Providence
Renaissance Neighborhood Project
Housing Action
Team Meeting Report
Monday, May 27,
2003
Chairperson: A.C. Douglas Facilitator: Nancy Muller
Staff: John Baker, Debra Thomas, Charlene Burke; CNRP: Rosa Morgan
Attendees (Sign In Sheet):
J.D. Howard Genevieve McDonald Rob Rinehart
Brandon Kirksey Leslie L. Harris Svetozora Iakimova
Rick McCraw Nancy Muller Anthony Montalvo
John Baker Debra Thomas Walter McDonald
Daisia Spense Tamara Lo-Ray Shonte Alford
Nicole Everett Alex Rivas Len Carson
A.C. Douglas Burt Davy
(This report is not intended to be minutes of the meeting
capturing everything that was said. The
report captures the main issues discussed and agreements reached at the
meeting.)
The session began with introductions. Doug welcomed everyone and gave an overview of what we were hoping to achieve from the meeting. Nancy then went over how we would go through the agenda.
Participants were asked to review the notes on the “Overall Housing Strategy”. Staff was assigned the responsibility to use the notes to write a paragraph or two describing the neighborhood’s proposed housing strategy and to bring that back for review at the next meeting.
Participants then reviewed the implementation tasks and goal proposed by staff to implement the homeownership strategies the group had reviewed at its previous meeting. There was much discussion about the proposed goal for homeownership. However, the group did not come to consensus on this issue and the group decided to come back to this issue at the next meeting.
The following changes were proposed:
1) Under the strategy dealing with infill housing list the following task:
Create a PUD or some other zoning designations to encourage/promote homeownership and neighborhood preservation. The participants also stated that this new zoning category would not include properties along Stuckey Street. It was suggested, however, that the action team wait for the recommendations from the group working with the Tallahassee-Leon County Planning staff to find some options to deal with the concerns residents have with the present zoning district in the Bloxham Heights section of the neighborhood.
2) Under the strategy dealing with the creation of specific homeownership programs for Providence and/or the allocation of portions of existing programs to Providence, the following task was suggested:
Research the availability of HUD’s community revitalization designation for the neighborhood. This designation provides incentives to certain professionals (police, teachers, etc.) to buy a home in an area so designated. If such designation is available, collaborate with the City to designate Providence as such an area.
II. Presentations
The group received presentations from Rob Rinehart, Burt Davy, and Nicole Everett. Rob Rinehart spoke to the group about the Seminole Manor Resident Landlord Program and how that neighborhood has used the program to further certain goals of the neighborhood.
Burt Davy presented to the group information on a program that he was previously involved with called Owner Occupancy?? (O). The program involved a developer/ investor working with a potential homebuyer who may have credit problems or does not have enough money to buy a house. The developer/investor would retain majority interest in the property while the prospective buyer would have a minor financial interest in the property. This arrangement would last for some agreed upon timeframe in which time the prospective homeowner would buy out the developer/investor interest in the property based upon a prior agreement. Burt agreed to re-familiarize himself with the program and come back to group in a couple weeks with further details.
Nicole Everett, from Tallahassee Lenders’ Consortium gave an overview of the Consortium’s role in the affordable housing process. She mentioned the first-time homebuyers’ programs and the down payment assistance programs that are managed by the Lenders’ Consortium.
A) Resident Landlord Program: Participants then reviewed the strategies proposed for neighborhood ownership by staff. The following comments/suggestions/changes were offered:
1) Incorporate the strategy regarding increasing homeownership in the background discussion on neighborhood ownership.
2) The strategy regarding community land banking should be deleted. The majority of the neighborhood association members in attendance did not support this strategy. Some of the participants, however, were interested in learning more about this strategy.
3) A new strategy regarding Providence Neighborhood Association buying and managing apartments within the neighborhood was put forward. The group did not discuss this strategy.
Staff was tasked to develop implementing tasks for these strategies. The action team would review these tasks at the next team meeting.