Programs: The project was the construction of 10 three-bedroom, single family, scattered-site, rental homes located in the jay orchard street area neighborhood association in the city of rochester. The josana neighborhood is part of rochester's "crescent of poverty" and is located west of paetec park and north of interstate 490 west. Jay, orange, ames and campbell are its main thoroughfares. One of the most problematic issues affecting this neighborhood is the high potential of lead paint poisoning as a significantly high percentage of homes in this area were constructed prior to 1978 and most prior to 1950. The new construction of these ten homes provides a healthy, safe environment for neighborhood families and their children. One unit was designed for handicap accessibility. (continued on schedule o) chatham chose to develop in this neighborhood as housing in this area is severely deteriorated and blighted, and our presence in constructing these homes was intended to be a catalyst for others to invest and develop in the neighborhood. The project was equipped with energy star rated appliances. Rents are established at hud fair market rent for three bedroom units and all ten homes are affordable to family households with incomes at or below 30% of the area median income, and there is a hap contract. All units receive section 8 project based vouchers. As units may become vacant, units will 1st be offered to a special needs population of qualified armed service veteran families or homeless families that may be in need of affordable housing. Chatham through its josana single family llc project presently sets aside units for the veteran homeless population and has housed a veteran homeless family of 5 with a project based section 8 voucher under its hap contract with the rochester housing authority, and in a coordinated effort with the canandaigua veterans affairs office in canandaigua, ny and the rochester veterans administration outpatient clinic.
in 2011 the organization began implementing environmental testing services, including testing for lead and asbestos, for area residences in an effort to promote safe and affordable housing for qualified veterans and their families. In addition, the organization also provided management services for its affordable housing project in the josana neighborhood. Chatham, through its own offices as a housing management, services and development company, maintains a list of qualified persons, specifically veterans, in need of housing who inquire for affordable housing. In addition, chatham housing receives information for veterans in need of housing (continued on schedule o)from veteran affairs facilities through their relationship with carl gysel (canandaigua va) or through other veteran agencies such as eagle star housing (pembroke, ny), veterans outreach center (rochester, ny), warrior salute (webster, ny), rochester housing authority's (rochester, ny-daniel sturgis) point in time, housing inventory count and the annual homeless assessment report. Chatham housing services veterans within monroe county and creek house housing partnership, lp (creek house apartments), as developer/owner of creek house apartments, a 240 unit townhouse and apartment affordable community located in greece, ny (the "project") have entered into a mou to refer affordable residents and specifically veterans who are seeking housing or related services. Chatham housing will include in its referral list, which is readily available to current participants as well as all new applicants' seeking housing, the unit availability of the creek house apartments, and when requested by those participants/applicants, make referrals to the project. The project agrees to give preference for thirty-six (36) vacant units in the project to those veterans referred by chatham housing who are homeless, veterans who are victims of domestic violence, veterans in long-term recovery of alcohol or substance abuse, veterans who are mentally retarded/developmentally disabled, veterans with aids/hiv related illness and veterans with physical disabilities/traumatic brain injury or psychiatric disabilities, and to veterans residing in housing which fails to meet basic health and safety standards and who have little prospect of improving the condition of their housing except by residing in the project. In 2013 chatham applied to become a hud approved not for profit agency to bid on hud foreclosed homes at a discount so that they may be rehabilitated and sold for affordable rental or homeownership. In september hud was finalizing chatham's application's particulars. Once the process is completed, then hud management reviews the various aspects of the application and renders a final decision on our agency's application. The director of the program support division at the phoc is the authorized signatory and issues the requisite letter that is based on a detailed review of the application's particulars. Presently hud considers the agency's application as "pending". This program is also supported by contributions.
