SAFE Housing and Economic Development, Inc. (SHED) is providing housing
opportunities to low income first-time homebuyers in McDowell County,
West Virginia.
SAFE began the housing program with the development of the first transitional
housing facility for victims of domestic violence, homeless women and
their children. The former school building that was donated to SAFE was
transformed to 31 living units each containing a bathroom, two child care
centers, full-sized gymnasium, thrift store, learning center, conference
room, laundry rooms, office space and dining areas. After raising over
two million dollars for the renovations, the facility opened in January
1997.
In March 1997 with help from Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC),
SAFE began to work on a homeownership program to reach low income families
interested in becoming homeowners for the first time. By leveraging funds
from WVHDF through HUD funds for HOME/CHDO, USDA-RD, SHOP funds from Housing
Assistance Council and AHP funds through the Federal Home Loan Bank of
Pittsburgh, over 1.5 million dollars in housing loans have been made to
27 families. SAFE has tried to verify the improvement in their quality
of life through pictures of where they came from and their move to homeownership.
In May 2000, SAFE began the development of 40 townhouses with a community
center which contains a computer lab, child care, laundry facilities,
kitchen, office and meeting area. The development of this project was
accelerated because of the devastating floods in July 2001 and May 2002.
The project was enhanced because SAFE took the lead to form a construction
company to build 16 of the 40 units and the 2000 square foot community
center with local labor which gave jobs to 10 people for two years plus
they learned the expertise of building townhouses. The units were completed
utilizing CHDO/HOME funds from HUD through WVHDF, Section 515 and Community
Facility funds from USDA-RD and Affordable Housing Program (AHP) from
the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh. The project was completed in
October 2002 and totally rented with Section 8 and Section 515 subsidy
in February 2003.
During completion of the homeownership and rental projects, SAFE saw
the need to form another non-profit called SAFE Housing and Economic Development,
Inc. (SHED) which was incorporated in November 2002.
SHED took ownership and management of the Elizabeth Drewry Apartments
located at Eckman, West Virginia in May 2003. The apartments are named
for the first African American woman in the West Virginia Legislature.
The fifteen apartments were built with funding from USDA-Rural Development
to serve the elderly and disabled with Section 515 subsidy. This development
has been completely rehabilitated and contains laundry facilities and
a meeting room. |
