The City of Wichita Falls is an entitlement grantee for the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) and a Participating Jurisdiction (PJ) for the HOME Program. In the previous year, the City has also received HUD funding from the State of Texas for the Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) Program and the Housing Opportunities for Persons With Aids (HOPWA). The Action Plan is the planning process to apply for federal funds from HUD. This plan serves as background material and contains the applications for the HOME and CDBG programs. This Action Plan is similar to the Final Statement and Proposed Use of Community Development Block Grant funds and the Program Description for the HOME Program.
The purpose of the Consolidated Plan was to identify the needs in the community in order to participate in programs funded from various HUD programs. The City of Wichita Falls or any non-profit agency seeking funds from HUD or other identified funding sources must be certify that their request is consistent with the Consolidated Plan.
The City of Wichita Falls will have available $2,813,035 for activities this year. The City will receive $1,965,000 as its CDBG 1996-97 Entitlement Grant, $502,000 as its HOME Investment partnership Act (HOME) funding grant. CBDG funds in the amount of $323,148 from previous years funds that have been transferred from completed or cancelled projects, and $22,887 in program income that has been returned to the program are included in the reallocation. The City does not receive direct funding of the Emergency Shelter Grant Program (ESGP) or Housing Opportunities for Persons With Aids (HOPWA) but have been funded, in the past, by the State of Texas.
The City of Wichita Falls will have available $2,813,035 for activities this year. The City will receive $1,965,000 as its CDBG 1996-97 Entitlement Grant, $502,000 as its HOME Investment partnership Act (HOME) funding grant. CBDG funds in the amount of $323,148 from previous years funds that have been transferred from completed or cancelled projects, and $22,887 in program income that has been returned to the program are included in the reallocation. The City does not receive direct funding of the Emergency Shelter Grant Program (ESGP) or Housing Opportunities for Persons With Aids (HOPWA) but have been funded, in the past, by the State of Texas.
Activities to be Undertaken - Description of Key Projects
The City will provide funding for over $543,000 to operate a health clinic and to non-profit agencies to provide a variety of services to low income persons. Also included in this amount is funding for the renovations and improvements to their facilities. Assisting with downpayment and closing costs for single family dwellings of lower income persons, under the First-Time Homebuyers program, along with funding of up to $25,000 per unit for rehabilitation of lower income owner occupied housing will receive $812,000 in HOME and CDBG funding. The Parks Department will receive $272,000 for improvements to three parks and the construction of a sidewalk/trails system from the Housing Authority to Williams Park. Public Works Department will receive almost $300,000 for streets, sidewalks, drainage and waste water improvements in low income areas. A training program which uses low income persons in the construction of sidewalks, curbs and gutters and is funded at $120,000 is included in the Pubic Works funding. A special fund for the replacement of defective sewer lines for lower income persons is funded at $60,000 this year. The Code Enforcement Division is funded at $480,000 for the operational costs of the staff and for the clearance of substandard structures. The balance of funding is for the administrative and engineering staff needed to plan, administer, and monitor the above activities.
Geographic Distribution - Projects Locations
All of the activities will benefit lower income person with most of the activities described above being in the lower income areas of Wichita Falls. All physical activities, like street, water and parks improvements are in low income residential areas. The areas served by public services are low income, while acquisition, repairs and rehabilitations, and some public services are based on the income of the family and not their location.
Lead Agencies
The City, through the City Council sub-committee on Outside Agency Funding, co-operates with a number of non-profits to provide services to lower income persons. This year Child Care Inc., Senior Citizen Services of North Texas, Community Action Corporation of Wichita Falls and North Texas, East Branch of the YMCA, North Texas Center for Non-Profits, Southside Girls Club and Christmas in April were funded to provide services to lower income persons. The health clinic at Martin Luther King Center is a major receiver of funding in the lower income areas. Various City Departments and Divisions also provide input during the planning stages of the Action Plan. The Housing Division of the Community Development Department is the lead agency for the CDBG and HOME programs.
