City of St. Petersburg, Florida 2000-2005 Consolidated Plan Priority Needs
Permanent supportive housing and services for homeless and special needs populations. The Pinellas County Continuum of Care 2000 Gaps Analysis identifies Permanent Supportive housing as a high priority need, especially for persons in families with children, and those that are seriously mentally ill individuals and those classified as being chronic substance abusers. The estimated need in the Gaps Analysis is based upon data collected from the 2000 Homeless Survey, which is distributed at all locations known to provide shelter and supportive services to homeless persons. # Facilitate the rehabilitation and continued operation of existing housing facilities. # Assist in the development of additional permanent supportive housing facilities. # Facilitate the expansion of existing permanent supportive housing. # Support applications for Continuum of Care services. # Endorse initiatives that assist homeless individuals in becoming economically selfsufficient. # Facilitate applications for and provision of funding from federal, state and local sources. The available programs are more completely described in the Pinellas County Continuum of Care, attached as Appendix C. # Communicate with the City s Grants Manager on new funding sources that may be used to facilitate the development of permanent supportive housing and services. # Continue to support the proposed Social Service Agency Zoning Ordinance, by allowing the location of facilities based on use rather than agency identification; making it easier to locate permanent housing facilities for social service agencies. # Non-profit agencies serving the homeless and those with support service needs lack sufficient resources (financial, staff, etc.) to meet current and future housing and service needs. # Opposition of residents and neighborhoods to social service providers locating nearby- (NIMBYism) increases the cost and difficulty of developing new facilities. # Incidence of lead-based paint in housing stock increases costs of rehabilitation. # Completion of a new 86 single room occupancy facility to provide housing for individuals. # Renovate and maintain existing transitional shelters, as needed. # Develop at least 75 new supportive transitional and/or permanent housing beds for homeless families and/or persons with special needs.
Improve existing, affordable housing for extremely low-, low-, and moderate income homeowners. The City faces challenges with its owner-occupied housing stock. It is estimated that many of the city's 25,000 homes over 40 years old are nearing the end of their useful life cycle, and of these, it is estimated that 95% also contain lead-based paint. There are 2,780 substandard units occupied by extremely low-, low- and moderate- income owners; mostly located in the areas of low income and minority concentration. From the Priority Needs Summary Table, HUD Table 2A, it is estimated that the unmet need across all income categories is 6,877 units, but the City calculates that it only has the resources to assist 1,720 units over the next five years. These findings indicate a priority need to renovate existing homes occupied by extremely low-, low- and moderate- income owners - without exceeding affordability parameters. There is also a need to provide home management and maintenance training, budgeting and foreclosure prevention counseling to insure continued residency and property maintenance. # Renovate existing homes occupied by extremely low to moderate-income owners, including code compliance and general interior/exterior property improvements to sustain homeowership. # Provide funding to address code compliance items, as well as general property improvements. # Provide energy efficiency loans to reduce monthly housing expense. # Provide lead abatement loans to mitigate lead hazards without impacting the debt-ratio or monthly housing cost of the borrower. # Provide loans to accommodate physically challenged household members without exceeding affordability parameters. # Provide assistance in the replacement of owner-occupied housing which is infeasible to rehabilitate due to its deteriorated condition. # Provide staff training on issues such as lead paint and energy efficiency to insure best practices are used. # Provide home management/maintenance and budgeting counseling to promote continuity of occupancy and protect renovation investment. # Continue dialogue with the Renovators Council, to determine how development policies and regulations may be streamlined. # Provide foreclosure prevention and intervention, including loans to bring mortgages current. # Provide funding to address exterior property improvements to enhance the assisted property as well as general neighborhood appearance. # Maintain a loan guarantee fund to fund loans made by financial institutions to finance general property improvements in addition to property code items. # Provide assistance to 500 households at 0-80% income to accomplish the following types of property improvements: energy efficiency lead mitigation/abatement mobility barrier mitigation general property improvements exterior property improvements # Provide home management/maintenance classes to 400 households at 0-80% income to enhance property maintenance skills and training. # Through foreclosure prevention program, save 125 households from foreclosure. # Institute a pilot housing replacement program to replace or rebuild housing that cannot be economically rehabilitated due to poor condition. # Households at 0-30% of MFI have the greatest need (44%), however, this group faces the most challenges in program qualification, due to credit and debt capacity issues. # Incidence of lead-based paint in housing stock increases costs of rehabilitation. # Renovation caps on properties located within the flood plain preclude full renovation.
