NEWS FROM REGION V U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
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U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
NEWS FROM REGION V
January 2014
From the Regional Administrator
If I could’ve had a peek into a crystal ball this time last year, I might have ordered a seat belt for my desk chair.
What a ride this year has been. With Sequestration cuts, furlough days and a government shutdown, the last
year has handed us some challenges – to say the least.
And you might think dwelling on those challenges might give me pause – after all, it is true we
are all trying to do more with less and we are concerned. But sometimes it happens that
challenges help you see your blessings in a clearer light. As HUD’s Midwest Regional
Administrator, I have so much to be thankful for as I look back on this year.
First of all, I am thankful for the unsung heroes of our government budget woes – our federal
employees. I am so proud of our Region V folks. Their dedication, concern and determination
to do the best by our partners and stakeholders have not wavered in the face of these sometimes
extreme challenges. They continue to be motivated and dedicated. They have my gratitude every day of the
year.
And we all appreciate the people who humble us daily -- our non-profit, private, local, regional and government
partners and stakeholders. You show us the meaning of teamwork. You define caring, dedication and
innovation. You are the ones who say, yes -- I am my brother’s keeper and my sister’s keeper too! It is my joy
to know you are in the trenches every day fighting to give all Americans a chance at a good life. And it is my
honor to support you and meet you as I travel throughout the region. I thank you and please know that I count
you high on the list of my blessings.
Finally, I am gratified that we have an administration who is working hard to make sure all Americans have the
opportunity to achieve a better life -- who believes everyone should have a chance to be in the middle class
through hard work and determination. And that a child’s future should not be defined by a zip code. That
everyone should have access to reliable healthcare and strong, sustainable, inclusive communities with good
schools and quality affordable homes on which to build their dreams and their futures and ultimately, the future
of our great nation.
I know we had some tough times behind us and have some challenges ahead, but I am optimistic about 2014
and comforted knowing that together we can weather any storm and bring about the best possible outcome.
Happy New Year! And as always, thank you for everything you do.
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Page 1 of 10
NOFA NEWS: Go to Grants.Gov to find Notice of Funding Announcements and application information for all
Federal Grants.
Funding Opportunity # Opportunity Title Agency Open Date ↓ Close Date
FR-5700-N-31B Fiscal Year 2013 and Fiscal Department of 11/22/2013 02/03/2014
Year 2014 Continuum of Housing and Urban
Care Program Competition Development
EPA-OSWER-OBLR-13-05 FY14 Guidelines for Environmental 11/22/2013 01/22/2014
Brownfields Assessment Protection Agency
Grants
EPA-OSWER-OBLR-13-07 FY14 Guidelines for Environmental 11/22/2013 01/22/2014
Brownfields Cleanup Grants Protection Agency
EPA-OSWER-OBLR-13-06 FY14 Guidelines for Environmental 11/22/2013 01/22/2014
Brownfields Revolving Loan Protection Agency
Fund Grants
Secretary Shaun Donovan recently announced that HUD will award $1.7 billion to support homeless
assistance programs with the Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Program Notice of Funding Availability
(see chart above). Due to a record number of existing programs requesting funds to continue operating, flat
funding from Congress and sequestration, this amount represents a 5% cut to existing programs and risks halting
or even reversing recent reductions of homelessness in communities across the country. The funding will provide
permanent and transitional housing to homeless persons as well as services including job training, health care,
mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment and child care. “In recent years we have made great progress
in reducing homelessness, especially among veterans and people who are chronically homeless. Now is not the
time to retreat from doing what we know is working”, said Secretary Donovan. “We shouldn’t be cutting our
budget on the backs of the most vulnerable in our society. Investing in these programs is the right things to do not
just for the lives it will save, but also for our economy.” Project applications can be found at
www.hud.gov/esnaps. For agencies needing assistance with grant applications, online training is available at
www.hudhre.info/esnaps/. Applications are due no later than February 3, 2014.
