2000 Best Practice Awards

304 Job Creation through Small Business Development & Retention
Marshall, Texas
Contact: Janet Cook (903) 935-4455

The community’s strategy for economic opportunity in the community is to provide opportunities for education and employment. To accomplish this goal the city informally adopted two policies to undertake this strategy. First, the community must have jobs available which pay good wages. Second, in order for citizens of the community to benefit from the availability of skilled jobs that have higher wages they must have high quality training in basic academic skills and advanced technologies that are in demand in industry today. To pursue this strategy the community undertook four projects or programs. These were 1) to develop in Marshall a campus of the highly-regarded Texas State Technical College to bring to the community high-quality technical training in demand by employers paying higher wages; 2) to support literacy education; 3) to undertake an aggressive small business development and retention program to create jobs; and, 4) to have funds available to support small business development. Several projects were undertaken to implement this strategy. The first project was the opening in 1990 of a city-owned small business incubator, The Business Development Center. This project was undertaken at a time when the community was suffering from double-digit unemployment and severe economic problems. This was followed by a successful community-wide effort to have the state legislature create and fund the operational costs of a TSTC branch campus in Marshall. The TSTC campus opened in 1993. However, the community has a high adult illiteracy rate. This population cannot fully benefit from technical training or employment opportunities because of their educational level. To help these adults improve their basic skills the City partners with the local literacy council by providing CDBG funds to assist with operational costs. In 1995 local banks formed a bank-sponsored community development corporation. The CDC makes available loan funds to micro-businesses in partnership with the BDC staff who provides to loan applicants technical assistance for preparing business plans and loan applications. A small business loan program will also be offered through the CDC with grant funds from the U. S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Agency awarded to the City of Marshall in 1999. In 1998, the community decided to combine the high technology resources available from TSTC with the expertise of assisting small businesses to expand the BDC into the high-tech incubator field. This expansion called the Center for Applied Technology, will open in October 1999 in a 19,000 square foot technology-smart building on the TSTC campus. With the emerging information and communication technologies rural areas can accommodate high-technology businesses and the higher-paying jobs they bring. However, without aggressively supporting these businesses rural areas may not fully participate in economic development related to these technologies. The close relationship between the incubator and TSTC will provide opportunities for technology transfer and technical assistance from the TSTC staff. At the same time, the incubator concept is being used to encourage micro-business development in two categories. An existing building is being opened on a limited basis as a retail cooperative for local manufacturers. The cooperative will give these manufacturers of products bound for the retail market a place to inexpensively sell their products in a local retail manufacturer’s outlet. This will allow the manufacturer’s to increase revenue and jobs. It is hoped the cooperative will be a springboard for other cooperative ventures among local small manufacturers. Planning for renovation of the 1890s building housing the cooperative is underway. Grant funds have been awarded by the Rural Development Agency. A grant application is pending with the U. S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration. The funds will be used to renovate the building. Following renovation, the retail cooperative can be expanded. A second building focuses on economic opportunities for artists. A former commercial building opened in October 1999 as an arts incubator. Both of these projects and the Business Development Center are located in downtown. These projects also are part of an effort to promote economic development in downtown Marshall.

464 Family Self-Sufficiency

The Family Self-Sufficiency program provides 72 Section 8 families with the information and services required to help increase the earned income of the household through productive work. Case management, referral and follow-up services are offered to participants through a non-threatening process. FSS participants take part in development of their individual planning procedure to set 5-year goals. These goals and needs include adult education, parenting skills, job training, transportation, child care, money and stress management and home ownership training. A Contract of Participation is developed that serves as a guide towards their goal completion during the program. Back-up data has been sent under separate cover to elaborate on this description.

