The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Lutz since 1964 and Pasco since 1981.
Proud to be independently owned.

Pasco County Housing Authority

Advocates address legislators to reduce veteran homelessness

By

Local agency officials recently addressed an array of issues facing homeless veterans, before members of the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, at a session in New Port Richey.

U.S. Rep. Mike Levin, chairman of the subcommittee, and U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, ranking member of the committee, listened to suggestions on reducing veteran homelessness from a group panel, to relay back to the U.S. Congress.

Levin, a Democrat, represents California’s 49th congressional district, and Bilirakis, a Republican, represents Florida’s 12th congressional district.

Mary White was one of several panelists urging an expansion of services for homeless veterans, during a Sept. 16 meeting of the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. The meeting was at the West Pasco Government Center in New Port Richey. (Brian Fernandes)

Panelists were Joe Battle, director of the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital; Danny Burgess, executive director of the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs;

David Lambert, chairman of the Pasco County Housing Authority; Michael Raposa, CEO of St. Vincent DePaul Cares; Brian Anderson, CEO and founder of Veterans Alternative; and Mary White, a former homeless veteran.

“Today we’re here to examine and highlight programs and benefits to help combat veteran homelessness,” Bilirakis said, in his opening statement. “There’s been a significant amount of progress made nationwide in reducing homelessness among veterans, but we still have much more work to do.”

Burgess noted that Florida’s VA department implemented the Forward March initiative throughout the state earlier this year. This program teams state agencies with various grassroots organizations to find ways to deal with the crisis.

The executive director told the congressmen that strategies need to be in place to integrate servicemen and servicewomen back into civilian life.

Burgess also advised that the government should make the first initiative, approaching veterans with beneficial opportunities, as opposed to them seeking it out themselves.

“We have about an estimated 2,543 homeless veterans in Florida that we know about,” he said, adding that five counties have already been successful in ending this issue.

Burgess suggested that other regions of the nation could follow their example by having more community-based organizations invested in veterans’ welfare, while working alongside state government.

“As of 2018, Point-in-Time count reveals Pasco (County) and Pinellas County are leading in several homeless statistics, including veteran homelessness,” said Anderson, the Veterans Alternative CEO. “We lack the number of beds needed, and unfortunately cannot build and fund fast enough to keep up with the demand.”

Like Burgess, he emphasized the importance of community involvement backed by government support – especially as it relates to mental health.

More resources should be allocated to wellness programs in addressing the psycho-social needs of veterans, Anderson said.

“Homelessness is not the root cause – rather is a byproduct of several contributing factors, including mental health, medical and economic hardship,” he said.

Levin noted that earlier this year, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would provide grants in helping states collaborate with veteran organizations to address psychiatric needs for those coming out of service.

The pivotal role of HUD-VASH vouchers
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) voucher program, also was a topic of discussion.

The federal government issues the vouchers to provide suitable housing for low-income people, the elderly and even veterans.

Bilirakis asked Battle: “What is the one message or need that I need to take back to Washington (D.C.) with me, that would make your job easier, or would reduce homelessness among veterans?”

Battle’s response: “How can we adjust HUD vouchers to be able to accommodate for rising rents in different areas.”

The VA hospital director stated that the program has been key in putting veterans into homes, and has seen its benefits.

“At (James A.) Haley, we have 1,060 HUD-VASH vouchers available for use and currently 119 veterans are permanently housed using these vouchers,” Battle explained.

However, as the cost of living continues to escalate, this has been a challenge, he noted.

In addition, Pasco County doesn’t have a sufficient number of homes to put these vouchers toward, said Lambert, chairman of the Pasco County Housing Authority.

The authority recently purchased property to build a 78-unit veterans housing community. But this, too, was a dilemma for the housing authority because various banks refused to lend the necessary funds.

Addressing the congressmen, Lambert said: “We respectfully request the federal government create regulations to do what you have already done in the housing arena – to allow banks to fund our projects.”

A first-hand account
White was one panelist who could attest to the importance of the voucher system.