The Fund for Lake Michigan is now accepting Letters of Inquiry as part of its 2014 grant cycle. The Fund
is seeking a limited number of projects that focus on habitat preservation and restoration, and reducing
pollutants in the coastal areas and rivers of southeastern Wisconsin. Additional guidance on the Fund's grant
making goals and priorities along with application instructions can be found here. The Letters of Inquiry (LOI)
are due on or before January 24, 2014. LOIs must be submitted through the Fund’s online grants management
system. Invitations to submit full proposals will be sent out in March. Questions about potential projects should
be directed to Vicki Elkin, Executive Director of the Fund at vicki@fundforlakemichigan.org or 414-418-5008.
Applicant must be a 501(c)(3) or government agency to be eligible for a grant from the Fund.
DOD Approves Community Economic Adjustment Grant for Oshkosh, Wis. The Department of Defense
announced recently a community economic adjustment grant for Wisconsin from the Office of Economic
Adjustment (OEA). The East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission was awarded an $837,315
grant to assist the region's response to the loss of 1,200 positions at the Oshkosh Corporation's Defense
Division. These federal funds are to align local economic development plans and update them with
diversification strategies; promote the growth of new and existing businesses in targeted industries through
workforce and supply chain initiatives; map the regional defense industry supply chain; and, provide technical
assistance to Oshkosh suppliers and affected workers. These grants are awarded under OEA's Defense Industry
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Adjustment Program to assist states and communities that have been significantly impacted by reductions or
cancellations in DoD spending. States and communities can request OEA assistance to: organize
representatives to respond on behalf of affected communities, workers, and businesses; plan local community
and economic adjustment activities to lessen local economic impacts; and, carry-out plans to replace lost
economic activity.
Region V Small Office Closures: In April HUD announced the agency's small offices in Cincinnati, Ohio,
Flint and Grand Rapids Michigan would be closing as part of a realignment of staff resources to better support
program deliver. The offices closed in October. Nationwide, HUD plans to close 16 of its 80 field offices,
affecting approximately 120 employees. The moves will result in meaningful administrative savings, anywhere
from $110 to $150 million in lease and operating costs over a 10-year period. The closure plan provides for
optimal use of HUD's human capital, better results for HUD customers and greater efficiencies for American
taxpayers. Like families and businesses across the country, we cannot continue to operate like we did several
decades ago. America has changed, communities have changed and we must change. We need to place our
staff strategically in order to make certain we can achieve the greatest possible impact on the people and places
we serve without disrupting the program delivery networks currently serving communities throughout the
nation. Contact acting Detroit Field Office Director, Lou Berra at (313) 234-7371 for Michigan issues. Click
here to find Ohio Field Offices and corresponding phone number.
The Dodd-Frank Consumer Protection & Wall Street Reform Act mandated a simplified, streamlined
mortgage process and the Consumer Financial Protection Board has now issued a final rule requiring lenders, as
of August 15, 2015, to use “easier-to-use mortgage disclosure forms that clearly lay out the terms of a
mortgage for a homebuyer.” The CFPB new “Know Before You Owe” form will replace the long-used, but
often confusing, Truth-in-Lending and HUD-1 documents. The rule also sets forth “when the new forms are
given to the consumer, and limits how the final deal can change from the original loan estimate.” For more,
visit here. Also, as required under the Act, in the December 11th Federal Register HUD published a final rule
to define a “Qualified Mortgage” that is “insured, guaranteed or administered by HUD.” To meet the definition,
the Rule says, a mortgage must require periodic payments without risky features;
Have terms not to exceed 30 years; Limit upfront points and fees to no more than three percent with
adjustments to facilitate smaller loans -- except for Title I, Title II Manufactured Housing, Section 184, Section
184A loans and other loans specified in the Rule; and be insured or guaranteed by FHA or HUD. The Rule
establishes two types of Qualified Mortgages – a Rebuttable Presumption Qualified Mortgage or a Safe Harbor
Qualified Mortgage – determined by the relation of the loan’s Annual Percentage Rate to the Average Prime
Offer Rate. HUD also has adopted the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s HUD also adopts CFPB’s list of
transactions that are exempt from the ability-to-repay requirements. The Rule takes effect on January 10, 2014.