Assist rental households from 0-80% of median income to become home owners. The rate of owner-occupancy within the city dropped from 65.5% to 63% of the total occupied units between 1980 and 1990, the City has been working aggressively to counteract that trend through programs to provide incentives for home ownership. According to 1990 figures, there are currently 125,452 available units for 105,907 households, and the number of households increased only by 1,420 over the period from 1980 to 1990. St. Petersburg has a large quantity of affordable housing units, however many housing consumers lack the means to access these available vacant single family homes and lots; and many of the properties available in the affordable category don t meet current standards and expectations. However, by providing access to both purchase and rehabilitation assistance, the City intends to continue to shift more rental households into home ownership. The conversion of rental units to owner occupancy and the restoration of previously subdivided housing is also a desirable objective. # Programs to encourage the investment in and upgrade of the city s housing stock by eligible home buyers, especially households who are currently renting. # Facilitate the acquisition/rehabilitation of vacant homes by home buyers and provide purchase assistance. # Facilitate development of new affordable homes on in-fill sites by home buyers and provide purchase assistance. # Encourage the conversion of multi-family rental properties to single family or condominium ownership and provide purchase assistance. # Continue to participate in the Pinellas County Affordable Mortgage Bond Program to provide lower first mortgage interest rates to first-time home buyers. # Continue to acquire vacant and boarded properties from the City s priority property list, which allows waiver of acquisition and development costs that exceed fair market value; and ensure that these sites are used for owner occupied housing. # Continue to work with the lenders of the W.I.N. Coalition to sponsor housing seminars, provide more affordable loan products and promote home ownership and the W.I.N. Program. # Continue to support homebuyers club services that provide outreach, information, counseling, and credit repairs to potential homebuyers that are unable to immediately qualify for home ownership. # Provide purchase assistance to 500 households at 0-80% median income. # Provide financial assistance to developers to construct 50 new in-fill homes or rehabilitate existing homes and sell them to owneroccupants. # Acquire ten vacant and boarded properties for redevelopment and as owner-occupied housing. # Provide classes on how to obtain a mortgage and budgeting basics to 500 households in order to prepare renters for home ownership. # Constraints of the private sector in the production of quality affordable single family homes affordable to very-low and low-income households, (ie. property and development costs). # Incidence of lead-based paint in housing stock increases costs of required rehabilitation. # Renovation caps on properties located within the flood plain preclude full rehabilitation of property. # Projected interest rate increases decrease home affordability.
Provide affordable rental housing, concentrating on households at 0-80% of median family income. In 1990, there were 5,679 more renters in the extremely low-, low- and moderate income brackets reporting excessive cost burdens for shelter and other housing problems, than there were vacant, appropriately sized affordable housing units to meet their need in the city. As can be expected, this need is most pronounced for those with the lowest income-0-80% of median family income, regardless of family size. The City projects an unmet need of 3,496 rental units to serve small related, elderly and other households which is 56% of the total unmet need for all rental categories. # Renovate existing, vacant rental units to restore productive use, and develop new replacement rental units, while containing s helter costs to insure affordability for renter households. # Encourage the rehabilitation of subs tandard housing which serves rental households at 0-80% of median income. # Leverage funds to assist non-profit organizations to provide long-term affordable housing units. # Facilitate the acquisition/rehabilitation of vacant rental properties and encourage mixed income projects to promote lowincome deconcentration. # Support the continuation of a home buyers club. # Continue and expand existing partnerships to increase resources available for the development of rental housing. # Provide technical assistance to rental housing developers. # Through the State Housing Initiative Partnership (SHIP) Program, provide match funding that will enable the Tampa Bay Community Reinvestment Corporation to secure CDFI funding in order to fund the development/redevelopment of rental units. # Support the implementation of the HOPE VI project at Jordan Park. # Support applications for rent subsidies. # Provide loan guarantees and other financial assistance to maintain units that are affordable to low-income households. # Facilitate the development and/or the redevelopment of 200 units to serve households at 0-80% of median income. # Complete funding of infrastructure that will facilitate the development of 237 units by the St. Petersburg Housing Authority which will be affordable to households at 0-50% of median income. # Continue to provide CDFI matching funds from the SHIP Program to leverage funds available for the development of 50 rental units which meet the following project criteria - affordable to persons or households at 0-50% median income with a minimum of 20% of the units set-aside to service special needs populations. # Constraints of the private sector in the production of quality affordable rental units affordable to very-low and low-income households, e.g. property and development costs. # With St. Petersburg 95% built-out, large tracts of vacant land are not available and land costs continue to escalate. # For rehabilitation projects, the incidence of lead-based paint in housing stock increases costs of required rehabilitation. # Renovation caps on properties located within the flood plain preclude full rehabilitation of property.
