COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
CITY REQUESTS PUBLIC COMMENT ON 5-YEAR PLAN, ANNUAL ACTION PLAN The City of Knoxville is requesting public input and comment on its draft Five-Year Consolidated Plan for Community Development, as well as the 2010-2011 Annual Action Plan. Prepared by the Community Development Department, the 5-year plan outlines Knoxville's needs, priorities, and strategies for homeless assistance, affordable housing, and non-housing community development for the next five years. It also indicates which neighborhoods will be eligible for targeted programs. The department has also drafted the 2010-2011 Annual Action Plan, which describes the proposed use of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME), and Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) funds. See draft of 5-Year Consolidated Plan, 2010-2015 [PDF] See draft of 2010-2011 Annual Action Plan [PDF] Here are the opportunities for learning more about and/or commenting on the draft plans: ● Knoxville City Council will hold a workshop on the Five-Year Consolidated Plan and the Annual Action Plan at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 8, in the Small Assembly Room at the City-County Building. Free parking is available behind the building after 5 p.m. ● A public hearing on the two plans will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 13, 2010 at the Cansler YMCA, 616 Jessamine St. Citizens may voice their comments at that time. ● Citizens also can submit comments via e-mail to Becky Wade, Community Development Director, City of Knoxville, P.O. Box 1631, Knoxville, TN 37901, or by email to bwade@cityofknoxville.org. CONTACT INFORMATION Madeline Rogero, Director mrogero@cityofknoxville.org Room 532, City County Building 865-215-2865 Fax: 865-215-2962 Main Line: 865-215-2120 Fax: 865-215-2962 Disability Services: 865-215-2034 TTY: 865-215-4581 Fair Housing Program: 865-215-2120 Housing Programs: 865-215-2120 Neighborhood Strategy Areas: 865-215-2120 Solutions to Problem Properties: 865-215-2120	Action Plan 2009-2010 [PDF] CDBG-R Plan 2009 [PDF] Consolidated End-of-Year Review Letter from HUD [PDF] Empowerment Zone ESG 2010 Application [PDF] ESG 2010 Instructions [PDF] EZ Annual Report FY: 2008-2009 [PDF] Façade Improvement Program (FIP) Fair Housing Housing Programs Homemaker's Program HPRP Plan 2009 [PDF] NSP1 Plan [PDF] Office of Neighborhoods NEWS RELEASES 06/22/09 - City's My Front Yard Program Revealing Success 04/15/09 - New Empowerment Zone Loan Program 03/18/09 - Annual Action Plan Developed, Public Meeting April 14 12/11/08 - Knoxville's First Group of Gold-Certified LEED Houses Opening 12/03/08 - City Seeks Comments on 2009 Action Plan 11/18/08 - New Home Repair Program Available in Empowerment Zone 11/11/08 - Public Comments Sought for Neighborhood Stabilization Program Plan 05/08/08 - Mayor Names Massey New Neighborhood Coordinator 03/25/08 - Groundbreaking for "Green" House
Community Development administers a variety of programs geared toward the revitalization of Knoxville's low-to-moderate income neighborhoods. In order for resources to have the greatest impact, the Department targets its programs to strategy areas that are selected periodically. The Department also coordinates the city's participation in the Knoxville Empowerment Zone. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT PROVIDES: Programs to improve housing opportunities for lower-income homeowners, tenants and first-time homebuyers as well as assistance to organizations serving Knoxville's homeless population. A Fair Housing Program to promote equal opportunity in housing and to investigate complaints of housing discrimination in Knoxville. Activities that identify vacant, blighted or problem properties and seek developers to return them to productive use. Support for programs that assist neighborhoods in identifying and solving their own problems. Support for programs that provide training and employment to lower-income citizens or to assist lower-income citizens in starting small businesses. REVITALIZATION PROJECTS: Five Points Commercial Development Lonsdale Redevelopment Vestal Redevelopment ENERGY STAR: The City of Knoxville is a proud partner of ENERGY STAR. Community Development Department's Owner Occupied Housing Rehabilitation Program have built five Energy Star homes and plan on building more Energy Star-certified homes. ENERGY STAR qualified products and practices help you save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. EPA and U.S. DOE. The ENERGY STAR label also designates superior energy performance in homes and buildings. More information is available on the ENERGY STAR website at www.energystar.gov. KNOXVILLE'S FIRST GROUP OF GOLD-CERTIFIED LEED HOUSES OPENED The City of Knoxville’s Community Development Department and the Knox Housing Partnership celebrated the completion of the first group of affordable Gold-certified LEED houses in the State of Tennessee on Saturday, December 13, 2008. The seven houses – five located on Chestnut Street and two others nearby on Houston Street – join former Vice President Al Gore’s home in Nashville as the only LEED certified homes in the state. The moderately-priced homes, built by the Knox Housing Partnership with funding provided by the city’s Community Development Department, are available to any qualified buyer. However down payment and other financial assistance will be available to low-to-moderate income families. “This is a great example of how the City and other agencies like KHP and the Partnership for Neighborhood Improvement are working together to make good things happen in our neighborhoods,” said Mayor Bill Haslam. “We’ve been looking forward to this day. These are going to make great homes for some great families.” [NEWS RELEASE] [KNOXVILLE HOUSING PARTNERSHIP] FUNDING AVAILABLE: Empowerment Zone (EZ) My Front Yard Program BASIC INFO LINKS "My Front Yard" will provide loans of up to $4,999 (forgivable over a 5-year term) for a wide variety of exterior needs, including front-yard landscaping, gutters, roof repair or replacement, porches, accessibility ramps, and exterior siding, painting, and lighting. The home must meet minimum housing standards. My Front Yard application deadline (Round IV) will be March 31, 2010. More Info Program Brochure [PDF] Houses Located in the EZ 11/18/08 - New Home Repair Program Available in Empowerment Zone My Front Yard Homeowner Application [PDF] - To apply for "My Front Yard" please print the application and mail to "My Front Yard" Community Development Department City of Knoxville P.O. Box 1631 Knoxville, TN 37901. To apply for "Owner-Occupied Rehab" please call the Community Development Department at 215-2120. There will be a waiting list for this program. My Front Yard Contractor Application [PDF] Empowerment Zone (EZ) Blighted Properties Redevelopment Program BASIC INFO LINKS The governing board of the Knoxville Empowerment Zone, the Partnership for Neighborhood Improvement (PNI), has allocated $1,884,000 in Empowerment Zone funding to the City's Community Development Department to implement a program that will provide financing through loans, grants and/or subsidies for the purpose of redeveloping and renovating vacant dwelling units, or constructing new dwelling unit, for either sale or rent. Eligible properties must be located in the Empowerment Zone and meet the Program requirements. More Info About Program Application Process Explanation [PDF] Application Part 1 [PDF] Application Part 2 [PDF] Program Requirements [PDF] Designated Properties List [PDF] No longer accepting applications Façade Improvement Program (FIP) BASIC INFO LINKS Owners of commercial properties in five Knoxville business districts may apply for financial assistance to renovate street-facing exteriors under a new program administed by the City of Knoxville and funded by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Affairs grants. Roughly $758,500 in Empowerment Zone funding is available in the form of five-year forgivable loans for properties around Central Avenue and Broadway. Another $131,500 is targeted for Burlington, Five Points, Jackson Avenue and Mechanicsville. FIP Application [PDF] FIP Description [PDF] FIP North Zone Advisory Council [PDF]