For more, visit the HUD News Release.
Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) recently announced that the 2014 maximum conforming loan
limits for mortgages acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will remain at $417,000 for one-unit properties
in most areas of the country. Read more here.
Location Affordability Portal: The true cost of living in any neighborhood is more than just living expenses.
It’s also about commuting expenses. HUD and the U.S. Department of Transportation have launched a tool that
can tell you. It’s called the Location Affordability Portal and allows you to estimate housing and transportation
costs for neighborhoods across the country. “Many consumers make the mistake of thinking they can afford to
live in a certain neighborhood or region just because they can afford the rent or mortgage payment. Housing
affordability encompasses much more than that,” said HUD Secretary Donovan. “The combined cost of housing
and transportation consumes close to half of a working family’s monthly budget, and the LAP will help to better
inform consumers, help them save money, and provide them with a broader perspective of their housing and
Page 3 of 10transportation options.” “Transportation and housing are usually the two biggest expenses a family faces,” said
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “Now, hardworking families all across the country can make
better informed decisions about where to live and work, including how their different transportation options
may impact those choices.” The LAP hosts two cutting-edge data tools: the Location Affordability Index (LAI)
and My Transportation Cost Calculator (MTCC). The map-based LAI is a database of predicted annual housing
and transportation costs for a particular area. The LAI includes diverse household profiles—which vary by
income, size, and number of commuters—and shows the affordability landscape for each one across an entire
region. It was designed to help renters and homeowners, as well as planners, policymakers, developers, and
researchers, get a more complete understanding of the costs of living in a location given the differences between
households, neighborhoods, and regions, all of which impact affordability. The data covers 94% of the U.S.
population. Click here for more.
In releasing HUD’s 2013 Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, HUD Secretary Donovan said in
November that HUD and its partners are “making real and significant progress to reduce homelessness in this
country.” “Now is not the time to retreat from doing what we know works, he added." The report, based on
data collected from one-night, point-in-time counts reported by 3,000 communities across the country estimates
that across the country, from 2010 to 2013, there was “a 24 percent drop in homelessness among Veterans and a
16 percent reduction among individuals experiencing long-term or chronic homelessness.” “I understand these
are tough budget times,” Donovan noted, “but these are proven strategies that are making a real difference. We
simply can't balance our budget on the backs of those living on the margins." In Region V homelessness results
compared to 2010 decreased in 5 states and increased in Minnesota: Illinois -6.74; Indiana -5.5; Michigan
-11.7; Minnesota +4.38; Ohio -1.94 and Wisconsin -3.62. For more, visit here.
“I Believe in Human Rights: My Personal Commitment to Ending Homelessness”, Blog by Sec. Donovan:
One of the most important experiences in my life was the time I spent volunteering at the Harvard Square
Homeless Shelter while in college. My shifts there, including many from 3:00 to 5:00 in the morning, opened
my eyes to the joy of service in ways I had never experienced before. This work was not just about giving
people homes for the night. It was about giving them hope for the future and a chance for a fresh start in life.
To be a part of these transformative efforts, even in a small way, was incredibly humbling. Soon into my time
as a volunteer, I made an important realization: that while I was working to make a positive impact for those I
served, they were making an even bigger impact on me. They taught me to look at people in new ways. They
showed me how to look at problems in a different light. The shelter led me to gain a deeper understanding of
myself and the world around me. My time there also helped me decide that I wanted to devote a big part of my
life to service. And so many years later, I still carry the lessons I learned at the Harvard Square Homeless
Shelter with me in the work I do every day at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
At the heart of this work is an understanding that people experiencing homelessness are not a monolithic group.
Instead, they are individuals who comprise a diversity of groups – each with their own unique issues. That is
why at HUD we’re being creative and innovative by delivering tailored support of different communities.
Through President Obama’s Opening Doors plan, the United States’ first comprehensive strategy to prevent and
end homelessness, we have helped more than a million Americans get their life on track.
one in Harvard Square, people are doing important, unglamorous work that is having a profound influence on so
many lives… read complete blog here.
