2000 Best Practice Awards

2000-21 Samaritan Place Transitional Housing Program
Knoxville, Tennessee
Contact: Bill Fields (865) 545-7431

This is a Transitional Housing Program designed to help provide a safe and supportive place for the elderly to stay on a short-term basis and to help them with locating permanent, appropriate housing. The program comes as the result of a finding by the Catholic Charities that the elderly had no place to go in case of emergencies. When the elderly came upon difficult times, due to any number of reasons, (i.e. financial, abuse by offspring, medical, etc.), the only places available to them were hospitals, nursing homes and shelters. Many times the hospitals and nursing homes were not appropriate or cost effective places. The shelters were considered unsafe by many of the elderly, and many shelters ask that residents leave during the day, which is a difficult task for frail elderly.

Samaritan Place provides guests with a semi-private room, three nutritional meals a day, plus social, recreational and educational activities. Samaritan Place staff (Catholic Charities) work with the guests, the referring agency, and any other family or friends to develop and implement a plan that will lead to permanent housing. This program is one of only 8 projects in the country that provides emergency shelter specifically for elderly. Samaritan Place makes their environment similar to a home environment, (for example volunteers come in the evening like a visitor to one’s home).

Samaritan Place comes out of a partnership with Catholic Charities, which operates the program, and St. Mary’s Hospital, which provides space, security and meals. Samaritan Place is also assisted by over 200 volunteers, mostly between the ages 15-17. This was an unexpected outcome of the program. The elderly and the young teens have gained a new found respect for one another.

2000-95 Magnolia Manor
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Contact: Marian Loy (423) 756-2740

This best practice nomination is a philanthropy project conducted by the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and the general contractor, Strauss and CO. This project it intended to benefit the Magnolia Manor, a group home for the mentally ill, and its residents. It will also provide HUD the opportunity to work with the residents to provide a better services even with limited amounts of grant money. ASID members have been determined to provide quality products and services for this home by donating their own time and resources and by recruiting area vendors. Community support has been overwhelming. So far the following have been donated; carpet for the entire facility, a residential electrical package for the whole facility, free wall coverings, landscaping services, corona for the kitchen counters, all the furniture at dealer cost plus free installation and freight, blinds at cost plus free installation, mattresses and box springs, bedding, linens, drapery fabrics, patio furniture, kitchen equipment, and appliances. Everyone benefits from a program such as this. The ASID members benefit from the standpoint of philanthropy and community service, the community benefits through participation in a neighborhood project, HUD benefits by gaining the good publicity that comes from granting the funds for construction and allowing this kind of out of the norm participation, and the residents are provided a better home due to all the contributions. These contributions upgraded the value and quality of the home. The partnership also serve as a model and inspiration for other agencies, especially non-profits seeking creative solutions to stretching limited funds.

2000-566 South Chattanooga Safe Walk
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Contact: Juliette R. Thornton (423) 757-0022

The City of Chattanooga in partnership with the Alton Park Community, Chattanooga Housing Authority, 28th District CDC, Trust for Public Land and the Hamilton County Schools cooperated on the planning and construction of a safe, accessible route for linking housing, businesses and schools in an area that has been overlooked during Chattanooga's other revitalization efforts. The community encompasses two distinct but adjacent neighborhoods: St. Elmo and Alton Park. The linkages of lighted, landscaped sidewalks and off-street pathways connect a public housing development to the neighborhood schools and continues to link with the Public Library, post office, shopping center and, soon to be constructed, aquatic/recreation center, ball fields, and police precinct. Community involvement among residents, school age children, and business owners evolved through a series of meetings to determine valuable features in a safewalk. Separate bicycle and walking lanes are provided at places along the safewalk to minimize conflicts between the two user groups. The sidewalks are 5 to 8' wide or greater allowing comfortable passage of pedestrians and handicap users. The features of the safewalk include stamped surfaces designating the path to be pedestrian-friendly, bicycle-friendly, roller blade-friendly, and wheel-chair friendly. Strategically located are plaza/gateway areas with an information kiosk/community bulletin board, bicycle racks, and seating. Safety features include conversion of blighted properties into well lit, landscaped pocket parks, conversion of alleyways into pedestrian paths, masonry knee walls near curbs to protect pedestrians in major trafficked areas, and stripping of all crosswalks. The safewalk logo and banners located along the safewalk were designed by the children and are placed along the safewalk noting safety and other features.

