The Affordable
Housing Bulletin
December 15, 2006
In Delaware
* Out of Reach 2006
* DHC Annual Report and
Strategic Plan
* Nonprofit Housing Groups
Seek Lobbyist
* Homeless
Person's Memorial Day, December 21
Out of Reach 2006
According to the annual report of
the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), released this week, the
Housing Wage for Delaware is $16.31. The Housing Wage is the hourly wage a
family must earn – working 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year – to be able to
afford rent and utilities in the private housing market. This represents an
increase of 32.3% since 2000.
The report, Out of
Reach 2006, was jointly released by NLIHC, a Washington, DC-based
housing advocacy group, and the Delaware Housing Coalition. The report
provides the Housing Wage and other data for every state, metropolitan area
and county in the country.
The typical renter in
Delaware earns $13.93, which is $2.38 less than the hourly wage needed to
afford a modest unit.
Working at the minimum
wage, a family must have 2.7 wage earners working full-time – or one
full-time earner working 106 – to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment.
An estimated 46% of
renters in Delaware do not earn enough income to afford a two-bedroom unit
at the Fair Market Rent.
This year, Delaware is
the 16th most expensive state in the nation for renters. The National
Housing Wage is also $16.31.
Of particular note is
the significant increase in the housing wage in Kent and Sussex Counties
which increased from 2005 at $13.12 to $13.63 in Kent and from $12.21 to
$12.71 in Sussex County heightening an already .
For additional
information, visit
http://www.nlihc.org/oor/oor2006/
DHC Annual Report and
Strategic Plan
The most recent
annual report of the Delaware Housing Coalition, as well as the Strategic
Plan results which will guide our next three years, are available at our
website in the “About Us” section.
Printed copies are available by calling us at 302/678-2286 x101.
Nonprofit Housing Groups
Seek Lobbyist
The members of a
Nonprofit Housing Agenda Committee have come together to work for long-term
gains in meeting affordable housing needs.
Long-term legislative
priorities are
-
To increase the
prominence of the need for affordable housing in the public understanding
and the perception of state and local government in Delaware
-
To facilitate
nonprofit solutions to those needs
-
To find new avenues
for serving those most at risk due to their lack of affordable housing
Current Legislative
Priorities
In this immediate legislative year, they are most interested in being
instrumental in seeing at least $15 million allocated to affordable housing
needs through the budget process of the State of Delaware.
In addition, they wish to
begin to move state and local policy and budget priorities toward the
creation of incentives to meet critical affordable housing needs which will
be best met by the members of our sector.
To this end, they are seeking
the services of a skilled government relations representative and have
issued a request for proposals (RFP). The RFP includes information on the
associated groups seeking government relations services to further the
nonprofit affordable housing agenda. This request is for a proposal for
services from February 2007 through June 2007, with the intention of
engaging in a longer-term agreement upon conclusion and evaluation of this
initial effort.
The RFP can be downloaded
from the DHC website by going to the “publications”
section.
Proposals are due January 15,
2007.
For more information, contact Ken Smith at 302/678-2286 or
dhc@housingforall.org
Homelessness
Persons’ Memorial Day, December 21
Casa San Francisco & The
Homeless Planning Council of Delaware invite you to join them for a
celebration of National Homeless Person’s Memorial Day. December 21 is the
longest night of the year. Annually, communities remember and celebrate the
lives of those among them who died homeless in 2006.
THURSDAY
DECEMBER 21st, 2006
WHERE:
Casa San Francisco
127 Broad Street, Milton, DE 19968
WHEN: 5:30pm
PROGRAM:
Song, Prayer, Candle Ceremony
**Refreshments to follow
“How
far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young,
compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of
the weak and the strong -- because someday you will have been all of these." ~
George Washington Carver
For More
Information:
Leah Sullivan (302)684-8694
Cara Robinson (302)654-0126