2000 Best Practice Awards
Program and Geographical Winners: South Dakota
Best Practice: Rapid City Community Development
Corporation Affordable Housing
CDC Provides Affordable Housing to Rapid
City Residents
Rapid City.
The Rapid City Community Development Corporation (RCCDC) combines the resources
of its membership to build affordable housing for first-time homebuyers
who have incomes 80 percent or less of the area median. Member organizations
include lenders, title companies, credit counseling services, realtors,
nonprofits, and the City. The combined resources of members help more people
than any single organization could individually. For example, the Rapid
City Housing Coalition provides homebuyer education and locates potential
buyers, while other members aid buyers in obtaining downpayment assistance.
Thus far the program has enabled 12 families (all single parent households)
to purchase homes. Low-income families who qualify benefit from the free
lots and the zero-interest construction loans arranged by the Corporation.
Through a second mortgage, the RCCDC places a deed restriction on the cost
of the lot and if the buyer does not sell the home in the first ten years,
the full cost of the lot is forgiven.
Contact: Bonnie Hughes, Phone: (605) 394-4181
Tracking Number: 3010
Winning Category: Geographical
Best Practice: The Governors House
South Dakota Program Provides Affordable
Housing and Vocational Training
Sioux Falls.
The Governors House program, established in 1996, provides well-built
homes to economically-challenged residents, while offering real life vocational
training to persons incarcerated in state prisons. The program has a full-scale
construction site at the state prison in Springfield, where more than 150
inmates build homes for citizens who might not ever have the opportunity
to own their own home. Initially, the program targeted the elderly and disabled.
However, with the recent changes in guidelines, the program was expanded
to all state residents who can meet income eligibility requirements. More
than 500 families, seniors, single parents and low-income individuals live
in new homes as a direct result of the Governors House program. The
goal is to help another 250 families this year and another 250 families
in 2001.
Contact: Michael Keating, Phone: (605) 773-4132
Tracking Number: 2034
Winning Category: Program (Community Builders)
Best Practice: Heartland House
Transitional Housing Program Provides Shelter
and Supportive Services for Homeless Families with Children
Sioux Falls.
Heartland House is a 15-unit transitional housing program for homeless families
with children that emphasizes self-sufficiency in moving residents into
permanent housing. The program has served more than 50 participant families
since its inception, and has removed more than 90 children from a life on
the streets or in shelters. Of the 44 families that completed the residential
aftercare components of the program, 43 are still in permanent housing and
all 43 have worked their way off of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families
(TANF), food stamps, and other public support programs. Participants create
a self-sufficiency plan upon entering the program and at least one adult
of the household has a two-week period upon entry to either find a job or
be enrolled in a full-time educational program. Each family is required
to attend 24 two-hour classes on basic skills, parenting skills, living
skills and other fundamental topics to help them transition into permanent
homes.
Contact: Cindy Dannenbring, Phone: (605) 256-6518
Tracking Number: 2780
Winning Category: Geographical
Best Practice: Green Hills I Development
Partnership Provides Affordable Housing
to South Dakota Residents
Sioux Falls.
The South Dakota Housing Development Authority, Sioux Empire Housing Partnership,
Costello Companies, Stencil Construction, Security Mortgage Corporation
and Citibank partnered to obtain low-interest financing to acquire and develop
land for the construction and sale of affordable single-family homes and
lots in Sioux Falls. With cooperation from the City of Sioux Falls, the
development authority was able to sell tax-exempt bonds to finance the project,
instead of relying on direct government subsidies. By December 1999, 48
affordable homes had been built and sold for $81,500 each, and 40 lots were
sold at $14,500 as affordable home sites. Phase II of the program began
in Spring 2000. Because of this program, lower-income homebuyers are able
to obtain affordable housing with built-in equity, minimal closing costs
and small downpayments. Furthermore, monthly payments are greatly reduced
because mortgage loans are uninsured, low-interest, first-time homebuyer
loans.
Contact: Darlys Baum, Thomas Costellow, and
Jim Schmidt, Phone: (605) 773-5157
Tracking Number: 608
Winning Category: Program (Single Family Housing)
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