554 Plano Community Homes
Plano, Texas
Contact: LeeAnn W. Hubanks (972) 423-6058

Plano Community Homes (PCH) provides a safe and comfortable living environment for low-income persons 62 years of ago and older and persons with physical disabilities to live independently and to age in place. PCH provides service coordination services to ensure that a comprehensive array of supportive services are available to meet the individual needs of the 296 persons served. PCH provides a total of 296 one-bedroom and efficiency apartments that range in size from 410 to 540 square feet and include self-controlled heat/air; emergency pull cord system, stove and frost-free refrigerator, remote storage units, parking, and cable ready hookups. Supportive services include: congregate and delivered meals available on a daily basis; wellness centers; transportation services; health, educational, recreational, and socialization programs, daily exercise programs; music programs, and weekly Bible studies and other religious services. Resident councils are active in planning and implementing all activities. Approximately 25% of the tenants are non- English speaking (Asian-Americans, Russians, and Hispanics) on the day of admission. PCH coordinates English classes for these tenants to increase communication and facilitate socialization. Service coordination also advocates for benefits and entitlements, provides crisis interventions and conflict resolution services, and facilitates transfers to more appropriate housing when the need occurs.

833 South Side on Lamar (former Sears, Roebuck Catalog Building):
Dallas, Texas
Contact: Peter M. Coughlin (214) 428-4848

South Side on Lamar is the anchor building in a 17.5 acre planned mixed use development project containing commercial, residential, retail, and entertainment areas adjacent to the Central Business District of Dallas, Texas. The building is the former Sears, Roebuck Catalog Merchandise Center that was built in 1912. The one million-plus square foot, nine-story building is being redeveloped into 455 residential loft units plus retail and entertainment areas. The environmental concerns being addressed in this Brownfield site include underground storage tanks, asbestos-containing materials, and lead-based paint. HUD provided the mortgage insurance on this project under the 221(d)4 program for $64.4 million, the largest multi-family project ever insured under this program. Of the 455 multifamily development, 30% of the units will meet HUD's criteria for affordable housing. HUD's commitment to the redevelopment of this historic building served as the catalyst for the redevelopment of the entire 17.5 acre project that will include a number of other buidlings (six buildings already in redevelopment), the construction of a major entertainment area, Gilley's of Dallas, Texas, (in construction), and the construction of the new Dallas Police Department Headquarters, a hotel, and several restaurants. Southside on Lamar Developer Jack Matthews gave the City of Dallas, the land for the new Dallas Police Headquarters. The Guilley's entertainment complex alone will contain more than 100,000 sq feet of convention space, 55,000 sq ft of amusement area, 40,000 square feet of restaurants and over 20,000 sq ft of retail space. This project is creating more than 1,500 new jobs for Dallas. South Side on Lamar is registered as a National Historic Landmark. South Side on Lamar will be a vibrant 24-hour, seven-days-a-week community that helps redefine downtown Dallas.

851 Habitat Circle - City of Tyler, Texas

The project involved the construction of seven homes on land that was owned by the City of Tyler. The City cleared the site and made the property available for development of Single Family homes. They also provided money to construct streets and drainage for the sites as a part of the inducement for the homes to be developed, and to reduce the target cost of the property to the non-profit developer. This allowed for a reduced mortgage which effectively lowered the debt service required by the homeowner, thus making the houses affordable. Habitat for Humanities worked in cooperation with private partners, including Target, Carrier Air Conditioning, Incorporated, and local churches to provide materials and technical expertise to complete construction of the houses. The residents provided labor for the construction, which involved the completion of the seven houses during the period June 1998 through December, 1999. The last house closed on December 22, 1999, and all families were moved into their new homes before the end of 1999. The City used $30,000 to leverage investment of over $300,000 to build these seven new homes for low income families.

915 HOPE LINE:
Dallas, Texas
Contact: Terri Marshall (214) 583-2034

The HOPE LINE was created in response to the growing rate in drug related crimes, drug usage and trafficking, mentally ill patients who reside in the Dallas Housing Authority property, aggravated assaults and undesirable behaviors of residents living in high rise and family developments. The HOPE LINE is a partnership with Cedars Hospital a substance abuse and mental illness treatment facility, to provide a 24 hour hotline service management system for residents. When a resident calls the HOPE LINE a trained telephone hotline counselor may do one or more of the following: conduct a telephone chemical dependency and/or mental health assessment, make a referral to a social service agency, dispatch a crisis team, assign a social worker, contact the primary care giver and/or medical doctor for the caller, contact the Dallas Housing Authority property manager and resident service coordinator, call emergency medical service (911) or call a police officer. The HOPE LINE provides the Dallas Housing Authority with intake information pertaining to resident assistance in an effort to allow appropriate follow up by the Dallas Housing Authority staff, Transformation Ministry (faith based organization) as well as Cedars Hospital staff. The HOPE LINE also provides workshops for Dallas Housing Authority staff to educate about preventive and awareness training. The workshops are conducted by trained staff from various social disciplines and medical professions. The program is marketed to residents by flyers, business cards, refrigerator magnets and workshops conducted in the developments by Cedar Hospital and Resident Services staff.

