Winter 2005 On Monday, February 14, the Arizona Department of Housing and the Arizona Housing Commission will play host to the 3rd Annual Homes for Arizonans Day at the Capitol. Message from the Director Homes for Arizonans Day is an opportunity for the public and policymakers to learn about housing efforts being initiated by various businesses, government Sheila D. Harris, Ph.D. All Arizonans should be proud to have a Governor who is willing to be involved on a national level in issues that have become pressing interests here at home. One of those interests is affordable housing, and with Governor Janet Napolitano recently taking a lead role in reviewing the National Governor’s Association's policies on affordable housing, the state of Arizona cannot help but benefit from having a strong voice on this issue at a national level. The Governor’s support of housing issues on a state and national level are truly exceptional. On February 14, you will have to the opportunity to highlight to other elected officials and policy makers the role of your organization in developing housing opportunities at the 3rd Annual Homes for Arizonans Day at the Capitol. As the cost of housing continues to rise, housing affordability is quickly becoming an issue affecting most communities in our state. Please don’t miss this important opportunity. agencies and nonprofit organizations, as well as the stabilizing role housing plays in the lives of our state's children and families. Last year, over 300 people and 50 organizations participated in the event and we anticipate an even greater turnout this year. Participants are invited to display information about their housing efforts at various tables on the Senate lawn. There is no charge for an exhibit table. The day also includes a luncheon for sponsors, exhibitor participants and invited guests. Past speakers for the event have included: Janet Napolitano, Governor of Arizona; Jerry Colangelo, local sports executive and Chairman of the Board of Collaboration for a New Century; Roy Bernardi, Deputy HUD Secretary; Phillip Mangano, Executive Director of the United States Interagency on Homelessness; and Jake Flake, Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives. Exhibitor space and sponsorships are still available. Please contact Cynthia Diggelmann at (602) 771-1016 or cynthiad@housingaz.com for additional information. Inside this issue: AzHFA Activities ..................................... 2 Arizona Housing Commission What’s New? ......................................... 3-5 Meeting Schedule Upcoming Conferences, Trainings and Other Happenings ....... 6-7 January 28 – Phoenix February 14 – Phoenix March 23 – Tucson Notices of Funding Availability .......... 8-9 For more information on locations and times contact Pat Boland at (602) 771-1017 or by email: patb@housingaz.com Other Info............................................. 9-10 Recent Funding Announcements ... 11-12 Arizona Housing Finance Authority Mortgage Revenue Bond Program The 2004 Single Family Mortgage Revenue Bond (MRB) Program, first offered by the Arizona Housing Finance Authority (AzHFA) in the summer of 2004, continues to offer an attractive financing option for rural Arizona (excluding Maricopa and Pima counties). The MRB Program offers residents of rural Arizona the opportunity to obtain first time homebuyer mortgage financing at approximately one percent below market rates with up to $20,000 in down payment and closing cost assistance. The program is open to income eligible buyers who are purchasing their first home or have not owned a home in the past three years. To participate in the program, a borrower must apply for a loan with a participating MRB lender. To obtain the additional benefit of the down payment and closing cost assistance, the borrower must contact the local Homes for Arizonans program provider in their area and request an application. The Homes for Arizonans program is a joint program of the Arizona Department of Housing and the AzHFA. For information on the Homes for Arizonans program, visit our website at www.housingaz.com and click on Homes for Arizonans Initiative, or contact Sandy Weis at (602) 771-1027 or sandraw@housingaz.com. A list of participating MRB lenders is available through our website at: www.housingaz.com. New lenders may join the program at any time by contacting Carl Kinney, AzHFA Programs Administrator, at (602) 771-1091 and requesting an invitation to participate. Mortgage Credit Certificate Program A Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) is a tax credit that allows holders to reduce their federal income tax liability, thereby assisting in qualifying for a mortgage. Benefits of the MCC are available for the life of the mortgage as long as the borrower occupies the property as their principal residence. Additionally, the Arizona Housing Finance Authority (AzHFA) and ADOH have teamed up to offer down payment assistance to MCC recipients through the Homes for Arizonans program (see above). Depending on the borrowers’ income, they may qualify for up to $20,000 in additional assistance. MCCs can be used with a variety of mortgage loans and borrowers can use the lender of their choice. To apply for an MCC, borrowers should notify their mortgage lender that they are applying, and then contact Family Housing Resources in Tucson at (800) 622-7462 to request an MCC application by mail. A copy of the 2003 MCC Program brochure is also available at: www.housingaz.com. AzHFA Board Meetings The Arizona Housing Finance Authority (AzHFA) Board of Directors is a seven-member board that governs the work of the AzHFA. Board meetings are open to the public. Upcoming meetings are scheduled on the following dates: 2005 Board of Directors Ross McCallister The McCallister Companies Chairperson Cliff Potts Prudential Real Estate Vice-Chairperson Donald E. Brandt Pinnacle West Corporation Treasurer Victor Flores Salt River Project Secretary Rita Carrillo Neighborhood Housing Services th January 11 – State Capitol, ADOH Conference Room th February 8 – State Capitol, ADOH Conference Room rd March 23 – Tucson Marriott, University Park For more information on AzHFA Board Meetings contact Pat Boland at (602) 771-1017 or patb@housingaz.com. Brian Mickelsen City of Cottonwood Stephanie Prudence Charter Funding 2 Draft of 5-Year ConPlan will soon be available for comment What’s New? Ross McCallister named chairman of the Arizona Housing Finance Authority Ross McCallister Ross A. McCallister, Jr. was elected chairman of the Arizona Housing Finance Authority (AzHFA) in October. As President of MC Realty and KRM Construction, McCallister is responsible for the investment analysis, development, construction, financing, and management of the MC Companies’ projects, as well as business development and client relations. He is also a licensed real estate broker and a licensed general contractor. The MC Companies is a full service real estate investment company, developing, building and managing multi-family investments in Arizona and the west. The company was founded in 2001 with the merger of The McCallister Company and McElroy Management LLC. McCallister brings over 20 years experience in the real estate development and finance arenas. He was the founder of The McCallister Company, a real estate syndication firm and property management company, which he established in 1985. Federal tax reform and homeownership President Bush is expected to appoint a bipartisan panel soon to help the Administration craft a tax reform proposal. The National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) reports that a highranking Treasury official has hinted the Administration may be considering an incremental approach, noting that the president believes any change to the current system should “recognize the importance of home ownership and charitable giving in our society.” Draft copies of the State’s Five-Year Consolidated Plan (ConPlan) will be available beginning March 1, 2005 at the ADOH website: www.housingaz.com and in hard copy form from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the ADOH Office, State Capitol , Executive Tower, 1700 West Washington, Suite 210, Phoenix, Arizona 85007. Written comments on the draft will be accepted by Andrew Rael, Programs Administrator, at the above address until March 31, 2005 at 5:00 p.m. Persons requiring special formats due to disability may contact ADOH at (602) 771-1000 or at our TTY number, (602) 771-1001. Arizona plays major role in revising NGA’s Policies The National Governor's Association (NGA) is currently in the process of reviewing several of its national policies relating to economic development and commerce. Governor Napolitano serves as Vice-Chair and lead Democratic governor on the NGA's economic development and commerce committee (EDC). Affordable housing is among the policies that the EDC oversees. Arizona was recently designated as one of the leads in the revision on NGA's policy on affordable housing, partnering with Minnesota. ADOH staff will be working closely with the Governor's staff on such revisions, scheduled to be adopted by NGA in late January. Sharran Porter named ADOH Employee of the Year ADOH’s Customer Liaison, Sharran Porter, was named Employee of the Year in December. Porter, who has been with the State for 10 years, was chosen for her adherence to the agency’s Guiding Principles. She Dr. Sheila Harris presents has taken on a very difficult award to Sharran Porter job, providing the agency’s “first impression”, interfacing with the public and dealing with a myriad of sometimes very difficult questions. She has done all of this with grace, patience and a terrific sense of humor. 3 CDBG meeting with COGS and Grantees announced Pima County forms Housing Trust Fund The Arizona Department of Housing (ADOH) will hold a meeting with Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) grantee communities and the rural Councils of Government (COGs) in early 2005. The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss the 2005 CDBG Application Handbook and to receive input on a number of items, including: improving application to the state by CDBG grantees; maximizing the use of the COGs for CDBG administration; better defined contractual relationships between the COGs and communities; and ways in which ADOH can improve administration of the CDBG program. A meeting date of January 20 from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. has been set. The meeting will be held at the State Capitol, 1700 W. Washington Street, Phoenix. For more information on this meeting, contact Andrew Rael at (602) 771-1010 or andrewr@housingaz.com. In November, the Pima County supervisors unanimously approved creating a trust fund to serve low- and moderate-income home buyers. The trust fund will be financed largely by local builders. Pima County is the first local government in the state to create such a fund. ADOH administers a similar fund at the state level. Federal Budget Update Congress passed an omnibus appropriations bill in November which included FY2005 funding for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) programs. Funding for HUD was set at $37.3 billion, more than the President’s request, but less than the FY04 HUD budget. Most U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Housing Service programs were reduced as well. Of note, the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program was funded at an amount sufficient to fund all vouchers in use, but not all vouchers authorized, effectively shrinking the program. Conversely, the Project-based Section 8 assistance was funded at $270 million more than FY04. The public housing capital fund, HOPE VI, and the Native American Housing Block Grant all realized 3% cuts over last year. HOME funding was reduced to $1.9 billion. The American Dream Down Payment program was funded at $50 million, $35 million less than FY04. Homeless assistance, HOPWA, Section 202 and 811, CDBG, Fair Housing, and Lead programs were all funded for slightly less than FY04. The County, as well as builders, will contribute to the fund. Funds from builders are likely to come from sliding scale fees due when builders constructing homes costing more than $135,000 seek zoning or approval for planned developments. The oversight of the fund will come from a local Affordable Housing Commission. The fund is expected to be funded at about $3.1 million a year at today’s home-building pace. Edward Taczanowsky, president of the Southern Arizona Home Builders Association has been named the first member to the housing commission. Taczanowsky has been quoted as saying he envisions the fund helping low- and moderate-income homebuyers, either through leveraging mortgages or down payment assistance. Some funding may also be made available for home repairs. The Commission will determine whether the money will be provided as loans or grants. Online search for affordable rental unit availability grows The use of the website sponsored by ADOH at Socialserve.com continues to grow, providing a valuable service to households searching for affordable housing throughout Arizona. Interested parties can search by individual community or perform a statewide search. The service is available in English and Spanish. The service also assists publicly assisted owners in reducing their vacancy rates. The website (www.socialserve.com) currently lists over 600 affordable rental properties throughout Arizona and is averaging anywhere from 3,000 to 4,000 hits from interested parties each month. 4 Navajo Partnership for Housing, Inc. awarded USDA grant Photo: Michael Vaughn Apache Ridge II is unveiled at the October 29th ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house. New Whiteriver Housing In October, a new 22-unit multi-family rental housing development opened in Whiteriver. Apache Ridge II will provide new affordable rental units for members of the White Mountain Apache Tribe. At the ribboncutting ceremony, Tribal Chairman Dallas Massey, Sr. praised the teamwork that went into the effort. Those who contributed to the project include the White Mountain Apache Tribal Council, White Mountain Community Development Corporation, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development, Arizona Department of Housing, Enterprise Social Investment Corporation, Cordes Development, RK Builders, Edos Architects, and White Mountain Apache Woodworks. Governor’s Tribal Housing Task Force to meet The Tribal Housing Initiative Task Force will meet on January 26, from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., on the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community at the Community Center, 1880 North Longmore, Scottsdale. Since the creation of the Governor’s Tribal Housing Initiative in November 2003, four committees have completed work to address the issues that inhibit the progress of housing development on tribal lands. The committees that were formed include: Infrastructure Needs, Housing Assessments, Financial Education, and Legal Documentation. A draft report on completed committee work will be distributed at a future summit meeting. For more information on the Tribal Housing Initiative, contact Michael Vaughn, Tribal Liaison, at (602) 771-1087 or at michaelv@housingaz.com. Navajo Partnership for Housing, Inc. (NPH) has received notice of an award of $200,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Part of the grant will enable NPH to help Navajo families with delinquency counseling and home construction services, while the remaining portion of the grant will strengthen NPH as a lending institution for Navajo families. Thanking ADOH for its support of the project, Sanjay Choudhrie, NPH’s Director of Development said, “We could not have done it without your help.” The grant is expected to help about 100 low-income families in total. Since 1998, NPH has made or packaged more than 200 home loans, helped build or renovate more than 70 homes and more than 2,000 people have graduated from their eight-hour homebuyer education program. This fall NPH launched a Financial Education program for Navajo families that will help them to manage their money, assets, debt, and resources to create wealth. New law increases Title VI Native American loan guarantees The Homeownership Opportunities for Native Americans Act was recently passed by Congress. It enables the NAHASDA Title VI Loan Guarantee Program to guarantee 95%, rather than the previous 80%, of loans to tribes and tribal housing entities for housing activities. A copy of the bill (S.2571/H.R. 4471) is available at http://thomas.loc.gov. New guide on rural housing programs in Indian Country Intended to improve Native American access to the Rural Housing Service’s programs, Making Rural Housing Programs Work in Indian Country: A Guide for Tribes and Tribal Housing Organizations is free at: http://www.ruralhome.org/pubs/NativeAmerLendin g.pdf. The guide was published by the Housing Assistance Council. 