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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution 1979 (28)Whereas, the Wisconsin Department of Local Affairs and Development has been authorized to establish the Wisconsin Housing and Neighborhood Conservation Program, which provides grants of funds to eligible local sponsors who wish to establish a deferred payment housing rehabilitation loan fund; and Whereas, the State of Wisconsin has allocated $427,500 to the seven County Western District, which includes St. Croix County, to be used for said program; and Whereas, West Central Wisconsin Commmity Action Agency, Incorporated Housing/ Energy Program has developed an application for a grant of funds under the Housing and Neighborhood Conservation Program; and Whereas, West Central Wisconsin Community Action Agency, Incorporated Housing/ Energy Program would be willing and able to perform the activities required of a sponsor under the Housing and Neighborhood Conservation Program; Now, therefore, be it resolved, that West Central Wisconsin Community Action Agency, Incorporated Housing/Energy Program is hereby authorized to m3.ke application to the Department of Local Affairs and Development for a grant of fiords under the Housing and Neighborhood Conservation Program; Be it further resolved, that West Central Wisconsin Comrnmity Action Agency, Incorporated Housing/Energy Program is hereby authorized as an entity to administer any funds made available through the Housing and Neighborhood Conservation Program, in St. Croix County, Wisconsin. DATED: April 5, 1979 Social Services Committee Finance Committee ---------------------_i�t ---------------------- --------------------- --sue--- ___ ---- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --' ------ h -- - - - - --- - - - - ---- - - - - -- -- - -- - - -- -- - - - -- - - - d6S77 7 ' '":�t RIRTIYM, 1 In his "State of the State" and 1°Budget" messages, Acting Governor Martin Schreiber proposed a pilot Housing and Neighborhood Conservation Program to assist low- and moderate -income homeowners to rehabilitate some of Wisconsin's older housing stock. The proposal was enacted by the Legislature during the Winter, 1978 session. The program will be administered by the Department of Local Affairs and Development (DLAD) and the Wisconsin Housing Finance Authority (WHFA). Success of the pro- gram depends on participation by local public sponsors and private lendi institutions. The purpose of the program is to demonstrate that low-cost home improve- ment loans, supported by the bonding capability of the Wisconsin Housing Finance Authority and the general- revenue sources of the state, can be used effectively to preserve existing housing and to stabilize and strengthen neighborhoods in Wisconsin communities. The program will address a number of problems, such as: ;. Buildings becoming older and needing periodic routine repairs or replacement of facilities, as well as improvements to make them conform with contemporary standards; 2. The fact that a substantial proportion of the owners of older inadequate housing in the state are low- and moderate -income persons; 3. the fact that certain neighborhoods have such a concentration of substandard housing and other problems that owners are discouraged from investing in routine improvements or more substantial repairs and improvements, even when they can afford conventional loans. Such neighborhoods often have a concentration of lower -income home owners who are least able to use available financing even if they have the motivation; y. The fact that in many instances private lenders are reluctant to make property improvement loans due to a fear of a continuing cycle of decline in the neighborhood --a decline in the incentive of owners to repay loans, and a decline in the value of the homes as security for the loans. Carol T. Tousmir, State r Wisconsin 1 �Sscnetarpr o isconsin \DEPARTMENT OF LOCAL AFFAIRS & DEVELOPMENT 123 We5TWASHINGTON Avd• MADISON W ISCONSIN 5 t INDICATORS OF NEED While some housing rehabilitation programs have been available in recent years, their impact on the total problem has been far too small. A num- ber of indicators illustrated the need for a state-wide Housing and Neighborhood Conservation Program; far too many, in fact, to include all of them in this DLAD Special Report. Here are just a few:. I. In Wisconsin, 46.5% of housing stock was built prior to 1940. The national average is 35.8%. 2. In Wisconsin, more than 111,000 homes have been identified as "inadequate." This means they either lack standard plumbing facilities, are overcrowded, or are old and have low market value (less than $10,000 in urban areas and less than $7,500 in non -metropolitan areas). 3. More than 300,000 of Wisconsin's home owners have low- and moderate -incomes. For them, conventional home improvement loans are too costly. Of low- and moderate -income Wisconsin homeowners, more than half--176,000--are elderly who often live on fixed incomes. 4. Many older homes were built without adequate energy conservation measures (by today's standards), thereby increasing fuel costs in this time of rapidly rising energy costs. 5. The cost of new housing has risen from an average of $23,600 per home in 1970 to $43,700 in 1976---almost double in six years. (By now it has doubled.) In 1970, 44% of Wisconsin households could afford new housing, based on paying no more than 25% of income for shelter. Today only 32% of state house- holds can afford the average monthly payment of $379 for mortgage, taxes and insurance, not to mention energy costs. In addition, it is clearly understood that relying solely on new suburban development (to absorb population increases and the need for improved housing) carries with it increased public costs for additional services -- sewer and water, streets, curbs and gutters, transportation, police and fire protection, not to mention environmental protection measures. The relationship between urban sprawl and neighborhood conservation has been amply documented by a large volume of research, technical studies and popular literature, as have all the above statements of statistics. HOW WILL IT WORK? The program will provide the means to offer housing rehabilitation loans to homeowners whose incomes range from very low to moderate. Owner - occupants of housing ranging from"one to four units will be eligible. Owners with very low incomes (below 50% of median income in each county for a family of four, or the lower one -quarter of the income range) will Y- be offered deferred payment loans. These will not require regular monthly payments; instead, they will be repaid when the property changes hands, including by inheritance. Only the principal amount of the loans will be repaid. All deferred payment loans will be secured by liens. For homeowners whose incomes are within the low-income levels (basically between 50% and 80% of county median income for a family of four), loans at interest rates varying from 0% to 5% will be available. These will be be repayable in regular monthly installments, but the repayment terms will vary with the borrower's ability to pay. For families with moderate incomes (between 