August 30, 2010
World Habitat Day is Monday, October 4th!
The Sacramento community will commemorate the 2010 United Nations World Habitat by coming together to help rehabilitate deteriorated homes in the Sacramento community. In
1985 the United Nations declared the first Monday in October as World Habitat Day in recognition of the state of human settlements and the need for adequate shelter for all.

For more information about World Habitat Day activities, CLICK HERE.

July 29, 2010
Housing advocates and homeless service providers urge the federal government to extend TANF-Emergency funds
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 created a new TANF Emergency Fund to assist states in expanding services during the recession.The TANF Emergency Fund is scheduled to end on September 30, 2010.

Since October 2009, The TANF-Emergency Funds have been critical to the success of Sacramento’s Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP) which has helped prevent homelessness for nearly 500 Sacramento families and returned 175 families who had become homeless back to housing stability.  This is a significant accomplishment achieved in a short amount of time.  Sacramento was featured in a recent report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, titled: Using TANF Emergency Funds To Help Prevent and Address Homelessness. 

CLICK HERE to urge your representative to take action to ensure the extension of TANF-Emergency Funds beyond September 30th.

June 9, 2010

Mercy Housing’s landmark community proposal, 7th and H will go before Sacramento City Council for consideration tomorrow.  7th and H is a 150-unit Single Residence Occupancy (SRO) mixed-use development that will feature green design elements, comprehensive resident services, a health clinic, and ground floor retail.  Seventy five of the units are reserved for formerly homeless tenants.  This exciting development helps to address the goals of the 10- year Plan to End Homelessness by increasing the stock of quality, affordable housing units.

Please plan to show your support by attending the Sacramento City Council Meeting:
When: Thursday, June 10
Time:  6pm
City Council Agenda
To learn more about 7th and H, please CLICK HERE.

May 28, 2010

On Wednesday, May 26th, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors will hear a proposal that will put a huge loophole in the County’s Affordable Housing Ordinance.  This item was continued from last month’s agenda due to strong opposition of the proposal from the community. County documents provide very little information about the amendment and do not take account concerns raised by SHA and community partners.  To read the County’s Staff ReportCLICK HERE

Now, more than ever, people need affordable places to live. Please join SHA and community partners at the Board of Supervisors meeting as we support STABILITY, SECURITY and OPPORTUNITY in Sacramento County. 

Wednesday, May 26th at 2pm
700 H Street, Board Chambers
CLICK HERE

Take Action June 1st!
CLICK HERE for information about how you can support Local 49 Airport workers.

April 19th is Homeless and Low Income
Voter Registration Week! 
CLICK HERE for detailsclick here.

February 17, 2010
The City of Sacramento adopts a Universal Design Ordinance
In a unanimously vote at last night’s Sacramento City Council meeting, Council members voted to adopt a Universal Design Ordinance that would allow buyers of new single and two family homes to request universal design features.  Builders of the new homes would be obligated to provide those features as upgrades at the buyers’ cost.
Universal Design standards create usable and life cycle housing, while allowing aging in place for a broad range of the population.  Some examples of Universal Design features in a home include: wider hallways, lower light switches or faucets and handles not requiring tight grasps. 
To read the ordinance adopted by the City click here.

February 11, 2010
Federal Jobs Bill Priority 2010
The following proposals will be effective at producing jobs quickly and efficiently while helping extremely low-income and very low income households with their housing needs. The best chance for passage of important affordable housing legislation in the first quarter of 2010 is to include requests in bills related to creating and saving jobs and stimulating the economy. While it is unclear how many bills Congress will generate and which ones will succeed, we see “jobs” legislation as our best opportunity for Federal legislative advocacy in the next few months.

1. National Housing Trust Fund and Project-Based Vouchers
Seed the National Housing Trust Fund with at least $1 billion plus $65 million for project-based vouchers to stimulate the production and preservation of housing serving extremely low income (ELI) renters. The House of Representatives included $1 billion in the Jobs for Main Street Act of 2010 (H.R. 2847), along with $65 million in project-based vouchers set aside to support housing for ELI households. Senator Reed has sponsored a congressional sign on letter that got the support of 25 Senators including Senator Boxer from California. A copy of the letter is posted here.

