 |
2000 Best Practice Awards
"Local" Winners: Tucson, AZ
2000-326 Marana Construction Works
The Town of Marana, the Marana School District,
Pima County, the Arizona Carpenter's Union, and United Housing and Educational
Development Corp. created a construction program that builds affordable
homes built on infill property for first time low income homebuyers while
teaching construction skills to high school dropouts. Marana's "Construction
Works!" program has been successful in achieving its primary objectives.
One objective is to build and sell two new homes each year. This program
requires no money from the family, but instead the family performs 100
hours of "sweat equity" on the home. The houses appraise for
about $77,000 with families generally qualifying for mortgages of $40,000-$45,
000. A silent second mortgage is held by the Town for the mortgage buy
down and closing costs, and is forgiven after approximately 10 years. A
second objective is, through work
experience and training program, to motivate students to complete their
education and, in some cases, consider enrolling in the carpenter's apprenticeship
program. Students and supervisors are paid stipends from HOME funds to
establish a program similar to YouthBuild, on a locally funded level.
2000-311 United Community Health Center
This is a 16 year old rural health consortium
that operates three primary care clinics in southern Pima County. The clinics
are located in Arivaca, Three Points, and Continental. Pima County's Community
Services Dept. using CDBG funds provided the original modular, then the
major addition and renovation seven years later at the Continental Medical
Center. CDBG funds have continued to provide renovations at the Arivaca
Clinic and the new building at Three Points. UCHA has a long history of
partnerships and collaborations. The Bureau of Primary Health Care within
the Health Resources and Services Admin.(part of the U.S. Public Health
Services/HHS) provides primary care. The Arizona Dept. of Health Services
provides services to the uninsured and immunizations. United Way Health
Dept. and other social service organizations provide for prenatal case
finding and health education. Dental and mental care services are being
piloted at this time. UCHC employees forty individuals and serves an active
patient base of 5,500 in these communities. Family Practice physicians
and mid-level providers see their patients at the clinics, local school
districts, or make home visits.
2000-321 Travelers Aid Society of Tucson
This organization has been providing a continuum
of services to homeless and near homeless individuals and families since
1981. These services include emergency case management, mobile outreach,
and a variety of housing programs. There are seven different transitional
housing programs available. El Puente, in conjunction with Tom Roper and
associates, is a permanent 14 unit single resident complex. TAST in collaboration
with the Jackson Employment Center offers employment opportunities to adults.
Individuals can access additional services through referrals to other community
organizations that TAST collaborates with either on a walk-in basis or
through the agency's outreach efforts. These collaborations assist clients
to obtain self-sufficiency which is the agency's goal and mission. There
is another program which has been assisting households who are at risk
of becoming homeless due to lack of ability to pay mortgage or rent payments.
Over 1212 households have benefited from this program since 1991. All of
the potential participants are assessed over the phone case manager who
determines if emergency assistance is needed and what other programs are
necessary. The nomination funding streams reflect diversity and are representative
of the 1999-2000 budget.
2000-323 Salvation Army Safe Housing Program
(S.A.F.E. Housing)
The Salvation Army Family Extended (SAFE)
Housing Program was started in 1987 in response to the number of homeless
individuals and families and the lack of shelter available to them. Two
programs that operate citywide under SAFE are CASA for Families and CASA
for Single Adults, offering 23 leased unites of housing for families, as
well as six leased units for single or childless couples. In addition,
12 families are served through monthly scattered housing assistance. These
programs collaborate with Pima County, Travelers Aid, Shalom House, Jackson
Employment Center, Pima County Adult Education and Open Inn, Inc. Clients
receive housing assistance, intense case management, and employment opportunities.
With SAFE providing these services, over 90% are obtaining and maintaining
employment upon transition from the program. These programs are highly
successful in providing transitional housing and stabilization to families.
The overall uniqueness of this project is the effective merger of three
agencies into one successfully functioning service program.
2000-330 Pima County Homeownership Assistance
Program
This program is the result of a partnership
between Pima County, the Industrial Development Authority of Pima County,
Family Housing Resources, Chicanos por la Causa-Tucson, U.S. Dept. of Housing
and Urban Development, and local lenders such as Bank One and Norwest Mortgage.
The program provides assistance to eligible first time homebuyers. The
program works in conjunction with the Pima County Industrial Development
Authority Mortgage Revenue Bond. Together they offer a low interest rate
of 7/4% and down payment and closing costs assistance. Applicants must
complete the Homebuyer Education Course at Chicanos por la Causa or Family
Housing Resources. Qualified applicants obtain a mortgage loan with Bank
One Mortgage or Norwest Mortgage.
