Below you will find links that have been chosen to help us learn more about our work as a board.
EPISCOPAL HOUSING CORPORATION: THE DIOCESE OF MARYLAND
Information for Casa Board Discussion Blog
A. Our Current Partners
1. Community Housing Management Services (CHMS)
CHMS is a California nonprofit corporation founded in 1986 as an outreach of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles to encourage and assist in the development, operation, and preservation of low income housing for seniors, people with disabilities, emancipated foster youth, and families. Bishop Bruno is a member of their Board of Directors. CHMS provides property and financial management and consulting services for apartments and manufactured homes. Their website states that they dedicate themselves “to providing the highest quality property management services and developing professional, respectful, and caring relationships with those they serve” which includes residents, owners, the community, and their coworkers.
http://www.chmshousing.org/
2. Episcopal Housing Alliance (EHA)
EHA was created by the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles to develop community-based partnerships with public and private agencies to meet the increasing need for a wide-range of affordable housing for very low, low, moderate, and middle-income individuals and families.
http://www.ehala.org/eha_low_housing_programs.html
3. U. S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
HUD’s mission is to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing free from discrimination. To fulfill this mission, HUD will embrace high standards of ethics, management and accountability and forge new partnerships – particularly with faith-based and community organizations – that leverage resources and improve HUD’s ability to be effective on the community level.
http://portal.hud.gov/portal/page/portal/HUD/
For HUD’s webpage for affordable housing and a list of HUD publications on affordable housing, see the links below.
http://www.disasterhousing.gov/offices/cpd/affordablehousing/index.cfm
http://www.huduser.org/publications/affhsg.html
B. “Corp Sole”
The Bishop as a Corporation Sole-a term usually shortened to "Corp Sole"-consists of money given to the Bishop of Los Angeles through bequests and gifts. Some of Corp Sole's funds are designated for particular uses: for example, certain monies are to be used only for ministry among Native Americans. Other funds are unrestricted, and may be used at the bishop's discretion.
Rather than being controlled by a board of directors or other entity, Corp Sole is the legal responsibility of the Bishop of Los Angeles, whoever he or she may be. Bishop Diocesan J. Jon Bruno seeks the advice of the bishop suffragan and bishops assistant and a group of skilled laypeople to administer the funds, although the legal responsibility is his alone. For more information on Corp Sole, see the website below.
http://www.ladiocese.org/bishop/corporation_sole.html
C. Other Housing Alliances in the Episcopal Church
1. The Episcopal Housing Corporation (EHC)
EHC is a nonprofit organization founded in 1995 by the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland and is committed to strengthening neighborhoods through housing and community revitalization activities. EHC develops safe, decent and affordable housing for families with very low incomes and those who have recently overcome homelessness or substance abuse addiction. They also work to develop facilities such as community centers that help strengthen entire communities. Their partnerships are with nonprofit service providers, faith-based organizations, and with other groups and agencies who share their goals. It is similar to EHA but based on their website they appear to have a lot more projects and programs. See their link below.
http://www.ehc.ang-md.org/index.html
2. Episcopal Housing Ministry (EHM)
In Wake County, in the Diocese of North Carolina, EHM has dedicated six affordable housing communities supporting hundreds of people since its inception in 1991.
http://episcopalhousingministry.homestead.com/ehmtitlepage.html
3. Episcopal Senior Communities (ESC)
ESC, in the Diocese of California, is a leader in senior housing and services. Since 1965, ESC has built, opened and operated five premier retirement communities in northern California and sponsors three affordable housing communities, with a fourth under construction.
http://www.jtm-esc.org/index.htm
4. The Dioceses of Louisiana and Mississippi
The Diocese of Louisiana and Episcopal Relief Development have joined forces to create the Jericho Roach Episcopal Housing Initiative which builds permanent energy efficient, affordable homes in post-Katrina New Orleans. Since its inception in 2006, Jericho Road has acquired 42 lots, constructed 17 houses, and sold 12, helping to bring back not only a vibrant city but also its spirit of neighbor-helping-neighbor. ERD and the Diocese of Mississippi have launched a similar project called Hallelujah Housing.
http://jerichohousing.org/
http://dioms.org/katrina/housing.html
5. Other Episcopal Dioceses
Many other diocese and parishes run their own housing programs. Others are involved in housing programs with Jubilee Ministries, Habitat for Humanity, and other similar groups.