5 Upcoming Conferences, Trainings and Other Happenings . . . January 11 February 23-24 2005 LIHTC Training Homeownership Development – Part I ADOH will sponsor a one-day application workshop concentrating on the 2005 Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program, with training provided by Novogradac. The training will take place on January 11 at the Black Canyon Conference Center in Phoenix. Cost per person is $200. More information is available on ADOH’s website at: www.housingaz.com. January 27-28 Owner-Occupied Housing Rehabilitation Workshop – Part II ADOH and the City of Casa Grande will be putting on a workshop for Housing Rehabilitation Specialists currently working on an ADOH-funded Owner-Occupied Housing Rehabilitation Program. This advanced training is limited to 40 participants. Training will be held at the City of Casa Grande Parks & Recreation Building. Cost to attend is $200. For more info, contact Pat Boland at patb@housingaz.com or (602) 771-1017. February 7-11 NeighborWorks ® Training The NeighborWorks® Training Institute will be held February 7-11 at the Hyatt Regency in Denver. The theme for this year’s community development training is Diverse Cultures, Common Needs. The training includes interactive, practical and cutting edge courses, a Native American Community Development track, and more. Some scholarships are available. For more information go to: http://nw.org. February 16-17 CDBG Implementation This two-day workshop will provide training to State-Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) grantees in compliance aspects associated with utilizing CDBG funds. Cost to attend is $50. Training will be held at the State Capitol, 1700 West Washington Street, Phoenix in the Grand Canyon Room. For more info contact Pat Boland at (602) 771-1000 or patb@housingaz.com. This ADOH-sponsored training is designed for organizations interested in developing housing units for homeownership. New construction as well as acquisition and rehabilitation of existing units will be covered in this two-day training. Use of the State Housing Fund and the American Dream Downpayment Initiative will also be discussed. This training is appropriate for private sector developers as well as nonprofits and local governments. The training will be held in Bullhead City. Check www.housingaz.com for more information as it becomes available. March 14-15 NCCED’s Annual Policy Summit National Congress for Community Economic Development (NCCED) will hold its Annual Policy Summit, March 14-15 in Washington, DC. The summit provides an opportunity to meet with federal officials, members of congress, and to learn about best practices from housing and community development practitioners. For more information, go to: www.ncced.org March 14-15 Understanding Arizona’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit & HOME Compliance This ADOH-sponsored workshop is scheduled for March 14-15 at the Black Canyon Conference Center in Phoenix, and is intended for current and future Low-Income Housing Tax Credit or State Housing Fund (HOME and Housing Trust Fund) rental property owners, management agents, site managers, and others actively involved in screening applications or leasing state-assisted units to eligible households. Both basic and advanced training will be covered in this training. Facilitation of the training will be provided by Compliance Solutions. Cost is $150 per person. For more information contact Pat Boland at (602) 7711000. Registration materials will be made available soon on the ADOH website: www.housingaz.com. 6 March 15-18 HUD sponsored-CDBG Training Dennison Associates, Inc., consultants to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will conduct beginning and intermediate level Community Development Block Grant training specifically for CDBG entitlement communities on March 15-18 in Phoenix. Only 50 training slots are available, so HUD is requiring approval of all attendees and suggests that ideal nominees should have 6 months to 1 year of broad-based CDBG experience, with no previous CDBG training. For more information contact Marty Mitchell at HUD, (602) 3797175. March 23-24 9th Annual Tucson Affordable Housing Conference The Tucson Metropolitan Housing Commission will once again host its annual Affordable Housing Conference in Tucson on March 23-24 at the Tucson Marriott, University Park. The conference theme this year is A Place to Call Home. For more information, go to: www.metrohousingcorp.org. March 28-29 Regional Equity Conference New Strategies in Wealth Creation, Asset Building, Housing and Community Development is the theme of a Regional Equity Conference being held at the Tempe Mission Palms Hotel and Conference Center, March 28-29. The conference is being presented by The Collaboration for a New Century and Community Development Coalition of Arizona. For more information go to: www.mcsource.net. April 1 Ending Homelessness Conference Join Sheila Harris, Director of the Arizona Department of Housing, David Berns, Director of the Arizona Department of Economic Security, and Fred Karnas, Governor Napolitano's policy advisor for Urban Affairs and Community Development to review existing housing and Continuum of Care plans. As a group, attendees will develop and identify the top three barriers preventing ending homelessness in Arizona. Ideas and strategies will be used in the development of the ten-year housing plan for the State Interagency and Community Council on Homelessness. The program will run from approximately 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Heard Museum in Phoenix. A $35 registration fee includes the program and lunch. For more information contact Cynthia Diggelmann at (602) 7711000 or cynthiad@housignaz.com. April 21 2005 State Housing Fund Workshop A workshop designed to launch the FY2006 State Housing Fund Program year (July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006) is scheduled to take place at the Black Canyon Conference Center in Phoenix on April 21. For more information on this upcoming workshop watch the ADOH website: www.housingaz.com. 7 Notices of Funding Availability . . . FY 2005 State Housing Fund Program Summary available The FY2005 State Housing Fund Program Summary and relevant applications are available on the ADOH website. The Program Summary explains the availability of Federal HOME and State Housing Trust Funds, available from July 1, 2004 – June 30, 2005, through one universal application. To download a copy of the Program Summary go to: http://www.housingaz.com/UPLOAD/2005_SHF_Prog_Summary.pdf. A Word version is also available at the ADOH website (www.housingaz.com see Library). Application dates remaining in this fiscal year include: for Rental and Homeownership Development, January 31 and April 29; and Owner-Occupied Housing Rehabilitation and Emergency Repair Programs, January 31. The FY2006 State Housing Fund Program Summary (for applications submitted from July 1, 2005 – June 30, 2006) will be published and made available on CD-Rom just prior to the State Housing Fund Workshop on April 21 (see page 7). Register to receive notice of all Federal grant opportunities The federal Grants.gov web page has a service that will allow subscribers to receive email notifications of funding opportunities. To access this service, go to: www.hud.gov/grants/index/cfm. Once at the website, click on “Receive Grant Funding Notification,” which will take the user to a webpage where they will see four options for receiving notifications. Once subscribed, the user will receive an email notification every evening of what was placed on Grants.gov/FIND that day. All federal agencies are now placing their announcements on this site. USDA makes RCDI and RUS grants available The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Housing Service’s Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI) will be making grants available to intermediary organizations to provide financial and technical assistance to others. Grantees must provide matching funds. The application deadline is January 25. For more information on the grant program go to www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/rcdi/index.htm or contact William Kenney at (202) 720-1506 or william.kenney@usda.gov. Also, the USDA – Rural Utilities Service (RUS) has launched a new Household Water System Program that will provide grants to nonprofits to make loans for individually owned household water well systems. A new Revolving Fund Program will provide grants to nonprofits to make pre-development or short-term loans for water and wastewater systems. Application guidelines are posted at www.usda.gov/rus/water/prog.htm, although at last check an application deadline had not been set. For more information on the household program, contact Cheryl Francis at (202) 720-1937 or cheryl.francis@usda.gov; for information on the utilities systems program, contact Stephen Saulnier at (202) 690-2526. Millions in FY2004 HOPE VI funds still available According to a notice published in the Federal Register in November, the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) still has $120 million in HOPE VI funds from FY2004 to award. HUD anticipates making six grant awards of about $20 million each. Only one application can be submitted per housing agency, and HUD requires a five percent match. Only public housing agenices with severely distressed public housing are eligible to apply. Applications are due to HUD by February 1, and awards are expected in early May. All materials needed for an application are available at www.grants.gov. 8 CDFI Program to provide $22 million in financial assistance in 2005 The U.S. Treasury, Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund is offering many upcoming funding opportunities. Current or potential Community Development Financial Institutions can apply for technical assistance funds, by January 25. FDIC-insured depository institutions can apply to for Bank Enterprise Award (BEA) funding to help increase their loans and activities in distressed communities, and to work with CDFIs, by February 14. On January 11, from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. there will be a training broadcast on CDFI Programs. The broadcast will be shown at the Phoenix office of the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), One North Central Avenue on the 6th floor. Look for application materials at: www.cdfifund.gov. For more information on the CDFI Program, call (202) 6226355 or email cdfihelp@cdfi.treas.gov. Section 202 funds available Applicants for FY2004 Section 202 funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), can apply by January 10 for grants to cover pre-development costs. For more information, go to: www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/otherhud.cfm or contact Alicia Anderson at (202) 708-3000 or Alicia_Anderson@hud.gov. Lead poisoning grants offered The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is offering lead poisoning grants to state and local governments, tribes, nonprofits and educational institutions to do public education, monitoring, training, demonstrations, and innovative approaches to addressing the issue of lead poisoning. The deadline for application is January 31. For more information, go to: http://fedgrants.gov/Applicants/EPA/OGD/GAD/FON-T001/Grant.html or contact Doreen Cantor at (202) 566-0486 or Cantor.Doreen@epa.gov. Other Info . . . Section 515 preservation report published The National Rural Housing Coalition (NRHC) has published a report, Preserving Rural America’s Affordable Rental Housing – Current Issues, describing the Section 515 program, including tenant characteristics, policy issues, and successful local preservation strategies, and policy recommendations. The report is available at: www.nrhcweb.org or by calling NRHC at (202) 393-5225. Report issued on lack of water and sanitation in rural areas Still Living Without the Basics in the 21st Century: Analyzing the Availability of Water and Sanitation Services in the United States is the title of a report issued by the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP). The report shows that people with low incomes and minorities are most likely to lack complete plumbing, and though there have been significant improvements in recent decades, the places still needing service continue to be the most difficult to reach. To view the report, go to: www.rcap.org. Building nonprofit capacity subject of report A research report by the Alliance for Nonprofit Management has been published, which looks at how intermediaries, grant makers, community-based nonprofits, and others strengthen non-profits. The report, The Expanding Universe: New Directions in Nonprofit Capacity Building is $25 for Alliance members or $35 for others from: www.allianceonline.org/publications/expanding_universe.page. For more info, call (202) 955-8406. 9 Funding cut strategies discussed The Amherst H. Wilder Foundation website lists nearly 200 strategies excerpted from Coping with Cutbacks: The Nonprofit Guide to Success When Times Are Tight, at www.wilder.org/pubs/cutbacks/cutbacks_strategies_free.html. Nonprofit accounting guide revised The Housing Assistance Council has revised its accounting guide for nonprofits entitled Accounting and Financial Operations for Nonprofits in Rural Housing. The publication is free from their website at: www.ruralhome.org/info.php. ADOH issues RFP for consultant services The Arizona Department of Housing (ADOH) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for consultant services to provide two Rural Market Study Products: an inventory of multi-family housing and a detailed housing profile report. These products will concentrate on Coconino and Yavapai counties. The deadline for responding to the RFP is January 14, 2005. to view a copy of the RFP, go to: http://www.housingaz.com/UPLOAD/RFP_Rural_Market_Study.pdf. Warning: Mail delivery to Capitol is slow Need to make a speedy delivery of materials to the ADOH office at the Capitol? If so, then we need to warn you that you may not want to use the U.S. postal system. Since the incidents of 9/11/2001, all incoming mail to the Capitol undergoes a physical security screening at a separate facility prior to actual delivery to the Capitol complex. As a result, correspondence that would typically reach its destination in 1-2 days is taking 3-4 days or more. For this reason, if the information you are sending is time-sensitive, you might wish to send it by messenger, next-day delivery service, by e-mail, or plan ahead so that a tight deadline is not a problem. We apologize for the inconvenience, but know our constituents understand the concerns that necessitate the increased security measures. 10 Recent Funding Announcements . . . Since October 1st, ADOH has made the following commitments for funding of housing and community development programs and projects in Arizona: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program Recipient/Service Area Prescott, City of Type of Program/Project Northern Rural Area: Community facility/adult center/Meals on Wheels program Funding $ 550,753 State Housing Fund Program Recipient DIRECT Center for Independence, Inc. Casa Grande, City of Community Action Human Resources Agency (CAHRA) Coolidge, City of Kearny, Town of Bee Hogan Shelter Foundation Eager, Town of Eager, Town of NAZCARE, Inc. Northern Arizona Council of Governments (NACOG) Prescott Valley, Town of Habitat for Humanity Yuma Lake Havasu City, City of Western Arizona Council of Governments (WACOG) Yuma Neighborhood Development Corporation Yuma, City of Amity Foundation Arizona ACORN Housing Corporation Arizona Family Fund Community Information and Referral Services Community Services of Arizona FSL Home Improvements Human Service Campus, LLC Service Area Type of Program/Project Southeast Rural Area: Pima, Santa Cruz, Cochise, Graham, Home emergency repair program Greenlee Counties Central Rural Area: Casa Grande Home rehabilitation program Pinal County Coolidge Kearny Funding $ 258,839 330,000 Home emergency repair program Home rehabilitation program Home rehabilitation program Northern Rural Area: Kaibeto New construction of rental Springerville/Eager Home emergency repair program Springerville/Eager Home rehabilitation program Pre-development loan for potential rental Prescott development 297,000 550,000 200,000 Navajo, Apache Counties Homeless prevention Prescott Valley Home rehabilitation program Western Rural Area: Yuma New construction for homeownership Lake Havasu City Home rehabilitation program LaPaz, Mohave, Yuma Counties Home rehabilitation program Pre-development loan for potential Yuma homeownership development Yuma Home rehabilitation program Metropolitan Areas: Tucson Pre-development loan for possible emergency shelter Down payment/closing cost assistance for Phoenix first time homebuyers Maricopa County Regional Workforce Housing Plan Matching funds for Maricopa County Human Management Information System (HMIS) Maricopa County project Phoenix New construction of rental units Maricopa County Home emergency repair program Phoenix New construction of emergency shelter 177,943 440,000 554,412 302,500 102,500 20,000 50,000 200,000 331,834 15,800 300,000 20,000 42,600 25,000 20,000 500,000 165,000 500,000 11 Information and Referral Services Phoenix, City of PPEP Microbusiness & Housing Development Corporation Pima County Phoenix Tucson Homeless planning for Pima County Continuum of Care process Home rehabilitation program New construction for homeownership (selfhelp) 21,250 550,000 82,000 State Housing Fund – amounts remaining available . . . look for this list to be updated regularly at http://www.housingaz.com/UPLOAD/SHF_Balances_for_Web.pdf The Arizona Department of Housing E-Newsletter is published quarterly. Arizona Department of Housing 1700 West Washington Street, Suite 210 Phoenix, Arizona 85007 Telephone: (602) 771-1000 TTY: (602) 771-1001 FAX: (602) 771-1002 Website: www.housingaz.com Newsletter Editor: Carol Ditmore Please direct any questions or comments to Carol Ditmore at carold@housingaz.com Email address changes may be directed to Cynthia Diggelmann at cynthiad@housingaz.com Vol. 4, No. 1, January 2005 © State of Arizona, Department of Housing 12 Spring 2005 Message from the Director Sheila D. Harris, Ph.D. Long ago under the Julian Calendar, New Year’s Day was celebrated on April 1. When the Gregorian Calendar was adopted in the 16th Century, calling for New Year’s Day to be celebrated January 1, many European countries held out for centuries, continuing to celebrate on April 1. Even after it was formally adopted, some people either refused to accept the new date or did not learn about it and continued to celebrate New Year’s Day on April 1. Other people began making fun of these traditionalists, sending them on “fool’s errands” or trying to trick them into believing something false. Today, April Fool’s Day is one of the most light hearted days of the year, though it stems from a serious subject – the adoption of an entirely new calendar, signaling a change in time. This year on April 1 the State Interagency and Community Council on Homelessness (ICCH) will take on a very serious subject, signaling a change in time, when it brings together a group of advocates to help develop a 10-year homeless housing plan. We hope you will join us to help launch a new year and a new beginning to addressing the housing needs of our homeless population in Arizona. Join Dr. Sheila Harris, Director of the Arizona Department of Housing, David Berns, Director of the Arizona Department of Economic Security, and Fred Karnas, the Governor’s policy advisor for Urban Affairs and Community Development to review existing housing and Continuum of Care plans. As a group, attendees will develop and identify the top three barriers preventing ending homelessness in Arizona. After lunch the group will be divided into three moderated sessions. Each group will strive to blend their ideas and strategies to build a plan of action, which will be used in the development of the ten-year housing plan for the Governor’s Interagency and Community Council on Homelessness (ICCH). The Heard Museum’s Steele Auditorium is centrally located at 2301 North Central Avenue (Central and Monte Vista) between McDowell and Thomas Roads in Phoenix. A $35 registration fee includes the program, lunch and an available tour of the museum after the program ends at 4:00 p.m. Information: (602) 771-1000 or online at www.housingaz.com. Registrations must be received by March 28. Inside this issue: AzHFA Activities..................................... 2 Arizona Housing Commission What’s New? ......................................... 3-7 Meeting Schedule Upcoming Conferences, Trainings and Other Happenings.......... 8 April 29 – Phoenix May – no meeting June 24 – TBA Notices of Funding Availability........ 9-10 Other Info........................................... 10-11 Recent Funding Announcements ... 