Post-Conference Edition Volume 19, Number 4 HOUSING NNETWORKEWS The Journal of the Florida Housing Coalition, Inc. FALL 2003 In This issue Self-Employment Offers Unique Employment “Miracle on 34th Street” Opportunities for Persons with a This Model Block Project in Palm Beach County has drawn national attention for Disability 5 its methodology, collaboration, and replicability. The LISC Center for Home Sadowski Act Ownership, based in Washington DC, has chosen it as a national Best Practice Funding: Legislative Update 7 An Integrated Approach to Urban Structuring Your Infill Development Purchase Infill Development Assistance Program to Meet Your Target Market 9 Using SHIP Reporting Data to Explore Program Policies and Outcomes for Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation Before and After Programs pictures 11 16th Annual Statewide Affordable Housing Conference Highlites 13 Rayos Del Sol- By Annetta Jenkins A Special Conference Treat 17 NLIHC en years ago, Palm Beach bor to neighbor, trying to foster a Civic Engagement County saw its first efforts to sense of community. It worked. The Campaign for Voter develop a Model Block get prostitutes and drug dealers fled. Registration, T Education started on Northwest 5th Avenue in Dilapidated houses were condemned 18 Delray Beach. The Delray Beach and demolished; neighbors painted Thinking About Center for Technology, Enterprise and and planted; brave souls took those Housing Development (The TED Center), had a scary, first steps towards homeowner- 19 groundbreaking for its first homes. ship. Today homeowners live happily SHIP Clips Volunteers had spent countless hours on those two blocks where kids walk 24 to nearby schools and parks. Coalition News knocking on doors, connecting neigh- 26 BOARD OFdirectors EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE DIRECTORS Florida Solar Energy Center, Melvin Philpot - CHAIRPERSON Bob Ansley Cocoa Progress Energy Florida Orlando Neighborhood Improvement Orlando Sophia Sorolis Lake Mary Ed Busansky City of St. Petersburg SHIP Administrator Robert Von - VICE CHAIR First Housing Development Corp., St. Petersburg Realvest Appraisal Services Inc., Maitland Tampa Jaimie Ross - PRESIDENT Gus Dominguez Shari Weitzner 1000 Friends of Florida, Greater Miami Neighborhoods, Grove House, Tallahassee Miami Jacksonville Gregg Schwartz - TREASURER Holly Duquette ADVISORY COUNCIL Tampa Bay Community Development Corp., Florida Power and Light, Clearwater Juno Beach Catherine Brozowski Mary Sorge - SECRETARY Jim Dyal Washington Mutual, Bonita Springs Area Housing Development, Courtelis Company, Plantation Bonita Springs Tampa Helen Hough Feinberg Mark Hendrickson - PAST CHAIR- Denise Freedman William R. Hough & Co., PERSON Bank of America St. Petersburg The Hendrickson Company, Tampa STAFF Tallahassee Cora Fulmore Jeff Bagwell Mortgage & Credit Center, Michael Davis Keystone Challenge Fund, Inc., Winter Garden Executive Director Lakeland Schonna Green Kenda Boles Annetta Jenkins M.I.S.S. Inc. of the Treasure Coast, Administrative Executive Assistant Local Initiatives Support Corp., Port St. Lucie Michael Chaney West Palm Beach Dan Horvath Technical Advisor Kristen Packard Community Enterprise Investments, Inc., Pam Davis Packard Consulting, Pensacola Administrative Assistant/ Jacksonville Jack Humburg Workshop Coordinator Boley Center for Behavioral Health Care, Stan Fitterman Inc. Senior Technical Advisor St. Petersburg Tom Flagg Jeffrey Kiss Finance Manager Kiss & Company, Inc., Melanie Greene Winter Park Technical Advisor Tony Riggio Wight Greger Wachovia, Senior Technical Advisor Jacksonville Dayatra Orduña Gladys Schneider Technical Advisor Habitat for Humanity of Lee County, Mike Shafer North Fort Myers Technical Advisor Tei Simmerman The Florida Housing Coalition is a nonprofit, statewide membership organization whose mission is to act as a catalyst to bring together housing advocates and resources so that Floridians have a safe and affordable home and suitable living environment. The Housing News Network is published by the Florida Housing Coalition as a service to its members and for housing professionals and others interested in affordable housing issues. Address questions and comments to: Jaimie Ross, Editor, Florida Housing Coalition, Inc., 1367 E. Lafayette Street, Suite C, Tallahassee, FL 32301. Phone: 850-878-4219, Fax: 850-942-6312, E-mail: [email protected], Web site: www.flhousing.org The Florida Housing Coalition would like to recognize The Florida Housing Coalition expresses its gratitude to our WASHINGTON MUTUAL for its partnership leadership and sup- Gold Sponsor, WACHOVIA BANK for its ongoing sponsorship port as our PLATINUM SPONSOR. We are deeply appreciative. of our Board conference calls — a substantial savings to our statewide