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05/01/1997 - Special (2) :'...... .', '. .'. .", .'' -.'\ .. ~ "".~.""::~,,"''';:....:~''.,,,.,:,:.~I ~.. .'... ~ .-:'.~; "::":" . '. :'.. .',,' ..' ,: .. I ...... ,', .' . . . ' ' . . :: ......:.i.'.~:.I.. ~ . ,:~'J:\~~~.t.....,." .,{ :......r'.....t;~. .r......l~.I.~,.; It:::"<.~.l ~ ,.'".",,~...t. 1 1, . NAHAB Neighborhood & Affordable Housing Advisory Board MINUTES. Date , ' / :Jr;etl ~/ {db It i -f!o{)S/1 . lutee1;thJ ~C) ~ ~ . ....' ,_' , . " '.' '. :, .... .' /..;;..',,', ..' :":'.':":;'.'.; : .,....' ,....': ',: " <... .,'.' .:..... \""~.' " .'~' :~"':' ,'i..;.": . ,,:""::..:.-~: ',' ~.,.'" ',:';:,'. '.';." ....'.. . , . : \ . ... .' '-I . .~. \ . -. I'~' I . ," . . . " . . . .' . . ':,. " .' .'. .' ~. L ,~ .. . ...-;I'.' . ",' '.' , NEIGHBORHOOD AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING SPECIAL PUBLIC HOUSING MEETING CITY OF CLEARWATER May 1, 1997 - Present: Alan Ferri Michael Holmes Bertha Kelley Nick Masters Jerry Spilatin Sylvia Castle Tom Smith Jeff Daines Gregory Schwartz Randy Harvey Ron Mores Brenda Moses Director, Clearwater Housing and Urban Development Asst. Director, Clearwater Housing and Urban Development Neighborhood and Affordable Housing Board Nick Masters Realtor CSF PSS General Home Development General Home Development Tampa Bay CDC Homebuyer Club Lyon Mortgage Board Reporter The meeting was called to order by Director of Clearwater Housing and Urban Development, Alan Ferri at 10: 15 a.m. at Condon Gardens, Clearwater. In order to provide continuity for research, the items listed were not necessarily discussed in that order. Mr. Ferri noted that the City holds 4 public information meetings a year. Today's meeting is important to identify which programs should be scrutinized, and how to effectively modify what is currently being done for housing needs. Attendees were encouraged to share information regarding the affordable housing crisis so that information may be incorporated into the Consolidated Plan. He explained the Consolidated Plan, which is a vehicle used to allocate funds under the CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) Program, the SHIP Program (State Housing Incentive Partnership), and HOME The HOME and SHIP programs are geared exclusively to housing. The CDBG is also frequently used for housing. Last year the City had $2.3 million to allocate. Of those funds, $1.5 million was allocated to housing and $800,000 of the funding had to be allocated to housing from SHIP and HOME funds. In the first Consolidated Plan submission to HUD 2 years ago, it was projected that the City had a 350-unit demand for new affordable rental housing, and a 400-unit demand for new home ownership due to anticipated population shifts and growth. Over the last 2 years 10% of the new home ownership goal has been accomplished. Later this year, one project alone will help accomplish 80% of the City's rental needs. Using the low income tax credit program, the Wilson Company will develop 246 units for low to moderate income tenants with income ranges between $16,000 and $24,000 a year. It will have a 3,800 square foot clubhouse, an outdoor swimming pool and daycare facilities on site. This is the second development ever to be done in Pinellas County. The program in Pinellas Park only had 48 units. It was noted that turnover in the Housing Authority's Section 8 Federal Assistance Program is high because of one bedroom units for the elderly population. Turnover is minuscule on the 2 and 3 bedroom units. There has not been a new allocation under the Section 8 Housing (,;J..r\ :....r:;!.4 o mnah05a.97 1 05/01/97 ". (>~~ ...,(1 . Program from HUD in years. It is estimated that a national loss of upwards of 50,000 affordable rental units may occur in coming years. The President's budget submission to Congress beginning this year and extending over the next 5 years, calls for a 26.6% reduction in the CDBG Program. That means the City's entitlement allocation will be reduced to $750,000 from $1,035,000. Under the HOME Program, the current allocation is $408,000, and the President is proposing a reduction to 46.6%. This diminishment of resources will prompt everyone to look for more resources and diversify. Mr. Ferri will be submitting a request to the City Commission to join forces with the NDC (National , Development Council). The NDC is a not-far-profit agency which has 200 client communities across the country and charges a fee to become a member of their organization. The member benefits include sharing of 2 funds, one of which is called Grow America. This fund has 1 of 6 SBA small business lending licenses, which means they are not required to go through the debenture process of the SBA and federal credit banks. They can go directly to secondary markets with Federal guarantees on their loans through the SBA to raise money. They have been raising rather sizable sums of money to finance business development loans for communities at 7 to 15 year terms with competitive rates. This funding vehicle will open new doors for the housing market. The NDC has another national nonprofit subsidiary which offers direct access for 203K mortgages, which are HUD-insured programs. This program allows buyers to acquire properties that may have defects and allow rehab of properties at approximately 2 points below conventional rates. The NDC can issue tax exempt housing bonds under their portfolio. Their rates are competitive, and they offer technical and financial expertise for housing programs. Under the CDBG, the City will submit a neighborhood redevelopment strategy. Elements of the Weed and Seed Program and the Brownfield Redevelopment Initiative will be incorporated into the neighborhood redevelopment strategy that will be submitted to HUD. The boundaries are Ft. Harrison on the west, Stevenson's Creek on the north, Betty Lane and Missouri Avenue on the east, and Belleair Road on the south. There are 100 potentially contaminated sites in that area, and through the Penny for Pinellas, the City will have $5 million for assessment and remediation on those sites. Thanks to the State Legislature, the City will receive an additional $500,000 for a variety of items related to the Brownfield Initiative. Under the Weed and Seed Program next year there will be another half million dollars in federal money for Clearwater to address crime and crime prevention, However, over $150,000 of the $500,000 will be dedicated to employment development resources. Discussion ensued regarding the high price of land for new housing projects, tax credit recipients, and other methods of funding. Mr. Ferri re-emphasized the importance of everyone attending the upcoming special public informational meetings, as well as the City Commission meetings to voice their opinions and offer suggestions to the current public housing problem. The meeting adjourned at 11 :00 a.m. mnah05a.97 2 05/01/97 ,~ " T '. . ~':. . ., ,,", .t..... . "