MARC-NAHRO News Brief - February 2019

NEWS BRIEF

February 2019

Message from President Marsha Parham-Green

I am looking forward to everyone’s participation in the 2019 Regional Conference. For the first time we will have HUD representatives on site for RAD Technical Assistance. Please submit your suggestions for topics directly to our Regional Service Officer at MARC@nahro.org. The time is drawing near. We need all our vendors to participate as well as our various state chapters. I am looking forward to seeing all the State Chapter Presidents at the Presidents Reception. We will conclude the conference planning at the Washington Conference in April. See you there.

Marsha J. Parham-Green

MARC-NAHRO

President

Regional News

Housing Authority Program Helped Pittsburgh Woman Buy First Home

Danielle Fest is a public housing success story.

The 38-year-old single mother is a recovering drug addict. She’s lived in at least a half dozen places over the past 10 years and was homeless at one point. She relied on a federal Housing Choice Voucher Program known as Section 8 to help pay rent until 2017.

Then, a Section 8 counselor told her about the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh’s home ownership program, which provides subsidies to income eligible residents for home purchases. In June, Fest and her 11-year-old daughter Angelina moved into their new home in Pittsburgh’s Crafton Heights neighborhood.

See entire story here.

The Housing Authority of Pittsburgh Helped 21 families Purchase Homes in 2018

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh in 2018 helped 21 low-income families – five more than in 2017 – purchase homes.

Mayor Bill Peduto’s office reported the families purchased homes ranging in price from $67,500 to $143,500 in Hazelwood, the North Side, Lincoln-Larimer, the South Side, the Hill District, Knoxville, Garfield, Homewood, Carrick, Crafton Heights, the West End and Sheraden.

HACP’s Homeownership Program provides income-eligible residents with mortgage assistance and money for closing costs. Sixteen families purchased homes through the program in 2017.

Residents who qualify for Section 8 housing vouchers or low-income housing through the housing authority can participate in the program as long as they are a first-time homebuyer, have been continuously employed full-time for at least one year and have a minimum household income of $17,000 or less.

City Home Ownership Program Assists Record Numbers of Low to Moderate Income Families

Mayor William Peduto and the Housing Authority City of Pittsburgh are proud to announce that the authority’s homeownership program helped 21 low-to-moderate income families purchase homes last year, a five-fold increase since the program was relaunched in 2014.

All 21 households received closing cost assistance and 12 received a soft second mortgage – a forgivable mortgage with no monthly payment provisions for a term of 10 years. The average amount of closing cost assistance granted was $5,157 and the average amount of the second deferred mortgage issued was $27,293. The sales prices of the homes purchased range from $143,500 to $67,500.

The homes are located throughout the City of Pittsburgh, including the following communities: Hazelwood, North Side, Lincoln-Larimer, Sout Side, Hill District, Knoxville, Garfield, Homewood, Carrick, Crafton Heights, West End and Sheraden.

See entire story here.

Check out HACP's new website!

NJNAHRO

Spring Conference

May 6-9, 2019

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

Atlantic City

Conference Information and Registration

Delaware NAHRO Presents

Understanding the Fair Housing Ac t

March 7, 2019

Polytech Adult Education Center

Woodside, DE

8:30am – 12:00 noon - for Housing Managers, Management Agents, Owners/Landlords & Realtors
12:30pm – 4:00pm - for Maintenance Staff & Personnel

“Fair housing opens doors and strengthens communities”

More Information and Registration

PHA Celebrates Move to New Headquarters on Ridge Avenue Commercial Corridor

The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) formally dedicated its new headquarters building at 2013 Ridge Avenue today. The building is part of a multi-phased, mixed use development under the Sharswood/Blumberg Transformation Plan. The housing authority has consolidated a number of offices and functions at this location.

“The opening of our new headquarters here in Sharswood shows that we are keeping our promises to the community,” said PHA President and CEO Kelvin Jeremiah. “Our new property will be an anchor along the Ridge Avenue commercial corridor. By its very design, it is a beacon, a shining light. It is a landmark that neighborhood residents can point to with pride. I want to thank the U-S Department of Housing and Urban Development along with our other partners who have made this jewel possible.”

See entire press release here.

Housing Authority of the City of Bayonne

SENIORS AND STUDENTS SHARE ART

A WORK OF ART – Artists in the Bayonne Art Project (BAP) recently unveiled their inaugural painting at Back Bay Gardens. From left to right are Teacher Christopher Wolfer, Cindy Gonzalez Munoz, Kayah Vanliew, Erica Prudon, Julieanne Castillo and BHA Afterschool Coordinator/BHS Teacher Michale Olesky. Missing are Iris Garcia and Aliyah Leighton.

In an effort to both enhance the living experience of Bayonne Housing Authority senior/disabled residents and provide Bayonne High School art students an additional venue to create and display their talents, the Bayonne Art Project (BAP) was born.