November 1, 2009
Winter Shelter Update
On October 27, 2009, the County Board of Supervisors and the Sacramento City Council approved funding for the winter shelter program.  They continue to work with the City of Rancho Cordova, on issues related to a portion of the program which would house up to 34 homeless families.  Since that time, the projected capacity for winter shelter has increased to 319 beds.

For more information from Sacramento Steps Forward CLICK HERE

October 2009
Celebrating World Habitat Day

The Sacramento community recognized World Habitat Day on October 5, 2009 by drawing the connections between homelessness, and the call for a “safe ground”, the foreclosure crisis and the need for safe, decent and affordable homes in a sustainable community environment.  In order to highlight these issues, homeless people from the SafeGround community slung hammers side-by-side with other members of the community, elected officials and corporate leaders to help build a Sacramento Habitat for Humanity home located on Forrest Street in Sacramento.  Thank you to everyone that participated!

For more information, please CLICK HERE.

October 2009
Homeless Families Advocacy Coalition Begins Work

The Homeless Families Advocacy Coalition (HFAC), a project of the Sacramento Housing Alilance was launched ealier this year.  The project partners local family programs, advocates and homeless and formerly homeless families. The mission of HFAC is to end and prevent family homelessness by increasing access to permanent and affordable housing and improving service delivery.  HFAC seeks to have a strong, unified advocacy voice with and for homeless families in the community.  Homeless families will be equal participants in the leadership of the coalition while promoting interagency and sector collaboration and integration of services and providing geographic coordination.  Current coalition members include SHA, St. John’s Shelter Program for Women and Children, Family Promise, Sacramento Area Emergency Housing Center, Women’s Empowerment, Lutheran Social Services, Volunteers of America, Faith and Homeless Families and the Sacramento County Office of Education.  For more information, please contact Bob Erlenbusch, 916-455-4900 x303 or .

August 31, 2009
70 Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) Vouchers Are Now Available

The VASH program is a collaboration between the Department of Veteran Affairs and HUD where veterans will receive permanent housing and VA case management in Sacramento utilizing Section 8 vouchers.  The HUD–VASH program combines HUD HCV rental assistance for homeless veterans with case management and clinical services provided by the Veterans Affairs at its medical centers and in the community. There are currently 70 Section 8 housing vouchers available.

CLICK HERE for application information. 

July 17, 2009
Potential Taking of Redevelopment Funds in State Budget

Current state budget discussions include a proposal to take up to $1.7 billion from redevelopment agencies. Not only is this an unconstitutional use of redevelopment funds, it is a strategy to balance the state budget at the expense of those already hard-hit by the economic downturn. Redevelopment funding is instrumental in the revitalization of our communities and the provision of low income housing, and is often a catalyst for bringing needed improvements to neighborhoods where disinvestment has prevailed for decades. Many regional projects would be jeopardized by this taking, as would the jobs and housing opportunities these projects create.

Please contact your legislators to express the importance of redevelopment to our communities. More information on the proposed taking may be found here. To view the letter sent to Senator Steinberg, Assembly Members Jones and Bass, and Governor Schwarzenegger by the Sacramento Housing Alliance,
click here.

June 22, 2009
Thank you for helping to preserve emergency shelter beds!
On Wednesday June 17th, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors voted to keep the number of emergency shelter beds in Sacramento intact.  The Boards decision will protect hundreds of children and adults that would otherwise have no place to go.  The Winter Overflow Shelter at Cal Expo will still close on July 1st but will re-open for the colder months in November. 

SHA and it’s supporters wish to thank the Board of Supervisors for voting to save the shelter safety net in Sacramento.

CLICK HERE if you’d like to contact the Board of Supervisors to thank them for not eliminating shelter beds. 

May 26, 2009
Renter Protections are Now Law
On May 20, 2009, President Obama signed S. 896 into law.This bill includes a nationwide 90 day pre-eviction notice requirement for tenants in foreclosed properties.

The new law will require that:
1) tenants of foreclosed properties receive 90 days notice prior to eviction and
2) tenants with leases be allowed to occupy the property until the end of the lease term (the lease can be terminated on 90 days notice if the unit is sold to a purchaser who will occupy the property). 

