Canada Host Meeting of Housing Professionals

The Canadian Housing and Renewal Association (CHRA) is hosting a gathering of housing and community development professionals, academics, policy experts and government officials from the United Kingdom and the United States to discuss ideas and experiences on common housing and community development issues.

Dubbed the Tri-Country Conference, the bi-annual event is an invitation only forum where 25 representatives from the CHRA, the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) from the United States and the Charter Institute of Housing (CIH) from the United Kingdom which allows individuals to discuss pressing issues facing housing and community development professionals in each country. This year’s conference will be held in Toronto October 15-17.

This year’s theme, “Creating a Modern Housing Policy: A Legacy for Tomorrow’s Leaders, will explore the demographic changes taking place in each country and the political and economic uncertainty affordable housing is experiencing in each country.
For the first time, the conference will include a one-day symposium on October 14 which is open to any one interested in attending. Dr. Anne Golden, President and CEO of the Conference Board of Canada, and Michael Geller, President of Michael Geller & Associates Limited, are the featured speakers of the one-day event.

The one day symposium will include a discussion on the state of housing in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and New England. An afternoon session will follow which will explore how professionals can affect policy in their respective country to meet future housing needs and create greater opportunities for the populations in need. The symposium sessions will end with small group discussions.

The conference itself will include sessions which will explore issues such as the following:

• How governments have been able to engage other sectors of a community in building and managing affordable housing;

• How to engage youth into leadership positions in the housing profession;

• How innovative policy and financial tools can influence housing policy in a positive way; and,

• How to take what as been discussed and move forward.

The event will also feature various tours to various sites in Toronto which reflect the discussions and conference theme.

San Buenaventura Housing Authority Receives Standard and Poors Rating

Standard and Poor’s Ratings Service recently assigned an “A” issuer credit rating (ICR) to the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura in California.

The rating reflects S&P’s analysis of the agency’s strong operational performance, portfolio quality and financial management. The Housing Authority has 1,189 housing choice vouchers, 716 conventional public housing units and 59 non-public housing units.

The agency’s overall strengths included:

• A strong overall management and strategic plan which supports the agency’s mission;
• Strong support from the city government and other local stakeholders;
• The housing authority has strong portfolio quality which blends well within its market;
• There is a strong need for the authority’s services as evidenced by a waiting list of more than 3,500 families for public housing units and housing choice vouchers;
• Implementation of new business strategies which will increase opportunities for the housing authority; and,
• Low debt obligations.

For additional information, contact Valerie White at Standard and Poors, 212-438-2078, or Edward L. Moses, Chief Executive Officer of the Housing Authority at 805-648-5008 x 230.

Interesting Reads

Housing and Community Development

Three Years after Hurricane, The Back Up is a Fixture
By Dan Barry, New York Times

From the Ground Up
With bank loans scarcer, a handful of Web sites help borrowers tap individuals for cash.
By Kim Hart
Washington Post Staff Writer

In Abandoned Homes, the Remnants of a Life
Firm Finds Bittersweet Niche in Cleaning Up After Foreclosures
By Ben Hubbard
Washington Post Staff Writer

Future Uncertain for Fannie, Freddie
Fox Business

U.S. Says Many Apartments Violate Law on Disabled
By Charles V. Bagli, New York Times

Breezy does it: Bloomberg Eyes Green Energy for NYC
By David Seifmen, New York Post

Campaign 2008

Blacks Debate Civil Rights Risk in Obama’s Rise
By Rachel L. Swarns, New York Times

With Vast Agenda, Obama Must Say What Priorities Are
By Mort Kondracke, Roll Call

If Obama Loses Racism is the only reason McCain might beat him.
By Jacob Weisberg, Slate

The Hill-Bill Show
They could make the convention in Denver a nightmare for Obama—but here’s why they probably won’t.
By John Heilmann, New York Magazine

How Obama Reconciles Dueling Views on Economy
By David Leonhardt, New York Times Magazine

Obama and McCain both say they want to usher in a new, less divisive brand of politics. Which of them has the better chance? Is bipartisanship still possible?
by Ronald Brownstein, September 2008 Atlantic Monthly

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Renters Affected by Foreclosure

A recent report by Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies stated the recent foreclosure crisis is affecting the rental market more deeply than has been reported and calls for the purchasing of foreclosed property as one remedy to help increase the supply of affordable housing.

