Texas Grow Home

Texas Grow Home Updates: June 2011

enowrouz — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 20:16:42 +0000

The Texas Low Income Housing Information Service and the Austin Community Design and Development Center (ACDDC) have made significant advancements toward their goal of constructing 45-60 green, affordable Grow Homes in Cameron, Galveston and Harris counties.

These steps include working with the National Disaster Housing Reconstruction Advisory Committee to develop a “disaster housing recovery plan.” This plan abides by our original “temp to perm” concept, wherein a emergency housing unit can be modified to result in a permanent residence.

We have met with developers from the above-mentioned counties to present our proposed process for the housing pilot program and introduce them to key players and discuss the development process. This process is being facilitated in the style of a tax credit application from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA).

This summer, the Grown Home Team hopes to release a request for proposal (RFP) to begin the architectural selection process for home designs in Cameron County. The team is anticipating the responses to that request from architects in the area. Planning is also underway for a larger scale meeting with service providers, construction and community partners to plan a detailed approach for taking on the Houston/Galveston area.

Also, the Community Development Corporation of Brownsville has selected two architectural firms, both of whom are well-known for the quality and design of the communities they have planned.

Disaster Housing Assistance Program – Ike (DHAP-Ike)

Tillie Croxdale — Tue, 25 May 2010 22:02:20 +0000

This is a summary of the Disaster Housing Assistance Program – Ike (DHAP- Ike). This is the second in a series of summaries intended to briefly describe a number of existing programs used to provide temporary and permanent housing to victims after a disaster. This is part of an effort to promote a new disaster housing reconstruction program that responds to the success and shortcomings of others.

Texas Grow Home calls upon the State of Texas to develop a disaster housing reconstruction program that uses federal disaster recovery dollars more efficiently and effectively. Although the Disaster Housing Assistance Program (DHAP) does not provide funds for reconstruction of destroyed homes, it provides an excellent programmatic model to follow. DHAP is a program that funnels federal disaster recovery dollars for rental assistance into communities through local entities (Public Housing Authorities). DHAP is a community-based version FEMA’s Individual and Households Program (IHP), which among other things, provides rental assistance. DHAP is designed to supplement IHP rental assistance and has proven to be much more community friendly. What if FEMA could funnel some of its IHP reconstruction dollars through local entities?

Program overview

Disaster Housing Assistance Program – Ike (DHAP-Ike) is a program to provide monthly rental assistance, case management services, security deposit and utility deposit assistance for families displaced from their homes by Hurricanes Ike or Gustav. DHAP-Ike has been modeled after the Disaster Housing Assistance Program (DHAP) for families displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. DHAP-Ike is an inter-agency agreement (IAA) between FEMA and HUD in which FEMA funds and HUD administers the program through its network of local Public Housing Authorities (PHAs)

Registration

Applicants whose homes are unlivable or were destroyed as a result of hurricane Ike are directed to register with FEMA. FEMA determines eligibility for DHAP-Ike under the guidelines of the Individual and Households Program (IHP). Those who receive letters from FEMA informing them of their eligibility are directed to call HUD’s Regional Call Center (RCC) to discuss their current housing needs. The RCC representative will direct the family to the appropriate PHA, which will assist the family with finding housing, if needed, and provide direct rental assistance to the landlord of the individual’s choice, and start case management.

Eligibility

Eligible renters and homeowners must fall into one of the following categories: (1) previously HUD-assisted families that cannot return to their HUD-assisted unit due to damage caused by the hurricane; (2) DHAP families displaced from their units; or (3) previously unassisted families and individuals referred to DHAP-Ike by FEMA.

Initially there are no income eligibility requirements for DHAP-Ike assistance. However, only families with housing costs that exceed 30 percent of the family’s monthly income are eligible for continued DHAP-Ike rental assistance and case management services after six months of assistance.

Case Management

During the time that families are assisted by DHAP-Ike, each FEMA designated family Head of Household is required to participate in case management services. The objectives of these services are greater self-sufficiency and permanent housing for participating families. PHAs may choose to provide case management services in-house, through a contract or through a partnership with another local service provider.