D. Local Housing Agencies
1. California Tax Credit Allocation Committee
The California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (CTCAC) administers the federal and state Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Programs. Both programs were created to encourage private investment in affordable rental housing for households meeting certain income requirements.
http://treasurer.ca.gov/ctcac/
For details on California’s low income credit tax program, see the link below:
http://treasurer.ca.gov/ctcac/tax.asp
2. The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA)
HACLA’s mission is to preserve its existing affordable housing supply of 75,000 units while ensuring these units are both safe and decent. They are also spearheading a collaborative effort to increase the supply of affordable housing in LA by 30,000 units within the fifteen (15) years. HACLA intends to collaborate with residents and public, non-profit and private entities to create viable, healthy communities and to empower able residents to achieve financial independence. We hope to achieve all of this while maintaining strong internal controls and developing and maintaining a strong culture of mutual respect, fiscal responsibility, and ethical behavior by our employees, residents and other key stakeholders.
http://www.hacla.org/strategic-mission/
E. Other Affordable Housing Non-Profits
1. The Affordable Housing Management Association, Pacific Southwest (AHMA-PSW)
AHMA-PSW
The Affordable Housing Management Association, Pacific Southwest (AHMA-PSW) is a non-profit organization composed of affordable housing providers, including agents, owners, property managers and related professionals who offer management and products or services to the affordable housing industry - low and moderate income families, seniors and persons with disabilities. It is the professional association for the affordable housing management industry. They represent agents and owners of affordable housing in the areas of Southern California, Arizona and Nevada.
AHMA-PSW's purpose is to provide a medium for the exchange of information among the management agents of government-assisted housing, to enable such agents to solve common management problems, to facilitate communications between management agents and the government agencies with which they deal, to provide meaningful assistance to agents and owners in fulfilling their responsibilities to residents of government-assisted housing, and to strive to effect improvement in the quality of life for residents of affordable housing.
http://ahma-psw.org/html/membership.html
2. Building Industry Association of Southern California’s 50+ Council (BIA/SC/50+)
Builders and developers across the nation are striving to meet the housing needs of "Boomers," empty nesters, active adults, retirees, and older seniors. BIA/SC/50+ Housing Council provides networking, education and partnering prospects for Southern California professionals involved in every aspect of building housing specifically for 50+ markets including active adult, age-targeted, senior condos, 55+ apartments, CCRCs, Assisted Living, Alzheimer's care and more. Formed in 1990, they are the largest and most active 50+ Housing Council chapter in the country.
http://biasc.org/custom.cfm?name=welcome_shc.cfm
3. Southern California Association of Nonprofit Housing (SCANPH)
Incorporated in 1985, SCANPH is dedicated to the production, preservation and management of permanently affordable homes for low-income households, and believes that non-profit community development organizations (CDCs) are the best vehicle for achieving this goal. SCANPH is a membership organization. Our members include 450 organizations, public agencies and individuals, of which approximately one-third are CDCs that actively build homes affordable to low-income people in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Ventura counties. Their members include over half of all of the CDCs in California, and have produced over 65,000 apartments, condominiums and houses throughout the region. The vast majority of SCANPH’s members, and the homes they build and manage, are located in Los Angeles County. SCANPH members serve the recently homeless, disabled households, seniors on fixed-incomes, and the working poor.
http://scanph.org/
COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT HUD SUBSIDIZED HOUSING
What is affordable housing?
"Affordable housing" is a broad term used to describe decent, safe housing which is affordable for individuals who, generally, earn less than 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI).
What is subsidized housing?
"Subsidized housing" is a term used to describe housing which is financed in whole or in part with government funding.
What is HUD?
"HUD" is the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developent. HUD is the U.S. government agency responsible for delivering the vast majority of the nation's affordable housing programs.
What is Section 8?
"Section 8" is a HUD program which provides rental payment assistance to qualifying tenants. To make rents affordable, Section 8 pays any rent which exceeds 30% of a tenants adjusted monthly income. For example, if your landlord charges $500 per month for rent and you make $1,000 per month, you would pay $300 (30% of your monthly income) and Section 8 would pay $200 (the difference between what you can afford and what your landlord charges). The Section 8 program is overburdened and it is now difficult to get the subsidy. Many people wait for years to receive the subsidy.
What is the difference between very-low income, low-income and moderate income?
The meaning of these terms can vary from program to program and institution to institution but generally, very-low income persons refers to persons at or below 30% of the Area Median Income (AMI), low-income persons refers to persons at or below 50% of the AMI, and moderate income persons refers to persons at or below 80% of the AMI.
What are Low Income Housing Tax Credits?