America’s Rental Housing, The Key to a Balanced National Policy was released this year before Congress passed legislation in response to the foreclosure crisis. This legislation includes assistance which provides funds to local governments to purchase property subject to foreclosure. Key points raised in the report include the following:

• The current mortgage crisis will increase the number of households seeking affordable rental units;
• The high cost of housing is forcing families to make sacrifices in other areas such as food to make ends meet;
• Financing for new construction and preservation of rental housing will increase;
• Many of the neighborhoods affected contain the most vulnerable population;
• Renters are more diverse today due to increases in the immigrant, minority and elderly populations;
• The increase in the number of new units is concentrated in areas too expensive for low-income renters to live;
• State and local governments need to remove barriers to affordable housing such as zoning restrictions, minimum lot sizes and lengthy permitting and approval processes.

The report concludes with a call for comprehensive housing assistance to include things like transportation, child care, and access to quality health care and efforts to ensure low income families can earn decent wages.

"Five Fundamentals Campaign" Launched

The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty has developed a tool kit for advocates to use in securing a pledge from candidates seeking public office at levels to support the Five Fundamentals to Prevent and End Homelessness. Joining the law center in this effort is the National Coalition for the Homeless, the National AIDS Housing Coalition, the National Alliance to End Homelessness http://www.endhomelessness.org/ , the National Center on Family Homelessness, and the National Policy and Advocacy Council on Homelessness . The toolkit is not designed to endorse a particular candidate but is to be used to educate those seeking office on the types of policies needed to address homelessness.

Campaign 2008

Within the next few weeks, each presidential candidate will select his running mate. Adding our two cents to the discussion, aviewfromdc believes Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE) and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee is the two best choices for Barack Obama and John McCain respectively. Both men help secure their respective party’s base and in any election a secure base is the foundation to victory. Once the foundation is set, the candidate then builds a coalition around that foundation.

As stated in the media, Biden provides Obama with the foreign policy experience lacking from his dossier. In addition to his appeal to the blue collar and Catholic constituencies, Biden has the perfect junkyard dog personality to take on attacks from Republicans. He can be for Obama what Vice President Dick Cheney has been to President George Bush – a hatchet man when the need for one arises. Yes, Biden tends to stick his foot in his mouth but God bless him. He is a secure enough person he is likely to bring his own ketchup when he does stick his foot in his mouth.

Huckabee helps McCain secure the evangelical base. He is a Baptist minister, clearly a social conservative and one the evangelical community will trust to keep McCain’s feet to the fire. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has shifted too much on issues such as abortion and gay marriage to be trusted by evangelicals. While there is speculation Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, Virginia Congressman Eric Cantor or South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham have received much attention, it doesn’t strike aviewfromdc each brings enough to the table. McCain has yet to secure his base but Huckabee seems to be the best option to help in this effort.

Interesting reads

2008 Presidential Election

Op-Ed Columnist

The Candidate We Still Don’t Know

By Frank Rich, New York Times

Op-Ed Columnist

How About the Home Front?

By Bob Herbert, New York Times

If Elected ...

Rivals Differ (a Bit) on Financial Market Rules

By Jackie Calmes, New York Times

Election 2008 Latest Polls

Realclearpolitics.com

In a Changing Corner of Pa., a Glimpse of Obama's Age Problem

By Alec MacGillis, Washington Post Staff Writer

Voter Registration Is the New Battleground

By Corey Dade and John D. McKinnon, The Wall Street Journal

The Front-Runner’s Fall

Hillary Clinton’s campaign was undone by a clash of personalities more toxic than anyone imagined. E-mails and memos—published here for the first time—reveal the backstabbing and conflicting strategies that produced an epic meltdown.

by Joshua Green, The Atlantic Monthly

Miscellaneous

A Teachable Moment

By Paul Tough, New York Times Magazine

Minority America

By Joel Kotkin, Newgeography.com

Housing and Community Development

The Debt Trap

Home Equity Frenzy Was a Bank Ad Come True

By Louise Story, New York Times

Cleveland sues banks over foreclosures

‘We have to hold accountable those who are responsible,’ mayor claims

MSNBC

Realty Denial?

