ENCORE Renderings - NW Aerial Parcel 2 - Multi Family Rendering - Ground
Parcel 4 - Senior Housing Response to: U.S. DepartmentRendering - Corner of Perspective Housing and Urban Development Choice Neighborhoods Initiative for Parcel 5 - Bank/Pharmacy/Office Rendering Ground CENTRAL PARK / YBOR CHOICE NEIGHBORHOODS IMPLEMENTATION GRANT
Submitted by: Housing Authority of the City of Tampa 1529 W. Main Street Tampa, FL 33607 www.thafl.com/choice-neighborhoods/ www.encoretampa.com April 2012 Choice Neighborhoods U.S. Department of Housing OMB Approval No. Implementation Grant and Urban Development 2577-0269 (exp. 1/31/2015) The public reporting burden for this collection of information for the Choice Neighborhoods Program is estimated to average fifteen minutes, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information and preparing the application package for submission to HUD.
Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions to reduce this burden, to the Reports Management Officer, Paperwork Reduction Project, to the Office of Information Technology, US. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington, DC 20410-3600. When providing comments, please refer to OMB Approval No. 2577-0269. HUD may not conduct and sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless the collection displays a valid control number.
The information submitted in response to the Notice of Funding Availability for the Choice Neighborhoods Program is subject to the disclosure requirements of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Reform Act of 1989 (Public Law 101-235, approved December 15, 1989, 42 U.S.C. 3545).
CHOICE NEIGHBORHOODS IMPLEMENTATION GRANT APPLICATION CHECKLIST/TABLE OF CONTENTS TAMPA FL FY2012 CENTRAL PARK / YBOR CHOICE NEIGHBORHOODS
NARRATIVE EXHIBITS Page Number
Exhibit A: SUMMARY INFORMATION A Executive Summary 1 Exhibit B: THRESHOLD REQUIREMENTS B.1 Partnership Narrative - Lead Applicant, Co-Applicant(s) (if any), and Principal Team Members (if any) 4 B.2 Appropriateness of the Proposal 5 B.3 Separability 6 Exhibit C: CAPACITY C.1 Overall Leadership Capacity of Lead Applicant 7 C.2 Housing Implementation Capacity of Lead Applicant, Co-Applicant, or Principal Team Members 13 C.3 People Implementation Capacity of Lead Applicant, Co-Applicant, or Principal Team Members 17 C.4 Education Implementation Capacity of Lead Applicant, Co-Applicant, Principal Team Member, or Principal Education Partner 21 C.5 Neighborhood Implementation Capacity of Lead Applicant, Co-Applicant, or Principal Team Members 22 C.6 Overall Community Involvement 26 Exhibit D: NEED D Need- Severe Physical Distress of the PH and/or Assisted Housing 28
Exhibit E: VISION FOR HOUSING E.1 Overall Vision 30 E.2 Access to Opportunity 34 E.3 Replacement Housing 34
HUD Form 53230 (3/2011)
E.4 Mixed-Income Development 37 E.5 Long-term Affordability 37 E.6 Green Building 38
Exhibit F: VISION FOR PEOPLE F.1 Resident Needs Assessment and Results 40 F.2 Supportive Services Strategy 46 F.3 Supportive Services Sustainability 56 F.4 Education Strategy 56 F.5 Public Safety 62 F.6 Relocation and Reoccupancy 67 F.7 Economic Opportunities for Low- and Very Low-Income Persons 70
Exhibit G: VISION FOR NEIGHBORHOOD G.1 Goals and Outcomes 73 G.2 Alignment with Existing Efforts 80 G.3 Consistency with Other Planning Documents 82 G.4 Access to Amenities 83 G.5 Anchor Institution Engagement 83 G.6 Design 84
Exhibit H: SOUNDNESS OF APPROACH H.1 Organizational Framework for Implementation 86 H.2 Resident and Community Involvement 86 H.3 Collection and Use of Data to Achieve Core Goals of the Transformation Plan 89 H.4 Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing 92
ATTACHMENTS 1: Key Eligibility Threshold Data Form (HUD-53233) 1 2: Application Data Form: Existing Units, Occupancy, Vacancy (HUD-53234) 4 3: Application Data Form: Planned Units (HUD-53234) 5 4: Eligible Applicants Documentation NA 5: Partnership Legal Contract not # 6: Eligible Target Housing Doc. –Severe Distress of Targeted Project Cert. (HUD-53232) 6 7: Eligible Neighborhoods Documentation – Eligible Neighborhoods Data not # 8: Eligible Neighborhoods Documentation – Substandard Housing Documentation NA 9: Eligible Neighborhoods Documentation- Inadequate School Doc. (HUD-53153) NA 10: Grant Sizing Worksheet (HUD-53235) See Excel File 11: Extraordinary Site Costs Certification (HUD-53237) NA 12: Choice Neighborhoods Budget Form (HUD-53236) 10 13: Project Sources and Uses 16 14: Operating Proforma See Excel Workbook 15: City and Neighborhood Maps 21 16: Location of Housing Documentation/Map 26 HUD Form 53230 (3/2011)
17: Site Control Documentation for Targeted and Replacement Housing Site(s) not # 18: One-for-One Replacement Certification (HUD-53238) 29 19: Resident and Community Involvement Certification (HUD-53231) 33 20: Capacity - Lead Applicant Implementation Documentation NA 21: Capacity - Housing Implementation Documentation 35 22: Capacity - People Implementation Documentation NA 23: Capacity - Education Implementation Documentation NA 24: Capacity - Neighborhood Implementation Documentation NA 25: Capacity - Overall Community Involvement Documentation NA 26: Capacity - References 51 27: Need – Rehabilitation Cost Estimate from PNA, if applicable NA 28: Need - Structural Deficiencies Documentation 52 29: Need - Design Deficiencies Documentation NA 30: Need - Part I Violent Crimes Documentation 61 31: Access to Opportunity Documentation NA 32: Preliminary Market Assessment Letter 68 33: Certification of Accessibility, Adaptability and Visitability 71 34: Documentation for Green Development and Energy Efficiency Strategies, if any 74 35: Land Use Approvals 76 36: Vision - Section 3 Annual Summary Report (HUD-60002) (if applicable) not # 37: Other Sites for Transformation Plan Activities Documentation not # 38: Walkscore Documentation 77 39: Documentation to Support Consistency with Other Planning Documents not # 40: Access to Amenities Documentation 79 41: Current Site Plan 81 42: Conceptual Site Plan Design 83 43: Transit-Served Location Documentation 92 44: LEED for Neighborhood Development Documentation 96 45: Housing Leverage Documentation (HUD-53239) not # 46: People Leverage Documentation (HUD-53239) not # 47: Neighborhood Leverage - CDBG Leverage Documentation 98 48: Neighborhood Leverage Documentation (HUD-53239) not # 49: Program Schedule 99 50: Capital Fund Financing Program (CFFP) Documentation 101 51: Choice Neighborhoods Application Certifications – Implementation (HUD-53240) 102 52: RC/EZ/EC-II Certification (HUD-2990) 105 53: Preferred Sustainable Status Certification (HUD-2995) 106 54: Housing Choice Voucher Application (includes HUD-52515) ______55: Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) ______56: Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) ______57: Applicant/Recipient Disclosure/Update Report (HUD-2880) ______58: Facsimile Transmittal (HUD-96011) ______
HUD Form 53230 (3/2011)
Narrative Exhibit A: Summary Information
Tampa Housing Authority
FILE NAME:
TampaFLExhibitAExecSummary.pdf
EXHIBIT A: SUMMARY INFORMATION
A. Executive Summary
The Central Park/Ybor City Choice Neighborhoods Transformation Plan is built on a foundation
of planning, funding and effort already invested or being put in place. The revitalization
investment to date in Central Park/Ybor, a historic neighborhood adjacent to the Tampa CBD,
has overwhelmingly been focused on construction of infrastructure, housing and businesses.
This is beginning to yield tangible results for the community at large. Yet, despite service
provisions to relocated Central Park public housing residents funded by the THA and its partners
over the past 5 years, a much smaller focus has been on efforts to support assisted housing and
other low income residents take advantage of the expanding opportunities which now exist.
Today, the I-4 expressway overpasses which cut through the heart of the neighborhoods have
been rebuilt to be substantially less obtrusive. Major employers including GTE Federal Credit
Union (one of the nation’s 50 largest credit unions) and KForce (the nation’s 2nd largest temporary employment service) have built headquarters in the neighborhood; Ikea has opened a
350,000 square foot store; Hillsborough Community College (HCC) continues to expand its
Ybor campus to where growth is limited by not having land to build new facilities; and the once distressed 483 unit Central Park public housing property is well on its way to being transformed into the mixed use Encore development with 98% of infrastructure complete, 160 units nearing completion, and an additional 262 units with construction to begin within the next six months.
Yet major challenges continue to exist, and the Transformation Plan from this point forward is oriented to mitigating or largely substantially eliminating these challenges in the future. The
Plan for the next five years includes the following:
• Housing – Continued development of 422 units in three buildings under construction or
for which funding already has been identified at the Encore; and the construction of 203
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 1 of 95 units of mixed income family housing partially funded by Choice Neighborhoods in the
Tempo property;
• People – A dramatic increase and focus of Choice Neighborhood and leveraged funding
on services for people including a health wellness center/clinic run by the Tampa
region’s preeminent providers of indigent health services, a managed urban farm in
conjunction with the University of South Florida (USF) and Hillsborough County
Public Schools (HCPS), state-of-the-art early childhood center managed by the HCPS,
priority high quality school admission for all school age children in the neighborhood,
and a world class public/private job training center in conjunction with GTE Federal
Credit Union, Hillsborough Community College, and Tampa Bay Workforce Alliance.
• Neighborhood – A focus on physical and law enforcement investments aimed at making
the community safer and more pedestrian friendly, the development of a new library by
Hillsborough County and the investment of over $3.5 million in the neighborhood’s
principal park to support the recreation and information needs of neighborhood residents.
The Tampa Housing Authority (THA) as the lead entity, the implementing entity for Housing
(THA in conjunction with CPDG2), and its implementing partners for Neighborhood (City of
Tampa), Education (HCPS) and People (THA) have entered into a Partnership Agreement to provide the level of expertise to quickly and efficiently move the Transformation Plan forward.
The experience of this Partnership is cemented by the fact that the members have a long record of successfully working together on a variety of neighborhood level efforts.
The neighborhood which was selected for the Choice Neighborhoods grant was identified because of its tremendous locational attributes and substantial investment in infrastructure already underway. Yet, despite the neighborhood’s strong location and positioning, low income residents of the neighborhood and former residents of the Central Park public housing
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 2 of 95 development continue to face substantial hurdles to participating in the opportunities increasingly available in their the community. The Central Park/Ybor neighborhood was previously two neighborhoods with very different characteristics but today more than 40 years after I-4 cut through the heart of both neighborhoods, the communities are more similar than different as it relates to the challenges they face. The neighborhood boundaries are consistent with the psychosocial notion of the neighborhood and distances from east-to-west and north-to- south allow for a walkable community with commercial, employment, institutional, and housing activity nodes throughout.
The THA is requesting a total of $30 million in Choice Neighborhoods Grant centered on the demolished Central Park public housing property now being redeveloped as the Encore mixed income/mixed use community. There is no requirement for tenant protection vouchers given that relocation was fully completed before the property was demolished in 2008.
As the resident and broader neighborhood needs assessment make clear, Central Park/Ybor is at a crossroads as the pace of development hastens and the economy recovers. Low and moderate income residents of assisted housing and the broader neighborhood are not yet positioned to fully take advantage of the economic and community revitalization activity occurring in their mists.
The question now becomes; will these families have adequate access to the facilities and services necessary to support their full participation or will they generally sit on the sidelines and not be fully engaged to become beneficiaries of the investment despite gains which have been realized through focused case management to date?
Building on the investment to date, the Transformation Plan herein is designed to provide assisted housing and other low income residents of the community the means to make leaps as opposed to small steps forward.
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 3 of 95 Narrative Exhibit B: Threshold Requirements
Tampa Housing Authority
FILE NAME:
TampaFLExhibitBThresholdReqts.pdf
EXHIBIT B: THRESHOLD REQUIREMENTS
B.1 Partnership. The Tampa Housing Authority (THA) is the sole and Lead Applicant for
this implementation grant. THA and CPDG2, in concert with the Bank of America CDC
(BACDC) through a 5/50 public-private partnership in existence since 2006 known as the
Central Park Development Corporation, LLC (CPDG), with the Hillsborough County Public
Schools (HCPS) and the City of Tampa (City), is committed to working collaboratively throughout the entirety of the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative Implementation Grant. For purposes of this grant we have executed a Partnership Agreement with each entity serving the following principal implementation roles:
• THA through CPDG2 will be the Housing Implementation Entity responsible for
implementing day-to-day development and asset management activities associated with the
Transformation Plan.
• THA will be the People Implementation Entity responsible for case management and
coordinating all service provisions.
• The City of Tampa will be the Neighborhood Implementation Entity.
• Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) will be the Education Implementation
Entity. With a proven track record of improving student performance, HCPS will provide
early child education services on the Encore site; link a brand new Hillsborough County
library scheduled to open in 2013 to the existing BTW Elementary School (BTW); continue
focused teacher training and support via a Gates Foundation grant awarded to the HCPS in
2009 for the benefit of residents of Encore and the Central Park/Ybor neighborhood; support
tutorial programs at BTW and at the Tampa Park Apartments; and provide priority admission
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 4 of 95
to children in Encore and the entire Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood to two ‘A’ rated
elementary schools within or in close proximity to the neighborhood.
THA, CPDG2, HCPS and the City have entered into a Partnership Agreement as shown in
Attachment 5.
B.2 Appropriateness of the Proposal. A number of options were considered by THA through its planning process for the former Central Park Village site, known today as Encore, and have led to the Transformation Plan contained in the Choice Neighborhoods application.
Factors that informed consideration of the various plan alternatives included:
1. Need to create more affordable housing for returning residents and new families;
2. Need to use Encore as a critical centerpiece of the Central Park/Ybor community
infrastructure and redevelopment and thereby maximize overall community benefit;
3. Need to integrate planned uses with the City’s Consolidated Plan and other planning
initiatives with an emphasis on multi-family residential, office, retail and civic uses to
improve the neighborhood’s quality of life;
4. Need to use and link together existing neighborhood strengths and anchor institutions,
including the HCC Campus, GTE Federal Credit Union and others.
Alternatives Considered - Review of alternative development approaches included:
(a) Improved Management / Moderate Upgrade of Existing Development – In assessing the future of Central Park Village, investing moderate capital amounts and improving management and oversight of the development was considered and rejected. The former Central Park Village public housing development was declared a severely distressed public housing community as certified to by a licensed architect in this application (Attachment 6) and as evidenced by the
HUD approved Demolition/Disposition on Dec 20, 2006; (b) Replacement with 100 percent new public housing units - A second alternative considered the replacement of all 483
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 5 of 95
demolished public housing units with 100% new public housing rental units onsite. This alternative was deemed inappropriate for several reasons. Foremost, is the fact that such a plan would be difficult to finance as THA does not have the resources to undertake such a project on its own. Second, 100% new public housing would do little to destigmatize the public housing or create a sustainable, economically viable community; (c) Replacement with 100 percent market rate residential units -The current market could not support such a development at the rental rates that could be achieved at this location and such a development would be contrary to the mission of THA; (d) Mixed Use Redevelopment of Site Without Affordable Housing
Component – While the 28+ acre site could be valuable as a mixed use development site, alone or in conjunction with adjacent underdeveloped parcels, THA is opposed to any redevelopment of this site without a significant affordable housing component. To do so would be contrary to
THA’s mission.
Feasibility of the Plan. The Plan proposed for the Encore project within the Central Park/Ybor neighborhood is entirely appropriate and feasible given the local market conditions, surrounding neighborhood and financial feasibility. This plan replaces a severely distressed, physically obsolete and demolished 100% public housing community. Fullfills Needs. The Plan has been based on the needs of the former Central Park Village residents as identified in the comprehensive assessments and the need for new quality housing, early childhood education, responsive health education, and educationally focused programming and supports for all ages.
Marketability - Due to the proximity to downtown and to numerous anchor institutions, the presence of amenities and community facilities, quality new construction, and easy access to the
City’s linear greenway, the Encore revitalization will be marketable and desirable. Preliminary
Market Assessment Letter. See Attachment 32. B.3 Separability. All units of the former public housing development have been demolished. Separability is not applicable.
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 6 of 95 Narrative Exhibit C: Capacity
Tampa Housing Authority
FILE NAME:
TampaFLExhibitCCapacity.pdf
EXHIBIT C: CAPACITY
C.1 Overall Project Leadership Capacity of Lead Applicant
The Tampa Housing Authority (THA) is uniquely qualified to implement the
Transformation Plan as evidenced by the positive measurable outcomes it has achieved over
the past 15+ years associated with similarly sized projects. Through THA’s leadership,
transformation of Tampa's public housing has been an integral part of comprehensive
community change, and has positively converted neighborhoods of distress into neighborhoods
of opportunity.
THA, a high performing public housing agency, currently manages 4,899 mixed
income rental units and 7,935 Housing Choice Vouchers. Additionally, THA is one of only a
dozen public housing authorities nationwide which manages a statewide portfolio of project-
based rental assistance on behalf of the U.S. Department of HUD. Additionally, in recognition
of its achievements, HUD has awarded THA a total of $13.55 Million in Capital Fund Recovery
Competitive Funds and awarded $38 Million in competitive NSP2 funds. $28 Million of the
NSP2 grant was used for the master planned Encore site within the Central Park/Ybor Choice
Neighborhood. Encore infrastructure development is now 98% complete and has allowed for
commencement last year of vertical development at the Encore site. Encore is being developed by Central Park Development Group, LLC (CPDG), a 50/50 partnership between the Banc of
America CDC (BACDC) and the Tampa Housing Authority. Additionally, in past years, a
total of $55.80 million was awarded in HOPE VI to revitalize the former College Hill Homes and Ponce de Leon Courts (now Belmont Heights Estates - Example Project 1), and Riverview
Terrace and Tom Dyer Homes (now Oaks at Riverview - Example Project 2) public housing
properties. These HOPE VI projects have been completed and closed out. The total direct
investment under these two HOPE VI revitalizations is in excess of $125 million.
