Housing And Community Development Excellence Awards Recognize Outstanding Projects, Partnerships

COLUMBUS, OH – July 29, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — Lisa Patt-McDaniel, Interim Director of the Ohio Department of Development, today announced that three Ohio communities, one company, and one nonprofit organization received the Director’s Awards for Excellence in Housing and Community Development for effectively implementing programs that benefit Ohio’s low- and moderate-income citizens and fostering public/private partnerships. The awards were presented during a ceremony today at the Ohio Conference of Community Development Annual Meeting luncheon at the Concourse Hotel in Columbus. 

“The continued development of our communities helps lay a strong foundation for future economic growth,” said Patt-McDaniel. “This year’s Excellence in Housing and Community Development award recipients exemplify a commitment to building community spirit and enhancing their local communities through quality projects.”

The awards are presented to organizations that demonstrate outstanding housing and community development efforts, such as providing housing assistance, rehabilitating a historic building, and creating jobs. The award winners were selected by the Ohio Department of Development’s Office of Housing and Community Partnerships.

The 2009 Director’s Awards for Excellence in Housing and Community Development were presented to the following recipients:

Community Housing Network, Inc. (Franklin County) received a $550,000 Homeless Assistance Grant Program award in 2008 to provide emergency rent and utility payments to prevent eviction and utility disconnections, provide security deposits/first month’s rent to establish housing, and provide permanent supportive housing. The Network’s emergency rent/utility payment program assisted 70 households comprised of 90 individuals; the security deposits/first month’s rent program also assisted 70 households comprised of 90 individuals; and the permanent supportive housing program assisted 140 households comprised of 215 individuals.

Adams County received a $500,000 Community Housing Improvement Program grant in 2005 to rehabilitate eight owner-occupied homes, repair 12 owner-occupied homes, and provide four low/moderate-income households with down payment and rehabilitation assistance. With the grant, Adams County was able to innovatively and cost-effectively provide two low-income households with a new safe and affordable home. The county implemented a private rehabilitation activity that involved the construction of two “Katrina” cottages. “Katrina” cottages are smaller, but more affordable and quicker to construct than traditional houses.

City of Piqua (Miami County) received a $100,000 Discretionary Grant Program award in 2006 to rehabilitate the Fort Piqua Hotel. The hotel, built in 1891, was renovated to become the Fort Piqua Plaza; a major historical redevelopment project located in downtown Piqua. The building played a major role in the community’s history. In 1912, all three presidential candidates — Woodrow Wilson, William Howard Taft, and Theodore Roosevelt — spoke from the building’s balcony. During the Civil Rights era, the building hosted many “sit-ins.” Today, the four-story structure is home to the Piqua Public Library and Winan’s Chocolate and Coffee Shop.

Trumbull County received a $400,000 Ohio Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Economic Development Program award in 2006 to assist Starr Manufacturing, Inc. in purchasing the assets of Starr Fabricating. Starr Manufacturing recognized a need to diversify and, after purchasing the assets of Starr Fabricating, expanded its customer base to include the molding, mining, material handling, waste management, and energy generation industries. Trumbull County loaned the funds from the grant to Starr Manufacturing to support the $2.2 million project which created 18 jobs and retained 62 positions.

The Office of Housing and Community Partnerships provides financial and technical assistance to units of local government and nonprofit organizations in Ohio for project activities which benefit low- and moderate-income citizens.

Working with our partners across business, state and local governments, academia, and the non-profit sector, the Ohio Department of Development works to attract, create, grow, and retain businesses through competitive incentives and targeted investments. Engaged every day in marketing, innovating, investing, and collaborating, the Ohio Department of Development works at the speed of business to accelerate and support the teamwork that is absolutely necessary for success by providing financial, informational, and technical assistance to those making an investment in Ohio’s future.

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