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Show I . - t K I , Z. I ' , ' J A . I' 4 "' . -Kx ' , i , ! - p : : I t ; J - STATE OF UTAH 1 ; r ... - il i'; ' ") : - - - : - Ty Tippets, Color Country Community Housing, Inc, presents pre-sents Gaia Greenhalgh, Tropic Town Councilwoman for $150,000 for the construction of a planned multi-family houseing project for lower-income residents. Others on Tropic To Construct County s First Low Income Housing The impact of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds in southwestern Utah were highlighted Apr. 3 at the Cedar City . Housing Authority after Gov. Mike Leavitt proclaimed the week of April 1-7 Utah Communii,- Development Week. As a result, the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, administered by the Utah Division of Community Development, presented pre-sented a check for $150,000 to Tropic Town to build infrastructure infrastruc-ture for a planned multi-family housing project for lower-income lower-income residents. The town of Tropic and Color Country Community Housing, Inc., a non-profit Community Housing Development Organization Organiz-ation (CHDO) had requested funds for partial funding of development and infrastructure needs costs to include engineering, engineer-ing, construction and installation installa-tion of water, sewer, power, cable television and phone lines, hand were Ken Sizemore, Five County Association of Governments and Richard Walker, Utah State Division of Community Development, who were also involved in the project. drainage systems, streets and sidewalks on a 17.82 acre parcel for Bryce Meadows, a 44-lot single family subdivision and infrastructure for Bryce View apartments, a 15-unit complex of multi-family, subsidized rental housing. Rubys Inn is donating the acreage and the installation of sewer lines to the project. The goal of Rubys Inn is to stimulate economic growth and increase their ability to recruit and retain employees by relieving the severe shortage of suitable housing in the area. The donation dona-tion of land is essential to the, economic feasibility of the project proj-ect and makes the parcel uniquely qualified for the development. devel-opment. The national objective of low to moderate income benefit ben-efit and the goals of providing safe housing merge in Bryce Meadows. The subdivision will consist of 44 one-quarter to one-third-acre lots, and lots for 15 multi-family, subsidized rental units. Bryce Meadows will be designed to preserve the rural nature of the surrounding area. Open space will include a spacious spa-cious park that will be maintained main-tained by the town of Tropic. The direct benefit to low and moderate income families exceeds the 5 1 percent threshold estimated by CDBG for project eligibility; 77.28 percent of the lots in Bryce Meadows will be (See FUNDING on page 2-A) Tropic Town Funding From Front Page sold to families whose income is 80 percent or less of Garfield County's Area Median Income (AMI) Income certification for very-low very-low and low-income households in Garfield County at the time of sale, and deed restrictions for a period of five years after the sale will assure compliance with the objective. The lots will be distributed as follows: six lots (13.64 percent) will be reserved for very low income families with household incomes at 0-60 percent of AMI, 28 lots (63.63 percent) will be reserved for low-income families fami-lies with households between 61-80 percent of AMI; and 10 lots (22.73 percent) will be available for families with . 81 percent or AMI. In addition, 18 of the lots that are reserved for low or very low-income households house-holds will also be reserved for First Time Homebuyers. Bryce View Apartments will be a 15-unit Utah Housing UHTC community consisting of 12 two-bedroom units and three three-bedroom units. Bryce View will be the first multi-family apartment community in Garfield County. There are not existing tax credit units in Garfield County. Furthermore, there are no HUD or Rural Development rental projects in the area. Bryce View will be the first subsidized rental housing in Garfield County. All 15 units will be UHTC for families. The rent and income limitations will be 50 percent or less than the AMI. Although Bryce Meadows and Bryce View Apartments will be located in the town of Tropic, a market analysis prepared by James A. Wood, Bureau of Economic and Business Research at the University of Utah, identifies the market, need and benefit for the development extending to Cannonville, Henrieville, Panguitch and the Bryce Valley region of unincorporated unincor-porated Garfield County. Economically, the area meets criteria for strong consideration. As of October 2001, the unemployment. unem-ployment. rate for Garfield County Was 9.4 percent, 5.2 percent per-cent higher than the 4.2 percent unemployment rate for the state of Utah. (Lecia Langston, Utah Department of Workforce Services) Garfield County's poverty rate is 12.4 percent compared to 8.0 percent for the state of Utah. Per capita income is $116,075, just 80 percent of the state's per capita income of $23,288. Garfield County's 1999 unemployment unem-ployment rates of 8.3 percent were more than twice the average aver-age unemployment rate of 3.9 percent of the Five County area. (Poverty in Utah 2000, A Snapshot of Income, Housing, health and Welfare Issues in Utah, Utah Issues, Center for Poverty Research and Action.) Bryce Meadows and Bryce View Apartments are expected to increase the economic stability stabili-ty and visibility of the region by making decent, affordable housing hous-ing available for those who wish to stay or move to the area. Additional units of affordable housing are also anticipate to stimulate economic growth by (See FUNDING on page 3-A) Tropic Town Gets Funding For New Housing . From Front Page making it possible for businesses, business-es, school districts, and the National Park Service to meet the demand for increased services servic-es by assuring housing for current cur-rent and new employees. Funding includes private and public sources. A loan from the State of Utah's Olene Walker Housing Trust Fund of $102,270 will fund pre-develop-ment and construction; the Federal Home Loan Bank will fund $237,830 in an Affordable Housing Subsidy, and Rubys Inn will donate the land appraised at $112,000 and donate a portion of the sewer lines at a cost of $120,000. In addition, Rubys Inn will loan $62,350 to the development. The $150,000 in CDBG funds will allow completion of the project. Rubys Inn, the largest private employer in Garfield County, through its Human Resource Department will also assist with marketing and home ownership education to its employees. The project is scheduled to begin within three months of the award of the CDBG funding and completed with six months of the start date. Another $150,000 check went to Iron County for the construction con-struction of an ambulance garage in Parowan. Iron County Commissioner Dennis Stowell, Tropic town council member Gaia Green-halgh Green-halgh and the mayors of Cannonville and Minersville delivered brief remarks about the local impact of Community Development Block Grants. Communities and other entities enti-ties throughout southwestern Utah have received Community Development Block Grants each year for local improvement projects. Grants awarded during the 2000-2001 funding year in the region totaled $1,045,774 for needs ranging from affordable housing to community and senior sen-ior citizen centers and storm ; drains. Those projects are as follows: Cannonville also received $150,000 to build a community center. Escalante received a check '. for $129,000 for the renovation ; of its senior center. ; Beaver's City Housing ; Authority received $150,000 for ; the purchase and rehabilitation ; of three homes for low and moderate-income residents and $35,000 for the city to conduct : an engineering study for a '. (See FUNDING on page 4-A) ; Tropic Town Gets Funding From Page 3-A storm-drain collection system. Cedar City received $150,000 for the acquisition of property for Iron County Care and Share. The Five County Association of Governments located in St. George received $182,774 for planning activities. A check for $75,000 was presented pre-sented to Hurricane, in Washington County, for the city's housing authority to buy property for a housing project for low and moderate-income residents. Minersville, in Beaver County, received $150,000 for the construction of a senior cen ter in the Beaver County community. com-munity. Washington County itself was awarded $17,750 for roof improvements on the senior center building in Hurricane and $6,250 for a pre-architectural study for a new senior center in St.. George. Community Development Block Grants are disbursed to the Utah Division of Community Development by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The division's CDBG program then distributes the money to each of the state's seven regional Associations of Government. Communities apply through their region's AOGs for grants for qualified projects. |