Lea County Housing Inc

Programs: Lchi continued to receive some funding from the nm-mfa for low income owner occupied home rehabilitation. Our fy 2013-14 home rehabilitation program included completion of two homes in lea county and predevelopment work on three other homes. One new manufactured home and one rehabilitated home were completed in hobbs. The three homes undergoing predevelopment activity were in hobbs and lovington. Construction of two to three of those homes are planned to occur in the 2014-15 fiscal year. Funds totaling 141,316. 35 were received from the nm mortgage finance authority. Our direct expenses tracked for the home rehabilitation program did not break out the salary costs directly for the home rehabilitation expenses. The non-salary expenses for the hr program were 131,074. 12. The salary related expense of the income was 10,242. 23. The city of hobbs provides a blanket 15,000 per year grant to lchi to perform housing services to the community. Under this grant, we are required to provide home buyer education, operate the leahousing. Com website, assist with implementation of the hobbs affordable housing plan, help coordinate a weatherization program, contact developers to develop affordable housing, and provide other housing services, as necessary. The following items are accomplished with that partial funding.

the organization provided a first time home buyers education class in hobbs in october, 2013 and april, 2014. Low income graduates will be eligible to apply for the nm mortgage finance authority (mfa) low income down payment and closing cost assistance grants of up to 8,000.

lchi was invited by chelsea investment corporation of carlsbad, california to be the non-profit general partner on a january, 2012 application for tax credits from the nm-mfa. The application was for the acquisition and rehabilitation of the 88 unit casa hermosa apartment complex in hobbs. This property was in foreclosure by hud and everyone involved wanted to see the project proceed since two other tax credit developers had attempted to obtain the property and rehabilitate it, but had been unable to do so in the last three years. The property was so badly deteriorated that only 44 of the 88 units are inhabitable at the present time. The mfa awarded tax credits to the project in may, 2012 and predevelopment activities commenced. Lchi and chelsea investment company became (0. 049% and 0. 051%) co-general management partners along with the 99. 9% tax credit investment owner in a new company called michigan drive, llc. The project financing closed during the last part of december and early january, 2013. Apartment construction began in february, 2013 and was completed in march, 2014. The apartments are fully occupied and have a two year waiting list for families in the 30%, 50%, and 60% income limits. Lchi provides quarterly fiscal literacy training for the apartment residents and also assists with the administration of the monthly resident council meetings. Lchi received a development fee payment from chelsea in the amount of 40,391. 60 in july, 2014. However, we had taken out two loan advances on the development fees in the amount of 15,000 each that had to be repaid with those funds. We also had to pay 2,716. 89 in interest on those loans. We received cash of 7,674. 71 after those payments. Chelsea investments also requested lchi to be the non-profit general partner on another application for mfa tax credits. Thirty unit affordable housing projects were proposed in both eunice and jal, nm in january, 2014, but were not selected for funding. Lchi continued with our annual outreach programs and held annual town meetings in each community of lea county to receive input on housing needs and make the attendees aware of the programs offered by lchi. Federal fair housing documents and other hud documents were made available to the attendees during those meetings.

lchi also works with the regional weatherization representative to accomplish weatherization of homes in lea county. Lchi helps our home rehabilitation applicants apply for the weatherization funding to optimize available funds for the projects. As part of the low income housing tax credit program, the nm mortgage finance authority requires 15-20% of the units in lihtc apartment complexes to be set aside as "supportive housing" units. Supportive housing units are only available to individuals and families who meet specific definitions of mentally or physically disabled, or homeless. These individuals and families must meet the same requirements as the other apartment complex renters, but they make a separate supportive housing application to "pre-qualify" them as disabled or homeless to meet the criteria. After they meet the disabled or homeless criteria, along with the income limit, they are placed on a waiting list for the next open supportive housing unit that meets their income and family size needs. When a supportive housing unit becomes available, the apartment management notifies the local lead agency (who prequalifies the clients and keeps the waiting list) and the next person on the list who meets the specific income and family size requirement is directed to apply for that apartment. The park place apartments have a waiting list for the regular apartments that is over two years long. We estimate the clients on the supportive housing waiting list are able to get an apartment in 4-6 months, which is a huge benefit to them. The lea county guidance center only sponsors clients with mental illness or disabilities for the supportive housing program. The local agency "choices for independent living" only sponsors clients with physical disabilities for the supportive housing program. In early 2014, no agency provided sponsorship to help the homeless qualify for the supportive housing program. In 2014, lea county housing, inc. Voted to sponsor clients who meet the "homeless" definition to help them submit the pre-qualification application to become eligible for placement on the supportive housing waiting list. After an apartment becomes available that they are the next person in line eligible for that apartment, the client fills out the standard apartment application to meet the eligibility for that specific apartment complex. After the client is deemed eligible for the apartment, lchi meets with the client and the apartment manager to go over the lease and the rules/regulations for the apartment complex. After the client is moved into the apartment, lchi continues to check on the client once per month and fills out a checklist to determine if the client is successfully meeting his obligations and taking proper steps to be able to keep the apartment in the long run. After six months of good checklists, the client is determined no longer "at risk" and the monthly checkups are ceased. Lchi does this program as a service to the community to help homeless individuals and families obtain apartments. Lchi receives no separate funding tied to this program.