WELCOME
to Washington State CARH’s WEB PAGE!
The Washington State Council for Affordable and Rural Housing is a chapter of the Council for Affordable and Rural Housing (CARH), a national industry association consisting of members actively involved in the rural multifamily housing industry. CARH works closely with the government agency overseeing rural housing (USDA-Rural Housing Service) at both the national and statewide levels.
National CARH conducts training programs, represents the industry before Congress, works closely with the national USDA/Rural Housing Service (formerly FmHA) officials in Washington DC, holds conferences throughout the country, updates the members on new developments, and regularly publishes a newsletter. CARH sets industry standards, represents a united voice, and self-regulates business policies and practices in our industry. All members must follow the high standards of the CARH Code of Ethics.
Important Industry Internet Links: There are many
resources to assist our members at these web sites:
Contract Management Services (HUD Programs):
www.contractmgmt.org
Washington State Housing Finance Commission (LIHTC and Bond Programs):
www.wshfc.org
US Department of HUD - Seattle hub (HUD Programs):
http://portal.hud.gov/portal/page/portal/HUD/states/washington
USDA Rural Development - State of Washington (USDA/RD):
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/wa/
City of Seattle - Office of Housing (HUD, HOME, LIHTC and locally-funded
Programs):
http://www.seattle.gov/housing/
Washington State Dept. of Commerce (Housing Trust Fund financed Programs):
http://www.commerce.wa.gov/site/493/default.aspx
National Council for Affordable & Rural Housing:
http://www.carh.org
BREAKING NEWS and Updates
on our April 19-21, 2010 Conference
February 3, 2010 bulletin:
Registration is now open for our upcoming joint conference of
the Washington State Council for Affordable & Rural Housing and her sister
organization, the Affordable Housing Management Association of Washington.
The conference is entitled "Launching a New Decade of Excellence in Affordable
Housing Management" and will be held April 19-21, 2010 at the Wenatchee
Convention Center in beautiful Wenatchee, WA - the Apple Capital of the World.
By the way, the Apple Blossom Festival begins on the day following the end of
our conference.
Below are downloadable PDF versions of the forms in the registration kit, being
mailed out over the next 5 days. The exception is: we are for the
first time offering an Excel 2007 version of the Multiple Participant
Registration form for larger management companies to use. Simply "right
click" the link to that document below, and then click "Save Target As...".
Save the file to your hard disk. Follow the instructions on the
spreadsheet.
Excel Version of the Multiple Participant Registration Form (right click your mouse; then click "Save Target As..." The worksheet is locked, except for the fill-able areas).
Hotel Partner List, and Alternate Hotel Listing.
14th Annual CARH CLASSIC Golf Tournament Registration Form.
Award Nomination - Universal Entry Form for all Categories.
Sponsorship Opportunities. It's not too late! The benefits provided to your organization are listed.
Based on hotel room pre-reservation forms, this
promises to be the
largest affordable housing
management conference in the Western United States – with over 500 attendees
expected.
There is something for everyone in our industry.
We have both basic program training classes for
LIHTC, HUD and USDA/RD managers – and sessions that are highly relevant to
supervisors, owners, developers, maintenance professionals, CPAs and government
agency staff – among others.
We expect our Trade Show on Tuesday, April 20 to be
huge.
Spectrum’s Fair Housing/Section 504/ADA training on
Wednesday is highly acclaimed.
We actually
reduced
the fee for conference attendees, compared to last year!
On top of that, we’ve put together two awesome
pre-conference events, and offer the Tuesday night banquet at no additional
cost.
See you in Wenatchee!
January 29, 2010 bulletin:
Registration will open on Wednesday, February 3rd!
The theme of the conference is: "Launching a New Decade of Excellence in
Affordable Housing Management!"
This conference will be the largest affordable housing
management conference in the Western United States - with over 500 attendees
expected!
Come and enjoy the beauty of apple blossom time in Wenatchee
You won't want to miss the wide range of
educational and networking opportunities that this conference offers.
Members who have pre-reserved sleeping rooms have
received their hotel assignments and room set-asides by mail, as of January 27.
