Page 11 - Florida Sentinel 11-13-15 Edition

Local
Man Uses Personal Experience To Help The Homeless
City Of Tampa Makes Great Progress In Repairing Potholes And Cave-Ins
Over the last few months, due to record set- ting rainfall over the Summer, the City has been working day and night to fill potholes and cave- ins. Since late July the city has repaired 4,046 potholes with 225 still in queue for repair, that’s compared to the 1,918 potholes repaired during the same time period in 2014. We’re also making great progress in repairing wastewater cave-ins and, as of August 1st, the city has repaired 513 wastewater cave-ins with 88 left in queue.
“Thanks to the great residents of this City for using our reporting system to ensure we have firsthand documentation of these potholes and cave-ins, you are the eyes and ears out in your neighborhoods and provide a great service by streamlining this process,” said Mayor Bob Buckhorn. “This city’s infrastructure is a top priority of mine as well as my staff and we will continue to work around the clock to make sure our roads are passable and open in record time.”
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
In 2008, Dexter Brock- man was homeless and sleep- ing in his car. He was a single father and had to send his son home to his mother to allow himself time to get his life to- gether.
“Since that time, I’ve recog- nized the first of November as my New Years.
“I’ve been blessed to have recovered from being home- less, and now each year I ran- domly do feedings for the homeless and hand out cloth- ing.”
Last year, Brockman spent 36 hours on the streets as a homeless person.
“I slept where they slept, ate where they ate, and found myself being drawn into their stories.
“In the past year, I have found some help in creating an organization called Hen Nest, Incorporated. Hen Nest sands for Helping Every Nationality No One Else Starves Today.”
Brockman said he is pro-
DEXTER BROCKMAN
viding food, clothing and infor- mation to homeless people so they can get assistance with shelter, medical and possibly jobs.
“Being homeless is not al- ways a choice. Sometimes, you just don’t have any other means of taking care of your- self.
“I hope to partner with other homeless programs in the area so we can spread the love, and give them a hand up. It is my goal to help every homeless person to become self-sustaining.”
City Seeks Applicants For Community Redevelopment Areas CAC
The City of Tampa Community Redevelop- ment Agency is currently seeking individuals to serve on Community Advisory Committees for four Community Redevelopment Areas: Chan- nel District (5), Downtown (2), Drew Park (2), and Tampa Heights Riverfront (4).
Applications must be received in the City Clerk's office by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, December 7, 2015.
The purpose of the Community Advisory Committees is to insure that the interests of res- idents, property owners, businesses and other stakeholders in the area are represented in key decisions. Community Advisory Committees provide input and make recommendations to City staff and the Community Redevelopment Agency concerning their respective areas.
Interested parties must live or work in one of the redevelopment areas or have significant in- terests within the area. Individuals with a back-
ground or expertise in the redevelopment process, such as neighborhood planning, real es- tate development, or real estate finance are also being sought.
These positions are voluntary. Individuals appointed to Community Advisory Committees serve without compensation.
The application package is available at the City Clerk's office, 315 E. Kennedy Blvd., Third Floor. Applications are also available on the City of Tampa Community Redevelopment Areas web page: www.tampagov.net/CRA.
The Community Redevelopment Agency will appoint members to the Community Advisory Committees at their meeting on January 14, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. in City Council Chambers, Third Floor, 315 E. Kennedy Blvd. At that meeting, ap- plicants may make brief presentations to the Community Redevelopment Agency concerning their background and qualifications.
FYI
FHFA Announces Expansion Of Neighborhood Stabilization Initiative
Washington, DC – The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today announced an expansion of the Neighborhood Stabilization Initiative (NSI) to 18 additional metropolitan areas around the country. Effective December 1, local commu- nity organizations will be given the opportunity to review and purchase foreclosed properties owned by Fannie Mae or Fred- die Mac in these 18 additional metropolitan areas prior to these properties being made publicly available for purchase. Sales prices will vary from market to market.
NSI was jointly developed by FHFA, Fannie Mae and Fred- die Mac and involves a partnership with Fannie Mae and Fred- die Mac and the National Community Stabilization Trust (NCST).
The 18 metropolitan areas designated for NSI expansion in- clude: Akron, OH; Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA; Balti- more-Columbia-Towson, MD; Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL; Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN; Cleveland-Elyria, OH; Columbus, OH; Dayton, OH; Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI; Jacksonville, FL; Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL; New York- Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA; Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL; Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE; Pittsburgh, PA; St. Louis, MO; Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL, and Toledo, OH.
These markets are Metropolitan Statistical Areas in which Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac each had at least 100 REO prop- erties valued at less than $75,000.
For more information about becoming an NCST community buyer, please contact NCST at newbuyer@stabilizationtrust.com.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 11-A