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My View from Kim Herman
A unique, "inside" perspective on housing and community development
from the executive director of the Washington State Housing Finance Commission

Archive

2011 JUNE
Washington State’s Foreclosure Fairness Act: A second try at a fair, clearly defined and enforceable process for homeowners facing foreclosure | Download PDF
Governor Gregoire signed the Foreclosure Fairness Act (FFA)—Second Substitute House Bill 1362—into law on April 14th, 2011. Getting this Act into a final form that all parties could agree on required many meetings, hard negotiations, significant compromise and line-by-line lawmaking. Many people participated in the process including legislators, affordable housing advocates, financial institutions, homeowners, attorneys, housing counselors, and state officials. For this issue of My View, I’ve spoken with many of the people who were integral to the passage of this legislation. They’ll share their perspectives on what they were looking to achieve, and what they think the impact of the FFA will be. Now, we all have a huge task ahead of us: Getting the word out about the new provisions of the Act that take effect on July 22. Hopefully, working together, homeowners in crisis and their lenders will have more time and more opportunities to avoid foreclosure and achieve a fair resolution in a timely manner. 

2010 DECEMBER
The Beginning Farmer/Rancher Program: Financing help for people who are putting food on Washington’s tables—and helping our agricultural economy continue to thrive | Download PDF
The Beginning Farmer/Rancher Program (the “Program”) provides low interest-rate financing that helps people in this industry get off to a financially healthy start. Officially launched in 2008, it is aimed at helping Washington State residents who want to acquire agricultural land for the first time, will work it themselves—and need a hand in overcoming the huge barriers that producers face in getting started. It’s a small program; thus far, we’ve helped pave the way for affordable loans to 20 farm families. But there’s room for the program to grow, thanks to the Washington State Legislature and our partners, most especially, Northwest Farm Credit Services, the financial institution that makes the actual loans.

2010 JULY
Washington State Coalition for the Homeless: 25 years of Heroic Efforts | Download PDF
In May, at the close of their 20th annual conference, the leadership of the Washington State Coalition for the Homeless honored their 25th anniversary year by sponsoring a Celebration Panel of people who have a unique perspective on their history. Eloquent and thoughtful, these 10 panelists gave us an incredible oral recounting of the Coalition’s founding and the great strides its membership has made since that time. This newsletter can’t possibly include all the successes, or acknowledge all the people who have participated, but it’s an attempt to capture the historical legacy, as told on that Celebration Panel.

2010 MAY
Getting it right: Meeting the coming surge in demand for senior housing in Washington State | Download PDF
Seniors—those aged 65 or older—are our fastest-growing demographic. In 2025, senior Washingtonians are anticipated to make up about 20% of our state’s population. That’s close to double the percentage of just a few years ago. This rapid growth is spurring policy makers, advocates for the aging, communities, housing developers and service providers to grapple with the huge challenge of addressing the entire fabric of needs of our older residents. In Washington State, we currently do a lot of things right. We have strong policy-making; we’ve created community-driven partnerships between caregivers and affordable housing providers; and we have built a high level of quality into so much of our senior housing and care giving. In this issue of My View, I’ll introduce you to several of our state’s exemplary affordable housing communities and discuss many of the challenges and strategies they’re experiencing to meet our senior’s housing and service needs.

2009 NOVEMBER
Award-Winning Housing in Washington State | Download PDF
I am often asked by legislators, public officials, and members of the public if we are producing any affordable housing that is built green or built to sustainable standards? Others inquire if the affordable housing we are financing in Washington is well designed and well built? In this issue of My View I answer those questions by providing a view into the many award-winning affordable housing properties that have been completed in our state. Overall, we received 29 qualifying nominations for award-winning affordable housing properties developed with federal, state, or local funding assistance. While I feature six very different properties from around the state as highlighted examples, another 23 of these properties are recognized through shorter summaries. I wish I had the space to feature them all. I hope you are as proud of these examples of the high-quality, energy-efficient, affordable housing we develop in Washington as I am.

2009 JULY
Foreclosures on homes in Washington State (part two) | Download PDF
When My View first took on this topic in the April 2008 issue, chief among the causes was sub-prime loans. At that time, Washington ranked 49th nationally in the number of foreclosures. Now we’re closer to the middle of the pack. My goal for this issue is to update readers on the foreclosure picture in Washington State. I’ve reconnected with four of the counselors engaged in HUD-certified foreclosure counseling whose perspectives I shared in April 2008. Five additional hard-working counselors from across the state also weigh in, along with several federal and state officials who are working to help Washington families.

2009 MARCH
Seattle Housing Levy: The City’s significant investment in affordable housing | Download PDF
The Seattle Housing Levy is a singular achievement. It is a legacy in affordable housing production, homelessness prevention, and low-income homebuyer assistance that those of us who live in this region are justly proud of. There’s simply nothing quite like it anywhere else in the country. Seattle voters again and again have endorsed a property tax that takes dollars out of their pockets to create better housing opportunities for the least advantaged members of their community.