Check out the current issue of Community Investments (Vol. 25, Issue 2) especially the article, “Building
Green and Respecting Native American Identity: Housing, Culture, and Sustainability in Native American
Communities.” It is co-written by: Mike Blanford, HUD Office of Policy Development and Research; Region
V’s own Brian Gillen, HUD Office of Public and Indian Housing; Lynda Lantz, First Pic, Inc.; Robert Pyatt,
University of Colorado Boulder; and Jamie Blosser, Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative.
Page 4 of 10HUD issues fiscal year 2014 Income Limits for public & subsidized housing.
Obama Administration released the November Housing Scorecard: Housing Market Continues to show
signs of improvement…
The Choice Neighborhoods initiative was introduced in 2009 as a successor to the HOPE VI program, a
vital part of HUD’s efforts to revitalize severely distressed public housing in the nation. Choice Neighborhoods
builds on the successes of HOPE VI and addresses its shortcomings. It requires a more comprehensive approach
to neighborhood revitalization that extends beyond housing transformation to include positive outcomes in
education, safety, and health, as well as access to economic opportunities, high-quality schools, public
transportation, and community services for residents. Whereas HOPE VI grants were available only to public
housing agencies redeveloping troubled public housing properties, Choice Neighborhoods expands funding
eligibility to a wider range of applicants and activities. Local governments, public housing agencies, nonprofits,
and for-profit developers (as long they partner with a public entity) can apply for funds to revitalize HUD-
assisted rental housing and surrounding neighborhoods, in addition to distressed public housing. In August
2010, HUD published the first Choice Neighborhoods notice of funding availability for planning and
implementation grants. Of the 42 first-round applicants for implementation grants, 6 advanced to the second
round. In August 2011, five of the six second-round applicants received grants totaling $122 million to
redevelop sites in Boston, Chicago, New Orleans, San Francisco, and Seattle. HUD recently released an interim
report that provides an early look at these first five implementation sites. The report, prepared by researchers at
the Urban Institute and MDRC, is part of a first phase of evaluation intended to study the program application
and grant processes and establish a baseline for long-term assessment of Choice Neighborhoods. The
implementation sites evaluated in the interim report include Boston’s Woodledge/Morrant Bay apartments and
the Quincy Corridor neighborhood, Chicago’s Grove Parc Plaza development and Woodlawn neighborhood
(see page 8 for more on Woodlawn), New Orleans’ Iberville Housing Development and surrounding
neighborhood, San Francisco’s Alice Griffith Homes and Eastern Bayview area, and Seattle’s Yesler Terrace
development and Yesler neighborhood. Lead grantees (or lead applicants) for these sites include a city
department in Boston, a national nonprofit in Chicago, public housing agencies (PHAs) in New Orleans and
Seattle, and a for-profit developer in San Francisco. Researchers note that all grantee teams have complex
structures with multiple partners except in Seattle, where the Seattle Housing Authority holds most of the
responsibility. For each of the sites, the report describes baseline conditions of the target development and
neighborhood, grantee capacity and redevelopment plans, early progress, and implementation challenges… read
the complete article and more in PD&R’s e-newsletter, THE EDGE, to keep current on policy development
and research breaking news.
FHA Information: HUD has decided to delay until further, the requirements outlined in FHA Mortgagee
Letter 2013-17 governing financial assessments and funding requirements for the payment of property taxes on
Home Equity Conversion Mortgages. Originally, the effective date for these requirements had been for HECM
mortgages issued case numbers on or after January 13 2014. For more, see Mortgagee Letter 2013-45 and all
Mortgagee Letters here. Visit the National Homeownership Center homepage at:
http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hsgsingle.cfm. Servicing lenders can visit the National Servicing
Center at: http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/nsc/nschome.cfm. For FHA Mortgagee Letters, click here.
