Pinellas County Housing Authority

2015 Year in Review

… to provide safe, quality housing for

persons in need and to cultivate healthy,

vibrant neighborhoods for Pinellas County

Our MISSION

Joseph Triolo, Chair

Angela Rouson, Vice-Chair

Michael Guju

Alan Swartz

Cynthia Wilson

Debra Johnson, Executive Director

Board of Commissioners

Agency Summary

Housing Programs Public and Assisted Housing:

695 units at 5 properties Housing Choice Voucher

(Section 8): Administer rental vouchers to 2865 Pinellas County families

Special Housing Programs: 470 previously homeless veterans housed through the HUD Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program

Mixed-Income Housing: Own and manage 1061 mixed-income units at 5 properties

Impact on Local Economy

Annual operating budget of more than $37 million

Employment of over 80 individuals directly and another 50 plus leased employees

Existing real estate assets valued at more than $53 million

$28 million annually in federal resources; $22 million in direct payments to private property owners in Pinellas County

Contracts with hundreds of contractors and vendors annually, totaling over $4 million; another $7 million for major structural renovation began in 2015

‘Helping Hand Award’ presented to PCHA by the Boys and

Girls Clubs of the Suncoast – June 2015

National Merit Award in Program Innovation and Project Design presented by the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials for Pinellas Heights – July 2015

Best Practice Award, Large Agency Category presented by the Florida Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials for Pinellas Heights – August 2015

Certificate of Appreciation presented by the Pinellas Sheriff’s Police Athletic League – December 2015

Special Recognition

PHADA Conference Attendees

Tour Pinellas Heights

Approximately 100 Commissioners and

Public Housing Authority Directors

from Across the Country Toured Pinellas

Heights in 2015

Landings at Cross Bayou

A Combination of Low Income Housing Tax Credits and HUD’s Rental Assistance Demonstration Program Provide

Funding to Completely Renovate and Revitalize a Community

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

May 2015

Set-Aside for Families with

Special Needs 19 units at Landings at Cross

Bayou are set-aside for individuals and families with special needs

MOU with Directions for Living as referral agency

Special Needs families include homeless, youth aged out of foster care, disabled, and survivors of domestic violence

Homeownership

New 1st Time Homeowners in 2015 increased participation in PCHA’s Housing Choice Voucher Homeownership Program to 30 families

Pearson Family

Coleman Family

McCluster-Henry Family

PCHA Continues to be at the Forefront of Energy

Efficiency

$500,000 Grant to Provide Energy

Upgrades at Crystal Lakes Manor

PCHA was one of just a few housing authorities in the State of Florida awarded a $500,000 Multifamily Shallow Retrofit Demonstration Grant from the State of Florida in 2015.  Grant funds provided for:

Installation of new high efficiency lighting and ceiling fans

Installation of new high efficiency electric hot water heaters

Installation of new energy efficient HVAC’s

Installation of ceiling insulation to R-38 Repair of duct leakage

Through Duke Energy’s Neighborhood Energy Saver program, 475 units at Palm Lake Village affordable senior housing received the following Free energy upgrades in 2015:

Replacement of air filters New weather-stripping New aerators New water-saving showerheads New CF lights bulbs New water heater insulation Cleaning of refrigerator coils New thermostats for refrigerators and freezers Light switches

Palm Lake Village Free Energy Upgrades

Additional Free Energy Efficiency Upgrades Provided for Rainbow Village, Norton and Redwood

Apartments CFL Bulbs in all units Hot water heater insulation wraps Refrigerator coil brush and thermometer. A/C filters Aerators in the bathroom sinks Low flow shower heads Weather stripping Energy/Water conservation information

Housing Assistance for

Homeless FamiliesIn keeping with the needs of Pinellas County, during 2015 PCHA updated it’s Housing Choice Voucher administrative policy to provide more opportunities for homeless families. The waiting list remains open for:

Homeless families who have completed a residential self-sufficiency program in Pinellas County through an approved program

Individuals and families in Boley Centers Supportive Housing who no longer require supportive housing services

  Families whose children have been removed from the household or

are in imminent danger of being removed, and the lack of decent, safe and affordable housing is the primary reason.

 

An additional 86 HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing

vouchers were provided by HUD during 2015; a 19% increase in homeless veterans served through PCHA’s HUD-VASH program

Opened the Housing Choice Voucher waiting list on a continuous basis to very-low income veterans

44 Project Based Vouchers approved by PCHA and HUD for new Duval Park supportive housing for veterans and their families to open in 2016

In all, PCHA provided housing and/or housing assistance to approximately 700 veterans during the year through various housing programs

Housing for Veterans

Resident Activities

A variety of activities and events were held in all PCHA properties throughout

the year. The following are just a few. . .

Fathers Day Event at

Rainbow Village

Youth Educational ActivitiesNorton Apartments at Lake

Bellevue

“What Home Means to Me” poster & essay contest After-school and summertime tutoring

Older Americans Month Picnic at Sawgrass Lake

Park

Older Americans Month Picnic at Sawgrass Lake

Park

Additional Major

Undertakings during 2015

Major Structural Renovation of

East Lake Club Apartments Began in 2015

$7 Million structural renovation of 10 buildings, 240 units including:

Roof replacement Framing replacement Stucco replacement Window resetting

and weatherproofing Project to be

complete in March 2016

Planning continued

throughout 2015 Site control of

approximately 5 acres suitable for 93 units of workforce housing

Preliminary site plan 20% set-aside for low-

income families Ground breaking anticipated

in the fourth quarter of 2016

Palms of PinellasWorkforce Housing

Tarpon Springs Housing

Authority Relocation PCHA provided complete

Relocation Services for TSHA residents due to construction

Relocation plan approved by HUD April 17, 2015

Both temporary and permanent relocation; on and off site

Compliance with Uniform Relocation Act

Anticipated project completion in December 2016

TSHA resident, Michael Antonatos, discusses relocation options with Angela Clute, PCHA’s

Relocation Coordinator/Special Projects Manager

Thank you

For more information about PCHA please visit our website at www.pinellashousing.com