12-13 For more information on locations and times contact Pat Boland at (602) 771-1017 or by email: patb@housingaz.com Arizona Housing Finance Authority Mortgage Revenue Bond Program Funds are still available for the 2004 Single Family Mortgage Revenue Bond (MRB) Program, first offered by the Arizona Housing Finance Authority (AzHFA) in the summer of 2004. The MRB Program offers residents of rural Arizona (excluding Maricopa and Pima counties) the opportunity to obtain first time homebuyer mortgage financing at approximately one percent below market rates with up to $20,000 in down payment and closing cost assistance. The maximum purchase price limits have recently been increased and may be found on our website at www.housingaz.com. The program is open to income eligible buyers who are purchasing their first home or have not owned a home in the past three years. To participate in the program, a borrower must apply for a loan with a participating MRB lender. To obtain the additional benefit of the down payment and closing cost assistance, the borrower must contact the local Homes for Arizonans program provider in their area and request an application. The Homes for Arizonans program is a joint program of the Arizona Department of Housing and the AzHFA. For information on the Homes for Arizonans program, visit our website at www.housingaz.com and click on Homes for Arizonans Initiative, or contact Sandy Weis at (602) 771-1027 or sandraw@housingaz.com. A list of participating MRB lenders is available through our website at www.housingaz.com. New lenders may join the program at any time by contacting Carl Kinney, AzHFA Programs Administrator, at (602) 771-1091 and requesting an invitation to participate. Mortgage Credit Certificate Program A Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) is a tax credit that allows holders to reduce their federal income tax liability, thereby assisting in qualifying for a mortgage. Benefits of the MCC are available for the life of the mortgage as long as the borrower occupies the property as their principal residence. Additionally, the Arizona Housing Finance Authority (AzHFA) and ADOH have teamed up to offer down payment assistance to MCC recipients through the Homes for Arizonans program (see above). Depending on the borrowers’ income, they may qualify for up to $20,000 in additional assistance. MCCs can be used with a variety of mortgage loans and borrowers can use the lender of their choice. To apply for an MCC, borrowers should notify their mortgage lender that they are applying, and then contact Family Housing Resources in Tucson at (800) 622-7462 to request an MCC application by mail. The maximum purchase price limits have recently been increased and may be found, along with additional information about the MCC program, at www.housingaz.com. AzHFA Board Meetings The Arizona Housing Finance Authority (AzHFA) Board of Directors is a seven-member board that governs the work of the AzHFA. Board meetings are open to the public. Upcoming meetings are scheduled on the following dates: th April 12 – State Capitol, ADOH Conference Room th May 10 – State Capitol, ADOH Conference Room June 14th – State Capitol, 8th Floor Conference Room 2005 Board of Directors Ross McCallister The McCallister Companies Chairperson Cliff Potts Prudential Real Estate Vice-Chairperson Donald E. Brandt Pinnacle West Corporation Treasurer Victor Flores Salt River Project Secretary Rita Carrillo Neighborhood Housing Services Brian Mickelsen City of Cottonwood Stephanie Prudence Charter Funding For more information on AzHFA Board Meetings contact Pat Boland at (602) 771-1017 or patb@housingaz.com. 2 What’s New? ADOH provides financial assistance to communities impacted by recent storms The Arizona Department of Housing has awarded $1,156,000 to assist Mohave County and the Hopi Tribe in providing housing aid to families impacted by recent storms. Mohave County has been awarded a total of $656,000 in State Housing Trust Funds to provide two services to residents in the Beaver Dam/Littlefield area: (1) temporary relocation assistance for families that have been displaced from their homes due to flood damage; and (2) dollars to provide for the emergency repair of damaged housing units. Draft of 5-Year ConPlan available for comment Draft copies of the State’s Five-Year Consolidated Plan (ConPlan) are now available at the ADOH website: www.housingaz.com and in hard copy form from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the ADOH Office, State Capitol , Executive Tower, 1700 West Washington, Suite 210, Phoenix, Arizona 85007. Written comments on the draft will be accepted by Andrew Rael, Programs Administrator, at the above address until March 31, 2005 at 5:00 p.m. Persons requiring special formats due to disability may contact ADOH at (602) 771-1000 or at our TTY number, (602) 771-1001. The Hopi tribe has been awarded $500,000 in State Housing Trust Fund to fund emergency repairs to housing in 12 tribal villages that were damaged by recent storms. Emergency repair programs address health and safety concerns, such as damaged or leaking roofs and other immediate repair needs. Photos convey some of the damage from recent storms in Mohave County (top photo) and on Hopi Tribal lands (left) in Northern Arizona. Accessibility data soon to be available on Socialserve.com ADOH is currently working with Socialserve.com and the Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities to expand the information available on affordable rental units listed on Socialserve.com to add data points, such as counter heights, door widths, etc., to the information already listed on the site on the more than 30,000 apartments across the state that are listed. This service will allow low-income households with disabilities to search the site to find units suited to accommodate their needs. 3 Homes for Arizonans Day hits a homerun Arizona Diamondback Luis Gonzalez speaks out on affordable housing in Arizona Homes for Arizonans Day, an event hosted by the Arizona Department of Housing and the Arizona Housing Commission, was held on February 14th at the State Capitol. The annual event provides an opportunity for the public and policymakers to learn about affordable housing efforts being initiated by various businesses, government agencies and non-profit organizations from across the state, as well as the stabilizing role housing plays in the lives of our state’s children and families. “Homes for Arizonans Day continues to be a premier event that brings together those in our communities who serve people of modest means,” said ADOH Director, Dr. Sheila Harris. Exhibitions by over 40 organizations that are involved in developing affordable housing opportunities participated in the event. Speakers to a lunchtime crowd of over 200 included Dr. Harris; Luis Gonzalez; Gregg Holmes, Stardust Companies and Chairman of the Regional Workforce Housing Task Force; Deb Drysdale-Elias, Principal, George Washington Carver Elementary School in Yuma; Rich Bowen, Northern Arizona University; Karen Cooper, Flagstaff City Councilmember; Barry Wong, President, Phoenix Industrial Development Authority; and Anna Chavez, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for Governor Janet Napolitano. 4 Save the date! 2005 Affordable Housing Forum to be held in Carefree This year the Arizona Department of Housing will hold its annual Affordable Housing Forum from September 13-15 at the Carefree Resort & Villas. Watch for more information in our Summer ENewsletter in July. HUD announces federal homeless funding for Arizona President’s FY06 Budget proposes significant cuts In January, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the award of over $3 million in funding for homeless programs in rural Arizona. Deputy HUD Secretary Roy Bernardi made the announcement during an award ceremony held in Phoenix. The Bush administration has proposed an 11.5 percent reduction in its FY2006 budget which was released in February. Most of the cuts result from the Administration’s proposal to consolidate the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and several programs currently administered by other federal departments into a new community and economic development block grant administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Governor Janet Napolitano accepted a check on behalf of the entire state at the award ceremony, totaling approximately $30 million. Included in this amount was over $3 million for rural homeless programs. “Many communities, especially in rural Arizona, have few resources to provide shelter to homeless individuals. This grant is instrumental in our efforts to continue to provide safe and affordable places to live for our fellow Arizonans,” said Governor Janet Napolitano. Funding will be distributed to 18 existing rural homeless assistance programs, as well as two newly authorized programs, that provide transitional and permanent housing. The funding is competitively awarded each year and applied for through the Continuum of Care process, a consolidated effort for awarding grants that emphasizes local coordinated plans. ADOH leads the effort for the Rural Continuum of Care, which serves the balance of the state outside of Maricopa and Pima counties. The Rural Continuum received the highest score in the United States in this year’s application for funding. The additional funding will allow for two new programs, which will assist homeless veterans in Yavapai County and homeless persons with mental illness in Yuma and La Paz counties. The budget proposes to consolidated CDBG and several other programs currently housed within HUD and four other federal agencies into a new community and economic development block grant – Strengthening America’s Communities Grant Program. CDBG is the largest of the programs that would be consolidated into the new block grant. FY 2005 CDBG funding was over $4 billion. The new consolidated block grant program is only being recommended for $3.7 billion. The budget provides very few details on the new block grant and does not indicate if funding would go to states, localities, or both, or what activities would be eligible. With respect to the HOME program, the budget proposes a slight increase of 2 percent over FY2005, but then proposes to reduce the amount of flexible spending eligible under HOME, by increasing the formula for the American Dream Downpayment Initiative set-aside. Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) has also been proposed to receive about a 5 percent cut. 5 AzHFA attorney named one of The Best Lawyers in America® Flagstaff establishes housing task force Scott Ruby of Gust Rosenfeld, a private bond attorney representing the bond transactions of the Arizona Housing Finance Authority (AzHFA) was recently chosen by his peers as one of The Best Lawyers in America®. Congratulations Scott! In February, the Flagstaff City Council decided on appointments to its Housing Task Force. The 19member task force will ultimately recommend changes to planning and development regulations in hopes of improving Flagstaff’s affordable housing situation. New appointment to Arizona Housing Commission Governor Janet Napolitano recently named Greg Petz, Graham County Planning and Zoning Director, as a new member to the Arizona Housing Commission (AHC), representing the general public. The AHC is a 24-member commission made up of representatives from private industry, nonprofit housing organizations, and state, local and tribal governments. 45 rental projects apply for Low-Income Housing Tax Credits March 15th marked the deadline for the application for 2005 Low-Income Housing Tax Credits under the competitive program to secure 9% tax credits. 38 applications for new projects and seven applications for Director’s Discretion (previously funded projects requesting additional tax credits) were received, requesting a total of $25.5 million in credits, which equates to a ten-year value of nearly $255 million dollars requested. Of the newly proposed projects, 12 are in Maricopa or Pima counties, 26 are in rural counties, four are on tribal lands, two include historical properties, and two are HOPE VI projects. ADOH staff attend national legislative conferences ADOH Director Dr. Sheila Harris and Andrew Rael, Programs Administrator, attended legislative conferences for the National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA), National Association of Housing Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO), and the Council of State Community Development Agencies (COSCDA) in March, offering attendees opportunities to meet with local federal legislators. Issues of concern at this years conferences included the President’s proposed FY2006 budget, which substantially reduces the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. Task force members appointed were: Brian Carlson, Majestic Development; Lynn Hagen, TBP, Ltd.; Michael Baird, Agave Engineering; Paul Moore, architect; Helen Hudgens Ferrell, Bothands, Inc.; David Lembke, Coldwell Banker NARICO; Ann Ralles, dentist; Richard Meacham, Coconino County; Cass Rankin, Arizona Public Service; Jean RichmondBowman, Northern Arizona Builders Association; Dan Cothran, Northern Arizona University; Paul Kulpinski, Flagstaff Unified School District Board member; Bill Towler, Coconino County; and Kara Kelty and Art Babbott, city council members. New publication released on affordable housing crisis A new report has been issued by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, Center for Community Change, Center for Economic and Policy Research, Children’s Defense Fund, and the Community Learning Project. The report is available at: http://www.nlihc.org/research/housingmyths.pdf. The Crisis in America’s Housing: Confronting Myths and Promoting a Balanced Housing Policy challenges what it calls common “myths” that subsidized housing is unnecessary because the market will provide affordable housing for all, federal housing subsidies are provided disproportionately to “undeserving” renters in urban areas, and homeownership is the best option for everyone. The report contends: • incomes are not keeping up with rising housing costs; • federal homeownership subsidies (specifically the mortgage interest income tax deduction) benefit mostly higher-income families and greatly exceed federal subsidies for affordable housing; • homeownership is not always the best option for low-income families. 6 Governor’s Tribal Housing Initiative offers Financial Education Training ASU’s Del E. Webb School of Construction to hold tribal housing conference The Financial Education Committee of Governor Napolitano’s Tribal Housing Initiative has arranged Financial Education Training in four locations around Arizona this year. Training is intended for tribal leaders, educators, housing professionals, and those who provide counseling on personal financial management and asset accumulation, including homeownership. Training is $35 per day. The Arizona Department of Housing has provided a $5,000 grant to assist with the funding of a national conference on construction on tribal lands. The conference will provide a unique opportunity to meet with tribal project owners, decision-makers, builders, and experienced tribal and industry contractors who are successful in Indian Country. Session 1 – Building Native Communities Designed to help Native Communities adapt traditional skills to wise management of financial resources. Learn to develop a spending plan, work with checking and savings accounts and understand the importance of credit. Session 2 – Money Smart A financial education curriculum designed to help adults outside the financial mainstream develop financial skills and positive banking relationships. Session 3 – Assets for Arizona Institute Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) – how they can help either establish wealth through homeownership or pay for education costs. Session 4 – Arizona Saves Designed to help individuals, families and children save, reduce debt, and build assets through sound money management. All programs and services are free. Construction in Indian Country will be held May 5-6 at the Sheraton Crescent Hotel, 2620 West Dunlap Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85021. Hotel reservations can be made by calling (602) 9438200. To receive the special discounted room rate of $89 per night, ask for “ASU’s Construction in Indian Country Conference” rate when making reservations. Reservations must be made by April 5. Conference topics include: Construction Law in Indian Country Indian Culture & History Session 5 – Arizona Council on Economic Education Education for Arizona students in the development of economic ways of thinking and problem solving, utilizing the tools of consumers, investors, workers, and participants in a global economy. Building Nations: Project Needs in Indian Country Planning & Pre-Construction Sessions 1, 3, 4 & 5 August 3 – 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Blue Water Casino Hotel 11300 Resort Drive, Parker, AZ Sessions 2, 3, 4 & 5 May 4 – 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Radisson Woodlands Hotel 1175 W. Route 66, Flagstaff, AZ November 1 – 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Pascua Yaqui Tribe 4720 W. Calle Tetakusim Road, Tucson, AZ Please visit www.housingaz.com and click Governor’s Tribal Housing Initiative. The main page has a link to registration and information. Information is also available by calling Michael Vaughn at (602) 771-1087. Construction Management in Indian Country Contractor-Tribal Relations Registration fees include access to the conference as well as a luncheon on both days. American Indian registration: $375 per person (this offer is being made for registrations courtesy of the Conference Planning Committee and is extended to Tribal members), and Industry & Agency registration: $485 per person. For more information on the conference, contact Mary Lue Peck, Del E. Webb School of Construction, at (480) 727-6876. 