Free Class to Help You Prepare for Homeownership

Homebuyer Workshop
A Free Homebuyer Workshop, will be taught by Beth Larsen, a certified housing counselor from Community Services Consortium (CSC), to help prospective homebuyers learn how to successfully navigate the home buying process.
You will learn how to search for and evaluate homes, work with housing industry professionals and gain knowledge and confidence with the home purchase process. At the end of class, you will receive a certificate that may help to qualify for a number of assistance and loan programs, including Valley Individual Savings Accounts, a program to help you save for buying your first home.
Sign up by contacting Beth Larsen at blarsen@communityservices.us or call (541) 758-2759.

January
Newport: Saturday, January 22nd from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm at the Oceanspray Family Center 1039 NW Nye Street, Newport, OR
March
Lincoln City: Saturday, March 12th from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm Beacon Crest Apartments: Oceanspray Center, 2897 NE 47th Street, Lincoln City, OR
May
Newport: Thursdays, May 19th and 26th from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm at the Oceanspray Family Center, 1039 NW Nye Street, Newport, OR
July
Newport: Saturday, July 9th from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm at the Oceanspray Family Center 1039 NW Nye Street, Newport, OR
September
Newport: Saturday, September 10th from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm at the Oceanspray Family Center, 1039 NW Nye Street, Newport, OR
November
Lincoln City: Tuesdays, November 1st and 8th from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm at the Beacon Crest Apartments: Oceanspray Center, 2897 NE 47th Street, Lincoln City, OR

Free Class on Learning the Basics about Managing Money

Money Matters It’s easy to lose control of your spending over the holiday season. The New Year is the perfect time to get back on track.
Money Matters is a FREE class designed to help people learn the basics, and more, about managing money—from budgeting and savings to credit and debt. This is the 2011 class schedule taught by Community Services Consortium's (CSC) Beth Larson, for Linn, Benton and Lincoln counties. To sign up, contact blarsen@communityservices.us or call
(541) 758-2759.

APRIL
Newport: Saturdays, April 9th and 16th from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at CSC Newport Head Start at 235 Northeast 1st Street, Newport, OR
Corvallis: Wednesdays, April 13th, 20th and 27th from 1:30 pm to 5:00 pm at Corvallis Community Services Consortium, 545 SW 2nd St., Suite A, Corvallis, OR
JUNE
Newport: Tuesdays, June 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm at the Oceanspray Family Center, 1039 NW Nye Street, Newport, OR
JULY
Albany: Wednesdays, July 13th, 20th and 27th from 1:30 to 5:00 at the Albany Community Services Consortium, 250 SW Broadalbin, Suite 2A, Albany, OR
AUGUST
Lincoln City: Saturdays, August 13th and 27th from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Beacon Crest Apartments: Oceanspray Center, 2897 NE 47th Street, Lincoln City, OR
SEPTEMBER
Corvallis: Wednesdays, September 14th, 21st and 28th from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm at Corvallis Community Services Consortium, 545 SW 2nd St., Suite A, Corvallis, OR
OCTOBER
Newport: Tuesday, October 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm at the Oceanspray Family Center 1039 NW Nye Street, Newport, OR

Mortgage Payment Assistance Program (MPA) is now open

Online applications to Oregon homeowners are now open for the state’s new Mortgage Payment Assistance (MPA) program at www.oregonhomeownerhelp.org. Applications for the program will be open until Jan. 14, 2011.

Community Services Consortium (CSC) has opened its intake offices in Linn and Lincoln counties to assist homeowners who have completed the online applications and to assist those who don’t have computer access.

“We are pleased to have John Cronkrite leading CSC’s part in helping Oregon homeowners with mortgage problems apply for assistance in Linn and Lincoln counties,” said Martha Lyon, Executive Director of CSC. “John, as administrator of the Mortgage Payment Assistance program and his staff are in the offices ready to help.”

