The City of Clarksville Office of Housing and Community Development announced today that applications for the 2009 Good Neighbor Volunteer Home Repair Program are now available  through March 31, 2009.

This year’’s program is expected to provide assistance to approximately 40 homeowners. Eligible applications will be accepted on a first come first serve basis. Many low-income homeowners who have lived in their home for years desperately need home repairs but are unable to afford the expense.

Having decent housing- the comfort of a sound livable home equates to peace of mind and helps revitalize neighborhoods. Annually the City partners with local faith based organizations to help revitalize and repair homes for low-moderate income residents. The repairs are funded with grant money from the City’’s Community Development Block Grant provided through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the labor is donated.

Volunteers work in crews to repair homes of seniors, disabled and low income households. The repairs include roof replacements; exterior power washing painting, ramps, porch repairs and yard clean up.
In the past two years the City’s Good Neighbor Volunteer Home Repair Program has assisted more than 25 families. This year the City is pleased to have two faith-based organizations generously donating expertise and time to help local residents.

Through a one-week program sponsored by the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention and the Clarksville Baptist Association more than 250 volunteers will help repair and revitalize homes in the City’’s special emphasis neighborhoods.

World Changer Volunteers will be in Clarksville from June 27-July 4, 2009.
On September 26, 2009, Grace Community Church, a local congregation will organize over 1000 volunteers to assist homeowners with limited resources by providing fresh coats of paint, roof repairs and critical home improvements. The group will also provide assistance to local non profits and some renters.
These are great programs that improve the quality of life in our community by repairing and redeveloping housing units. In exchange for building materials and coordination from the Office of Housing and Community Development, these faith groups contribute the necessary labor and invaluable skills.

It is the best way to bring together volunteers and public resources to make the most of our funding and invest in our neighborhoods.

Eligible applicants must have owned their home for at least one year, be low-moderate income based on federal guidelines, and reside in the home that is to be repaired. In addition, all city and county property taxes must be paid through December 2008.

Homeowners who received assistance in 2008 are not eligible for this year’’s program. Renters must have a lease and the landlord must sign an agreement to allow the work to be performed.

For more information contact the City of Clarksville Office of Housing and Community Development (931) 648-6133 Monday-Friday between the hours of 8:00-4:30 p.m.

Applications are available on the City’’s website (www.cityofclarksville.com), Clarksville Montgomery County Public Library and at City Hall, One Public Square, Suite 201.

Many low-income homeowners who have lived in their home for years desperately need home repairs but are unable to afford the expense.  Having decent housing- the comfort of a sound livable home equates to peace of mind and helps revitalize neighborhoods.
Annually the City partners with local faith based organizations to help revitalize and repair homes for low-moderate income residents.  The repairs are funded with grant money from the City’s Community Development Block Grant provided through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the labor is donated. Volunteers work in crews to repair homes of seniors, disabled and low income households. The repairs include roof replacements; exterior power washing painting, ramps, porch repairs and yard clean up.

In the past two years the City’s Good Neighbor Volunteer Home Repair Program has assisted more than 25 families.  This year the City is pleased to have two faith-based organizations generously donating expertise and time to help local residents.   Through a one-week program sponsored by the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention and the Clarksville Baptist Association more than 250 volunteers will help repair and revitalize homes in the City’s special emphasis neighborhoods.  World Changer Volunteers will be in Clarksville from June 27-July 4, 2009. On September 26, 2009, Grace Community Church, a local congregation will organize over 1000 volunteers to assist homeowners with limited resources by providing fresh coats of paint, roof repairs and critical home improvements. The group will also provide assistance to local non profits and some renters.

These are great programs that improve the quality of life in our community by repairing and redeveloping housing units. In exchange for building materials and coordination from the Office of Housing and Community Development, these faith groups contribute the necessary labor and invaluable skills. It is the best way to bring together volunteers and public resources to make the most of our funding and invest in our neighborhoods.

Eligible applicants must have owned their home for at least one year, be low-moderate income based on federal guidelines, and reside in the home that is to be repaired. In addition, all city and county property taxes must be paid through December 2008. Homeowners who received assistance in 2008 are not eligible for this year’s program. Renters must have a lease and the landlord must sign an agreement to allow the work to be performed.

For more information contact the City of Clarksville Office of Housing and Community Development (931) 648-6133 Monday-Friday between the hours of 8:00-4:30 p.m.  Applications are available on the City’s website www.cityofclarksville.com, Clarksville Montgomery County Public Library and at City Hall, One Public Square, Suite 201.