A bona fide lease or tenancy is one where the tenant is not the mortgagor or a member of the mortgagor’s family, the lease or tenancy is the result of an arms length transaction, and
the lease or tenancy requires rent that is not substantially lower than fair market rent or is reduced or subsidized due to a Federal, State or local subsidy.

The new law also provides protections for section 8 tenants requiring that a Section 8 tenant also receive at least 90 days notice before being forced to vacate due to foreclosure.

For more information on S. 896, please CLICK HERE.

April 14, 2009
Tent City Ordered to Close Down
This week Union Pacific, SMUD and Blue Diamond continue posting “No Trespassing” signs and setting up the fences around joint properties.  The City has said that homeless campers will be cited as of Wednesday if they do not leave the property.  The City has also said that beginning on Thursday, law enforcement may arrest homeless campers remaining on the property.  The Sacramento Housing Alliance continues to remind the City that arresting homeless people for camping is not a solution.  SHA will join the Sacramento Homeless Organizing Committee, Loaves and Fishes and other partners in a Rally at the State Capitol on April 21st calling for SAFE GROUND. CLICK HERE for more information about the rally. 

CLICK HERE to read more about Tent City Sacramento

February 17, 2009
An update about the City of Sacramento’s Mixed Income Housing Ordinance

On Tuesday, February 10th, the Sacramento City Council held a workshop on the city’s Mixed Income Housing Ordinance.  Many people spoke to support a new ordinance that would be city-wide and include homes for families making less than $22,000 a year.  The supporters included Loaves and Fishes who delivered print-outs of the over 500 people and organizations that have signed on to their open letter.  The League of Women Voters, residents from Quinn Cottages, tenants of Riverview Plaza and members of St. John’s Luther Church were among some of the others who also spoke in favor.

A special thanks to everyone that attended the meeting and brought other supporters along with them.

City Council was clearly moved by the testimony and showed some support for amending the ordinance.  However, they continue to waffle and provide weak advice to staff.  There will be a stakeholder group put together by the Housing and Redevelopment Agency to report to the council.  In order to be effective and just the Sacramento Housing Alliance believes that any stakeholder’s process must:

1. Include people from the following communities: homeless service providers, senior groups, the disability community, and affordable housing developers.

2. Have a timeline with the first progress report from stakeholders to Council occurring in April and a more extensive and detailed progress report due by no later than the end of June.

3. Focus on drafting a workable ordinance rather than arguing about whether to go forward.

The Sacramento Housing Alliance asks advocates and supporters to continue to send letters, e-mails or make phone calls to the Mayor and City Council to urge them to adopt an ordinance that applies to the entire city and includes housing for families making less than $22,000 for a family of four. City Council Contact Information

January 6, 2009
Jobs and Economic Recovery Now!

As part of a National Coalitional Effort, State Representatives, Advocacy Groups, Community Leaders, and struggling out-of-work California families rallied at Sacramento City Hall on Tuesday, January 6th to Call on Congress to support President-Elect Obama’s call for a major Jobs and Economic Recovery Plan.  Mayor Kevin Johnson joined Sacramento ACORN, Health Access and The Sacramento Housing Alliance to urge support for a plan that addressed the problems facing the lowest income families in our community. 

For more information regarding the
Jobs and Economic Recovery Now! Campaign,
contact Ronald Coleman at (916) 475-7156 or . 

January 2, 2009
SHRA Multifamily Lending and Mortgage Revenue Bond Policies
On December 2nd, The Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency held a meeting to present proposed changes to the agency’s Multifamily Lending and Mortgage Revenue Bond Policies.  At that meeting SHA and community partners objected to the location criteria included in the document insisting that it appeared that the agency was redlining by creating policies that would impact the production of new affordable homes in areas below the 30% poverty line. 

SHRA staff took the comments into consideration and amended the draft based on the feedback they received that day.  To see a copy of the draft CLICK HERE

Another meeting has been scheduled by SHRA for Tuesday, January 6, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. in the Commission Room at 600 I Street, Sacramento to review the changes and to answer questions. 

The policies are scheduled to be presented to the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Commission on Wednesday, January 21, 2009 and to the City Council and Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, January 27, 2009.
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December 23, 2008
Rancho Cordova Housing Element Update
Despite strong community support in favor of a clear and consistent policy to create affordable housing, the Rancho Cordova City Council in a vote of 4-1 eliminated the 10% affordable housing requirement from its housing element. The housing element will now be submitted to the State’s Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) for review. 