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 7 of 95
THA Examples of Comprehensive Neighborhood Transformation Projects: The most recent substantial effort to date by THA as the implementing entity in conjunction with the BACDC is for the Encore development within the Choice Neighborhood. This effort includes the near
completion of site infrastructure, relocation and successful 5-year service provision to all former
public housing residents, and the structuring of funding for three rental buildings one of which is
under construction and an additional two slated for groundbreaking this year. However, because
the THA has already closed out its two HOPE VI efforts and the transformative nature of these
projects have been tracked through long term data captured by the research of the University
Partnership for Community & Economic Development (University Partnership), a shared initiative of the Jim Walter Partnership Center (University of South Florida) and the Shimberg
Center for Affordable Housing (University of Florida), the THA HOPE VI efforts are presented herein as examples of overall leadership capacity.
Overall Leadership Capacity Example 1 - Belmont Heights Estates
Project Type: HOPE VI - Demolition of 1,300 public housing units on 74 acres and subsequent construction of 825 mixed income for-rent and 36 for-sale units in three phases;
Development Timeline: 1998 to 2005 (7 years);
Partnerships & Contracts: Three Master Development Agreements - THA and Michaels
Development Company (MDC); CSS/Relocation Services – THA and Urban League; Phase II
Bond MOA - Hillsborough Co. HFA; AHP Loan - THA and FHLB; Intergovernmental
Agreement for Street Dedication/CDBG Investment – THA and City of Tampa.
Managing Partnerships & Contracts: The THA maintained an Office of Real Estate and
Development with a staff of over 20 throughout the Belmont HOPE VI effort. The office was responsible for the oversight of all contracts and managing the partnerships between each of the entities. A full time THA employed Director of HOPE VI with decades of development
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 8 of 95
oversight experience was assigned to oversee the project on a day-to-day basis. Beyond serving
as a coordinating entity for contracts and partnerships, the THA was responsible for the planning,
development coordination, relocation and community involvement elements associated with the
project. Active participation and coordination with key stakeholders has been a critical part of
the successful redevelopment efforts at Belmont Heights. THA established a HOPE VI
Community Task Force which served in an advisory capacity and assisted with the development
of the HOPE VI Revitalization Plan, Supportive Services Work Plan, and Admissions and
Occupancy Policy. The Task Force included representatives of 29 different organizations and
agencies, providing a broad cross-section of the local community.
Strategically Collected & Used Data: All partners were/are required to submit monthly and
quarterly reports reviewing construction costs and progress, Section 3 employment, MBE and
WBE contracting, CSS progress, operating performance, and other development activities. THA
used key information from these reports to coordinate internal and external activities related to
relocation, re-occupancy, development, finance, and property management.
Major Funding Sources & Amounts: Three Phase Investment - $87.05 million: HOPE VI - $32 million, Permanent Debt - $15.7 million, LIHTC equity (4 and 9%) - $36.2 million, FHLB Loan
- $1.2 million, City CDBG - $1.95 million.
Default: The partnership was not/has not been in default under the terms of any funding source
Quantifiable Outcomes – Housing - Based upon University Partnership study:
¾ Phase I - 358 units (including 76 unit elderly village): 10 market rate, 193 public housing,
155 tax credit, and 12 homeowner. Phase II - 201 units: 28 market rate, 102 public
housing, 71 tax credit, and 11 homeowner; Phase III - 266 total units: 15 market rate, 66
PB Sec. 8, 96 public housing, 89 tax credit and 13 homeowner;
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 9 of 95
¾ Between 1995 and 2003, the number of sales transactions in the neighborhood more than
tripled (223%), from 101 in 1995 to 326 in 2003;
¾ Median home price in Belmont Heights increased 123%, from $34,900 in 1995 to
$77,750 in 2003. Comparatively, median home prices for Tampa Bay region rose 84%
over the same period; and,
¾ Number of newly constructed single-family units in 2000-2002 (243 units) in the
neighborhood as the project was being completed compares to the number built in the
entire 1990's (253 units).
Quantifiable Outcomes – People - Based upon University Partnership study:
¾ 90% of the 100 permanent new hires were minorities, 25 were African American and
65 Hispanic;
¾ Median household income is 78% higher than at the former public housing
developments;
¾ The Partnership between Michaels and the THA exceeded the 20% HUD MBE goal
by awarding MBEs 39.2% of the total contract dollars.
Quantifiable Outcomes – Neighborhood - Based upon University Partnership study:
¾ Public amenities not previously offered at the former public housing sites of College Hill
and Ponce de Leon, including neighborhood parks, neighborhood community centers,
and a mixture of new public and private roads effectively reconnecting the site with the
surrounding community;
¾ 51% of the pre-existing trees were preserved and used in strategic locations to assist with
crime prevention through environmental design and creating a sense of place;
¾ Serious crimes such as rape, auto theft, robbery, aggravated assault and larceny all
decreased by more than 50% outpacing the City decrease over the same time period; and,
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 10 of 95
¾ From 1996 to 2003 occupational licenses issued in the Belmont area increased 1,558%
vs. an increase of 810% in East Tampa, and 599% increase in the Tampa Metro;
Project Status: The THA has completed all three planned mixed-income phases.
Overall Leadership Capacity Example 2 - The Oaks at Riverview
Project Type: HOPE VI - Demolition of 360 public housing units in the Riverview
Terrance/Tom Dyer Homes (RVT/TD) on 24 acres and subsequent construction of 346 mixed income units with 174 family for-rent, 76 senior for-rent, and 96 homeownership.
Development Timeline – 2001 to 2006 (5 years)
Types of Partnerships & Contracts: THA executed the following major agreements for the Oaks at Riverview development: Master Development Agreement - THA and Mid-City Urban/Henson
Development Group; Intergovernmental Agreement – THA and City of Tampa for CDBG investment and 99-year land lease for community center; Intergovernmental Agreement – THA and Hillsborough County Regional Senior Services Center; THA & U.S. Department of
Commerce – EDI Grant Agreement; Lennar Homes – Homeownership Land Purchase and Sale
Agreement including Affordability Covenants.
Managing Partnerships & Contracts: The THA maintained an Office of Real Estate and
Development with a staff of over 20 throughout the period of the contract which was responsible
for the oversight of all contracts and managing the partnerships between each of the entities. A
full time THA employed a Director of HOPE VI with decades of development oversight
experience was assigned to oversee the project on a day-to-day basis. Beyond serving as a
coordinating entity for contract and partnerships the THA was responsible for the planning,
development coordination, relocation, community involvement, and services elements associated
with the project. Active participation and coordination with key stakeholders has been a critical
part of the successful redevelopment efforts at Oaks at Riverview. THA established a HOPE VI
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 11 of 95
Community Task Force. The Task Force served in an advisory capacity and assisted with the development of the HOPE VI Revitalization Plan, Supportive Services Work Plan, and
Admissions and Occupancy Policy.
Strategically Collected & Used Data: All partners were/are required by THA to submit monthly and quarterly reports reviewing construction costs and progress, Section 3 employment, MBE and WBE contracting, CSS progress, operating updates, and other development activities. THA used information from these reports to coordinate internal and external activities related to relocation, re-occupancy, development, finance, and property management.
Major Funding Sources & Amounts: Total Investment - $38.85 million; $24 million-HOPE VI,
$7.3 million-4% LIHTC equity, $1.5 million-Permanent Debt, $2.0 million-CDBG, $2.2 million-
EDI Grant, $0.75 million-THA equity, $1.1 million-THA Capital Fund.
Default: The partnership was not/has not been in default under the terms of any funding source.
Quantifiable Outcomes – Housing:
¾ Single-family home sale prices increased from 2000 to 2006 by 116% within the
immediate neighborhood surrounding The Oaks at Riverview. In comparison, home sales
prices for the City of Tampa rose 84%;
¾ The number of residential building permits issued in neighborhoods surrounding The
Oaks at Riverview climbed 213% from 2000 to 2006.
¾ The number of single-family home sales for The Oaks at Riverview neighborhood
increased by 395% from 1990 to 2005. In 2003, the number of single-family homes sold
at The Oaks at Riverview neighborhood was 49, and in 2005, 94.
Quantifiable Outcomes – People:
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 12 of 95
¾ The racial composition at RVT/TD was 83% African-American, 16% Caucasian, and 1%
other; today the racial composition at The Oaks at Riverview is 60% African-American,
39% Caucasian, and 1% other;
¾ Hispanic population increased by 140% after redevelopment.
¾ Heads of household earning no annual income decreased from 43% at RVT/TD to 2% at
The Oaks at Riverview.
¾ Annual income levels for female-headed households at The Oaks at Riverview also
increased across all income levels compared to those who lived at RVT/TD.
Quantifiable Outcomes – Neighborhood:
¾ Occupational licenses issued in The Oaks at Riverview census tract increased by 767%
from 2000 to 2006. In addition, under the Section 3 employment program, 26 residents
were hired during the redevelopment project. Two residents formed their own businesses.
¾ Between 2001 and 2006 Part I crimes in The Oaks at Riverview were reduced by over
50%, greater than experienced by surrounding neighborhood of Seminole Heights (-34%)
or the City of Tampa (-37%).
¾ Between 2001 and 2006 The Oaks at Riverview grid underwent a 59% decrease in the
Part 2 crime rate while the rates for the City grew by 3%.
Project Status: The THA has completed all mixed-income phases in the redevelopment effort.
C.2 Housing Implementation Capacity – THA will lead the Housing Component of the
Transformation Plan associated with the 203-unit Tempo development in conjunction with
CBDG2. THA through CPDG2 will develop the Tempo in concert with Central Park
Development Group, LLC (CPDG) and its managing member Banc of America CDC. The
THA is unique among large housing authorities in Florida in that the high performing agency has direct successful development and investment experience for mixed finance/mixed income
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 13 of 95
projects similar in scale and complexity to the 203-unit LEED Silver Tempo development which is the focus of the housing effort within the Transformation Plan. This is enhanced by the broad additional experience CPDG brings to this effort though the Banc of America CDC’s involvement. Banc of America CDC is the largest developer of tax credit housing among financial institutions in the nation.
Housing Capacity Example 1 - Gardens at South Bay: In 2007, a wholly owned subsidiary of the THA developed the Gardens at South Bay, a 216-unit LIHTC 4-percent bond project. The
THA was the developer for the Gardens at South Bay, the General Partner and currently provides property management services to the property.
Effectively Developed & Operated: The Gardens at South Bay is a modern newly constructed garden style development typical of the Tampa market. The development prototype is at a density of just over 20 units/acre. The property includes substantial water features, state-of-the- art community center and pool located at its core with full amenities typical of high quality garden style apartment properties in the market. The property is of CMU construction and includes optimal energy efficient design to Energy Start standards.
Populations Served: This development currently serves a mixed income population with 117
LIHTC families, 20 market rate families, 25 public housing families, and 54 PB Sec. 8 families.
Number & Types of Units: Of the 216 affordable rental units, 24 are 1BR, 72 are 2BR, 84 are
3BR, and 36 4BR. The units are fully amenitized with air conditioning, washer/dryers, are cable and internet ready, and are outfitted with modern appliances and fixtures including a dishwasher.
Recent Operating Statements: Audited Statements are Provided – No Cash Infusion Necessary
Funding Streams: The development of the Gardens at South Bay was completed utilizing a variety of funding sources, including: $10.5 million in tax exempt bonds, $4.2 million in LIHTC
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 14 of 95
equity, and $3.1 million in RHF funds for a total investment of $17.8 million and required an innovative land swap agreement with the school board.
Relocation of Residents: The property required the relocation of residents from the 156 unit
Rembrandt Gardens public housing site. The relocation was completed within six months of commencement without a single legal or formal challenge during the process and with every
Rembrandt resident receiving the right to return to the new site once complete.
Housing Capacity Example 2 – Osborne Landing: In 2008, the THA acquired the General
Partner’s interest in Osborne Landing from NationsBank CDC which initially developed the 43 unit project in 2001 utilizing 9% LIHTC. Due to construction deficiencies, the project had major mold infestation and as a result had very high vacancies when the THA acquired Managing
Partner interest in the property. While small, the property is a prime example of the THA’s ability to creatively address major project deficiencies, work with its partner to turn around an existing LIHTC development through focused investment and management improvements, and subsequently enhance housing quality for low income families.
Effectively Developed & Operated: Subsequent to the THA’s acquisition, all mold and construction deficiencies have been remediated and the project, now managed by the THA, is
100% occupied.
Populations Served: This development currently serves a population comprising 100% families who meet the LIHTC credit income standards including several families who are Section 8 tenant based voucher holders. Of the total families approximately 80% are families at 60% of
AMI and 20% of families at 35% of AMI
Number & Types of Units: There are 32 2BR units and 11 3BR units. All units are townhome style and have air conditioning, washer/dryers, dishwashers and other modern amenities typical of the Tampa rental market.
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Recent Operating Statements: Audited Statements are Provided – No Cash Infusion Necessary
Funding Streams: The development of Osborne Landing was initially completed utilizing 9%
tax credit equity but the THA and City of Tampa subsequently made several loans to the project
to remediate mold conditions and rehabilitate the property. The City made two loans to the
partnership utilizing State of FL SHIP funds in the amount of $582,000 to pay for remediation
costs while the THA loaned the property over $1.8 million to complete the acquisition and finish work related to mold remediation.
Relocation of Residents: No relocation of residents was required.
Housing Capacity Example 3 - Belmont Heights Estates: Completed in 2005, Belmont
Heights Estate included the demolition of a total of 1,300 units of distressed public housing units replaced with 825 units of new affordable rental and 36 single-family homeownership units. The
THA was the HOPE VI grantee and participated directly in development process with its partner
Michaels who serves in the role of Managing Partner.
Effectively Developed & Operated: The construction of housing within Belmont Heights Estates is concrete block construction comprising optimal energy efficient design including developing all units to Energy Star standards.
Populations Served: Belmont Heights Estates currently serves a population comprising 53
market rate residents, 391 public housing residents, 315 tax credit eligible residents, 66 PB Sec.
8 residents, and 36 homeowners.
Number & Types of Units: Of the 825 rental units, all units are two story duplex or quad units
centered around a town square and parks. There are 749 family units and 76 senior units with
the vast majority of units containing 2 or more bedrooms. All units have air conditioning,
washer/dryers in the unit, and are prewired for cable and internet service. The amenity package
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and the strong site plan which provides ready access to green space and play areas, have allowed
Belmont Height units to become among the most desirable units in the East Tampa market.
Recent Operating Statements: Audited Statements are Provided – No Cash Infusion Necessary
Funding Streams: Three Phase Investment - $87.05 million: HOPE VI - $32 million,
Permanent Debt - $15.7 million, LIHTC equity (4 and 9%) - $36.2 million, FHLB Loan - $1.2 million, City CDBG-$1.95 million.
Relocation of Residents: Relocation of 1,300 residents within 12 months of commencement by the THA in conjunction with the Urban League. Relocation was completed without any formal complaint or legal challenge.
C.3 People Implementation Capacity
The Tampa Housing Authority (THA) will lead the People Component of the
Transformation Plan as it is a role the THA is exceptionally suited for with years of proven success in designing targeted programs and services for clients of public and assisted housing.
THA with a service staff of over 30 individuals has been a leader in the provision of supportive services for residents including but not limited to two HOPE VI revitalization efforts (Belmont
Heights Estates, and Oaks at Riverview), as well as the Encore project where the THA provides services to the relocated public housing residents.
Example 1 – Belmont Heights: The THA contracted with the Urban League to provide direct support services to the residents of the Ponce de Leon and College Hill Homes. The THA worked with the Urban League to design the program, provide staffing for service delivery and create a system of monitoring and reporting to improve upon the quality of the program and services in need and desired. The result was the provision of comprehensive services to a population of over 3,000 residents occupying 1,300 units of housing.
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The University Partnership report highlighted the success of the comprehensive programs and services offered and the impact on the sustaining condition of the community and its residents post revitalization.
Conclusion – University Partnership Regarding Belmont Heights
“It is clear that the Belmont Heights Estates redevelopment has had a significant impact on both crime rates and social service and recreational usage. Crime rates decreased at a faster pace in the new Belmont Heights community than in the surrounding East Tampa neighborhood or in the
City of Tampa as a whole. Moreover, serious crimes such as rape, auto theft, robbery, aggravated assault and larceny all decreased by more than 50%. Further, BHE residents have access to a much wider array of on-site services and recreational activities than had been present prior to demolition of College Hill and Ponce de Leon.”
Over $16 million was leveraged for the supportive services component of the Belmont Heights redevelopment with partners beyond the Urban League including HCSP Adult Education,
DACCO, CDC of Tampa, Hillsborough County Health Department, and Hillsborough County
Social Services.
Example 2 – Oaks at Riverview - Under a second HOPE VI Revitalization (Oaks at Riverview)
THA assumed the full role of Community and Supportive Services (CSS) Program Manager. The
THA completed a needs assessment of the families pre-relocation to identify not just relocation needs but supportive services to allow the family to live more independent from public subsidies.
The result was a comprehensive client specific case management plan for every family to be relocated. THA funded a 4 year program of service delivery to the families of Riverview Terrace that included a wide array of programs and services including day care assistance, job and career counseling, domestic and substance abuse counseling, bus passes, school, work and job interviews, and several other services such as life-skills programs, housekeeping training, family
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counseling, etc. The result was again independently chronicled in a report by the University
Partnership.
Conclusion – University Partnership Oaks at Riverview
“The evaluation of the redevelopment of Riverview Terrace and Tom Dyer Homes shows significant improvement in numerous facets of social, neighborhood and economic conditions… significant positive changes from the profile of residents at the time of relocation… racial, ethnic, age, and gender composition is more diverse and the income levels of residents have increased…greater diversity and self-sufficiency than before HOPE VI… Crime levels have dramatically decreased… The Tampa Housing Authority’s dedication to the redevelopment of
Riverview Terrace and Tom Dyer Homes shows a sincere desire to improve the quality of life for residents and the community.”
Over $9.0 million was leveraged for the supportive services component of the Oaks at Riverview redevelopment with partners including Hillsborough Co. School Board, CDC of Tampa, Tampa
Work and Gain Economic Self Sufficiency, and Hillsborough Co. Department of Health and
Social Services, and Hillsborough County Department of Aging.
Example 3: Central Park/Encore - For relocated residents of Central Park Village, THA took the lead role in designing/delivering comprehensive case management services to residents.
