Federal Opportunities for Training Program
Exhibit 3:
Applicant Information
Non-Profit Status
City Public Housing Authority (PHA), a municipal housing authority organized under an act of the State Legislature in April, 19XX, has been serving as the City's PHA for 20 years. Proof of PHA's organizational status is attached as Addendum B.
Economic Distress Information
The PHA is located in the City (population nearly 35,000 in 199X), County (population nearly 400,000 in 199X), the Valley area of the State. The city is situated on the Scenic River about 90 miles north of the Big City. It is the county seat. The median income for the city in 199X was $24,600, and for the county, $41,250. This is an area hard hit by unemployment, with the city's unemployment rate from 199X through 199X at an average of 11 percent, and the county on the rise from almost 7 percent in 199X, which does not yet account for the Big Company's extensive downsizing, in 199X, which cut nearly 7,000 employees from its workforce. Big Company has eliminated nearly half its area work force of more than 30,000 employees. The State estimated at that time the Big Company downsizing ripple-effect to result in the loss of 4,500 more jobs. For young people 16 - 19, the unemployment rate in 199X was a shocking 25% for the county. This rate is generally 2 to 2.5 times higher than for people older than that, putting the unemployment rate for these young people at more than 50% higher. And, that rate preceded the massive Big Company lay-offs.
Of the 57 small cities in the state, the City ranked number one in terms of economic, social and educational need factors in the late 1980's, before Big Company's massive downsizing and other related economic distress occurred.
About 40% of the City's population is Minority, (25% Black, 12% Hispanic and 5% Asian and Pacific Islanders), of which more than half of that population are residents of the PHA's five housing developments with 1000 units. Of the 930 households (about 4,000 persons), more than 80 percent are female head of households, and more than 50 percent of the heads of household are unemployed.
Based upon information provided by human services and criminal justice professionals for the PHA's Drug Elimination Program, there is a prevalence of high risk factors for young people -- "a population severely at risk and in desperate need of coping skills to assist them in turning their peer groups into positive communities", according to the executive director of one nonprofit social service.
According to these professionals:
* juvenile crimes of violence are on the rise and the ages of youth entering the judicial system younger (ages 13-15);
* youths have too much free time and are engaging in negative behavior and repeated criminal activities;
* 80 percent of the juveniles prosecuted were involved with substance abuse;
* Teen pregnancy is on the rise and the ages of these teen mom's younger (as low as 13 and 14);
* Aids is spreading among teenagers and is expected to be the leading killer of women 15-19 years old, according to the National Center for Disease Control;
* marked increase in truant behavior of youth as a result of parental involvement in substance abuse, especially in areas of high concentrations of low-income of single-parent families;
* over half the total number of crisis intervention services were substance abuse related, with cases involving the PHA residents, this portion was over two thirds;
* drug related child protective reports showed a 25% increase.
The City's school district serves nearly 60% of the County's young people 17 years old and younger. The majority of the students come from low to moderate income households, with a relatively high concentration of students with multiple special needs. The drop out rate improved from 4.4 percent to 3.3 percent from 199X to 199X, however the alarming number of suspensions, 192 out-of-school and 396 in-school suspensions during the 199X school year attest to the difficulty many students have staying in school successfully. Elementary school suspensions include first and second graders for up to a semester.
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The following statistics from the County Youth Bureau 199X through 199X Comprehensive Plan are b evidence of the need for increased educational, social and employment training for the young low-income people of the City, the majority of whom live in public housing:
* a sharp increase in AFDC families - up 20% from 199X to 199X and another 18% between 1991 and 199X, and a 20% increase from 199X to 199X in persons receiving food stamps;
* a 30% increase in Medicare assistance from 199X to 199X;
* 3,765 child abuse cases in 199X;
* of the 600 youth 21 years old or younger living in jail in 199X, there was an 85% increase in non-secure admission;
* 22% increase in juvenile delinquent probation case load, and 37% increase in juvenile delinquent custody case load from 199X through 199X.
The smallest of the PHA's apartment residences, 25 units with just 100 residents, provides a 199X profile of the PHA's resident population:
More than 90% of the residents are Minorities; about 56% of the residents are female; about 8% are elderly; about seven percent have a handicap, and approximately 36% are under 15 years of age. Nearly half of the residents between the ages of 15 and 61 are unemployed.
Despite the diminishing public funds with which to develop additional assisted housing, and the continuing need for affordable housing, combined with increases in the number of young families, it is extremely likely that the production of publicly-assisted housing in the City will continue to be a factor in the local economy. The local community-based non-profit housing providers and City housing agencies report planned new development starts in 199X.
Additional special needs housing, such as housing for the homeless and victims of domestic violence, in the devastated economic environment of the City and County in light of its unemployment situation, will be needed.
Homeownership housing, if affordable, will be attainable for the moderate income population (above 80 percent of the median) of the City, and if deeply subsidized during development, affordable to low-income residents (between 50 and 80 percent of median).
In these circumstances, training for the construction trades has the potential to have a major impact on the local labor force. The likelihood of both union and non-union employment in construction for building both affordable housing and the resulting infrastructure improvements is ongoing need and likely to be a growth industry in the near future. Training dollars for the purposes of instructing young people in the capability of performing construction work and related tasks is liable to be well spent.
Job training and education is desperately needed this community and its citizens. The production of affordable homeownership housing for formerly public housing residents will free up additional public housing units for extremely-low and very-low income residents in need. |