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Follow us on Twitter @HUDMidwest
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Rural News: Check out the Housing Assistance Council (HAC) website for the December Newsletter -- The
classic "little yellow newsletter," providing essential information on affordable rural housing. Includes national
Page 5 of 10program and policy updates, summaries of Federal Register filings, findings from recent research reports, and
much more. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced “sweeping changes” to the USDA Rural
Housing Service Single Family Guaranteed Loan Program that, when in effect on September 1, 2014, will "add
significant capital to rural areas and give rural Americans more opportunities to make financing decisions that
lay the groundwork for the future prosperity of their families." Beginning then, for example, any lender, bank or
credit union regulated by the FDIC, FHFA, NCUA, the Comptroller of the Currency or Federal Reserve will be
allowed to underwrite USDA-guaranteed loans. Borrowers “for the first time” will be able to choose loan terms
of less than 30 years. For more, visit the Federal Registry item here.
In The News
A win-win-win for Affordable Housing (USNEWS) Created as part of the last major tax reform effort in
1986, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) replaced previous policies with a successful private-public
partnership that ensures the development of housing for low- and moderate-income Americans. Since its
inception, the program has financed the construction of more than 2.5 million affordable homes. With many tax
policies currently under review in Congress, it is important that the LIHTC be preserved in any future tax
reform effort. Under the LIHTC program, also known as the affordable housing credit, the Department of the
Treasury issues tax credit allocation authority to state housing finance agencies. The state agencies develop
criteria by which the tax credits are allocated to developers in order to construct housing that must remain
affordable for at least 30 years. The tax credits, which are awarded via a competitive application process, are
syndicated from the developers to investors, who in return provide equity for construction financing. These
investments ensure that the money is available to build the properties, thereby reducing debt loads and
development costs. Without such financing, it is difficult to connect future affordable housing needs with the
upfront costs of construction. Finally, the syndicated credits are claimed over a 10-year period to ensure
program compliance with oversight from state agencies and the IRS.
When the buildings are placed into service, the program provides rental homes for families at or below 60
percent of area median income, who pay rent of no more than 30 percent of their income. And government data
makes clear the need for such housing, particularly in the wake of the Great Recession and rising rents.
According to the 2010 American Community Survey, 19.4 million renting households (49 percent of all renting
households), were rent burdened or paid more than 30 percent of their total income in rent. The same data
indicate that a quarter of all renting households paid more than half of their income in rent…
McAuliffe picks Maurice Jones to head Commerce and Trade (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Gov. elect-Terry McAuliffe has tapped Maurice A. Jones, an Obama administration official and ex-publisher of
the Virginian-Pilot newspaper, as Virginia’s next secretary of commerce and trade. In September 2011,
President Barack Obama nominated Jones, then publisher of the newspaper in Norfolk, to become deputy
secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Federal HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan
issued a statement congratulating Jones. "From the day he started at HUD, Maurice Jones has been a tireless
advocate for the agency’s 8,000 employees," he said. "From managing the agency’s response to the sequester to
planning for and responding to the government shutdown in October, Maurice’s leadership has been critical."
He added: "Governor-Elect McAuliffe’s nomination today means that Maurice gets to go home to his family
and his home state, where his public service career began. While HUD is losing a trusted leader and valued
member of our family, we know that Maurice’s commitment to serve will be put to good use in Virginia."
New Yorkers for Parks’ Holly Leicht Heads to HUD (New York Observer). Holly Leicht, the executive director
of New Yorkers for Parks, announced today that she is leaving the non-profit to work at HUD, where she will
be the federal agency’s regional director for New York and New Jersey, filling a position that has been vacant
Page 6 of 10since former Bronx borough president and Office of Urban Affairs director Adolfo Carrion stepped down as
Region 2 director in 2012. While the new position might seem a departure from the parks advocacy that she has
been immersed in since coming to the non-profit in March 2011, Ms. Leicht spent much of her career working
in housing and urban development. Before joining New Yorkers for Parks, she was the deputy commissioner for
development at the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. At HPD, she implemented a juried
competition with the American Institute of Architects that resulted in the widely-celebrated Via Verde, a green
affordable housing project in the Bronx that is considered a blueprint for introducing sustainable, cutting edge
architecture into an area that was historically defined by blandly functional design. Before joining HPD,
Ms. Leicht also worked as the Director of Planning for offsite projects at the Lower Manhattan Development
Corporation; she has also worked at the Municipal Art Society. In her new role at HUD, Ms. Leicht will focus
on the region’s ongoing Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts, working under Shaun Donovan, her former boss at
HPD, who left the city agency to become HUD Secretary in 2008.