CSC's MPA Offices open in Linn and Lincoln Counties
In Linn and Lincoln counties, Community Services Consortium (CSC) Mortagage Payment Assistance intake offices are open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Appointments by telephone 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Albany: MPA intake office: 250 Broadalbin Street., SW, Suite 102.
Phone (541)-981-2523
Lebanon: MPA intake office: 300 Market Street, Suite 101.
Phone (541) 570-1712
Newport: MPA intake office: 120 NE Avery Street. Phone (541) 265-2991
Benton County: for information, call Willamette Neighborhood Housing at (541) 752-7220

Program participants will be randomly selected from eligible applicants by a secure software program and notified soon after the application’s closing date. The program is not first-come, first-served. All eligible homeowners who apply within the application period will have an opportunity to receive help with their mortgage payment.

Coalition Raises Money and Food for Regional Food Banks

Rob Hess President, of the Oregon State University (OSU) Coalition of Graduate Employees and Mindy Crandall, Treasure, presented Mike Gibson, Director of Linn Benton Food Share (left) with a check for $577 for Linn Benton Food Share.

The Coalition of Graduate Employees at OSU joined with a similar group from the University of Oregon (UO) to raise money and food for their regional food banks. The money and food were collected at a concert held the evening before the Civil War football game.

“We were amazed at how much we were able to do together. We gave the canned food to Food for Lane County in Eugene and the money went to Linn Benton Food Share here in Corvallis, “ said Hess.

On The Road

Dennis Feeney, Community Services Consortium (CSC) Weatherization Trainer, monitors student taking CSC’s BPI Building Analyst training in Newport.

CSC’s Workforce & Education Department took their show on the road when it came to training. Jerry McGuire and Dennis Feeney, both Weatherization Trainers, along with Project Assistant, Bryer Thompson took their mobile unit to Newport for BPI (Building Performance Institute) Building Analyst Certification training.

Four individuals took the training and successfully passed an exam to earn their certification after a week of training. Having certification allows its bearer to inspect homes for energy efficiency through a certified company or agency.

“This is our first complete training using the mobile unit,” said McGuire. “It was a complete success and we are on the schedule to do more training away from our Training Center in Corvallis.”

Food stamp usage soars

The US food stamps program, officially known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), is currently growing at a rate of about 20,000 people a day, according to new data from the USDA.

The number of people receiving food stamps in August 2009 stood at 36.5m, the newly released figures show, up by more than a quarter compared to a year ago, when 29.5m people were enrolled with the program.

Its rapid growth rate comes as the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) reveals the highest level of American food insecurity ever recorded, with 17 million households, or 14.6 percent, struggling to put food on the table at times during 2008. The department began nationally representative food security surveys in 1995.

From FOOD Navigator -USA 01-Dec-2009

RSVP Receives Grant From the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde

Beth Fox, RSVP Director, (middle) at the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Headquarters, accepting a grant award of $5,000 for the Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance program (SHIBA) from Spirit Mountain Community Fund. Pictured with Fox are Chris Mercier, Tribal Council Member and Shelley Hanson, Fund Director.

10,000 people are turning age 65 every day in America, making Medicare a hot current issue. The 2010 Annual Enrollment Period is going strong, with Community Services Consortium’s (CSC's) RSVP/Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance (SHIBA) volunteers assisting clients out of eight locations across Linn and Benton Counties. Volunteers meet one-on-one with individuals to explain their options in Medicare insurance. Volunteers in each county have also been teaching monthly workshops for those people that are new to Medicare or more extended Medicare A, B, C & D workshops – always packing the room.

Second Chance Renter Rehabilitation

Second Chance Renter Rehabilitation Program helps the homeless become good tenants and it helps landlords find good tenants.

Second Chance graduates through their consistent attendance, and their determination to improve their lives and overcome obstacles, have proven themselves worthy of a "Second Chance”

Second Chance Renter Rehabilitation class is being offered in Albany beginning January 24th. There are six 2-hr. classes; each class is taught by CSC staff except for the Landlord/Tenant class, taught by James Baldock of Legal Aid. To get a certificate, you must attend all six classes.
Call (541) 758-2798 for a registration form or for more information.

January 24: How to be a Good Tenant
January 26: Energy Education
January 31: Landlord/Tenant Issues
February 2: Money Management
February 7: Conflict Resolution
February 9: Goal Setting

Are Your Childrens's Immunization Records Up-To-Date?

