The Local Community Housing Corporation

Cops n Kids Youth CenterThe Cops n Kids Youth Center (Cops n Kids) supports neighborhood at-risk youth and their families by providing year-round afterschool and summer camp programming. Its mission is to instill personal values through programs that empower youth and families to experience healthy successful lives. All staff are passionate about enriching the lives of youth ages 6-17 years of age through stimulating and fun year-round after-school and summer camp programming. All services are free to families. LCHC is grateful to its immediate partner, the Tarpon Springs Police Department, for their support in providing the service to the community. Cops n Kids is a licensed child care center with the current capacity to serve 75 youth. Frequent exposure to high quality programming that reinforces the power of education and personal values is critical to changing the cycle of poverty. Daily programming includes homework help, evidenced-based youth development curriculum, academic goal achievement, dynamic gardening program on-site, performing arts, career exploration, personal leadership, sports, community service projects, field trips to venues that reinforce learning objectives and parent engagement activities. The nonprofit agency contracts with local and state government agencies to fund operational costs. Each agency requires full compliance with regulations and program performance measures. The Cops n Kids has consistently met all performance standards and often exceeds funder expectations. Current programming funders include the Juvenile Welfare Board and the Department of Juvenile Justice.

The Home Share Pinellas (Home Share) program was founded by LCHC in 2006. The program has been addressing the lack of affordable housing in Pinellas County for more than a decade. Home Share staff facilitate an extensive screening, application and interviewing process prior to Home Providers and Renters being approved program participants. Home Providers are home owners who have a home, yet struggle to keep up with ownership expenses such as a mortgage, taxes, insurance, and maintenance costs. They need a trustworthy tenant that can reliably pay below market rate monthly rent. This steady income allows home owners to avoid foreclosure and have enough money to live. Many Home Providers have stated that having a long-term Renter enables them to achieve greater quality of life goals. Plus, the companionship is often a welcomed bonus. For the past 3 years, the average length of stay has been 24 months (2 years). To date, 3 matches (6 people) were successfully matched and experienced more than 6+ years home length of stay.Home Share Renters are individuals in need of housing that will allow them to pay an affordable rent, live in a comfortable environment and have long-term housing peace of mind. Renters can be students, adults, small families, or people on fixed incomes who dont qualify for assistance. Renters are working adults who can pay rent but find costly applications and deposits to be barriers to obtaining quality housing. Most Home Providers are asking a rent rate between $500 $650 a month and this rate also includes utilities. The LCHC, nonprofit organization that created and leads Home Share Pinellas, contracts with local and state government agencies to fund operational costs. Each agency requires full compliance with regulations and program performance measures. A special objective of the program model is to talk with Home Owners and Renters to understand their needs, interests and preferences. Home Share professional staff promote living arrangements that are a good fit and mutually beneficial. Home Share is not a financial assistance program and funds are not distributed to participants. Instead, Renters benefit from access to quality homes with reasonable rent. There are no application fees or deposits required for Home Share services. The program strives to provide affordable housing and empower stability. Most often, the Renter and the Home Provider are so pleased with the living arrangement that it becomes long-term housing solution. In 2017, the program experienced on average, 2 years length of stay for matched clients. This is empowering for both the Renter and the Home Provider.

Development Activity Local Community Housing Corporation ("LCHC") and the Tarpon Springs Housing Authority ("PHAX or the "Authority") secured the services of an experienced real estate development firm to partner with LCHC and the PHA in the redevelopment of public housing properties. Oak Ridge Estates is a revitalized affordable housing community development completed in 2011 consisting of sixty-two (62) units. Oak Ridge Estates was developed utilizing a HUD approved mixed-finance method of development to create units of mixed-income housing. All sixty-two (62) units are Low-Income Housing Tax Credits ("LIHTC") units with twentyone (21) of those units designated Public Housing ("PH") units. The Villages at Tarpon is a revitalized apartment community that consists of 95 beautifully renovated apartments for seniors 55 years and older, one and two-story buildings, four clustered complex communities and resident clubhouses. The Villages at Tarpon was developed utilizing a HUD approved mixed-finance method through the Low-Income Housing Tax Credits ("LIHTC") and Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD). Eagle Ridge Apartments is a revitalized apartment community that consists of 71 units (one, two and three bedroom apartments and features a clubhouse, fitness center and playground for children) of which 56 receive subsidies under a PBRA/HAP contract. Eagle Ridge Apartments was developed utilizing a HUD approved mixed-finance method through the Low-Income Housing Tax Credits ("LIHTC") and Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD).