Florissant Community Development Helps City Keep Up Appearances

Florissant’s Community Development Department helped keep residents from losing their homes, helped them meet property codes, helped people buy homes in Florissant and even helped fix up seven vacant homes.

The department held a mandatory public meeting Thursday to review its 2010 performance. The department administers Community Development Block Grant and other funds.

One program, highlighted by Community Development Director Carol O’Mara, was the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP). Through the program, the city used federal funds to purchase seven homes in Florissant.

One house was demolished, four homes were rehabbed, including one contract house, and two are undergoing rehabilitation currently. One now is under contract. The $1.5 million budget came from the the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The homes then are sold to anyone who meets income guidelines, which are 120 percent of the median salary in the area. For a family of four, that would be about $86,000 a year.

“These homes have been vacant for some time and have declined quite a bit,” O’Mara said. “We’re striving to make them attractive, quality homes again.”

The program not only helps individual homes, but the neighborhood.

“The neighbors see people investing in their communities, and then they don’t have a problem investing in their homes,” O’Mara said.

Toni Kammermeyer, the community development department's administrative assistant, said, “She’s been getting thank-you notes from neighbors because they appreciate what it does for their neighborhood. It’s great. It’s got the neighborhood talking."

Bonnie Grueninger, program director for Jamestown New Horizons, said funds provided by the Community Development Department have been invaluable. New Horizons is a nonprofit agency that provides therapeutic horsemanship for those with disabilities.

“Things like that stabilize you, knowing that you can count on certain funds,” Grueninger said. “When you’ve got consistent funders, it makes all the difference in the world.”

Other program highlights include the following items. Unless otherwise noted, the programs used CDBG funds.

Home Improvement Program

The program used $153,413 to help 27 families with code violations. When residents receive a notice of violation, they get a letter that informs them that assistance is available for those who meet income guidelines, O’Mara said.

It used funding from the CDBG Recovery Act.

The home improvement program assisted 10 families with code violations using $61,028 in funding allocated to Florissant later in the year.

Community Oriented Policing (COPS)

Through COPS, Community Development purchased $10,000 worth of materials for volunteers who worked on seven home projects in Florissant homes, including four wheelchair ramps.

In 2010, O’Mara said they saw a decline in volunteers, so she allowed the use of ADA-qualified contractors.

Jamestown New Horizons

The $3,500 in funding provided 22 hours of therapeutic horsemanship for three residents with disabilities from low to moderate income homes.

“These numbers were down substantially because funding was not available until July 2010,” O’Mara said.

In 2009, CDBG funds provided about 230 hours for more than 30 residents. O’Mara said in 2011, the numbers should be more than the 2009 numbers.

Down Payment Assistance

The program provided $115,000 in interest-free, forgivable loans for first-time home buyers financed by funding available to Florissant through the city’s participation in the St. Louis Home Consortium.

St. Ferdinand Schoolhouse

The one-time, $30,000 project will provide handicap accessible restrooms for the schoolhouse adjacent to the St. Ferdinand Shrine, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. The restrooms haven’t been built yet, but the 2010 funds will cover the project, O’Mara said.

The Emergency Assistance Ministry (TEAM)

CDBG funds provided $2,000 in utility assistance through TEAM to help 13 residents stay in their homes.