2008 DECEMBER
Housing agendas for the 2009 legislature | Download PDF
What should we do in the next legislative session to help Washington State housing markets regain their equilibrium? And what can be done to create more affordable housing opportunities for people at the lower end of the income spectrum? To answer these questions, I’ve interviewed leaders from six housing industry groups and homeless and low-income housing coalitions in our state. Whether nonprofit or for-profit, their constituents’ interests are not as divergent as you might think. The ideas and agendas they are bringing to the 2009 legislative session are strongly focused on proposals to help keep housing affordable—and available—to all Washington State residents.

2008 OCTOBER
Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008: What it means to Washington State | Download PDF
The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, H.R. 3221, passed by Congress and signed by President Bush on July 30, marked a stunning move forward for all of us involved in affordable housing. This issue of My View presents a series of conversations with both national affordable housing leaders and with advocates working on the ground here in Washington State. They’ve shared their perspectives on how many of the Act’s key provisions came into being, and offer a first take on what this new legislation will mean for our communities.

2008 AUGUST
Habitat for Humanity in Washington: 36 local success stories | Download PDF
I have wanted to feature our Washington State Habitat for Humanity affiliates in My View for some time. They work mightily to implement a highly complex but very successful homeownership model that serves very low-income families. All told, they’ve helped to build more than 1,000 affordable homes. Each affiliate has their own story, and I’ll highlight four affiliates in this issue to demonstrate their innovative efforts to build affordable homes across the state. I’ve also interviewed Maureen Howard, the executive director of their statewide organization, Habitat for Humanity of Washington State (HFHWA), which provides resource development, technical assistance, training, and an advocacy voice for the local affiliates. It’s a good story, I hope you enjoy it!

2008 JUNE
Celebrating the achievements of our Puget Sound HOPE VI communities | Download PDF
This issue of My View is a history and a celebration of the six HOPE VI redevelopments in the Puget Sound region. To date, just one project, Seattle Housing Authority’s (SHA) Westwood Heights, has completed construction. But all six redevelopments are in the process of building thriving communities and positively transforming their surrounding neighborhoods. We’ll take an in-depth look at the groundbreaking history of SHA’s NewHolly. That story will be told from the perspective of several leaders, including Doris Koo, Doris Morgan, former Seattle Mayor Norm Rice, and current SHA Executive Director Tom Tierney. Next, we’ll take a close look at Tacoma Housing Authority’s (THA) Salishan development and King County Housing Authority’s (KCHA) Greenbridge community. Finally, we’ll survey the remaining current projects and briefly look ahead to proposed new developments that are taking shape today.

2008 APRIL
Foreclosures on homes in Washington State: What the current landscape looks like—and what’s being done to educate and safeguard homeowners | Download PDF
In this issue, I review the work of the Governor’s Task Force on Homeowner Security and present the perspectives of two of my fellow Task Force members who are legal and finance experts, Fred Corbit and Scott Jarvis. I’ve also interviewed four homeownership counselors from across the state to hear what’s happening in their communities. You’ll hear their stories about real homeowners who have been caught up in our country’s unfolding financial crisis. And, as a result of action by the Governor and Legislature, you will learn about some very important new homeowner protections that are now the legal right of every Washington resident.

2008 FEBRUARY
The Commitment Continues: Washington State’s Efforts to End Homelessness | Download PDF
This month, the National Alliance to End Homelessness is holding its annual conference here in Seattle. To honor their efforts, I am dedicating this issue of My View to our efforts to end homelessness by presenting a layered portrait of what we have accomplished thus far towards our 10-Year Goal to end homelessness in Washington State.

2007 DECEMBER
Coming to Consensus: The 2008 Joint Agenda on Housing and Homelessness | Download PDF
In this issue of My View I review the 2008 Joint Agenda on Housing and Homelessness through the eyes of three housing advocates and the Vice-Chair of the House Housing Committee. I wanted to review the agenda because the low and moderate income citizens of Washington still face several escalating challenges to secure a decent, affordable home, whether they want to buy or rent. These challenges - and a desire to change the paradigm in the Legislature around affordable housing - led advocates to develop the 2008 Joint Agenda. By presenting this discussion, I hope to promote a productive conversation in the upcoming legislative session.

2007 OCTOBER
Condo conversions in Seattle and commercial demands in Spokane | Download PDF
Permits allowing 2,300 rental units to be converted to condominiums (condos) were filed in Seattle in 2006, displacing many low-income renters. Stories hit the newspapers about elderly and low-income tenants being forced to find replacement housing on short notice after learning their apartments would become condos they could not afford. Across the state in Spokane, commercial redevelopment has pushed almost 200 low-income and special needs persons out of the downtown core, away from needed social services and the transportation hub. This surge of displacements on both sides of the state, and a legislative hearing to find out what needs to be fixed, made it worth a more in-depth look at displacement problems in this issue of My View.

