, had a public hearing on February 27, 2013.
- The Housing Alliance supports a $4 million increase to current Oregon Domestic & Sexual Violence Services Fund in the Department of Justice Budget. A public hearing for HB 5018 was held on February 27, 2013.
- The Senior & Disabled Property Tax Referral program bill, HB 2510, had a hearing in the Senate Revenue Committee on February 22, 2013.
Lastly, the Co-Chairs have made their proposed 2013-15 Budget public. You may find it here. The Housing Alliance is still digesting the news around this budget. We’ll let you know more soon. E-mail Alison with any questions.