“The program that probably helped me the most would be HUD-VASH and the housing voucher,” she said. “Without that, I would probably be couch-surfing with my son.”

As a U.S. Army veteran, White found herself as a single mother with an infant, when she became homeless.

With the HUD-VASH voucher, she was able to get herself and her child into an apartment, and various organizations donated furniture and food, she recalled.

White was able to go back to school with the help of the GI Bill, and the VA Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment program.

She also was granted a voucher to offset costs for child care while working and in school.

She currently holds a master’s degree and works for the Department of Economic Opportunity.

At the hearing, she took the time to address the transportation barriers that prevent veterans from sustaining a job, as well as their need for proper dental care.

St. Vincent DePaul Cares also was instrumental in helping White get proper housing.

“Since 2012, St. Vincent DePaul Cares has been a leader in many of the areas toward the end of veteran homelessness – including the counties of Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough and Polk,” said Raposa, the organization’s CEO.

Since the institution began, it has shortened the time it takes for veterans to transition from the street into a home — from 180 days initially to 60 days now, Raposa said.

He implored the congressmen to help expand Florida’s affordable-housing trust fund. Under the Sadowski Coalition, various organizations have pressed lawmakers in putting housing trust funds toward the state’s housing programs.

Raposa noted: “2019 was the first time in many years that we saw the governor’s office and the Senate on the same page to release a historic portion of that money, but the House did not support it. We desperately need your help with that.”

The Sept. 16 hearing was held at the West Pasco Government Center.

Published September 25, 2019

 

 

 

 

 

Proposed homeless shelter for families stirs passions

By

Efforts to aid Pasco County’s homeless population are shifting from a homeless shelter for single adults to a shelter for families only.

The goal is to place homeless families in permanent housing as soon as possible. That is a significant change from the initial focus one year ago on a “navigation center” with wraparound services for single men and women.

The effort now has a new name, too. It’s no longer being called a navigation center. Instead, it will be called the Housing Services Center.

Whatever it is called, some area residents still don’t want any shelter in their neighborhood. Others are unhappy with the change in focus.

Don Anderson, chief executive officer of The Homeless Coalition of Pasco County (File)

And, some are ready to welcome the shelter as a first step in the right direction.

About 100 people attended a public meeting on May 16 in New Port Richey to learn more about the new concept, and to offer comments.

Cathy Pearson, Pasco’s assistant county administrator for public services, and Don Anderson, chief executive officer of The Homeless Coalition of Pasco County, led the discussion.

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey also attended.

She said she came to listen and learn. “This is not a subject I know a lot about,” she said.

Anderson defended the decision to operate a families-only shelter.

“We believe families are highly motivated to get into housing because of the number of children,” said Anderson.

The shift also would save the expense of hiring 24/7 security guards, he said.

The goal would be to place families in permanent housing within 30 to 60 days, with an average stay at the shelter around 45 days.

An additional six to 12 months of services would be provided after families leave the shelter.

Families are defined as one or two adults, with at least one child under age 18.

A year ago, another public meeting was held to discuss the initial proposal for a homeless shelter for adults.

“We felt it was time to update our citizens,” Pearson said.

The shelter, if approved, would be housed in one of two buildings at 8239 Youth Lane, off Little Road in Port Richey. The second building would become the offices of the homeless coalition, which currently operates in a mixed residential and commercial neighborhood on Pine Street.

The Youth Lane address formerly was home to the Boys & Girls Club, which vacated the site in 2016.

The updated presentation included a video and a power point slide show. As many as 70 social service agencies and organizations are partners with the homeless coalition, and support the Youth Lane shelter.

Passions ran high
More than 40 people spoke during public comment.

Opponents who live near the shelter site said they worry about increases in crime and a loss of property values.

Ann Archer Corona found it troubling that the shelter plan seems to change “minute-to-minute. We all feel threatened. I find it to be a big threat.”

She said housing values would drop significantly, if the shelter was to open.

Some who supported the initial plan to aid single men and women objected to the new focus on families.

“We are losing out on all those opportunities for the chronically homeless who are at risk of dying on the street,” said Kassie Hutchinson. “We’re ignoring a huge part of our population. Once again, we’re reneging on something we promised.”