Incremental Rent Transition

After approximately six months of receiving rent subsidies, families may be required to begin Incremental Rent Transition (IRT) in which they begin paying a portion of their rent or an increased portion of their rent. The first month’s portion will $50 and will increase by $50 each subsequent month until the family can pay the entire rent on their own.

Individual and Households Program (IHP)

Tillie Croxdale — Tue, 18 May 2010 23:39:25 +0000

This a summary of the Individuals and Households Program (IHP), which is the first in a series of short summaries of current disaster housing programs. This series is intended to briefly describe a number of existing models used to provide temporary and permanent housing to victims after a natural disaster.

As directed by the Stafford Act, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has the authority to provide various forms of temporary housing assistance, typically for a period no longer than 18 months. When the President declares a disaster and authorizes Individual Assistance (IA), FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program (IHP) can help homeowners and renters affected by the disaster with temporary housing needs and expenses.

IHP provides money and services to people in the disaster area when losses are not covered by insurance and property has been damaged or destroyed. IHP will not cover all of your losses and is not intended to restore your damaged property to its condition before the disaster. To be considered for IHP housing assistance, the affected home must be the individual’s primary residence and it must be located in the disaster area designated for Individual Assistance. When a disaster is declared and Individual Assistance is authorized, affected individuals are directed to register with FEMA for assistance. Registration can be accomplished at a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC), by telephone, or by internet.

A Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) is a readily accessible facility or mobile office where applicants may go for information about FEMA or other disaster assistance programs, or for questions related to applications. Some of the services offered a DRC are (1) Guidance regarding disaster recovery (2) Clarification of any written correspondence received (3) Housing Assistance and Rental Resource information (4) Answers to questions, resolution to problems and referrals to agencies that may provide further assistance (5) Status of applications being processed by FEMA.

Types of IHP Housing Assistance

Temporary housing
Money to rent a different place to live or a temporary housing unit, such as a FEMA-provided travel trailer or mobile home, when rental properties are not available.

Repair
Money for homeowners to repair damage from the disaster that is not covered by insurance. The goal is to repair the home to a safe and sanitary living or functioning condition.

Replacement
Money is available to homeowners to replace their home destroyed in the disaster that is not covered by insurance. The goal is to help the homeowner with the cost of replacing their destroyed home.

Permanent Housing Construction
Money is available for the construction of a new home. This type of help occurs only in insular areas or remote locations specified by FEMA, where no other type of housing assistance is possible.

Program Eligibility

To receive money or help for Housing Needs that are the result of a disaster, all of the following must be true:

You have filed for insurance benefits and the damage to your property is not covered by your insurance.

You may be eligible for help from IHP to repair damage to your property.

You or someone who lives with you is a citizen of the United States, a non‐citizen national, or a qualified alien.

Your home is in an area that has been declared a disaster area by the President.

The home in the disaster area is where you usually live the majority of the year.

You are not able to live in your home now, you cannot get to your home due to the disaster, or your home requires repairs because of damage from the disaster.

Limitations of IHP

In many situations, IHP is an excellent program that provides supplementary assistance as individuals recover from a disaster. However, for low wage earners, seniors, and persons with disabilities, IHP can fall short for a variety of reasons.

(1) Disaster Recovery Centers do not provide the one-on-one client support services that vulnerable populations may need to successfully recover.

(2) Inspectors sometimes incorrectly assess damages to homes, and families are sent insufficient funds. If funds are not sufficient to make the home safe, sanitary, and functional, and the homeowner lacks other resources, the home may not pass code and may deteriorate further.

(3) The condition of the home can dramatically deteriorate between the time that an inspector assesses the home and the time that the homeowner receives the IHP assistance. Again this presents the problem of bringing the home up to code.

(4) Homeowners that are denied assistance due to deferred maintenance are usually the individuals that need assistance the most.

(5) There are many instances in which predatory contractors take advantage of people who lack experience contracting the labor necessary to repair or rebuild their home.

