2000 Best Practice Awards

2000-1391 City of St. Petersburg, Florida "CHALLENGE 2001"
St. Petersburg, Florida
Contact: Don McRae (727) 893-7201

Following two nights of civil disturbances in October and November 1996, St. Petersburg, Florida united as a community and committed to change the new way business was done in the inner city. The "Challenge 2001 Initiative" was developed with the aim of leveling the playing field in the target area of south St. Petersburg by achieving numerical targets in four categories – economic equity, community renewal, education and public safety. The boundaries of the target area encompass Central Avenue south to 30th Avenue South and 4th Street west to 34th Street South.

2000-409 City of Tampa Television Program "Know Your Rights"
Tampa, Florida
Contact: Marcel O. Charpentier (813) 228-2026

CTTV provides 35-40 television programs per week which deal with the issue of citizen needs. Many of these programs deal with issues in which HUD is involved. The TV program "Know Your Rights" is a particularly good example, and could be considered a best practice, because it discusses citizens’ rights, civil rights, fair housing rights, and discrimination issues in a local context. Through the program, the audience can learn what these issues mean to them and how changes in policy will affect them. The discussions and information provided are specific to the Tampa area. "Know Your Rights" recently invited Community Builder Marcel Charpentier to talk about Fair Housing Month.

This half-hour broadcast was an opportunity for the citizens of Tampa to learn about HUD, about the Community Builders, and about HUD’s accessibility to the public. It was also a chance for HUD to publicize information about Fair Housing Month events, in particular the Fair Housing luncheon, to its customers. The "Know Your Rights" program is a great vehicle for HUD to reach out to the public. Each program is broadcast four times a week for two weeks—in the morning, daytime, evening, and on the weekend. Through this format, it has the potential to reach people from all walks of life. The greater Tampa area market is about 500,000 households.

2000-318 Fair Housing Month Proclamations
Tampa, Florida
Contact: Marcel O. Charpentier (813) 228-2026

Outreach on Fair Housing to 28 municipalities within the Tampa Field Office’s jurisdiction Written contracts were made with mayors, city managers, or county managers to partner with HUD to disseminate information regarding increasing equitable access to affordable housing within their community.

2000-2534 Abilities at Casablanca
Clearwater, Florida
Contact: Jack D. Humburg (727) 538-7370

Casablanca is a nine unit affordable and accessible housing development located within the Casablanca Condominium Complex in St. Petersburg, Florida. These nine units were sponsored by Abilities, Inc. of Florida (Abilities) and represent the most recent set of scattered site condominiums developed by Abilities for individuals with physical disabilities and their families. Acquired and renovated using a HUD Section 811 grant for individuals with disabilities, this innovative approach also leveraged funds from the City of St. Petersburg’s Neighborhood Improvement program, private donations, and Abilities’ in-kind contributions. Simply stated, the philosophy of Abilities is to help provide an opportunity and supports necessary for individuals with disabilities to live, work, learn, and recreate in inclusive communities of their choice. The acquisition of scattered site condominiums is designed to facilitate this vision by providing affordable and accessible housing located with a complex such as Casablanca, that is not just safe and sanitary, but also welcoming and integrated into the larger community.

2000-1908 MicroLoan and Business Start Up - PH/EDSS
Lakeland, Florida
Contact: Sandra J. Bauer (863) 687-2911

A public housing resident who is an accountant with an existing business approached the EDSS (Economic Development and Supportive Services) Resident Services Staff with a request to participate in a supervisory and mentoring capacity in the micro-loan component of the grant. His extensive experience in successfully starting his own business, his awareness of local programs and his ability to communicate effectively with PH residents were a perfect match for the needs expressed by the staff to initiate the program. He is providing intensive services to augment local programs for minority and economically disadvantaged business development and monitor the performance of PH residents while helping them create business portfolios that will allow them to apply for local business start up funds and the LHA microloan program.

2000-922 Construction Training Program
St. Petersburg, Florida
Contact: Deam William Heller (727) 553-1151

The construction industry in the Tampa Bay area has been experiencing an all time record level of activity. Contractors working in this market, while pleased with the upswing, have noted that they can not keep pace with the work due to a shortage of individuals interested in employment in the construction trades. Students are no longer seeking construction as a career option leaving the trades with an aging employment base not capable of meeting the demands of the current market.

In reviewing this situation, the City of St. Petersburg, Florida recognized that the lack of potential employees might present an opportunity for the City to design a job training program. City staff, along with HUD, met with representatives from the trade industries to discuss what options might be available for TANF participants, Section 3 individuals/firms, or those classified as difficult to employee. The University of South Florida, St. Petersburg Campus, was approached to assist in designing a program which would provide construction training meeting the needs of the industry. A three tier program was designed.

