2000 Best Practice Awards

2000-603 St. Clare Medical Outreach Wilmington, Delaware Contact: Ronald Giannone (302) 652-5523

St. Clare Medical Outreach, now in its seventh year, is a cooperative project between St. Francis Hospital and the Ministry of Caring. This cooperative effort demonstrates the power of partnerships in meeting the needs of the homeless and the poor. In 1998, the St. Clare Medical Van staff registered 1, 075 new patients and had 8,069 patients' visits. The staff saw an average of 22 patients per day, 27% of whom were children. Staffed by two family physicians, a registered nurse, a bi-lingual medical assistant, and a driver along with rotating medical students and student nurses, the St. Clare Medical Van provides primary care along a scheduled route of various Ministry of Caring sites. Two examination rooms and a general purpose room, each approximately 8’ x 8’ are available for walk-in services on a first-come, first-served basis in a fully equipped, 34 ½-foot custom van. Appropriate referrals are made to various volunteer doctors of specialized medicine as needed. Over 90 physicians who serve on the medical staff of St. Francis Hospital offer pro bono services to treat St. Clare referred patients. Tests and hospitalization are offered through St. Francis Hospital. Prescription medications are provided through physician samples or donations from pharmaceutical companies, or through the Ministry of Caring medical and dental fund.

2000-645 Owens Manor Dover, Delaware Contact: Frank Kelly (302) 678-1965

The Dover Housing Authority will develop a 60 unit, 61,000 square foot building to serve the growing needs of Dover's low to moderate income elderly population. The facility will be constructed on 1.2 acres adjacent to Dover's existing 50 unit elderly facility, Queen Manor. The new building will consist of 1 and 2 bedroom apartments, a community room, a laundry room and office. The two "Manors" will complement each other and provide residents an opportunity to access services and programs administered at either facility.

2000-719 The Housing Capacity Building Program Wilmington, Delaware Contact: Patricia A. Campbell (302) 573-4475

The goal of the Housing Capacity Building Program (HCBP) is to foster a stronger affordable housing delivery system throughout the entire state of Delaware. HCBP focuses on strengthening the organizational capacity of nonprofit housing developers and related housing service providers who build, manage, maintain, or rehabilitate affordable housing or provide services that enhance the ability of lower-income people to find and sustain themselves in decent and affordable housing. HCBP has four districts but overlapping program components: Financial Assistance, Training, Technical Assistance, and information/awareness services.

2000-951 Wilmington Housing Project Wilmington, Delaware Contact: James H. Sills (302) 571-4100

Of the 28,585 households in the City of Wilmington in 1990, 8,861 (31%), had housing problems, either relating to affordability in relation to income, or overcrowding. It was noted that housing problems were most acute for those households with extremely low incomes, where 4,082 (67%) had housing problems. For extremely low-income families, housing problems were most acute for family households and least acute for the elderly. This pattern also held true for very low-income households, where 2,116 (52%) households had housing problems. The City felt that it had to take immediate action to address these problems by developing programs to increase home-ownership, to make housing more affordable to all segments of the population and to provide assistance to existing homeowners throughout the City.

The City planned to accomplish this task through the auction of vacant properties to first time home-buyers, construction subsidies, down-payment and settlement assistance, pre-development loans, construction loans, transfer tax forgiveness, assisted acquisitions and the nurturing of public/private partnerships. With these goals in mind, the City worked with private industry and private financial institutions to help to create the Wilmington Housing Partnership (WHP). This consortium of financial, corporate and governmental institutions committed more than $4,000,000 to the undertaking since its inception.

In addition to the City’s on-going home-owner housing rehabilitation program, a number of new, innovative activities for prospective home-buyers and renters were created and significant progress was made toward meeting the goals and targets that the City had set for itself in this area. A new transfer tax waiver program was developed, as well as a vacant house auction program, a renter assistance program and numerous other activities that quickly became quite successful.