2000-609 Career Investment Academy
Knoxville, Tennessee
Contact: Kara R. Roach (865) 594-8647

In seeking to create opportunities for Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation’s (KCDC’s) residents to gain economic self-sufficiency, to promote jobs in the local workforce, and to restore community trust in the welfare and public housing systems, the concept of the Career Investment Academy was born. Begun in the fall of 1997 under an Economic Development and Supportive Services (EDSS) grant, the Career Investment Academy mission is to provide a unique learning environment where adults can acquire necessary life and job skills, education, job training, work experience, and job placement under one umbrella with additional self-sufficiency training and case management follow-up for a three-year period. The Career Investment Academy fulfills its mission statement by offering the following components to residents who enter training: BASIC EDUCATION/COMPUTER TRAINING–minimum of 150 hours training The computer-based education and job-training course covers adult education and GED acquisition through the Destinations software program, produced by Invest Learning. Arrangements are made through Pellissippi State Technical Community College for students to take their GED test. Students who already have their GED or diploma still benefit from the basic education review that Destinations provides because it gives them an opportunity to brush up on skills they may have lost over time. As students continue through the Destinations program, they take an Aptitude and Interest Inventory that matches interests and abilities and pulls together types of jobs that they might do well in and enjoy based on their personal choices and skills. Once students decide what areas they are interested in, they begin a track on Destinations that includes reading and math lessons related to their choice, as well as lessons from JSEP (Job Skills Education Program), a program that teaches job specific skills. Examples of tracks include clerical, retail, landscaping, secretarial, child care, and construction. The trainer is also equipped to design other tracks as needed to fit students’ interests and desires. Also included is software training for students interested in clerical/secretarial work. Software training consists of Word Perfect/Corel 8, Microsoft Office '97, Microsoft Word, and Excel. This software was chosen after conducting a survey of local employment agencies to find out what skills local businesses expect of clerical employees. PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT--minimum of 150 hours training A curriculum entitled Personal Development, created by Vicki Phillips for "at-risk" students, leads Academy participants through a five-part series that includes 1) building a positive self-image, 2) communicating effectively, 3) accepting responsibility, 4)setting and achieving goals, and 5) solving problems. Each of these units focuses on life issues first and moves into workplace issues. The curriculum is supplemented with other resources to include topics such as budgeting money, buying an automobile, goal setting, and other pertinent subjects. During their Personal and Professional Development classes, students also participate in mock job interviews, discuss job retention, and practice work-related skills such as phone etiquette, employee relations, and personal presentation. The Academy maintains that ANYONE can get a job; the problem lies in keeping the job. By learning to tackle the day-to-day happenings of life, students control life instead of allowing life to control them. PAID TRAINING INTERNSHIP A third component of the program is opportunity for job training through a variety of paid internships. The internship concept was initially begun through a collaboration of KCDC with Dollar General Corporation to build a Dollar General Training Store. It has recently expanded to incorporate other local companies and businesses interested in partnering with the Academy to train valuable employees to enter the workforce. For fifteen to twenty hours a week, for a minimum wage, students work at their chosen internship. This provides an opportunity for students to learn the soft skills that many businesses are searching for in their applicants, as well as specific skills related to the fields they have chosen. When students succeed in following a schedule, arriving to work on time, following instructions, and learning how to handle the public, then they are likely to succeed in any job.(Please see section on "External Partners" located on this form) JOB PLACEMENT/FOLLOW-UP After the initial three months of training and sufficient completion of the internship, students move on to job placement. Choices for employment are made with the aid of a job placement specialist who looks at Aptitude and Interest Inventories, education levels, and successes within class to determine where placement might be appropriate. The Academy staff work together at this point to help guide students in the proper directions, talking to them about their interests again, reassessing initial training choices to ensure that they were appropriate, etc. For a year after permanent placement, contact will be maintained through monthly meetings/calls/visits. After the first year of employment, contact is made on a quarterly basis for two more years. Also during this time, supportive services are offered; these include individual case management, job counseling, various topical workshops to aid in job success and self-sufficiency, and expanded opportunities for training and remediation. CLASS LOCATIONS/HOURS OF OPERATION Classes are held at the Family Investment Center, located across from Austin Homes (a KCDC Family-Style Development), at 400 Harriet Tubman Street. Classes meet Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. The internships begin between weeks six and fifteen of the program, dependent upon instructor/trainer recommendation. The internship hours vary, but total from 15 to 20 hours of work each week. Therefore, program participants spend between 35 and 40 hours each week in a combination of class and work.