Enhance infrastructure in neighborhood planning areas. As can be seen in HUD Table 2B, the City has identified infrastructure improvements and public facilities improvements, including park and recreation area and neighborhood facilities as having a high priority. This continues the neighborhood focus that St. Petersburg has elevated to its main priority dating from the City s previous Consolidated Plan. The City, and the W.I.N. target area is currently well served by a wide range of educational, recreational and transportation and family support services and facilities. However, there is inadequate and deteriorating public infrastructure, and a large number of under maintained vacant lots and open spaces which detract from a sense of community pride, personal safety and well being. In 2000, the City will see the formation of its 100 th neighborhood association, recording an all-time high civic achievement. Neighborhood Associations are eligible to apply for Neighborhood Partnership Grants to undertake identified neighborhood projects to improve their neighborhoods in conjunction with the public improvements planned by the City and the housing development and redevelopment that is taking place. # Develop public and private amenity spaces accessible to all, including off-street parking, upgraded street and pedestrian lighting, and attractive parks, landscaping and streetscaping. # Develop accessible parks and tot-lots to address local needs. # Combine residential property improvements financed by the W.I.N. Program with general neighborhood improvements. # Complete and implement current enhancement plans and programs. # Continue City staff participation in neighborhood team meetings and events, whereby, community development needs are discussed and support needs identified through individual neighborhood plans. # Complete construction of the Wildwood Community Center. # Complete expansion of the Enoch Davis Community Center. # Complete construction of the Y-Achievers Center. # Complete the development of 12 Neighborhood Plans, which will identify proposed neighborhood infrastructure improvements. # Provide supplemental resources to assist in the implementation of recommendations from the proposed 12 neighborhood plans. # Cost impact of Davis-Bacon requirements. # Assist City teams working in Operation Commitment areas. # Continue to involve other City departments for the knowledge and experience that can be gained in implementing neighborhood projects.
Economic development to create job opportunities and improve way of life There is a disproportionate number of very low income individuals and families in the proposed Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area (NRSA/see: Part VI). In 1990, the poverty rate in the area was 27.7%, while the city-wide rate was only 13.1%, median household income in the area was only 68.5% of the city-wide median, and the area's unemployment rate of 8.6% was 65% higher than the city-wide rate of 5.2%. Other signs of dysfunction in the NRSA include an excessive number of deteriorated properties - particularly in the Dome Industrial Park where over 25% of the buildings are substandard, and 60 industrial properties are vacant or underutilized; and some commercial strips in the area are obsolete, and lack continuity and support amenities such as off-street parking. To reverse the cycle of poverty there is a need to both create meaningful employment opportunities, and prepare residents to take advantage of those opportunities. Strategies and Objectives to Address Prior # Opportunity Clusters: Expand business development and employment opportunities for NRSA residents through Dome Industrial Park development and the 22nd Street South revitalization and Intown areas to include infrastructure, technical assistance, tax incentives and financing for the expansion of existing, and the establishment of new businesses. # Achievement Centers: Develop a linked network of support service and job training providers and facilities, for the delivery of family support services needed to sustain them while they undertake life and employment skills training, through on-the-job training, business assistance programs, and apprenticeships to prepare for emerging employment/business opportunities, within the NRSA and beyond. # Redevelop the Dome Industrial Park Pilot Project Area. # Continue to implement the 22 nd Street South Commercial Revitalization Program, including facade/code loans, streetscaping, off-street parking development and business incubators, and extend the Program to other NRSA commercial areas. # Complete the BayWalk complex in the downtown core, and other downtown projects. # Establish a One-Stop Center in St. Petersburg to provide outreach, intake, assessment, job training and placement, as well as referrals to necessary support services. # Continue to support St. Petersburg s Business Development Center. # Through sustained support services, education and life and employment skills training: Prepare 300 Section 3 eligible persons for employment by 2005. Graduate 120 YouthBuild participants by 2005. # Through value added job creation, coupled with on-the job employment training at industrial and commercial Opportunity Clusters: Complete acquisition in the Dome Industrial Park pilot area by 2005. Assis t 400 businesses through providing technical assistance on tax incentives and financing strategies. Provide loans to small businesses, thereby creating 90 new jobs. See: Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy (Part VI) for obstacles and additional Actions/Objectives. # Continue to support job training programs such as YouthBuild St. Petersburg, Next Step, the STARS Program and the Construction Skills Training Program.