Although not a part of a HOPE VI initiative, the THA offered similar comprehensive services to the families as it had done during the previous HOPE VI efforts. THA committed to a 5 year supportive services plan for the relocated families. The overall goal was to provide high quality services for the target population of 483 families to help achieve work, self-sufficiency and personal responsibility.
A team of 5 CSS case managers provides referral/coordination of supportive services, including child care, transportation, education and training, tools, clothing, program fees, therapy,
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counseling, or other services that enables the clients to gain sustainable employment at the living
wage thus increasing their earnings, employability skills and decreasing welfare dependency.
The CSS Plan was developed to provide a comprehensive, holistic and family-based approach to
address long-term needs of challenged families. The THA’s excellent record in providing CSS
services was enhanced at Central Park as a result of improving upon techniques from past
revitalizations. Relocation was well coordinated and not one formal grievance or legal challenge was filed by residents.
The following list of partners have provided services to the families from Central Park over the past five years and may have made commitments for new or expanded service provision under the Choice Neighborhoods grant. These include: Precious Bundles Day Care; School District of
Hillsborough County; Tampa Bay Workforce Alliance; Hillsborough County Department of
Adult Technical Education; CDC of Tampa, Inc.; University of South Florida Small Business;
Tampa Housing Authority Case Management; Center for Affordable Homeownership; The
Center for Women; Hartline; DACCO for substance abuse counseling; and STC Partners, LLC for afterschool tutorial programs. Total commitments by these entities was $14 million over the five year period and based upon a comparison of data collection upon relocation and a July 2011 resident assessment and other housing authority data, there has been significant progress among
Central Park Village families since relocation in 2007 as highlighted below:
¾ % residents relocating to census tracts >50% poverty after demolition: 82%
¾ Head of Households with HS Diploma, GED, or Higher – 2007: 45.2%; 2011: 53.0%
¾ Working Age Adults Working 2007:16.0%; 2011: 30.0%
¾ % Report Low Psychological Distress: 2007: 56.1%; 2011: 78.0%
¾ Average Annual Earned Income: 2007: $9,665; 2011: $12,440
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The THA’s CSS Plan is consistent with State and local welfare reform requirements and goals and the agency has a cooperation agreement with the county welfare agency. Additionally, THA has an active partnership with Tampa Bay Workforce Alliance, which serves as the Workforce
Investment Board (WIB) in Hillsborough County.
C.4 Education Implementation Capacity
Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) will lead the Education Component of the
Transformation Plan. HCPS, the 8th largest school district in the United States operates 243
public schools throughout Hillsborough County and has a long and mutually beneficial
collaboration with THA. With stable long term leadership, HCPS is Florida’s most consistently
improving School District and has been rated an ‘A’ school district by the State 3 of the past 4
years. In recognition of its strong leadership and continued upward performance trajectory, the
district was one of four districts in the nation awarded a $100 million Gates Foundation grant in
2009 to implement a 7 year teaching enhancement and support program. The program’s aim is
to ensure that all students have access to effective teachers in every classroom.
Specific to the Choice Neighborhood Transformation Plan, the HCPS operates an existing
elementary school (Booker T. Washington) within the neighborhood. As the neighborhood
elementary school, BTW Elementary offers extended day program activities and expanded
tutorial programs to better engage the local parenting community more in their children’s
educational needs. THA and HCPS continues to partner on numerous initiatives involving
promoting more engagement of parents in the educational needs of their children.
As described in Exhibit F-People, the school district is making a substantial commitment to the
Choice Neighborhoods grant with priority admission for neighborhood residents to two high performing schools in the area and the district has proven itself as a able partner from early childhood education through high school.
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As it relates to early childhood education, for the 2010-2011 school year, 82% of children who
participated in the school board’s Head Start and/or Early Head Start programs were considered
Kindergarten ready by State of Florida standards by the time they completed the program compared to 58% school readiness for Head Start providers countywide.
Given the size of the district, the educational programs which HCPS provides are as varied as
any system in the nation including a range of unique programs for disabled children and a range
of magnet school programs. To allow children the broadest choice possible, HCPS provides all residents of the County with school choice through a lottery. Transportation is provided to the majority of schools. Finally, HSPS schools continue to show substantial long term improvement in performance and the 2009 $100 million Gates Foundation grant is already helping the school system make new additional gains. Between 2001 and 2011, the number of students considered reading proficient between grades 3 and 10 had increased from 49 to 60% with the biggest gains among Hispanic students. For Math the increase has been from 54 to 67% with the biggest gain among African American students.
C.5 Neighborhood Implementation Capacity The City of Tampa (City) will lead the
Neighborhood Component of the Transformation Plan. The City has worked with substantial networks of public, private, service, institutional, and resident stakeholders to effectively implement neighborhood-level planning and transformations comparable in size and scope to the proposed Plan.
Example 1 - East Tampa Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) Strategic Action Plan
(SAP, 2009-2014). Located within a two-mile radius of downtown Tampa, East Tampa is one of six CRA’s designated for redevelopment by the City of Tampa, a designation determined by factors of slum and/or blight. Since the late nineties through today, the area has been the central
focus of redevelopment in the City.
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Shared Plan & Outcomes: Central to the establishment of East Tampa CRA and the adoption of
the East Tampa Community Redevelopment Area Plan (CRP) in 2004 has been the active
participation by neighborhood residents, leaders and community stakeholders as well as the
proactive and collaborative efforts by the City of Tampa, Hillsborough County, and the Planning
Commission. Over eight years, a series of community meetings, workshops, interviews, and
surveys have identified existing community-wide needs and set forth a redevelopment vision for the area as well as established revitalization initiatives. The East Tampa Strategic Action Plan
(SAP)for the years 2009-2014 has set a predictable course for the investment of resources to
improve the quality of life in East Tampa and thereby identifies public and private investment in
essential neighborhood, infrastructure and economic development projects for the community.
The SAP is revisited annually and adjusted to account for changing revenue projections, and
current market conditions.
Improved Assets: The SAP has set the framework for the direct investment including: over $13.2
million in roadway improvements, $9.2 million to crime reduction with a corresponding overall
42.5% reduction in crime, the development of 700 new rental units and 119 rehabilitated homes.
Integrated Sources: The East Tampa Strategic Action Plan (SAP) has been underway for over
three years. The Plan has identified +$42 million of infrastructure improvements that are
essential to the community. The first major project, an $11 million roadway project, is under
construction with funding from TIF, CIT, and FDOT. In recent years, another $2.2 million of
TIF has been invested in other miscellaneous roadway projects. Highly effective investment to
reduce crime, such as TPD III ($9.2 million) and innovative policing programs has resulted in a
reduction of area-wide Part I crime rate by 31% since 2003. The East Tampa Strategic Action
Plan was funded through the CRA Tax Increment Financing (TIF) for a total of $455,000,
inclusive of the $55,000 for the Community Needs Assessment study.
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Example 2 - Drew Park Community Redevelopment Area Strategic Action Plan (SAP): The
Drew Park Community Redevelopment Area is 829 acres with a population just under 2,000 in approximately 588 residential units. The fundamental goal of the SAP was to identify what strategic public actions were necessary in Drew Park in order to guide the redevelopment of the area in a positive direction and facilitate increased private investment. To accomplish this, the plan identified: necessary regulatory actions, such as development of comprehensive building and zoning code changes; necessary infrastructure improvements, including stormwater, roadway, sidewalks, street lighting, landscaping in the right-of-way, as well as subsurface utility replacement, and, incentives and assistance programs to supplement a variety of market-oriented efforts to stimulate private sector investment and area redevelopment.
Shared Plan & Outcomes: Drew Park is surrounded by four major activity nodes: Tampa
International Airport, Hillsborough County Community College, George Steinbrenner Field, and
Raymond James Stadium. The City of Tampa in partnership with the community and neighboring stakeholders, developed the Drew Park Community Redevelopment Plan to pursue a
CRA designation to further assist in the redevelopment of the area. The development of the
Drew Park Strategic Action Plan (SAP) followed the directives set forth by the previously
adopted Drew Park Community Redevelopment Plan. The SAP was developed in partnership
with the CRA Community Advisory Committee, comprised of local business owners and
residents, and representatives from the West Shore Alliance, Tampa International Airport, and
Hillsborough Community College.
Improved Assets: Following the community priorities for improvement, these projects have been
completed or initiated: Design of Identity Markers, Addition of Air Cargo Road and adjacent
landscaping and recreational trail, repaving throughout, construction of sidewalks in all
constructible areas, design for stormwater/flooding remediation along Lois Avenue and Grady
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Avenue, including streetscaping, sidewalks, and landscaping, Implementation of a Business
Façade Grant Program, EPA Brownfields Petroleum/Hazardous Assessment Grants, and implementation of increased adult use enforcement program resulting in the reduction in crime.
Integrated Sources: The Drew Park Strategic Action Plan was funded by the Drew Park CRA
Tax Increment Financing budget at a cost of $224,155. The plan has been implemented with a variety of funding including site acquisition and road relocation funds from the Tampa Airport, drainage improvements from FEMA and the SWFWMD, and enhanced police patrols funded by the City of Tampa. Major institutional investment has been made by the Yankees and
Hillsborough Community College within the neighborhood.
Neighborhood Capacity Example 3 - HUD Community Challenge Planning Grant Project.
In 2012, the City of Tampa was awarded $1.18 Million from the Department of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD) to complete a major planning initiative and consists of five elements: a Corridor Master Plan for the four-mile Nebraska-Hillsborough Avenue TOD area; a Master Development Concept Plan for the central city area including the Central Park/Ybor target neighborhood and Encore; development regulations to implement the corridor master plan and an implementation framework for the corridor plan; recommendations to streamline the development review process; and, knowledge-sharing workshops to promote collaboration.
Effectively connecting the Nebraska-Hillsborough corridor and downtown with new, transit- oriented, compact development as envisioned for Encore and also link them to adjacent areas— while respecting neighborhood character—is a key objective of this project.
Shared Plan & Outcomes: This planning effort builds upon two assessments to identify the range of neighborhood assets and evaluate the opportunities to engage in a city and neighborhood-level planning initiative: the Sustainable Communities Challenge Grant program and the engagement of an Urban Land Institute (ULI) Advisory Panel.
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Improved Assets: Planning work on the five major areas identified in the HUD Community
Challenge grant is scheduled to begin in April 2012. As part of the effort, the plan will identify
needed improvements, such as parks, open spaces, bike trails, infrastructure and other physical
improvements. Land development regulations will be amended to implement the land use
recommendations of the plan.
Integrated Sources: This planning effort is funded by a $1.18 Million grant from HUD. The
City of Tampa contributed $125,000 in cash match and $125,000 as in-kind staff support.
C.6 Overall Community Involvement
Community Involvement - Housing, People and Neighborhood Examples.
Each of the Implementing agencies has a long track record of community involvement in
planning as well as implementation. In terms of the Neighborhood implementer, the City has
been actively engaged in East Tampa subsequent to the SAP process detailed above through the
stakeholder driven East Tampa Community Revitalization Partnership. Within the
Transformation Plan area the City depends heavily on the neighborhood based Ybor City CRA
advisory board. The School Board has a variety of advisory groups around early childhood
education and has strong parental involvement at the individual school level between K-12.
Each school maintains a web portal so that parents can track the progress of students and communicate with teachers and school administration. Finally, the THA has a long history of placing resident and community involvement central to its revitalization and redevelopment efforts. Beyond the prior HOPE VI efforts and the redevelopment of Central Park into the
Encore, the THA has engaged the broader Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood community in a directed way as it relates to the revitalization effort throughout the community.
The revitalization of the Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhoods has been an ongoing planning effort since 2004. THA and the City of Tampa have worked and continue to work effectively in
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communications with the CRA Community Advisory Committee, local citizens, residents and
interested parties to effectively address the present needs of this community.
In specific response to this Choice Neighborhood Transformation Plan application THA scheduled and conducted one resident meeting after the publication date of the NOFA for
residents of the community and former residents relocated from Central Park Village. This
meeting was attended by 25 people and THA provided information on the NOFA, the Choice
Neighborhood Program, submission timelines, and elicited questions and comments from the
group. There was no opposition to the Plan. THA also scheduled two Public Meetings post
publication of the NOFA which were advertised, posted and circulated by placement of flyers,
distributed via email, website posting, and word of mouth. Again significant turnout was observed for both meetings (26 at the first public meeting and 26 at the second) and there were no voices of opposition against the Plan. THA created the notifications in both English and
Spanish for the benefit of non-English speaking families and had personnel present to translate at
the meeting. THA did outreach to the surrounding business community, faith based groups and
organizations, surrounding property owners, schools, libraries and elected/appointed officials.
Many of these individuals were represented in the audience for the resident meeting and both
public meetings. All meetings were held in an accessible location to enable disabled persons to
attend without barriers and the times of the meetings were in the evening so as to enable working
individuals to attend as well.
Collaboration has been a clear ingredient between the THA and City of Tampa planning efforts
for the Central Park CRA, Ybor City CRA and this Transformation Plan application. This has resulted in a broad base support from county and city governments, the general public, the
business community and state leaders for the redevelopment of Central Park Village. There have
been no formal complaints or legal action filed associated with Central Park relocation.
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 27 of 95 Narrative Exhibit D: Need
Tampa Housing Authority
FILE NAME:
TampaFLExhibitDNeed.pdf
EXHIBIT D: NEED
A. Severe Physical Distress of Public and/or Assisted Housing. The Central Park Village
(CPV) public housing development was originally built in 1954. HUD approved demolition
plans for all 482 units and one (1) non-dwelling structure due to severe deficiencies present at the
site at the time of its demolition and which included physical deterioration, presence of
hazardous materials, major structural system failures and obsolescence of major systems. The
Section 18 Demolition Application was submitted by THA to HUD on July 14, 2006, and
approved by HUD on December 20, 2006. All fifty-five (55) residential buildings and one (1)
non-dwelling support structures have been demolished. The disposition of 28 acres of land, after
demolition, via negotiated sale to the Central Park Development Group, LLC, was approved for
disposition by HUD on December 20, 2006 based on Section 18(a)(2).
(1) REAC scores or Rehabilitation costs: NA
(2) Structural Deficiencies: In its Demolition application to HUD, the THA stated that the
Central Park Village was severely distressed and began documenting the physical states of the structures during the application process for the 2003 HOPE VI Revitalization application.
Physical needs assessments were prepared for the THA and demolition of the properties was recommended due to the following:
¾ Severe physical distress was evidenced by the physical deterioration and obsolescence of
major systems, and other deficiencies in the physical structures of the buildings including
masonry settlement, cracks, prolonged water damage to exterior walls and unit interiors with
severe moisture and mold problems;
¾ In addition, the buildings were found to contain asbestos and the structural design of the units
could not be reconfigured to comply with Section 504 requirements;
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 28 of 95 (3) Design Deficiencies: Inappropriately high population density, poor unit configuration, isolation, high utility costs/lack of energy conservation, and non-provision of accessible units for people with disabilities non-accessible constituted major design deficiencies of the buildings and the site.
Due to these conditions, rehabilitation of the existing units and buildings was deemed not feasible nor cost efficient due to the deteriorated physical conditions, structural design and system deficiencies described above. See Attachment 6: Severe Distress of Targeted Project
Certification and Attachment 28 for copy of HUD’s Demolition Approval letter.
B. Severe Distress of the Targeted Neighborhood. The Central Park/Ybor Choice
Neighborhood area has been severely impacted by concentrated poverty, high vacancy rates and high crime rates. These conditions have contributed significantly to the decline of the area.
1. Per the HUD mapping tool, a significant portion of neighborhood residents are in poverty or
have extremely low incomes. The Target Neighborhood Poverty/ELI Rate is 46.04.
2. Per the HUD mapping tool, The neighborhood suffers from unusually high vacancy rates.
The Target Neighborhood Vacancy Rate is 25.32 which is over twice the Hillsborough
County rate of 12.73.
3. The neighborhood also suffers from high crime rates. From 2008-2010, the average rate of
Class 1 Violent Crimes in the Target Area was 34.32 per 1,000 persons according to Tampa
Police Department. See Attachment 30: Part 1 Violent Crimes Documentation. c. Need for Affordable Housing in the Community
There is a significant need for affordable housing in the community. According to the HUD mapping tool, the estimated shortage ratio of units affordable to VLI renter households for the target area county is 3.35, which is greater than the national ratio of 1.80.
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 29 of 95 Narrative Exhibit E: Vision for Housing
Tampa Housing Authority
FILE NAME:
TampaFLExhibitEVisionHousing.pdf
EXHIBIT E: VISION FOR HOUSING
E.l Overall Vision
The Central Park/Ybor neighborhood has a long and storied history serving as a major center of
commerce for the African American and immigrant communities in the city. However, since the
1960’s, the area has been plagued by a high concentration of blight, economic challenges, and a
housing stock that has in many areas declined in both quality and value. Consequently, the
Central Park/Ybor area it has been the focus of public redevelopment planning and investment for over a decade. Central to the redevelopment efforts enveloping the Central Park/Ybor
Neighborhood is a vision to transform the Tampa Housing Authority’s (THA) vacant and demolished Central Park Village public housing property to a mixed use, mixed income community named Encore. Since Encore’s initial planning in 2006 the THA has been unyielding in its effort to not only redevelop the Encore site, but revitalize the broader Central Park/Ybor
Choice Neighborhood as part of this plan. The City of Tampa Housing Authority, as the lead
applicant for the Transformation Plan, has played a critical role in ensuring that the
redevelopment of Encore will not only serve former Central Park Village public housing
residents within the new site, but provide new, quality housing and commercial development
within the broader Central Park/Ybor neighborhood in the effort to support the community’s
revitalization goals.
The Encore development encompasses a 12 city block master plan and is virtually the center
point of two highly dynamic communities within the City of Tampa: Downtown Tampa (Central
Business District) to the south; and, Central Park/Ybor to the east. The Encore development
itself will be home to more than 1,500 residents that will be living in new, high quality housing
units with direct access to employment, job training and prospects, social supportive services,
early childhood learning, adult educational programming, and cultural amenities. The Encore
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development has received all master site plan approvals with zoning, relocation, land
assemblage, demolition and environmental remediation already completed and all master site
infrastructure development at Encore including roads, sidewalks, drainage, underground utilities,
chiller system, water retention area, broadband cabling, flood mitigation and site development,
which is 98 percent complete.