Anderson said the coalition and its partners planned to increase outreach efforts for homeless adults. While no single adults could stay at the shelter, he said efforts would be made to find housing resources for them. But, he added, “There are limits to what we can do.”

A two-building campus on Youth Lane in Port Richey is the proposed site for a homeless shelter for families.

Pearson said it is still a goal in the future to fund a homeless shelter for single adults. “They won’t be forgotten,” she said.

Other members of the audience supported the new concept as a step in the right direction.

“Housing is the only known cure for homelessness,” said Daniel McDonald.

Every homeless person is someone’s son or daughter, sister or brother, he said. Leaving people homeless, he added, costs taxpayers money for providing public services.

“This (the shelter) is a bargain for taxpayers,” McDonald said. “It’s money well spent.”

The homeless coalition’s new proposal also found support from a once skeptical source – owners of an adjacent retail plaza, anchored by Hobby Lobby.

Sarasota attorney Robert Lincoln, who represents the shopping center’s owners, said, “We’ve been concerned about the project since it started moving forward last year.”

The budget for the initial plan didn’t seem adequate, and the space at the site too small to handle up to 75 adult men and women, Lincoln said.

Housing families seems to address most issues, including public safety, he said. “We’re continuing to work with the leadership (at the homeless coalition) to make sure we know who the families are,” Lincoln said. “They have been very responsive. We will continue to work with them.”

Starkey said the county should be compassionate but also tough on some issues, such as panhandling.

“I have to bring a hammer and I have to bring a heart,” she said.

Anderson said the cost to remodel the two buildings on campus would be about $700,000. The coalition has about $680,000 from a federal neighborhood grant, with an additional $100,000 from Pasco County’s United Way.

Annually operating costs are estimated at about $350,000. All but $145,000 is already funded, Anderson said.

Additional grants and private donations will be sought, he added.

The Pasco County Housing Authority has pledged 50 housing vouchers, which can be used anywhere in the county as part of the Section 8 housing program.

Pasco has about 2,600 homeless people, based on the most recent count. More than 700 are individuals, with more than 1,800 in family relationships.

Shandi Vargas was among a handful of people who put a face to the plight of Pasco’s homeless population. She escaped an abusive marriage, but ended up homeless. She currently lives in a rented room and has found an internship.

She is working toward living again with her three children.

“I’m a single mom trying to fight for her children,” Vargas said.

A homeless shelter for families probably would have kept her family intact, she said.

Even as she struggles with her own situation, Vargas said she volunteers to help other homeless people, and people at risk.

“Let us come together and figure out a solution, and stop thinking all homeless are criminals,” she said.

The Pasco County Planning Commission, which makes recommendations on land use issues, will review the proposal on June 6 in New Port Richey.

The final decision is up to the county commissioners, who will hold a public hearing on the matter June 19, also in New Port Richey.

Published May 23, 2018

Opening doors of hope for the homeless

By

The Pasco County Commission has approved funding to renovate a former Boys & Girls Club, and reopen the campus as a navigation center for the county’s homeless population.

An administrative building and a teen center, at 8239 Youth Lane in Port Richey, will be refurbished with about $600,000 in federal and state money.

The goal is to open the navigation center by mid-2018.

The center will serve as a “low-barrier” homeless shelter. Its larger purpose, however, is to find housing for homeless men and women, and deliver support services for job searches, job training, education and health care.

Pasco County will dedicate about $600,000 in federal and state grants to rehabilitate the former campus of the Boys & Girls Club on Youth Lane in Port Richey. It will be the site for a navigation center to help homeless people restart their lives. (File)

It will be the first time the county has opened a homeless shelter, and embarked on such a major initiative. The center is modeled after one in San Francisco.

“Navigation centers work,” Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore said. “This is a community effort. This is a people’s building. This is a citizen’s building. I need everybody to come together. Let’s pool resources together and get something done.”

Moore is chairman of the Homeless Advisory Board.

