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Housing Program Moves Forward Without Grant

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By JOHN CEBALLOS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 5, 2008

WIMAUMA - A program designed to help low-income residents in Balm and Wimauma become more self-sufficient has hit a bump in the road.

The Balm-Wimauma Area Housing Partnership will not receive additional grant money for the 2008-09 funding cycle from Hillsborough County's Affordable Housing Office.

The partnership has been funded in part by Hillsborough County since it was established in 1999. Its other major contributor is the Children's Board of Hillsborough County.

Hillsborough's Housing and Community Code Enforcement Department annually receives and disburses block grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which is where the partnership's grant came from.

"The way it was explained to us was that the Balm-Wimauma Area Housing Partnership is not a 'bricks and mortar' program," said Dave Moore, executive director of the Beth-El Mission in Wimauma, where the partnership is based. "We deal more with people, and we don't build affordable or transitional housing."

Last year the partnership received $66,000 from the county.

The partnership's major goal is to support single-parent families with young children in Balm and Wimauma by reviewing their housing needs. When the organization was established, it helped families with minor plumbing issues. Eventually, it upgraded to helping with roofing and air-conditioning repairs.

In recent years, the partnership has become more involved in less direct ways of improving housing situations, including car repairs to help the parent maintain employment, as well as family counseling and various educational programs to help them toward self-sufficiency.

The organization was forced to cut back from three full-time case workers to two as a result of not receiving the grant, which also helped with other staff and administrative costs. Still, Moore insists the work will not stop.

"It's going to be more difficult, since we have up to 30 families a day come by for assistance," Moore said.

For information, call (813) 633-1548.

Reporter John Ceballos can be reached at (813) 865-1555 or jceballos@tampatrib.com.

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