Background: Until September 30th, 2006, CCRH received an Outreach and Training Assistance Grant (OTAG) from HUD to conduct tenant education and outreach at expiring Section 8 buildings and “Mark To Market” buildings. CCRH has received grants from HUD since 1995 to conduct tenant education and preserve at-risk housing, but unfortunately we do not anticipate having a dedicated funding source for this work after September 2006.

The goals of this program are:

1. Preserve privately-owned, federally-subsidized housing that is at-risk for converting to market rents;
2. Assist HUD tenants in understanding their rights and accessing them; and
3. Help tenants form Tenant Associations so that they have a vehicle to work for the preservation of their housing.

Major accomplishments under this program include:

1. Permanently preserved 94 units of affordable housing in Red Bluff.
2. Permanently preserved 351 units of affordable housing in 4 complexes in Sacramento through litigation.
3. Secured tenant rights in the Mark To Market Program through administrative advocacy.
4. Assisted several tenants access their “right to remain” with Enhanced Vouchers.
5. Worked on passage of State and City of Sacramento Preservation Notice Laws.
6. Enforced the State Notice requirement through litigation.
7. Stopped a Section 8 opt out at Country Wood Village through tenant organizing (property still at-risk, as contract is year to year).
8. Stopped a Section 8 opt out at Eastern Gardens Coop in Sacramento through educating the Coop membership and Board on the values of the Section 8 program (property still at-risk, as contract is year to year).
9. Assisted Enhanced Voucher tenants at Governors Village I and II (previously Washington Square I and II) secure rent back payments due to the Housing Authority overcharging tenants for a couple of years.