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9 <br />ACCESS TO A GREAT DEAL MORE FUNDS THAN WE OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE ACCESS <br />TO, AND ALSO IT WOULD PUT THE COUNTY IN A VERY POSITIVE POSITION FOR <br />OUR NEXT APPLICATION FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUNDS. <br />COMMISSIONER SIEBERT STATED THAT AFTER WEIGHING THE PITFALLS AND THE <br />ADVANTAGES, HE STILL CONCURS WITH THIS RECOMMENDATION, EVEN THOUGH A <br />LARGER CONTRIBUTION WOULD BE NEEDED TOWARDS THE START-UP THAN HE INITIALLY <br />BELIEVED. HE THEN INTRODUCED JUDY TRUETT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMU- <br />NITY AFFAIRS, WHO HAS A GREAT INTEREST AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HOUSING <br />THROUGHOUT THE STATE. <br />MS. TRUETT CAME BEFORE THE BOARD AND EXPLAINED THAT SHE <br />ADMINISTERS A REVOLVING LAND FUND FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS. <br />THIS FUND CAN LEND UP TO $200,000 TO A HOUSING AUTHORITY IN A RURAL AREA, <br />SUCH AS THIS COUNTY, SO THEY CAN ACQUIRE LAND AND DEVELOP HOMESITES, WHICH <br />CAN BE SOLD UNDER THE 502 SINGLE FAMILY HOME LOAN PROGRAM. SHE NOTED <br />THAT THE LAND FUND WAS DEVELOPED TO PROVIDE SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT BEING <br />PROVIDED BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR - FULLY DEVELOPED SITES AT A COST LOW <br />ENOUGH FOR FHA TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE. SHE THEN DISCUSSED THE HOUSING <br />AUTHORITY SET UP IN PASCO COUNTY AND HOW IT WORKS. MS. TRUETT AGREED <br />THAT THERE ARE SOME PROBLEMS WITH A HOUSING AUTHORITY BECAUSE IT DOES <br />NOT JUST IMMEDIATELY COME INTO BEING AND TAKE CARE OF ITSELF FINANCIALLY, <br />AND MIGHT.WELL REQUIRE SOME IN-KIND AND POSSIBLY CASH OUTLAY BY THE <br />COUNTY UNTIL IT BECAME SELF-SUFFICIENT. SHE POINTED OUT, HOWEVER, THAT <br />YOU CAN START THE HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR A VERY LOW BUDGET CASH OUTLAY; <br />EMPLOYEES FOR THE AUTHORITY INITIALLY WERE FUNDED THROUGH CETA, AND THE <br />SECTION 8 HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM COULD BE SWITCHED OVER TO THE <br />HOUSING AUTHORITY. SHE NOTED, IN ADDITION, THAT FHA HAS A GREAT MANY <br />PROGRAMS AVAILABLE TO A HOUSING AUTHORITY THAT ARE NOT AVAILABLE TO A <br />COUNTY COMMISSION. SIS. TRUETT INFORMED THE BOARD THAT FHA HAS SOME 64 <br />MILLION DOLLARS AVAILABLE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA THIS YEAR FOR HOUSING, <br />AND THEY ARE MANDATED TO LEND IT OUT EVERY QUARTER. SHE STATED THAT <br />MICHAEL HIGHTOWER IS NOW HEAD OF THE HOUSING PROGRAMS FOR FHA, AND HE <br />HAS BEEN VERY COOPERATIVE. <br />COMMISSIONER SIEBERT COMMENTED THAT HE FEELS THERE MAY WELL <br />BE A TREMENDOUS SLOW DOWN IN HOUSING BECAUSE OF INTEREST RATES, CONSTRUC- <br />TION COSTS, ETC., AND IF WE ARE GOING TO GET. INTO A HOUSING AUTHORITY, <br />HE COULDNIT THINK OF A MORE APPROPRIATE TIME. <br />NOV 151978 <br />35 <br />