Texas Grow Home Design Concept

Tillie Croxdale — Sat, 01 May 2010 20:37:39 +0000

The Texas Grow Home is an evolution of the FEMA trailer. As such it is a temporary emergency living unit that is eventually transformed into a more traditional home. The emergency living unit provides everything that a FEMA trailer would provide – a sleeping area, bathroom, kitchen area and dining area. Once the family and the community is able to begin rebuilding, this emergency living unit would be placed on a permanent foundation and transformed into the ‘core’ of a more traditional home.

Similar to travel trailers and smaller Katrina Cottages, the emergency living unit should be between 300 and 500 sq ft. This emergency living unit, or core, becomes the permanent kitchen and bathroom. Bedrooms and living areas are then built around this core using traditional construction methods. The exterior walls and roof of the core, although acting temporarily as the envelope, are dismantled and reused as the envelope of the expansion.

Special attention should be paid to the bathroom and kitchen because they must become the permanent bathroom and kitchen of the finished home. Once the home is completed, the kitchen and bathroom must meet the accessibility requirements of Fair Housing Amendments Act. The sleeping area should provide space for two bunk beds and a full size standard bed. The living area should allow for a small dining table to seat 4. The sleeping area and living area can be transformed into other spaces once the home is completed

The core must meet or exceed the Texas State Building Code and/or the Texas Insurance Code and be equipped with electricity, air conditioning, indoor heating, running cold and hot water, a stove and oven, a large refrigerator, a power meter and ports for telephone access, cable, and Internet access.

The expansion should build around the core in a way that makes the completed home affordable, easy to build, energy efficient, visitable, aesthetically pleasing, and accepted within the community. The completed home must follow all design guidelines.

The core and the expansion must be capable of industrialized modular fabrication. As such the design should follow the design and construction restrictions set forth by modular manufacturers. The foundation should be designed to accommodate the core.

Depending on the size of the family, the completed home should be approximately 1000 sq ft for a 1 bedroom 1 bath, 1200 sq ft for a 2 bedroom 1 bath, and 1400 sq ft for a 3 bedroom 1 bath. Each expansion should be designed with 3 alternative elevations. The hard costs for construction should not exceed 70,000.

First Meeting of the Disaster Housing Committee

Tillie Croxdale — Sat, 01 May 2010 19:36:01 +0000

The ‘Natural Disaster Housing Reconstruction Advisory Committee’ has been officially appointed and held its first meeting on Monday, April 26th at the Capitol. This advisory committee is taksed with (1) evaluating current disaster rehousing programs and policies (2) developing more efficient and effective alternatives and (3) demonstrating those alternatives in a statewide demonstration program. Although this description is grossly oversimplified, one can see that this committee is faced with a daunting task. The Texas Grow Home Project will be offering the lessons it has learned as an aide to the work of this committee. Below is a list of the committee members

Duke Mazurek
FEMA Region 6 Recovery Division

Frank Cantu, State Coordinator for Response & Recovery
Texas Department of Public Safety

Chuck Wemple, Economic Development Program Manager
Houston-Galveston Council of Governments

D.J. Pendleton, Deputy Executive Director
Texas Manufactured Housing Association

Madison Sloan, Attorney
Texas Appleseed

Barbara Crews, Co-Chair
Galveston County Restore and Rebuild

Tom Hatch
Hatch & Ulland Owen Architects

Nick Mitchell-Bennett, Executive Director
Community Development Corporation of Brownsville

Dr. Holly Bell
The University of Texas at Austin
School of Social Work

Stephen Fairfield, President/CEO
Covenant Community Capital

John Henneberger, Co-director
Texas Low Income Housing Information Service (TxLIHIS)

Preliminary Recommendations for a Statewide Disaster Housing Reconstruction Program

Tillie Croxdale — Sat, 01 May 2010 18:46:41 +0000

Texas Low Income Housing Information Service continues to act as the research and advocacy arm of the Texas Grow Home Project. As such , TxLIHIS is developing a list of recommendations for the design, production, case management, and program administration of a statewide program that helps low-income homeowners rebuild after a disaster. These recommendations have been informed by the Texas Grow Home Design Competition, Prototype Construction Pilot Project, and Conversation Series. Architects, planners, developers, builders, modular manufacturers, disaster recovery organizations, CDCs, affordable housing advocates, state agencies, local government officials, and homeowners have provided the feedback necessary to make these recommendations. These recommendations are intended to inform the work of the state appointed Disaster Housing Committee, which is tasked with developing alternatives to current housing reconstruction programs. Below is a preliminary list of our recommendations, we invite your comments, questions, and critiques.