Commissioners heard from about a dozen people during public comment. Speakers were passionate, with most of them supporting the navigation center.

Suzanne Chicon has volunteered for the annual count of homeless people in Pasco. Among the people she met was a man who lost a good-paying job for health reasons, and a young woman who had aged out of the foster care program.

“Some of the things I witnessed horrified me,” Chicon said. “We need the (navigation) center as a focused area to help these people.”

But, the location of the center is raising alarm bells for some residents who live in the nearby subdivision of Crane’s Roost.

Valerie Schaefer told commissioners she had spoken with all but a handful of residents in the 89-home neighborhood. Most are worried about increasing crime, solicitations and lower property values, she said.

“No one in the neighborhood is against the humanitarian (purpose) of the navigation center,” Schaefer said. “But, they are concerned. They are very scared. They are very angry over this proposal…We have skin in the game. We live here.”

Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey supports the navigation center but said, “I need a report in a year or two on how it’s going.”

Only Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano voted against the navigation center. He supports the concept, but not the location.

“I just don’t like the setup,” he said.

He backed off a previous suggestion that a hurricane shelter in Hudson would be a better site, agreeing that it would be too remote. But, he offered a new idea – building tiny houses on land with access to U.S. 19.

Starkey was willing to consider such a project, but only if the houses were dispersed through the county.

Pasco has more than 3,000 homeless people based on an annual count. About 500 are considered chronically homeless. Many of the homeless individuals live in about 100 camps identified by the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office countywide.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco supports the center.

“The sheriff’s office cannot solve this problem,” he said. “It’s a health care issue, but unfortunately it falls on the shoulders of law enforcement. What the (homeless) coalition wants, we’re going to go with. I think the coalition is heading in the right direction.”

Commissioners gave initial approval to the funding and the location for the center on June 20 in New Port Richey. A final vote on the project is scheduled for July 11 in Dade City.

The funds would be dispersed after Oct. 1.

Commissioners will be asked in September to transfer the county property to the Homeless Coalition of Pasco, which will manage the navigation center.

The goal is to work with one camp at a time. Homeless individuals would live at the navigation center on average about 90 days, said Raine Johns, the coalition’s chief executive director.

They would be given “wrap-around” services, and personalized case management for about 12 months, through a coalition of partners, including United Way of Pasco and the Pasco County Housing Authority.

As many as 75 single adult men and women would be housed at the center. They would get help in finding jobs, job training, education and health care. Housing is a priority.

The county’s housing authority has pledged 75 housing vouchers to the program.

“There is such a big change in a person’s life when he does have a place to live,” Johns said.

Homeless people are living in cars and in the woods, she added. “You are creating a cycle of poverty because people don’t have a safe place to live.”

Published June 28, 2017

New center could help Pasco’s homeless

By

Pasco County wants to open the county’s first homeless shelter as part of a comprehensive plan to help an estimated 3,300 homeless people.

There are about 100 camps across Pasco County where people live, according to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

The chosen location for what is proposed as a “one-stop navigation center” is in two county-owned buildings in west Pasco, formerly leased to the Boys & Girls Club.

Pasco County Emergency Services Director Kevin Guthrie spoke to a large crowd on June 14 in New Port Richey. The county had a public meeting to talk about a navigation center to help homeless individuals with housing, health care and jobs. (Kathy Steele)

The Pasco County Commission was set to vote on June 20 (after The Laker/Lutz News deadline) on two federal grants that would be used to rehabilitate buildings.

The goal is to open the navigation center in 2018.

Pasco County and the Homeless Coalition of Pasco had public meetings on June 7 and on June 14 in New Port Richey to explain the navigation center and get public input.

While most support the homeless shelter in concept, nearby neighbors in Crane’s Roost and representatives of a nearby mall object to the proposed location at 8239 Youth Lane, off Little Road in New Port Richey.

They worry about increased solicitation, crime and lowered property values.

Studies have shown the opposite, including decreases in crime, said Raine Johns, chief executive officer of the Homeless Coalition of Pasco.

“You’ll find this decreases dramatically,” she said.