Homeless Needs:
There appears to be sufficient emergency shelters available for the needs of the homeless, however the main emphasis now should be on providing transitional and permanent housing for the homeless. To accomplish this, the City of Wichita Falls will encourage local non-profit groups to apply for the State of Texas' Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) programs and also to apply for transitional housing facilities grants under the McKinney Act. The City will continue to apply for State ESGP funding for umbrella funding of numerous local non-profit homeless providers. Local agencies will be encouraged to apply for programs that assist the Homeless with an emphasis on transitional housing and the move to permanent housing. The Public Housing Authority and the Section 8 Housing Assistance Program give a preference to persons that are homeless. The Section 8 program has requested funding under the Family Unification program but did not receive funding approval.
Special Housing Needs:
The City will continue to offer financial assistance to homeowners with disabilities by providing funding for renovations necessary to provide accessibility to their house. The City will also continue to offer a local rental rehabilitation program and provide incentives to investors/owners to produce rental units that are barrier-free. The Public Housing Authority has converted a number of their units for barrier free access. The Section 8 program office provides information on barrier-free units to those individuals needing accessible units.
Those persons with special needs such as the elderly, the frail elderly, the mentally ill, and those living with AIDS should have access to housing assistance and supportive service programs. The City of Wichita Falls through the City/County Health Department will continue to apply for HIV and AIDS related grants through the Texas Department of Health. The City is willing to continue to administer the Housing Opportunity for People With AIDS (HOPWA) grant and provide rental assistance to persons with HIV and AIDS. The local office of the State Mental Health Mental Retardation (MHMR) recently rehabilitated a sixteen unit apartment building through the City's Rental Rehabilitation program. The City will continue to encourage non-profit organizations to apply for other available funding. The City will continue to work with sponsoring organizations to apply for funding to provide housing for the elderly, the frail elderly, and the mentally ill and to seek funding for supporting housing programs. The staff has been working with a developer to receive LIHTC for the Holt hotel renovation as an elderly housing project.
Other Actions:
Meeting Underserved Needs: The staff, working with other City Departments, had meetings to develop the budgets for activities in the lower income areas. These activities include Code Enforcement, infrastructure improvements, streets, parks, and funding for administration and planning costs. The staff and a subcommittee from the City of Wichita Falls City Council met with non-profits and other interested groups to evaluate their request for funding of their proposed projects. The information from these groups and those that appeared at the Public Hearings provide the background for the recommendation of proposed funding to the City Council.
Foster and Maintain Affordable Housing: Housing needs of low income families are the main focus of the Housing Division and every effort is made to maintain and increase the number and level of available housing within the City. The Community Development Department and Housing Division have been working toward the renovation of the Holt Hotel property, several existing apartment complexes and a Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) property. The City has applied for increased Section 8 rental assistance, Section 202 and Section 811 funding whenever HUD issues a Notice of Funds Available. The Housing Division is the Public Housing Agency and operates the Section 8 program and co-operates closely with the Housing Authority to increase housing choices for lower income persons.
The City will continue to offer a type of rental rehabilitation program, funded by CDBG, to qualifying property owners. The City will also continue to offer the Section 8 Rental Assistance program to low income families. The City will continue to offer programs for owner-occupied rehabilitation for single family dwellings. The City has established a First-Time Homebuyers Program to address low and moderate income household's ability to purchase a home by offering down payment and closing cost assistance. The City also implemented the paint program, which is a self-help program enhancing the cosmetic appearance of an occupant's home. The City will continue to develop new programs as staff time and funding becomes available. The City will continue to work with banks and other financial institutions to develop program which can provide mortgages to low income families through special mortgage programs, reduced interest rates or in-house financing. The NORTEX Housing Finance Corporation recently issued mortgage revenue bonds and the money will be available for lower interest rates for lower income families. The City will continue to apply for additional Section 8 housing assistance vouchers and certificates. The Public Housing Authority will continue to modernize and improve its units.
Reduction of Barriers to Affordable Housing: The City staff and City Council meet on a regular basis to review Zoning and Code (Building, Electrical, Gas, Mechanical, Housing) issues. The results of changes to these activities can increase or decrease the cost of developing or renovating properties for both housing and for commercial uses. The development and construction fees charged by the City are some of the lowest in the state and the main emphasis on building costs would be in the use of new materials and technology.