948 The Family Place
Dallas, Texas
Contact: Paige Flink (214) 559-2170

The Family Place’s Supportive Housing Program (SHP) addresses the problems of a special needs, high-risk population of homeless abused women and they’re witnessing children. The purpose of the program is to facilitate the movement of homeless domestic violence victims to permanent housing within a 24-month period. Supportive housing and services enable these homeless families to begin living independently. Once the immediate crises of danger and homelessness have been temporarily resolved, these clients address the following self-sufficiency issues: achieving residential stability; increasing job skills and/or income; and demonstrating greater self-determination. Before this program began, many of these women and their children had nowhere to go after staying in various emergency shelter programs in the city. As a result many of them unfortunately were forced to return to their batterers.

The Family Place was the first agency providing services for victims of family violence in the Dallas area. The grass roots effort began in 1977 when a Dallas City Council member being broadcast on the radio told family violence advocates that she would rather give money to an animal shelter than to a crisis hotline for battered women. This comment underlined the tragic indifference in the community to the plight of abused women and children. Two women, Joan Weston and our founder Gerry Beer, began to explore ways to address the issue. Gerry secured volunteers and later funding from the National Coalition of Jewish Women, Greater Dallas Section, and the Junior League of Dallas to begin a hotline and outreach counseling.

1171 FSS Makes Connections
Longview, Texas
Contact: Unell Bisor (903) 237-1205

This best practice provides a means for FSS participants to keep in contact with FSS staff at a minimum of a monthly basis (families are required to contact the FSS office at least once a month). Beyond mere contact though, this best practice provides a means for information to be disseminated to FSS participants through an informal newsletter, and a directory (updated every two years) of participants. The directory helps families keep in touch and provide resources for each other.

1199 FTHB with Rehabilitation Program
Longview, Texas
Contact: Linda Strotheide (903) 237-1201

The City of Longview, Texas is using Home Funds to take it's First Time Home Buyer's Program to a new dimension by providing low to moderate income families with the opportunity to obtain safe and affordable housing. The program is designed to revitalize home ownership, save existing housing stock, promote pride and rebeautification in Longview's Southside area that is inundated with rental homes. Since the programs inception, nine diverse families have realized their dream of home ownership.

1571 Family Gateway
Dallas, Texas
Contact: Edward Harris (214) 767-8259

Family Gateway, in cooperation with the religious community, private sector and governmental entities, provides comprehensive services to children whose families are in crisis: counseling, temporary housing, job search and placement assistance, transitional living apartments and community transition services. The program offers training and counseling which are intended to restore dignity, stability and self-sufficiency to the family unit. All programs and environments are designed to create an atmosphere of emotional, social and economic empowerment. OBJECTIVES + To satisfy the basic need for food and housing for children and their families. + To train/counsel adults to handle effectively personal, social, familial and financial crises. + To reduce anxiety and emotional disturbances caused by the stress of homelessness. + To develop self-esteem/reliance and self-confidence. + To establish stability in school, work, finance, housing and family relations. + To develop awareness of community support systems to aid in day-to-day living in the community. + To prevent homelessness by breaking the cycle which perpetuates poverty in the lives of children. Since November 1986, over 5,600 children have been nurtured and protected and , over 3,000 families in Dallas County have been served in Family Gateway residential programs. Family Gateway evolved from a 1985 mayoral task force study of Dallas' growing problem of family homelessness. A coalition of congregations of varying denominations responded and Family Gateway Center opened its doors in 1986 to serve 30 families per day, or approximately 100 children and adults. Gateway Apartments, renovated in 1990, provides 25 units of transitional housing, where children and their families can reside for up to one year. Gateway to Jobs began job readiness classes and job search assistance in 1994. In February 1995, Family Gateway launched its Community Transition Services for those who completed the residential and job search programs. And, in August 1998, Family Treasures Resale Shop was opened to house our Customer Service Training Program. The Customer Service Training Program has as its goal to graduate 88 students with a job placement rate of 82% in its first year. It’s first year netted 99 graduates with an 86% placement rate. In 1999, Family Gateway was selected as a Dallas Morning News Charity for the 14th consecutive year and was received the "Outstanding Shelter Organization Award from the Texas Homeless Network.

