Other Items
CORE PROGRAMS
First Time Home Buyer Program
The First Time Homebuyer Program has enough funding for approximately 28 more households. Funding has been committed to eight households for the current fiscal year funding. At right is a home purchased through this program.
Home Repair Programs
Manufactured Home Repair: Funding for this program is 13% committed. Six homeowners are seeking bids.
Unfortunately, due to severe storms this summer, homeowners are having a hard time getting contractors to bid their projects.
Housing Rehabilitation: Funding is 10% committed. Seven projects are in construction and four homeowners are seeking bids. A Housing Rehab Loan recipient was featured in the Billings Gazette. Repair items for the disabled homeowner focused on quality of life and accessibility.
The monthly report in June contained pictures of a recent roof replacement that was completed as part of a Housing Rehabilitation project located in the South Side Task Force Area. The pictures below show the finished project complete with roof, egress window and maintenance-free siding. This homeowner is grateful for the maintenance free improvements to her modest home.
After: New roofing, siding and windows.
Before: Home in need of roofing, siding and window replacement.
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Affordable Housing Development Program
Homeword’s Community Housing Development Organization Project:
The contractors are quickly trying to finish outside work for the project to beat the possibility of an early winter.
Much of the indoor work including plumbing, electrical, and insulating has begun.
Billings Metro VISTA Project (MVP)
The Billings Grown Gardening Initiative* successfully held their first event, The Parade of Gardens! In hopes of establishing an annual event, a committee was created by VISTA members working in food security projects across the City.
This event was designed to spread awareness of community gardens in Billings by opening garden gates to the public to illustrate accomplishments and highlight operations. Six gardens were featured in the event and three of the showcase projects are supported by assigned AmeriCorps VISTA members:
• Amend Park Community Garden
• Billings Headstart School Garden
• Housing Authority of Billings Whitetail Run Garden
In addition to the five AmeriCorps full year VISTAs that are working on these projects, each site also had help from five Summer VISTAs that were also working on the project. The event was very successful and had more participation than expected; about 70 people attended. It brought people in who had not yet seen the gardens and even sparked interest in more participation in future years!
*Billings Grown Gardening Initiative is a group that has been spearheaded by various members of the gardening community and current VISTA members involved in 2014 food security programs.
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Foreclosure, Acquisition / Rehab Program - formerly known as Neighborhood Stabilization Program
Staff requested the Community Development Board approve program augmentation with additional funding as follows:
• Up to $50,000 from the City Council’s Home Reinvestment Revolving Loan program.
• $2,990 in remaining FY13-14 CDBG First-Time Home Buyer program.
The above allocations combined with proceeds from recent sales will total approximately $195,000; adequate funding for the purchase, rehabilitation and sale of an additional foreclosed property. Total costs to acquire and rehabilitate homes through this program range from $153,000 to $193,000 and averaged just under $180,000.
Staff will place the item on the City Council agenda for approval in October.
HOME Final Rule & Rental Project Monitoring
Staff continues to update each assisted rental project’s file monitoring checklist and risk assessment form.
A staff member attended the Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) Workshop: Understanding the 2013 HOME FINAL RULE training in Portland, Oregon, August 25-28. The training was sponsored by HUD’s Office of Affordable Housing with trainers from Training & Development Associates (TDA).
Workshop goals were to ensure understanding of new program regulations which is expected to help ensure the creation of successful projects.
Staff from the Billings YWCA also attended the training in hopes of developing an affordable housing project in the near future.
Irma House II: The City has expended just over $10,000 on the property since taking ownership in January 2013.
These expenditures will be recovered from the proceeds of the sale. The property continues to be marketed by Dan Wagner of ReMax Experts of Billings. While the property has been shown many times, a viable offer has yet to develop. Staff therefore recently approved lowering the price from $189,000 to $184,900. The property sustained minor damage to the vinyl siding, window edges, and the roof during the May hailstorms. The City’s claims adjuster is currently evaluating the repair estimate submitted in August.
PARTNERSHIPS
Billings Partners for American Indian Homeownership / Affordable Housing Task Force: The Billings Partners for American Indian Homeownership and the Affordable Housing Task Force did not meet in August as they meet quarterly.
Mayor’s Committee on Homelessness: The Mayor’s Committee on Homelessness is scheduled to meet on September 18, 2014 at 12:00 pm at RiverStone Health.
HUD Field Office Portland, OR
HUD Field Office Entrance
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“We create community through people, parks, and programs”
MEMO
To: Mayor and City Council
CC: Tina Volek, City Administrator
From: Michael Whitaker, Director
Date: September 10, 2014
Re: September Monthly Report
Recreation
Fall Recreation Programs:
The Recreation Staff has been working hard on putting together a multitude of new and exciting fall programs. To create additional awareness for the fall programs, Staff has developed a new Fall Program Pocket Schedule and is currentlydistributing it around the community. September is a month full of recreational opportunity from youth sports, special interest, active adult recreation, family/group excursions, and youth adventure weekends! If you haven’t checked out any of our recreation programs, now is the perfect time to get involved as our staff is growing and developing exciting new opportunities.
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