Rancho Cordova City Council Meeting
Monday, December 15th
Rancho Cordova City Hall
2729 Prospect Park Plaza
5:30PMDIRECTIONS
CLICK HERE to download a FLYER

In the news…
The Grapevine Independent
Sacramento Bee News Article

For more information, please contact
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November 10, 2008
SHA Board Members Honored
Several SHA board members and former board members were honored this fall for their work on housing and other social justice issues.  Board Members Ken Cross from Habitat for Humanity and Ron Javor from the California Department of Housing and Community Development were honored as Community Heroes by the California Reinvestment Coalition.  Bill Kennedy of Legal Services of Northern California and a former SHA board member was honored at the Western Center on Law and Poverty Garden Party in Los Angeles.

October 20, 2008
SHRA to Receive Funds For Distressed Neighborhoods
HUD’s new Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), authorized by the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, will provide emergency assistance grants to state and local governments to acquire and redevelop foreclosed properties that might otherwise cause blight.

The County of Sacramento will receive $18 million dollars in NSP funds and the City of Sacramento $13 million that will be administered by SHRA to mitigate community impacts resulting from foreclosures.  At least 25 percent of the funds must assist households at or below 50 percent of the area median income.  Sacramento is receiving the second largest allocation in the state, second only to Los Angeles.

Local Artists Spotlight
Thank you to artists, participants and volunteers that attended the Rancho Cordova Local Artists Spotlight on October 16th at the Rancho Cordova Library.  This community art exhibit featured the talents of nine local artists, each with a tie to the Rancho Cordova Community. 

Affordable Housing Forum
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
12:30p.m. - 1:30p.m
5500 Sky Pkwy
Sacramento, CA 95823 Directions

City of Sacramento Mixed Income Housing Policy
On Sunday, July 27th, St. John’s Lutheran Church hosted a discussion on homelessness and housing with Sacramento City Council Member Steve Cohn. The congregation called on Council Member Cohn to support the expansion of the City’s Mixed Income Housing Ordinance citywide and to include in it homes for extremely low income households.  CLICK HERE to read the Sacramento Bee Op-Ed piece by Pastors Scot Sorensen and Frank Espegren about the St. John’s event.

FREE Foreclosure Counseling from ACORN Housing
August 30th 2008
10am to 2:30pm
Belle Cooledge Library
5600 South Land Park Drive
(corner of Southland Park and Fruitridge)

June 19, 2008
Good News! Mercy Housing – Budget Inn
Consistent with the Ten Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness, Sacramento City Council approved Mercy Housing’s Budget Inn Transformation project by a 7-2 vote.  The County Board of Supervisors also approved it on Wednesday morning by a unanimous vote. 
The Sacramento Bee June 18, 2008

Sacramento City Housing Element Update
The City of Sacramento adopted its Housing Element on June 17th without including a policy to expand the City’s Mixed Income (Inclusionary) Housing Ordinance.  Despite strong community support and a large turnout at the May 27th City Council meeting, as well as additional testimony at the June 17th meeting, Council Members delayed making a decision to take the ordinance citywide and include housing for the lowest income households in the City.  Thank you to everyone that attended the meetings, gave testimony and supported the effort to make homes for lower income people available throughout the entire city. Please join our mailing list to learn more about the campaign to expand Sacramento’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance.
The Sacramento Bee’s June 17, 2008 - Affordable YES

Rancho Cordova Housing Element Update
On Monday, June 16th, the Rancho Cordova City Council reviewed a draft Mixed Income Housing Policy presented by City staff that would have required 10 percent of new developments be available to households at 50 percent to 120 percent of Area Median Income.  Only one City Council Member agreed with staff’s recommendation.  Council Members made it clear that they were not interested in adopting a policy that would help build homes for low income people in Rancho Cordova.  City Council is scheduled to adopt the City’s Housing Element on July 7th. 

Please visit the City of Rancho Cordova’s website and let Council Members know about the need for housing for people of all income levels in Rancho. City of Rancho Cordova website
Thank you to everyone that attended the meeting on June 16th.