2000-331 Pima County HOPE 3 Program
This program is a collaboration between Pima
County, Chicanos por la Causa-Tucson, Tucson Urban League, and Primavera
Builders. HOPE 3 is a program for first-time homebuyers whose income is
not sufficient to obtain a mortgage loan through conventional means. Homes
are purchased from the federal government through HUD or VA. The homes
are repaired and sold to low-income individuals/families. Below market
financing is available through participating lenders. Currently 70 homes
have been bought, rehabilitated, and resold. Essentially, this program
develops internal capacity of local nonprofit partners by lowering the
risk for housing acquisition and rehab.
2000-333 Tucson-Pima County Fair Housing
Week
Beginning in January 2000, a sub group from
the City/County Fair Housing Advisory Committee met to plan a week of events
to focus on Fair Housing, Economic and Social Justice. As a result 12 events
were implemented from April 1-8. They include the following: April 1, kick
off with City/County proclamations and "wall raising" of a housing
sponsored by Habitat for Humanity-Tucson. Sunday, April 2, Pilgrims Rest
Missional Baptist Church delivered the message of fair housing and justice.
Monday, April 3, Regional FHEO director, David Quezada, had a working session
with City, County and HUD staff, focusing on the Analysis of Impediments
and Action Plan. That evening, a public reception was convened and Mr.
Quezada conducted a slide show on the history of US civil rights and fair
housing legislation. Tuesday, April 4, Christmas in April *Greater Tucson
and Amphi Neighborhood Assn. convened a public discussion on diversity
in neighborhood assns. On Wednesday, the Hogan School of Real Estate, the
Southern Arizona Housing Center and HUD staff from San Francisco, Phoenix
and Tucson implemented a for-credit realtor training class on fair housing
laws. That evening, the Tucson-Pima Public Library hosted a public event
sponsored by the Arizona Humanities Council. It featured local residents,
reading from texts and sharing personal stories about growing up and facing
boundaries of language, culture, and race. On Thursday, April 6, Southern
Arizona Housing Center and the People's Law Center, joined by staff from
the Az. Attorney General's office and HUD, convened a training workshop
for city, county and nonprofit organization staff on fair housing and social
justice. Friday, April 7, featured the first annual Fair Housing Awards
Reception. Assist. FHEO Secretary, Eva Plaza, joined by San Francisco staff,
Chuck Hauptman, and Phoenix HUD FHEO staff, honored an individual, family
and organization who had contributed to improving fair housing in Tucson/Pima
County. On Saturday, a Neighborhood College Speaker's Series and Workshop,
free and open to the public, sponsored by Pima Community College, convened
a workshop on Sustaining Neighborhoods through Diversity and Economic Justice.
Ms. Eva Plaza shared remarks after two local nonprofits presented information
on economic literacy and building homes for social justice. This event
was followed by a basketball hoops tournament and training, sponsored by
the Arizona All Stars.
2000-334 Pima Community College's Neighborhood
College
Since 1997, the Neighborhood College has
been offering one credit courses to the public on neighborhood leadership,
neighborhood assn. management and related topics. In the summer of 1999,
working with HUD and other local nonprofits, staff from City and County
community services, PCC agreed to help increase the local capacity of neighborhoods
by expanding their Neighborhood College program. In January, February,
April and May, 2000, the Neighborhood College convened a Speaker's and
Workshop Series with the theme of "A Livable Community: Learning from
Practices that Work". These free programs were offered on four Saturday
mornings, free and open to the public. They were convened at city neighborhood
centers and focused on related HUD themes such as--sustainable neighborhoods,
healthy and safe neighborhoods, fair housing and diversity in neighborhoods
and affordable housing in neighborhoods. In addition to the speaker and
workshop sessions at each event, a Community Fair which featured local
nonprofit efforts took place. At the final event in May, the speaker was
rescheduled on a Friday afternoon at the local HUD office so that government
and nonprofit staff could effectively participate in the discussion on
affordable housing. The discussion on affordable housing's unexpected outcome
was the creation of a working group who will recommend local affordable
housing policy. In addition, through the speaker's survey which was administered
during the discussion, the participants were able to compare their perspectives
to those surveyed by the speaker as part of her research at Kent State
University. Also, as part of the Neighborhood College program, PCC convened
a Public Dialogue Institute in January which trained 25 local staff in
the art of public dialogue. The workshops held in April and May were coordinated
with other events to maximize the use of resources. For example the April
workshop was held at the end of Tucson's Fair Housing week and incorporated
a presentation by FHEO Secretary Eva Plaza. The May session was held in
conjunction with the annual Good Neighbor Awards. Good Neighbors is also
a collaborative including HUD, Pima County Community College, City and
County staff and local nonprofits. The purpose of the program is to recognize
individuals in the community that are making a positive difference through
their work. PCC grants free scholarships to their credit class to all Good
Neighbor nominees. This year, PCC was recognized as a Good Neighbor School
by the 2nd Annual Good Neighbor Awards Program.
