1. Earthquake Rehabilitation 
2. Central Oregon ROA 
3. When the Smoke Clears 
4. Application Denial - Newest Form 
5. President's Message 
6. Fall Planning Session 
7. Around The Capitol 
8. Heating Improvements 

9. Why Are Inspections Necessary 
10. Oregon Calendar 
11. Oregon Rental Housing Board Meetings 
12. Local Associations 
13. 1997-98 Officers 
14. PROS Seminar Schedule 

Whether you live in Portland, Astoria, Coos Bay or Klamath Falls, there is a "chance" of an earthquake hitting your area in your lifetime. Unfortunately, no one can predict how big or how small but it has been a concern of state geologists since the early 1990's when they reclassified Western Oregon into a higher risk for seismic activity. Well, we're not California (and we take pride in that in more than just earthquakes) but the state has been looking into what California has done to prepare for the next "rumble". 

Since the reclassification into higher risk, Governor John Kitzhaber appointed a task force on seismic rehabilitation which subsequently met and held hearings in 1995 and 1996 determining that there was clear evidence of a safety hazard to Oregonians caused by buildings that are inadequately designed. So the task force introduced a bill in 1997 (senate bill 1057) which included, of all things, mandatory seismic retrofit of existing unreinforced masonry buildings of which there are many in Portland as well as elsewhere around the state. 

When the legislature looked at the bill in 1997 and examined the small business impact, they decided that businesses could not take the cost burden required within the bill for an earthquake that may never come. Although the Oregon Rental Housing Association stressed interest in safety and protection of tenants, the cost to such a retrofit would not only have taken away even more affordable housing but it could put some landlords out of business. In the end, the bill died with the intent of re-examining the issue in the 1998 interim to address again in the 1999 legislative session. 

On May 12, the Seismic safety Policy Advisory Commission met again to hear ideas on change for next session. Our association again opposed the mandatory rehabilitation of buildings but at the same time, the association realized that in a competitive rental industry, property owners are forced to invest in their property due to market forces rather than government forces. 

The two elements that we can support next session is a statewide educational program that consists of a property or income tax credit to property owners who voluntary conduct seismic upgrades to their property. I stress the word "voluntary". This program would encourage the market to participate in seismic upgrades with an incentive. Furthermore, it would be a reasonable solution to safety prevention rather than the proposed government mandate which doesn't take in consideration the costly effects of the small business owner. 

COROA's new year started in July, with our 4th annual picnic at the Ralph Hergenrader home, with a beautiful view of Bend and gorgeous weather. Our new board members are Michelle Reynolds, Whit Ross and Priscilla Smith. We look forward to their ideas and participation to promote growth in membership, enhance our education and develop a better resident and landlord relationship. 

COROA educational meetings are once-a-month. Some of the programs are how to deal with illegal drugs, associate members workshop, mediation, and PRO certification class. Prior to the meeting, we have a 30 minute question and answer time. Also, mini work shops are held monthly in Bend on the second Thursday and in Redmond on the third Thursday. We encourage the members to bring the Landlord Law Book. With Oregon Rental Housing Associations new forms book, the members can bring the form book for reference and how to use the forms. Thank you Norton Cabell, President of Oregon Rental Housing Association and author of this great book. 

Some of COROA's educational tools are a form display, members notebooks, 52 legal up-to-date forms, a forms packet for owners who have one to five rentals, professional and informative newsletter, net working and camaraderie among members, etc. Out-of area members... please come to our meetings. 

Have you ever wondered how government can justify competing with the private sector? Well, they have done just that in LaGrande, Oregon and it looks like this: Do you have a house "For Sale?" Do you have a house "For Rent?" Do you pay property taxes? Does your employment rely on the local economy? Well now Northeast Oregon Housing Authority is now going into competition with you. Our position is this DO NOT harm some while trying to help others! Let's use existing housing. If existing housing is used who is harmed? Not the home owners, not the rental owners experiencing high vacancies, not the struggling economy, not the rent-to-own buyers. We encourage everyone to work together to find a solution that does not damage anyone. 