1601 SSW – It’s a Woman’s Thing
Longview, Texas
Contact: Unell Bisor (903) 237-1205

This six-week program was developed primarily for women to help them build up their self-esteem and soft skills in order to react effectively in given situations. It helps them learn the difference between assertiveness and aggressiveness, and encourages them to be advocates for themselves, and to find resources in the community that they can utilize for their betterment.

1650 Dallas County Home Loan Counseling Center
Dallas, Texas
Contact: Joyce B. Doss (214) 767-8312

The Dallas county Home Loan Counseling Center began operations in February of 1989. The Dallas County Home Loan Counseling Center is a comprehensive home ownership, counseling and down payment assistance program. The mission of the Home Loan Counseling Center is to increase home ownership by eliminating specific identifiable barriers to successful home ownership encountered by low and moderate income families by addressing the following objectives: 1. Provide at no cost to home buyers, home purchase counseling and education in the categories of: A. Pre-Purchase B. Pre-Occupancy C. Budgeting/Money Management D. Post Purchase E. Mortgage Default F. HECM 2. Provide financial assistance through the County's Upfront Cost Assistance Program (UPCAP) to qualified first-time home buyers. 3. Coordinate the delivery of County HFC Mortgage Bond/MCC Programs when issued to assure low and moderate income first-time homebuyer access. 4. Work with lenders and secondary mortgage market providers on lending policies and unnecessarily stringent underwriting criteria, as the need arises, to broaden home ownership opportunities to low and moderate income buyers.