2000-1048 Delaware Rural Housing Project Dover, Delaware Contact: Joe L. Myer (302) 678-9400

The Delaware Rural Housing Consortium, made up of 7 rural housing nonprofit developers organized in 1997 to "Do together what we cannot do alone". Rural nonprofit developers and the people they serve with improved or new housing are often isolated, remote, have access to fewer resources, and cannot adequately and comprehensively address the Continuum of Care of housing needs for very low income, the homeless, and special needs populations. Seven organizations came together to build their own capacity through access to technical assistance, shared grant writing, shared government relations, training and education, creative problem solving, and crafting of a coordinated 3-Year Housing Development Plan. Rather than competing for scarce resources, the Consortium set out to form a state-of-the-art collaborative to empower rural nonprofit members to coordinate their housing development activities to better serve those in need.

2000-1211 Dover First Start Dover, Delaware Contact: Audrey O. Daniels (302) 736-7011

Home ownership has afforded first time home buyers to become contributors to the community and being able to shop for the house of their choice, many monthly mortgages are less than the rental properties. Dover First Start is a program of the City Community Development Office intended to encourage home ownership in the City of Dover. The program assists low and moderate income families with down payment and settlement costs on eligible properties in the City of Dover. Borrower must not have owned a principal residence in the last 3 years, except single parents who have not owned a home for at least one year except as part of a joint ownership. Borrower must have at least $1,000.00 cash (excluding gift money) or one half of the down payment of the house being purchased, whichever is greater. The home to be purchased must be the principal residence of the borrower The buyer must participate in housing counseling through NCALL before signing a sales contract or applying for a mortgage and must be certified prior to closing and the first mortgage must be held by a bank approved by the program. The home buyers ages criteria starts at 21 through 90 years old

2000-1344 Neighborhood Revitalization Fund Dover, Delaware Contact: Christina M. Hardin (302) 739-4263

The Neighborhood Revitalization Fund (NRF), launched by the Delaware State Housing Authority in 1995, addresses the rising problem of substandard housing statewide. The NRF assists low-income homeowners, and landlords renting to low-income families, with housing repairs and structural State Housing Code-related problems. Homeowners may apply for loans up to $35,000 and landlords may apply for loans up to $25,000 per unit. Funds may be used to repair heating, electrical, plumbing, roofing and structure State Housing Code-related problems, or correct other health and safety hazards. Loans may also be used to add handicapped-accessibility to a home. Unlike most housing rehabilitation programs, the NRF requires the communities, not individual homeowners, to undergo a competitive application process to receive funding. The selection of communities by the State's Council on Housing and DSHA is based on the communities' housing rehabilitation needs and their comprehensive neighborhood revitalization plans. Proposals must demonstrate the benefit to, and commitment of, the community at-large. This process promotes community involvement, awareness and cooperation. By making housing repairs possible for entire communities, the program helps restore a sense of pride, a stake in the community and a feeling of belonging among neighborhood residents. Community resident groups, governmental entities and private organizations acting on behalf of community resident groups, may apply for funds. Once communities have been selected to participate, community leaders take an active role in marketing the program to area residents and landlords. For homeowners and landlords to qualify for a loan, they must meet specific income guidelines. DSHA conducts a home inspection and notes any conditions that do not meet State Housing Code standards. These conditions are then repaired by a contractor of the homeowner's choosing. Loans to low-income homeowner's are set at 3% interest with payment deferred until the property title is transferred, the property is sold or is no longer the borrower's primary residence. This deferral ensures that older loan recipients who may bequeath their home to other low-income family members will not be burdened by a loan they cannot afford to repay. For higher-income homeowners and landlords, a portion of the loan may be repaid on a monthly basis. Borrowers can voluntarily repay their loan at any time. This gives the borrowers the option of paying what they are able to afford, instead of adding to their financial burden when money is tight.

2000-1345 Delaware Housing Partnership Dover, Delaware Contact: Christina M. Hardin (302) 739-4263

The Delaware Housing Partnership is a two-fold plan to enable the Delaware State Housing Authority to meet its mission to provide adequate, affordable housing opportunities to Delaware’s low- and moderate-income families. The two main objectives are:

• Generating a revolving loan pool from public and private sector contributions.
• Spurring the statewide construction of more modest, yet high-quality homes within price ranges that low- and moderate-income families should be buying.

From the revolving fund, the Partnership offers six-percent interest down payment and closing cost loans for up to $10,000 to families purchasing homes within communities built under the auspices of the Partnership. Private developers who build these economically integrated communities contract with the Partnership to cap their profits and meet the Partnership’s high quality construction standards in order to access this financial assistance package for its prospective buyers.

