At a recent symposium held by Stanford Graduate School of Business, studies were shared on ‘getting people to do good’. The context was recycling however the messages apply to any cause. One of the findings was to focus on good news and pair it with the broader philosophy of why the action is important. The pairing of good news and philosophy will help people to ‘get it’ and act.
Dr. Lisa K. Bates, of Portland State University and Portland Housing Center Board member, demonstrated that kind of messaging in her testimony to City Council on April 11th. The City Council is considering next year’s budget. The Office of Management and Finance recommended cutting all the homeownership education and counseling support. Homeownership advocates are asking funding support be continued and at $500,000.
The good news Dr. Bates told City Council was, “Through funding homeownership education and counseling, the City can ensure access to the benefits of homeownership is available to a broad spectrum of Portlanders –making these opportunities real for first generation buyers, moderate income households, women, and communities of color.”
The broader philosophy of why this is important according to Dr. Bates is “A thriving city is one that people both figuratively and literally ‘buy into’- owning a home as a commitment to community and an investment in the future. Owning a home gives people a tangible stake and an opportunity to benefit from economic development. Research shows that children of homeowners (even low income owners) have better health and do better in school and future employment.”
Now let’s hope City Council ‘gets it’ and reinstates $500,000 to fund homeownership education and counseling. If you ‘get it’ and want to act contact City Council and let them know you support homeownership services. Then join the Portland Safety Net and let everyone know.
Showing posts with label Homeownership. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Homeownership. Show all posts
Apr 16, 2012
Feb 27, 2012
It Is Sweet and Pink!
An article in the Wall Street Journal asks “For Women is Home Really so Sweet?” (February 18, 2012). The writer’s conjecture is women buying homes may be swapping one rite of passage, marriage, to another means of feeling settled by buying homes. It may be true that some women are choosing homeownership. As a single woman who bought her house twenty years ago, I didn’t consciously make the choice of homeownership over marriage, but I am still in my house and I am not married. I must say I am glad I made those choices. I like that my home’s value is 3 times what I paid for it and my loan is nearly paid off. I am not sure if the net monetary value of my partner has increased as much.
If homeownership is a ‘right’ of passage that is fine by me as long as it is an option. It wasn’t so long ago that a woman in the Portland Housing Center home buying class said she thought she needed a husband to be able to buy a home. Before 1981 and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act it was NOT illegal for lenders to discriminate based on sex or marital status. Then it had been necessary to have a husband to purchase a home. The former Mayor Vera Katz tells her story about buying her first home before 1981 as a divorced single mom. She was asked in the loan interview if she was using contraceptives.
I can appreciate the writer questioning why women make the decision to buy a home. But then she goes too far – “ . . . one that, as the housing crisis has proved, can too easily end in calamity.” Just when it is possible to dream about homeownership on one’s own, the writer throws the wet blanket – you’ll lose it, you’ll lose the home. That is fear mongering. Instead of promoting the fear, I wish the writer promoted quality home buying education and counseling, good loans, and women’s option to purchase regardless of whether it is a rite of passage or a desire to paint the walls pink and have a dog.
If homeownership is a ‘right’ of passage that is fine by me as long as it is an option. It wasn’t so long ago that a woman in the Portland Housing Center home buying class said she thought she needed a husband to be able to buy a home. Before 1981 and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act it was NOT illegal for lenders to discriminate based on sex or marital status. Then it had been necessary to have a husband to purchase a home. The former Mayor Vera Katz tells her story about buying her first home before 1981 as a divorced single mom. She was asked in the loan interview if she was using contraceptives.
I can appreciate the writer questioning why women make the decision to buy a home. But then she goes too far – “ . . . one that, as the housing crisis has proved, can too easily end in calamity.” Just when it is possible to dream about homeownership on one’s own, the writer throws the wet blanket – you’ll lose it, you’ll lose the home. That is fear mongering. Instead of promoting the fear, I wish the writer promoted quality home buying education and counseling, good loans, and women’s option to purchase regardless of whether it is a rite of passage or a desire to paint the walls pink and have a dog.
Jun 28, 2011
PHC and Friends Celebrate Two Decades of "Homeownership Done Right"
Our 20th Anniversary Event last Thursday was chock full of wonderfulness. About 300 guests—board members (current and former), funders, customers, City officials, and other partners—joined us at the Nines Hotel in downtown Portland for an evening of appreciation, education, and celebration.
There was great music from Lloyd Jones and his band, and endless trays of tasty food and drinks. The Silent Auction and the Golden Ticket Raffle were both popular and successful. And Portland Mayor Sam Adams presented us with an official Proclamation declaring “July 15th to be the Day of Appreciation for the Portland Housing Center!”