A summary of the approved and market supported uses for Encore is provided below. A site
plan corresponding to these lots can be found in Attachment 16 (Encore District Redevelopment
Site Map).
Lot 1: This specific lot is the location of the former Meacham Middle School. The now
vacant site will serve as the location for an Urban Farm during the grant period;
Lot 2: A 203 unit mixed income family rental apartment building called Tempo and the only
development within the Encore plan for which construction of housing requires
the Choice Neighborhood grant funds;
Lot 3: A 160 unit senior affordable housing apartment building called Ella, which is currently
under construction and planned for completion in the fourth quarter of 2012;
Lot 4: A 158 unit mid-rise senior housing apartment building to be called Reed. Importantly,
the Florida Housing Finance Committee (FHFC) recently published final scores for
9% credits and Reed is in first place for funding in Hillsborough county. The FHFC
meets in June to validate final scores and authorize underwriting to commence;
Lot 5: A 60,000 square foot mixed-use office/retail building;
Lot 6: Town Square;
Lot 7: A 141 unit mixed-income rental apartment building called Trio;
Lot 8: A 165 unit mixed-income rental apartment building not yet named;
Lot 9: A market rate condo building with 300 units (10% will be affordable);
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Lot 10: A 150 to 200 key Hotel;
Lot 11: A 121,000 square foot office building; and,
Lot 12: A 35,000+ square foot Grocery Store.
There is a total of six housing developments (buildings) proposed within the Encore master plan.
There will be a total of 1,127 mixed-income housing units built at Encore, 827 rental and 300
homeownership units. The first phase of Encore which will be completed by the end of the
grand period comprises all of the housing developments. A summary of the housing
developments proposed within the first phase housing of Encore is as follows:
The Ella: Presently under construction, the Ella represents a 160 unit senior affordable housing
development planned for completion in December 2012. The Ella is fully funded with sources
including but not limited to: short term bond financing in the amount of $9.37 million, $2.9
million in permanent bond financing, $3.5 million in HOME/NSP1 funds from the City of
Tampa, $4.95 million in Replacement Housing Factor Funds (RHF), and THA equity in the amount of $824,023.
The Tempo: The Tempo represents a 203 unit mixed income rental apartment development with proposed funding including Multifamily Mortgage Revenue Bonds (MMRB), 4% LIHTC, RHF,
City of Tampa HOME and NSP2, and THA capital and equity contribution. The THA will be
submitting an MMRB application to the Housing Finance Authority of Hillsborough County
(HFAHC) during the next 60 days; however, HFAHC has committed to Bond issuance under a
non-competitive process. Accordingly, Bank of America, NA has provided a commitment upon
HFAHC final approval to provide $8.7 million in construction and term financing through its
Special Bond Offering product as well as provide a commitment to be the equity investor for the
development creating $9.58 million in 4% housing credits. Additional funding commitments for
the Tempo development include $3.28 million in RHF funds, $2.18 million in land contribution
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(Land Note) from THA, and $1.0 million in THA deferred developer fee. Finally, Choice
Neighborhood funds of $14 million will complete the funding stack.
The Trio: The Trio represents a 141 unit mixed income rental apartment development. The
THA will be submitting an MMRB application to HFAHC during the next 60 days; however,
HFAHC has provided a commitment Bond issuance under a non-competitive process.
Accordingly, Bank of America, NA has provided a commitment upon final approval from
HFAHC for $4.7 million in construction and term financing through its Special Bond Offering product as well as provide a commitment to be the equity investor for the development receiving
$5.44 million in 4% housing credits. Additional notable funding commitments for the Trio development include $4.275 million in NSP2 and HOME funds from the City of Tampa, $2.84 million RHF funds, and $5.26 million in combined THA Capital and Equity funding.
The Reed: The Reed represents a 158 unit senior housing development that has received 9%
LIHTC award pending the appeal process with funding primarily comprised of $20.5 million
LIHTC equity and $4.9 million in first mortgage loan through HFA and anticipates final 9%
LIHTC award notification in June 2012.
Lot 8: The Lot 8 is a proposed 165 unit mixed income rental development to be planned and completed within the Choice Neighborhood grant period.
Lot 9: A 300 unit midrise condominium development with structured parking.
These six developments represent a significant amount of new housing inventory within the
Choice Neighborhood area. The scale of development proposed to be delivered and occupied within Encore during the next five years will have a monumental effect on the Central Park/Ybor neighborhood.
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 33 of 95
E.2 Access to Opportunity
The THA will not locate any replacement housing outside of the target neighborhood. The THA will provide all replacement housing on site at Encore on the Tempo (Lot 2), The Ella (Lot 3),
The Reed (Lot 4), The Trio (Lot 7) and Lot 8 (building yet to be named). Attachment 16 includes a Location of Housing Map and Encore District Redevelopment Site Map.
Though no replacement housing will be developed outside of the target neighborhood, access to opportunity is a core component to the overall Central Park/Ybor Neighborhood Plan. The
Central Park/Ybor area is positioned immediately adjacent to downtown Tampa, the region’s primary central business district. Notwithstanding, the Central Park/Ybor neighborhood itself is home to major businesses, educational institutions, and health organizations with whom the THA has already established strong relationships including: GTE Federal Credit Union; Home Depot; and, Hillsborough Community College. A key objective of the Central Park/Ybor Choice
Neighborhood plan is to link these community anchors with residents and stakeholders and create and support opportunities for jobs, training, education, health, and community supportive services. The Urban Farm proposed at Encore integrates educational, cultural, and recreational activity. The Encore buildings are designed to provide ground floor space for community service providers including health and early childhood education that will be easily accessible to residents of the Central Park/Ybor neighborhood and surrounding communities.
E.3 Replacement Housing
While the THA is not subject to the one-for-one replacement requirement under this NOFA because demolition and relocation were completed in 2007 under a HUD approved
Demolition/Disposition prior to the submission of the housing authority’s Choice Neighborhood grant submission, the THA is able to commit to more than 85% replacement of all units originally demolished at the Central Park Village development. The replacement under the
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 34 of 95
Transformation Plan will include 518 total qualifying replacement housing units of which 121 replacement housing units will be built with proceeds from the grant application. The THA will provide significant housing opportunities to low and very low income families, while closely approaching the one-for-one housing goal. All replacement housing will be located at Encore.
THA proposes to locate replacement housing on Lots 2 (Tempo), 3 (Ella),4 (Reed), 7 (Trio) and
8 (yet to be named). The Tempo represents a 203 unit mixed income development which will include 140 affordable units of which 121 are replacement housing units. The THA is currently developing the 160 unit Ella, an elderly designated building with 160 affordable units of which 96 are replacement housing units. The Reed represents a 158 unit elderly designated building with 158 affordable units of which all 158 will be replacement housing units. The THA will develop the 141 unit Trio building with 85 Affordable units of which 85 will be replacement housing units. On Lot 8 the THA will develop a 165 unit building which will include 116 affordable of which 58 will be replacement units.
Attachment 17 provides the deeds and a binding contract for sale demonstrating that the applicant, THA, has site control as of the application deadline date for all parcels proposed for replacement housing. The following tables show replacement units, affordable and other units to be developed at Encore:
Property Total Total # of Total #of # of # of S8 # of # of of Replacement Affordable PH PBV LIHTC Market Units Units Units Units Units Units Rate Units Ella 160 96 160 32 64 64 0
Trio 141 85 85 32 53 0 56
Reed 158 158 158 14 144 0 0
Tempo 203 121 140 20 101 19 63
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 35 of 95
Lot 8 165 58 116 17 41 58 49
Totals 827 518 659 115 403 141 168
Lot 9 which will house a market rate condominium ownership building with a proposed 300 units (10% of the units will be affordable) is not included in the table. The THA has determined
the bedroom mix for the new buildings at Encore by taking into consideration the needs of
former Central Park Village residents wishing to return to the site and by an analysis of the
families currently on the THA's Public Housing and Section 8 waiting lists. The THA has
provided systematic, comprehensive, and ongoing supportive services to the former residents of
Central Park Village. During frequent contact with the families, the THA has developed a
database of families wishing to return to the neighborhood. At present, 137 former Central Park
Village families have indicated their desire to return, although all eligible residents will retain
their right to declare their intent return through the lease up of the last building. The THA will
offer these units first to returning families. As summarized in the table below, the bedroom mix
at Encore will enable the THA to serve all families wishing to return. The THA also considered
the needs of families on the THA's Public Housing and Section 8 waiting lists which represent
more than 16,352 total residents.
Total # of 1 B/R Units 2 B/R Units 3 B/R Units 4 B/R Units
Property Units
Ella 160 120 40 0 0
Trio 141 35 90 13 3
Reed 158 133 25 0 0
Tempo 203 68 85 46 4
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 36 of 95
Lot 8 165 46 56 46 17
Total 827 402 296 105 24
48% 36% 13% 3%
E.4 Mixed-Income Development
The Central Park/Ybor Transformation Plan calls for development in the first housing phase of a
total of 1,127 housing units. Of this total, 518 will be replacement units, 115 public housing units
and 403 Project Based Section 8 units. The remaining 609 units or (54 %) will all be available to serve families and/or individuals at 50% AMI or above. The 609 units are comprised of 141 rental units available through the LIHTC program, 168 market rate rental units, and 300
homeownership units. Of the homeownership units, 10% (30) of the units are designated as
affordable and will be available to families earning 60% to 140% of AMI. The tables above
provide detail of the housing unit mix at Encore. Attachment 32 provides the Preliminary
Market Assessment Letter supporting the demand for market rate housing units and affordable
homeownership.
E.5 Long-term Affordability
THA certifies that all (100%) of the affordable rental units in Encore proposed for funding under
and/or outside of the Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood grant will remain affordable to
persons whose income does not exceed 120 percent of AMI for a period of greater than 50 years.
The THA will be obtaining Bond financing for the development of the Ella, Reed, Tempo and
Trio from the Housing Finance Authority of Hillsborough County, or the State of Florida. The housing finance authorities require a Land Use Restriction Agreement with a Qualified Project
Period of at least 50 years. From initial occupancy and at all times during the 50 year Qualified
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 37 of 95
Project Period a land Use Restriction Agreement (LURA) will cover 100% of the affordable at
Ella, Reed, Tempo, Trio and Lot 8 at Encore.
E.6 Accessibility, Adaptability and Visibility
All housing development proposed within the Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood plan and,
specifically the Encore development, will provide adaptable units as required by HUD (24 CFR
8.22, 8.23, and 8.3). Furthermore, THA certifies that for the homeownership development it will
set a goal of meeting and/or exceeding the construction of accessible units for persons with
mobility impairments. The Encore development provides for superior playground and park area
for children that will provide for above statutory and regulatory accessibility to children with
disabilities.
E.7 Green Building
Over the past several years, THA has been implementing a number of energy efficient upgrades
to existing sites and building new and/or rehab construction to substantively increase energy
efficiency and environmental performance of all its properties. The THA certifies that all new
units at Encore have been designed and registered under the USBGC LEED 2009 New
Construction and major renovations guidelines with the goal of achieving a LEED Silver Rating.
In order to achieve the Silver rating the design team has collaborated since the initial design
concept to identify and meet LEED requirements in the 5 major categories of Sustainable Sites,
Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, and Indoor Environmental
Quality. Attachment 34 includes a letter signed by Rob Ledford, an accredited architect with
experienced LEED New Construction sustainability standards attesting that the ENCORE project
has been designed to comply with the goal of achieving at a minimum, LEED Silver certification for housing development.
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 38 of 95
The Encore project is located in a previously developed urban area on a Brownfield site allowing it to take advantage of, and improve upon the pre-existing community connectivity, public
transportation access, and improved stormwater management for the specific project and
surrounding overall development. In addition to these items the project has also been designed
to reduce the heat island effect for both Roof and non-roof areas, helping to target 21 credits under the Sustainable Site Category.
Under the Water Efficiency category the project has had the goal of minimizing water usage for both the building and Landscape. The design has incorporated plant material and technologies to reduce the water use by 50% for Landscape and an overall reduction in water use by 30% compared with a similarly designed building.
The building envelope has been designed with energy efficiency in mind, carefully selecting and balancing materials such as double glazing, highly reflective roofing, and the integrated use of insulation throughout the building. In addition to the building envelope, the electrical and mechanical equipment has been designed and selected to minimize energy use. Items specified include High efficiency lighting such as Compact Fluorescent fixtures, High Efficiency Water
Heaters, and the use of an overall Chiller plant connected to individual AC equipment within each residential unit. The project is modeled with a 20% reduction of energy use helping to achieve 14 anticipated credits within the Energy and Atmosphere Category.
An additional 10 credits is anticipated for the project through both the Materials and Resource and Indoor Environmental Categories. Major contributors will be through the specification of regional and recycled content materials as well as being able to divert over 75% of the construction waste. In addition, interior materials, adhesives and sealants have been specified to contain very little or no VOC’s. Additional credits outside the 5 major categories are projected through the Innovation and Design category.
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 39 of 95 Narrative Exhibit F: Vision for People
Tampa Housing Authority
FILE NAME:
TampaFLExhibitFVisionPeople.pdf
EXHIBIT F: VISION FOR PEOPLE
One major advantage to the People element of the Transformation Plan is that it is built upon a major foundation of physical and housing community revitalization already underway including redevelopment of Encore, major highway bridge improvements, the development of several corporate headquarter campuses, and the expansion of the Hillsborough Community College
Ybor campus. As a result, through a focused effort which only the Choice Neighborhoods
Implementation Grant could provide, the opportunity to assist community members make dramatic leaps forward in the areas of education, health, employment and income becomes a central and principal focus of the overall Transformation Plan. The residents of public housing in the neighborhood have already been relocated from substandard housing; the Encore
(previously Central Park Village) site has been entirely reconfigured and new infrastructure with a focus on environmental sustainability and long term utility cost containment has been put in place. A large number of new mixed income units are being constructed with hundreds more about to begin, and there are active negotiations associated with the development of several commercial sites on the Encore site including grocers, pharmacies, and bank branches. Yet, until a Choice Neighborhoods grant became a possibility, addressing the supportive services needs of the residents of the Encore housing development and surrounding neighborhood through appropriately federally funded service facility development aimed at upward mobility and self sufficiency and primarily locally funded services never had the hope of robust support necessary to assist families make leaps rather than small steps forward.
The Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood People strategy and the federal, local, and private funding and in-kind commitments which have been dedicated to execute this strategy, fills the gap for low and moderate income families in the neighborhood and those who were relocated as a result of the demolition of public housing.
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 40 of 95 The remainder of our People Vision details our People Strategy consistent with the structure outlined within the NOFA.
F.1 Resident Needs Assessment and Results
There are two distinct surveys which form the basis for the Resident Needs Assessment which in turn informed and established the People Strategy detailed herein:
• A June, 2011 survey of 169 of 274 (62%) Central Park public housing households who
are receiving ongoing case management services since the demolition of the public
housing property that commenced in 2007. Indeed, many of the same metrics and
conditions assessment has been continually updated for this population since 2006; and,
• A March, 2012 population survey via U.S. Mail of 1,307 households who live in the
Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood, 95 of which were returned.
Although different instruments, each survey covered much the same ground in that they assessed a family’s current conditions and needs in relation to health, sense of safety, education, perception of quality of life in general, and employment. The survey instruments are available for review at www.thafl.com. The survey data was supplemented by demographic and income data from the Tampa Housing Authority's (THA) database.
Specifically, the findings of the surveys and output from the THA database are highlighted in the following tables and described below:
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 41 of 95 General Demographic Characteristics
6/2011 Central 3/2012 Central Park/Ybor
Characteristic Park Households Choice Neighborhood
(62% response) Survey (92 surveys)
Head of Household:
Female 85% 44%
Male 15% 56%
Over 65 11% 21%
Households with school age children 57% 17%
Mean # of children living at home 1.92 0.30
Households with 1+ disabled member 37% 20%
Racial/Ethnic Makeup:
White Non-Hispanic 1% 48%
Black Non-Hispanic 95% 37%
Hispanic (any race) 4% 4%
English Spoken at Home 97% 95.65%
The population of former Central Park Village households has a higher proportion of disabled members than the neighborhood at large but the assisted housing households are generally younger. As a result, there are a significant number of assisted housing households with children for which services must be targeted.
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 42 of 95 Education & Employment Characteristics
3/2012 Central 6/2011 Park/Ybor Central Park Choice Characteristic Households Neighborhood (62% Survey (92 response) surveys)
Head of Household less than 65+ with 1+ working member 30% 58%
% working households working 30+ hrs. a week 16% 46%
Head of Household with High School/GED or higher 53% 86%
Mean Annual Wage of Workers* $12,440 $20-$30k
*from ETO case management database for Central Park households
Employment continues to be a challenge. Because only 53% of assisted housing heads of households have obtained a High School Degree or GED, it is not particularly surprising that only 30% of households have one member who is working. This compares to 58% of working households in the neighborhood at large with a 86% graduation/GED or above rate. However, the trend is positive as will be shown later in the People section in that only 16 % of households were working prior to relocation and wage rates were substantially lower despite a stronger economy at the time.
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 43 of 95 Health Characteristics
3/2012 Central 6/2011 Central Park/Ybor Choice Characteristic Park Households Neighborhood (62% response) Survey (92 surveys)
Household with all members describing 61% N/A
themselves as in good or excellent health
Households with 1+ member describing 31% N/A
themselves in fair or poor health
Households which report one member with 32% 25%
unhealthy weight
Households which report one member uses 17% 16% emergency room as primary source of health care
Households with report high psychological 22% 10%
distress
Households which report having health 82% 89%
insurance, Medicare or Medicaid
While only 17% of assisted housing respondents and 16% of neighborhood respondents utilize the emergency room for care with 82% (assisted housing) to 89% (neighborhood) reporting some form of health insurance, nearly a third of assisted households describe themselves in fair or poor health and fully 22% report high psychological distress. This has and will continue to pose a barrier to the level of sustainable employment.
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 44 of 95 As it relates to crime, the assisted housing resident needs assessment surveys all indicate that crime is not as much a concern of residents as it was prior to relocating from public housing.
However, crime statistics for the Choice Neighborhood maintained by the Tampa Police
Department does indicate a significantly higher crime rate for the neighborhood than for the city overall. Indeed, crime in the neighborhood is nearly 5 times the city’s rate. As the Encore housing component is completed, the need for an enhanced police presence both in the housing and business areas of the neighborhood will be paramount to insure that families are able to settle back in without the historic concern around criminal activity in-and-around the neighborhood.