7 Upcoming Conferences, Trainings and Other Happenings . . . March 30 CDBG Week Celebration As this E-Newsletter is being readied to hit cyberspace, the Arizona Department of Housing is busy serving as host of the 2005 CDBG Week Celebration. This year’s festivities are planned to be held on March 30th at the Francisco Grande in Casa Grande. Ceremonies will begin at 10:00 a.m. with a keynote address by Anna Chavez, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for Governor Napolitano. An awards ceremony will be followed by a luncheon. Mistress of Ceremonies for the event is ADOH Director Dr. Sheila Harris. The City of Coolidge is serving as the chair of the event, and sponsors include ADOH, City of Casa Grande, City of Phoenix, and the National Association of Housing Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO). April 20 Construction Management-At-Risk/ Design-Build in Arizona This seminar, by Lorman Education Services, is designed to give attendees an understanding of how construction projects are undertaken today utilizing two of the most widely accepted methods in the industry: construction management-at-risk and design-build. The seminar will be held at Wells Fargo Conference Center, 100 West Washington Street, Phoenix. More information is available at www.lorman.com. April 21 2005 State Housing Fund Workshop A workshop designed to launch the FY2006 State Housing Fund Program year (July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006) is scheduled to take place at the Black Canyon Conference Center in Phoenix on April 21. Cost to attend is $135. For more information visit the ADOH website http://www.housingaz.com/UPLOAD/2005_SHF_ Workshop.pdf. May-August April 7 2005 Energy Management Conference The Arizona Department of Commerce will hold its 2005 Energy Management Conference on April 7 at the Black Canyon Conference Center. Cost to attend is $50, and includes all sessions and conference meals. For more information, contact Gloria Castro at (602) 771-1143 or gloriac@azcommerce.com. April 6-7 Preserving Rural Rental Housing The Housing Assistance Council (HAC) and the National Law Project are sponsoring a conference, April 6-7 at the Hotel Washington, in Washington, DC entitled Preserving Rural Rental Housing: Actions and Strategies. For more information on the conference, go to: www.ruralhome.org. Arizona Housing Institute For the second year, ADOH is sponsoring the Arizona Housing Institute, an intense series of hands-on training sessions, where participants are put into groups which actually work on potential affordable housing projects. Two-day sessions will be held monthly in May, June, July and August at the Black Canyon Conference Center in Phoenix. A fee of $500 is required to participate in the Institute. For more information contact Pat Boland at (602) 771-1017, or download registration materials at www.housingaz.com/UPLOAD/Housing_Institute _App.pdf. Registrations should be received by April 1. June 8-9 Homeownership Development Part II This is the second in a two-part series of intense training classes on developing homeownership opportunities with ADOH resources. Part II will be held in Prescott at the Hassayampa Inn. For more information contact Pat Boland at (602) 771-1017. 8 Notices of Funding Availability . . . State Housing Fund Program Summary available The FY2005 State Housing Fund Program Summary and relevant applications are available on the ADOH website. The Program Summary explains the availability of Federal HOME and State Housing Trust Funds, available from July 1, 2004 – June 30, 2005, through one universal application. To download a copy of the Program Summary go to: http://www.housingaz.com/UPLOAD/2005_SHF_Prog_Summary.pdf. A Word version is also available at the ADOH website (www.housingaz.com see Library). Application dates remaining in this fiscal year include the acceptance of rental and homeownership development applications on April 29. The FY2006 State Housing Fund Program Summary (for applications submitted from July 1, 2005 – June 30, 2006) will be published and made available on CD-rom just prior to the State Housing Fund Workshop on April 21 (see page 8). Changes in 2006 include an increase in the annual State Housing Fund limit from $500,000 per entity to $750,000, with the exception of emergency repair programs which remains capped at $500,000. An increase to $35,000 per single-family unit will also be allowable under State Housing Fund homeownership programs. 2005 State Housing Fund Program Income Limits The new 2005 State Housing Fund Program Income Limits for program beneficiaries have been posted to our website at: http://www.housingaz.com/UPLOAD/SHF_Program_Median_Income_Guidelines_Revised.pdf Register to receive notice of all Federal grant opportunities The federal Grants.gov web page has a service that will allow subscribers to receive email notifications of funding opportunities. To access this service, go to: www.hud.gov/grants/index/cfm. Once at the website, click on “Receive Grant Funding Notification,” which will take the user to a webpage where they will see four options for receiving notifications. Once subscribed, the user will receive an email notification every evening of what was placed on Grants.gov/FIND that day. All federal agencies are now placing their announcements on this site. HUD to fund emergency capital repairs for nonprofit elderly properties The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced that it will make grants available to nonprofit owners to repair threats to health, safety, and quality of life in HUD-funded multi-family properties for elderly tenants. No deadline is given. For more information contact Aretha Williams at (202) 7083000 or go to: www.access.gpo/gov/su_docs/fedreg/frcont04.html or www.hudclips.org. CFED grants available in Manufactured Housing CFED, a national nonprofit that works on expanding economic opportunities, is soliciting proposals that address barriers to asset-building in the manufactured housing sector as part of its Innovations in Manufactured Homes (I’M HOME) initiative. I’M HOME is a multi-year, multi-million dollar inivitative focused on four areas: new and replacement construction, mortgage financing, long-term security for manufactured housing communities, and public policy. Successful applicants will receive implementation grants of up to $150,000 or catalyst grants (for projects in earlier stages of development) of up to $50,000. The grants are designed to leverage additional outside funds and support efforts to improve the ability of low- and moderate-income families to build wealth and attain greater financial security through ownership of manufactured homes. The deadline for a concept paper – the first step in the application process – is April 15. For more information, go to: http://www.cfed.org/focus.m?parentid=314&siteid=317&id=317. 9 HHS grants available The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is offering nonprofits, government entities, and others, grants to create and run programs to teach participants about financial management and to establish Individual Development Accounts. Funds must be matched. HHS will review applications on a rolling basis, with review set for applications received by June 15, and November 1. For more information contact James Gatz at HHS at (202) 401-4626 or afiprogram@acf.hhs.gov. HHS also is offering tribes, tribal organizations, and nonprofits, grants for social and economic development programs for Native Americans. The deadline for application is April 19. For more information contact the Administration for Native Americans (ANA) at (877) 922-9262 or ana@acf.hhs.gov. HUD issues SuperNOFA The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) FY2005 SuperNOFA has been released. This notice of funding availability includes an opportunity to apply for funding for many competitive HUD grants, including the Continuum of Care, the Housing for Persons who are Homeless and Addicted to Alcohol (a new program), competitive Housing for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA), and other programs. For more information go to http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/fundsavail.cfm. Other Info . . . FHA Raises 2005 Loan Limits The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has announced a 7 percent increase in its maximum single-family mortgage limit. The FHA adjusts the loan limits each year to account for changes in home prices. Area mortgage limit information is available on HUD’s website: https://entp.hud.gov/idapp/html/hicostlook.cfm. Annual Out of Reach report released The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) released its annual Out of Reach report in December, reporting on the 2004 “housing wage” for every state, region, and country in the United States. The housing wage is the hourly amount someone would have to earn to afford a two-bedroom apartment rented at the fair market rent (FMR). To view the report, go to: http://www.nlihc.org/oor2004/. Biden to introduce bill to reauthorize Violence Against Women Act In March, the National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) reported that Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE) is planning to introduce the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 2005, which would reauthorize original VAWA programs and expand the legislation to include housing programs. Authorized under the Department of Justice, the programs would not compete with HUD housing programs for funding. VAWA would create a $20 million competitive grant program for the development of long-term housing for victims of domestic violence. The grants would be used to fund collaborations between housing agencies, victim service providers, homeless service providers, and nonprofit housing development organizations. Funds could be used for housing capital and operating costs, as well as supportive services to create long-term housing options for victims who are currently, or at risk of becoming, homeless. 10 IRS Releases 2005 Population Figures The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has published the official state population figures for use in determining 2005 Housing Credit per capita and private activity bond volume caps. For calendar year 2005, the state Low-Income Housing Tax Credit per capita amount is the greater of $1.85 times the state population or $2,125,000; the state private activity bond volume cap is the greater of $80 times the state population or $239,180,000. Based on the IRS resident figure of 5,743,834, Arizona’s LIHTC volume cap for 2005 is $10,626,093 and the private activity bond volume cap, $459,506,720. CRA amendment revisited After receiving more than 11,000 comments in response to its proposal to expand the Community Reinvestment Act’s (CRA) definition of “small banks” to include banks with assets under $1 billion, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) issued a new proposal in late February. Many community and housing development organizations argued that the FDIC’s proposal could reduce small bank incentives to invest in housing bonds and low-income housing tax credits, potentially limiting affordable housing opportunities. In a joint notice, the FDIC and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) issued a new proposal, which would apply to federally chartered banks under the jurisdiction of the two regulators, creating a new category of “intermediate small banks” for banks with assets between $250 million and $1 billion. Intermediate small banks, considered large banks under current regulations, would no longer be subject to large bank CRA compliance requirements. Instead, they would need to meet both the current small bank test and a new community development test requiring them to consider their communities’ lending, investment, and service needs. Large banks with assets of $1 billion or more would remain subject to current large bank CRA requirements. A draft of the proposed changes is available at: http://www.occ.gov/ftp/release/2005-19a.pdf. ACS to provide continual update of census data An omnibus appropriations bill for FY2005 included enough funding so that the American Community Survey (ACS) would be fully funded with enough funding to put the survey into effect so that, by 2010, census data on housing and other subjects will be available every year instead of every ten years. For more information on the ACS, go to: http://www.census.gov/acs/www/. Government-owned homes for sale Information about single-family houses owned by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Veterans Administration (VA), and how to purchase them is posted at www.homesales.gov. OCC Issues Predatory Lending Guidelines On January 7, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), a department of the U.S. Treasury, published home lending standards to protect against predatory lending practices by the national banks it regulates. The guidelines, which become effective in April, incorporate provisions and principles of advisory letters the OCC issued in 2003 that identified predatory or abusive lending practices. A copy of the guidelines is available at: http://www.occ.treas.gov/Consumer/combat.htm. 11 Warning: Mail delivery to Capitol is slow Need to make a speedy delivery of materials to the ADOH office at the Capitol? If so, then we need to warn you that you may not want to use the U.S. postal system. Since the incidents of 9/11/2001, all incoming mail to the Capitol undergoes a physical security screening at a separate facility prior to actual delivery to the Capitol complex. As a result, correspondence that would typically reach its destination in 1-2 days is taking 3-4 days or more. For this reason, if the information you are sending is time-sensitive, you might wish to send it by messenger, next-day delivery service, by e-mail, or plan ahead so that a tight deadline is not a problem. We apologize for the inconvenience, but know our constituents understand the concerns that necessitate the increased security measures. Recent Funding Announcements . . . Since January 1st, ADOH has made the following commitments for funding of housing and community development programs and projects in Arizona: State Housing Fund Program Recipient BOTHANDS Flagstaff Catholic Social Services The Guidance Center, Inc. Hopi Tribal Housing Authority Old Concho Community Assistance Center (OCCAC) Open Inn, Inc. US Veterans Initiative Community Partnership of Southern Arizona (CPSA) Elfrida Citizen’s Alliance Women’s Transition Project Apache Junction, City of Apache Junction, City of Community Action Human Resources Agency (CAHRA) Horizon Human Services, Inc. Maddox Estates Townhomes Pinal County Service Area Type of Program/Project Northern Rural Area: Flagstaff SHP Administration Flagstaff SHP Administration Flagstaff SHP Administration Hopi Reservation Emergency repair for winter storm repair Apache, Navajo Counties SHP Administration Prescott SHP Administration Yavapai County SHP Administration Southeast Rural Area: Cochise, Santa Cruz Counties SHP Administration Elfrida New construction of single family units Bisbee SHP Administration Central Rural Area: Apache Junction Owner-occupied housing emergency repair program Apache Junction Owner-occupied housing rehabilitation program Pinal County Casa Grande Eloy Unincorporated Pinal County SHP Administration SHP Administration New construction of rental units Owner-occupied housing rehabilitation program Funding 1,862 1,548 2,588 550,000 6,282 1,165 10,696 1,850 330,000 3,063 150,000 250,000 3,823 1,878 395,475 510,000 12 Recipient Bullhead City, City of Colorado Rivera Union High School District #2 The Excel Group Mohave County Community Development Department Mohave County Community Development Department Mohave County Community Development Department Services Maximizing Independent Living & Empowerment (SMILE) Colonia Libre Townhomes Florence Crittendon Services of Arizona, Inc. Habitat for Humanity West Valley Maryland Senior Housing, LP Service Area Bullhead City Western Rural Area: Type of Program/Project Owner-occupied housing rehabilitation program Bullhead City Yuma County Mohave County Mohave County SHP Administration SHP Administration Emergency housing assistance for flood victims Emergency repair of owner-occupied units damaged by recent flooding Mohave County Funding 384,683 1,412 4,549 390,000 266,000 SHP Administration Owner-occupied housing emergency repair Yuma program Metropolitan Areas: South Tucson New construction of rental units 330,000 Phoenix Surprise Phoenix 500,000 250,000 30,433 Acquisition and rehabilitation of rental units New construction of single-family units Acquisition and rehabilitation of rental units 2,352 396,501 (additional funding for project funding in FY04) Old Pueblo Community Foundation Old Pueblo Community Foundation Phoenix, City of Marana Pima County Phoenix Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community (SRPMIC) Scottsdale, City of Scottsdale Surprise, City of Surprise Village Square Apartments Phoenix ASU Del Webb School of Construction Tucson Metropolitan Housing Corporation Owner-occupied housing rehabilitation program New construction of single-family units Emergency operating for winter over-flow shelter Rehabilitation of rental units 325,000 75,000 25,000 500,000 Scottsdale Owner-occupied housing rehabilitation program Owner-occupied housing emergency repair program Acquisition and rehabilitation of rental units Statewide: Statewide Conference on construction on tribal land Statewide Annual affordable housing conference 341,000 300,000 500,000 5,000 10,000 State Housing Fund – amounts remaining available . . . look for this list to be updated regularly at http://www.housingaz.com/UPLOAD/SHF_Balances_for_Web.pdf The Arizona Department of Housing E-Newsletter is published quarterly. Arizona Department of Housing 1700 West Washington Street, Suite 210 Phoenix, Arizona 85007 Telephone: (602) 771-1000 TTY: (602) 771-1001 FAX: (602) 771-1002 Website: www.housingaz.com Newsletter Editor: Carol Ditmore Please direct any questions or comments to Carol Ditmore at carold@housingaz.com Email address changes may be directed to Cynthia Diggelmann at cynthiad@housingaz.com Vol. 4, No. 2, April 2005 © State of Arizona, Department of Housing 13 Summer 2005 Message from the Director Sheila D. Harris, Ph.D. The state of Arizona has long been known as a great destination for camping. For most, camping is generally associated with And fun times; a chance to get away from every‐ day worries, to enjoy the great outdoors and commune with nature. Lately, the experience of camping has taken on a whole new meaning for altogether too many Arizonans . . . as in camping out to secure a home. There is no doubt that housing, especially housing that is affordable to working families, is getting harder and harder to find in Arizona. As a result, families seeking affordable housing are moving further away from our core business districts, pushing development into areas once considered rural. The impact that the continued growth of the state has had on our housing market is evident everywhere. Not only are houses in the metro areas increasing in price almost daily, but housing costs in many rural areas of the state are increasingly out of reach for too many Arizonans. We hope you’ll give some thought to the housing crisis while you’re camping this summer –then join us in September at the Governor’s Affordable Housing Forum to share ideas on ways we can work together to erase the need for needless camping. Plans are underway for the 2005 Governor’s Affordable Housing Forum, September 13‐15 at the Carefree Resort & Villas in Carefree, Arizona. This year’s keynote speaker, sponsored by Bank One, will be Juan Williams, one of America’s leading political writers and thinkers. Williams is the senior correspondent for National Public Radio and a political analyst for Fox Television. A former prize‐wining columnist and editorial writer for The Washington Post, he has also authored several books. Williams is on the cutting edge of America’s culture and politics. Governor Janet Napolitano will also join us at a reception the evening of September 13, to announce the 2005 Housing Hero Awards. The forum this year will explore affordable housing challenges, barriers, trends and more. Juan Williams For more information visit us at: www.housingaz.com. Inside this issue: AzHFA Activities.................................. 