Homeowners are optimistic, but the forecasts are bleak.

Daniel McGinn, Newsweek

Overbuilt market creating modern ghost towns

Americans love new construction, but some developments go unfinished

By Jane Hodges, MSNBC contributor

The Predators’ Ball

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have helped defang laws that might have prevented the sub prime mess.

By Michael Hirsh, NEWSWEEK

Editorial

Three Years After Katrina

New York Times published August 11, 2008

Editorial

A Darker Outlook at Fannie and Freddie

New York Times published August 10, 2008

Read more »

Essay Recommends Making Work Pay

The Urban Institute released a series of essays in July which explore ways in which safety net programs can be improved to provide economic benefits to low income families. In an essay entitled Making Work Pay Enough: A Decent Standard of Living for Working Families, Gregory Acs and Margery Austin Turner conclude public programs, as currently constructed, fail to “make work pay”. They offer three recommendations which they believe will increase the income of these families and create greater opportunities for families to move up society’s economic ladder.

First, they believe making changes to the earned income tax credit (EITC) and the federal child care tax credit will increase the purchasing power of a low-income family. Second, they call for the creation of a refundable tax credit for families who rent or own a home yet receive no federal housing subsidies to help boost their purchasing power for housing. Finally, they call for an expansion of affordable housing in areas where the need is greatest.

Jared Bernstein of the Economic Policy Institute and John C. Weicher of the Hudson Institute offer critiques to this essay.

Questions and Answers with G. Thomas Kingsley of The Urban Institute.

As part of its 40th anniversary celebration, The Urban Institute has interviewed many of its research experts on a variety of relevant urban-related topics. In this interview posted in July Kingsley answers questions about the sub-prime mortgage crisis.

Interesting Reads in Housing and Community Development

The credit crunch one year on
Mission creep at the Fed
The Economist

Frustration and Optimism in New Orleans
3 Years After Katrina, Poll Finds Anger Over Slow Recovery but Hope for Future
By Jon Cohen, Washington Post Staff Writer

As Program Moves Poor to Suburbs, Tensions Follow
By Solomon Moore, New York Times

Foreclosure Crisis Catching Renters Off Guard
By Dina ElBoghdady, Washington Post Staff Writer

Angelo's Many "Friends"
by Dan Golden August 2008 Issue
Conde Nast Portfolio

Housing Collapse Ahead?
Not According to the Data
By Charles W. Calomiris, Stanley D. Longhofer and William Miles
The Washington Post

Sizing Up a Mega-City
The Olympics Will Draw the World's Eyes to China. In Shanghai, There's Almost Too Much to Take In.
By Philip Kennicott
Washington Post Staff Writer

Interesting Reads in Campaign 2008

Is Obama the End of Black Politics?
By Matt Bai, New York Times

Clinton told to portray Obama as foreign
By Mike Allen, The Politico

Obama Leads, Pessimism Reigns Among Key Group
By Michael D. Shear and Jon Cohen
Washington Post Staff Writers

Southern Discomfort: A journey through a troubled region.
By Christopher Dickey, NEWSWEEK

The Race Issue Isn't Going Away
By Juan Williams, The Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121781107977608809.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries

Obama's Racial Catch-22
For Barack Obama, countering racist attacks means acknowledging that racism is alive and well -- which poses a threat to his hope-based campaign.
By Adam Serwer, The American Prospect

Read more »

Race Becomes Front and Center in Presidential Race

Race has injected itself directly into the chase for the White House when Rick Davis, campaign manager for John McCain accused Barack Obama of playing the race card. Aviewfromdc is happy this issue is finally front and center.