If you have not received your letter yet, please call Joe Diehl. Your
sleeping room pre-reservations will be held until February 19. That means,
you have until February 19 to use a credit card or make other arrangements with
the respective hotels.
Sponsors To Date:
Conference Co-Sponsor Level
Contract Management Services
Insurance Program for Association Housing
Platinum Level
Cascade Risk Placement, Inc.
Gold Level
AptFinder.org - Multifamily Affordable Properties
ORCA Information
Sprague Pest Solutions
The Summit Group
Silver Level
KDC Solutions LLC
Legacy Management Group LLC
Loveridge Hunt & Co. PLLC
Pine River Management, Inc.
Titanium Level
Coin Meter Company
Quantum Management Services, Inc.
Shelter Resources
Simply Computers
All Others Sponsors
Catholic Housing Services of Western Washington
Heritage Homes
Hilltop House
National Affordable Housing Management Association
Gary Williams - Black Swan Academy
January 10, 2010 bulletin:
Key sponsorships have been received from a variety of organizations as noted
above. Many sponsorships are still available.
Interested in a sponsorship? We have a huge menu of different levels that
include, for example, an opportunity to speak before our attendees, have a
specific event at the conference tagged with your name as sponsor, or have
preferred placement at our trade show (among many other benefits). Just
click
HERE and fax your sponsorship form to:
(425) 454-7695. Get the form in early so we can give you recognition in
our mass registration mailing!
FAQ's - note the highlighted key dates:
Q: I
sent in a pre-reservation form, for sleeping rooms in the AHMA/CARH room block.
When will I find out which hotel is mine?
A: AHMA
and CARH will be allocating sleeping room assignments between January 20
- January 29, approximately. Both the hotel and your organization
will be connected up with contact information at that time.
Q: Is it too
late to send in a pre-reservation form?
A: We are currently assigning out
the pre-reservations that we have already received, and can't accept any more.
However, we'll have a list of hotels in the registration materials.
Q:
For my company's sleeping rooms that are assigned by AHMA/CARH, what if I change
my mind about the number of attendees I'm sending?
A: We
will use our best efforts to match your preferences and number of rooms
requested, to the hotels blocks that exist. If you actually want fewer
rooms, then the hotel will simply release those extra rooms back into the
general room block. If you want more rooms, then you can try to work with
your assigned hotel to get those additional rooms.
Q: If I
missed the pre-reservation process, will I still be able to get a room at the
AHMA/CARH group rate?
A: The
hotels will continue to offer the AHMA/CARH group rate until March 19,
2010. Then the rates return to "market rate" or rack rates.
Of course, there is the risk that 6 hotels in our room blocks might be sold out.
But there are over 40 hotels within 19 miles, and many nice Bed & Breakfasts, in
apple country! No worries!
Q:
When will conference attendee registration open officially?
A: We
plan on opening registration process on Wednesday, February 3, 2010!
All the forms will be available here, online, and a limited mass
mailing will take place as well. "Limited mailing" means, like, we're
trying to go GREEN!
December 15, 2009 bulletin:
AHMA and its sister organization, the Washington State
Council for Affordable & Rural Housing, will be holding their 2010 conferences
together on Tuesday-Wednesday, April 20-21, 2010 at the Wenatchee Convention
Center! You won't want to miss this mega-conference.
Registration will open on January 29, 2010...but in the meantime:
Pre-reserve your sleeping room now. DOWNLOAD OF THE PRE-RESERVATION FORM IS NOT AVAILABLE AFTER JANUARY 1; SEE FAQ's ABOVE. There are a limited number of sleeping rooms in Wenatchee and we want to ensure you get one! There is no commitment to guarantee a room...all we want you to do is to let us know the names of your prospective registrants and what their hotel room preferences are. We need this by December 10, 2009. Then, on January 20, 2010, we'll be assigning rooms to one of the 6 hotels that are our HOTEL PARTNERS. Click Here for a description of the rooms. Click Here for a letter describing the process. Rooms are first-come, first served and we'll do our best to fulfill your preferences and requests.
Click Here for a copy of our TENTATIVE PROGRAM. Most of the presentations and speakers are finalized and going under contract in the next 30 days.