Parents are reminded to check children’s immunization records — before exclusion day.

Required vaccines have changed for 2011

The Oregon Immunization Program wants to remind parents that now is the time to make sure kids’ vaccination records are complete. State law requires that all children in public and private schools, preschools, Head Start and certified child care facilities be up-to-date on their immunizations, or have a religious or medical exemption.

Parents or guardians will receive a letter in late January or early February 2011 if their child’s immunization record shows that he or she has not received the required vaccinations. Children will not be able to attend school or child care starting Feb. 16, 2011, if their records on file show missing immunizations.

Parents seeking immunizations for their children should contact their health care provider or local health department, or call Oregon SafeNet at 1-800-SAFENET or 1-800-723-3638. No one can be turned away from a local health department because of the inability to pay for required vaccines.

Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP)

CSC’s Emergency Services Program reports on their first year of an ARRA funded program to help those who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless secure and maintain housing. The program is short-term rent assistance and helps people with move-in expenses or rent for one to three months.

Emergency Services:
Helped 282 homeless individuals get back into housing
Prevented 633 individuals from becoming homeless
Average assistance per person: $371

The majority of these individuals and families were still in stable housing upon leaving the HPRP program. Emergency Services spent an average cost of $371 per person.

Struggling homeowners have a new resource

On December 10, homeowners who are struggling to pay their mortgages due to unemployment or a significant loss in income can turn to a new online resource: www.oregonhomeownerhelp.org

The new website is home to the Oregon Homeownership Stabilization Initiative’s Mortgage Payment Assistance (MPA) program. Under the program, the state will pay the mortgages of selected applicants for as long as a year, up to a $20,000 maximum.

At the website, homeowners can learn more about the MPA program, see if they may be eligible, and sign up for regular program updates.

OHCS has also identified Community Services Consortium to help homeowners navigate the application process.

To find out if you might qualify for help with your mortgage, visit www.oregonhomeownerhelp.org. If you need immediate help, call the Homeowner's HOPE™ Hotline at 888-995-HOPE (4673).

Facts and Figures

Hunger
• Oregon ranks third in the nation in hunger—U.S. Department of Agriculture
• 6.6 percent of Oregon households between 2007 and 2009 experienced times when they were hungry but did not eat because there was not enough money to buy food—USDA. 2009
• Nationally, 50 million Americans lived in households that were food insecure—the highest rate since the government started surveying in 1995.—USDA 2009
• Thirty percent of emergency food box recipients in Oregon said they have had to cut their kids’ meals during the year---37 percent of these families report that this happens every month. Comparative numbers for 2008 were 27 and 30 percent. —Oregon Food Bank 2009 Hunger Factors Assessment

Unemployment
• Over 10,000 persons were unemployed in Linn and Benton counties every month for the last two year. In early 2008 there were less than 5,200 unemployed.
• Linn County’s unemployment rate was 14.3% and Benton’s was 7.5% in September 2010.—WorkSourceOregon November 2010

Economy
•More than 20 percent of Americans were economically insecure in 2009.
•More than 15 of every one hundred Americans lost one-third of their income last year.
•Seven percent of Americans lost over half their income in 2009.
•A majority of Americans are struggling financially, with 61 percent saying they are living paycheck to paycheck. —Food links America 2010

Social Security
• Total Beneficiaries: 58.7 million
• Average monthly Social Security payment $1,072.
• Social Security is the primary source of income for 64 percent of recipients.
• One third of recipients rely on Social Security for at least 90 percent of their income.—Social Security Administration

Foreclosures
• Oregon has the country’s third highest foreclosure rate in 2010.
• By January 2010, 22,000 Oregon residents were either in foreclosure or over 90 days delinquent on their mortgage payments.
• Two and a half million Americans have lost their homes during the housing bust.
• Five to six million more are currently in foreclosure or seriously delinquent. —Oregonian July 2010

Linn Benton Food Share
• Distributed 4,693,356 pounds of food to our 74 member agencies from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010.
• Emergency food pantries in Linn and Benton counties distributed 42,366 food boxes to 145,997 individuals during this time period.
• Soup kitchens and shelters served 261,118 meals in our two county area during FY 2009-10.