2000-399 1999 Tucson/Pima County Homeownership
Fair
In 1999, the Homeownership Planning Committee
decided to relocate the ongoing HUD sponsored community-based Homeownership
Fair to a centrally located shopping mall. In addition to attracting 44
individual partners, including local nonproifts, lenders, builders and
energy companies, the Fair convened a first time homeownership class, did
fingerprinting for children, offered free bilingual workshops to the public
in topics such as home maintenance and repair, energy efficiency, 203K
programs, and Fair Housing. An estimated 1500 people attended the fair
and through a post survey we know that participants of the fair made linkages
with potential homebuyers.
2000-822 Tucson Shalom House: La Promesa
Program
La Promesa offers two and three bedroom apartments
with all appliances, including a washer and dryer in each unit. It is on
the bus line and near shopping. All of the lower units and the outdoor
amenities are handicap accessible. It provides a transition from homelessness
to permanent housing. Families pay affordable rent and utilities and are
required to follow typical apartment and community rules. All aspects of
the program seek to approximate self-sufficient living situations (e.g.
paying rent on time, paying one's own utility bills, accessing public transportation,
developing alternative child are for school vacations, child illness etc.,
dealing with unexpected bills such as a broken window or need for a school
fee, securing medical care, etc.) The La Promesa Apartment Program offers
homeless families (primarily single mothers and their children) the opportunity
to experience safe, affordable housing while they are actively working
on developing their skills in parenting, budget development and management.
The definitive goal for each family is to increase their earning potential
through employment training and/or education and ultimately transition
to living wage jobs and market rate, permanent housing. While living at
La Promesa, families develop and maintain individualized goal plans, receive
counseling, case management and support services. Children participate
in organized activities designed to promote self-esteem, team-building,
positive socialization and community awareness and responsibility. Both
adults and children volunteer at La Promesa and in the greater Tucson community.
2000-891 City of Tucson/Pima County Raise
the Roof Week
Taking the HUD Challenge for October 16,
1999 Raise the Roof Day, the network of local government and nonprofits
decided a day was not enough, instead, eight days would focus on collaborative
affordable housing projects in the area. As a result, over 30 local affordable
housing and community revitalization projects, some complete, some under
construction, were highlighted October 8-16. Except for refreshments at
the events, all costs incurred were previously funded HUD projects and/or
private funding (example, the three homes sponsored by Habitat for Humanity
2000-1032 Tucson Urban League Homestart
Program
This program is a 13 week self sufficiency
homebuyers training program that targets individual households in a holistic
approach. This means the programs connect households, through repetitive
teaching, with the necessary qualities and skills for successful homeownership.
The first element addressed in budgeting skills--putting together a home
budget for the family, based on current income and obligations. Next, the
program addresses credit management with two levels: one, the homebuyer
becomes aware of credit reports, their use, the scores and implications
of the FICA score; second, the homebuyer is taught how to manage their
credit, with the goal of obtaining an above average score which rewards
them with prime mortgage rate. Next, the homeowners' spending habits, financial
planning (food, insurance, clothing) and the homeowner learns how to save
money by using money markets and IRA accounts which accumulates funds for
a home purchase. Then, the home loan process is examined with the homebuyer
(includes FHA to conventional and includes sub prime lending); the various
mortgage programs available are reviewed, based on the homebuyer's FICA
score at time of application. The legal aspects of homeownership are reviewed.
This purpose of this course is to help individuals or families understand
if they are ready for homeownership. The landlord tenant act is also reviewed
via experiential exercises that compare renting and homebuying which gives
the prospective family a realistic picture of their current status and
setting goals for homeownership. Post purchase blues is a course which
the homeowner takes in order to make them aware of what happens after closing.