US apartment vacancy rate drop, rents rise (CNBC)
The U.S. apartment vacancy rate eased to its lowest level in more than a decade, but stagnant income growth
moderated rent increases, according to an industry report released on Monday. The national apartment vacancy
rate fell 0.1 percentage point to 4.1 percent in the fourth quarter from the third quarter, according to a
preliminary report by real estate research firm Reis Inc. It was the lowest vacancy rate since the third quarter of
2001, when it was 3.9 percent. A sluggish job market and weak wage growth help keep rent growth at just 0.8
percent, however, well below the level usually associated with such low vacancy rates.
Public Health News Roundup: January 2 (Robert Woods Johnson Foundation)
HUD Grants to Help Families Get Access to Education, Job Training, Employment. This week the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded approximately $57 million in grants as part of
its Housing Choice Voucher Program, which will go toward helping residents gain access to education, job
training and employment. The grants will be used to hire or retain more than one thousand service coordinators
who will work to connect the families with the supportive services. “This is a modest investment that can make
a world of difference for families looking to find their path to self-sufficiency,” said HUD Secretary Shaun
Donovan. “As America’s economy continues to recover, it’s critical that we work to make sure every American
has the skills and resources they need to successfully compete for jobs in the 21st Century.” Under the program,
participants sign a five-year contract requiring the head of the household to obtain employment and no longer
receive welfare assistance by the end of the contract. Read HUD release here to find Region V grants.
Mortgage tax break expires despite bipartisan support in Congress (Los Angeles Times)
Housing advocates and lawmakers say a tax break for struggling homeowners who won reductions in their
mortgages is needed despite the real estate market rebound. A 6-year-old tax break for struggling homeowners
who won reductions in their mortgages has expired, alarming housing advocates and lawmakers who said it still
was needed despite the real estate market rebound.
Enacted by Congress in the wake of the subprime housing market crash, the break gave homeowners a free pass
on taxes they otherwise would owe for aid they received from banks, basically reductions in mortgage debt and
so-called short sales. As much as $2 million in forgiven debt for each household was exempted from federal
taxes under the 2007 law. The law expired at midnight Tuesday because lawmakers went home for the holidays
without extending it — despite bipartisan support.
Mortgage forgiveness tax break needs to be restored — immediately (Washington Post)
There’s a tax break for struggling homeowners that Congress shouldn’t have let expire just before the new year.
If not extended, some people selling their homes could get big tax bills. As the housing crisis drove people into
foreclosure, many borrowers were not aware that forgiven debt, including on mortgages, is considered income.
In 2007, Congress passed the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act to help people who were down on their
luck financially because of the loss of their homes. The concern was well-placed. If people couldn’t afford to
Page 7 of 10keep their homes, getting a large tax bill just seemed cruel. The tax exemption played an important role as
borrowers who were unable to refinance their mortgages ended up selling them through short sales, in which the
lender allows the borrower to accept a price that is less than the amount owed. Often, borrowers trying to get
out from under a mortgage can negotiate to have the remaining balance forgiven.
Net Equity Rose in 2013 -- Good News for Homeowners (Fox Business) Buried within hundreds of pages of data
gathered by the Federal Reserve and released earlier this month was a very important statistic for U.S.
homeowners – net equity in household real estate rose by $2.2 trillion from the third quarter of 2012 to the third
quarter of 2013. Syndicated real estate columnist Kenneth R. Harney says the increase is a record for year-
over-year net equity holdings. Meanwhile, homeowners’ equity as a percentage of household real estate also
rose sharply in the past year, from 44.3% a year ago to 50.8% at the end of the most recent quarter, according to
the Fed’s statistics. And that latter number is up from 38.4% in 2009, not long after the U.S. housing bubble
burst. These are encouraging numbers for the average U.S. homeowner, millions of whom found themselves
underwater on their mortgages -- or owing more on their home loans then their homes were worth -- following
the collapse of the U.S. housing market in 2008.