Overall, there are several broad conclusions which can be drawn from the needs assessment:
‐ Despite a broad sense among former Central Park households that they are living in better
conditions than prior to the demolition of Central Park, they continue to experience high
levels of joblessness, health distress, and low levels of education attainment and income;
‐ While residents of the neighborhood’s non-assisted housing stock are moderately better
off than their counterparts in deep subsidy housing, they continue to maintain many of
the same concerns around joblessness, health, and safety as the residents of the assisted
housing. This despite the fact that the neighborhood is adjacent to the CBD, includes
Tampa’s entertainment district, and has several major employers and higher education
institutions immediately within the neighborhood.
Overall, the lives of the residents within Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood and public housing residents who previously lived in the neighborhood are characterized by a series of disconnects:
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 45 of 95 ‐ JOBS - While the neighborhood is very well located from the standpoint of being close
to employers, a high proportion of residents are unemployed and lack the training for jobs
in the immediate neighborhood and surrounding area;
‐ CRIME - While the neighborhood is a center of economic activity, crime continues to be
stubbornly high as evidenced by a rate that is nearly 5 times higher than the City at large;
‐ HEALTH - Despite its central location and visibility, residents of the neighborhood do
not have neighborhood level access to fresh foods at a reasonable price and this is
contributing to the significant population reporting ill health;
‐ SCHOOLS - While the quality of the housing stock is improving dramatically through
the evolution of Central Park to Encore, the neighborhood’s elementary school Booker T
Washington is a moderate performer at best. Early childhood education is not readily and
cheaply available in the neighborhood and this contributes to relatively low rates of
school readiness. Beyond the school vs. housing disconnect, the limited school priority
options means that the notion of mixed income housing loses some of its potential to
positively impact the quality of public education. It becomes quite difficult to attract
moderate and middle income families with children into the new housing who have
choice in where to live and demand higher quality schools.
The Central Park/Ybor People Supportive Services Strategy is aimed at significantly closing or ameliorating the disconnects which continue to exist.
F.2 Supportive Service Strategy
Based upon the needs assessment for residents of public and assisted housing and low and moderate income families in the Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood, the THA has developed a targeted supportive services strategy. The supportive services strategy expands
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 46 of 95 upon the supportive services efforts the THA has provided to relocated public housing residents
of the Central Park development since 2007 and anticipates the re-occupancy of the property by
low and moderate income families beginning late 2012 as the first of five rental buildings come
online. The strategy is neighborhood and city based in the truest sense. While coordinated by a
group of long term and credentialed case management team of five employed by the THA who
have been providing case management services to the relocated public housing residents over the
past five year, major institutional and corporate entities in the neighborhood and Tampa have joined in the Choice Neighborhoods effort to maximize the chance for success for each and every participating family, child, and adult. A total of more than 12 locally-based service providers will be contributing $15.07 million in funding/and or services.
The following highlight the principal strategies, expected outcomes, the metrics to be used and
the partnering service providers.
1. Outcome: Children, youth and adults are physically and mentally healthy
The strategies to accomplish the expected outcome results detailed in the table below include
the following:
• Develop on the ground floor of one of the Encore development’s residential buildings
a 2,500 square foot state-of-the-art outpatient wellness center which will provide
clinical health services to be open five days per week (including weekend hours) to be
staffed and managed by Tampa Family Health Centers and More Health, the Tampa
Bay region’s largest and premier provider of indigent care. The services of this
center will be provided at no cost to housing and neighborhood residents beyond
standard copayments for those who have medical insurance. Additionally, More
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 47 of 95 Health will provide youth health training within a health center community room to
be located within the wellness center;
• Provide in-neighborhood, development and home based physical and mental health
services to residents 65 years or older and the disabled via We Care, a major provider
of health services to the elderly and disabled in Tampa;
• For children with special needs, REACHUP will provide services to children who are
having behavioral, emotional or mental health issues by providing at no cost a
dedicated case worker for children over the 5-year grant period. These services will
be provided in conjunction with Success4Kids which will provide family and child
assessments by certified clinicians and family counselors and provide direct clinical
services to troubled children;
• In conjunction with a partnership between the University of South Florida (USF),
the west coast of Florida’s major research institution and Hillsborough County
Public Schools, a 2 acre urban farm will be developed on school board owned land
within the Encore boundaries. USF has developed a Gardening, Academic,
Improvement and Nutrition (G.A.I.N) evidence based initiative for the farm. The
urban farm will be utilized for both sustainable living and health foods education as
well as the provision of fresh produce for development and neighborhood residents.
The farm will also contain a series of facilities including a small store, rest rooms and
learning space to accommodate residents and students; and,
• Given the rapid increase in suicides among minority groups and younger community
members which are heavily concentrated in the Choice Neighborhood target area,
provide evidence based suicide prevention outreach and services throughout the
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 48 of 95 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood to teens, working adults, and the elderly
through the Crisis Center of Tampa. The Crisis Center works off an evidence based
suicide prevention model developed by Dr. Scott Poland of Nova Southeastern
University in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Each of the efforts noted above are
commitments included within the 3.3 times match amount provided by the
participating local organizations or are funded by the grant. The expected outcomes
include the following results by the end of the five year grant period.
Metric Needs Assessment Expected 5 Year
Baseline Result
% with a Medical Home other than 82% Greater than 90%
Emergency Room
% reporting good physical health 61% Greater than 80%
% reporting low psychological distress 78% Greater than 90%
% reporting healthy weight 68% Greater than 80%
2. Outcome: Children enter Kindergarten ready to Learn, are proficient in core
academic subjects, and graduate from high school college and career ready
There are a series of strategies the THA will build upon or put in place to achieve the expected results detailed in the table below
• The Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) will provide early child education
services within a 2,000 square foot center on the Encore property throughout the grant
period. The Board will dedicate instructional staff for the space and all necessary
supplies for a total $872,000 commitment over the five year grant period. HCPS will
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 49 of 95 utilize the Early Head Start/Head Start program as the principal means by which to
deliver these services providing a built in national evidence based effort, and the provider
will be accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children
(NAEYC), the organization which sets professional standards for early childhood
education programs. Indeed, while all providers of Head Start in Hillsborough County
had 58% of their children school ready by Kindergarten at the beginning of this school
year, 82% of children who participated in the HPCS’s Head Start programs were school
ready at the start of this school year;
• Given that research indicates that ready access to neighborhood libraries provides
increased literacy, the neighborhood will be home to a brand new Hillsborough County
library scheduled to open in December 2014 which will be linked via walkways to the
BTW Elementary School, the Choice Neighborhood’s home elementary school;
• Teachers and administrators at Booker T Washington Elementary, Stewart Middle (a
State of Florida ‘A’ ranked school), and Blake High School (a State of Florida ‘B’ ranked
school), the neighborhood schools for residents of the Choice Neighborhood will
continue to receive focused training and support via a Gates Foundation grant which was
awarded to the Hillsborough County Public Schools in 2009 only one of four school
systems nationwide to receive such a multi-year award. The Gates Foundation teacher
programs are based upon broad research related to effective models of improving teacher
performance;
• The Hillsborough County Public Schools will provide priority admission to children in
Encore and the entire Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood to two ‘A’ rated
elementary choice schools within or in close proximity to the neighborhood. Rampello
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 50 of 95 (K-8) and Shore Elementary (K-6). Rampello is located in Downtown Tampa and the
preference for Choice Neighborhood residents will be added to an existing preference for
students whose parents work Downtown. As a result, low and moderate income residents
of the assisted housing and neighborhood will have ready access to a school which draws
from knowledge based industry employed families throughout the Tampa Bay region.
Transportation will be provided for students attending these schools by the school board
or in the case of Rampello, the THA;
• The 2.0 acre University of South Florida managed urban farm within the Encore site
will be a multidisciplinary learning lab with agriculture, biology, botany, economics and
business all represented in the design and management of the farm. USF in conjunction
with the HCPS is committed to establishing the urban farm as a learning center for school
aged children district-wide and will develop curriculum specific to the range of learning
opportunities the farm provides through an evidence based program designed by USF
faculty;
• STC Partners will provide computer equipment and training for children and adult
residents of Encore and staff the learning center with computer and technical staff.
Additionally, the Tempo, a 203-unit mixed income family housing development within
Encore to be partially funded with Choice Neighborhood grant proceeds will become the
demonstration of the THA’s Smart Home strategy which treats a computer as a necessary
home appliance rather than a luxury. Every unit will have its own computer and STC
Partners will help roll out the program and train residents in the utilization of the
computer and access to the internet;
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 51 of 95 • Tampa Park Apartments, the 380 unit Section 8 property located within the Choice
Neighborhood will renovate a 3,500 square foot learning and computer lab for school age
children and adult residents of the property which will be staffed with learning specialists
to asset children with homework and other learning tasks.
Each of the efforts noted above are either funded by the grant or are commitments included within the 3.3 times match amounts by the participating local organizations. The expected outcomes include the following results by the end of the five year grant period:
Metric 2011-2012 School Board Expected 5 Year
Data for Children of Result
Central Park Residents
(363 students)
% of kindergarten children assessed as 50% Greater than 75%
developmentally ready at beginning of
school year
% of 3rd and 8th graders at or above FL 3rd: 36.4% Greater than 50%
grade level language arts 8th: 11.5% Greater than 25%
% of 3rd and 8th graders at or above FL 3rd: 45.5% Greater than 65%
grade level in math 8th: 15.4% Greater than 30%
High school graduation rate 50% Greater than 65%
3. Objective: Households are Economically Stable and Self-Sufficient
One of the unfortunate realities for residents of the Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood is
the fact that even prior to the economic downturn starting in 2007/2008 they have too long been
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 52 of 95 disconnected from the wide variety of employment opportunities which are literally within walking distance of their homes. The CBD is adjacent to the neighborhood, and the Ybor neighborhood itself has a number of major employers in many major industries including
Finance (GTE Federal Credit Union), Higher Education (Hillsborough Community College),
Professional Services (KForce), Utilities (TECO), retail (including Ikea) and hospitality (Hilton
Gardens and Hampton Inn) among others. The Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhoods
Transformation Plan is being structured to dramatically diminish this disconnect. Strategies to accomplish this include:
• The development of a state-of-the-art job training facility for housing and neighborhood
residents to be located on the GTE Federal Credit Union’s headquarters campus which
is adjacent to the Encore property and staffed by Hillsborough Community College
(HCC) instructors with curriculum and training developed and provided in conjunction
with GTE Credit Union, Home Depot, and a series of other major employers all of which
have a major presence within the neighborhood, Downtown Tampa, or are readily
accessible via public transportation. Access to the programs will be at nominal cost to
the students with any cost to students driven by the exclusive goal of encouraging active
participation rather than recovering any cost of operation which will be funded by the
corporate partners;
• Participating employers including GTE Federal Credit Union and have agreed to
provide graduates of the industry specific programs first priority in hiring for open
positions for which they assisted developed training programs for. The training will be
built on the model of HCC’s Corporate Training Center which has been in existing since
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 53 of 95 2006 but for the first time will be expanding its programs to the Central Park/Ybor
Choice Neighborhood; and,
• The commitment of the Tampa Workforce Alliance to provide adequate funding for
basic skills and GED and specific workforce readiness training for residents of assisted
housing in the neighborhood and neighborhood residents at large.
Each of the efforts noted above are either funded by the grant or are commitments included within the 3.3 times match amounts by the participating local organizations. The expected outcomes include the following results by the end of the five year grant period:
Metric Needs Assessment Expected 5 Year
Baseline Result
% working age adults meeting 85% Greater than 90%
proficiency in literacy
% working age adults working 30+ hrs. 16% Greater than 30%
per week
Average earned income of HUD- $12,440 Greater than $20,000
assisted households working (2012 $)
4. Outcome: Residents Feel Safe In Their Neighborhood
There are a series of interventions and strategies aimed at improving the sense of safety within
the neighborhood upon the award of the Choice Neighborhoods Grant. These include the
following:
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 54 of 95 • The dedication of a two officer team to the Encore and Tampa Park Developments
similar to the model utilized prior to the demolition of the Central Park public housing
property and which was believed to significantly mitigate crime in the area;
• The addition of several bike officers to the Central Park/Ybor Neighborhood patrol which
will cover the entire neighborhood and add to the overall safety of the area;
• The continuation of an enhanced foot and vehicular patrol within the nightlife areas of
Ybor City to reduce crime associated with public drunkenness, fighting, DUI, and
property crimes. This intervention is based upon the City’s “Red” or “Hot” grid
designation based upon the concentration of crime where two of the area’s six grids are
currently designated as “Red” and as a result receive special enforcement efforts and
initiatives.
Each of the efforts noted above are either funded by the grant or are commitments included in the $14.89 million by the participating local organizations. The expected outcomes include the following results by the end of the five year grant period:
Metric Needs Assessment Expected 5 Year
Baseline Result
Part 1 Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000 29.79 Less than 12.2
residents)
% reporting feeling safe in 84% Greater than 90%
neighborhood
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 55 of 95 F.3 Supportive Services Sustainability. The THA has exercised the Sustainability Option and set aside at least 5 percent of the total Choice Neighborhoods grant to create a Supportive
Services Endowment to sustain these activities after the grant period.
F.4 Education Strategy. The education strategy to achieve the child education outcomes and objectives detailed above are driven from the needs assessment and target children at every level of learning or instruction through high school.
Early Learning. There are several high performing early learning options available to moderate and middle income families within the central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood including a highly respected training based program at the Ybor campus of Hillsborough Community
College. Unfortunately, the options available to lower income families are significantly more limited. As a result, and for purposes of the Choice Neighborhoods effort, the THA has teamed with the HCPS and its Early Head Start/Head Start and Pre-K program to provide low income assisted housing and neighborhood residents with access to these programs immediately within the Encore development. Encore will dedicate 2,000 square feet of ground floor building space for an early child learning center to the School Board and in return the School Board will provide early education services through its Early Head Start/Head Start and Pre-K programs both within the Encore facility and within the BTW Elementary School in the neighborhood. Additionally, residents who have been relocated from Central Park and do not return will likewise be provided first priority access to school board Head Start programs nearest to where they currently live.
Disabled children, will be provided first priority options and transportation to attend dedicated disabled children learning programs throughout the district but will be encouraged to participate in the in-neighborhood programs to the extent possible. THA case managers will work hand-in- hand with these families to assess and identify appropriate options as an appropriate budget has been allocated to this end.
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 56 of 95 The THA’s case managers have an aggressive outreach effort to families with young children to participate in early learning programs. Indeed, of total public housing residents with children of eligible age, 61% currently participate in early child education programs. Of former Central
Park residents the percentage is 66%. The Choice Neighborhoods budget includes over $1.45 million over the grant period for the THA to continue to provide this aggressive level of outreach. Flyers will be posted, information will be shared during resident monitoring visits, options will be discussed, and enrollment assistance will be provided. Barriers to enrollment such as: proper immunization, adequate documentation, and transportation will be alleviated with assistance from THA Case Managers. The target will be for over 85 percent of eligible students to participate in one or more early childhood education programs. For the 2010-2011 school year, 82% of children who participated in the school board’s Head Start and/or Early
Head Start programs were considered Kindergarten ready by State of Florida standards by the time they completed the program. The primary education goal for participating children is that:
82% of kindergarten children will be assessed as developmentally ready at beginning of school year which would be a major leap above the 50% who are developmentally ready among the current assisted housing population based upon school board data. WIC, a companion program, will also be accessed as parents seek nutritional advice and assistance with the provision of healthy food choices.
As it has since 2006 when the Central Park Development began relocation, the THA will track and support the attendance of the assisted housing families in both their receiving neighborhoods and Encore over the course of the grant period. The THA utilizes the Efforts to Outcomes (ETO) program for all case management progress reporting and has done so since 2008 Parental involvement is a core principle of effective early learning programs. The school board programs encompass parents as a vital component of learning. In addition to the provision of academic
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 57 of 95 and nutrition education, residents are given opportunities to share the course of early learning environments available. Hillsborough County Early Head Start/Heat Start has established planning councils composed of parents and community volunteers playing a large part in the program’s governance.
In order to maintain the highest standards of quality early learning, the Quality Assurance and
Risk Management section of the Hillsborough County Early Head Start/Head Start program monitors performance, compliance and accomplishments to ensure that program meets or exceeds local, state and federal requirements and conducts itself in an effective and efficient manner, free of bias or favoritism. Additionally, the School Board seeks to ensure that all teachers obtain a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood, all teacher assistants obtain at least their
CDA and staff receive additional credentials and support when working directly with families.
Schools. The following table provides information on all schools within or which principally serve the Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood.
School Name Type Size FY 2010-2011 FCAT Performance
(students)
Booker T Washington Elementary 532 School Grade 4 Reading: 43%/
State Grade 4 Reading: 72%
School Grade 4 Math: 53%/
State Grade 4 Math: 78%
Shore Elementary 366 School Grade 4 Reading: 66%
State Grade 4 Reading: 72%
School Grade 4 Math: 69%/
State Grade 4 Math: 78%
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 58 of 95 School Name Type Size FY 2010-2011 FCAT Performance
(students)
Stewart Middle 927 School Grade 8 Reading:52%
State Grade 8 Reading: 55%
School Grade 8 Math:66%
State Grade 8 Math: 68%
Blake High 1,511 School Grade 10 Reading:31%
School State Grade 10 Math: 39%
Grade 10 Math: Not tested
There are several key elements to the school transformation plan which provide and encourage access to high quality schools for residents of assisted housing, those residents who were relocated in 2006, and broader residents of the neighborhood.
For those who were previously relocated, the THA case management team has continued to work with these families to identify appropriate school placement. Indeed, nearly 1/3 of relocated households with children have children who are enrolled in State of Florida ‘A’ or ‘B’ rated schools based upon HCPS data. Additionally, all children in Hillsborough County have access to the Choice School program and are provided transportation to many of the Choice Schools. The
Transformation Plan budget includes the purchase of a 22-person vehicle and staffing through the case management budget included as part of the Choice Neighborhoods application to fill any gaps in transportation cost over the five year term of the grant for relocated Choice School students who do not have ready access to their school of choice.