2000-484 Cease Fire Tampa
Tampa, Florida
Contact: William J. Kalbas (813) 228-2026

In 1998, a group of concerned individuals and organizations formed a broad-based community effort in Tampa called Cease Fire. The group is comprised of representatives from area hospitals, law enforcement, private corporate sponsors, the Hillsborough County School System, and local charitable foundations. The goal of the Cease Fire Organization is to decrease the number of injuries and deaths due to firearm violence, particularly among children, through the following programs:

• A gun buy-back program for unwanted guns, which has expanded to six counties;
• Firearm safety classroom education program for 3rd graders in the Hillsborough County; and
• Evening education sessions targeted at families and community members.

2000-2903 St. Petersburg Together
Tampa, Florida
Contact: Marcel O. Charpentier (813) 228-2026

Following several events in St. Petersburg that brought civil unrest to the community, the City of St. Petersburg launched a multi-faceted program to bring various segments of the community together. Under the banner theme, "St. Petersburg Together", a television show originated, airing four times a month on the city's government access cable and low powered broadcast station. The St. Petersburg Together television show is hosted by an area community rights activist, Bob Gilder. Gilder was also hired by the City of St. Petersburg to lead the City's racial healing efforts. Mr. Gilder, as well as several other City employees, have hosted the television program since August, 1992. Three hundred forty three programs have been aired on a variety of topics. 250,000 viewers have the opportunity to see each St. Petersburg Together program.

2000-1909 Collaborative Partnerships
Lakeland, Florida
Contact: Sandra J. Bauer (863) 687-2911

The Lakeland Housing Authority focused three years ago on ways to maximize the use of resources from PHDEP and EDSS funds to address family barriers to employment and has been able to identify over $3m of programs and services for the residents of public housing. Working to serve Section 8 clients in the Welfare to Work voucher program as well, with no specific funding for supportive services available to them, it is necessary to identify partners who have funding to serve all low income residents of the city and county delivery area. By using PH funds to maximize local resources the effective use of dollars allows LHA to pay a very low percentage of grant funds for staffing or administrative costs. The majority of funding is used on direct services to residents. LHA takes units off line for needed services offering the programs the opportunity to deliver options to residents in their immediate neighborhood.

2000-1257 Resident Association and Resident Management Corporation Training Program
St. Petersburg, Florida
Contact: Darrell J. Irions (727) 323-3171

The St. Petersburg Housing Authority received requests from the four Resident Associations/Resident Management Corporations (RMCs) to provide training for the residents who were elected members of the Board. The Residents wanted to better understand their legal obligations as Board Members and the opportunity that they had to serve their fellow residents. No program existed which met the needs of the Authority, so a program was designed by the Community Builders. The program was designed as a six part class series. The Community Builders facilitated each session and included as instructors a local CPA, an attorney, and a business development consultant.

2000-757 YEA
Lakeland, Florida
Contact: Sandra J. Bauer (863) 687-2911

The Youth Excel and Achieve group has members who reside in public housing who are in the 6th - 12th grade and enrolled in school. The success of the program has been in the determination of mentors to instill a sense of self-esteem in each young person and also create opportunities for an awareness of the opportunities available to them in the area of college and career choices.

2000-935 Sarasota County Educational Assistance Program
Sarasota, Florida
Contact: Willie Mae Sheffield (941) 351-7267

In 1989, a group of concerned African American parents and local citizenry convened to address the needs of school age children in the Sarasota Public School System. Mrs. Willie Mae Sheffield, a Sarasota native, became the group leader. From this meeting a tutorial program was developed, which in 1992 was chartered as the North County Educational Assistance Program and in 1996 changed its operating name to the Sarasota County Educational Assistance Program to better describe its goals and objectives for countywide operation.

The Sarasota County Educational Assistance Program (SCEAP) mission is to reduce juvenile crime, enhance education of children grades 1-12, reduce the drop out rate and strengthen the family unit. This is accomplished through the provision of educational assistance, guidance, self esteem programs, mentoring programs and connecting students and families with necessary services.

2000-1910 Fraud Recovery - PH and S8
Lakeland, Florida
Contact: Sandra J. Bauer (863) 687-2911

LHA created an investigative team in 1997 that initiated in-house investigations of Section 8 and Public Housing lease violations such as unreported household income, unauthorized guests, or drug-related criminal activity. The lead staff person hired was a retired Chicago Police Homicide Investigator who was able to establish an instant rapport with the local law enforcement stationed on PH properties with PHDEP funding and other in-kind funding.

The relationship extended to other local law enforcement in the City of Lakeland and the County looking at criminal and civil incidences that involved public housing and Section 8 residents. The development of investigative files and consistent interaction with the public housing managers and Section 8 staff allowed fair and impartial documented interaction with residents. The creation of the in-house team resulted in needed staff training to allow them to recognize potential fraud and lease violations on application and re-certification.

Content Archived: April 20, 2011