Design

Develop a database of tested ready-to-go disaster housing designs that respond to the design program and design guidelines.
Develop a disaster recovery network of architects that (1) design for the database of disaster housing and (2) provide the necessary architectural services in the wake of a disaster.
Select participating architects through a competitive RFQ process.
Develop selection criteria for participating architects based on (1) the innovation and appropriateness of the design solution and (2) the experience and capacity of the firm/architect to provide the necessary services.
Develop a commission structure for architectural services, which outlines the amount paid for the (1) schematic design, (2) first constructed design, (3) each repeated construction of the design, and (4) site revisions as needed.
Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of the architect with regards to (1) schematic design, (2) design development, (3) construction drawings, (4) involvement in bidding process, (5) construction observation, and (6) close-out reports
Develop a design program that outlines the expectations of function, size, and affordability of designs.
Develop guidelines and technical specifications for the durability, accessibility, energy efficiency, design, and community acceptance of all disaster housing designs.
Appoint committees in every region to select disaster housing designs on behalf of their community.

Housing Production

Develop a disaster recovery network of builders and manufacturers may be contracted to construct and/or manufacture homes in the event of a natural disaster.
Select participating builders and manufacturers through a competitive IFB process prior to a disaster.
Specifies the cost for each disaster housing design as a cap amount. (70,000)
Select and commission builders and manufacturers based on (1) their bids for the disaster housing designs and (2) the experience and ability to provide the necessary services in the wake of a disaster.
Use the bill of quantities as an ‘anticipated contract’ for a period of five years.
Require local governments to allow third-party inspections for all builders or manufacturers rebuilding in disaster-impacted areas.
Pass a universal disaster building code for a designated period of time following a disaster in order to streamline the rebuilding process.
Pre-permit or pre-approve disaster housing designs at the local permitting departments.
Provide financial incentives for local jurisdictions to participate in a Disaster Housing Reconstruction Program.

Case Management

Develop a disaster recovery network of case management providers that are selected and trained to provide client intake and case management for the local entity, or ‘Program Manager’, that is administering the Disaster Housing Reconstruction Program. – the Program Manager can (1) contract the selected provider as a partnering organization or (2) hire case managers from the selected provider.
Select case management providers through a competitive RFQ process.
Select case management providers based on their (1) experience in providing case management services, preferably in the aftermath of disasters and (2) understanding of the needs, resources, and cultural expectations of local communities.
Adopt a single disaster case management standard from which all providers and case managers must follow.
Fund disaster case management training to all providers prior to a disaster.
Specify services provided under client intake and case management’
Set aside funds, within the Disaster Housing Reconstruction Program, for (1) client intake and (2) case management.
Develop a performance-based funding structure by which the entity administering disaster housing reconstruction compensates case managers for the time (in house or through a partnering organization).

Program Management

Develop a disaster recovery network of ‘Program Managers’ that are identified and trained to administer a Disaster Housing Reconstruction Program for each identified jurisdiction (region, county, or city).
Select local Program Managers through a competitive RFQ process, which is revisited every five years.
Select Program Managers based on their (1) understanding of the needs, resources, and cultural expectations of their community; (2) ability to access and administer private and public dollars; (3) ability to work closely with national, state and local government entities and non-profit organizations; and (4) ability to quickly assemble and coordinate all necessary staff and partnerships.
Define standards for the following required services; (1) program administration, (2) client screening and intake, (3) outreach, (4) program marketing, (5) disaster case management, and (6) construction management. The Program Manager does not necessarily need to provide all these services in-house, but must be held accountable for partnering with providers that uphold the defined standards.
Provide management and organizational training to all participating Program Managers.
Provide ongoing consulting services to Program Managers to support innovative partnerships at the local level.