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 59 of 95 Children in assisted housing within the neighborhood and indeed neighborhood residents overall will have broad access to a variety of school choices with the Hillsborough County Public
Schools providing priority admission to neighborhood students in conjunction with the Choice
Neighborhoods Grant.
First, the home neighborhood elementary school, Booker T Washington has improved its standing from an F to C rated school by Florida rating standards during the past year. The second is the beneficiary of an intensive instructor assistance and training program funded by the
Gates Foundation, and will have the addition of a covered walkway linking it to the brand new county library which will be used to enhance school instruction.
Second, as mentioned previously, the HCPS has agreed to establish a priority for admission for children in assisted and unassisted housing in the Choice Neighborhood for two State of Florida
‘A’ rated schools within or within proximity of the neighborhood: Shore Elementary (K-6) and
Rampello (K-8). While the school board provides transportation for Shore it does not for
Rampello and therefore students who live in the neighborhood and attend Rampello will be provided transportation through the grant proceeds via the 22 person to be acquired by grant proceeds. This preference will survive the grant period.
Finally, for high school students, a series of magnet school options exist throughout the community which any student in the neighborhood will be able to participate in via the Choice
School program which is available to students district-wide.
Two significant challenges to the preference program for schools will be outreach to notify parents of the preference and secondarily insure parental involvement subsequent to enrollment
given the lack of transportation among many low income parents. To address this, the THA’s
supportive services staff will develop flyers and outreach materials each year highlighting the
preference and its benefits and insure that staff remind residents at every interaction that the
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 60 of 95 preference exists. HCPS will also provide two annual information sessions at the Encore each
year regarding admission and parent preference available. Additionally, the THA will establish carpools and provide direct transportation to parents in assisted housing in the neighborhood for
key school events and meetings and will work with the school principals to coordinate
parent/teacher conference and other standard one-on-one meetings which typically occur at less
coordinated times so that multi-parent transportation can be provided to the extent possible.
THA case managers will continually reinforce this unique opportunity in virtually all of their
ongoing contacts with participating families with children. Through these efforts, the goal will be
to insure that least 80 percent of families with school age children that occupied the Encore and
Tampa Park Apartments will be enrolled in high quality schools or schools which evidence
significant improvement during the life of the grant.
The THA as noted in the Supportive Services strategy section has established the following
metrics for monitoring. Expectations of improvement over the baseline will be tracked and
assessed on at least an annual basis through a 3rd party outside monitor such as the University of
Florida’s Shimberg Center for Affordable Housing with a similar methodology to what the THA
has utilized in the past for its HOPE VI and NSP2 efforts
Metric Baseline Expected 5 Year
Result
% of 3rd and 8th graders at or above FL 3rd: 36.4% Greater than 50%
grade level language arts 8th: 11.5% Greater than 25%
% of 3rd and 8th graders at or above FL 3rd: 45.5% Greater than 65%
grade level in math 8th: 15.4% Greater than 30%
High school graduation rate 50% Greater than 65%
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 61 of 95 In a nutshell, the education strategy is focused on providing children who live in the Central
Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood and more specifically the assisted housing residents in that
neighborhood the benefit of high quality education from infancy through high school. Indeed, as
the Supportive Services strategy makes clear, there is a substantial job training and adult
education component to the Transformation Plan as well so that all residents of the
neighborhood, regardless of age, maintain choice and the means to continually avail themselves of educational opportunities. To be clear, but for the Choice Neighborhood grant and its capital and service investment, the THA and its school board partners will not be able to provide the
Early Head Start, Head Start, and school priority admission and associated transportation to neighborhood residents. Broad access to these programs can only occur if and when the THA is awarded the grant, and given the scale of the investment dedicated to this end because the THA
and HUD have already addressed much of the housing need in the area the ability to make major
education related leaps forward is dramatically enhanced.
F.5 Public Safety. Public safety in the Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood improved
over the past several years, as was the case citywide. Indeed, on a citywide basis there was a
64% reduction in Part I crime over the past nine years. However, although crime did decrease,
and police efforts were substantially enhanced in the Choice Neighborhood, the reduction
partially came as a result of the demolition of the 489-unit dense Central Park public housing
property. However, Part I crimes for the Choice Neighborhood are still nearly 5 times the
citywide rate (per 1,000 residents). Based upon a series of community meetings and planning sessions with neighborhood residents and businesses and interviews with the Police
Department’s command and patrol staff for the neighborhood, the strategies in the neighborhood with regard to public safety going forward are as follows:
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 62 of 95 1. Attacking crime in the target “Red Zones” or grids in the neighborhood which have a
particularly high concentration of criminal activity;
2. Insuring that the revitalized Central Park property (now Encore), where the first public
and other assisted housing units will be coming online late 2012 and rapidly reoccupied
through 2014, is a bastion of safety from the outset rather than a core area of criminal
activity as was previously the case;
3. Attacking the growing nuisance and crimes against properties (including automobiles)
which at minimum take up a tremendous amount of law enforcement resources in the
entertainment district of the Choice Neighborhood and are at risk of growing into serious
crimes. As important, the type of activity driving these crimes is making the retail and
entertainment district an unfriendly place for families in the evening; and,
4. Addressing through lighting and other pedestrian improvements long dark stretches along
the boundaries of the Tampa Park Apartment property which link the Encore to the core
of the Ybor commercial and employment district. While not particularly hotspots for
crime, these areas create a psychological barrier for safe passage which inadvertently
makes these small distances seem unfriendly to pedestrians and bicyclists alike. This in
turn reduces the incidence of “eyes on the street” and the overall feeling of safety.
The strategies to address each of these existing, prospective, or perceived concerns include the following:
• Substantially improve street lighting, sidewalk improvements and general directional signage
along Nuccio and Scott tying the Encore development to the core of Ybor City’s commercial
and employment district. This will serve to significantly eliminate the perception of personal
safety risk associated with making this trip via foot or bike. The Tampa Police Department
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 63 of 95 has also committed to making enhanced patrols in this area including bike patrols during
evening hours to insure that any risk is mitigated to the greatest extent possible. Total cost of
these improvements and enhancements are $1.0 million and will come from the Choice
Neighborhoods Grant proceeds. The Tampa Police Department has already established a Red
Zone targeted crime reduction program which targets several grids within the Transformation
Plan area and is targeted at reducing Park I crimes based upon daily tracking information and
mapping. This crime reduction strategy also includes a major code enforcement effort aimed
at a small number of bars and clubs which have had a particularly high incidence of nuisance
and in some limited cases, violent crimes. As noted in the Police Chief’s letter included in
the attachments, the Tampa Police Department is committed to continuing and enhancing this
effort throughout the course of the grant period, at a value of $12.75 million.
• The City has adjusted all of its incentive programs targeted to attracting retail businesses to
Ybor City to favor clothing, other soft goods, and restaurants in order to encourage a broader
non-bar non-entertainment mix in the district. Additionally, as conditions in the
neighborhood improve, it is expected that the demand for community services such as a full
scale grocery and pharmacy will be increased as well, and in turn displace some of the
drinking and nightclub activity in the neighborhood.
• Finally, as the Encore property is reoccupied, the THA has worked with the Tampa Police
Department to develop a comprehensive strategy to insure that the property and surrounding
neighborhood are not faced with an uptick in criminal activity overall and particularly violent
criminal activity. The strategy includes the following:
o Criminal background checks of all residents;
o Tenant debriefing specific to lease violations and the consequences of the violations;
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 64 of 95 o Increased bike patrols within Encore and Tampa Park Apartments and the location of
community police officers within the Encore and Tampa Park Apartments replicating a
dedicated patrol structure which was in place prior to the demolition of the public
housing property;
o Scheduling of quarterly meetings between the Police Department’s area commander and
building management staff and subsequent meetings with community members to review
crime statistics, strategies, and generally enhance the feedback loop and build long term
relationships between the police and community;
o The positioning of security cameras throughout the Encore property and in all residential,
commercial and community buildings which will be monitored by front desk staff in the
buildings which will be trained in police notification and security procedures. Each
residential building will have manned front desk staff.
The following table highlights the objective of the public safety strategies in the Transformation
Plan and expected results:
Metric Baseline Expected 5 Year
Result
Part 1 Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents) 29.79 Less than 12.2
in Choice Neighborhood
% reporting feeling safe in neighborhood 84% Greater than 90%
(relocated Central Park Residents)
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 65 of 95 The Relocation of Central Park Village began in mid-2006 and was completed by 2007 in
compliance with a HUD approved relocation plan. Subsequent to the relocation’s completion,
Central Park Village was demolished to make way for the mixed income Encore project now
under construction. One metric of the success of the relocation is evidenced by the fact that there
was not a single formal grievance or legally challenged filed by any relocated residents.
A critical element of the relocation plan THA designed with resident input is a comprehensive
"people needs assessment" for each family residing in CPV. All residents were provided with a clear understanding of their right to return, and have been provided for the past five years after initial relocation the necessary support and counseling to insure to the extent possible that residents can maintain lease compliance and effectively handle landlord disputes in order to qualify to transition back to Encore.
As part of the relocation process, a comprehensive supportive services strategy was implemented to meet the unique needs of residents: job and career counseling, job training, business development, life skills, educational and tuition assistance, tutoring, spousal and family
counseling, substance abuse counseling, domestic violence counseling, homeownership
counseling and training, money management classes, transportation assistance, day care and
child care assistance, computer training, computer repair training, GED prep classes,
motivational and self-empowerment, legal assistance, credit counseling and repair, dress for
success, cultural awareness, senior activities, youth activities and other specialized services as
each case necessitated. The 33-page Relocation and Reoccupancy Plan can be found at
www.thafl.com and many of the services within this plan have been provided by an array of outside partners, many of which are committed to continuing to partner with the THA. The plan also included a detailed regional mobility counseling effort which focuses not only on the first move but every move thereafter.
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 66 of 95 F.6 Relocation and Reoccupancy. THA assigned CPV residents a dedicated Case Manager
for a minimum of a 5 year period which ends in 2012. The Case Managers average caseload is
65 former CPV residents per Case Manager. As part of this application, THA will be able to extend the case management function for an additional five years with the proceeds of the
Choice Neighborhoods Grant, providing a total of 10 years of case management for families relocated as a result of the demolition of CPV public housing community.
442 families were relocated at the outset. Since that time, 20 have ported out of the area, 18 are deceased, 18 have voluntary moved out of public housing, and 112 have left due to a range of lease violations. This results in an ongoing caseload of 274. Based upon the results of the most recent relocated resident survey of residents completed in June, 2011, 137 households continue to indicate a desire to return to Encore. The plan for reoccupancy of these households will be detailed further below.
More importantly, there is strong evidence that there continues to be substantial benefit to families who were relocated from CPV of providing case management services, based upon results to date as shown in the following table. The ‘proof-is-in-the-pudding’ and continued focused efforts, refined based upon the latest resident needs assessment, the availability of new funding and inclusion of additional partners, will only enhance the results already achieved The following tables highlight the resident characteristics or responses in the resident needs assessment conducted at the time of relocation in 2006-2007 in relation to their situation at the time of the most recent needs assessment survey completed in June of 2011.
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 67 of 95 Basic Metrics (274 households)
% of residents living in lower poverty/higher opportunity census tracts 99% after the demolition of Central Park
% of residents relocating to census tracts with less than 50% poverty after 82% demolition of Central Park
% of children enrolled in2 or less schools since 2007 59%
% of non-involuntary termination hlds moving 1 or less times since 2007 71%
All moves have been conducted during the summer months in order to ease the transition of students to new schools. Likewise, moves among the elderly, vulnerable and disabled populations are done with care and in total coordination with case managers working with these residents, their outside service providers, and landlords to make the transition as seamless and non-disruptive as possible.
Comparative Metrics – 2007 vs. 2011 CPV Household Needs Assessments
Metric 2007 (442 households) 2011 (274 Households)
Head Of Household with HS 45.2% 53.0%
Diploma/GED or Higher
Working age adults working 16.0% 30.0%
% Report low psychological 56.1% 78.0% distress
Average annual earned income $9,665 $12,440
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 68 of 95 Given that the employment outlook has substantially changed for all Floridians at virtually every income level between 2007 when Florida unemployment was 4.7% and 2011 when Florida unemployment was 10.5%, the growth in employment and earned income is particularly noteworthy. Given that many outside factors influence the each of the metrics on an individual basis, the THA’s focused case management effort cannot take all of the credit for the improvement in any one factor or metric; however, taken as a whole, and the fact that the majority of metrics are moving in a positive direction provides inherent support and calls for continuing to provide focused services to the relocated residents over a longer time period and concurrently to expect focused results.
The 137 households with 437 household members, who continue to express a desire to reoccupy
Encore, include 59% elderly/disabled households who require a 1BR unit, 22% of families requiring a 2BR unit, and 19% of households with children requiring a 3BR unit.
Given the current construction time line and mix of units, the THA will accommodate each of these families on-site by the end of 2017. Reoccupancy for these families will be automatic.
At the outset, the CPV Relocation Benefits & Services package included: relocation to other housing which is of better quality than Central Park; no rent increase as a result of relocation; priority housing placement throughout the public housing inventory; priority status for issuance of Section 8 vouchers if they so choose; one-on-one counseling on their relocation benefits and how to access these services and benefits; assignment of an individual CSS Case Manager who would maintain and encourage the resident through their individual case management plan for up to five (5) years post relocation; tours throughout the area to familiarize residents with housing choices and neighborhoods where they may wish to relocate; transportation assistance provided by outreach workers to view and apply for housing; payment of relocation costs; and a computer
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 69 of 95 incentive program that provided new computers for every resident completing their individual
case management plan.
Every eligible resident is given the right to return to the new development contingent on their
compliance with lease responsibilities during the period of relocation; for those residents choosing to return to the new site, their relocation back to the community will be paid in full by
THA. Under this application, a reoccupancy interview with Case Management and Housing
Management staff will be conducted, and supportive services will continue to be offered to every relocating family for up to five years beyond the five years they have already been provided
these services.
F.7 Economic Opportunities for Low- and Very Low-Income Persons
Section 3 Plan. THA certifies that it has completed a Section 3 Plan that addresses items (i) to
(vii) as detailed in this section of the NOFA. The plan directs training, employment, and
contracting opportunities to Section 3 residents and businesses. A copy of the Section 3 Plan is
available for inspection at THA's main office.
THA shall strive to have 20% of all new hires by contractors be filled by Section 3 persons in the
fields of construction worker, clerical, utility worker, and/or office worker. The THA estimates
the construction phase will generate a minimum of 15 jobs and/or training opportunities for
Section 3 qualified persons.
THA shall require its vendors, contractors, and subcontractors to direct their efforts to provide training employment and contracting opportunities to Section 3 residents and businesses in compliance with Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 (12 U.S.C. 23
1701 u) and HUD's implementing rules at 24 CFR Part 135. Consistent with existing THA policy, THA and businesses that perform work under this grant shall provide a preference for
Section 3 residents when training or employment opportunities arise within the THA or with
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 70 of 95 businesses that contract with THA in regards to this grant. To ensure expanded opportunities for
Section 3 persons and business entities THA shall require compliance with Section 3 requirements on all contracts regardless of amount (including those under $100,000).
To be eligible to comply as a Section 3 person individuals must be residents of Public Housing or Section 8, or a low-income person (80% of the area median), or a very low-income persons
(50% of the area median). Any individual seeking a Section 3 preference shall be required to
complete the Section 3 Preference Certification form. THA shall maintain a database of residents
interested in employment and will forward the list to its contractors on a monthly basis. To be
eligible to comply as a Section 3 business, the business must be 51 % or more owned by a
Section 3 resident, or a business whose full-time positions comprise 30% or more of the entire
work force, or a business that subcontracts 25% or more with a Section 3 business concern. Any
business seeking a Section 3 preference shall be required to complete the Section 3 Preference
Certification form.
THA will notify Section 3 residents about the availability of training, employment, and
contracting opportunities through flyers posted on the community bulletin boards, resident
meetings, and notification of participants in its current FSS, education, and Youthbuild
Programs.
THA will notify Section 3 persons who are not THA residents about the availability of training,
employment, and contracting opportunities through its community workforce partners, and may
conduct job fairs as necessary. THA will conduct Section 3 outreach at least once a year to notify
Section 3 Business entities about the availability of Section 3 contracting opportunities.
THA and each business shall complete a Section 3 Pre-Award Compliance Certification for each
contract awarded under this grant and THA shall continuously monitor the selection of
subcontractors and new hires and new training opportunities to ensure Section 3 compliance.
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 71 of 95 Contractors will complete Section 3 pre-screening and will be provided information about
Section 3 goals and requirements.
Furthermore, the Section 3 clause shall be included in all covered contracts and THA will monitor and enforce compliance through the required monthly and quarterly reports, monitoring visits, and interviews THA, to ensure that Section 3 minimum goals are met, shall notify Section
3 residents about the availability of training, employment, and contracting opportunities through flyers posted on the community bulletin boards, resident meetings, and notification of participants in its current FSS, education, and Youthbuild Programs. These efforts are in addition to the already existing employment consideration list and Section 3 contractors' list previously generated through job fairs and Section 3 outreach campaigns. To further ensure that minimum goals are met, THA will perform outreach to Section 3 persons who are non-residents through its community workforce partners.
Ms. Amanda Brown, Community Builder, is responsible for monitoring and enforcement of
THA's Section 3 Plan Ms. Brown may be contacted at [email protected] or 813-253-0551 ext.
239. During her tenure with THA, Ms. Brown has demonstrated effective leadership in obtaining compliance with Section 3 goals and requirements. Results during 10/2010 to 9/2011 show subcontracting opportunities on all THA construction jobs resulted in over $1.4 million in contracts to Section 3 businesses. During that time, THA also awarded direct service contracts to
Section 3 businesses in the amount of $4,800and 56 out of 229 new hires on construction contracts were Section 3 residents. THA hired 14 Section 3 residents during this time.
Section 3 Compliance. THA's current Section 3 Annual Summary Report (Form HUD 60002) demonstrates compliance with the requirements of Section 3. The Annual Summary Report has been filed as required and a copy is attached as Attachment 36.