THE FACTS ARE:

1. NEOHA has purchased 20 acres on 26th street to develop additional housing. The first phase is 35 new manufactured homes constructed outside the area in another labor pool. The second phase of 35 units will be setup followed by a third phase of 40 unit apartment complex. The total plan calls for 110 new housing units in LaGrande.

 

 

2. The first phase of 35 homes is designed as a Rent-to-own project, the unfavorable piece to this plan is the Housing Authority will use your tax dollars to compete against you for buyers and tenants. They could use this same money to buy existing homes! REALTORS and the Rental Owners Association support the Rent-to-own project if it is planned so it does not economically damage our community and it's citizens.

 

 

3. NEOHA is a tax exempt government agency with 3.1 million dollars of real estate in Union, but only pays approximately $3,000 in property taxes. These new projects will increase their holdings to 9 or 10 million dollars. Private property owners could lower their rents too if they only had to pay a token property tax like NEOHA.

 

 

4. The appraisal completed in 1997 for NEOHA states that under the present market conditions only one new home should be built per month, to balance current demand and supply. The private sector can meet this need very easily.

 

 

5. Do you remember the housing slump in the mid-1980's? Do you remember the low-income housing projects that were built during that period? Do you remember all the foreclosure notices published in the newspaper? Statistically, our local Housing Authority has 598 subsidized units for a population of 24,500. In neighboring Umatilla Co. they have 44 subsidized units for a population of 65,500, yet they have substantially fewer subsidized housing. 
6. The survey commissioned by NEOHA states that "LaGrande must carefully pace the addition of new housing in the community ". We agree! Let's use existing housing and partnership with the private sector. The Administrative Plan for NEOHA states that Because landlord/owner participation is vital to the success of the Section 8 Existing and Housing Voucher program. NOHA will carefully monitor outreach to owners. In our effort to give input, we have been criticized and labeled unfavorably resulting in alienation rather than cooperation.


 Perhaps we should concentrate on getting jobs to our community instead of creating a housing glut that could devastate the economy. Let's work together to find a solution that won't economically have disadvantaged people that need housing, nor people in ownership of real property. 

One of the most important

 events of the year for our

 association is the planning

 session that takes place in the 

fall. This meeting has a great

 impact on the rental housing

 industry in Oregon. This is

 where the goals and direction

 of our association are set for the

 years ahead.

TO: LOCAL ASSOCIATION MEMBERS & THEIR LEADERSHIP

PLACE: BEST WESTERN RAMA INN & SUITES
1711 21st Street LaGrande, OR 97850
(541) 963-3100

RATES: $62.21 Includes Tax
An additional list of hotels are available, call Maren for more information

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25TH 
1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. PRO's Seminar "Mediation", Terry Flora 

( $30 members/ $45 non-members)
5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Committee Meetings
6:00 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. Break - - H'odervers 
6:15 p.m. - 6:45 p.m. Local Association Reports
7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. ORHA Board Meeting

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26TH 
8:00 a.m.- 8:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast, Hotel guests only
8:30-Noon Planning Session
12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. Lunch
1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. Planning Session
6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. No Host Dinner - - surprise location & entertainment 

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27TH 
8:00 a.m.- 9:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast , Hotel guests only
8:30 a.m.- Noon Planning Wrap-up

I can tell you that every vote counts. Many Oregon elections have been won and lost by just a few votes. Nothing drives a campaign more crazy than to think- "if only I had turned out a few more voters." This sad state of mind is something that troubles many of us who are trying to get people to turn out and vote. In a perfect world, turn-out shouldn't be the obstacle to getting elected. It should be the gateway. So why is this year so important for people and especially our members to turn out and vote? 

Because in 1999, when the 70th legislative assembly convenes at the Capitol in Salem- the laws are "up-for-grabs." When I mean "up-for-grabs," I think of a rugby match where the ball pops up in the air and you have about 20 people scratching, kicking and hitting at each other to get the ball. This describes our legislative process, only with a lot more people. Issues are being thrown into the air and legislators are scratching, kicking and hitting at each other to fix something or another. 