Students were brought to the Back Bay Gardens building to work on the project. It was a beneficial opportunity for both students and residents alike. The residents were able to observe the creative process these talented young adults are learning and have original art work displayed in the building. The students were able to have a vehicle to display their work while enhancing the atmosphere of the building.

For the inaugural project, the students had the unique opportunity to create a winter scene painting that is displayed in the main lobby of the building.

“The project intention is to create new paintings on at least a semiannual basis,” said BHA Executive Director John Mahon. “We are hoping that this successful first collaboration leads to more frequent paintings and possibly leading to varied artistic endeavors as well as including some of the other BHA communities.”

It was thought that this undertaking would be a win-win situation: providing original artwork for the Back Bay community, allowing the students a venue to create and display their talents and fostering an interaction between the residents and the students.

“Who knows where this may lead? Maybe we can match up some of our talented residents with some of the students and they can jointly work on painting,” Mahon added.

The BHA wants to thank all involved and appreciates the willingness of Bayonne High School and the Bayonne Board of Education to partner with the BHA to enhance the lives of residents of the BHA community while providing an opportunity to help the students enhance their educational experience.

2019 South Africa

Professional Exchange

The National Association of Social Housing Organizations in South Africa and the Maryland Association of Housing and Redevelopment Agencies in the USA are entered into a 5-year MOU to engage in professional exchange for the purpose of studying best practices in social/affordable housing and community development. The MOU was signed in the Spring of 2016 and will expire in May 2021. In 2017, the first Professional Exchange was held in the State of Maryland and the District of Columbia. Six delegates from South African participated in a 10-day study tour consisting of site visits, roundtable discussions, participation in the Mid Atlantic Regional Council of NAHRO’s Annual Conference, meetings with State Officials and Academics, and cultural activities. The delegates toured affordable properties managed by several housing authorities in Anne Arundel, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George, and Talbot Counties. They had roundtable discussions with the University of Maryland’s Colvin Institute of Real Estate Development and with staff at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. They toured economic development sites in Baltimore City and attended a presentation by Baltimore County on Mobility Counseling.

Details and Application Information

TAKE A BITE OUT OF BLIGHT

Pennsylvania communities now have a new tool to help fight blight. Act 33 was a big political win for the Pennsylvania Association of Housing & Redevelopment Authorities (PAHRA). The Act grants redevelopment authorities the same powers formerly allotted to land banks through the Pennsylvania Land Bank Act.

The new legislation enables redevelopment authorities to take an even more active role in acquiring and rehabilitating blighted properties and neighborhoods. Sponsoring Senator Pat Stefano stated, “Unfortunately, blight is like a cancer that spreads rapidly through our neighborhoods and risks the safety and economic vitality of the communities we serve.”

PAHRA extends our appreciation to Andrew French, Executive Director, Fayette County Redevelopment Authority for his tireless advocacy efforts on this legislation. Andrew is a former MARC NAHRO President, past member of the PAHRA Board of Directors, past Chair and current member of the PAHRA Legislative Committee and the PAHRA Professional Development Committee.

French reports that since passage of the original Land Bank Act in 2012, his agency has acquired and rehabilitated 9 properties for resale to low-income homebuyers; rehabilitated 33 owner-occupied residential properties; demolished over 40 residential and 7 commercial blighted properties; and aided in the construction of over 40 new homes for sale to first-time, low-income homebuyers.

The Redevelopment Authority of Westmoreland County, headed by Executive Director April Kopas, operates one of PA’s first land banks through a service agreement between the 2 entities. They recently reached 2 significant milestones in their efforts to revitalize communities: acquisition of their 100 ^th property; and sale of their 70 ^th property.

The Housing Authority of the County of Chester (HACC) was Awarded 21 Family Unification Program (FUP) Vouchers by HUD

HACC has partnered with the Chester County Department of Human Services, the Chester County Department of Community Development and the Chester County Department of Children Youth and Families to ensure proper referrals, eligibility and supportive services.

These 21 vouchers are specifically for families and youth, further defined as follows:

FUP-Eligible Family is defined as a family that the Public Child Welfare Agency (PCWA) has certified as a family for whom the lack of adequate housing is a primary factor in the imminent placement of the family’s child, or children, in/out-of-home care, or in the delay of discharge of a child, or children, to the family from out-of-home care, and that the PHA has determined as eligible for a Housing Choice Voucher (HCV).
FUP-Eligible Youth is defined as a youth that the PCWA has certified to be at least 18 years old, and not more than 24 years of age, and who has left foster care, or will leave foster care within 90 days, in accordance with a transition plan described in section 475(5)(H) of the Social Security Act, and is homeless or is at risk of becoming homeless at age 16 or older. As required by statute, a FUP voucher issued to such a youth may only be used to provide housing assistance for the youth for a maximum of 36 months.

