NONPROFIT HOUSING ROUNDTABLE OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
AGENDA
Wednesday, July 25, 2001 @ 8:30 A.M.
MISSION: To increase the supply of decent affordable housing
provided by nonprofit organizations to low and very low income
families through coordination among nonprofits to enhance capabilities,
expand funding opportunities, maximize training, and develop new
partnerships.
Time (Min) Agenda Item
8:00-8:30 Networking between members and guests
8:30-8:35 Introduction of members/guests (Katie Porta)
8:35-8:40 Approval of minutes
8:40-8:55 Speaker - Maggie Anderson (Coalition for the Homeless)
8:55-9:10 Speaker - Betty Evans Thurman (Demetree Builders)
9:10-9:30 Other Items:
County HAC Report
City of Orlando HAC Report
Counseling Collaborative
New Business:
Review correspondence
Next membership meeting -- Wednesday, August 29, 2001 @ 8:30 am
Adjourn (TOTAL MEETING TIME -- 1 HOUR AND 0 MINUTES)
The City of Orlando, 400 S. Orange Avenue, Orlando, FL 32801
Located at northwest corner of South Street and S. Orange Avenue
The meeting will be on the second floor - Conference Room U
Future Meeting Schedule: September 26, October 31, and November 28.
THE NONPROFIT HOUSING ROUNDTABLE OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
- ACTION PLAN
Goal 1. To educate the entire community on the role of the nonprofit sector as an important partner in the housing delivery process.
a. Communicate housing and nonprofit needs to local area government
b. Develop quantifiable goals for the Roundtable to allow for evaluation of this organization's effectiveness.
c. Invite guest speakers to speak monthly. Pick out topic relevant to nonprofit housing providers (i.e. management,
development, underwriting) and have speaker make 30 minute presentation.
Goal 2. To pool skills and resources of nonprofit housing producers and housing support agencies
a. To use the nonprofit Roundtable to gain organizational and functional strength to achieve our mission by
convening regular meetings to share information, and to plan and coordinate activities of the participating
nonprofits
b. To evaluate and prepare an annual plan that quantifies projects and funding needs of the participating nonprofits
and prepare joint funding support request to the various funding entities
c. To promote and support emerging nonprofit housing organizations.
Goal 3. To pursue various partnership opportunities and linkages with for-profit developers and builders.
a. Strengthen relationships between nonprofits and private sector
b. To become active participants in the Homebuilder's association to cultivate support of for-profit developers and
builders and to seek out opportunities for joint-ventures, other business relationships and mentoring.
Goal 4. To pursue activities that would increase the availability of low cost funds to nonprofits.
a. Subscribe to legislative, funding resource. Monitor and report on upcoming funding programs.
b. Develop calendar of funding source with contact, deadline and summary information.
Goal 5. To pursue activities that would encourage governments to provide grants and loans to nonprofits for technical assistance
and housing production.
Nonprofit Housing Roundtable
Meeting Minutes from July 25, 2001 Meeting
Present: Vickie Cooley, J.P. Gellermann, Diane Ledford, Timothy Montalvo, Linda Hardesty, Carolyne Mills, Larnie White, Julia
Lemon, Barbara Conover, Kathy Bryant, Rolando Cintrow, Eddie Green, Tony Weremeichik, Melvin Pitts, Katie Porta, Albie Mayor, Connie Downs, B. Elaine Woods, Gloria Oliver, Rafael Polanco, Fran James, John Huguenard, Maggie Anderson, Mary-Stewart Droege, Gaile Moody Plowden, Thais Dennis, Betty Evans Turman, Jerrie G. Magruder, Pat Andrews, Toby Philpart and
John Hazelroth
Agenda Item 1 - Approval of Minutes
The minutes were not enclosed in the monthly packet. Minutes will be included in next month's packet for review and approval.
Agenda Item 2 - Coalition for the Homeless (Maggie Anderson)
The Coalition started out as an outreach center for the Methodist Church. The goal was to initially help those individuals
who were living on the street.
- Since its inception, it has grown into a three acre campus and now serves up to 700 individuals per night. The goal was to provide
a one-stop source of assistance. Located on the campus are Orange County Public Schools, Boys and Girls Club, Head Start,
Lakeside Alternatives, and Life Stride.
- Everyone who stays at the campus is required to participate in case management.
- One of the programs which they are proud of is called The Intervention Recovery Program. Oftentimes, homelessness is caused
by mental health and/or substance abuse issues. This program strives to deal with these two issues when dealing with the whole
issue of homelessness.