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 72 of 95 Narrative Exhibit G: Vision for Neighborhood
Tampa Housing Authority
FILE NAME:
TampaFLExhibitGVisionNeighb.pdf
EXHIBIT G: VISION FOR NEIGHBORHOOD
The Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Transformation Plan epitomizes what Choice
Neighborhoods is about at its core: investment of federal dollars in the most fundamental way by simultaneously addressing the redevelopment of distressed public housing sites while investing in the rejuvenation of the adjacent community and residents of the low income community most important.Centered on the original, now demolished 483-unit Central Park Village public housing development, THA’s Choice Neighborhood (CN) Plan combines a comprehensive housing redevelopment strategy that is already underway with institutional, recreational, educational and infrastructure components designed to transform the Central Park/Ybor neighborhood.The opportunity exists to link housing investments at Encore and throughout to proposed non-housing investments aimed at comprehensive neighborhood revitalization goals.
Neighborhood’s Current Status. Marked for more than half a century by commercial and residential blight, Central Park and Ybor City once served as two distinct multi-ethnic and multi- racial neighborhoods, each with thriving business and entertainment districts, and both exemplifying the strong cultural and historical significance of the area northeastof Tampa’s
CBD. Despite past achievements, both neighborhoods could not escape the racial and economic struggles that prevailed in many inner-city neighborhoods during the 1960s nor the negative impacts associated with the development of dense public housing at its core and the construction of interstate highways which defined its boundaries and heavily contributed to the decline of the area. A period of abandonment and decay characterized by commercial blight, a residential vacancy rate of 25.3% (over twice that of the county) and crime rates today over five times that of the rest of the Cityhave impacted the areas with limited access to services.Today, what were once two separate and distinct communities now have a shared history of years of disinvestment and neglect and are today one.
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 73 of 95 G.1 Goals and Outcomes. The Neighborhood Plan is based on specific findings outlined in
Exhibit F and provides newly committed strategies for pursuing five specific outcomes focused on the investment of resources for rebuilding and/or improving access to: (1) physical assets – access to affordable on- and off-site housing / critical community improvements;
(2)developmental assets - increased economic/employment opportunities; access to high quality early learning/educationalprograms; access to health resources; expanded access to public transit; (3)recreational assets - connectivity and community access to parks/urban farms/open space; (4)commercial assets - local economic development and a reinvigorated commercial sector; and (5) social assets - through innovative public safety and community engagement initiatives.
OUTCOME 1:Central Park/Ybor residents living in a Neighborhood of Choice. Better housing and a neighborhood of choice lies at the heart of the Central Park/Ybor community’s future. One of the main goals of the Transformation Plan is to create a viable, mixed-income neighborhood through key housing and non-housing related strategies that will support families by building on community assets and creating opportunities for lower income families to become more stable and engaged members of the community. Strategies to improve physical neighborhood conditions include investments in: Strategy 1.1:Redevelopment of Affordable
Housing on the Encore Site.With Tampa expected to grow by 40,000 households by 2025, housing investment represents the largest and broadest development opportunity available for the transformation of the neighborhood. THA’s continued redevelopment of affordable housing at the ENCORE’s twelve city block site is changing the perception of the area and strengthens the market position of the neighborhood as a whole. With a projected investment of $200 million and a total build-out of 1,127 housing units, ENCORE represents the gateway to and centerpiece of the revitalization of the entire neighborhood and will substantially improve the distressed
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 74 of 95 conditions. As completed Encore will help bridge the gap between downtown and Central
Park/Ybor, substantially increase the availability of workforce and affordable housing in downtown Tampa and provide a needed platform for coordination of a variety of services aimed at improving other critical and interconnected resident and community outcomes. Metrics: Short- term metric:Provide replacement housing for former Central Park Village residents; Long-term goal: have neighboring housing with a very low vacancy / abandonment rate; increased housing inventory of high quality; a mixed-income neighborhood; and maintain a mixture of incomes over time. Strategy 1.2: Invest in Streetscape Improvements along Scott Street. Beyond the
Encore site, the plan calls for investments in streetscape improvements along Scott Street to connect the Encore site to Ybor's commercial and employment district, including pedestrian improvements, traffic calming measures and new crosswalks; refurbishment, signage, new up- lighting and other aesthetic updates; Metrics:Short-term metric: Improve perceptions of safety and increase connectivity and walkability within the neighborhood.
OUTCOME 2:Improved Access to DevelopmentalOpportunities. One goal of the Central
Park/YborNeighborhood Plan is to address existing economic and social barriers that have stood in the way of the resurgence of Central Park/Ybor and its ability to support existing and new residents and investments. These rely on the development of new community improvements on and adjacent to the ENCORE site with the intention of promoting upward mobility, self- sufficiency, and enhanced quality of life for residents of the Central Park/Ybor neighborhood through job training, education and health. By utilizing substantial housing investment at
ENCORE, these critical community improvements provide a vehicle through which major anchor institutions and facilities in the area can address the needs of the residents, the Encore site, and the surrounding neighborhood. Strategy 2.1:Increase Job Training and Employment
Opportunities.Through a newly committed partnership between THA, GTE Federal Credit
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 75 of 95 Union, Hillsborough Community College(HCC), and Tampa Bay Workforce Alliancelocated in Ybor City, leveraging employment opportunities for THA families and residents of Central
Park/Yboris established through new job training and employment programs at a state-of-the-art job training centerto be located on GTE's headquarters campus. This new 7,500 SF facility will be staffed by Hillsborough Community College instructors with curriculum and training developed and provided in conjunction with GTE Federal Credit Union, Home Depot and a series of other major employers throughout the Tampa Bay region. Metrics: Short-term: Reduce the unemployment rate in the area below the citywide average. Long-term: The neighborhood as a whole is to effect a reduction in the poverty rate for households currently residing in Central
Park/Ybor by increasing the job opportunities and the incomes of existing households while at the same time attracting new higher income families to the area.Strategy 2.2:Improve access to high quality Early Learning and Education.(a) Early Childhood Education Centeron the Encore
Site– A new services-rich 2,000 SF Early Childhood Education Center on the Encore site will offer a continuum of education and learning to serve residents and their children. The Center will be operated and managed by the Hillsborough County Public Schools. Construction of the facility will be funded with a total of $400,000 from CNI grant funds.Metrics: The expected five year result is to have greater than 82% of kindergarten children living within the CNtarget area assessed as developmentally ready at beginning of the school year; (b)MeachamUrban Farm on the Encore Site –former residents of Central Park Village and residents of Central Park/Ybor have limited access to fresh food choices with resulting health disparities and adverse health outcomes as a result of residential segregation, poverty and neighborhood deprivation. Not surprisingly residents indicated in THA's needs assessment a high expenditure rate on their food purchases, due to smaller weekly food budgets and poorly stocked neighborhood grocery stores.
One of the goals of the CNI Plan is to increase access to fresh foods, supermarkets and
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 76 of 95 encourage healthy eating. The Meacham Urban Farm, named after the first African American principal of a Tampa School, is the most pioneering concept within the Central Park/Ybor neighborhood plan that integrates sustainability, conservation, food and nutrition with educational, cultural, and recreational activities upon which the benefits extend across multi- cultural and multigenerational demographics. For the life of the grant period, the2.0 acre parcel formerly occupied by the Meacham Elementary School will be allocated to anurban farm to be developed through the Choice Neighborhood Grant and managed by a joint partnership between
Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) and the University of South Florida (USF), through the Tampa Bay Educational Partnership (TBEP). Once up-and-running, the TBEP- managed urban farm will be a multidisciplinary learning lab with agriculture, biology, botany, economics and business all represented in the design and management of the farm. USF in conjunction with HCPS is committed to establishing the Meacham Urban Farm as a learning center for school aged children district-wide and will work with its partner, Future Farmers of
America, to develop its“Food for America” curriculum around topics as broad as sustainable urban farming, agriculture economics and marketing and healthy eating. Metrics:Key short-term metrics for this goal include having 20% of local downtown and Ybor City restaurants purchasing products from the urban farm; and the long-term metrics include having urban farm be economically sustainable by the end of the grant period; (c)Saunders Public Library –
Funding for the replacement and rebuilding of the existing Robert W. Saunders Sr. Library in the amount of $7,800,000 is committed in the current Hillsborough County Capital Improvement
Program with construction scheduled to be completed by December of 2014. Located in the
Choice neighborhood and directly next to the Booker T. Washington Elementary (BTW) School and across from the ENCORE development, this new 25,000+ square foot library will replace an original 7,300 square foot building and will physically connect to the BTW school building with
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 77 of 95 covered walkways, planted gardens and quiet outdoor reading areas thus creating a true learning campus for the benefit and enjoyment of BTW students, parents, volunteers, teachers at the school and Central Park/Ybor residents. Metrics: Key metrics focus on increasing literacy and educational achievement through expansion of the Library's PACT mentoring program (Parents
& Children Together) to support fifth graders at BTWashington Elementary and throughout neighborhood schools;
Strategy 2.3:Improve access to Health Resources. Wellness Center and Clinic on the Encore
Site -THA's resident needs assessment and neighborhood survey indicated great health disparities for former Central Park families and families residing in the Central Park/Ybor neighborhood. Within the area there are no nearby healthcare facilities to provide needed health and wellness programs to families in need. The Central Park/Ybor Transformation Plan will provide physical space within Encore in which to co-locate healthcare and wellness services in the form of anew state-of-the-art 2,000 SF on-site health clinic/wellness center. Tampa Family
Health Centers and More Health will manage and operatethis outpatient wellness facility to provide clinical health services for children, youth and seniors on the Encore site in conjunction with Reach Up, Success 4 Kids, Tampa Bay Crisis Center and WeCare. Construction of the facility will be funded with a total of 1,000,000 from CNI grant funds. Metrics: Key metrics include increasing the number of enrollments in health programs as well as in mental health and substance abuse programs; increasing the % of families reporting good physical health to be greater than 80%, low psychological distress to be greater than 90%, and healthy weight greater that 80%;
Strategy 2.4: Expanded Access to Transit Alternatives.Two major public transit options serving the area include: (a) Several bus routes operated by Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) serve the area with the Marion Transit Center located within ¼ mile of the Encore site serving as the largest bus transit center for HART. The center serves a number of bus routes with
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 78 of 95 hundreds of trips per day (See Attachment 43). HART has also began construction of the county’s first bus rapid transit line, planned along Nebraska Avenue, connecting the Marion
Transit Center with the USF campus; (b) TECO Line Streetcar System is a streetcar line that connects Downtown and Channelside to the historic Ybor City district through a 2.7 mile long route with 11 stations. The neighborhood also has excellent walkability ratings as indicated by listed amenities produced by www.walkscore.com based on the address of the targeted Encore site. See Attachment 38. Metrics:Key metrics include increasing the proportion of residents who will have their transportation cost burden reduced below 45% of their average household income given the proximity to existing and planned public transit improvements;
OUTCOME 3:Increased Access to Recreational Assets. City commitments are in place to support planned park improvements within the neighborhood as part of the City's Greenways and
Trails Plan, a city-wide effort to connect neighborhood parks and open spaces togetherthrough a network of existing and future bicycle/pedestrian routesandincreased access to existing natural and recreational amenities. Two opportunities for increasing recreational opportunities for with the support of City, County and Choice Neighborhood funds include: Strategy 3.1:Redevelop
Perry Harvey Senior Park.Adjacent to the Encore site is the 11-acre Perry Harvey Senior Park, scheduled to undergo a major redesign to be completed within the five-year grant period.
Amenities include cultural elements, a skate park, playgrounds and a community center. The
City of Tampa is committing $1.0 million in city funds and $0.5 million in CDBG funds as evidenced in Attachments 47 and 48; Strategy 3.2:Rehabilitate Existing Tampa Park Plaza
Playground.Located next to the Encore site and the Hillsborough County Saunders Library, the
Tampa Park Plaza Playground will be rehabilitated to include safe and accessible playground areas and equipment for children and youth. Immediately adjacent to the new 3,500 SF learning and computer lab on the Tampa Park Apartments site, the park will offer outdoor recreational
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 79 of 95 space to support the lab's learning environment and improve educational outcomes. Metrics:Key metrics for this goal increases number of park acres, resources and access to be within 1/2 mile of all households and thereby increase physical activity and health outcomes for all residents in the neighborhood by 10%; support more than $12 million in best practice investment in public amenities, pedestrian friendly streetscapes, and infrastructure that supports LEED-ND; improve perceptions of safety in the area and thereby increase property values throughout the neighborhood by 10%.
OUTCOME 4: Improved Commercial Assets - Expanded Local Economic Development.
The development of affordable housing leads especially to opportunities for addressing commercial disinvestment and the lack of basic neighborhood-serving retail and services. THA’s
Encore development will incorporate commercial space into the ground floors of new mixed- income, mixed-use residential development and also secure a grocery store as well as a market to support and distribute the produce grown at the on-site Meacham Urban Farm. In addition, THA and its partners along with the Ybor City Development Corporation (YCDC) will work together to strengthen existing local retail capacity and focus on partnerships with the City, private businesses, and retail experts to redevelop Ybor's commercial districtwith business incubator and retail opportunities for the neighborhood. Metrics:Key metrics for this outcome will include reducing commercial vacancy rates by half;Increasing retail sales by 25%;Increasing fresh food access in Central Park/Ybor through presence of a supermarket or fresh grocer and urban farm.
Outcome 5: Improved Social Assets – Expanded Public Safety and Community
Engagement. Exhibit F contains specific action items regarding this outcome.
G.2 Alignment with Existing Efforts. Each of the elements of the Transformation Plan is built on existing efforts already underway. The Plan proposes to coordinate efforts and to make targeted investments to expand and/or accelerate existing initiatives as follows:
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 80 of 95 Outcome 1: Housing Redevelopment. The redevelopment of the demolished and vacant Central
Park public housing site at ENCORE is currently underway and represents a $450 million investment; Outcome 2: Jobs and Training. Builds on the public‐private and public‐public partnerships between large employers located in the Ybor/Central Park neighborhood to increase permanent jobs in the City over the next five years. GTE Credit Union, K‐Force, Ikea and Hillsborough Community College (HCC)in Ybor City all have established or substantially expanded in the target area. GTE Federal Credit Union and HCC will support this outcome through a joint partnership focused on training and employment and a new commitment of $8.4 millionin funding and services over the five year grant period; Education. Expands public and private sector commitments and resources already being directed towards improving the community’s educational and social capital within the area. Hillsborough County Public
Schools (HCPS) is committed to investing capital and resources to expand its Early/Head Start presence in the area and bring students district wide to the urban farm; HCPS and University of
South Florida (USF)will expand ongoing collaborative efforts focused on community education and school nutrition programs through the Meacham Urban Farminitiative at Encore; City of
Tampa and Hillsborough County funding has been committed to rebuild the Saunders Library directly across the street from Encore and adjacent to the Booker T. Washington Elementary
School. See Attachment 48; Health:The Transformation Plan addresses health needs in the neighborhood by co-locating clinical healthcare and wellness services with housing on the
ENCORE site. This new facility will be managed and operated by Tampa Family Health
Centers and More Health in conjunction with other service providers; Outcome 3:Enhanced
Access to Parks and Open Space. Supports the City of Tampa's ongoing efforts to redevelop vacant land into greenspace amenities and thereby increase public access and connectivity to
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 81 of 95 citywide recreational assets. The redevelopment of Perry Harvey Sr. Park located adjacent to the
Encore site is part of the City's Greenways and Trails Master Plan system which linksschools, transit hubs, waterfront, and places of cultural and historical significance as part of an integrated network of routes. Choice Neighborhood grant funds in the amount of $2.0 million and City funding commitments in the amount of $1.0 million and $0.5 M of CDBG funds are targeted towards the Park. Outcome 4:Improved Commercial Assets - Expanded Local Economic
Development. Supports efforts by the Ybor City Development Corporation (YCDC)to increase neighborhood-serving retail and services within the Central Park/Ybor neighborhood.
G.3 Consistency with Other Planning Documents. THA is in compliance with its current
PHA agreement with HUD and planning for Central Park/Ybor is consistent with the Annual
Plan, which includes goals to provide housing opportunities for households of a variety of types and a range of incomes. The Transformation Plan activities are also part of and consistent with established comprehensive, regional, and multi‐jurisdictional plans; including transportation, sustainable development and economic revitalization initiatives including:
(1)The City of Tampa Consolidated Plan encompasses activities to be undertaken by the City of Tampa. See Attachment 39; (2)In 2012, the City of Tampa was awarded $1.18 Million under the City's HUD Challenge Grant Planning Project consisting of two major elements: A
Corridor Master Plan for the four-mile Nebraska-Hillsborough Avenue area, including the
Encore site; and a Master Plan for the entire central city area, including Central Park/Ybor.
HUD certification and the HUD grant award letter is included in Attachment 53; (3)The Encore
Project is located in Tampa’s Central Park and Ybor City Community Redevelopment Areas
(CRAs), created in accordance with FL ss163, Part 3. TheCentral Park/Ybor Choice
Neighborhood is located in the geographic center of Tampa. Due to this strategic location, many
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 82 of 95 community/transportation and economic revitalization initiatives are focused on, or pass through this area and are critical to the connectivity of the investments in and adjacent to the neighborhood; (4)Central Park/ Ybor City is in Tampa’s Enterprise Zone, an area targeted for economic revitalization. The proposed Choice Neighborhood activities fully meet the objectives of the Tampa Enterprise Zone. See Attachment 52.
G.4 Access to Amenities. The Central Park/Ybor neighborhood provides excellent access to amenities located within 1-mile of the geographic center of the targeted ENCORE housing development with the most units (1000 India Street) as evidenced in Attachment 40. Google maps confirmed that residents have access to several fresh food outlets and more than 5 amenities in each of the three HUD amenity groupings. On site at ENCORE, planning includes a
36,000 SF grocery store and a pedestrian-friendly town square surrounded by ground floor retail, restaurants, outdoor cafes and shops.
G.5 Anchor Institution Engagement. Key anchor institutions located within half-mile of the perimeter of the Central Park/Yborneighborhood and surrounding the ENCORE development have been actively engaged throughout the Plan. These institutions have made commitments which represent nearly $17.9 million over the next 5 years as evidenced in Attachment 46 and
48. Each institution will play an important role in the Transformation Plan: Education, Training and Economic Development: The new Job Training Center on the GTE campus will provide a major educational asset; Hillsborough Community College (HCC) will develop curriculum focused on specific targeted needs within the community by expanding programming through its
Institute for Corporate and Continuing Education (ICCE) and in partnership with GTE to serve
Central Park/Ybor residents; Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) in partnership with
University of South Florida (USF) will build on an existing collaborative between institutions to support continuing community education through the innovative Meacham Urban Farm and
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 83 of 95 Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library's will expand with the new Saunders Library and create a true campus of learning for the benefit of all neighborhood residents.
