| Agency Divisions and Sections |
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| Agency Structure |
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The Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) was established in the 1991 legislative session by combining the Oregon Housing Agency and the Department of Human Resources´ State Community Services Division.
The agency is organized under the Director’s office into five divisions with a total of sixteen sections and six subunits or teams. In addition, OHCS works closely with the Oregon State Housing Council, and serves as an umbrella agency for Oregon Volunteers.
Related Resources:
Agency Programs Overview.(.pdf)
Agency Organizational Charts(.pdf)
Detailed below are the sections beneath each division as well as the services, programs or functions of each.
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| Director's Office |
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Director’s Office
Through planning and discussion with OHCS stakeholders, the Director and Deputy Director:
- Establish the organization´s:
- Provide guidance to the five division administrators in implementing strategies to meet the agency goals and objectives.
- Advance the agency´s mission through innovative initiatives and interagency partnerships such as:
Office of Policy and Communication
The Office of Policy and Communication, a section of the Director's Office, provides critical information to both internal and external customers and partners of the department. The office exists to:
- Develop and implement strategies and processes for managing public communication and direct communication for crisis issues;
- Manage and coordinate department state and federal legislative relations and processes, such as lobbying, monitoring the process, evaluating and testifying on legislative proposals;
- Evaluate and formulate recommendations for legislation and policy;
- Advise the governor, the legislature and department employees on state legislation, public policy, and department-wide program and policy issues;
- Conduct broad-based policy issue analysis with federal and state impact;
- Coordinate and develop relationships with department partners, advocates, and advisory organizations;
- Inform employees, the public and other stakeholders about the various services provided by and activities of the department through conventional and internet-based methods.
The Office of Policy and Communication supports the department’s executive team by advising staff on public input, by providing liaison with the news media, by responding to public inquiries, by managing the department’s legislative relations, and by overseeing the agency’s internet and intranet content and presence.
Human Resource Management
- Responsible for a comprehensive human resource program for approximately 152 permanent employees, 25 commission members, and 7 housing council members, as well as occasional temporary appointment employees.
- Enhances the agency’s ability to recruit and retain a highly qualified and diverse work force.
- Supports a proactive working environment that ensures equitable treatment of all OHCS employees.
- Develops and implements human resource policies and programs within the guidelines provided by the Oregon Department of Administrative Services, and state and federal law, rule, and policy.
- Provides agency staff with information, interpretation, and guidance in all areas of human resource management.
Oregon State Housing Council
- Develops policies to stimulate and increase the supply of affordable housing for lower income individuals and families in Oregon.
- Advises the Governor, Legislature, state agencies, and local governments on actions that affect the cost or supply of housing.
- Adopts rules necessary for the administration and enforcement of Oregon Housing and Community Services´ housing related statutes.
Regional Advisors to the Department (RAD)
- Are liaisons to regional Governor’s Economic Revitalization Teams located throughout the state working closely with other state agencies and local communities to address community development issues and problems at the local level.
- Provide overall technical expertise and assistance to community-supported sponsors and local governments involved in developing needs-driven affordable housing throughout the state.
- Assist in the identification of:
- program needs
- development partners
- financial resources
- appropriate site placement and preparation
- Provide technical assistance to developers and sponsors in capacity building and preparing funding applications.
- Function as the Department´s community-based outreach representatives.
- Advocate for and provide information about OHCS programs.
- Facilitate the development of affordable housing and support service programs.
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| Asset & Property Management |
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Asset and Property Management Division
Asset Performance Section
The Asset Performance Section (APS) is responsible for the financial assessment of multi-family projects after development.
APS collaborates with department partners to assure successful developments through analyzing, evaluating and reviewing multiple financial and operational activities on a multi-family portfolio with State and Federal loans and grants. Funding for housing development activities is made available to nonprofits, for profits, government entities, and other affordable housing providers to develop, construct, acquire, and or rehabilitate housing units. APS interprets and evaluates the regulatory mandates, collaborates with partners and analyzes financial information to ensure the project meets the financial and regulatory requirements.
Program Analysis & Enforcement Section
- Oversees OHCS-financed multifamily affordable housing communities once the developments are operational, ensuring regulatory compliance in:
- development finances through review of annual budgets, audited financial reports, taxes, insurance and ongoing expenditures.
- federal and state occupancy requirements.
- Performs physical inspections of properties, including:
- individual units and common areas.
- building exteriors, roofs and landscaping.
HUD Contract Administration Section
- Provides contract administration services to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development´s project-based Section 8 apartment communities statewide by:
- conducting annual required management and occupancy reviews;
- responding to health and safety issues at Section 8 developments;
- following up on HUD's Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) inspection results, as required;
- adjusting Section 8 contract rents;
- processing termination, expiration and renewal of Section 8 contracts;
- monitoring and processing monthly Housing Assistance Payments to Section 8 property owners;
- processing special claim requests for vacancy loss, damages and unpaid rent;
- administering HUD TRACS, ensuring all tenant data is correct
- Performs Asset Management functions, for Section 8 projects still in the original HAP term with an active OHCS loan, by:
- examining project finances through review of annual budgets, audited financial reports, taxes, insurance and ongoing expenditures from reserves;
- ensuring compliance with state required loan provisions and occupancy requirements;
- performing physical inspections of properties, including individual units, common areas, building exteriors, and grounds
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| Community Resources |
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Community Resources Division
- Provides leadership, financial support, and technical support to a broad range of community-based organizations, as well as government and private organizations.
- Focuses financial assistance on the development and delivery of programs that assist lower-income persons, the homeless, and Oregonians in economic crisis to obtain the services and tools to stabilize their lives and move toward self-reliance.
