2000 Best Practice Awards

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)

HUD’s Tucson office and the Arizona Department of Commerce Housing & Infrastructure Division co-sponsored the first conference for Arizona’s 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 State’s 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.

Content Archived: April 20, 2011