Make no mistake race is an underlying issue in this campaign. The final results will give us a strong indication of our accomplishments in race relations. Whether any one wants to admit it or not, the close polling numbers reflect misgivings many have about Obama’s ability to lead the country and race is at the center of it. Obama is correct. He does not look like other presidential candidates voters are accustomed to seeing. There is a natural uncertainty within voter’s minds because of it some sincere and some not so sincere. Instead of trying to deflect it we should be discussing it with as little rancor as possible.

I believe there are a significant number of voters, who happen to be white, with legitimate apprehensions about the hope Obama presents. I believe they are open to voting for him if he can convince them he can adequately address their concerns about the economy, security, etc. For these individuals, if they do not vote for him it is because they believe McCain is the better option.

But let’s not be naïve. There are voters who under no circumstances will vote anyone other than a white man into the White House. If necessary, they will vote a white woman into office before they will vote for a black man. I also believe there are voters with the “Guess Who is Coming to Dinner” reaction. It is okay for blacks to pursue equal rights but getting elected president is a bit too much in their view. If the comments attributed to leaders of white supremacist groups are true, these individuals are joining those groups in the hope to “take back” America.

The commercials sponsored by the McCain campaign and his supporters are toying with racism as they question Obama’s patriotism by saying he would rather win an election than win a war, by highlighting how different he is, by associating him with Paris Hilton and Brittany Spears and referring to his confidence as arrogance. This follows a New York Magazine cover which played on racial fears depicting Obama in Muslim garb, his wife in an Angela Davis pose and the American flag burning in the fire place.

McCain presents himself as a man of high character except when he is out to win an election then anything goes. He says he does not want race to be a part of the campaign but his handlers will tickle the fibers of racial doubt just enough to illicit fears from the white electorate but not enough to be charged with racism. The charges are deftly made.

First, Obama is charged with inexperience. Yes, he does not have the extensive resume of John McCain. But like McCain, Obama has met the basic criteria to be president. He was born in the United States and he is at least 35 years of age. The question before the electorate is: does he have the leadership we are seeking in our next President? To question his experience is disingenuous. Every year a president is elected, with a few exceptions, we are electing some one who is inexperienced. I don’t care how much expertise a person has in any area nothing prepares you for the responsibilities of the presidency. Unless you are a sitting president getting reelected it is an on-the-job training position. It is similar to parenting. You can have all the training the world has to offer on childhood development but nothing compares to actually having a kid 24-7. So who is John McCain kidding? What exactly has he done which compares to the responsibilities of the president? Because he is older than Obama he certainly has life experiences he can draw from, including his military experience, but that doesn’t mean he will be a good president. General Wesley Clark raised this issue and was skewered. The truth is if McCain is elected, we will be taking as much of a chance on him as we will with Obama.

I genuinely respect and admire John McCain but he is painting himself as the modern version of John Wayne the great American savior. Barack Obama is being painted as a dissident individual who only cares about himself and not his country. This is appalling. Barack Obama has done nothing but express respect, appreciation, admiration and love for his country. But to the John McCain’s of the world, it is not good enough. This is a sensitive point for me. It has always upset me when an individual who is white questions my patriotism or the patriotism of other non-whites. People of color have gone out of their way to fight and die for this country in the hope they would be considered equal to whites. But I wonder if John McCain will question the patriotism of Italian-Americans this October when they unfurl the Italian flag on Columbus Day. I also wonder if he has ever questioned the patriotism of Irish-Americans when they display the Irish flag on St. Patrick’s Day. I don’t think so but to win an election he will tickle the senses of white America by saying this Black man with a Muslim name doesn’t love his country nearly as much as the war hero John McCain.

Do I believe John McCain himself is racist, no! But let’s not be fooled: John McCain is not the saint he is painting himself to be. Barack Obama loves his country as much as McCain does. And McCain is just as ambitious, selfish and self-serving as he claims Obama to be.