Oregon Volunteers
- Promotes and supports AmeriCorps, volunteerism and civic engagement to strengthen Oregon communities.
- Goals
- AmeriCorps: High quality AmeriCorps programs continue to help meet local needs identified by communities.
- Volunteerism: More Oregon residents are mobilized to meet local needs identified by communities.
- Civic Engagement: Increase citizen involvement among Oregon residents to build connections within and across communities.
Community Services Section
- Administers state and federal programs that provide low-income people with a variety of shelter and food assistance as well as services for the homeless, prevention of homelessness, and rent payment assistance.
- Partners with community action programs for service delivery through the Master Grant Agreement.
- Programs include:
Services Outreach Section
Energy Unit
- Administers state and federal programs that help low-income people with energy-related costs, including:
- direct payments to utility companies on household´s behalf.
- weatherization assistance.
- energy conservation.
- education programs.
- Partners with community action program agencies for service delivery through the Master Grant Agreement.
- Programs include:
Manufactured Communities Resource Center
- Provides services and information to residents and landlords of manufactured dwelling parks.
- Develops and implements a centralized resource referral program for tenants and landlords to encourage voluntary dispute resolution.
- Promotes cooperative community relationships and positive alternatives to the court system.
- Provides services and activities to support the improvement of manufactured dwelling park landlord and resident relationships.
- Maintains a current list of manufactured dwelling parks in the state (more than 64,000 spaces in about 1,400 parks).
- Helps improve relationships in the unique living situation of a manufactured dwelling park, where a tenant owns the home but not the property on which it is sited.
- Helps people understand their choices and act to resolve conflicts in a confidential, voluntary, and neutral setting.
- Helps preserve housing stability for both landlords and residents by assisting with many different types of conflicts and issues, such as:
- evictions.
- property disputes.
- pet problems.
- home sales.
- rental agreements.
- park rules.
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| Financial Management |
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Financial Management Division
Debt Management Section
- Issues bonded debt to acquire mortgage loans at below-market interest rates for Oregonians who are at or below median income.
- Handles all administrative functions relating to bonded debt, including:
- assuring compliance with various legal and bond indenture requirements.
- processing payments due to bondholders.
- preparing information for disclosure to financial markets.
- accounting for the bond programs.
- coordinating all activities involved in the debt issuance process.
- Manages loan servicing and investor reporting on acquired single-family properties.
Financial Services Section
- Fulfills the agency´s fiduciary responsibilities by providing timely and accurate financial services to OHCS staff and business partners.
- Maintains the agency´s accounting records.
- Provides financial reporting both internally for management purposes, and externally to bond trustees, the state and federal governments, and the finance community.
- Manages the agency´s investment portfolio by:
- analyzing, monitoring, reporting and controlling all trade-related activity.
- ensuring optimum return and compliance with arbitrage regulations.
- Coordinates the payroll and benefit functions for OHCS staff in accordance with federal and state rules and regulations.
- Receipts and deposits all agency cash receipts provided by financial institutions, business partners, vendors, other state agencies and office staff.
Financial Operations Section
- Coordinates, prepares, executes and tracks the agency´s budget.
- Assures fiscal compliance with state and federal requirements.
- Evaluates and improves internal control structures.
- Coordinates the agency´s financial activities relating to:
- disbursement of administrative and special payments.
- federal grant monitoring and reporting.
- federal cash management.
- cost allocation.
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| Housing |
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Housing Division
Architecture Consultation
Oregon Regional Housing Centers
Housing Finance Section (.pdf)
The Housing Finance Section manages the implementation of affordable housing finance programs for multifamily properties; identifys, underwrites, and closes loans and loan guarantees that conform to program guidelines; improves existing programs; Develops new programs that are more responsive to the existing need for the financing of affordable housing in Oregon. Income generated by the Housing Finance Section´s loan programs provides additional opportunities to support low and moderate-income families with other OHCS programs.
Housing Finance Programs include:
Housing Resources Section
Single-Family Finance Section
- Creates and sustains partnerships and funding in conjunction with lenders and nonprofit organizations.
- Provides low and moderate-income qualified homebuyers year-round access to:
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| Information Services |
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Information Services Division
Centralizes and enhances the agency´s information resources.
Collects, stores, processes, analyzes, and reports information.
Information Systems Teams
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Provides a full range of information system and computer technology services to the entire Department.
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Provide the Department with local area network and microcomputer support.
Staff the Help Desk, which answers users´ questions and responds to LAN, printer, and microcomputer problems.
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Provide resources and support for all agency staff, other tenants within our buildings, and most of our community service partners.
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Provide support and technical assistance for the OPUS applications.
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Provide support and technical assistance to OHCS staff who use OHCS applications and equipment.
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Services include:
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Long-range computer, data, and information systems planning and implementation.
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Analyses of user automation and information requirements.
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Database application design and implementation.
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System security.
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Programming.
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Computer operations.
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Data communications.
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Microcomputer hardware and software support.
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Software training.
Research and Analysis
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Advises and supports administration and partners through expertise in research and analysis. OHCS research analysts:
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Study, research, analyze, and provide qualitative and quantitative information on current and anticipated housing market dynamics and affordable housing issues in Oregon.
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Support the Community Resources Division, other state agencies and external partners on research interests related to OHCS goals.
Section of Administrative Services
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Procurement services including contract and grant development.
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Administrative rule development.
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Records management.
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Facilities services including:
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Space planning.
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Lease negotiation.
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Access and security.
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Transit services.
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Reception and mail services.
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Receiving and supply management.
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Agency fleet services.
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Risk management and claim subrogation.
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Conference planning.
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Signature authorizations.
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