G.6 Design. The history of the site from the 1930’s through the 1950’s, included a dynamic and vibrant business/residential, live/work neighborhood featuring the Cozy Corner, the Cotton
Club, Apollo Theater and Little Savoy restaurants and clubs – and a patronage of giants like
Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Billy Holiday, Cab Calloway, and later Ray Charles and Ella
Fitzgerald, but had been replaced by the Central Park Village public housing property by the late fifties. By 2010 “the village” as it was known, had reached the end of its useful life and was demolished in 2008 to make way for a new sustainable, localized, live-work community. With that in mind, the design team reached back into the site’s history in attempt to restore the framework of that vibrant community.Design Blends with the Surroundings:The Encore plan restores the grid of the earlier era including access to the new transportation nodes in a pedestrian-friendly, interconnected community of streets, homes, and open spaces. It blends into the broader community, ensuring that the new housing, educational and community facilities enrich and unite the neighborhood.It uses local architectural details and elements, and building scale and groupings to create a unique downtown neighborhood compatible withits urban location and is attractive to its intended target marketCompact, pedestrian friendly streets and mixed-use neighborhood:The new Encore site layout re-creates a neighborhood with a restored system of inter-connected streets.The plan extends a new linear park, the spine of the new community, from the entryway towards a new central town square. Compact residential buildings with ground floor neighborhood retail flank both sides of this centralized and main gathering space while on-street parallel parking and street oriented buildings contribute to creating an appealing downtown urban neighborhood character.The location is ideal for people who wantto live and within the Encore area. There will be choice quality public schools,
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 84 of 95 neighborhood retail, offices, a hotel, a grocery store, a state-of-the-art early childhood education center and an outpatient clinic/wellness center all designed to LEED ND and GREEN standards.
Recreation& Community Gathering Spaces:A public system of linear parks, open spaces and greenway improvements throughout the site provide significant opportunities for residents and visitors to enjoy a diverse mix of active and passive sports utilizing walking and biking trails, children’s tot lots, play areas and a urban farm (see Attachment 42). Thenew linear green element (the “spine”) terminates at the City's Perry Harvey Park, an 11-acre public park that shares the westernmost edge of the Encore site. The park will include open play fields, hard courts, community center, small amphitheater, urban skate park
Defensible Space:Blocks are designed with residential and retail frontage on all street faces.
Landscape Elements:TheEncore site is surrounded by difficult urban conditions such as
Interstate 275, Nuccio Parkway and the Crosstown Expressway which will be layered with landscaping to soften their impact. Larger areas of planting along Perry Harvey Park and running parallel to the parkway will create a natural environment, enhance the architecture, and improve the quality of life for the residents while providing visual and audial buffer along this edge. Site layout was designed to preserve a majority of existing mature oak trees. The on-site storm water management system complements the landscaping by including a unique hardscape of permeable brick pavers that promote ground water recharge, benches, seat walls, and locations for art and native landscaping. Perimeter areas of the site will be designed as rain gardens to capture, hold and percolate storm water into the ground, rather than into a combined sanitary/storm sewer system. In addition, the plan utilizes substantial planting of street trees to provide a continuous canopy of shade along sidewalks as well as white concrete in lieu of black asphalt on all paved walkways and most parking areas, driveways, and hardscaped areas to reduce the heat island effect of the development.
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 85 of 95 Narrative Exhibit H: Soundness of Approach
Tampa Housing Authority
FILE NAME:
TampaFLExhibitHSoundness.pdf
EXHIBIT H: SOUNDNESS OF APPROACH
H.1 Organizational Framework for Implementation
Roles and Responsibilities: As outlined in the Partnership Legal Agreement included as
Attachment 5, THA will serve as Lead Applicant, Housing Implementation Entity and as the
People Implementation Entity and will be primarily responsible for coordinating all activities of
the Transformation Plan (the Plan). The City of Tampa will serve as the Neighborhood
Implementation and the Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) as Principal Education
Partner.
Decision Making: Per the Partnership Legal Agreement, Attachment 5, the Central Park/Ybor
Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Team (CNI Team), consisting of the parties to the
Contract, will act as the formal collaborative, consensus-oriented forum for implementing the
Plan. Chaired by THA, the CNI Team will be responsible for day-to-day implementation.
Dispute Resolution: As outlined in the Partnership Legal Agreement, Attachment 5, the CNI
Team will meet monthly − and more frequently, if necessary − to review implementation
progress, approve proposed transformation activities, address any obstacles to timely
implementation of the Plan, and settle any disputes among the CNI Team members. The THA
will make the final determination on any difference of opinions among the CNI Team members,
provided such Management Team determinations shall be consistent with the Plan, Grant
Agreement, and other applicable agreements.
H.2 Resident and Community Involvement
THA has successfully planned and implemented an inclusive and collaborative outreach and
involvement approach with the affected residents, state and local governments, private service providers, financing entities, developers, and other members of the surrounding community
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 86 of 95 using a variety of tools and strategies. Since 2004 and as part of the preparation of the
Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) Plan for Central Park Village, THA in conjunction with the City has led a planning process that will continue to play an important role throughout the implementation of the Central Park/Ybor Transformation Plan. Collaboration has been a clear ingredient between the City of Tampa and THA’s planning efforts for the Central Park/Ybor target neighborhood area and resulting in broad base support from county and city governments, the general public, the business community and state leaders for the redevelopment of Central
Park Village and the surrounding historically African American and Hispanic neighborhoods within the targeted geography area. Since 2004, the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County have taken important steps towards improving Central Park, East Tampa and Ybor City communities through designations of CRA. A Community Redevelopment Plan (CRP) was completed in cooperation with the East Tampa community that served to provide guidance in the planning of the Choice Neighborhood program activities most likely to assist with eliminating blight, reversing declining property values, and promoting economic redevelopment.
Resident and Community Engagement: Since 2006, the Tampa Housing Authority has managed to successfully plan and implement an inclusive approach to allow meaningful consultation and involvement of Central Park residents and numerous stakeholders in its redevelopment plans for
Central Park Village. In 2006 the THA commenced a resident consultation process to relocate approximately 1,200 public housing residents of Central Park Village followed by the complete demolition of twelve blocks of dilapidated housing. This process has and will continue to remain in place to make appropriate communications about THA's Choice Neighborhoods
Transformation Plan and the Encore redevelopment plans available to not only affected residents but also to all other interested parties through ongoing meetings, printed information, computer
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 87 of 95 access to THA and HUD websites, training sessions, and through regular resident newsletters.
Efforts to date have included numerous public meetings, youth fests, informational fairs, job fairs, design charrette, workshops and motivational dinners to encourage participation by former
Central Park Village residents and the community, prior to relocation as well as post-relocation and to fully inform and involve former residents of CPV with planning for their community. In addition to these past and ongoing efforts, the following initiatives have represented a cohesive planning approach to ensuring that a planning effort of this magnitude will succeed.
THA and City of Tampa representatives meet regularly to ensure coordination and facilitation of specific City/THA development activities including needed city process, council actions and approvals. Included in these meetings are THA, City representatives from the Mayor's Office,
Dept of Transportation, Housing and Community Development and other departments as needed to discuss Central Park Village redevelopment and implementation.
Focus Groups - THA formed a CPV Resident Council as a part of the initiation of the planning process for CPV. This entity continues to be involved and representative of the needs and desires of former residents and works with THA facilitators providing input on the Encore Plan,
Community & Supportive Services, and Relocation. Resident Surveys - To gain a full understanding of resident needs and concerns, all 483 Central Park Village households were surveyed (in 2007), covering subjects such as site and neighborhood concerns, service needs, employment barriers, homeownership and business formation, relocation, and demographics. In
July 2011, an update survey with 82 questions was conducted with 169 households of the total
274 households surveyed responding (62% percent) and providing information that was invaluable in formulating this strategy.
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 88 of 95 Capacity Building, Training and Other Supports: THA staff have conducted several leadership
training courses and will continue to do so throughout implementation as a means to building
ongoing capacity and leadership among Resident Council members and former CPV residents
and thereby ensure meaningful participation and sustain community participation; Computer
Access and Information - THA understands that technology access is access to opportunity. All
Choice Neighborhood Transformation Plan information and presentation materials have been
posted on THA's website at www.thafl.com. In addition, THA has distributed newsletters to
keep residents informed and has implemented numerous ongoing outreach efforts to maximize
resident participation; Training Session, Public Meetings and Site Tour – With the publication of the HUD CNI NOFA, THA reviewed the program requirements and prepared letters to key stakeholders inviting them to participate in the public meetings and consultation process.
Residents and the larger community were engaged in the planning process by direct invitation, with community flyers, and through announcements in the local newspaper. Meeting notices were posted prominently on-site at Encore in the Management Office, and at throughout the community. THA staff strongly encouraged residents to attend.
Assessing and Adapting the Engagement Strategy: The participation of the CPV Resident
Council is integral to the outreach strategy as members have and will continue to help drive the participation of CPV residents. THA will continue to work with the Council to assess and adapt engagement startegies that maximize participation throughout implementation.
H.3 Collection and Use of Data
THA's Data Collection and Use Analysis represent a key component of Choice Neighborhood investment within the Choice Neighborhood area as it is used to measure and evaluate the success of the intended strategy. The CN investment is anticipated to have a measurable impact
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 89 of 95 on economic, demographic and housing market conditions within the target neighborhood.
Moreover, the data collection and analysis will be used to evaluate the improvements in a broad
range of categories including but not limited to health, safety, education, job training/employment, and economic development.
The THA is long ahead of the curve when it comes to grant evaluations and the relative impact on the surrounding communities. Indeed, for more than 10 years the THA has been evaluating the relative impact on the community of every major grant the agency has received. Together with the University of South Florida and economic development industry consultants, the THA has completed data collection and use analysis for its previous HOPE VI and NSP2 funding awards. The level of detail on outcomes within this application speaks to the agency’s efforts associated with past evaluations. The budget set forth in the application for Collection and Use of Data is $300,000 and has been established based upon the comprehensive needs and the expected outcomes of the Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Transformation Plan. The data collection and use analysis will be completed during the term of the Choice Neighborhood grant period and will include annual evaluations.
The data and collection analysis will focus on each of the Housing, People and Neighborhood components of the transformation plan, with notable methodology and processes as follows:
Housing: This section of the Collection of Data and Use focuses on select economic, demographic and housing characteristics within the Central Park/Ybor target neighborhood. The methodology and data used to assess changes in economic, demographic and housing composition will be uniform throughout the five year data collection and use period and will utilize US Census, City of Tampa and Hillsborough County Property Appraiser data to assess changes and improvements in economic and demographic conditions resulting from the Choice
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 90 of 95 Neighborhood investment; and, particularly those measurements of improvement from the
addition of new housing within the Choice Neighborhood. The data collection and use analysis
will build upon the comprehensive survey of Central Park public housing households and the
population survey of the Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood residents that was recently
undertaken as part of this grant application. The metrics to be evaluated will include market
rental rate trends, occupancies, home sales volume and pricing on a total value and per square foot basis, new housing permitting, housing rehabilitation permitting, and other factors that relate to neighborhood improvements associated with housing.
People: The Resident Needs surveys, including the Central Park public housing households and the Central Park/Ybor neighborhood population survey completed in March 2012 serves as a baseline resource to establishing the criteria for the data collection and use analysis as each survey assessed a family’s current conditions and needs in relation to health, sense of safety, education, perception of quality of life in general, and employment. As part of the Central
Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Transformation Plan, and detailed throughout this document, the THA is partnering with numerous business, health, education and safety organizations and/or service providers – all of whom are committed to achieving measurable improvements to the quality of life for residents of the Central Park/Ybor community. This effort will be coordinate and reported through the THA’s Efforts to Outcomes (ETO) software. For education, the key metrics to evaluate include but are not limited to early childhood departmental readiness, improved math scoring and higher graduation rates. For employment, the Central Park/Ybor
Choice Neighborhood plan is aimed at achieving economic stability and self sufficiency for is
residents with identifiable increase in direct employment. Firm commitments by GTE Federal
Credit Union, Hillsborough Community College and Tampa Workforce Alliance to the Central
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 91 of 95 Park/Ybor neighborhood underscore the effort that will be taken to assure that adult literacy is
measured and improved, employment opportunities are expanded, and household incomes
increase above today’s levels which can be measured through quantifiable data. In terms of
safety, the City of Tampa Police Department tracts crime by type, at the grid level (of which
there are six within the Choice Neighborhood) on a daily basis and will make this data available
to the research effort.
Neighborhood: While there are certainly elements among each of the housing, people and
neighborhood components as set forth within the Choice Neighborhood plan that overlap, the
key initiative of the neighborhood data collection and use analysis relates to expansion and
access to amenities, recreation, transit and economic development. City commitments are in
place to support planned park improvements within the neighborhood as part of the City's
Greenways and Trails Plan, a city-wide effort to connect neighborhood parks and open spaces
together through a network of existing and future bicycle/pedestrian routes and increased access
to existing natural. Tampa Park Plaza Playground will be rehabilitated to include safe and
accessible playground areas and equipment for children and youth and recreational amenities.
The key metrics for these improvements will be benchmarked though improved health reports
for both children and adults within the neighborhood. Economic development is a key factor in
the data collection and use analysis and measurements of success at the neighborhood level will
be tied to identifying increased private investment within the area, lower commercial vacancy
rates, and improved retail sales activity during the grant term.
H.4. Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing
THA will affirmatively further fair housing through proposed activities in the Choice
Neighborhood Plan by increasing economic and racial and ethnic diversity. The THA
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 92 of 95 affirmatively confirms its understanding and embraces its responsibility that it has a duty to affirmatively further fair housing in its housing programs. Increasing economic, racial and ethnic diversity within the neighborhood: Affirmative marketing strategies will ensure that the
Choice Neighborhood is an initiative that encourages and supports diversity within the Central
Park/Ybor area. The strategy will utilize advertising in daily and weekly publications read by both minority and non-minority populations and broad outreach to institutions such as University of South Florida, Tampa General Hospital, HCC, as well as local churches and community service providers to increase outreach to recent immigrants and individuals with limited English proficiency. Economic diversity will be achieved by increasing incomes of current residents through successful implementation of the People Plan and the introduction of the 1,127 mixed- income units, including 518 replacement units. The units on the Encore site will be divided between low, moderate, and market rate. Similar to other THA housing development including
Oaks at Riverview, the former Central Park Village was previously occupied by extremely low- income, 95% African American families. Following redevelopment, the population will be far more diverse. For example, the population at the Oaks at Riverview is 39% Caucasian/60%
African American/1% Other. The Encore mixed-income/mixed-use development will create
4,000 total construction jobs over the build out period and 950 new permanent jobs for the new
35,000 sf grocery store, the middle school, retail shops, learning center, hotel, office building and restaurants and cafes that will be located onsite. Specifically under this grant application, 1,251 jobs will be created for construction of 1,127 mixed income rental and for-sale housing units and the on-site early childhood education center and onsite outpatient clinic/wellness center;
Reasonable Activities to Address Barriers – THA affirms the federal requirements of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity for furthering Fair Housing as specified by 24 CFR
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 93 of 95 5.105(a) in the asset and/or property management of housing units and provision of assistance to
Section 8 clients. THA does not consider race, color, age, religion, citizenship, national origin, gender, familial status, or disability in its determination of a family’s eligibility for housing. All
THA contract property managers are required to follow this policy. Tampa's Analysis of
Impediments cites the City’s partnership with THA’s mixed income revitalization as an important method to replace isolated and concentrated public housing developments. THA offers housing choice vouchers (HCVs) to relocating residents as another method of de- concentrating poverty through the City. THA also provides up to 120% of the Fair Market Rent for HCV participants in certain areas to aid in de-concentration efforts; THA Records
Maintenance and Access - THA provided its FY 2012 Annual PHA Plan to HUD and is available on THA’s website and publicly; Working with local jurisdictions to affirmatively further Fair Housing – The THA has always understood its responsibility to conduct affirmative marketing of rental and homeownership housing and community support services.
Marketing efforts for the Transformation Plan will continue to utilize extensive outreach including: 1) Determine the number and percentage of income eligible families throughout the
Choice Neighborhood; 2) Design a targeted marketing campaign to reach those families; 3) The marketing campaign will be aimed at families that are underserved and use appropriate media format to reach the targeted families including describing accurately the Choice Neighborhood housing community services opportunities; and, 4) Continue partnerships with other community housing partners who provide information on affordable housing availability and assistance in making housing choices including but not limited Ybor City Development Corporation (YCDC), local lenders, neighborhood associations, local churches and local newspapers for extensive advertising; Ensuring that buildings and housing units are accessible and visitable by persons
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 94 of 95 with disabilities - The Encore development has been designed to ensure that all buildings and all
dwelling units are accessible and able to be visited by persons with disabilities. See Attachment
33. The Encore project is designed to be in compliance with the Architectural Barriers Act
(1968), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (1973), The Fair Housing Act of 1968 (as
Amended), The Americans with Disabilities Act (1990), ANSI A117.1 and Uniform Federal
Accessibility Standards (UFAS), and all applicable federal, state, district, and local codes. All
residential buildings will also be designed to meet the Florida Building Code version 2010, including the applicable requirements of Chapter 11 “Florida Accessibility Code for Building
Construction." Relocation – THA designed and implemented a choice-based relocation plan to provide a wide range of housing opportunities, including HCVs, thereby providing local, regional and national housing opportunities. Former Central Park Village residents voucher holders were provided mobility counseling, transportation by THA, and assistance from faith- based mentor volunteers; Admissions and Occupancy Policies - Former residents have been urged to return to the revitalized community in THA’s relocation counseling and in ongoing CSS services. THA and its Property Management Partners have implemented non-discriminatory admissions, occupancy, and property management policies to promote housing choice and diversity and utilize a site-based waiting list for all THA communities; Other Steps to remedy discrimination and promote fair housing rights and choice - Print and electronic media will be used in a non-discriminatory manner to reach out to all segments of the population in the larger community. THA will market to those individuals least likely to apply, including disabled persons, by advertising in local and regional publications and provide information to agencies that serve target markets.
Tampa FL FY2012 Central Park/Ybor Choice Neighborhood Page 95 of 95