2‐3 Arizona Housing Commission What’s New? ......................................... 3‐6 Meeting Schedule Upcoming Conferences, Trainings and Other Happenings .......... 7 July 29 – Flagstaff August – no meeting September 13 – Carefree Notices of Funding Availability ............. 9 Other Info............................................. 9‐10 Recent Funding Announcements ... 11‐13 For more information on locations and times contact Pat Boland at (602) 771-1017 or by email: patb@housingaz.com Arizona Housing Finance Authority Mortgage Revenue Bond Program Funds are still available for the 2004 Single Family Mortgage Revenue Bond (MRB) Program, first offered by the Arizona Housing Finance Authority (AzHFA) in the summer of 2004. While the amount of funds remaining in the 2004 issue is limited, the AzHFA is planning a new 2005 bond issue to be available in mid summer. The MRB Program offers residents of rural Arizona (excluding Maricopa and Pima counties) the opportunity to obtain first time homebuyer mortgage financing at approximately one percent below market rates with up to $20,000 in down payment and closing cost assistance. The maximum purchase price limits have recently increased and may be found on our website at www.housingaz.com. The program is open to income eligible buyers who are purchasing their first home or have not owned a home in the past three years. To participate in the program, a borrower must apply for a loan with a participating MRB lender. To obtain the additional benefit of the down payment and closing cost assistance, the borrower must contact the local Homes for Arizonans program provider in their area and request an application. The Homes for Arizonans program is a joint program of the Arizona Department of Housing and the AzHFA. For information on the Homes for Arizonans program, visit our website at www.housingaz.com and click on Homes for Arizonans Initiative, or contact Sandy Weis at (602) 771‐1027 or sandraw@housingaz.com. A list of participating MRB lenders is available through our website at: www.housingaz.com. New lenders may join the program at any time by contacting Carl Kinney, AzHFA Programs Administrator, at (602) 771‐1091 and requesting an invitation to participate. Mortgage Credit Certificate Program A Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) is a tax credit that allows holders to reduce their federal income tax liability, thereby assisting in qualifying for a mortgage. Benefits of the MCC are available for the life of the mortgage as long as the borrower occupies the property as their principal residence. Additionally, the Arizona Housing Finance Authority (AzHFA) and ADOH have teamed up to offer down payment assistance to MCC recipients through the Homes for Arizonans program (see above). Depending on the borrowers’ income, they may qualify for up to $20,000 in additional assistance. MCCs can be used with a variety of mortgage loans and borrowers can use the lender of their choice. To apply for an MCC, borrowers should notify their mortgage lender that they are applying, and then contact Family Housing Resources in Tucson at (800) 622‐7462 to request an MCC application by mail. The maximum purchase price limits have recently been increased and may be found, along with additional information about the MCC program, at www.housingaz.com. AzHFA Board Meetings The Arizona Housing Finance Authority (AzHFA) Board of Directors is a seven‐member board that governs the work of the AzHFA. Board meetings are open to the public. Upcoming meetings are scheduled on the following dates: July 26 – State Capitol, ADOH Conference Room August – no meeting September 13 – Affordable Housing Forum, Carefree For more information on AzHFA Board Meetings contact Pat Boland at (602) 771-1017 or patb@housingaz.com. 2005 Board of Directors Cliff Potts Prudential Real Estate Chairperson Brian Mickelsen City of Cottonwood Vice‐Chairperson Donald E. Brandt Pinnacle West Corporation Treasurer Victor Flores Salt River Project Secretary Rita Carrillo Neighborhood Housing Services Ross McCallister The McCallister Companies Stephanie Prudence Charter Funding 2 What’s New? ADOH appoints new Deputy On June 13, Aneva J. “A.J.” Yazzie assumed the position of Deputy Director of ADOH under Director Sheila Harris, bringing over 20 years of experience in the housing and community development arena. For the past nine years, Yazzie has owned her own A.J. Yazzie consulting firm, Pro Tec Consulting, which provided management services to both tribal and non‐tribal entities. Prior to owning her own company, she worked for the federal government as an engineer at the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Interiors Bureau of Indian Affairs. As Deputy Director, Yazzie will oversee all operations and programs of the agency. AHC Member receives federal appointment Arizona Housing Commission Member and Casa Grande Housing Director Rosa Bruce has been appointed to a national committee to make recommendations on President Bush’s Strengthening America’s Communities (SAC) Initiative. She is serving on the Program Eligibility and Allocation of Funds subcommittee. Though the Bush administration recommended the absorption of the Community Development Block (CDBG) program into SAC, Congress appears to have allocated enough funding to HUD for FY2006 to continue the CDBG program at that agency. The Strengthening America’s Communities Initiative, which will be administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce, is intended to consolidate a number of federal economic development programs into one vehicle for the same purpose. Bruce was nominated to the committee by Governor Janet Napolitano and Senator John McCain. For more information on SAC, visit the U.S. Department of Commerce’s website at: www.commerce.gov/SACI/index.htm. AzHFA Chair resigns; New Chairperson elected Though he will continue as an Arizona Housing Finance Authority Board member, Ross McCallister has resigned his position as Chairperson of the AzHFA. To fill this vacancy, the Board of Directors elected Vice Chair‐ person Cliff Potts to the chair‐ manship at their May meeting. Potts will finish out the term which ends September 30. At that same meeting, Brian Mickelsen was elected Vice Chairperson. Cliff Potts Potts hails from Payson where he has been active in transportation issues for many years and has served on the Town Council and as Mayor. He remains active in Payson community affairs and serves as vice chair of the Gila‐Pinal Workforce Investment Board. Potts is the owner/broker for Prudential Arrowhead Realty in Payson and teaches real estate classes for Gila County Community College. Potts has served on the AzHFA Board since its inception. AzHFA gives preliminary approval to Santa Carolina The Santa Carolina multifamily rental project, first brought to the Arizona Housing Finance Authority seeking an allocation of Multifamily Housing Revenue Bonds in 2003, has returned seeking series 2005 bonds of up to $7 million. The AzHFA Board gave preliminary approval to the project at its May meeting. The developers Molina Alvarez Group, LLC plan to begin construction on the 128 unit project to be located in Nogales, in July 2005. The project is expected to take 13 months to build from start to finish and will be built in four phases. 3 ADOH extends best wishes to retiring Deputy Director After nine years with the State of Arizona, Phyllis Murray announced her retirement effective June 10. Murray joined the Housing Division of the Arizona Department of Commerce in 1996. During her tenure there she had an active role in working with the Arizona Housing Commission, State Legislature, Office of the Governor, and others to advance the concept of a new state housing agency. As an employee of the Governor’s Office of Housing Dev‐ elopment, she was instrumental in organizing the administration and organizational structure of the new agency – the Arizona Department of Housing – of which she was appointed Deputy Director in 2001. On her retirement, Murray will devote her efforts to a business owned by herself and her husband, Dave Bixler Photography, which specializes in wedding Phyllis Murray photography. Former Commissioners honored Congratulations are in order for former Arizona Housing Commission members Teresa Brice‐ Heames and Andrew Gordon. Teresa Brice‐Heames, co‐founder and currently Senior Vice‐President of Housing For Mesa, Inc., has been named a Loeb Fellow at Harvard University’s Design School. She will be in residence at Harvard for the 2005‐2006 academic year, exploring a multidisciplinary approach to addressing, within the context of urban design and planning, the “Politics of Growth” and its impact on social and cultural identity. Andrew Gordon, President of Arizona MultiBank CDC, was named Arizona’s 2005 Financial Services Champion of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration at the Arizona SBA’s Small Business Week celebration in May. Gordon was selected for his advocacy role to small businesses in Arizona, including encouraging investment flow to small ventures, regulatory support, and general assistance given to small businesses in Arizona. ADOH staff Michael Vaughn, A.J. Yazzie, Director Sheila Harris, and Anna Chavez, representing Governor Janet Napolitano, presented a check for emergency housing assistance to Hopi Chairman Taylor. New appointment to Arizona Housing Commission Governor Janet Napolitano recently named Rena Van Fleet, as a new member to the Arizona Housing Commission (AHC), representing Tribal Government. The AHC is a 24‐member commission made up of representatives from private industry, nonprofit housing organizations, and state, local and tribal governments. Draft ICCH Housing Plan now available The Governor’s Interagency & Community Council on Homelessness (ICCH) has announced the availability of the draft ICCH Housing Plan for public review and comment. Governor Janet Napolitano created the ICCH through an Executive Order in June 2004. The purpose of the ICCH is to guide the development and implementation of a state level plan to end homelessness for Arizonans, with a focus on families who are homeless. Public comment is being solicited at various meetings throughout the state this summer. Comments or questions may also be directed to Tim Klont at ADOH at (602) 771‐1000 or timk@housingaz.com. The deadline for public comment is August 19. To view a copy of the draft plan, go to: www.housingaz.com. Search the Arizona market for an affordable rental: http://www.socialserve.com/tenant/index.html?state_id=4020 A link to this site is also available through the ADOH website at www.housingaz.com. 4 HUD extends Tribal assistance off native lands In March, a historical event for Indian housing in Arizona took place when U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) Assistant Secretary for the Office of Public and Indian Housing, Michael Liu, announced the expansion of the Section 184 Loan Guarantee Program to all of Arizona. Arizona becomes only the third state in the nation to have the Section 184 program extended state‐ wide. Previously, the program primarily assisted tribal members in purchasing homes on tribal land. The expansion will allow enrolled tribal members to utilize the program to purchase a home off of tribal land, regardless of whether or not their tribe is Section 184 approved. (Approval is required to utilize the Section 184 program on tribal land.) The Governor’s Tribal Housing Initiative Task Force, led by ADOH, has been instrumental in increasing awareness of the Section 184 program within Arizona tribal communities. A major objective of the Task Force is to develop strategies to increase homeownership for tribal members, including educating housing professionals, tribal leaders and community members on the importance of adopting codes and ordinances to allow for private financing of homes. Prior to the efforts of the Task Force, only seven tribes had the necessary codes in place and were Section 184 certified. Over the last two years, six additional tribes have become Section 184 approved, or are in the process of adopting the necessary codes. The decision by HUD to expand the program to all of Arizona, which had been encouraged by ADOH, will prove valuable in increasing homeownership among tribal members. To assist families in purchasing their first home, ADOH also offers down payment and closing cost assistance up to $20,000 (based on family size and income) to first time homebuyers purchasing a home outside of Maricopa and Pima counties. The program is eligible to tribal members and can be utilized in conjunction with the Section 184 program. Pascua Yaqui Chairwoman Hermania Frias and Michael Liu, Assistant Secretary for Indian Programs at HUD, announce the Section 184 Loan Guarantee Program expansion in Arizona. Tribal Financial Education Training winds down with final session The Financial Education Committee of Governor Napolitano’s Tribal Housing Initiative has now held all but one Financial Education Training session it had scheduled in four locations around Arizona this year. Training is for tribal leaders, educators, housing professionals, and those who provide counseling on personal financial management and asset accumulation, including homeownership. The final day of training (which only includes Session 2‐5 – see below) will be held in Tucson in November. Training is $35 per day. Session 1 – Building Native Communities Session 2 – Money Smart Session 3 – Assets for Arizona Institute Session 4 – Arizona Saves Session 5 – Arizona Council on Economic Education Sessions 2, 3, 4 & 5 November 1 – 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Pascua Yaqui Tribe 4720 W. Calle Tetakusim Road, Tucson, AZ Please visit www.housingaz.com and click Governor’s Tribal Housing Initiative. The main page has a link to registration and information. Information is also available by calling (602) 771‐1000 5 Legislative Update By Jeff Gray Community & Government Relations On the state front… After 123 days, the legislature adjourned on May 12th. Much of the session was spent debating the FY2006 budget. The Housing Trust Fund was spared from any sweeps or fund transfers in the final budget signed by the Governor. The Senate Appropriations Committee had considered replacing General Fund spending for the Coordinated Homeless Program, within the Department of Economic Security, with Housing Trust Fund monies in the amount of $1,155,000. However, this option was not used when the final budget was adopted. The legislative session was an eventful year for housing related legislation. Municipalities must now prepare an annual report accounting for the use of development fees (HB2066). Homeowners’ associations face new procedures for applying charges relating to liens on members’ homes (HB2154). Housing developed by tribes or tribal housing authorities for low income members are now exempt from property taxation (HB2441). Maricopa County adult probation officers face new restrictions on the approval of residences for persons on probation that were convicted of a felony sexual offence (SB1338). Several bills were introduced, but did not become law. HB2339 would have permitted municipal tax increment financing. HB2340 would have amended the definition of infrastructure for a community facilities district to include dwellings, apartments and other living accommodations structured to accommodate primarily–postsecondary education students and households whose income does not exceed 125% of area median income. HB2547 would have extended the joint legislative homelessness committee until 2010. HB2593 would have prohibited a rental agreement from limiting or waiving any person’s right to summon a peace officer or emergency assistance in response to domestic violence. HB2618 would have set new standards for the mortgage lending industry. SB1477 would have prohibited a county, city or town from adopting ordinances or regulations for adopting a land use regulation or general or specific plan provision, or impose as a condition for approving a building or use permit, a requirement or fee that has the effect of establishing the sales or lease price for a housing unit or residential building lot or parcel to be designated for sale or lease to any particular class or group of purchasers. On the federal front… The U.S. House and Senate, after weeks of informal negotiations, agreed to an FY 2006 congressional budget resolution. Both the chambers passed the resolution April 28th. The resolution establishes a non‐binding spending ceiling for the respective House and Senate Appropriations Committees. House of Representatives Appropriations Chairman Jerry Lewis (R‐Calif.) on May 5th released his FY 2006 funding allocations for each of the 12 appropriations subcommittees. The allocations divide the $843 billion in total FY 2006 appropriations provided by the congressional budget resolution. Chairman Lewis’s allocations ‐‐‐ known as 302(b)s ‐‐‐ provide over $6 billion more for programs under the Transportation, Treasury, and Housing subcommittee (T‐THUD) than the president requested for FY 2006. The Senate Appropriations Committee on June 9th adopted funding allocations for each of its 12 Subcommittees. The Senate HUD Appropriations Subcommittee received $65.4 billion, $2.3 billion more than the Administration requested for programs under the Subcommittee’s jurisdiction. HUD Appropriations Bill The Senate allocation means the HUD Subcommittee will face even greater difficulty in adequately funding all the programs under its jurisdiction than the House HUD Subcommittee. Accounting for this jurisdictional difference, the Senate HUD Appropriations Subcommittee’s allocation is nearly $1 billion less than the House HUD Appropriations Subcommittee’s allocation. The House HUD Appropriations Subcommittee marked‐up its spending bill on June 15. The Subcommittee increased HUD funding by nearly 5 percent, rather than cutting overall HUD funding by 11.5 percent, as proposed by the Administration. The Subcommittee provided $1.79 billion for HOME formula grant funding, $59 million more than the Administration requested and $10 million more than the FY 2005 HOME formula grant appropriation. The Subcommittee level‐funded the American Dream Downpayment Initiative (ADDI) at $50 million, $150 million less than the Administration requested. The Subcommittee provided $15.53 billion in voucher funding, $765 million more than