80% and 100% of median income for a family of four), loans with interest rates varying from 6% to 8% will be offered, on the same terms as the 0-5% loans. An income eligibility level for each interest rate between 0% and 8%, and for family sizes larger or smaller than four persons, will be established by the Department of Local Affairs and Development for each county in the state. WHERE WILL THE $$$ COME FROM? A bonding authorization and general program revenue appropriation adequate to support at least 7,000 loans is included in the bill creating the Housing and Neighborhood Conservation Program. The Wisconsin Housin2 Finance Authority is authorized to issue up to $25 million in revenue bonding to generate from 5,000 to 6,000 low -interest loans. General program revenue of $4.5 million will be appropriated to generate 12000--plus "deferred pay- ment" loans. There also are appropriations to enable some of the install- ment loans to be made at very low interest rates. Half of the budgets for "deferred payment" loans and interest subsidies on installment loans will be marked for "reinvestment neighborhoods," and half for loans outside "reinvestment neighborhoods." (Reinvestment neighbor- hoods will be explained shortly.) Private lenders will be invited to subscribe for a "commitment" of bonds to be issued by WHFA. Lenders will use these funds to make loans under contracts with DLAD and WHFA. Since not all the loans will carry interest rates as high as WHFA bond payback requires, a reserve fund will be created to make up the deficit and assist in repaying the WHFA bonds. Loans which carry an interest rate higher than the WHFA bond rate will help to absorb any deficit. WHO MAKES LOANS? Private lenders who participate in the program will make interest -bearing loans according to their normal practices for home improvement loans. Deferred payment loans will be made by local or county governments actin as "s onsors " with funds provided by a grant from the Department of Local airs and Development. The DLAD grants will come from the state's GPR appropriation and are completely separate from the bonding resources of the Wisconsin Housing Finance Authority. A housing authority or a Com- munity Action Agency could also be a sponsor, with the agreement of the local or county government. In some cases, sponsors may want to contract b with neighborhood organizations to help administer the program. "Sponsors" will be required to define priorities or criteria for deciding which eligible owners will receive loans, although the priorities and cri- teria may vary in different communities. Owners will decide what repairs and improvements are most desirable, and sponsors will be required to offer technical assistance to homeowners in deciding what improvements should be made. Homeowners will be able to perform their own work if they have the -necessary skills. Sponsors will inspect properties after improvements are made to insure that the work is done satisfactorily. DLAD will be responsible for selecting sponsors from among interested local or county governments. An allocation formula to insure adequate geographical distribution of funding is included in the statutes. Some sponsors will be permitted to use a modest proportion of a DLAD grant for administrative costs, but those communities which already have HUD community development block grants will be expected to support administrative costs from those funds. The bill sets maximum limits on the amount of any loan: $7 500 for single family homes and 5 000 er unit in build in s of 2- units outside of designated "reinvestment neighborhoods," and 10 000 for single-family housing and $7,500 per unit in multi -family dwellings inside "reinvestment neighborhoods." "REINVESTMENT NEIGHBORHOODS" A major element in the proposed program is the creation of "reinvestment neighborhoods and areas" to focus housing rehabilitation financing on neighborhood stabilization and revitalization. Any municipality can designate a "reinvestment neighborhood," following procedures outlined in the.bill creating the program. The intent is to designate areas small enough so available resources can be concentrated for maximum impact, in areas where a concentration of rundown housing may have encouraged home- owners to put off maintaining their property or to move out altogether. An important objective is not only to encourage present homeowners to make improvements, but to stimulate new owners to invest in the area. A local government designating a reinvestment neighborhood will have to hold a public hearing to permit interested residents to comment on the proposal. The Department of Local Affairs and Development intends to earmark half of the program budget for grants to sponsors to use in designated reinvest- ment neighborhoods. Similarly, half of the bonding authority of the Wisconsin Housing Finance Authority and the general program revenue reserve funds which allow lower interest loans to be made by private lenders will be earmarked for installment loans in reinvestment neighborhoods. There is no firm requirement that local governments must choose between a "targeted" neighborhood and a community -wide rehabilitation effort. Participating private lenders may choose to enter into agreements with DLAD and WHFA to make loans Inside designated reinvestment neighborhoods as well as other parts of the lender's service area. HOW DOES ONE GET A LOAN? The state, local governments, private lenders and community organizations will publicize the availability of loans. (Neighborhood organizations can play a vital role in encouraging owners to use the program.) Homeowners who decide they want to make repairs or improvements to their property will make loan applications to a private lender or local government, depending on which is participating in the program in a specific geo- graphic area or community. The lender/local government will determine what kind of loan a homeowner will be eligible for, based on income, and the amount that can be borrowed, based on priorities for deferred payment loans or ability to pay and credit rating for 0% to 8% installment loans. Owners then will decide what kind of repairs and improvements to make and how much they would cost, will select a contractor (or buy materials and perform work him/herself), sign the loan agreement and begin loan repayment If an installment loan (sign lien if a deferred payment loan). SUMMARY The Housing and Neighborhood Conservation Program is designed as a demonstra- tion project to allow flexibility to test a variety of local approaches. A range of different kinds and sizes of communities will be chosen to parti- cipate, but much of the success of the program in reaching various parts of the state and kinds of communities and neighborhoods depends on the initiative of local private lenders. The Department of Local Affairs and Development welcomes questions about, and participation in, this program by local governments, agencies and private lenders. More information can be had from: DEPARTMENT OF LOCAL AFFAIRS AND DEVELOPMENT 123 West Washington Avenue Madison, Wisconsin 53702 (Telephone 608-266-5356 Housing Division 608-266-8524 Local Assistance Desk) 1W