However, a representative of Ridge Plaza, anchored by Hobby Lobby and a Walmart Neighborhood Market, said tenants have expressed concerns about impacts to their businesses. He also said no one had reached out to mall representatives to discuss the navigation center.

“It certainly merits that we get together,” he said.

Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano was the only commissioner to vote against the navigation center in November. He proposed putting the center in the Mike Fasano Regional Hurricane Shelter in Hudson.

He said the program could be operated cheaper, safer and quicker if the shelter were used.

Others said the hurricane shelter was in the “middle of nowhere,” with no bus service and few job opportunities.

“The last thing we want to do is institutionalize the homeless population,” said Johns.

The navigation center is modeled after one in San Francisco. It would be a one-stop shelter that would work to place people into housing. They also would receive help in finding jobs, job training and health care, and receive personalized case management.

The efforts would focus on one camp at a time, with as many as 75 single adult men and women housed an average of 90 days at the navigation center.

“Housing first. That’s the end goal,” said Cathy Pearson, assistant county administrator for public services. “A lot of partners are coming together. We believe in this.”

The count done by the sheriff’s office found homeless camps in all areas of the county, including west Pasco, Zephyrhills, Land O’ Lakes and Dade City.

“This is a serious topic. We know that,” said Pasco County Sheriff’s Capt. James Steffens. “We’re trying to do something other than put handcuffs on people and take them to jail.”

The sheriff’s office is one of the partners for the navigation center. Others include the United Way of Pasco, the Pasco County Housing Authority, and the Public Defender’s Office of the Sixth Judicial Circuit.

United Way will contribute about $100,000. About 50 housing vouchers will be dedicated to the navigation center. And, the public defender’s office plans to send its mobile medical unit to the center.

Pasco also plans to contribute about $50,000 for a program that would hire some of the homeless individuals for county labor. The goal is to help them learn skills and establish a work history.

The County Commission is expected to be asked in September to transfer the navigation center property to the homeless coalition.

As a nonprofit, the coalition has more access to additional grants.

Published June 21, 2017

Remembering the legacy of Odell Mickens

By

Odell Kingston Mickens’ legacy as a Dade City educator and civil rights activist endures more than three decades after his death in 1980.

When racism and Jim Crow laws denied blacks access to public education during the 1930s, Mickens expanded the outreach of education to black students in Pasco County.

When white school boards eventually included black schools into a separate, but underfunded system, Mickens continued to expand opportunities for black students, including the right in 1940 to receive high school diplomas.

Mickens championed the economic and civil rights of the black community until he died in 1980.

He was the first black elected to public office in Pasco County, winning two terms on the City Commission of Dade City.

“I find Odell Mickens to be just a giant,” said Imani Asukile, director of global and multicultural awareness, and special assistant to the president of Pasco-Hernando State College.

Asukile was guest speaker on Feb. 16 at the Pioneer Florida Museum and Village in Dade City.

The museum is sponsoring a series of lectures in conjunction with its Smithsonian exhibit, “The Way We Worked.”

Asukile also is author of “Black Americans of Hernando County, Florida.”

Asukile said he is not formally trained as a historian, but has a deep interest in history.

“Somewhere I just caught the bug,” he said. “One of my goals is to unearth stories about local African-Americans.”

Mickens is a particular favorite.

In his research, Asukile learned that Mickens was mentored by Mary McLeod Bethune, founder of the Bethune-Cookman University.

Bethune was internationally recognized as an educator, human rights activist and advisor to several United States presidents.

“She found him to be an outstanding student,” Asukile said.

Mickens was the descendent of Colbert and Nancy Mickens, former slaves from South Carolina.

Mickens’ paternal grandparents were later sold and sent to Marion County, where they raised seven children in the small hamlet of Flemington that Asukile described as “way back in the woods.”

Odell Mickens was born in 1904, the only child of Isaac Mickens and his wife, Anna. At a time when there were no public schools for blacks, they sent him to privately operated black academies.

“His parents invested in him to get an education,” Asukile said.

