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Committee approves $3.3 million appropriation for affordable-housing preservation training; some members object to sole contractor selection
Summary
Senate Bill 51 would direct Housing and Community Services to contract with Housing Development Center Inc. for training and preservation work with a $3.3 million appropriation; some lawmakers opposed single-organization selection and questioned political ties.
The Ways and Means committee on June 20 recommended reporting out Senate Bill 51, a measure that allocates $3.3 million general fund to the Housing and Community Services Department to support preservation of affordable housing through a contract with Housing Development Center, Inc.
The appropriation includes $2 million to enhance resident well-being at affordable housing projects and $1.3 million for asset-management training for owners and operators of affordable housing. The measure also directs the department to regularly update and publish an affordable housing preservation strategy framework.
Why it matters: Committee members framed the bill as an investment in preserving existing affordable housing and improving property management. Senator Anderson, who carried the bill, said preservation and training are needed because the state is not producing enough new affordable housing stock.
Points of contention: Representative Rob Drazen said he could not support the measure because it "hand picks a particular organization that's called the Housing Development Center Incorporated and their approach has a political overlay that I cannot and do not support." Drazen added that limited session resources should not favor one provider. Senator Anderson and others countered that the Housing Development Center has experience and the bill allows contracting flexibility to use localized trainers as needed.
Committee action: The capital construction subcommittee recommended the dash-a6 amendment and reported the bill out due pass as amended; the motion passed and members recorded their positions. Senator Brock Smith said he added an amendment to include Umpqua Community Development Corporation as an eligible deliverable to cover southern Oregon needs.
Ending: The committee advanced the preservation-training appropriation; members asked for flexibility in contracting to ensure statewide coverage and for attention to provider selection concerns raised by some members.