nonprofit. Page 2 A few examples of the improved neighborhood. Flash forward almost ten years later. Community develop- In the Model Block Program, we try and mitigate for the lack ment corporations (CDCs), along with Local Initiatives of large parcels of land in neighborhoods by identifying a Support Corporation, (LISC), local lenders, Palm Beach neighborhood with a high ratio of renters to homeowners, County Housing and Community Development, and various usually with an ageing infrastructure of roads; sidewalks, if other local governments, have produced in excess of 2,300 any; sparse greenscape; vacant lots. The CDC is simultane- homes on infill lots, from Limestone Creek to the north, to ously doing a property/ownership survey and looking at Delray Beach to the south and west to the Glades. This was assessed values, title status, code enforcement history, and all done one house at a time. Although very time and labor criminal activity. Once this research is done, a likely block intensive, it was very difficult to achieve scale and impact. or two is identified to this comprehensive approach, with an It was also very difficult to maintain momentum in revitaliz- end to purchase properties to rehabilitate or construct new ing the neighborhoods. houses, improve the infrastructure, add attractive lighting and greenscape, organize the neighbors, encourage others to Several years ago, the LISC program adjusted its strategy do façade and yard work and then make the properties avail- toward our work in Palm Beach County. We moved to a more able for sale to new homeowners. We outline a profile below comprehensive approach-we sought to achieve that scale of successful efforts in Palm beach County. and impact in the neighborhoods by bringing together: 1. CDCs that have business plans that include Profile - “The Miracle development. 2. Intense technical assistance, including project develop- on 34th Street” ment consultation. 3. Coordinated debt and equity pools of financing. 4. Market feasibility and analysis. orthwood Business Development Corporation, (NBDC), 5. Homebuyer education and credit counseling. Nunder the leadership of Executive Director, Terri Murray, 6. Development teams with frequent, scheduled project brought together LISC, the City of West Palm Beach and devel- meetings. oper, Complete Property Management Inc., to collaborate on 7. Neighborhood planning processes. the first comprehensive Model Block Project in Palm Beach. 8. Good design and site plans. Investment in nine 9 homes coupled with façade improve- 9. Public/private partnerships. ments to 14 neighboring homes, along with street improve- 10. Meaningful involvement by neighbors. ments, traffic calming, lush landscaping, and attractive light- ing, resulted in a project that has catalyzed surrounding areas. We call this concept our Signature Projects Portfolio, a com- Other neighborhoods are now clamoring for their own model prehensive approach to revitalizing neighborhoods bringing block. This Northwood neighborhood had strong assets - together mixed use, mixed income projects involving hous- excellent location, close to downtown, near to a beautiful his- ing, commercial/retail/office, educational, community and toric neighborhood, diverse neighbors, a nearby homeowners' child care facilities. The Model Block Program is part of association - as well as strong liabilities - absentee landlords, this strategy. homes with deferred maintenance, lack of greenscape, per- ceived and real crime, and few nearby services. Page 3 We have learned that the Model Block Concept can be replicated. The neighborhood must have strong assets, along with the liabilities. Essential elements are: • Flexible sources of financing that can underwrite the cost of rehabilitation while keeping the homes affordable to first time homebuyers. • Positive public relations to draw attention to the successes of the model block project and help change perceptions about the neighborhood. NBDC had recently expanded its mission and geographic barriers beyond a commercial district to include distressed • The commitment of the local government and an blocks bordering a healthy residential area and neighbor- intermediary like LISC to provide financial assis- hood business district, which is showing signs of coming tance and make the improvements to the block back to life. infrastructure. NBDC, LISC, the City of West Palm Beach and Harris Trust • A strong nonprofit with a dedicated board and staff Bank/Bank of Montreal invested a total of $1.6 million in the that has at least some background in housing devel- project which involved the acquisition and rehabilitation of opment and rehabilitation. nine, (9), investor-owned properties, which were later sold to low- and moderate-income families, façade improvements to • An active