Candidate’s Tax Policy Will Impact Funding for Housing and Community Development Funding

Each candidate has an array of policy initiatives he wishes to fund if elected. Of the two candidates, Barack Obama has a more detailed response to local housing and community development initiatives he would like to pursue. (In previous postings aviewfromdc has summarized the initiatives of each candidate). However, each candidate must fund these initiatives which will be a daunting task given the current economic climate. Driving the funding of these initiatives will be the revenue generated by each candidate’s tax policies and how they decide to allocate those funds. While it is unclear how much money each candidate will make available for public housing, housing vouchers, community development, homelessness and other initiatives, advocates for these programs should learn the tax proposals of each candidate.

The Tax Policy Center has a useful side-by-side of each candidate’s proposals. It also contains a handy tax guide to help the reader understand tax policy and how it affects you. In the coming weeks, aviewfromdc will provide you with more detailed information on how the candidate’s tax policies will affect housing and community development programs.

Q&A with Robertson Williams, Tax Policy Center

In the interim, aviewfromdc has added a little twist to the Q&A section of the blog. This is a link to questions answered by Robertson Williams, one of the authors of the Tax Policy Center’s Tax Guide. He is currently a Principal Research Associate at the Urban Institute. Williams was at the Congressional Budget Office from 1984 through 2006, most recently as deputy assistant director for tax analysis, and before that an assistant professor of economics at Williams College. He has written numerous papers on tax policy, income distribution, and social welfare programs.

Interesting Reads

The number of interesting reads is longer than in previous postings and focuses mostly on the presidential election.

Hovering Above Poverty, Grasping for Middle Class
By Michael A. Fletcher and Jon Cohen, the Washington Post Staff Writers

Dollar Bills and Paris Hilton
Both presidential candidates are capable of better.
The Washington Post

McCain's Problem Isn't His Tactics. It's GOP Ideas.
By Greg Anrig, the Washington Post

It Really Isn’t Hard to Figure out Why
By Jennifer Rubin, Commentary Magazine

Right strategy, wrong candidate? Even a good strategy has to match the candidate
By Chuck Todd, Political Director, NBC News

Barack Obama's Lost Years
The senator's tenure as a state legislator reveals him to be an old-fashioned, big government, race-conscious liberal.
By Stanley Kurtz, The Weekly Standard

Can Obama Stay Above the Fray?
If he won't refute McCain's attacks, does he look stronger or weaker?
By Eleanor Clift, Newsweek

The Curious Mind of John McCain
Ambition and Emotion Color the Complex Intellect of the Candidate
By Robert G. Kaiser, Washington Post Staff Writer

The Low-Road Warrior
Mudslinging will damage McCain’s brand—but it may be the only way he can win.
By John Heilemann, New York Magazine

When Voters Lie
It's a given that people fib in surveys, and this election season is especially tricky with race looming as an issue. How pollsters are trying to uncover the truth.
By Ellen Gamerman, Wall Street Journal

In Senate, GOP Braces For Cold November
Republicans are in such perilous shape heading toward Election Day that they argue a four-seat loss would count as a "moral victory."
By Jennifer E. Duffy, National Journal Magazine

On the attack
Will John McCain’s negative blitz on Barack Obama do him any good?
From Economist.com

Race Proves to Be Unwelcome but Persistent Issue
By Juliet Eilperin and Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writers

Democrats anxious for Obama to widen lead
By Edward Luce, Financial Times

Read more »

2008 Election: State Polls Matter Most

In August the Democratic and Republican parties will hold their conventions to formally confirm Senators Barack Obama and John McCain as their respective presidential nominees. Each candidate will also have formally announced his running mate in the hopes it will create excitement among their supporters and a “bounce” in the polls as the final push to the White House begins. Many national polls will be taken offering snap shots of which candidate is leading at that moment in time. However it is our advice to readers of aviewfromdc to be cautious in placing too much emphasis on the national polls.