2007 AUGUST
Workforce Housing in the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area | Download PDF
A tale of local leaders crossing political boundaries in two states and several counties to solve the region’s workforce housing challenges. In April, I participated in the Mid-Columbia Workforce Housing Summit, held in Hood River, Oregon. I was so impressed with what I observed at the Summit that I wanted to share the perspectives and efforts of some of the participants and organizers with readers of My View. Their workforce housing challenges seem to be a microcosm of the workforce housing challenges facing the larger Puget Sound region. Their regional approach to finding solutions is a lesson many larger regions might want to follow.

2007 JUNE
Preserving Our Manufactured Housing Communities | Download PDF
Manufactured housing communities—known by many as mobile home parks—are one of the largest sources of unsubsidized affordable housing in Washington State. Manufactured homes provide affordable housing for about 500,000 people, or approximately 8% of our residents, many of them elderly. But this great affordable housing choice has become a crisis in our state. Communities are closing at an alarming rate—particularly in areas where the squeeze is on in terms of available land for commercial development.

2007 APRIL
AHAB pursues affordable housing | Download PDF
As a leadership transition unfolds at the Affordable Housing Advisory Board (AHAB), I thought it would be a good idea to talk with the outgoing chair, Hugh Spitzer, to get an inside perspective on a variety of issues, including the Report of the Growth Management/Housing Task Force, which AHAB released at the end of last year. I last interviewed Hugh in December 2004, for the second issue of My View. At that time, we discussed AHAB’s just released Advisory Plan 2005-2010. Now, more than two years later, Heyward Watson has been appointed by the Governor to chair AHAB and I wanted to get Heyward’s perspective on AHAB’s future. I also spoke with several other AHAB board members to get their perspectives as well.

2007 FEBRUARY 
Washington Community Reinvestment Association—15 years of banks banding together for the greater good | Download PDF 
In February 1992—fifteen years ago this month—the Washington Community Reinvestment Association (WCRA) opened its doors with 37 financial institution members, a $75 million loan pool, and a mission to finance affordable multifamily rental housing in our state. The story of WCRA’s inspiration, genesis, and accomplishments is a story of a great idea that garnered enough support along the way—from a community development think tank and the Federal Reserve Bank in San Francisco to forward-thinking bankers and government officials —to build a constituency of highly supportive partners who all “got it” and worked hard to see it through to fruition.

2006 DECEMBER
Housing Development Consortiums—Tremendous strides, forward thinkers | Download PDF
Housing development consortiums are basically local industry associations for affordable housing developers and their partners. Any organization or business committed to advancing the interests of affordable housing in the consortium’s region of interest can be a member. These often include nonprofit organizations, municipalities, lenders, for-profit housing developers, legal and accounting professionals, and other suppliers. There are several reasons why I chose to focus on housing development consortiums in this issue of My View.

2006 OCTOBER
The USDA’s rural self-help housing program—Unsung, under pressuer—but highly effective | Download PDF
The USDA rural self-help housing program is one of affordable housing’s least-known success stories. Since the early 1970s, close to three thousand mutual self-help homes have been built in Washington State with the financial support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) by families participating in self-help housing programs. Today, this seasoned forerunner to volunteer self-help programs like Habit for Humanity quietly continues to counsel homebuyers, subsidize loans, and consistently produce homes in rural Washington.

2006 AUGUST
The Washington Families Fund | Download PDF 
Spawning partnerships that are helping homeless families
The Washington Families Fund (WFF) is an incredible success story. Established by the Washington State Legislature in 2004, WFF is a critical financial commitment by the state dedicated to helping homeless families get the services they need to break the cycle of homelessness. In just two short years we have seen funding that has grown from $2 to $9 million, creating a phenomenal partnership between the public sector and private philanthropic organizations. We have also seen the extremely successful launch of the Fund’s third-party grant-making, administration and technical assistance functions through the capable hands of AIDS Housing of Washington. To get WFF off the ground so quickly was extraordinary.

2006 JUNE
The struggle to end homelessness in Washington State | Download PDF
How do you go about ending homelessness?  For the past two decades, countless individuals and organizations across the U.S. have been committed to this effort. Billions of dollars have been spent, and millions of homeless people have been helped to secure stable long-term housing. Yet despite all these efforts, homelessness is still with us. Every day, about three-quarters of a million people in the U.S.—and approximately 25,000 people in our state—are homeless. The good news is that right now a profound shift is taking place in Washington State as a result of the passage of the Homeless Housing and Assistance Act (HB 2163) during the 2005 legislative session.