1710 AIDS Services of Dallas - HILLCREST HOUSE PROJECT
Dallas, Texas
Contact: Edward Harris (214) 767-8259

Hillcrest House is a 64-unit SRO Special Care Facility licensed by the Texas Department of Health (TDH) that is operated by AIDS Services of Dallas. As Dallas’ second SRO project serving homeless individuals, Hillcrest House is unique in that it provides its services to individuals who are homeless and living with HIV/AIDS. This project began providing services in September 1996 and is partially funded through project-based Section 8 rental assistance. Designed to provide service-enriched housing to individuals living with HIV/AIDS, each apartment at Hillcrest contains approximately 400 square feet. Common areas on each floor are equipped with a kitchen and dining area as well as a residents lounge that is available for residents’ community and recreational activities. Office space is provided for the Nursing, Personal Care Aides and the social work staff. The basement in this facility was recently renovated to provide a large commercial kitchen, centralized dining area, and office space for medical and social case managers. Completion of this project occurred in late 1999. Pursuant to the Texas Health and Safety Code §248.029(e), ASD elected Hillcrest House to be designated as a Residential AIDS Hospice; however, ASD chooses not utilize the term "hospice" in its name or informational literature. The agency’s purpose has always included the concept of empowering people to live with AIDS/HIV. Since the supportive services provided by ASD include the standards outlined in Texas Health and Safety Code §248.029(b)(1) through (5), ASD elected this designation to ensure compliance with the law. Adapting such a designation ensures that the programs and overall operations at Hillcrest House must meet superior standards of care. ASD has done much to identify and eliminate structural barriers in order to make Hillcrest House fully accessible and in compliance with guidelines mandated by the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). Hillcrest is equipped with an elevator and all common and living areas are wheelchair accessible. All Standards of Care have been developed in accordance with the TDH Special Care Facilities Licensing Rules. In addition to the TDH requirements, all units occupied by residents meet or exceed HUD's Housing Quality Standards. Hillcrest House is located southwest of the Dallas central business district in north Oak Cliff on bus routes serving the downtown area, major medical facilities and the Jefferson Boulevard business district. Hillcrest House is also located close to where homeless populations congregate, which makes its services more accessible to this target population. The close proximity of Hillcrest House to major medical facilities, other AIDS service organizations and major bus routes assist residents with timely and effective service delivery. Parkland Health and Hospital System is located approximately five (5) miles to the north. Shopping within the immediate area is limited to small convenience stores; however, there are supermarkets and retail shops available by public transportation on Jefferson Boulevard, approximately two miles away. Lake Cliff Park, a principal focal point for the area, is located one block away. The multicultural neighborhood of single-family homes and small apartment buildings is accessible to interstate highways, I-35E to the north and south and I-30 to the east and west. Hillcrest House has been carefully designed to provide residents with a safe and secure living environment in and around its perimeters. The facility is equipped with fire safety features and a security system that provides 24-hour outside monitoring of the building with access provided by a coded gated entryway. Medical alert devices may be assigned to any resident requiring increased monitoring or who need quick access to emergency care. Residents at Hillcrest House are provided with a broad range of services carefully designed to empower them to cope with the cyclical impact HIV/AIDS has on people living with a disease that often compromises their complete independence. Hillcrest House provides the following services to its resident population: Housing in furnished, medically supportive apartments for homeless individuals with incomes significantly below the federal poverty line. Home Health Care on a 24-hour basis by ASD's staff of Personal Care Aides (PCAs). The Home Health Care program provides personal care and general housekeeping support to residents. Additionally, PCAs provide an emotional support system for residents who must contend with the trauma that results from learning the skills necessary to live with AIDS/symptomatic HIV. When needed, PCAs provide assistance with the routine tasks of daily living for residents, many of whom often encounter difficulty accomplishing everyday activities. Social Work by a professional staff of on-site case managers who provide individual and group counseling for a range of issues and dual diagnoses such as substance abuse, chronic mental illness, and AIDS-related emotional stress. Volunteer Support providing residents with nutritional and social support from a large base of culturally diverse and caring individuals. The Supper Club program provides Hillcrest House residents with nutritious evening meals on a monthly basis. Volunteer support also provides grounds maintenance, hair cutting and other services and activities for residents. Medical Case Management administered by an on-site registered nurse who coordinates the medical care of residents with local health providers. The nurse is responsible for the design and implementation of resident’s health maintenance programs at Hillcrest House. Food Services providing breakfast and lunch for all residents, five days per week. The cooks ensure that proper nutrition and healthy diets are provided to a population with special needs that may constantly vary due to the health status of that particular person. Maintaining an adequate diet assists residents in sustaining their health and helps to prevent unnecessary hospitalizations. Outreach to the Dallas area HIV-infected homeless population is provided through collaboration between ASD and the City of Dallas Department of Environmental and Health Services.

2107 Home Again: Transitional Housing with Supportive Services
Dallas, Texas
Contact: Charles Eldridge (214) 767-8300

In Dallas' 1999 homeless count, 2,200 individuals, 298 individuals in families, 600 children in families, and 42 unaccompanied youth (a total of 3,154) were counted. This does not reflect the homeless who are moving from place to place or living in their cars or abandoned buildings. We receive telephone calls from homeless persons who will not tell us where they are sleeping for fear of being discovered and ousted. In February, 2000, there were 4,268 persons on the Section 8/voucher waiting list, and 4,391 on the public housing waiting list. Many, many more are eligible: we hear over and over again: 'What's the use? It takes a year to get housing." The hard core homeless in particular cannot access this resource. Singles under 65 are not admitted unless they have a disability, and one needs an address to be on a PHA waiting list. (HCC deals with many families who were on the waiting list, but because of frequent moves never received the letter telling them to come in for' an appointment. They are told they must reapply and start over.) Even though homeless singles overall make up the largest number of homeless persons, the largest increase is in the number of homeless children. If these families with children do not receive help, the children may end up incarcerated---as indeed is the case with older siblings in some of the families we are helping. We also find that mothers with children are often the most eager of our clients to work with self improvement programs, in order to provide a home for their children.