Field Office Happenings
To read press releases announcing grants and other HUD news in your area, check out the
state pages on the HUD Website here: Illinois; Indiana; Michigan; Minnesota; Ohio; and
Wisconsin.
Chicago
In December, 2013, Chicago Multifamily Senior Underwriters Catalina Vielma and Scott Greuel led the
closings of the first two Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) projects with FHA mortgage insurance in the
nation. Catalina was senior underwriter for Landsman Gardens in Henderson, Nevada which she closed in
conjunction with the San Francisco HUB. This is a new construction development and the first project of its
kind to convert to Project Based Voucher Assistance. Scott led the closing, with the help of the Chicago
Multifamily Technical Team, of Pana Towers, a 72 unit rehabilitation of a public housing senior development in
Pana, Illinois. This is the first RAD project to close using Project Based Rental Assistance.
Choice Neighborhood in Chicago: Antonio Riley recently
joined Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) in a press
conference celebrating Chicago’s Woodlawn Park’s progress
since Secretary Donovan presented a Choice Neighborhoods
grant in August, 2011. In a broad showing of the diversity that
makes neighborhood revitalization possible, the community’s
political and civic leadership joined with Preservation of
Affordable Housing (POAH), public officials, tenants and
neighbors to celebrate the newest example of the resilience and
redevelopment of Chicago’s Woodlawn as a “community of
choice.” The group celebrated the grand opening of The Grant at
Woodlawn Park, the second phase of the Woodlawn Park
Page 8 of 10redevelopment project which is replacing the long-troubled Grove Parc Plaza Apartments. “We are
transforming this community into the sustainable, mixed-income neighborhood with the affordable housing, the
safe streets and the good schools that every family needs and our Chicago families deserve,” Riley said. Grove
Parc’s 504 units are being replaced by 420 residential units of mixed income housing and 80,000 square feet of
retail, youth center, community and commercial space throughout the neighborhood. “Woodlawn Park is a
critical anchor for the future of Woodlawn,” said Alderman Willie B. Cochran. “By replacing a physically
deteriorated Section 8 development with a successful mixed income housing development, we are changing the
character of Cottage Grove and Woodlawn as a whole.” The Grant at Woodlawn Park marks the completion of
350 new and rehabbed mixed-income apartments in the neighborhood by one of the nation’s leading affordable
housing developers. Woodlawn Park has been touted as a critical anchor for the future of the entire
neighborhood. Woodlawn Park was chosen to be one of eight redevelopment projects across the nation to
receive a Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI) grant from HUD. With $30.5 million in funding, POAH and
its partner, the City of Chicago, are making investments in affordable and market-rate housing, education,
parks, and commercial activity to ensure a healthy and sustainable future for Woodlawn.
HUD Employee Receives Award: Shirley Wong, on the far right, a program analyst
in the Illinois Office of Public Housing was recently presented with the Illinois
Association of Housing Authorities (IAHA) Customer Service award for 2013. The
IAHA annually recognizes a HUD public Housing employee who exemplifies good
customer service for Illinois Housing Authorities. Shirley maintains the PIH
Information Center, which contains tenant and other information, from the 111 Illinois
Housing Authorities. She works with housing authorities on a daily basis to ensure
data integrity. The award was presented by IAHA president Susan Anderson (center),
Executive Director of the Rock Island Illinois Housing Authority, and Teresa
Greenstreet, Executive Director of the Warren County Housing Authority and chair of
the IAHA awards committee. The award was presented in December during a special staff reception hosted by
Illinois Public Housing Hub Director, Steve Meiss; Technical Services Director, Eleny Ladias, and Operations
Director, Tedd Termunde.