2006 APRIL
Community land trusts come of age | Download PDF
The focus of this issue of My View is on Community Land Trusts (CLTs) because there are now 10 CLTs in the state of Washington, in cities, towns and rural communities. Not surprisingly, all of our CLTs are based in areas that have seen stupendous growth, both in terms of population and in the skyrocketing of median home prices. What are community land trusts? One frequent misconception is that they’re involved with preserving land from development. In fact, CLTs are affordable housing-focused organizations. They’re set up to help homebuyers secure affordable homes and achieve an equity return on their investment, while preserving affordability for the next homebuyer.

2006 FEBRUARY
Is there a housing bubble? Nine experts analyze today's real estate market | Download PDF
As we begin 2006, the housing market appears to have cooled to some extent. But questions about the real estate bubble still linger. I’ve asked an array of experts—realtors, economists, mortgage bankers, real estate researchers, and institutional real estate investors—whether they think there’s a bubble in the first place and, if so, is it in danger of popping. The answers I’ve received help to address the question: For a potential homeowner here in the Northwest, right now, Is this the best time to buy a home? Or, for a current homeowner, Is this the best time to sell?

2005 DECEMBER
The Washington State Housing Trust Fund: It mattered then, it matters now | Download PDF
For this issue of My View, I wanted to write the “inside” history of the state’s Housing Trust Fund (HTF). I thought it would be both interesting and fun to remind everyone associated with the Trust Fund just how it came into being, how small it started and how a dedicated group of people can make a difference. The HTF has now reached two milestones: $100 million, a goal set about 12 years ago by the Low Income Housing Congress (now the Low Income Housing Alliance); and, its twentieth anniversary, which will be celebrated in 2006.

2005 OCTOBER
Spotlight on Community Action Agencies, The War on Poverty: Where do we stand today? | Download PDF
Opportunity Council, Bellingham: Find out how Kay Sardo got her Head Start in the 60s | El Centro de la Raza, Seattle: For 33 years, Roberto Maestas has led El Centro’s efforts to build a stronger community for its participants | Blue Mountain, Walla Walla Steven Moss and his staff reach across traditional boundaries to get things accomplished in Southeastern Washington | OIC of Washington, Yakima Henry Beauchamp will do whatever it takes, including “swimming with the sharks,” to keep programs operating.

2005 AUGUST
Focus on Changes to Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers | Download PDF
Spokane Housing Authority: Forced to cut programs, payments—and waitlisted families | Walla Walla Housing Authority: Housing uncertainty in rural Walla Walla | King County Housing Authority’s The long-term costs of Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher cuts: Stephen Norman speaks out | “The hits are hard”: What the recent changes to Section 8 have meant to Laura MacKenzie and Fenesa Santos | John Meyers, HUD Regional Director Defends rationale for changes

2005 JUNE
Focus on Farmworker Housing
The Office of Rural and Farmworker Housing: 26 years, nearly 1,000 homes—and much more on the horizon | Mario Villanueva and the Diocese of Yakima Housing Services: Building homes, cultivating self-advocacy for farmworkers and educating communities | The Growers League: Key participant in efforts to create housing for farmworkers | The New Washington State Farmworker Housing Trust: Brings together growers, farmworkers and advocates to address long-term housing needs

2005 APRIL

• Rep Hans Dunshee: Will the Housing Trust Fund Be Increased to $100 Million this year?
• Community Frameworks’ Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program Continues to Inspire Loyalty
• Kurt Creager and the Vancouver Housing Authority: New, brave and forward-thinking directions
• Bryan Wahl promotes a better Quality of Life through the Washington Association of Realtors
• Good Partners Help Make Great Things Happen: Sam Anderson and Master Builders Association

2005 FEBRUARY

• The Legislature’s New Housing Committee: Seeking the next generation of solutions
• For the Bremerton Housing Authority, Bigger is Better
• Connecting the Dots: CHOC director wants to increase awareness of homebuyer resources
• A Tip of the Hat to Pete Modaff: Affordable housing expert in Congressman Norm Dicks’ office
• Governor Gary Locke Earns A Friend of Housing Award for commitment to farmworker housing

2004 DECEMBER

• AHAB Puts Housing Issues in Focus: One of the great supporters of affordable housing Hugh Spitzer
• Mike Lowry is Getting Homes Built in Ephrata: commitment to homeownership for agricultural workers
• Open Window School Accomplishes the ‘Impossible’
• Mark Flynn is Impact Capital’s New Executive Director: The right man for an important role

2004 OCTOBER

• Working Together: CTED strategies for advancing health, safety, social well being
• A New Model for Washington's Student Housing: Nonprofit foundations
• Celebrating Success: Spokane bus tour highlights successful projects and important partners
• Housing Washington: Development of one of the best state housing conferences in the nation