2000-1608 Bethel Villa Information Super Highway Wilmington, Delaware Contact: Cheryle Flowers-Jefferson

This is a HUD Neighborhood Network computer training center its mission is to provide comprehensive computer training to the residents and other city residents in contiguous neighborhoods.

2000-1615 1st Mid-Atlantic Fair Housing Summit 2000 Wilmington, Delaware Contact: Gladys B. Spikes (302) 429-0794

This two-day conference was the first, comprehensive Fair Housing education and outreach effort, partnered by the Housing Opportunities of Northern Delaware, a Fair Housing Initiative Program (FHIP) and the Delaware Division of Human Relations, a Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP). The conference spanned a quad state region (Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey). The theme of the conference was "Educating the Housing Consumer in the 21st Century." The conference was designed to educate housing and lending professionals, consumers, seniors and young adults about Fair Housing Laws and how to achieve the same through an extensive, thought-provoking curriculum. The conference brought together a most distinguished panel of professionals in the field of Fair Housing, spearheaded by the Philadelphia FHEO HUB and FHEO staff who acted as trainers and panelists. The conference provided workshops in Fair Housing Laws, Mortgage Lending, Predatory Lending, First Time Homebuying, Insurance Redlining, Environmental Justice, Land Development, Zoning, Advertising and Its Effects, Fair Housing Testing, Home Life Management, Young Adult Workshops: Civil Rights, Student Rights Issues, Media Influences, Money Management, Affordable Health Insurance, Home Decorating, How to Be a Wise Renter. The Summit’s curriculum met the criteria for college credit. The Summit offered the opportunity to acquire knowledge, identify problems, provide and develop working plans to implement solutions to eliminate discrimination, and create strong neighborhoods through equal access to affordable, decent housing, quality health and improved quality of life.

2000-2016 2nd Annual Veteran’s Homecoming Event, October 22, 1999 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Contact: Alvin D. Harbaugh (215) 656-0509

Invitational event hosted by the Veteran’s Administration by which a myriad of Federal Agencies, Congressional Offices, and Private Assistance and Non-Profit Organizations provide booths to provide specialized information concerning homeownership, social services, and other needs. While primarily focused upon veterans, this event is open to the public.

2000-2024 Conerstone West Wilmington, Delaware Contact: Paul Calistro (302) 658-4171

Cornerstone West is a collaborative effort of St. Francis Hospital, West End Neighborhood House, and the community, to revitalize the area around the hospital. St. Francis hospital, located at the center of this community, had several properties that it had acquired in preparation for an expansion that did not occur. West End Neighborhood House and the other partners recognized that this was a very important resource but they recognized that the institution's mission was not to rehabilitate or manage property. The result was a collaborative effort, with each partner bringing their own strengths and resources. The first project taken on by the Cornerstone West collaborative was the rehabilitation of 56 properties, the majority of which were vacant. The West Side is a stable neighborhood sometimes called "Little Italy" for its high proportion of persons of Italian decent and location of many Italian restaurants. The area has a high percentage of homeowners but residents were starting to see changes including an increased number of long term vacant and increased rentals.

2000-2044 Eastside Homeownership Zone Wilmington, Delaware Contact: Robert Weir (302) 571-4153