Evaluate and Reduce Lead-Based Hazards: The City's programs are designed that all units that are using federal funds will be checked for lead-based hazards and corrected if needed. None of the programs permit the use of lead-based paints and the rehabilitation programs remove a number of items that could contain lead-based paint. The Section 8 inspects for and encapsulates lead-based hazards. The Public Housing Authority has tested for and not found any lead-based hazards in their developments.
Reduce the Number of Poverty Level Families: The City's Section 8 program has a requirement for 61 families under the Family Self-Sufficiency program. This program is design to help assisted families work their way off any form of welfare or public assistance. In past years the position was funded by the earned administration fees. The City works with contractors to utilize low income person in their projects under the Section 3 plan. One of the projects that has been funded this year and last year is a training program for lower income persons to teach basis concrete work working skills while achieving sidewalk improvements in lower income neighborhoods.
Institutional Structure: The City, working with private and public agencies, will use this plan to help overcome the gaps in providing and supporting the activities needed to address the needs developed in the five year plan. The City cannot provide funds to meet all the services and assistance needed to correct all the defined services and actions developed during the planning stage of the Consolidated Plan. The City staff has a close relationship with Interfaith Ministries and the North Texas Center for Non-Profit Management and these groups provide the link with most of the non-profits in the local area. Local banks, community service groups, county and state agencies are consulated on a regular basis to develop plans and apply for funding that will improve conditions for the areas low and moderate income families.
Enhance Coordination: Both the Consolidated Plan and the Action Plan were developed with citizen participation. The City contacted service providers, non-profit agencies, banks, Realtors, churches, residents of assisted housing, other interested groups and ordinary citizens for the development of the Consolidated Plan. The City also conducted a survey of organizations, agencies, and persons for input on needs, resources, and strategies to address affordable housing in Wichita Falls.
This one year action plan is, in part, one result of the input of these agencies and individuals either in writing, or from oral comments during the year. During the prior years planning process for Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) and general neighborhood meetings to develop project for a capitol improvements referendum, the City of Wichita Falls held meetings in various neighborhoods to become informed as to neighborhood needs. These comments were also used to develop priorities and strategies to address the affordable housing and other needs described in the Consolidated Plan and this one year Action Plan. The City is working with Child Welfare, Child Protective Services and the county juvenile center to request funding under the Family Unification Program.
Foster Public Housing Improvements and Resident Initiatives: The Public Housing Authority of Wichita Falls has a full time Resident Coordinator and a Resident Council that work together to develop ideas for betterment of the developments. The PHA and the City Section 8 program work closely to increase assisted housing within the City. The City has used CDBG funds to improve streets, parks and other facilities in the developments. This year's funding also include a trail/sidewalk system to tie the development to Williams park. There is a branch of the Boys and Girls Club, a day care center, 3 community centers inside the developments and the PHA also supports a Boy Scout Troop. The PHA request and was approved for $896,469 in Comprehensive Grant Program funds for the current year.
Program Specific Requirements
HOME Program Resale or Recapture Guidelines:
The City of Wichita Falls First-Time Homebuyers Program requires full repayment of HOME assistance provided if the applicant ceases to occupy the home within a certain length of time following purchase. The length of time (occupancy period) depends upon both the type of mortgage and the total amount of HOME dollars involved. The occupancy period for FHA-backed mortgages equals the length of the mortgage. For other HOME-assisted projects, the occupancy period is either 5 or 10 years.
Matching Funds For HOME Projects:
The primary source of match for the HOME Program comes from the value of property that becomes City-owned real property and is donated to the HOME Program for the purpose of establishing affordable housing under the City's Urban Homesteading Program. Generally, match is obtained from the difference between the purchase price and the appraised value at the time of acquisition and the amount of delinquent taxes paid or forgiven. Homes that are taken for taxes have been found to be recover only 14% of the amount owed to the three taxing entities at Sheriff's sale. This 14% average amount has held at this level for the last ten years. The City can also use their share of the 86% of taxes forgiven as a match.