Updated:Oregon Legislature: Two Hardest Hit Hearings Today, With Audio for One AND Some Significant News.

After listening to the audio again, I added the Treasurer's Office as another agency that may be represented on the Board of the new non profit being formed for the Hardest Hit program.
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I listened to the morning Hardest Hit briefing before the Human Resources Subcommittee of the Oregon Emergency Board of the Oregon legislature. In the afternoon I attended the Senate Committee on Consumer and Public Affairs briefing on the Hardest Hit program. 

Only thing newsworthy in the afternoon session was letter from Bend area legislative rep asking that 50%+ of the funding be allocated to hardest hit counties, those 16 counties with unemployment rates of 12% or higher. 

However In the morning briefing I thought there WAS significant news. 

I have created an audio file on the Internet Archive HERE that you can listen to on line or download for yourself. 

My notes of the news from Emergency Board comments made by OHCS staff:

1. OHCS is projecting they will hire 30 term limited staff to help administer the Hardest Hit program. Some of those will likely be hired between July and October with others coming later.
2. OHCS is projecting 80% of allocated resources will go to 20 counties with 20% going to the remaining 16 counties. The 20 counties include 16 with unemployment 12% or higher PLUS Clackamas, Marion, Multnomah, and Yamhill Counties. There was no mention of any allocations to specific counties.
3. OHCS continues to say that they plan to use a single 120% median STATEWIDE family income for eligibility. (As previously posted HERE, such a limit would disadvantage residents in Portland Metro counties, and Deschutes County).
4. Composition of the Non profit Board being formed may include OHCS staff, as well as staff from Governor's office, DCBS, the Treasurer's Office and possibly the Oregon Llegislature.

Originally created and posted on the Oregon Housing Blog.