Observers should focus their attention on state polls to get a true gauge of the race’s final result. For months national polls indicated Hillary Clinton would win the Democratic nomination. Her campaign continually pointed to these opinion polls to indicate she was the strongest candidate to win the presidency for the Democrats. However, state polls offered a different assessment and ultimately her campaigned failed for a number of reasons, one of which was the failure to pay close attention to state polls.

To help guide you through the election season we listed some resources which offer some of the best information to track the presidential election.

1. Wikipedia has a great summary of the presidential election; it summarizes the candidates from all of the political parties and leads to excellent information about national and state polling. It also provides an interesting summary of the battleground states as well. A little known movement is described which could impact future elections. It is the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. This compact calls for states to award its electoral votes to the candidate who wins the popular vote in that state.

2. Realclearpolitics is a great web site for all things election including a daily listing of some of the best articles and editorials on the election.

3. The University of Virginia’s Center for Politics includes Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball which features analyses of presidential races, Senate, House and gubernatorial races.

McCain Housing Position

The web site www.VoteGopher.com contains information concerning John McCain’s housing position. According to the site, McCain supports the creation of a Federal Housing Authority "HOME" Plan, which would make it easier for low-income Americans to secure affordable loans in place of the "burdensome mortgages" that cause them financial strain. He has also promised to create a Mortgage Abuse Task Force through the Justice Department, which would investigate criminal activity in the mortgage industry and assist state Attorneys General in uncovering and punishing abusive lending practices.

He also supports a plan to let homeowners struggling to pay adjustable rate sub prime mortgages switch to a 30-year fixed rate mortgage backed by the government. People will be eligible for this plan if they bought a sub prime mortgage after 2005 for their primary residence while they were creditworthy, but cannot pay the mortgage now. If homeowners with the government-backed mortgage see their houses appreciate in value and sell them, they keep a third of the profit and the other two-thirds are split between lenders and the federal government. McCain has also called for the creation of a "Mortgage Abuse Task Force" to investigate the industry.

Potential Senate VP Candidate's positions on housing and community development programs

Aviewfromdc has reviewed the voting record of various senators under consideration for the position of vice president. The voting record was compiled by the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) Included are the voting records of John McCain and Barack Obama. There is a guide which explains each legislation voted on by each member.

Of the Democratic senators mentioned as potential vice presidential candidates: Jack Reed (RI), Hillary Clinton (NY), Joe Biden (Del), Evan Bayh (IN) and Chris Dodd (CT) each voted on all the positions recommended by NAHRO when they were present to vote. Independent Joseph Lieberman (CT) also had a perfect record. Lieberman is mentioned as a possible candidate for John McCain. Republican Chuck Hagel (NE), considered a long shot to be selected by Obama as his running mate, voted for two appropriations bill consistent with the NAHRO position out of the nine listed. Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison voted for three measures along the lines recommended by NAHRO.

Interesting reads

Housing Bill Won't 'Perform Miracles'
Senate Approves Measure, but Critics Say Law Unlikely to Prevent Most Foreclosures
By Lori Montgomery and Paul Kane, Washington Post Staff Writers

Hill Budget Chief Weighs Odds, Cost Of Rescue Plan, Fannie, Freddie Could Need $100 Billion or Not a Cent by Lori Montgomery and David S. Hilzenrath, Washington Post Staff Writers

The Fannie and Freddie Follies Spare the rod, spoil the child by Lawrence B. Lindsey

No sign yet of a bottom in home prices; Rising foreclosures, big new-home inventory push recovery into next year. Analysis by John W. Schoen, Senior Producer, MSNBC

To Fight Poverty, Tear Down HUD by Sudhir Venkatesh

McCain Makes Significant Gains in Four Key Battleground States
Majority of Voters in Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin Favor Keeping Troops in Iraq, According to Quinnipiac-washingtonpost.com-Wall Street Journal Survey
By Chris Cillizza, washingtonpost.com staff writer

Could an Obama presidency hurt black Americans? By John Blake, CNN

Read more »