The Eastside Homeownership Zone is a concentrated and comprehensive approach to community change in a six block area including selective demolition, new construction, vacant housing rehabilitation, and streetscape improvements. The project is being coordinated by the Wilmington Housing Partnership, the only HUD Homeownership Partner in the State of Delaware. The City of Wilmington put in two grant applications for the HUD Homeownership Zone grant. Although they were not funded, the concept of a targeted homeownership initiative was considered a worthwhile activity and the City decided to pursue it without HUD funding. Coincidentally, in 1999 WHP was reviewing its past activities and decided to change its focus from scattered site improvements and to concentrate its investments on two target areas. They decided to target the Eastside Homeownership Zone which would build on the previous work the City had done to develop the grant proposal. The Eastside Homeownership Zone is also a target area for the Enterprise Community and the City’s Public Safety strategic plan. WHP developed a three-year plan to aggressively purchase up to 120 vacant properties to demolish or rehabilitate. Vacant buildings are secured with vandalism-proof closures so that the properties are not a problem during the period prior to rehabilitation. WHP is conducting an extensive community outreach process including community visioning sessions and a quarterly newsletter. The City of Wilmington will complement these activities with a new program focusing on owner-occupied and rental rehabilitation in the area. The rehabilitation program will start with $700,000 in HOME funding and additional funds will be sought from State of Delaware. Terms and conditions of the new program represent a significant departure from previous program designs and are designed to attract 100% participation so that the entire area is rehabilitated, not just the vacant. The goal is to create a cohesive community, not one that is separated by groups of new residents and existing residents. One of the associated goals of the project is to assist organizations without previous experience in housing development to partner with experienced developers so they can complete the project and gain the capacity to do similar projects in the future. The Eastside Homeownership Zone is a six-block target area with 525 dwelling units including 120 vacant units located on the lower Eastside of Wilmington between the central business district and the Brandywine and Christina rivers. The downtown and riverfront are undergoing extensive revitalization efforts and are in walking distance from this target area. There is great support from nearby employers who want to offer proximity and quality of life to their entry level employees

2000-2076 Interfaith Community Development Symposium Newark, Delaware Contact: Theresa A. Hasson (302) 683-5096

The Delaware Association of Community Based Development Organizations (DACBDO), together with Travelers Bank and Trust (a member of Citigroup), the University of Delaware Center for Community Development and Family Policy and the Methodist Action Program, organized a statewide Interfaith Advisory Committee. The Committee provided leadership and guidance on the skills and assistance needed by the faith community to build their capacity to address the housing, job creation, and economic revitalization needs of their communities.

Based on the efforts of the Advisory Committee, a very successful two-day statewide Symposium was held in November 1999. Over 190 participants from around the state (both urban and rural areas) received hands-on, practical training shared by experienced and nationally known Community Economic Development practitioners. The Symposium consisted of three "tracks" (leadership/vision, organizational/legal, and program development), as well as a Resource Exhibit Center where participants could network and gather information on statewide programs, local and national associations, funding sources, technical assistance sources, and other training topics. Finally, a consultant worked with each participant at the Symposium to develop his/her organization’s next action step.

2000-2533 Alliance for the Mentally Ill in Delaware’s Hospitals Wilmington, Delaware Contact: J. Wendy Burns (302) 427-0787

To develop annually permanent housing opportunities for adults in Delaware who have very low income and who are chronically mentally ill. The objective is to develop additional capacity from 12 to 25 persons per year. Eight projects have been completed and are operational. Two projects are in the evelopment/design stages and one project is awaiting evaluation for a Fund Reservation. Those projects in operation have a capacity for housing 124 people.

2000-2613 Delaware State Housing Authority Purchase Dover, Delaware Contact: Susan A. Frank (302) 739-4263

The Delaware State Housing Authority purchased Holly Square, a 24 unit elderly site which had been owned by the Holly Square Housing Corporation. This group could no longer continue to operate the housing. Need for Project: The site housed 24 elderly residents who were in jeopardy of losing their home since the Holly Square Housing Corporation could no longer continue to operate the low income housing.

2000-2839 Delaware State Housing Authority Partner Dover, Delaware Contact: Susan A. Frank (302) 739-4263

In conjunction with their Moving to Work Program, the Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA) has entered into Memorandum of Understandings with the DE Dept. of Labor, Dept. of Health & Social Services, Dept. of Transportation. Through the MOUs, these agencies have agreed to provide access to training classes, social services, buses/vans in order to assist the HAs clients succeed under the Moving to Work Program.

2000-2861 One Delaware State HUD Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Contact: Adam C. Deveney (215) 656-0616

This project was a new way of conducting HUD’s Annual Consultation with State of Delaware, New Castle County, City of Wilmington, and City of Dover. This year, the consultations were conducted in a half-day session that involved all of HUD’s partners. The result was a more efficient consultation and an opportunity for HUD staff and partners to build greater ties between partner organizations and public officials. Participants in the consultations included the Delaware State Senior Community Builder, Community Builder Fellows, Directors and Staff from the Philadelphia HUD Office: CPD, FHEO, PIH, Multi-Family, Single Family. The customers included elected officials and representatives from State, Local, and County agencies. All consultations also included Executive Directors from respective Housing Authorities.

Content Archived: April 20, 2011