2000-613 Scenic City Drum & Bugle Corps
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Contact: Juliette R. Thornton (423) 757-0022

Elmo James and Derek Gray founded the Scenic City Drum & Bugle Corps through the Chattanooga Drum & Bugle Corps Association, Inc. The Corps has a mission "to promote musical excellence among young adults while providing a challenge to maintain self-esteem, camaraderie, physical aptitude, and discipline." The Scenic City Drum & Bugle Corps is broken down into two (2) areas. The A (Advanced) Corps is for ages 15-21 while the B Corps (Cadets) serves those 10-14 years of age. The Corps features instrument and marching instruction; aerobic workouts; nutritional information; and study time. In addition, participants receive course instruction in AIDS awareness, drug abuse, community conflict, racism, and teen pregnancy. Motivational topics presented during the Corps season include self-esteem, character development, leadership building and career guidance. The Corps travels throughout the United States in the summer months and Drum Corps activity season begins in December and ends in mid August of every year. The average expected time an individual remains in a corps is three years. In time, through the workshops and entire Corps experience, it is hoped that members will gain something they can take back to their families and friends and use it for a lifetime. To become a part of the Corps, it takes dedication, commitment, hard work and long hours sometimes in the hot sun and pouring rain. But, after a full season of traveling, competition and sleeping on gym floors, members have something very special to take home – a sense of accomplishment, self-esteem and a group of new friends.

2000-1129 Estival Communities
Memphis, Tennessee
Contact: Margaret Craddock (901) 527-0208

Estival Communities include 66 units of transitional housing in an apartment style setting and comprehensive services for homeless families. The primary purpose of the program is to combine quality housing with comprehensive educational services, creating a life skills school that teaches participants to lead stable and independent lives.

2000-1156 Down Payment Assistance Program
Memphis, Tennessee
Contact: Robert Lipscomb (901) 576-7301

The Down Payment Assistance (DPA) program provides low and moderate income families an opportunity to purchase a home by assisting them with down payment and closing costs. Program participants also attend classes about the home buying process, home maintenance, and financial management. There are special incentives within this program to encourage police officers and public housing residents to participate.

2000-1365 Jackson, Tennessee Five-Year Consolidation
Jackson, Tennessee
Contact: Dave Ralston (901) 422-1671

In cooperation with the district police department residents were provided with ID bracelets.

2000-1393 Paint Up/Fix Youth Summer Program
Jackson, Tennessee
Contact: Dave Ralston (901) 422-1671

The Jackson Housing Authority's CD Office partners with Habitat for Humanity (Jackson affiliate), HOME Depot and two faith based organizations to provide painting and very minor repairs to the homes of approximately 20 very low income Jackson homeowners. The CD Office provides the funds to purchase the paint and materials for the program. Habitat for Humanity is the fiscal conduit and sub-recipient of the funds to purchase the paint and materials using their charge accounts and non-profit status. HOME Depot works with the faith based organizations and Habitat for Humanity with establishing a special charge account and technical assistance with identifying the paint and materials that best meets the needs of the specific home. Two faith based organizations, the Campbell St. Church of Christ and the Madison/Chester County Baptist Association provide youth labor from churches in the surrounding counties. The youth pay their own way during their one week work camp and these funds are used to feed and house the youth. Adult supervision is provided. The CD Office will pre-screen applicants for income eligibility for the paint up/fix up program. In addition, the CD Office construction specialist provides technical assistance to the work groups and oversees the work on a daily basis. In addition, the program is being expanded to include yard beautification and landscaping. HOME Depot will provide the landscape plants and materials.