The Low Income Housing Tax Credit is an incentive for individuals and corporations to invest in affordable housing. By investing in affordable housing, investors can reap great savings on annual income tax liabilities. The LIHTC is the most widely used, most productive, and most sucessful affordable housing program in the country.
What is a "tenant certification"?
"Tenant Certifications" are forms that you, as a resident in an affordable housing community, must complete on an annual or periodic basis disclosing all your sources of income. The purpose of the certification is to assure that only those who meet the income restrictions of the housing receive the benefits of the housing.
What is the difference between the "project-based" Section 8 program and Section 8 "certificates or vouchers"?
Section 8 subsidies are tied to the project in the new construction, substantial rehabilitation, loan management set-aside and the moderate rehabilitation programs. Under the Section 8 certificate and voucher programs, tenants receive the assistance directly in the form of a certificate or voucher and can use the subsidy in any unit meeting the Section 8 rent limits and housing quality standards that is willing to accept them.
What is wrong with converting the whole program to vouchers?
Finding appropriate housing can prove a perilous undertaking for a holder of a
Section 8 voucher or certificate.With a Section 8 voucher in hand, a tenant must find:
1. A landlord willing to do business with a governmental bureaucracy which may prove to be difficult, especially in tight rental markets.
2. A unit whose rent does not exceed a specified level.
3. A unit that meets HUD quality standards, or a landlord willing to upgrade or repair the unit so that it does meet those standards.
4. A unit of the appropriate size for the family.
5. A unit with special features if the tenant is elderly or disabled.
6. A unit with project-based services and/or special facilities if those are required.
Are Section 8 properties the same as "public housing"?
Section 8 properties are not what is commonly referred to as housing projects or "public housing." Section 8 assisted rental properties are owned and managed by private businesses and provide shelter for households with low incomes. Public housing is owned and managed by public housing authorities and receives funding under a different HUD program.
What is a typical Section 8 property like?
There is really no such thing as a "typical" Section 8 property. Section 8 properties look like any other decent, attractive apartment complex and are as diverse in physical appearance as they are in resident mix. Some properties are single apartment buildings, while some are garden apartments, for example. Some are small properties with only a few units and others are very large. A number of Section 8 properties are only for older renters; others are for families and still others have mixed populations. The majority of the residents of properties developed under the Section 8 New Construction and Substantial Rehabilitation Program, however, are elderly and disabled persons.
Is there a real danger of losing affordable housing stock?
Indeed, there is a real danger of losing a number of Section 8-assisted properties if the project-based system is discontinued. Section 8 subsidy contracts will be expiring for more and more properties in the next few years. According to an August 1993 report by the General Accounting Office, Section 8 contracts covering 61 percent of the total Section 8 units were expected to expire within the next five years. This includes several in the greater Los Angeles area. If these contracts are not renewed, these properties and units could be lost from the stock of decent and affordable rental units.
Who is helped by Section 8 assistance?
The Section 8 program is targeted to renters with low incomes who need assistance. Assisted renters generally may not have incomes greater than 50 percent of the area median income. These persons pay no more than 30% of their income for rent and Section 8 subsidies cover the remainder. Section 8 housing has become one of the major supports for low-income elderly and disabled families. Aside from the Section 202 component which is 100 percent dedicated to the elderly and disabled, over 55 percent of the units in the basic Section 8 program are reserved for elderly and displaced persons. Of the total of 890,000 units in the program, about 600,000 units serve elderly and disabled tenants. In many cases, these projects contain specialized facilities and provide services for the elderly and disabled that could not be obtained by these persons in other apartments in the community. At least 20 percent of Section 8 has been allocated to rural areas and there typically is no adequate alternative to this housing for tenants currently assisted.
What is Section 42?
Section 42 refers to the section of the IRS tax code that provides tax credits to investors building affordable housing. Since its creation in 1986, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program has become the most popular method of financing affordable multifamily apartment.
How does Section 42 differ from other rental assistance programs such as Section 8?
Despite the name, tax credit housing is NOT low-income housing. The tax credit program is designed to provide affordable housing for moderate-income households. Section 42 is a tax benefit granted to the owner for a particular rental apartment. The owner is then required to lease that rental apartment to individuals who do not exceed the set maximum income levels. When leasing the apartment, the renter benefits from the program by paying a lower rental amount.
How do prospective residents determine if they are eligible for a low-income tax credit apartment?
Applicants are asked to complete forms that request information regarding income, family size and financial assets. These factors determine eligibility for the program, thereby qualifying them for more affordable rental rates.