Over 500 attendees are expected! They'll be a one day Trade Show on Tuesday, April 21 ($340 per table - includes breakfast, lunch, banquet and all breaks).
If you have questions, call Joe Diehl at (206) 290-5498.
Washington State CARH, along with representatives from Oregon and Idaho, went to CAPITOL HILL in early June, 2009.
Financial Services Committee Ranking Member Barney
Frank (D-Mass) speaks to CARH members in support of rural
housing issues. Frank stated that affordable housing will get a higher
priority under the Obama Administration.
Property and Liability Insurance Program for Association Housing (IPAH)
Washington State CARH and AHMA of Washington
Announce Group Property and Liability Insurance Plan for Members!
Read PRESS RELEASE. Enrollments began on December
1, 2006. Nearly 500 properties have been bound and over 15% in savings
have been realized.
Breaking news! The program is now being offered in most Western states for
any Section 515 or other affordable housing/multifamily program asset.
CLICK HERE
to review the August 2007 press release. Note, you
must become a member of Washington State CARH. This is a
members-only plan. We have a variety of membership options to suit your
needs.
To get a quote, simply download the
LOCATION FACT SHEET, fill it out
for each property, and FAX it to Cascade
Risk Placement at (425) 452-1120. Receive a quote in 1-4 business days on
any property submitted.
Our 2009 Conference was a HUGE SUCCESS!
Many thanks to these conference co-sponsors and platinum sponsors:
COSPONSOR LEVEL:
Pacific Housing Advisors, Inc.
IPAH - Insurance Program for Association Housing
Fair Housing Solutions LLC/E&A Services, Inc - Keynote Presentation & Golf Tournament $10k Hole-in-One Contest Sponsor!
PLATINUM LEVEL SPONSORS:
Contract Management Services - Housing Authority of the City of Bremerton
Real Page, Inc.
The Summit Group
Washington State Housing Finance Commission
2009-2010 TRAINING CLASSES
Two National Certification Courses and Examinations (co-sponsored by AHMA
Northwest): Click
HERE
That link will also update you on cooperative training opportunities with AHMA Northwest!
Join Washington State CARH Today!
Membership applications are now being accepted for calendar year 2007. Members pay an organizational fee as well as a property level
(training and education fee) which us an allowable operating expense under most
programs.
Organizational fee: $600 per year (includes membership in the
national CARH organization
www.carh.org )
Property training and education fee: $3.00 per unit, per year.
Example: Your organization has 4 properties with 40 units each. Your
membership dues for 2007 would be $1,080 ($600 plus $3 x 4 properties x 40
units).
DOWNLOAD the application and
benefits statement here!
Policy and Advocacy Update
Click here to download Handbook HB-2-3560 - UPDATED AS OF MARCH 31, 2009: 3560
Click here for the just-completed Comprehensive Property
Assessment (CPA) report and findings on the condition and future strategies for
the entire nation's 515 portfolio:
CPA
Click here for an excellent article and overview on the status of our rural
housing portfolio and the regulatory and statutory changes being proposed by
CARH: Rural Voices (used with permission of the
Housing Assistance Council)
Click here to download our national CARH position paper,
"The
Contributions and Challenges Facing the Rural Housing Industry and the Federal
Government."
Multifamily Affordable Properties
The
www.aptfinder.org web site
is bigger and better! Check it out!
REGULATIONS/ANs
National ANs:
Latest AN's from the National
Office of USDA/Rural Development (LINK)
Recent Statewide ANs Issued (Washington State): NOW at the USDA/RD site (click here:
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/wa/WA_AN.htm
)
Other Updates
List of Members
Membership Application for 2007 (pdf)
How to Earn a Professional Designation
Honor Roll of WA-CARH Candidates in CARH's Professional Designation Program
Links to Other Related Sites
Link to the National CARH Site
Contact us at housing@sprynet.com or in the traditional ways:
Joseph B. Diehl, Executive Director
Washington State CARH
11100 NE 8th Street, Suite 410
Bellevue, WA 98004-4441
TEL (425) 454-6836
FAX (425) 454-7695
Web page maintained by Joe Diehl. Who is
Joe Diehl?
Click and find out! E-mail your comments to housing@sprynet.com
01/28/10 10:25