2000-1400 Knoxville Solutions to Problem Properties
Knoxville, Tennessee
Contact: William R. Doughty ((865) 215-2120

Solutions to Problem Properties is Knoxville's approach to curing the intractable problem of blighted, deteriorated properties -- those eyesores that give struggling neighborhoods an air of neglect. This neighborhood-wide strategic approach evolved from years of developing tools to assist our inner-city neighborhoods. For the few neighborhoods experiencing universal decline, we have long had the option of designating redevelopment areas that commit to curing blight on each property; unfortunately this option is costly, time-consuming, and inappropriate for most of our neighborhoods, where blighted and deteriorated properties are scattered among decent, well-maintained homes. In such neighborhoods, we were, until the passage of our "Blighted Property Acquisition Ordinance, limited to offering housing rehabilitation assistance and codes enforcement actions. For the vacant, deteriorated houses that are obvious eyesores and hazards, our only remedy was demolition, which resident opposed because the resulting patchwork of vacant lots gave the neighborhood a forlorn atmosphere of decline and desolation. In 1990, with encouragement from the City of Knoxville, the State of Tennessee passed enabling legislation which authorizes cities to use the power of eminent domain to acquire vacant blighted property on a spot basis (without requiring a redevelopment plan) and to resell those properties to buyers who commit to neighborhood-compatible redevelopment. In 1991, the City of Knoxville adopted a local Blighted Property Acquisition Ordinance pursuant to State Law, and designated the local Homemakers Program as the process for disposing of individual lots or houses for redevelopment. This eminent domain authority has enabled the City to acquire previously unavailable properties such as where the owners refuse to improve or sell, where the owners cannot be located, or where the property is otherwise unmarketable due to title defects. The City of Knoxville acquires properties to facilitate blight removal, neighborhood redevelopment, and affordable housing opportunities. Most of the properties are vacant lots or substandard structures acquired under the City's Blighted Property Acquisition Ordinance. In target neighborhoods, City staff work with community residents from the neighborhood organization to develop a list of problem properties and to establish acquisition priorities. (Properties not identified as priorities for acquisition are referred to codes enforcement, housing rehabilitation programs, or other appropriate resources.) Properties are then disposed of through the Homemakers Program, which makes them available for sale to individuals, nonprofits, and for-profit organizations. The purchaser of the property is required in almost all cases to either construct a new dwelling on the property or to rehabilitate the existing structure. This redevelopment must generally be completed within twelve months of the property sale. Properties acquired by the City through the Blighted Property Acquisition Ordinance must be certified blighted by the Better Building Board following codes enforcement action. The property owner is notified of the proceedings and given an opportunity to correct the blighting conditions. If the owner fails to take corrective action, the process of acquisition and of marketing the property through the Homemakers Program begins. The City's Community Development Office periodically posts and advertises a list of all available properties; the listing indicates the location of the property and any restrictions on re-use. All properties are listed for at least 30 days before the selection of a purchaser is made through the Homemakers Program; listings are posted in the City Community Development office, placed on the City's web site, advertised in the local daily newspaper, and mailed to a mailing list of persons/organizations expressing interest in the program. The City establishes a target price for each property; applications offering less than the targeted price are considered if necessary to make the property affordable for lower income tenants or homebuyers and if the project is consistent with the City's Consolidated Plan, or if no other offers have been received. The proposed re-use must comply with the neighborhood zoning or the Metropolitan Planning Commission One-Year Plan, the Community Development Office's Rehabilitation Standards (in the case of existing structures), and local building codes. Historic properties must comply with applicable standards. If more than one application is received for a property, an evaluation committee recommends selection of a proposal based on a number of priorities including: benefit to low- to moderate-income households, inclusion of a credit counseling or homeownership counseling component to the project, meeting a high or medium priority goal of the Consolidated Plan, providing strategic solutions to neighborhood problems, meeting the needs of an ongoing program of a nonprofit developer; enabling a developer to proceed with a project for which grant or loan funds have already been committed; need for the property to use as leverage or match for a grant application; inclusion of input from neighborhood representatives; and extent to which a project is ready to proceed. Properties are transferred by deed with restrictive covenants, reverter clause, or other mechanism to enforce compliance with the terms, covenants, and conditions necessary to assure redevelopment and future use in accordance with the approved application and re-use restrictions, and to prevent recurrence of the blighting conditions. To avoid future title problems should the reverter clause need to be enforced, the City requires the buyer to sign a deed back to the City which is held in escrow until the rehabilitation or construction is completed. Typically, CDBG funds are used to acquire the property. In most cases, private funds are used for the redevelopment; in some cases, CDBG or HOME funds may be used to provide additional subsidy for the renovation, through the City's Rental Rehabilitation Program.