last year, but $314 million less than the Administration’s request. Of the total allocated for vouchers, $14.09 billion is provided for voucher renewals, as requested by the Administration. There is feeling that this amount should provide enough funding to cover the cost of all vouchers currently in use. The bill continues to use a “budget‐based” distribution system for voucher renewal funds rather than a “unit‐ based” system that funds PHAs according to their actual costs. Under the bill, each PHA would receive FY 2006 voucher funding equal to its FY 2005 budget—which would be restored to account for the 4 percent pro‐rata reduction required to stay within the funding Congress provided in FY 2005—plus an inflation estimate for 2006. Continued on page 8 6 Upcoming Conferences, Trainings and Other Happenings . . . July 21 & 22 September 26 & 27 Arizona NAHRO’s 2005 Annual Summer Conference Understanding Arizona’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit & HOME Compliance The Arizona Chapter of the National Association of Housing & Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) will present its 2005 Annual Summer Conference, July 21‐22, at the Embassy Suites, in Tempe. Building on Change is the theme of this summer’s conference which provides information, ideas and skills to help people working in the housing and community development field further their goals. ADOH’s Operations Administrator, Carol Ditmore, will present a session on Arizona’s State Housing Trust Fund at a Friday morning session. For more information, visit the Arizona NAHRO website at: http://www.aznahro.org/conference/index.htm This ADOH‐sponsored workshop is scheduled for September 26‐27 at the Reid Park Doubletree Hotel, 445 South Alvernon Way, Tucson, and is intended for current and future Low‐Income Housing Tax Credit or State Housing Fund (HOME and Housing Trust Fund) rental property owners, management agents, site managers, and other people actively involved in screening applications or leasing state‐assisted units to eligible households. Sleeping rooms can be reserved by calling (520) 881‐4200. For more information contact Pat Boland at (602) 771‐1000. August 17-19 May-August Governor’s Rural Development Conference in Partnership with Arizona Association of Economic Development (AAED) Arizona Housing Institute The 2005 Governor’s Rural Development Conference in Partnership with Arizona Association of Economic Development will be held at the Hilton El Conquistador in Oro Valley, August 17‐19. ADOH will participate in three sessions at this year’s conference, all to be held on August 18. Dr. Sheila Harris will speak on the Arizona Housing Market at 9:35 a.m., and then will participate on a panel regarding the Arizona Housing Market and Resources at 10:00 a.m. At 11:00 a.m., Dr. Harris and other ADOH staff, along with the State Homeless Coordinator, will discuss the Governor’s Housing Initiatives. Technical Assistance from ADOH’s Technical Assistance Coordinators will also be available on Thursday from 7:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and on Friday from 7:30 – 10:30 a.m. For more information, visit the Arizona Department of Commerce website at: a o e e o For the second year, ADOH is sponsoring the Arizona Housing Institute (AHI) an intense series of hands‐on training sessions. Two‐day sessions will be held monthly in May, June, July and August at the Black Canyon Conference Center, 9440 North 25th Avenue, Phoenix. A fee of $500 was required to participate in the Institute. Participants are put into working groups which actually work on potential affordable housing projects. Training is geared to develop the skills, knowledge and experience necessary to achieve a successful affordable housing development and to provide the human and financial resources necessary to move housing projects from conception to completion. 2005 participants include representatives from the Salt River Pima‐Maricopa Indian Community, Town of Camp Verde, San Xavier District of the Tohono O’odham Nation, and City of Phoenix. 7 On the federal front… HUD Appropriations Bill (cont’d from page 6) The Subcommittee decided not to fund several other HUD community and economic development programs, such as the Brownfields Redevelopment Program, Youthbuild, Empowerment Zones, and Section 108 Loan Guarantees. The Subcommittee also eliminated funding for the HOPE VI program. Overall, HUD is funded at $37.5 billion, $1.548 billion above last year’s level and $4.32 billion above the Administration’s request. The full House Appropriations marked‐up the HUD bill on June 21st. Floor action is scheduled for the week of June 26th. Chairman Lewis would like to finish House action on each of the 12 appropriations bills by the July 4 Congressional recess. The Senate HUD Appropriations Subcommittee is likely to mark up Appropriations bills early in July. Agriculture Appropriations Bill On June 8, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2744, the FY06 spending bill for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and related agencies. While the Administration’s budget for 2006 had requested $27 million for the Section 515 low income rural rental housing, the bill contains $100 million for the program, the same level as in 2005. The bill does not fund the Administration request for $214 million in rural vouchers to assist tenants displaced by prepayments. The Section 502 direct low and very‐low income single family loan program received funding to support loans of $1.14 billion. Rental assistance received $650 million, guaranteed homeownership loans are at $3.68 billion, and farm labor housing was funded at $42 million. Flexible Voucher & Public Housing Rent Reform On April 13, Sen. Wayne Allard (R‐Colo.), chair of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, introduced the State and Local Housing Flexibility Act of 2005 (S. 771). The bill authorizes the Administration’s proposal to replace the existing Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program with a voucher block grant to state and local public housing authorities (PHA) called the Flexible Voucher Program (FVP). The legislation has three components: authorization of FVP; rent simplification for public housing; and a permanent Moving To Work (MTW) program to replace the current MTW demonstration pilot. On April 28th, Rep. Gary Miller (R‐Calif.) and six Republican co‐sponsors introduced the House version HUDʹs reform proposal (HR. 1999), The House version is identical to the Senate version. Rep Rick Renzi (R‐AZ) is among the House co‐sponsors. On May 11, the House Financial Services Committee heard testimony from HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson on the State and Local Housing Flexibility Act of 2005, H.R., 1999. Jackson argued reform is necessary to control voucher costs and reduce the administrative burden on public housing authorities (PHA). He said the deep targeting instituted by the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998—which requires PHAs to provide 75 percent of vouchers to households earning 30 percent of area median income or less—has led to a high rate of subsidy per family. He also said households receive voucher assistance longer than they did prior to the 1998 law. Representative Gary Miller (R‐CA), the bill’s sponsor, stressed that the flexibility provided by the legislation, such as modifications to income targeting rules, the ability to set time limits, and the discretion to create new rent policies, are merely voluntary. However, many members, both Republican and Democrat, were concerned that the bill would force PHAs to institute the “optional” measures outlined in the bill if Congress cut funding for the Section 8 program. The House Financial Services Housing and Community Opportunity Subcommittee held a follow up hearing on May 17, at which executive directors of several local PHAs, housing and civil rights advocates, and other voucher stakeholders testified. Warning: Mail delivery to Capitol is slow Need to make a speedy delivery of materials to the ADOH office at the Capitol? If so, then we need to warn you that you may not want to use the U.S. postal system. Since the incidents of 9/11/2001, all incoming mail to the Capitol undergoes a physical security screening at a separate facility prior to actual delivery to the Capitol complex. As a result, correspondence that would typically reach its destination in 1‐2 days is taking 3‐4 days or more. For this reason, if the information you are sending is time‐sensitive, you might wish to send it by messenger, next‐day delivery service, by e‐mail, or plan ahead so that a tight deadline is not a problem. We apologize for the inconvenience, but know our constituents understand the concerns that necessitate the increased security measures. 8 Notices of Funding Availability . . . State Housing Fund Program Summary available The FY2006 State Housing Fund Program Summary (for applications submitted from July 1, 2005 – June 30, 2006) is currently at the ADOH website at http://www.housingaz.com/UPLOAD/2006_SHF_Program_Summary _App_Guide.doc . Changes in 2006 include an increase in the annual State Housing Fund limit from $500,000 per entity to $750,000, with the exception of Emergency Repair programs which remains capped at $500,000. An increase to $35,000 per single‐family unit will also be allowable under State Housing Fund Homeownership Programs. Register to receive notice of all Federal grant opportunities The federal Grants.gov web page has a service that will allow subscribers to receive email notifications of funding opportunities. To access this service, go to: www.hud.gov/grants/index/cfm. Once at the website, click on “Receive Grant Funding Notification,” which will take the user to a webpage where they will see four options for receiving notifications. Once subscribed, the user will receive an email notification every evening of what was placed on Grants.gov/FIND that day. All federal agencies are now placing their announcements on this site. HUD provides streamlined 203(k) program The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has developed a streamlined 203(k) program to facilitate the purchase of property that needs only minor rehab work. The 203(k) program is the primary FHA program for the rehabilitation and repair of single‐family properties. Unlike the basic 203(k) program where funding can be provided for the total reconstruction costs, the new program is intended to provide funding for only basic repairs costing between $5,000 and $15,000. The program goes into effect for loans issued on or after June 4, 2005. The program is described in MORTGAGEE LETTER 2005‐19, issued April 29, 2005, which can be accessed at www.hudclips.org. Other Info . . . USDA website helps find rental units The U.S. Department of Agriculture is now offering information on USDA‐subsidized rental units on‐line at http://rdmfhrentals.sc.egov.usda.gov/RDMFHRentals/select_state.jsp. Interested searchers may sort by state, county, town, or zip code. HAC focuses on rural rental preservation The Housing Assistance Council’s (HAC) winter edition of its quarterly publication Rural Voices provides an overview of rural rental preservation topics and articles on the USDA’s recent comprehensive property assessment, lawsuits, successful local efforts, property owners’ perspectives, and more. Rural Voices is free at www.ruralhome.org/infoRural.php. A task force convened by HAC and the National Housing Law Project has also issued a report entitled “Preserving Rural Rental Housing: Actions and Strategies.” Its major recommendations are: strengthen administrative processes, preserve and revitalize Section 515 properties, and protect tenants. The report is available at: www.ruralhome.org. NCAT guide lists resources for community development and more The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) has a free guide entitled Building Better Rural Places: Federal Programs for Sustainable Agriculture, Forestry, Conservation and Community Development available through its website at: http://attra.ncat.org/guide. 9 ArizonaSelfHelp – Prescreening eligibility for programs ArizonaSelfHelp (ASH) is an on‐line prescreening tool for social services. It was developed by the Arizona Community Action Association in order to prescreen for program eligibility and to address the confusion of navigating the social service process. ASH prescreens eligibility for 11 state and federal social service programs, including Food Stamps, TANF, AHCCCS, Child Care Assistance, and Section 8 housing. Currently, several senior programs such as the CoppeRX Card, SSI, SSDI, Medicare Savings plan and In Home care programs are being added. This site also provides downloadable applications, a list of local contact numbers, and a list of documentation to bring to an application interview. The information on this site gives the user the basic knowledge of what programs they may be eligible for and how to access these programs. Arizona Communication Action Association provides flyers and cards with the web address and information about the program. To request materials, contact Avi Gordon at (602) 604‐0640. This site is free, easy and confidential and can be accessed at www.arizonaselfhelp.org. HUD to implement CPD program outcome measures The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) is currently working to establish a performance measurement system for HOME, the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, the Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) program, and the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program. The system will be based on recommendations by a working group convened by the Council of State Community Development Agencies (COSCDA). HUD issued a proposed rule on the system in the Federal Register in June. HUD is now actively soliciting grantee comments on the system. Disaster recovery guide available for rural communities Picking Up the Pieces: A Guide to Restoring Rural Housing and Communities after a Disaster explains resources for rebuilding housing after a disaster, and how to find local assistance. The guide is published by HAC and is available free at: www.ruralhome.org/infoReportsAlpha.php#new. HMDA data information available The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) and other federal agencies that regulate lenders have posted information about Home Mortgage Disclosure Act lending data, including new figures to be available in September concerning high‐cost, often sub‐prime, loans. Go to: www.hud.gov/news/release.cfm?content=pr05‐040.cfm. Something’s Gotta Give The National Housing Conference has issued two reports dealing with the rising housing needs of working families. The Housing Landscape for America’s Working Families 2005 reports the number of working families paying over 50% of their income for housing grew by 76% from 1997 to 2003. Something’s Gotta Give: Working Families and the Cost of Housing describes the relationship between housing costs and payments for other necessities. Both Center for Housing Policy publications are free at: www.nhc.org/index/chp‐newsroom‐events or by calling NHC at (202) 466‐2121. GAO asserts HUD can improve FMR accuracy The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a study on the accuracy of HUD fair market rents (FMR). FMRs are used to establish payment standards for the Section 8 voucher program, initial renewal rents for expiring Section 8 project‐based contracts, initial rents for the single room occupancy (SRO) moderate rehabilitation program, and HOME rents. The report notes that the accuracy of FMRs has improved since 1990, when only 39 percent of areas had accurate FMRs. According to the report 2000 FMRs were accurate in 69 percent of the areas. GAO defines accurate, rents that fall with 10 percent of census rents. GAO maintains HUD could further improve its FMR estimation process by consistently following all HUD data quality guidelines designed to ensure accuracy and make the FMR determination process transparent. HUD has agreed to better document its methods of estimating FMRs and says it is exploring options to assess accuracy. 