The course is designed to keep homeowners from reaching foreclosure due
to mismanagement or all the credit options that become available once they
close on their home. Household safety is a course that helps families protect
their families and their new investment. It shows the homeowner the common
hazards that could cause their family or investment to be lost due to hazardous
materials (including lead paint) fire or accidents. Then a selection process
is taught in order to help homebuyers how to select a home that is right
for them, looking at location, size, and any special (including disability
needs) features that are needed for the family. The family then is taught
how to maintain their home by hands on repair courses which are done on
homes selected from HUD stock that the Urban League is rehabilitating for
the low income buyer. Repair classes include dry wall, electrical safety
and repairs, evaporative cooler repair, toilet and drains, faucets, home
inspection, weatherization, and exterior maintenance. The courses are offered
at no cost to those who qualify for the program, which is based on minimum
income standards (80% or below the median income).
2000-1157 South Tenth Avenue Historic Preservation
Project
The South Tenth Avenue Historic Preservation
project was designed to provide ten affordable infill housing units for
families earning between 50-80% of the City of Tucson's median income.
Utilizing funding from the HOME program, the Primavera Foundation and homebuyer
assistance funds from the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, specific
targets were established for the homes which included seven renovated and
three new home construction units. This block is part of the city's Barrio
Historico and all of the historic rehabilitation work was reviewed and
approved by the City of Tucson's Historic Commission. Five of the historic
adobe structures (two were duplexes) existed on the site but had been abandoned
or vandalized. This renovation project is adjacent to the City's HOPE VI
project, as is an important part of the overall revitalization of the neighborhood.
The homes are located near public transportation, education and job training.
2000-1200 Landlord Outreach
The Community Services Department Section
8 staff conducted a series of Section 8 Landlord Outreach sessions to interested
landlords in the Greater Tucson Metropolitan area. The purpose of the sessions
was to (1) encourage deconstruction of Section 8 housing by enlisting landlords
with urban and non-urban properties outside areas of minority concentration
and poverty to participate in the Section 8 program, and (2) inform current
landlords about recent fundamental changes in the Section 8 Program associated
with the Housing Reform Act of 1998 and the Voucher Merger Program, while
simultaneously improving communication and feedback.
2000-1832 "Community Development in
Arizona Colonias: What Works" (Two-Day Conference)
HUDs Tucson office and the Arizona
Department of Commerce Housing & Infrastructure Division co-sponsored
the first conference for Arizonas colonias-designated communities,
February 24-25, 2000. The conference provided information, resources, and
a networking forum for rural Arizona county, municipal and nonprofit staff
working in the States 82 colonias-designated communities. In addition,
colonias residents from a border housing authority attended the conference
to learn about resources available to them. Colonias are rural communities
and neighborhoods located within 150 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border that
lack infrastructure and often, also basic services. Colonias typically
have high rates of poverty and this makes it difficult for residents to
help pay for roads, sanitary sewer and water systems, decent housing, street
lighting and other services.
2000-2073 ArtWORKS/HOPE VI Handmade Tile
Youth Entrepreneurial Program
The City of Tucson's HOPE VI Project and
ArtWORKS are collaborating on a youth employment project. ArtWORKS is an
after school and summer youth program sponsored by the Tucson-Pima Arts
Council, a nonprofit arts organization that provides educational experiences
and opportunities that empower artistically talented youth. Through this
unique program, ArtWORKS staff in collaboration with HOPE VI, hired Tucson
High School teenagers who remain in school and maintain a "C"
average. Students receive training in commercial fine art and develop entrepreneurial
skills for use in arts-related careers. This program will employ students
to design and produce 120 stove backsplashes and 120 address tiles for
the new HOPE VI housing development, Posadas Sentinel.
2000-2406 Chicanos Por La Causa-South Tucson
Barrio Project
Chicanos Por La Causa-Tucson's purpose of
this project was to provide affordable homes for first time homebuyers
that met HUD's 50% (low) to 80% (moderate) median income guidelines. In
addition, one of the project's goals was to help revitalize and stabilize
the neighborhoods of South Tucson.
2000-2629 Elder Shelter Project: Administration
of Resources and Choices
This project provides crisis intervention
and free emergency shelter for aging adults within the community who are
60 years or older. During the first six months of the new project, 100
persons benefited from this service. For example, victims of domestic violence,
victims of elder abuse, persons experiencing a care-giving crisis, senior
adults facing loss of housing or threat of homelessness, and homebound
persons with major appliance or utility problems all have used the project
and their lives have been improved as a result of their participation.
The Elder Shelter Project also provides an invaluable community resource
for hospital emergency departments and 911 responders by offering emergency
shelter at all levels of care, including skilled nursing care, for the
elderly. The most unique part of the project is that the business community
is donating all the shelter beds and care. This project is administered
by a HUD certified housing counseling agency which receives HUD funding.
Return to
Best Practices 2000 Winners List
Content Archived: April 20, 2011 |