2000-1568 Lee Family Learning Center
Kingsport, Tennessee
Contact: Terry W. Cunningham (423) 392-2513

LFLC is an on-site educational center. Programs are focused on helping residents of all ages. Adults can participate in GED tutoring, computer classes, job skills training, literacy programs and crafts. Services for children include homework help, tutoring, a computer lab, library services and a range of enrichment activities (field trips, art, games).

2000-2106 Community Partnership Center
Knoxville, Tennessee
Contact: Tony A. Hebert (865) 974-4562

This best practice brings university resources into community problem-solving through service learning. It encourages the development of classes, programs, etc. to get the university community out into the larger community.

2000-2224 TennCare Shelter Enrollment Project
Nashville, Tennessee
Contact: Tony Halton (615) 226-2292

Tennessee has a estimated homeless population of approximately 8,000, many of whom are children under the age of 19. Women and children are among the fastest growing segment of the homeless population, and youth constitute a greater proportion than previously. Poor shelter conditions, lack of continuous shelter, and poor access to medical care increase homeless children's risk for medical and mental health problems. Most if not all of Tennessee's homeless children are eligible for enrollment and coverage in TennCare, but significant numbers are not enrolled and do not receive proper medical services. The circumstances of homelessness make enrollment in TennCare difficult. Homeless families often have trouble keeping together the records and documents needed to establish eligibility; this is especially true for victims of domestic violence who must seek safety and shelter quickly. A lack of a permanent mailing address makes it difficult to receive enrollment information and comply with documentation requirements. Recent survey results indicate that most homeless families in Tennessee stay an average of only 7 to 14 days in emergency shelters, while Medicaid/Managed care application and enrollment often takes 21 to 45 days. Thus, many uninsured sheltered homeless families who apply for Tenn Care leave the shelter prior to completing the process, and health insurance coverage is not obtained.

The National Health Care for the Homeless Council receives Emergency Shelter Grant Program funding to facilitate enrollment of uninsured homeless children in TennCare (Tennessee's Medicaid managed care program) and to track enrollees through a first primary care visit. The National Council works with ESGP funded shelters and other community partners to improve the health status of homeless children and their families by increasing their access to health coverage and primary care.

2000-2346 Community Development Mapping Initiatives
Nashville, Tennessee
Contact: Douglas J. Delaney (615) 252-8451

Juggling old, out of date maps, combined with property, housing and demographic information located in various places, the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA) recognized the benefit of implementing a desktop mapping software package. By centralizing the information assembled by the agency and creating an opportunity to connect with the electronic databases of information already established by other departments of the Metropolitan Government (Planning Commission, Public Works) as well as other outside sources (U.S. Census Bureau), MDHA has greatly increased their ability to plan and manage their resources more effectively. A direct connection to property and zoning maps as well as demographic, housing, land use and building permit information allows MDHA to quickly analyze information and trends for a target area, or on a countywide basis. This information can then be shared with other departments, interested members of the public, or consultants performing work for the agency. The result is an increased ability to identify areas of need and formulate goals to better serve the residents of the city. Today, maps and their associated background information are displayed and distributed to community leaders, neighborhood residents and business owners. The system is also used to notify property owners of upcoming meetings or events within a targeted area. The implementation of the system has led to a more efficient use of resources, more timely information gathering and better analysis and forecasting of population and housing trends. These efforts ultimately increase the ability of the agency to better serve the needs of the community.

Prior to the implementation of the project, the MDHA staff was devoting a great deal of time and effort in gathering and analyzing information from a wide array of sources. Consolidation of the information and connections to outside sources has increased the ability of the agency to analyze and study trends of a particular area or on a countywide basis. As a result, the reliance on other departments/agencies for information gathering has been greatly reduced. In addition, shared ownership of the information affords a greater opportunity for collaborative efforts to address issues affecting the greater community.

Content Archived: April 20, 2011