Case Management Conversation 3/18

Tillie Croxdale — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:55:56 +0000

A meeting to discuss strategies to provide long term disaster case management for Texas Grow Home consumers.

Role of Provider
What role should disaster case management providers play in the local implementation of the Texas Grow Home program?

Funding for Case Management
What agencies, programs, and revenue could fund disaster case management for Texas Grow Home consumers?

Case Management Services
What case management services should be provided?

Providers
Which organizations can be Texas Grow Home case management providers and why? What capacity must organizations demonstrate to participate in the program? Can training be offered and who would provide it?

Strategies for Efficiency
Who has developed strategies to streamline the case management process? Who should we model our strategies after?

Construction Conversation 3/3

Tillie Croxdale — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:46:38 +0000

A meeting to discuss strategies for rapid, efficient, and high quality construction of disaster recovery housing by means of manufactured, modular, panelized, pre-cut , or site-built construction models.

Recorded Conversation

Costs
What are the cost advantages and disadvantages of each approach?

Efficacy
Which approach is appropriate for which situations? Consider the type and size of community, rebuilding needs, scale of disaster, and capacity of program provider.

Roles and Responsibilities
Who needs to be involved in the deployment and construction process and what are their roles and responsibilities?

Quality
What are the advantages and disadvantages in regards to quality control for each approach?

Labor
What type, amount, and skill-level of labor is necessary to deploy, set-up, and/or construct?

Pre-disaster provisions
What planning, partnerships, training, and/or contracting is necessary prior to disaster?

Demonstration
Which organizations can demonstrate these construction models for a demonstration program in Houston, Galveston, and Brownsville?

Development Conversation 2/17

Tillie Croxdale — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:53:34 +0000

A meeting to identify strategies that streamline the development process and support effective rebuilding models for a variety of communities, disasters, and responders. Listen to the conversation and read the topics.

Recorded Conversation

Feasibility and Profitability
What strategies are needed to make the development of Texas Grow Homes profitable for builders and developers?

Client Intake and Interaction
What organizations should be responsible for client intake and interaction and how should these organizations interact with the builders and developers?

Permitting
Can Texas Grow Home designs be pre-permitted at local jurisdictions to ensure acceptance at the permitting department and provide ready-to-build designs in the wake of a disaster.

Inspections
What strategies can expedite the inspection process, and how can we implement those strategies effectively?

Bidding and Funds Allocation
What problems do local organizations face when bidding for disaster recovery funds? What strategies can streamline the bidding process and allocation of funds

Design Decisions
What organization or entity can, efficiently and effectively, make the best design decision for the lot, the homeowner, and the community.

Design Conversation 2/10

Tillie Croxdale — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:57:56 +0000

A meeting to develop a comprehensive set of design guidelines that expands and improves upon lessons learned from the Texas Grow Home Project and other disaster housing models. Listen to the conversation and read the topics.

Recorded Conversation

Topics

Disaster Resistance and Durability
What materials, design elements, and building systems can be used to make affordable homes more durable and more resistant to wind and water damage? What existing codes or programs can we model our strategies after? Are local codes sufficient?

Accessibility
What existing laws and codes should we follow? What accessibility and universal design elements can we feasibly provide in addition to those required by law?

Energy Efficiency
What existing codes or programs can we affordably model our energy efficiency strategies after?

Community Acceptance
How do we respond to the cultural expectations of different regions in Texas?

Quality of Space, Light and Function
How do we set guidelines or deign intents to require an ‘attention to good design’?

Rapid Deployment and Rapid Construction
How do we make traditional forms of development and construction work better and more efficiently? How can design be used to make homes more rapidly deployable?

Expandability and Flexibility
How do we make these homes expandable? Can we have ready-to-go designs that can still respond to site and family size?

Affordability
How much should Texas Grow Homes cost to build? How does the cost compare to other disaster housing models?