In 1933, at age 29, as a graduate of then Bethune-Cookman Junior College, Mickens became principal of Moore Academy, the first permanent school open to blacks in Pasco County. It was named for the Rev. Junias D. Moore, who served as its first principal.

Mickens’ wife, Christine, taught at Moore Academy and also coached the Panthers’ basketball team.

“This really turned out to be a wonderful and beautiful partnership,” said Asukile of the Mickens’ marriage.

Mickens oversaw the expansion of Moore Academy. Over the years the campus, in various locations, became Moore Elementary School and Mickens High School.

In 1940, Lillian Arnold, Mozell Thompson and Lila Thompson became the first blacks in Pasco to graduate and receive diplomas.

The school became Moore-Mickens Middle School in the early 1980s, and was later repurposed as an education center in 1987.

The Pasco County School Board closed the education center in 2015. A group of community activists are seeking to reopen the center, but have yet to finalize a plan with the school district.

But, Mickens’ contributions to the county extended beyond education.

He served on the building committee for the Dade City Civic Center which opened in 1963.

He also was a founder of the Negro Civic Association.

Association members lobbied city officials to open up land formerly used as a prisoner-of-war camp in World War II. The city platted the land and, over time, black residents bought lots and built homes in the Moore-Harper subdivision.

Mickens served on the board of the Pasco County Housing Authority; as assistant trustee for the Bethune-Cookman University; and, as president of the Bethune-Cookman National Alumni Association.

In 1980, he was named Citizen of the Year by the Dade City Chamber of Commerce.

Published February 22, 2017

 

 

 

New housing project unveiled in Dade City

By

Local residents and community leaders gathered for a May 12 grand opening ceremony at Hilltop Landings apartments in Dade City, following 18 months of construction.

The $15 million project serves as a replacement for Dade Oaks, a 38-year-old apartment complex that was built at the bottom of a drainage basin, forcing residents to regularly deal with flooding.

Those residents get first dibs on Hilltop Landings, located about a mile away from Dade Oaks, at 15641 14th St.

Future residents and community leaders gather for the ribbon cutting of Hilltop Landings. (Photos courtesy of J.P. Hervis)
Future residents and community leaders gather for the ribbon cutting of Hilltop Landings.
(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photos)

Designed and constructed by Gorman & Company Inc., the new complex consists of 69 modern, energy-efficient units, serving the needs of low-income families in Pasco County.

Sitting on 13 acres, the development includes a playground, community center and community gardens, all of which are well-lit and monitored with security cameras.

Pasco County pledged $2 million for the project, with the remaining funds coming from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, First Housing, Boston Capital and RBC Capital Markets.

“It’s been a long struggle. It does my heart really well to see what we’ve accomplished here,” Pasco County Housing Authority Chairman David Lambert said at the ceremony. “It’s a far cry from three years ago when we came out and we started working on this complex. It took a lot of people…and we set out on a mission to replace or rehab all of our housing stock.”

Lambert was particularly thankful for HUD’s involvement in helping to facilitate the new development, along with its overall partnership with the housing authority.

Hilltop Landings features 69 modern, energy-efficient units. The project had a $15 million price tag.
Hilltop Landings features 69 modern, energy-efficient units. The project had a $15 million price tag. (Courtesy of J.P. Hervis)

 

“They provide a lot of funding…for some of our most underserved areas,” Lambert said. “We try to transition our folks out of public housing. Home ownership is one of the great American dreams, and HUD is a great provider and a great beacon for us.”

Ellis Henry, director of the state HUD office in Jacksonville, referred to the Hilltop Landings apartments as a “unique” project.

“This is something that’s not going to happen very much with just HUD and the federal funds,” Henry said. “This is a collaboration of many stakeholders, many funding sources, and the state and other entities that provide resources, as well as money to make this happen. That’s the wave of the future, and we’re happy to be a part of it.”

Pasco County Commissioner Ted Schrader said Hilltop Landings “is just one piece of the puzzle” in continuing to grow the county, noting its ability to provide affordable housing to Dade Oaks residents, as well as other low-income families.