Even though it's not a Presidential year and our economy is doing very well, the members of the Oregon Rental Housing Association are going to be challenged with over 100 bills next session whether we like it or not. Knowing this, wouldn't you rather have the ball than be scratched, kicked and hit with legislation that hurts your ability to operate your rental property? 

Every pro-Every pro-landlord, mayor, city councilor, judge and legislative candidate you cast your vote for this November will make my job a lot easier next session and thus make your job of running your business a lot smoother. 

With absentee voting making it easier for busy people to vote, there is no excuse for you not to cast your ballot. So take a moment right now and look at your calendar and determine if you will have the time to vote on election day, November 3rd. If not, call your county elections division and register as an absentee voter. You will then get your ballot a couple weeks ahead of election day. Fill it out- and mail it in! 

I encourage every member of our association to exercise their right to vote, the single most important aspect of democracy. Remember, you have to elect the right people, then I have to protect you from the people you elected. 

Osorio says weatherization and heating improvements help her do all of that. 

"If they're going to be paying a lot of money for heating in the wintertime, tenants won't want to stay very long," Osorio said. "I also feel it improves the property for the time of sale. If you can show you've done weatherization on the house, people will be more likely to buy it." 

So when Osorio added to her properties an older oil-heated home in Portland, she called the State Home Oil Weatherization (SHOW) program to get a free energy audit. 

"The tenant was using a lot of oil," Osorio said. "We thought it was something that we should do, to make it more comfortable for tenants. I try to keep my places nice so I have tenants a long time." 

Osorio followed the energy analyst's recommendations for the measures that would pay back the fastest. She installed R-25 insulation under the floors, insulated the heating ducts in the crawl space, had R-27 fiberglass blown into the attic (the attic had only a few inches of insulation) and had R-11 cellulose blown into the uninsulated walls. 

She also put in a high-efficiency oil burner and a setback thermostat. 

The energy analyst estimated that the improvements would reduce oil use by 42 percent. Osorio has seen that reduction in the bills she gets from the oil company. (The tenant reimburses her.) 

"The tenant is real happy that she's not paying nearly as much money for heating," Osorio said. "It also has helped keep the house cooler in summertime. And she just loves the new thermostat. I have one here myself. That's why I chose to put one in." 

Osorio says she was "very happy" with both of the contractors who did the work. For the heating improvements, she used the contractor who tunes up the furnaces in her houses. For the insulation, she used the contractor who weatherized two homes she had lived in herself. 

The total cost of the improvements was $2,940. After a $400 SHOW rebate and a 35-percent state energy tax credit - totaling $890 - Osorio's final cost was just $1,650. 

Osorio says the investment is well worth it. "You're going to get it back by keeping tenants in there and when you sell the home," Osorio said. 

In addition to the SHOW rebate and state tax credit, Osorio got a 6.5 percent SHOW loan to pay for the improvements. She says it was easy to use the state programs. "I just had to go through the proper steps to get the forms completed and signed. It was very simple, really. I was real pleased with the program." 

To learn how you can get a 35-percent state tax credit for improving the energy efficiency of your rental home, call the Oregon Office of Energy at 1-800-221-8035. (In Salem, call 378-4040.) 

For a free energy analysis of your rental property and information on cash rebates and loans for weatherization and heating improvements... 

Oil heat: Call the SHOW program at 1-800-452-8660.
Electric or natural gas heat: Call the utility that provides your heat. 

- Lisa Schwartz, Oregon Office of Energy 

• To see what maintenance needs to be done 
• To promote safety: heaters, exits, patio, etc 
• To improve sanitation 
• To improve housekeeping skills 
• To answer questions of the resident 

Also, ask if there is anything that needs to be fixed, listing each room in the rental , etc. Some owners/agents prefer the resident to be home. Some residents want to be home during inspection. Respect the residents decision. It is a good idea for the landlord/agent to have another person with he or she. This helps jog the resident's memory of items that need to be fixed. It is a good idea to take a camera or camcorder with you. 

• Remember: To schedule time for maintenance. To schedule follow-up inspections, if necessary 
• Inspections should be performed about every 4 months