Our keynote speaker, Dr. Melissa Harris-Perry, professor of political science at Tulane University, author, and political commentator, educated and impressed us all with her presentation on “Home, Civil Rights, and the Challenge of Post-Racial Organizing.”
I was especially impressed with her ability to take the “long view” of political, social, and economic progress in America, and for reminding us that we all have a role in history—whether high history or low. She told us about her father, a long-time political activist and educator. Instead of signing her birthday cards, “Love, Dad,” she said, he’d sign them, “The struggle continues.”
The significance of that, particularly as we move through challenging economic and political times, is profound, for all Americans committed to equity and fairness, and who may sometimes face a momentary waning of our passion for righting wrongs.
Here’s one of my favorite Dr. Harris-Perry quotes from that speech:
“What’s useful with growing up with “the struggle continues” as a basic mantra is that it serves as an excellent act of humility to remember that you are just a part, just a moment of a struggle, that has gone on long before you, and that will continue long after you.
There is much hubris required for you to believe that you have to live during the winning time. No, you might be living during the losing time. The winning time might come at some earlier point or some later point—you don’t always get to choose what your era is—but certainly, inevitably, the struggle continues.”
We received some excellent press coverage in The Oregonian, too. Writer Connie Potter did an extensive profile of PHC customer Demetria Peterson, with excellent background on our founding and recent successes.
I think Demetria best summarized the value and importance of what we do. She said of us, “They were a constant resource for me…If it wasn’t for the Portland Housing Center, I wouldn’t have been able to buy. I wouldn’t have known what steps to take, who to trust, who not to trust.” Thank you, Demetria. That’s what we call “homeownership done right.”
Events like this celebration take untold hours of hard work, so my sincere thanks to the 20th Anniversary Event Committee and volunteers for their limitless supplies of determination, creativity, and massive attention to the many details our party demanded. We owe big thanks to Event Committee Chair Raejean Sly (whose 3-tier “house” cake was the best-dressed item at the event!). Shout outs are due, also, to Lead Volunteer Carol Hushman and our Auction Procurement Wiz Mary Mayther-Slac.
So, now we’re 21--and “the struggle continues.” Important words for us to remember as we step into our third decade of helping our customers make real the dream of homeownership.
There was great music from Lloyd Jones and his band, and endless trays of tasty food and drinks. The Silent Auction and the Golden Ticket Raffle were both popular and successful. And Portland Mayor Sam Adams presented us with an official Proclamation declaring “July 15th to be the Day of Appreciation for the Portland Housing Center!”
Our keynote speaker, Dr. Melissa Harris-Perry, professor of political science at Tulane University, author, and political commentator, educated and impressed us all with her presentation on “Home, Civil Rights, and the Challenge of Post-Racial Organizing.”
I was especially impressed with her ability to take the “long view” of political, social, and economic progress in America, and for reminding us that we all have a role in history—whether high history or low. She told us about her father, a long-time political activist and educator. Instead of signing her birthday cards, “Love, Dad,” she said, he’d sign them, “The struggle continues.”
The significance of that, particularly as we move through challenging economic and political times, is profound, for all Americans committed to equity and fairness, and who may sometimes face a momentary waning of our passion for righting wrongs.
Here’s one of my favorite Dr. Harris-Perry quotes from that speech:
“What’s useful with growing up with “the struggle continues” as a basic mantra is that it serves as an excellent act of humility to remember that you are just a part, just a moment of a struggle, that has gone on long before you, and that will continue long after you.
There is much hubris required for you to believe that you have to live during the winning time. No, you might be living during the losing time. The winning time might come at some earlier point or some later point—you don’t always get to choose what your era is—but certainly, inevitably, the struggle continues.”
We received some excellent press coverage in The Oregonian, too. Writer Connie Potter did an extensive profile of PHC customer Demetria Peterson, with excellent background on our founding and recent successes.
I think Demetria best summarized the value and importance of what we do. She said of us, “They were a constant resource for me…If it wasn’t for the Portland Housing Center, I wouldn’t have been able to buy. I wouldn’t have known what steps to take, who to trust, who not to trust.” Thank you, Demetria. That’s what we call “homeownership done right.”
Events like this celebration take untold hours of hard work, so my sincere thanks to the 20th Anniversary Event Committee and volunteers for their limitless supplies of determination, creativity, and massive attention to the many details our party demanded. We owe big thanks to Event Committee Chair Raejean Sly (whose 3-tier “house” cake was the best-dressed item at the event!). Shout outs are due, also, to Lead Volunteer Carol Hushman and our Auction Procurement Wiz Mary Mayther-Slac.
So, now we’re 21--and “the struggle continues.” Important words for us to remember as we step into our third decade of helping our customers make real the dream of homeownership.
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