10 Recent Funding Announcements . . . Since April 1st, ADOH has made the following commitments for funding of housing and community development programs and projects in Arizona: 2005 Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Reservations Project Location Az 16‐34 Chinatown Rehab Project Baffert Townhomes Curley School – Phase I * Fairway Manor * Ghost Ranch Lodge Gila River Apartments II * Hollywood Ridge La Habra Apartments La Vista Apartments * Las Casas de Quartzsite * Matthew Henson Apartments – Phase III Meadowbrook Apartments * Pinaleno Foothills * Pinetop Hills Apartments Quartzsite Senior Apartments Rancho Cielo Senior Apartments Sandstone Highland Senior Community Silverbell Homes Smoketree Apartments Sungate Villa Senior Community Timberstone * Tuscan Hills Village * Valley View II Apartments Villas de Sonora Apartments * Vista Del Norte Willcox Townhomes Yavapai‐Apache Homes II Whiteriver Nogales Ajo Snowflake Tucson Thatcher Peridot Benson Nogales Quartzsite Phoenix Phoenix Safford Pinetop‐Lakeside Quartzsite Phoenix Flagstaff Tucson Buckeye Prescott Valley Show Low Lake Havasu City Prescott Valley Eloy Huachuca City Willcox Camp Verde Number of total units 41 40 30 60 93 40 45 48 24 40 136 69 60 105 40 41 70 28 24 64 80 110 72 36 64 40 16 * Denotes LIHTC projects also receiving State Housing Fund gap financing Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program Local Government Unit Santa Cruz County Huachuca City Sierra Vista Sierra Vista Sierra Vista Cochise County Cochise County Cochise County Cochise County Bisbee Bisbee Bisbee Safford Clifton Type of Program/Project Southeast Rural Area: One Stop Service Facility Water Infrastructure Improvements Owner‐occupied Housing Rehabilitation/Home Accessibility Carmichael Street Improvements Public Service/Homeless Shelter Fry Townsite Street Improvements Emergency Home Repair Sunsites Senior Center Addition Elfrida Community Center Improvements Sewer Connections The Boys & Girls Club of Bisbee/Teen Room Bakerville & Cochise Row Drainage and Street Improvements Firth Park Pool Phase II Swimming Pool Improvements Chase Creek Historic District Funding $ 561,685 388,054 25,000 288,054 75,000 176,054 20,000 120,000 72,000 66,113 67,071 254,870 459,812 100,000 11 Holbrook Coconino County Coconino County Yavapai County Yavapai County Yavapai County Yavapai County Yavapai County Yavapai County Yavapai County Yavapai County Yavapai County Yavapai County Yavapai County Yavapai County Yavapai County Yavapai County Show Low Show Low Show Low St. Johns St. Johns Camp Verde Camp Verde Camp Verde Northern Rural Area: Infrastructure Improvements Wildfire Thinning and Septic Replacement Camp Civitan Removal of Barriers Mayer Senior Center Red Cross Storage Mayer Fire Station NAZCARE Van Verde Valley Senior Center Equipment Ash Fork Fire Equipment Southern Yavapai Fire Department Water Tanker Habitat for Humanity Lot Acquisition Catholic Social Services Storage Seligman Health Clinic Yarnell Fire/Paved Lot, Lighting and Helipad Ask Fork Clinic Paving/ADA Ash Fork Fencing/Centennial Park Ash Fork Library Improvements Downtown Improvements East Adams Street Improvements Tree Thinning/Wildfire Water Line Project Apache County Museum & Chamber Removal of Barriers Townsite Redevelopment/Hollamon Street Improvements Town Redevelopment/Community Improvements/Park Restroom Facility Removal of Barriers in Town Hall Rest Rooms and Park Ramada 308,149 353,932 50,000 29,000 18,000 168,000 40,000 20,000 60,000 60,000 171,461 89,000 56,000 132,000 22,000 4,000 13,000 31,000 250,000 27,149 220,378 20,000 131,083 248,195 30,750 State Housing Fund Program Recipient Bisbee Coalition for the Homeless, Inc. Sonora Vista Apartments Southeastern Arizona Community Action Program, Inc. Community Action Human Resources Agency (CAHRA) Gila County Horizon Human Services, Inc. BOTHANDS, Inc. Catholic Charities of Holbrook Catholic Social Services of Yavapai and Northern Arizona Coconino County Old Concho Community Assistance Center (OCCAC) White Mountain Catholic Charities Service Area Type of Program/Project Southeast Rural Area: Cochise County Homeless Prevention Program Douglas New construction of rental units Graham, Greenlee and Homeless Prevention Program Cochise and Santa Cruz Counties Central Rural Area: Pinal County Homeless Prevention Program Gila County Casa Grande Funding $ 73,500 470,570 105,000 132,040 Homeless Prevention Program Pre‐development loan for potential rental Northern Rural Area: Flagstaff New construction of homeownership units Navajo County Homeless Prevention Program Yavapai County Homeless Prevention Program 71,986 9,700 280,000 58,075 150,000 Coconino County Apache County Homeless Prevention Program Homeless Prevention Program 157,500 131,250 Navajo County Homeless Prevention Program 73,175 12 Comite de Bien Estar Mohave County Western Arizona Council of Government (WACOG) Arizona Behavioral Health Corporation Arizona Housing & Prevention Services Concerned Citizens for Community Health Habitat for Humanity Desert Foothills Labor’s Community Service Agency Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) Maricopa County Community Services Mesa Community Action Network Native American Connections Open Inn, Inc. Phoenix, City of Pima County St. Vincent De Paul Society Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona, Inc. University of Arizona CAPLA Western Rural Area: San Luis New construction of homeownership units Mohave County Homeless Prevention Program Yuma, La Paz Counties Homeless Prevention Program 265,226 154,125 125,000 Metropolitan Areas: Maricopa County Homeless Prevention Program 81,550 Pima County Homeless Prevention Program 94,095 Scottsdale Homeless Prevention Program 50,000 Cave Creek New construction of homeownership units Maricopa County Homeless Prevention Program 84,137 Maricopa County 35,000 Maricopa County Maricopa County Continuum of Care Planning Grant Homeless Prevention Program Mesa Homeless Prevention Program Phoenix Pima County New construction of homeownership units Emergency funding for Youth Homeless Prevention Program Phoenix Homeless Prevention Program Pima County Homeless Prevention Program Maricopa County Homeless Prevention Program Rural Arizona or Statewide: Yuma, Cochise, Graham, Administration of Individual Development Greenlee, Santa Cruz Account Program for Homeownership Counties 13 rural counties Technical Assistance for affordable housing The Arizona Department of Housing E-Newsletter is published quarterly. Arizona Department of Housing 1700 West Washington Street, Suite 210 Phoenix, Arizona 85007 Telephone: (602) 771-1000 TTY: (602) 771-1001 FAX: (602) 771-1002 Website: www.housingaz.com Newsletter Editor: Carol Ditmore 100,000 135,000 72,480 250,000 7,500 125,000 140,175 89,250 100,000 60,000 Please direct any questions or comments to Carol Ditmore at carold@housingaz.com Email address changes may be directed to Cynthia Diggelmann at cynthiad@housingaz.com Vol. 4, No. 3, July 2005 © State of Arizona, Department of Housing 13 Fall 2005 Hurricane Katrina hits Arizona Message from the Director ADOH assists over 1,000 evacuees with housing through Governor Napolitano’s Operation Good Neighbor effort Sheila D. Harris, Ph.D. In its short three year history, the Arizona Department of Housing never considered that one day it might be And called on to provide direct disaster assistance. However, a call from Governor Napolitano just before the Labor Day weekend put us all on alert: be prepared to assist Hurricane Katrina evacuees should the need arise. Assisting clients directly through Operation Good Neighbor has been a challenge and learning experience for ADOH. A process for client intake, housing referrals, and issuing short‐term emergency rental assistance funds was quickly established. We believe that this aid was not only crucial in relocating households to safe and stable living environments to assist in their personal recovery efforts, but in expediting an early closure of the mass sheltering efforts at the Coliseum. Planning is already underway to craft policies and plans by ADOH to respond to future disasters. We hope you will join us in considering your own response in time of disaster: what can we do to prepare and how can we all come together to help? Weeks after Hurricane Katrina proved to be the nation’s greatest disaster, ADOH remains on the job, working five days a week from the Arizona Katrina Service Center to provide housing assistance to evacuees from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and (since Hurricane Rita) Texas. Over 700 households have been assisted with referrals to affordable rental units, nearly 400 of those households receiving direct financial assistance through ADOH. Such assistance has enabled households to transition from shelter and hotel environments into private apartments and homes – where they may stay indefinitely or until they are able to return home. In subsequent months, evacuees will be assisted with their housing costs through grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the generosity of caring individuals and social service agencies. ADOH thanks the owners and property management companies of its many state‐subsidized rental properties who were so helpful in making vacancy information available in a timely manner to ADOH, as well as waving security deposit requirements. Responses such as these from the private sector, as well as assistance from our local public housing authorities, greatly assisted in helping thousands of individuals locate housing that will be affordable to them, whether they remain in Arizona for only a year or a lifetime. Inside this issue: AzHFA Activities.................................. 2‐3 Arizona Housing Commission What’s New? ......................................... 4‐7 Meeting Schedule Upcoming Conferences, Trainings, and Other Happenings......... 8 Notices of Funding Availability............. 9 Other Info............................................. 9‐11 Recent Funding Announcements ... 11‐12 December 2 Joint meeting with the AzHFA Board For more information on the December meetings of the AHC and AzHFA Board see page 2 AzHFA Activities . . . Governor attends Nogales groundbreaking 2006 Board of Directors Ross McCallister The McCallister Companies Chairperson Victor Flores Salt River Project Vice‐Chairperson Brian Mickelsen City of Cottonwood Treasurer Above – Governor Janet Napolitano and AzHFA’s 2005 Chairman Cliff Potts, present the funding award. Right – Manny Molera, Ruben Ramos, Dr. Sheila Harris, Jaime Molera, Ruben Alvarez, and the Governor at the Santa Carolina groundbreaking. Governor Janet Napolitano was in Nogales on August 19th for a groundbreaking ceremony for the Santa Carolina Apartments, a 128‐unit complex located on West Paul Bond Drive in Nogales. The property will include two‐bedroom and three‐ bedroom units, intended for households earning no more than 60 percent of the area median income – which in Nogales is approximately $26,400 for a family of four. The developer of the project is The Molera Alvarez Group, LLC. Residents living in the complex will have access to complimentary services such as tutoring programs, financial consulting services, English‐language lessons, and legal aid. The AzHFA and ADOH are providing the resources to make the project happen. The AzHFA has issued a $6.1 million bond and is also providing an additional $750,000 to the project in the form of a low‐interest loan. ADOH has approved $4.1 million in federal Low‐Income Housing Tax Credits for the project. Bank One will serve as the lender to the project. AzHFA receives CDFI award An AzHFA application to the U.S. Department of Treasury for a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) planning grant has been approved. The AzHFA expects to receive $120,000 to assist in the planning of a Tribal‐based CDFI to finance housing and community development activities for all of Arizona’s Native American communities. Look for more news on this initiative in our next E‐Newsletter. For more information on the planning process and formation of the Tribal CDFI contact Michael Vaughn at (602) 771‐1000. Donald E. Brandt Pinnacle West Corporation Secretary Rita Carrillo Neighborhood Housing Services Cliff Potts Prudential Real Estate Stephanie Prudence Charter Funding ~ The Arizona Housing Finance Authority (AzHFA) Board of Directors is a seven‐member board that governs the work of the AzHFA. Board meetings are open to the public. Upcoming meetings are scheduled for 12 noon on the following dates: November 8 State Capitol ADOH Conference Room December 2 Bank One/JP Morgan Chase Phoenix For more information on AzHFA Board Meetings contact Carl Kinney at (602) 771‐1000 or carlk@housingaz.com. 2 AzHFA Homeownership Programs Mortgage Revenue Bond (MRB) Program The AzHFA MRB program offers first time homebuyer mortgage financing at approximately one percent below market rates. MRB participants may also qualify for down payment and closing cost assistance through the Homes for Arizonans Initiative (see below) as well. To participate, a borrower must apply for a loan with one of the program’s participating lenders (see right). Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) Program A Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) is a tax credit that allows holders to reduce their federal tax liability, thereby assisting in qualifying for a larger mortgage. Benefits of the MCC are available for the life of a mortgage as long as the borrower occupies the property as their principal residence. MCC participants may also qualify for down payment and closing cost assistance through the Homes for Arizonans Initiative (see below). To apply for an MCC, borrowers should notify their mortgage lender that they are applying and then contact Family Housing Resources at (800) 622‐ 7462 for reservations through December 31, 2005; beginning January 1, 2006, reservations should be made by contacting the AzHFA at (602) 771‐1000. Participating MRB Lenders American Home Mortgage American Mortgage Group Bank of America NA Charter Funding Countrywide Home Loans DHI Mortgage Company, Ltd. Home 123 (formerly RBC Mortgage) JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. National Bank of Arizona National City Mortgage Suburban Mortgage U.S. Bank, N.A. Wells Fargo Home Mortgage New lenders may join the program at any time. For information contact Carl Kinney, AzHFA Programs Administrator, at (602) 771‐1091 or carlk@housingaz.com . Homes for Arizonans Initiative Joint program between ADOH and AzHFA provides first time homebuyers assistance in rural Arizona The Homes for Arizonans Initiative provides down payment and closing cost assistance to first time homebuyers in the thirteen rural counties of the state. Up to $20,000 is available and may be used in conjunction with an MRB or MCC to make housing even more affordable for low‐ to moderate income homebuyers. Interested in more information on this program? Contact Sandy Weis at (602) 771‐1027 or sandraw@housingaz.com. Welcome to Casa Bustos By Kyle Johnson A little less than six months ago Raquel Bustos made a decision that changed the lives of her and her family forever. On June 17, 2005, Ms. Bustos, a single mother working for the Arizona Department of Corrections in Florence, decided it was time to stop renting and start owning. With the assistance of the Homes for Arizonans Initiative, Ms. Bustos was able to make the dream of owning her first home a reality. Through the combination of the Mortgage Revenue Bond (MRB) and Continued on next page 3 Casa Bustos Continued from page 3 the down payment and closing cost assistance programs, Ms. Bustos was able to purchase a home that had twice the square footage of her old apartment for only $40 more per month than her rent. “I have no doubt that without the state’s assistance I would not be able to afford this house. I would probably still be living in an apartment that I hated,” said Ms. Bustos. Through the MRB program Ms. Bustos was able to obtain a 30‐year fixed mortgage at 5.15 percent in a market that is currently averaging fixed rates near six percent. In conjunction with this low fixed rate, Ms. Bustos received 15 percent down‐payment assistance plus nearly $3,000 to help cover closing costs to reach the program’s maximum allowable total assistance of $20,000. Another benefit provided by the Homes for Arizonans Initiative that Ms. Bustos took full advantage of is the free Homebuyer’s Educational Seminar that is offered to anyone who is interested in gaining knowledge on becoming a homeowner. “The best thing anyone who is looking to buy their first home can do is attend the class because it provides so much information on the entire (home buying) process,” said Ms. Bustos. “Going to the class has allowed me to understand the responsibilities of owning a home and how to handle those responsibilities.” The new home has changed the Ms. Bustos’ life forever. She realizes the financial benefits and opportunities that come with owning a home in this market. “This is a great investment for my family’s future.” With three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, a full kitchen and nearly 1,200 sq. ft. to reside in Ms. Bustos is not the only one who is thrilled to have a new place to call home. Her 13‐year‐old son, Vicente, is finally able to have his own room and loves having enough space to have friends over. As an employee of the Arizona Department of Corrections, Raquel has been able to share her story with several of her co‐workers, friends, and even her family. More specifically, her sister has recently applied for the down‐ payment assistance program as she was inspired by Raquel’s story. When asked to describe in one word what she thought of the Homes for Arizonans Initiative and the programs that assisted her in purchasing her first home, Ms. Bustos joyfully replied, “Wonderful. I could not have asked for anything better.” What’s New? ADOH recognized by HUD for “Herculean AHAR Effort” New appointment to Arizona Housing Commission In September, ADOH’s Rural Arizona Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) was recognized at HUD’s National HMIS Conference in St. Louis for making a “Herculean Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) Effort.” The agency was recognized for its HMIS implementation in Flagstaff. Governor Janet Napolitano recently named Annette Stein of the Maricopa County Human Services Department as a new member to the Arizona Housing Commission (AHC), representing a non‐rural county government from a county with a population greater than 1.5 million. The AHC is a 24‐member commission made up of representatives from private industry, nonprofit housing organizations, and state, local, and tribal governments. The Maricopa Continuum of Care’s HMIS also won an award for best use of technology for their use of photo ID swipe cards at high‐volume emergency shelters. 4 Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP) available for comment In October, ADOH held two focus group meetings to receive comments on a draft of its 2006 Low‐ Income Housing Tax Credit Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP). The QAP sets forth the methods, criteria, preferences, and priorities that will be used to select projects that receive tax credits. Any sub‐ allocation or set‐asides of tax credits are also addressed in the QAP. A final Public Hearing will be held on November 15 at 1:00 p.m. at the State Capitol, Executive Tower, Governor’s 2nd Floor Conference Room, 1700 West Washington, Phoenix. A copy of the draft QAP is available at: http://www.housingaz.com/UPLOAD/2006_QAP_ Draft.doc. HUD assisting with Katrina Think “individual assistance” after a disaster, and you usually think “FEMA.” The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has typically been the agency to provide such assistance, but due to the historic levels of lost housing and displacement caused by Hurricane Katrina, HUD has also now stepped up with assistance as well. HUD’s new Katrina Disaster Housing Assistance Program (KDHAP) covers rent for up to 18 months for hurricane survivors who are not eligible for FEMA housing aid and who, before Katrina, lived in any type of HUD‐assisted housing or were homeless. Evacuees must first register with FEMA at 1‐800‐621‐3362 or register on‐line at www.fema.gov, and then contact the public housing authority serving the area where they want to live. Specifics about KDHAP can be viewed at www.hud.gov/webcasts/index.cfm. Arizona PHAs participating in KDHAP include Glendale, Maricopa County, Tucson, South Tucson, and Mohave Public Housing Authorities. While ADOH stepped up to assist Katrina evacuees in Arizona by helping them to find affordable units and assisting them with initial move in costs, the ongoing assistance being provided by FEMA and HUD will be crucial for disaster victims in the months ahead as they strive to reestablish their lives. Tribal Housing Summit and follow up workshop held On August 4th the Governor held the second Housing Tribal Summit in Sedona, hosted by the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation. A follow up to that summit was held on October 26 at the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community. At the August Summit, Governor Janet Napolitano announced that ADOH would once again make $2.5 million in Housing Trust Funds available to tribes for the second straight year. The funding will assist tribes in the development or rehabilitation of housing for tribal members. Funding from the first set aside provided some form of housing assistance to over 225 households on the Navajo, Hopi, White Mountain Apache, Pascua Yaqui and Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Communities. Accomplishments since the first Tribal Summit, held in Sells in September 2003, were reported on at the Sedona summit. Topics covered at the October workshop included census challenges, infrastructure resources, wealth building through homeownership, and alternative financing for homeownership. Search the Arizona market for an affordable rental: http://www.socialserve.com/tenant/index.html?state_id=4020 A link to this site is also available through the ADOH website at www.housingaz.com. Over 71,000 searches have been launched for Arizona properties since June 2004. Arizona 2- 1- 1- Online Arizona 2‐ 1‐ 1‐ Online is a one‐stop directory for information on public programs and updates on important events, and is designed to serve as a resource for people who want to find out more about where to go for specific services. In responding to Operation Good Neighbor, ADOH utilized the site to gather and provide information. To view the site, go to: www.az211.gov. 5 Scenes from the 2005 Governor’s Affordable Housing Forum The Governor’s Affordable Housing Forum, held September 13-15 at the Carefree Resort & Villas in Carefree, Arizona, was well received by the more than 300 attendees. Forum goers attended sessions on exploring affordable housing challenges, barriers, and trends, and listened to an inspiring keynote address at the closing session by leading political writer and thinker, Juan Williams. Williams, who is a senior correspondent for National Public Radio and a political analyst for Fox Television, spoke of growing up in public housing and how much the opportunity to live in a home in which he felt safe and was not ashamed to call home, made a difference in his life. 6 1 Five groups were awarded Housing Hero Awards by Governor Janet Napolitano at the Governor’s Affordable Housing Forum in September. Community Commitment – The City of Bullhead City was awarded the Housing Hero Award for a history of investing in projects and programs that make Bullhead City a better place to live. Housing is the Foundation – The Human Services Campus, located in downtown Phoenix was recognized for a regional approach to addressing the needs of the homeless population. Private Sector Leadership – The Arizona REALTORS ® Housing Needs Foundation (ARHNF) was recognized for its strong outreach and education to homebuyers. Tribal Housing Initiative – The Yavapai‐Apache Nation was recognized for its use of tax credits through ADOH to address a much needed solution to a housing shortage. Planning and Regional Collaboration – The Prescott Chamber of Commerce was recognized for the creation of their Workforce Housing Solutions Program. 