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Editor’s Note: You will have a new editor next quarter. This will be my last Region V Newsletter as I head
into retirement this Friday. It will be my second (and final) retirement -- my first was from the United States
Air Force after 25 years of service. You have made my many hours working on newsletters a labor of love as
you strongly showed your support and appreciation. Thank you so much. Happy Trails, Ed. (actually Laura).
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Detroit
Detroit’s December 2013 issue of Bridging the Gap, spotlights one of your Michigan administers the Section 8
Mainstream Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, Housing Services for Eaton County (HSEC). Housing
Services started as a grass-roots community group aimed at addressing homelessness by asking for technical
assistance from HUD to form a Continuum of Care. The then HUD Community Programs and Development
Division (CPD) representative, Richard Wears, was assigned to provide that technical assistance. The group
formally started as an outgrowth of the Continuum of Care program through funds provided by HUD’s CPD
when HSEC received its first supportive services grant in 1996. In 2000, HSEC applied for the Section 8
Mainstream voucher funds and received a $1..5 million, five- year renewable grant which it continues to
administer. As a non-profit, 501 (c) 3, and not a typical housing authority, HSEC administers the only grant of
this type in Michigan. It was also during this time that the agency added a down payment assistance program for
firs- time home buy-ers. This initiative has provided 40 households with education and matching funds to
purchase their first home by leveraging over $4 million in mortgages. Over the past several years, as grant
opportunities have arisen, the Executive Director, Denise Dunn, has proactively sought advice on preparing
Page 9 of 10grant applications. One such "expert" was Charles Keiffer, who was the Michigan State Housing Development
Authority’s guru on homeless programs at the time. Mr. Keiffer assisted Ms. Dunn in becoming successful as
the lead agency to go di-rectly to HUD for funds. This move allowed HSEC to apply for additional Supportive
Housing Program funds as bonus funds based on the HUD pro rata need to work with the homeless … To read
the rest of this article and more PIH news; check the Michigan State Page In-Focus section for the Detroit PIH,
Bridging the Gap Newsletter for all things public housing.
Indianapolis
New Homeless Shelter Takes Shape In Greencastle (Indiana Public Radio)
After years of public attempts, two private citizens have purchased a building in which the shelter will reside.
11% of Putnam County residents live below the poverty line and officials worry the community could see that
number increase as thousands of Hoosiers lose their unemployment insurance benefits. Greencastle’s last
homeless shelter closed in 2011. Since that time, several efforts have been launched to serve the area’s growing
need. At one point the city proposed dipping into its rainy-day fund to purchase a building which could serve as
a shelter. But two private residents have taken it upon themselves. They purchased a building across the street
from city hall for $185,000 and their corporation, Beyond Homelessness recently received 501c.3 status. Board
member Matt Mascioli says there has been an outpouring of support from the community and someone needed
to step up to get the project moving. After years of public attempts, two private citizens have purchased a
building in which the shelter will reside.
Minneapolis
Riverside Plaza, a historic housing development in Minneapolis, earned the prestigious 2013 National
Trust/HUD Secretary’s Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation. This award recognizes efforts that
advance the Nation’s historic preservation goals while providing affordable housing and economic development
opportunities for low and moderate-income residents.
The Saint Paul Foundation won the Secretary’s Award for Public-
Philanthropic Partnerships 2013. The Saint Paul Foundation supports
large‐scale, cross‐sector initiatives including the 13‐member Central
Corridor Funders Collaborative begun in 2008 and the regional Corridors
of Opportunity initiative launched in 2011. Grant and loan funds are
preserving housing affordability and seeding new development (more
than 1,000 housing units and 150,000 square feet of commercial space)
along three of the region’s transit corridors. In 2012 during the Central
Corridor’s heavy construction season, 353 small, mostly minority‐owned
businesses received deep technical assistance.
Go to the Minnesota State Page In-Focus section to find more news in the
1 Pictured: HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, the Minneapolis Quarterly Newsletter.
Saint Paul Foundation President/CEO Carleen
Rhodes, and Council on Foundations President
Vikki Spruill
Sincerely,
Antonio R. Riley
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