“Dade Oaks was in an area that had some challenging issues with flooding and other issues that makes this such an attractive opportunity and an attractive alternative to where (Dade Oaks residents) once were,” Schrader said. “We’re proud to be able to provide some SHP (Supportive Housing Program) money with the HUD money to construct this fine facility.”

A children’s playground is one of the key amenities to Hilltop Landings. There’s also community gardens and a community center.
A children’s playground is one of the key amenities to Hilltop Landings. There’s also community gardens and a community center.

Schrader was also quick to mention the increases in the county’s housing prices, saying, “we still need to be cognizant that housing prices are rising, and (it) is becoming more and more of a challenge for the workforce to have a place they can call home.”

Patricia Gray, a resident of Dade Oaks, will soon be moving into Hilltop Landings, and was delighted the new housing is finally ready.

“Me and all the other residents, we never thought this was going to be here,” she said, “but now we have it, and we don’t have to worry about the flooding. We’re going to be safer.”

Once all residents are moved out of Dade Oaks, those buildings will be demolished and the area will be used for stormwater retention.

Pasco County Public Transportation plans to include Hilltop Landings on its bus route.

Hilltop Landings sits on 13 acres. It has a number of amenities, including on-site management, on-site social services, washers and dryers, a playground, a community center, a community garden, and security cameras and lighting. It has one- to four-bedroom apartments and duplexes.

Published May 18, 2016

Dade Oaks on way to new home, location

By

From 14th Street in Dade City, it’s hard to imagine the site that has been home to Dade Oaks Apartments since 1977 was once a lakebed.

Yet, there are some parts of the property, maintained by the Pasco County Housing Authority, that drop as much as 55 feet, and flooding has been an issue there for decades.

A good portion of Dade Oaks Apartments remains empty after continuous flooding over the decades made some units uninhabitable. A new Dade Oaks further up on 14th Street could be under construction by next summer. (Photo by Michael Hinman)
A good portion of Dade Oaks Apartments remains empty after continuous flooding over the decades made some units uninhabitable. A new Dade Oaks further up on 14th Street could be under construction by next summer. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

That’s why when the time came to do something about the aging buildings, Pasco County decided to tear it all down and start from scratch — somewhere else.

Pasco County Commissioners has set into motion the final days for the 69-unit, single-level complex, eyeing a 12.8-acre site up the road.

“There has been flooding continually at this apartment complex, and HUD has continually threatened to take back all the vouchers there,” said George Romagnoli, the county community development manager.

Not that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development would have a lot of vouchers to take back. Flooding and other issues have created unsuitable living conditions there, and with it a high vacancy rate. That means people looking to get housing assistance help have even more limited options than they already had because of the state of Dade Oaks.

Commissioner Pat Mulieri said she’s seen flooding firsthand at the apartment complex.

“There were many times we had our mobile medical unit, and we had this great event with a pig roast, and then because of all the flooding, it had to be discontinued,” she said. “Flooding is a known factor there.”

Razing the complex has been on the table for more than a year, but putting plans and funding together to fix the situation has not been easy.

Now, however, a new Dade Oaks could rise through the Florida Housing Finance Corp. efforts to pick up federal funds. It will take $12 million to build a new complex to house 69 units, along with nearly $330,000 to purchase the new property.

Commissioners approved making a deposit of $13,000 through the State Housing Initiatives Partnership for the land that will allow the housing authority to complete its purchase by the end of February.

Commissioners also approved a local match to federal funds, pulling $1.25 million from its county Home funds as well as from Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2.  HUD’s Home Investment Partnerships Program provides grants to states and localities (like cities and counties) that help buy, build or rehabilitate affordable housing. The program allocates $2 billion each year to states.

“It is true that this is a large portion of our budget,” Romagnoli said. “That’s 15 percent of our funds right now,” but because of the dilapidated condition of the complex, something needs to be done soon.

The new site, as proposed, would include some duplexes among its 69 units, and could be under construction as early as next summer, said Dianne Morris, executive director of the Pasco County Housing Authority.

Commissioners approved the measure unanimously, with Ted Schrader abstaining since he had a family member involved in the deal.