2 3 2005 Housing Hero Awards 4 Group photos: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. City of Bullhead City Human Services Campus Arizona Realtors ® Housing Needs Foundation Yavapai-Apache Nation Prescott Chamber of Commerce 5 7 Upcoming Conferences, Trainings and Other Happenings . . . December November 2-3 ADOH’s 2006 Training Schedule Homeownership and the State Housing Fund In December ADOH plans to release its 2006 Training Schedule. Look for information on 2006 trainings and workshops to be posted on our website at www.housingaz.com sometime during that month. This course will discuss the State Housing Fund (SHF) as a potential tool to develop homeownership opportunities. The two‐day workshop addresses the concerns of developers and contractors as well as government staff interested in using SHF, whether for development subsidies, permanent subsidies or both. The training will be held at Sierra Suites, 391 East Fry Boulevard, Sierra Vista. November 14-15 12th Annual Arizona Coalition to End Homelessness Conference The Arizona Coalition to End Homelessness will hold its annual conference at the Black Canyon Conference Center, November 14‐15. The theme of this year’s conference is Building the Dream, and will include workshops on a variety of homeless‐ related topics. Congressman Rick Renzi is scheduled to be a featured speaker, as well as mental health advocate, Mary Jo West, Barbara Duffield, Policy Director of the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth, and KBAQ radio personality, Michael Dixon. On‐line registration is available at www.azceh.org. For other information, call (602) 340‐9393. Tribal Financial Education Training winds down with final session The Financial Education Committee of Governor Napolitano’s Tribal Housing Initiative has now held all but one Financial Education Training session it had scheduled in four locations around Arizona this year. Training is for tribal leaders, educators, housing professionals, and those who provide counseling on personal financial management and asset accumulation, including homeownership. The final day of training (which only includes Session 2‐5 – see below) will be held in Tucson in November. Training is $35 per day. Session 1 – Building Native Communities Session 2 – Money Smart Session 3 – Assets for Arizona Institute Session 4 – Arizona Saves Session 5 – Arizona Council on Economic Education Sessions 2, 3, 4 & 5 November 1 – 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Pascua Yaqui Tribe 4720 W. Calle Tetakusim Road, Tucson, AZ Please visit www.housingaz.com and click Governor’s Tribal Housing Initiative. The main page has a link to registration and information. Information is also available by calling (602) 771‐1000. Warning: Mail delivery to Capitol is slow Need to make a speedy delivery of materials to the ADOH office at the Capitol? If so, then we need to warn you that you may not want to use the U.S. postal system. Since the incidents of 9/11/2001, all incoming mail to the Capitol undergoes a physical security screening at a separate facility prior to actual delivery to the Capitol complex. As a result, correspondence that would typically reach its destination in 1‐2 days is taking 3‐4 days or more. For this reason, if the information you are sending is time‐sensitive, you might wish to send it by messenger, next‐day delivery service, by e‐mail, or plan ahead so that a tight deadline is not a problem. We apologize for the inconvenience, but know our constituents understand the concerns that necessitate the increased security measures. 8 Notices of Funding Availability . . . State Housing Fund Program Summary available The FY2006 State Housing Fund Program Summary (for applications submitted from July 1, 2005 – June 30, 2006) is currently at the ADOH website at http://www.housingaz.com/UPLOAD/2006_SHF_Program_Summary _App_Guide.doc . Over $10.6 million has already been awarded during the first few months of the fiscal year. For up‐to‐date information on budgeted amounts remaining to be applied for, go to: http://www.housingaz.com/UPLOAD/SHF_Balances_for_Web.pdf Register to receive notice of all Federal grant opportunities The federal Grants.gov web page has a service that will allow subscribers to receive email notifications of funding opportunities. To access this service, go to: www.hud.gov/grants/index/cfm. Once at the website, click on “Receive Grant Funding Notification,” which will take the user to a webpage where they will see four options for receiving notifications. Once subscribed, the user will receive an email notification every evening of what was placed on Grants.gov/FIND that day. All federal agencies are now placing their announcements on this site. SHOP funds available The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has $24.8 million in Self‐Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP) funds available for intermediary groups that will make loans to local self‐help producers. The deadline to apply is November 7. For more information on this funding opportunity, consult the September 7, 2005 issue of the Federal Register or go to www.hudclips.org. HGTV Restore America grants available HGTV Restore America is a partnership between the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Home & Garden Television (HGTV). Since 2003, HGTV Restore America has provided 36 grants to projects across America that highlight the work of preservation. HGTV has told the story of these sites through on‐air and on‐line content. In 2006, HGTV Restore America will focus on the revitationalization of places where people live, through grants for residential projects. Nonprofit organizations and public agencies are invited to apply for grants. Approximately six to 12 grants will be awarded for projects such as rehabilitation of single family residences or adaptive uses of historic buildings for housing, creation of upper‐floor apartments in Main Street communities, or restoration of Save America’s Treasures sites that continue to have a residential use. Applications must be postmarked by November 30, 2005. To download the Restore America grant program guidelines and application form, go to: www.nationaltrust.org/restore_america/ra_grants.html. Other Info . . . HUD RHED grantees announced In September, HUD announced that it was awarding $23.7 million in Rural Housing and Economic Development grants. Among the grantees were seven Arizona entities receiving commitments of just over $2 million, including: Comite de Bien Estar, Inc., Four Corners Enterprise Community, Inc., International Sonoran Desert Alliance, Moenkopi Developers Corporation, Inc., Nogales Community Development Corporation, San Carlos Housing Authority, and White Mountain Apache Housing Authority. Program funding is used to stimulate local economies, produce more affordable housing, and create jobs. 9 Local agencies receive HUD housing counseling grants Labor’s Community Service Agency in Phoenix, and Administration of Resources and Choices and Family Housing Resources, both located in Tucson, were all notified by HUD in October that they would be receiving housing counseling grants. Grants to these Arizona entities total nearly $200,000 and were awarded through a competitive process. Reports issued on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) has issued a report on Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s performance. The report, Mortgage Markets and the Enterprises in 2004, can be viewed by going to www.ofheo.gov/media/pdf/mme2004report.pdf. Owning vs. Renting The Center for Economic and Policy Research website provides a calculator that determines the net costs of owning versus renting. The user must select a specific location; some small cities are included, though many rural areas are not. Visit www.cepr.net/calculators/hb/hcc.html. HUD issues hurricane-related program waivers A number of waivers of regulations and other administrative requirements for public housing, Indian housing programs, and related programs have been deemed automatic, while others require HUD permission. For more information on disaster‐related waivers, go to www.hudclips.org or consult the October 3 issue of the Federal Register. FY2006 Fair Market Rents available HUD’s Fair Market Rents, effective October 1, 2005, were published in the Federal Register on September 30. HUD expects to make changes based on comments on a proposal issued in August, and will issue another notice providing a process for requesting disaster‐related exceptions. To view the FMR’s go to www.hud.user.org/datasets/fmr.html. KnowledgePlex offers housing data online Fannie Mae Foundation’s KnowledgePlex has launched a new service on the web where users can create maps, charts, and tables for large and small geographic areas. Social, economic, and housing numbers come from sources including Census, HMDA, HUD, and others. To view the system, go to: www.dataplace.org. Rural recreational development impacts housing The U. S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service analyzed the local efforts of recreational development in rural areas and determined that local effects vary but, in general, recreation and tourism development increase local employment, wages, and income. Drawbacks include higher housing costs. To view the study, go to: www.ers.usda.gov/publications/ERR7/. Homeless definitions challenged The National Policy and Advocacy Council and Homeless and others have asked HUD, though a jointly issued paper, to amend its definition of homeless to include families in doubled‐up situations and those living in motels. A Matter of Definition may be viewed at www.npach.org. Self-Help housing builds communities A Housing Assistance Council (HAC) report found that the USDA’s mutual self‐help program not only makes homeownership possible, but also strengthens families and helps children. The report, Creating the Village: How Mutual Self‐Help Housing Builds Community, is available free by downloading at: www.ruralhome.org/pressreleasesview.php?id=163 or for $5.00 by contacting Luz Rosas at (202) 842‐8600 or luz@ruralhome.org. 10 HUD, EPA, and Energy join forces to promote energy efficiency This summer HUD, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Department of Energy (DOE) announced a new cross‐agency initiative – the Partnerships for Home Energy Efficiency (PHEE) – which aims to slow the growth of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by increasing energy efficiency. The agencies pledge to work with manufacturers and retailers to overcome market barriers to achieving greater home energy efficiency. They estimate American households could save a total of $20 billion annually by reducing their home energy bills by an average of 10 percent. Organizations expected to participate in the partnership include electric utilities, mortgage lenders, home builders, contractors, home improvement remodelers, and affordable housing providers. Recent Funding Announcements . . . Since July 1st ADOH has made the following commitments for funding of housing and community development programs and projects in Arizona: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program Apache Junction, City of Bullhead City, City of Casa Grande, City of Casa Grande, City of Coolidge, City of Coolidge, City of Coolidge, City of Gila County Globe, City of Globe, City of Hayden, Town of Hayden, Town of Hayden, Town of Holbrook, City of Jerome, Town of Lake Havasu City, City of Mammoth, Town of Mammoth, Town of Maricopa, City of Miami, Town of Miami, Town of Parker, Town of Parker, Town of Pinal County San Luis, City of San Luis, City of San Luis, City of San Luis, City of San Luis, City of San Luis, City of Somerton, City of Somerton, City of Somerton, City of Superior, Town of Winkelman, Town of Public safety equipment Owner‐occupied housing rehabilitation program Owner‐occupied housing rehabilitation program * Owner‐occupied housing rehabilitation program Owner‐occupied housing rehabilitation program * Historic district/commercial rehabilitation Demolition and clearance Owner‐occupied housing rehabilitation program Owner‐occupied housing rehabilitation program Community‐wide clean up Community facilities improvement Fire truck * Street improvements Library equipment * Rescue vehicle * Sewer connections Community center expansion Park/lighting improvements Historic street/drainage improvements Sidewalk improvements Pool improvements Street/drainage * Streets/drainage Owner‐occupied housing rehabilitation program Street furniture/sidewalks Park improvements Micro‐enterprise loan program Job training for youth Youth recreation Senior transportation service Street improvements Owner‐occupied housing rehabilitation program Park improvements Park/food court improvements Street/sidewalks/drainage improvements 310,121 682,225 300,000 155,060 300,000 134,841 175,280 155,061 128,060 27,000 30,000 200,000 125,060 265,000 186,268 682,225 220,916 89,205 155,060 50,000 105,061 300,000 267,343 155,060 407,124 96,750 58,050 46,440 23,290 23,220 389,874 33,000 232,000 155,060 310,121 * State Special Projects 11 State Housing Fund Program Recipient PPEP Microbusiness & Housing Development Corp. Casa Grande, City of Gila County Gila County Kearny, Town of Catholic Social Services – Cottonwood Eagar, Town of Northern Arizona Council of Governments (NACOG) Northland Cares West Yavapai Guidance Clinic Bullhead City, City of Campesinos Sin Fronteras Habitat for Humanity – Yuma Mohave County Western Arizona Council of Governments (WACOG) Yuma, City of Central Arizona Shelter Services Community Home Repair Projects of Arizona, Inc. (CHRPA) Community Housing Partnership, The Escala Central City, LP FSL Home Improvements FSL Home Improvements Human Services Campus Information and Referral Services New Arizona Family, Inc. Spirit of God Ministries Tolleson, City of Tolleson, City of Arizona Coalition to End Homelessness Non‐Profit Industries, Inc. Southwest Fair Housing Council Service Area Type of Program/Project Southeast Rural Area: New construction of homeownership units Douglas through mutual self‐help program Central Rural Area: Casa Grande Owner‐occupied Housing Rehabilitation Gila County Owner‐occupied Housing Rehabilitation Gila County Emergency Home Repair Program Kearny Owner‐occupied Housing Rehabilitation Northern Rural Area: Cottonwood Emergency operating grant for shelter Apache County (off reservation) Owner‐occupied Housing Rehabilitation Coconino, Yavapai, Apache, Navajo Counties Emergency Home Repair Program Northern Arizona Homeless Prevention Prescott SHP Administration Western Rural Area: Bullhead City Owner‐occupied Housing Rehabilitation Somerton Emergency Home Repair Program Yuma New construction of homeownership units Mohave County Owner‐occupied Housing Rehabilitation LaPaz, Mohave and Yuma Counties Emergency Home Repair Program Yuma Emergency Home Repair Program Metropolitan Areas: Phoenix Emergency operating grant for shelter Pima County Emergency Home Repair Program Maricopa County Phoenix Maricopa County Maricopa County Phoenix Funding 184,000 700,000 300,000 360,000 200,000 7,300 500,000 300,000 45,000 11,942 300,000 400,000 69,078 675,000 750,000 300,000 25,000 302,000 Homeless prevention grant New construction of rental units Owner‐occupied housing rehabilitation Emergency Home Repair Program Day Resource Center pilot program Matching funds for HMIS; other homeless Pima County planning activities Phoenix New construction of transitional units Maricopa County Emergency operating grant for shelter Tolleson Owner‐occupied Housing Rehabilitation Tolleson Emergency Home Repair Program Rural Arizona or Statewide: 30,000 500,000 423,256 150,000 126,000 13 Rural Counties Statewide Statewide 63,500 37,000 300,000 Homeless Planning Socialserve.com services Fair Housing Education 56,270 750,000 21,960 375,000 100,000 12 The Arizona Department of Housing E-Newsletter is published quarterly. Arizona Department of Housing 1700 West Washington Street, Suite 210 Phoenix, Arizona 85007 Telephone: (602) 771-1000 TTY: (602) 771-1001 FAX: (602) 771-1002 Website: www.housingaz.com Newsletter Editor: Carol Ditmore Vol. 4, No. 4, November 2005 © State of Arizona, Department of Housing Please direct any questions or comments to Carol Ditmore at carold@housingaz.com Email address changes may be directed to Cynthia Diggelmann at cynthiad@housingaz.com 13