- The new Director is Bob Brown and comes to the Coalition with nonprofit experience. They are now in the process of reassessing
who they serve and how they serve because the population has changed since its inception. One thing they do know is that the
largest increase in homeless individuals is children.
- The goal in the campus is to provide services, not only to people staying at the campus, but also to the community. For this
reason, both the Boys and Girls Club and the school are open to the public.
- They have noticed an increase in the number of people who are utilizing food services.
- They recently purchased the Women's Residential Conflict Center. This nonprofit handled cases involving women and provided
case management assistance to these individuals.
- The coalition participates in a continuum of care, which is a twelve agency collaborative. It has come together to seek HUD
funding. Th=is inter-agency coordination has been beneficial to the community and better utilizes the services of numerous
agencies.
- The continuum has recently changed and now the government is asking that thirty percent of the funds be set aside for permanent
housing. There is some concern that providing permanent housing without the necessary support services is not going to be in the
best interest of the clients. The impact of this regulation on grants and service delivery has yet to be determined.
- One of the areas that they counsel and spend a lot of time on is debt and credit counseling. The Coalition noted that the fastest
growing population of those experiencing financial difficulties is 25 years or under.
- Their housing program consists of two different components. Transitional housing consists of nine one and two-bedroom
apartment units. Individuals have to be enrolled in case management and can come from Coalition Campus, the Women's Center,
or other agencies. They can stay up to six months and the program fee is $150 to $200 per month; plus the client pays half of their
utility costs. Once they finish this program, they go into the second phase, or scattered site program. In this case, the Coalition
provides assistance and helps individuals pay for rent, plus day care for an additional six months. Coalition staff indicates that
they had noticed that both programs have been very successful and few people return to the Coalition after participating in these
programs. The key in both programs is the intensive case management and service delivery, which accompanies the housing.
Agenda Item 3 - Demetree Builders (Betty Evans Thurman)
Demetree is a family owned business in which the principals have grown up and continued to live in the community. They pride
themselves in delivering a good project.
- The company now has four affordable subdivisions, which include Silver Pine - units sell for $98,000 to $100,000; Vista Largo -
units sell for $98,500 to $110,000; Clare-Ocona Ridge and Colonial Woods - where homes are more moderate in price and sell
for $130,000 to $150,000.
- Demetree has long actively pursued working relationships with organization such as the Metropolitan Urban League and
HANDS.
- They now have a program that if an existing home buyer or church refers a buyer to Demetree, and a home is sold, that individual
or organization will receive $250.
- Demetree prides itself on their warranty and the fact that they will come out and make repairs after the warranty date expires.
- Betty indicated that one of the keys to putting people and keeping people in a house is looking at credit problems. She spends
between 90 and 120 days working with individuals on budget counseling and credit repair and/or counseling.
- Oftentimes builders will require that individuals post an application fee, which then turns into the downpayment. In the case of
Demetree, they are not looking for a lump sum fee at the time when they start. They would rather have the fee paid periodically
over the counseling period. Demetree asks that individuals bring a $1,000 into each and every deal. They have found that this
makes the home buyer more diligent with respect to making housing payments.
- Demetree has a list of lenders which they use. They refer buyers but they do not demand that buyers utilize these lenders.
However, in the case when they do use the lenders, Demetree will pay up to three percent of closing costs. Demetree also uses
"C" Lenders. Both noted that these are not predatory lenders, but offer more flexible terms with individuals with credit issues.
- With respect to industry trends, Demetree sees several things which are impacting the industry. First, homebuyer counseling has
always been and will continue to be extremely important. Particularly, as home sales are geared toward lower income buyers with
credit issues. Demetree also sees the utilization of Section 8 certificates for down payment assistance as a potential positive
program. They are closely watching this and will look to utilize this resource when assembling down payment assistance for first
time home buyers.
This concludes the end of the meeting minutes. The next meeting will be held Wednesday, August 29th, 2001, at 8:30 am, at Orlando
City Hall.
GUEST SPEAKERS
Verl Emrick - Orlando Public Housing Authority
Gloria Oliver - Counseling Collaborative
August, 2001
The Roundtable is pleased to have one speaker and one presentation for this month's meeting. Verl Emrick will be on-hand from
Orlando Public Housing Authority. Mr. Emrick will be talking about the variety of programs offered.
Gloria Oliver, from the Counseling Collaborative, will be offering a presentation on the First Homebuyer Club.