SCHOLAR HOUSE NCSHA October 2014 Rob Ellis Deputy Director, Housing Programs and Production.

SCHOLAR HOUSE

NCSHAOctober 2014

Rob EllisDeputy Director, Housing Programs and Production

Program Overview

• Meets multiple corporate objectives– Provides affordable housing for low-income

households– Provides education opportunities– Promotes long-term stability of families– Promotes partnerships among financial entities,

educational institutions, and service providers

Program Development

• Why Scholar House?– Provides a road to self-sufficiency– Provides child development facilities for clients with

infants to pre-school age children– Provides affordable housing and day care on-site– Provides case management and life skills programs– Modeled after One Parent Scholar House (formerly

Virginia Place in Lexington), a proven success

Scholar House Sites

Qualifying Criteria

• Participants must:– Be at least 18 years of age– Have a high school diploma or GED– Be eligible for financial aid– Be enrolled (or have been admitted) as a full-time

student in a post-secondary degree or specialty program

– Be eligible for Housing Choice or Project-Based Vouchers

• Single parents are given first preference

Financing Structure

• Projects typically utilize– KHC funds (HDF, AHTF, Exchange)– Federal Home Loan Bank for construction – Tax credits– Section 8 rental assistance– Community support– Support from the participating educational facility– Private donations

Financing Breakdown – Northern KY Scholar House

Sources of Funds

• AHTF $ 300,000• CDBG (city) 470,000• Developer 901,119 (deferred developer fee)

• Private grants 535,000 (deferred, 2%, 40 yrs.)

• LIHTC 6,910,044

• TOTAL SOURCES $ 9,116,163

Uses of Funds

• Acquisition $ 1• Hard Costs 6,957,137• Const. Cont. 326,869• Soft Costs 1,832,156

• TOTAL USES $9,116,163

Challenges and Barriers

• Students must:– Maintain a set grade point average– Participate in case management– Abide by Section 8 regulations– Agree to and pass random drug tests– Observe and abide by the Scholar House Contract

signed upon admission– Break the cycle of dependence

Challenges and Barriers

• Finding the proper partners is key– Financial partners– Educational institution(s)– Community partners– Supportive services• Child care is a primary barrier to a single parent

pursuing or continuing education• Child care is an essential component of the program

By the Numbers• During the past fiscal year (July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014)

there were:–553 families participating in the Scholar House Programs–574 of these participants were adults–931 were children of the participants–189 participants completed the program–79 participants earned college degrees–2 participants earned masters degrees; 1 is working on a PhD–120 participants exited to stable housing–84 exited to stable employment–358 of the minor children were enrolled in the child development centers on-site (the remaining children were either enrolled elsewhere or attended kindergarten – twelve grade)–There were 542 female and 32 male participants in the program

Client Stories

• “Participants Speak” on the Family Scholar House website

• Client Stories:

http://www.oneparentscholarhouse.org

Website Information

• You can access information about the Scholar House from the Kentucky Housing Corporation website at the following link: http://www.kyhousing.org/Specialized-Housing/Pages/Scholar-House.aspx

QUESTIONS

Rob Ellis: [email protected] Extension 257