The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will host a fact finding meeting tonight on the controversial downtown redevelopment plan, dubbed “the blight bill,” including its eminent domain and assemblage issues. The meeting will be held at the New Providence Outreach Center, 207 Oak Street, in Clarksville at 7:00 p.m.

The redevelopment plan was first brought to the attention of federal officials this summer, when local NAACP President Jimmie Garland submitted some concerns to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The plan as it was passed contained language that effectively “blighted” the entire downtown business district — two square miles.

Angry residents challenge the redevelopment ordinance at a series of public meetings on the issue

Property owners, in response to this legislation, formed the Clarksville Property Rights Coalition to challenge this ordinance.William Dirl, field office director of the Nashville HUD office, expressed concerns in a letter to Clarksville Mayor Johnny Piper that the redevelopment plan did not emphasize providing housing rehabilitation to existing residents nor did it protect low to moderate home owners from eminent domain abuse.

Representatives from the NAACP, Clarksville Property Rights Coalition and the Institute for Justice a national advocacy group supporting the community will  attend the meeting.

Elected officials, community leaders have been invited to attend. The meeting is also open to interested members of the public and the media.

For more information please contact meeting coordinator Mr. Terry McMoore, Director, Urban Resource Center at (931) 378-1999 or Jimmie Garland, NAACP President, at (931) 216-6745

The original Community Town Hall Meeting format was discarded in favor of this new agenda. Elected officials, community leaders and civic organizations have been invited to attend. The meeting is also open to interested members of the public.

Organizers felt this meeting format will best help identify to USDOJ and HUD the issues and non-compliance that will and have already come about since this redevelopment plan was put together. A letter from HUD concerning these issues of non-compliance along with some recommendations were sent to the office of Mayor Johnny Piper several months ago.

The USDOJ and HUD will use the information gathered at this meeting to determine the best possible way to effectively engage the community in thnext phase of this process.  Please RSVP to Terry McMoore at the Urban Resource Center, 931-378-1999.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in response to a complaint filed by the Clarksville NAACP found numerous flaws in the Clarksville Center Redevelopment and Urban Renewal Plan voted into law by the City Council with full support of Mayor Johnny Piper.

HUD authorities could not find any proposed objectives that would provide protection for low to moderate income residents and their property mentioned in the voted on ordinance.

The Clarksville NAACP first bought these issues to the attention of the U.S. Department of Justice and HUD after feeling that the civil rights and the federally protected rights of the Majority Minority Voting Ward was in jeopardy of being dismantled under this voted on redevelopment plan.

The redevelopment plan offer tax increment financing (tax abatements) to encourage private development, and is focused on the downtown area, Kraft and College Streets. In a comparison with the city’s Five Year Consilidated Plan for Housing and Community Development, HUD field office director William Dirl determined that while the city’s five year plan has a goal of increasing affordable housing, the new redevelopment plan had no “proposed objective to assist with this priority and to provide housing rehabilitation to eligible property owners.”

The consolidated plan is drafted by the city with community input, and approved by HUD. No federal funds can be used for projects lacking HUD approval of falling within HUD parameters.

After an extensive investigation and a thorough review of the Clarksville Redevelopment and Urban Renewal Plan and after consultation with numerous government agencies, William H. Dirl, Field Office Director for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Nashville was able to determine the flaws of the redevelopment plan and issued a few recommendations to the City of Clarksville in writing.

Clarksville NAACP President Jimmie Garland Sr. had asked HUD to review the plan, citing concerns about the ” detrimental effect” this plan would have on the poor, elderly and (minority) residents” of the downtown district.

Dirl addressed that concern in his response:

“We could not find any proposed objective to assist with this priority and to provide housing rehabilitation to eligible property owners. We will recommend that an objective be included to provide housing rehabilitation assistance to eligible housing units. This should greatly relieve fears that housing units not meeting minimum codes standards will be immediately considered for demolition.”

It is hoped that the Clarksville City Council and Mayor Piper will work diligently to insure that the equal rights and civil rights of all individuals are protected under this ordinance regardless of race, creed, nationality or socially economic status.

This Community Press Release provided courtesy of the Urban Resource Center and Mr. Terry McMoore (931) 378-1999. Any and all questions about the NAACP should be referred to NAACP President Jimmie Garland Sr. (931) 216-6745.

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