The HACC is issuing Family Unification Program vouchers along with other special voucher programs in an effort to maximize community resources and to end homelessness in Chester County in partnership with the Decade to Doorways Initiative.

For more information please see our website, www.haccnet.org

To learn more about the County’s Decade to Doorways Initiative please visit www.decadetodoorways.org

New Affordable Housing Coming to Randle Heights Neighborhood in Washington, DC

Wearing hardhats and armed with shovels, city and community leaders celebrated the groundbreaking of Ainger Place Apartments, a new affordable housing community being constructed along Ainger Place, SE, in Washington, D.C.’s Ward 8. The event was hosted by Ainger Place Apartments’ developers: The Michaels Organization, Emmanuel Baptist Church, and Ainger Place Development Corporation.

“We are very grateful to The Bowser Administration, the City Council, the local ANC, and everyone else in this community whose strong support for new, high quality affordable housing has enabled us to celebrate this milestone today” said Christopher Earley, Michaels’ Vice President of Development.

Ainger Place Apartments will offer 72 spacious and environmentally conscious apartments in a mix of one one-, two, and three-bedroom layouts. Centered around Courtyard of green space, the three-story elevator building, will have on-site parking as well as a fitness area, a community club room and a business center.

“Mayor Muriel Bowser and the developers of Ainger Place share a bold vision: working together to provide more safe and affordable housing for District residents. Thanks to a large commitment from the Housing Production Trust Fund, the vision is becoming a reality and sets a strong example of the partnerships needed to further expand affordable housing across the city,” says DHCD Director Polly Donaldson.

The community will be 100 percent affordable for families with incomes up to 50 percent of the Area’s Median Income (AMI) and will have eight apartments permanently set-aside for the formerly homeless. The community spaces will be the site of programming and supportive services from non-profit service providers, including the locally based organization Open Arms Housing. Additional services will be provided by Better Tomorrows, a non-profit organization that currently serves more than 100 affordable communities within Michaels’ portfolio, offering a range of services focused on educational success, health and wellbeing, financial literacy, and community empowerment.

“The DC Housing Finance Agency commends The Michaels Organization and Emmanuel Baptist Church for its vision to bring new modern and yet affordable apartment homes to Ward 8’s Randle Heights neighborhood. Ainger Place Apartments was the first development financed by DCHFA in FY 2019. Financing homes affordable to the residents of the District is at the core of our mission and we look forward to continued collaboration with our counterparts throughout Mayor Bowser’s Administration and The Michaels Organization on this soon to be delivered community” said Todd A. Lee, DCHFA Executive Director & CEO.

Financing for the $29.3 Million housing development will be 100 percent affordable for families with incomes up to 50 percent of the Area’s Median Income (AMI) and will have eight apartments permanently set-aside for the formerly homeless. Financing includes $10.1 million raised through the sale of federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits, $13.75 million via tax exempt bonds, issued by the D.C. Housing Finance, Agency, a $5.95 million HUD FHA-insured loan from SunTrust Bank, and $10.69 million from the Washington, D.C.’s Housing Production Trust Fund. The D.C. Housing Authority will provide rent subsidies for 18 of the units, which include the 8 designated as permanent supportive housing, and 10 that are reserved for households earned 30 percent or less of AMI.

Once complete, The Michaels Organization, the largest, privately owned owner of affordable housing in the country, will provide property management services to Ainger Place. Addition members of the development team include Bozzuto Construction, which is serving as the general contractor, and local architect McKissack & McKissack. Kitchen & Associates is the supervisory architect. The tax credits were syndicated by Riverside Capital.

Construction is anticipated to take about 15 months.

Article contributed by The Michaels Organization .

Click here for Conference Flyer

NAHRO NEWS

2019 NAHRO Merit College Scholarship

In 2017, The National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) established the NAHRO Merit College Scholarship Program. Eight scholarships are awarded nationwide to candidates, one from each NAHRO region, who are pursuing a post-secondary degree. The scholarships will be judged by the NAHRO Scholarship Committee, which is comprised of Housing America Task Force members who accept and review the scholarship applications.

The eight regional scholarship winners will each receive a $1,000 scholarship. From the eight regional recipients, a first- and a second-place winner chosen by the NAHRO Scholarship Committee will receive an additional $5,000 and $2,000 award, respectively. Each region will submit an application of their choice from their own scholarship program.

Applications and photos must be sent to MARC at MARC@nahro.org by June 7th. The MARC Scholarship Committee will judge the applications and select a winner to advance to the national level.

Scholarship Application

2019 NAHRO Biennial Elections

The NAHRO leadership changes hands biennially with the election of a President and Senior Vice President by the NAHRO membership.

Campaigning for biennial elections begins at national conferences in even-numbered years and concludes with the election in the fall in odd-numbered years. NAHRO Associates and Allied Individual members are eligible to seek the office of NAHRO President or Senior Vice President.