1 Self-Help Housing Rehabilitation Presented by: Harold Branch and Billie Heath 1
This webinar is brought to you by: Rural Community Assistance Corporation A nonprofit regional training and technical assistance organization providing information, training, development assistance, financing and program reviews in housing and environmental services Funded by USDA Rural Development (RD) for the Mutual Self-Help Housing Program- Section 523 Raise your hand if: You are with a nonprofit organization or tribal entity or public agency that is interested in applying for the 523 selfhelp rehab program. 2
Raise your hand if: You represent an existing SH Grantee under the USDA program. Raise your hand if: You have a housing rehabilitation or weatherization program in your organization. 3
Questions and Answers We will try to answer your questions as we go Please type your questions in the chat box and hit enter to send or raise your hand and we will call on you (you will have to click on your microphone icon to be heard) Webinar Goals Know what self-help housing rehabilitation models are currently under the USDA Rural Development (RD) Section 523 program in the western region Learn the general concepts of the program and how to apply for the funding Understand the skills and resources needed for successful housing rehabilitation (rehab) Identify the possible construction funding sources for owner occupied rehab 4
Before Rehab Why consider Self-Help housing rehab? Current homeowner housing stock is in need of repair or housing stock has significant foreclosed or vacant single family homes that could be fixed up and resold Homeowners or potential homeowners and volunteers are willing to do some of the construction work to save money Soft housing market prevents the construction of new homes Appraisals would support the costs of purchase and renovation 5
After Rehab Regulations for an RD Self-Help Program The USDA Rural Development (RD) Mutual Self- Help Program (Section 523) provides administrative funding to organizations to support families to build or repair their own homes Traditional new construction characteristics Mutual Self-Help- Working together Significant Labor by the Families (65%) Owner builders Modest Housing Rural Areas Regulations 1944-I 6
Regulations for a Self-Help Program RD Mutual Self-Help Rehabilitation (Rehab) Housing Program 1944.403(l) Individual rather than mutual labor 1944.407 (d) Negotiated Administrative Costs Proximity of homes Needed repairs Cost savings when compared to contractor built Regulations for a Self-Help program o 1944.403(l) self-help rehabilitation or repair The construction method by which an individual family utilizes their labor to reduce the construction cost of their home without an exchange of labor between participating families. Unless otherwise authorized by the District Director, this method is only funded for repair and rehabilitation type construction. 7
Acquisition and Rehab Purchase Ownership during construction- Grantee or Family Construction costs in the 502 loan for Family Owner Occupied Types of Rehab Programs Working around the Owner Occupants Temporary Relocation Variety of construction funding sources Pop Quiz: Which describes Self-Help housing rehabilitation best? A) Repair and renovation of an existing owner occupied housing structure B) A program where people work to repair their homes and/or the homes of others with volunteer and/or family labor. C) Purchase, rehab and resale of existing homes D) A program that can be used to renovate owneroccupied homes as well as purchase and rehab existing vacant homes for resale to qualified participants who provide some of the labor. 8
Western USDA Self-Help Rehab Grantees Self Help Home Improvement Project (SHHIP)- CA Campesinos Sin Fronteras- AZ Northern Rocky Mountain R C & D MT City of Casa Grande- AZ Town of Guadalupe- AZ NeighborWorks Umpqua- OR Quechan Tribal Designated Housing Entity- CA Southeastern Utah Association of Local Governments- UT* Northwest Housing Development- WA Community Action Team- OR* * Acquisition/Rehab programs- all others are owner occupied repair programs Examples of how the program is working: Owner Occupied Projects Self-Help Home Improvement Project (SHHIP) Campesinos Sin Fronteras Acquisition Rehab Projects Southeastern Utah Association of Local Governments Community Action Team (proposed) 9
Self Help Home Improvement Program- SHHIP Location- Redding, California Administrative Costs - $8,250 per unit, 40 Units Equivalent Unit Calculation Paid on draw system determined with RD based on progress Administrative Cost per unit is averaged over total # of units Construction Funding Need based Leveraging multi-funding sources including Pacific Gas & Electric, Weatherization program, CDBG, RD-HPG 533, Dept of Energy, LIHEAP, RD 504 Loans & Grants Construction costs range from $7,500 to $40,000 per job Sweat Equity 65% of the labor done by families Comparable Cost Savings Computer software, National Home Improvement Estimator uses union carpenter wages to determine comparable contractor costs Campesinos Sin Fronteras Location- Somerton, Arizona Administrative Costs $7,500 per unit Equivalent Unit Calculation Negotiated price with RD, less than new construction per unit cost 10
Campesinos Sin Fronteras (cont d) Construction Funding CDBG, HOME, RD 306c loans and grants (Colonias areas), 504 loans and grants (mostly grants), & RD 533 Housing Preservation Grant (HPG) funds. Sweat Equity Focused on the COST savings not the labor % Sweat Equity labor has ranged from 120 to 380 hours Comparable cost savings Contractor quote or rehab specialist estimate Compare to contractor s bids excluding family labor Campesinos rehab BEFORE 11
Campesinos rehab AFTER Location- Price, Utah program in two county area TA Costs Proposed 12 acquisition rehab - $19,000 @ Equivalent Unit Calculation Each home is One EU Draw on monthly basis Construction and Loan Financing Southeastern Utah Association of Local Governments (SEUALG) Using 502 Direct Loan with rehab and acquisition in the loan Later owner will get Weatherization for mechanicals needed CDBG for down payment and/or closing costs 12