The project serves homeless singles as well as families who come to Housing Crisis Center (HCC) from shelters and from the street. All of the participants in one of the programs, and many of the participants in the other two, have mental health problems and/or are recovering from substance abuse. The program objective is to provide long term solutions to homelessness rather than short term temporary remedies. Within a supportive, structured framework, the program offers extensive case management intervention and client advocacy as the participants progress toward self-reliance. Case plans are goal oriented. While they collectively share specific criteria, they are also constructed to address individual situations and needs. The overall goal is independence and self sufficiency, which requires securing and maintaining gainful employment which in turn assures the client's ability to sustain housing. Clients are screened through an intake process, and often must achieve a few simple goals before entering the program, in order to evaluate their ability to function and desire to change. Once admitted to the program, the case managers help their clients find suitable housing. The cost of these leased units account for 76% of the HUD grants.Clients are free to find housing on their own, as long as it meets the inspection done by the case manager, is in a suitable environment, and is within the cost limits the program can pay. However, the case managers have developed relationships with apartments that will admit participants who have felony convictions or other problems that would ordinarily bar them from housing. Housing Crisis Center provides monthly bus passes until clients are able to buy these on their own, and the case managers introduce them to all the services available to them both within and without the agency. Within HCC these include: * Women Helping Women, an HCC mentoring program in which women are paired with other women who have overcome similar problems and that allows women to discuss self-help methods at monthly meetings. Other meetings are practical: how to save money on utility bills or how to apply for home ownership programs. There is a social time, as well as activities for the children. * Workshops in tenant-landlord law so that participants can learn how to avoid or solve problems in an appropriate manner with their landlords. * Money management classes: These are provided both by Consumer Credit Counseling and by HCC volunteers who do one-on-one budgets with participants. *Legal help with bad credit or other housing related problems that will make it difficult for clients to obtain housing when they leave the program.

2401 NATIONAL YOUTH SPORTS PROGRAM (NYSP)
Marshall, Texas
Contact: Milton H. Williams (903) 938-0717

Each year the Marshall Housing Authority provides transportation and assistance in getting the youth who live in public housing to a local college to participate in the National Youth Sports Program (NYSP). The NYSP is supported by a grant from the NCAA with the support of the local college. The six week NYSP provides instructions in sport activities along with instructions in citizenship training, nutrition, career opportunities and general exposure to the college environment. Each participant is given a physical before participating in the NYSP and each participant is given each day a meal and snack.

2709 FTHB Assistance with Rehabilitation Grant Program

The City of Longview, Texas is using Home funds to take it's First Time Home Buyer's Program to a new dimension by providing low to moderate income families with the opportunity to obtain safe and affordable housing. The program is designed to revitalize home ownership, save existing housing stock, promote pride and re-beautification in Longview's southside, an older area that has transitioned from home ownership to rental housing within the past 20 years. Since the program's inception, a diverse group of nine families has realized the dream of home ownership.

3082 Oaks at Hampton

The Oaks at Hampton ("Project"), which is a 250 unit affordable multi-family housing development restricted in a Planned Development (PD) to senior citizens 55 years and older only. One hundred percent (100%) of the units are reserved for households earning 60% or less of the Dallas County median income. Project rent figures did not exceed State of Texas tax credit rents at the 50% of area median income. The 1999 rent figure for the 750 and 950 square foot one and two bedroom floor plans would be $545 and $655, respectively. Section 8 vouchers and certificates will also be accepted at this development. The property will be handicapped accessible and will specifically target units for seniors with special needs. The property amenities will include an on-site community center designed and operated to provide a comprehensive range of physical and social services to the residents of the development. The on-site community center will be operated by Housing Services of Texas (HST), a locally based 501 (c)(3) non-profit corporation. Services provided by HST, which will be free to residents, will include a full time social worker, social and recreational activities, transportation, coordination with other local senior service providers, physician referrals, health clinics, exercise classes and other services based on needs of residents. The Oaks at Hampton will be built in a low-density design of 12-14 units per acre, taking advantage of the site topography and open space. Its proximity to the Southwest Dallas Medical Center Hospital and Kiest Park make it particularly appropriate for the senior resident population. The development has received a $9,535,000 tax-exempt bond allocation from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Receiving a reservation for an allocation of tax-exempt bond authority from the State qualified the Project for tax credits of $7,940,000. Approximately $465,000 in taxable bonds were issued for the Project financing. The tax credits were issued and finalized at the closing of the bonds. The State will require a land use restriction agreement be placed on the Project requiring 100% of the units be reserved for households for senior citizens earning 60% or less of the Dallas County median income. The construction developer will be Southwest Housing Development. Expected ground breaking will be June 2000, with an 18-24 month construction and lease-up schedule. The City's Section 108 loan funded land acquisition, eligible site preparation, professional, financing and other non-construction related soft costs in connection with the Project. Texas Hampton Senior Housing, a Texas limited partnership, borrowed $1,500,000 of Neighborhood Renaissance Partnership Section 108 Notes. The terms of the City's NRP Section 108 loan are as follows: an one percent interest rate, which will accrue and will be due and payable along with the full principal amount upon the earlier of: June 30, 2018. The term of the tax-exempt bonds will be 40 years, with a optional pre-payment at the end of the Qualified Project Period for the tax-exempt bonds, which is 15 years from the date on which 50% of the residential units in the Project are first occupied. The City's NRP Section 108 loan is in second lien position, subordinate to the tax-exempt and taxable bonds in an estimated aggregate amount of $10,000,000. Collateral is the 30-acre development site, which will be deed restricted during the term of the City's Section 108 loan to require that 100% of the units be used for affordable multi-family housing for low-and-moderate income senior citizens 55 years or older with incomes of 60% or less of the Dallas County median income. In addition, Texas Hampton Senior Housing, L.P., will provide the City with a Guaranty for the $1,500,000 million loan amount, guaranteeing that the Project will be constructed within 24 months of the closing of the City's NRP Section 108 loan. The reasons for the structure of the loan are the following: The project must pay operating expenses, all long term capital needs, all debt services on the bonds and all deferred development costs before funds can be paid to the City's loan. This is a requirement of the bond issuer and tax credit investor. Furthermore, while the community benefits from the project being rent restricted at 50% of the Area Median Income, which exceeds HUD's national objectives for serving the needs of the low-income senior residents, these benefits limit the cash flow available for other uses. The Project also includes a shopping center on 14 acres near the senior housing. The possibility of a 25, 000 sq. ft. - 125,000-sq. ft. of retail/commercial space will more likely happen since it will be possible to offer attractive rents to quality tenants because of structure of the senior housing financing. Initially the neighborhood expressed a desire to maintain as much of the developer's 159-acre tract as open space. There was deep emotional attachment to the land and that any type of multi-family housing would have an adverse impact on the already overcrowded schools and traffic. Members of the City Council, the developer, city staff, and the neighborhood over the months communicated with each other to find a common ground of agreement. The developer donated 110-acres as open space to the Natural Area Preservation Association, which is non-profit that manages and preserves open space to its natural condition. The non-profit group of Equest will use the open space for equine-assisted therapy and rehabilitation for children and adults. And, the Dallas Off-Road Bicycle Association, another non-profit, will maintain it for off-road bicycle recreational use. Two acres were set aside toward a possible city library site.

3224 Low-Income Tax Credit Funding (Roseland Homes & Lakewest)
Dallas, Texas
Contact: Michelle Raglon (214) 951-8443

The Dallas Housing Authority simultaneously closed on four Low Income Tax Credit deals, the largest undertaking of this kind by any organization in the nation. We have been told that no housing authority has attempted to close as many deals simultaneously. Some professionals who work with the Low Income Tax Credits have stated that the DHA team has done what is characterized as "impossible." The tax credits, in conjunction with approximately$35 million in HOPE VI funds will allow DHA to complete $75 million redevelopment at Roseland Homes, DHA's oldest and largest developments. The area where Roseland Homes now sits has gentrified, and DHA is among few developers providing affordable housing. Three of the deals, 288 units, are being developed in connection with the HOPE VI program for Roseland Homes. In addition to the tax credits, two of the projects also have Private Activity Bonds and Affordable Housing Program (Federal Home Loan Bank) funds and private debt. The second part of the tax credits involves 152 units at Lakewest, where 3,500 barracks-style units existed prior to a desegregation lawsuit. Lakewest will also use Comp Grant funds in addition to the above.

Content Archived: April 20, 2011