HOPE VI PROGRAM

The purpose of the HOPE VI REVITALIZATION PROGRAM is to assist public housing agencies to : 

Improve the living environment for public housing residents of severely distressed public housing projects through the demolition, rehabilitation, reconfiguration, or replacement of obsolete public housing projects or portions thereof.

Revitalize sites (including remaining public housing dwelling units) on which such public housing projects are located and contribute to the improvement of the surrounding neighborhood; 

Provide housing that will avoid or decrease the concentration of very low income families; and 

Build sustainable communities. 

The revitalization plan for the development of Bessemer Avenue Apartments was designed through a collaborative community –based planning effort. For ten months the Hope VI advisory committee comprised of the Mayor of the City of Prichard, City Council members, business leaders, community stake holders, residents of Bessemer Avenue Apartments, staff and consultants of the Housing Authority studied and analyzed revitalization strategies. The Hope VI Advisory Committee determined the Bessemer Avenue site should be redeveloped as a mixed –use and mixed-income community. Building on the housing authority’s success in implementing affordable homeownership programs, the cornerstone of the revitalization plan is based on developing 160  homeownership units.

The vision and revitalization plan formulated by the residents of Bessemer, the Hope VI Advisory Committee and the community stake holders include:

ON SITE 

Total demolition of the 360 dwelling units and non-dwelling structures. 

36 Homeownership, homes to be sold to qualifying families. The homeownership program is modeled after the successful Homebuyers program implemented by the Housing Authority of the City of Prichard.  

110 family replacement rental units will be built as single-family and one story townhouses. Each unit will have its own front yard, rear yard and porch. 

Community facilities will be built on-site to provide the setting for Educational, self sufficiency, employment and recreational programs. Additional recreation opportunities will be provided by building pocket parks and open recreational areas. 

13.15 Acres of the site have been designated for retail development along the I65 frontage road, Bessemer Avenue.

The retail development will serve as a Buffer between the interstate Highway and the residential components of the site. 

The deterioration of the existing infrastructure will require all new utilities, streets and drainage systems. 

OFF SITE 

124 Homeownership, homes will be built in west Prichard in Norwood Pointe, Shelton Beach Road and Parkwood subdivisions. 

50 Elderly replacements units designed as a senior village in a one story cluster configuration. Also a 5,000 square senior citizen community center will be constructed with Community Development Block Grant funds from the City of Prichard.

PHA was granted 277 section 8 vouchers that were used to relocate the Bessemer Residents. 

In addition to the PHA’s construction, The Mitchell Company has committed to build 75 for sale homes in the Bessemer Ave. Apartment neighborhood as a component of the Hope VI revitalization plan. This will assist in transforming the neighborhood into a mixed income community. 

The community and supportive service plan (CSS) has been designed based on resident and community surveys and in collaboration with the residents of Bessemer, Social Service providers, and the Hope VI advisory Committee. The plan was designed to provide opportunities for residents to overcome the barriers to self-sufficiency and achieve homeownership. The workforce development agency, Mobile Works have executed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to provide assessment center evaluations, case management and a variety of job placement services. The housing authority has commitment letters from Mobile Community Action, Mobile County Human Resources and 21 local service providers to provide supportive as identified in resident and community surveys. 

The physical plan to revitalize The Bessemer Avenue Apartments was based on the following:

• Lessen the concentration of low income families

• Encourage mixed-use development on-site job opportunities

• Create a new urban fabric

• Weave the Hope VI site into the surrounding neighborhood

• Provide defensible space while encouraging interaction 

The housing Authority will construct a 27,000 sq ft community center on site. The center will serve as a “one stop” center to provide community and supportive services for residents of  the redeveloped site , residents of the off-site replacement housing and residents in the surrounding community.

Based on surveys, the need for the following program space has been identified:      

• Case management Facility

• Child  care Facility

• Neighborhood works computer space

• Training Center

• Office space-15 service providers

The development of a retail center will serve as a buffer for the residential components of the program. The retail center will contain 116,500 sq ft and contain spaces for six to eight merchants.

The purchase agreement between the housing authority and the owner will require all lessees to train and hire Hope VI residents. The training and employment program will be implemented by Mobile Works Inc.

In addition to the community center & retail development, the residential construction is organized in five (5) phases:

PHASE I:57 OFF-SITE SINGLE FAMILY HOMEOWNERSHIP UNITS

PHASE II: 50 OFF-SITE ELDERLY UNITS

PHASE III: 110 ON-SITE RENTAL UNITS

PHASE IV: 36 ON-SITE HOMEOWNERSHIP UNITS

PHASE V: 67 OFF-SITE SINGLE FAMILY HOMEOWNERSHIP UNITS

The deteriorated condition of the current streets and underground utilities requires total replacement. The storm sewers are completely non-functional; A total replacement of streets and utilities allow for the streets to be realigned to better weave the HOPE VI site into the surrounding community. Redesign of the Bessemer Ave. site will result in a variety of improvements. Vehicular and pedestrian access and egress have been changed to improve the visual introduction to the area as opposed to the previous “back street” and “service road” entrances.

The redesign will tend to reduce vehicular traffic on-site. 

The proposed land uses will serve to blend the areas into a functional relationship with the surrounding community. The homeownership units are adjacent to the Harris Manor subdivision; The retail area is on the I65 frontage Road, Bessemer Ave; The community center is on one boundary of the site and the townhouses are a transition area between the retail center and the single –family homeownership units. 

Hope VI Student Spotlight
 

Outstanding Job

     Terrence Smith is a second year student at Miles College in Birmingham Alabama, where he is the starting defensive lineman for the Golden Bears. He is the eldest of two children. Terrence’s dream is to become a computer technologist.

     He was employed by the Prichard Housing Authority, Neighborhood Network Center, Harlem Area Weed and Seed Summer 2004 Enrichment Program. He was an asset to the program. Terrance was loved and respected by the students, his peers and the staff. He was employed as the recreation assistant, to Coach Gamble and Coach Johnson. His work was extraordinary, Coach Gamble said, “ he is the type of person that you don’t have to ask to do something, he sees the need and just does it, there needs to be more like him.” Terrance received the award for most dedicated youth worker for summer 2004. He is very proud of his accomplishment.

     Terrence is truly and amazing young man, despite the passing of his mother, he continues to strive for his dream. He also does what he can to help his little brother, who has always looked up to him. School is a struggle for Terrence but he say’s “I will make it because I believe I can.” We believe you can too.