| Community Development |
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Welcome to the Community Development (CD) Department of WSOS. The betterment of communities and all of their essential components results in better lives for people, and that is our goal. We help local governments assess the needs of constituents, plan for the best use of limited resources, then acquire the resources to develop priority projects. |
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| A community's employers provide a large share of the tax base necessary for public services as well as jobs and income for residents, and we work to assist them as well. |
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| The two-fold focus of the CD department is thus upon community betterment and economic opportunity. Serving this purpose has led to several distinct lines of business. |
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Housing Development
WSOS defines housing development as the creation of affordable housing opportunities by obtaining funds & financing to develop, site, build, or re-build both rental and owner-occupied housing units for moderate-income families and individuals.
Our development efforts include pursuing and obtaining "traditional" housing resources such as the Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP), which is available to local governments for such uses as housing rehabilitation, home repairs, downpayment assistance, homebuyer education, and lead paint testing and mitigation. WSOS also offers planning assistance to local governments to produce a Community Housing Improvement Strategy (CHIS), which, once adopted and approved by the Ohio Department of Development, allows the community to apply for CHIP funds for identified priority housing needs.
A recent consolidation has brought the WSOS housing development component to the Community Development department, assisting communities and developers in planning demand-responsive new housing, both rental and owner-occupied.
Don Corley, Housing Development Coordinator, has been with WSOS 24 years. Until 2002, he was the Director of Housing & Energy Programs. He now concentrates fulltime on affordable housing development.
In owner-occupied housing, WSOS is currently building 4 single-family homes in the Little Bark Creek neighborhood of Fremont. This is a $400,000 investment in the community.
Rental projects that are now in development include four projects with an estimated development cost of $14 million, providing 164 units of affordable housing within the WSOS service area. These developments are in partnership with the Woda Development Group from Bridgeport, OH.
Development locations include:
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Leewood Place
40 single family homes on Brush St., Sandusky Township / Fremont |
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Laurelhurst
44 elderly units on Woodlawn Avenue in Clyde |
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Laurel Greene
40 family units on Woodlawn Avenue in Clyde |
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Tremont Greene
40 family units off Rt. 53 in Tiffin |
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For more information contact Don Corley, Housing Development Coordinator at (419) 334-3332.
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