Southeastern Utah Association of Local Governments (SEUALG) Sweat Equity First Property- Price #1 Market purchase of $95,650 RD 502 Loan $105,000 loan and $112,200 after rehab- $7,200 215 Hours of labor Second Property- Orangeville Fannie Mae Foreclosure purchased for $82,500 RD 502 Loan $153,000 and $174,000 after rehab- $21,000 212 Hours of labor Third Property- Helper Market approaching foreclosure- purchased for $48,000 RD Loan of $61,200 and $69,000 after rehab- $7,800 390 Hours of labor Southeastern Utah Association of Local Governments (SEUALG) Sweat Equity Fourth Property- Price #2 RD REO purchase of $74,400 RD Loan of $102,560 and $115,000 after rehab- $12,440 520 Hours of labor Comparable cost savings First Property- Price #1 Comparable contractor cost $18,000- Actual $9,350 = $8,650 Savings Second Property- Orangeville Comparable contractor cost $15,641 - Actual $10,550 = $5,091 Savings Third Property- Helper Comparable contractor cost $19,254 - Actual $13,200 = $6,054 Savings Fourth Property- Price #2 Comparable contractor cost $37,010- Actual $28,160 = $8,850 Savings 13
Southeastern Utah Association of Local Governments (SEUALG) Before Price #1 Southeastern Utah Association of Local Governments (SEUALG) Before Price #1 14
Southeastern Utah Association of Local Governments (SEUALG) During Price #1 Southeastern Utah Association of Local Governments (SEUALG) After Price #1 15
Community Action Team Location: St. Helens, Oregon Serving Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook Counties Proposed TA Costs $399,188 for 15 units- $26,613 @ Equivalent Unit Calculation One EU per house Draw on a monthly basis Construction Funding Intends to use 502 Loan for rehab and acquisition Family in ownership Major Energy Retrofit- Weatherization $6,500 Sweat Equity $147,730 after rehab with loan of $106,980 loan= $40,750 Comparable cost savings Contractor ($131,325) - Project Costs ($113,480) - Weatherization ($6,500) = $24,345 Putting a Self-Help Rehab Program Together Assess your community! Market Owner Occupied Acquisition/Rehab Clientele What can they afford? Are they willing and able to put in the time and have volunteers? Is grant funding available to subsidize the very low income? Housing Stock for Acquisition Rehab REO s or Sales Price range Establish minimum rehab cost 16
Best Practices Agency already doing rehab or partner Access to construction funding especially grants Partnerships with volunteer construction programs Youth Build or Job Corps School construction training programs Service Clubs Client referrals Social service groups Utility Companies and Energy Assistance Programs Senior Groups and/or Adult Protective Services Self-Help Rehab Program Components House Inspections and Code Compliance Work write-ups Packaging the Construction Funds Cost Savings Determined In-House or Outsourcing the rehab construction Construction Supervision of the owner/volunteers Building Agreement Inspections of completed work Payments 17
What does the application look like? Application follows the Administrative Notice but some tabs may not apply in traditional sense Tab 3 (proof that participants in first group have qualified) Tab 4 (lot options for first group) Tab 5 (Evidence of lot availability) Tab 6 (House plans) Tab 17 (Group Agreement) Tab 32 (Determination of TA grant amount) What does the application look like? (continued) Special focus for rehab Cost Savings Sweat Equity & Construction Task Inventory Interested Participants Matching Construction Financing Funding may be available through an existing grantee conversion or replacement 18
SH Program Design Equivalent Units or Measures of Progress Packaging and Construction Milestones Reporting Production - Family Labor Tasks Performed Cost Savings - Family Composition Funds Spent - Low/Very Low Income Sweat Equity Savings compared to contractor estimates Appraised Value Value of Labor Contributed Family Labor Mutual vs. Individual Required Components e.g. House painting Volunteers Building Codes Construction Inspections Payments for Construction and Administrative funds Rehab Construction Funding Sources USDA Rural Development (RD) RD 504/502 Direct Loan Programs 502 Loans Acquisition and Rehab Loans Complete Code compliance 504 Loan and Grant $20,000 loan- 1% for 20 years $7,500 grant for elderly household Health and Safety Codes RD 533 Housing Preservation Grants Limited per state Match required Competitive RD 306c Colonias 19
Rehab Construction Funding Sources Federal Home Loan Bank Limited Funding Partnership with a member, local bank Weatherization programs Funded by Health and Human Services or Department of Energy Administered by Community Action or Rehab agencies Requires a partnership of agencies or programs State Funding Trust Funds Energy companies Rehab Construction Funding Sources Housing and Urban Development (HUD) HOME Competitive May not be available in jurisdiction Funds set by Participating Jurisdiction Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Competitive Funds set by Local Jurisdiction SHOP- (Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program) Acquisition and Infrastructure Nonprofit ownership 20
Special Issues Historic Preservation Hazardous Materials Lead Based Paint Homes Built before 1978 Testing and Mitigation Licenses Asbestos Radon Environmental Reviews Dependent on Construction Funding HUD and RD reviews differ Categorical Exclusions Environmental Phase I Testing Questions and Answers Are there any remaining questions? 21
What is one thing that I learned today from this presentation? Using the fourth tab on the whiteboard panel to the left, choose the text icon then click on the whiteboard to begin typing your comments. For More information: Contact Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) at: www.rcac.org Call 916-447-2854 The RCAC Housing Staff in your State 22
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