| BG housing specialist builds on experience |
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| Written by HAROLD BROWN Sentinel City Editor | ||
| Saturday, 19 May 2012 07:09 | ||
A year ago Speiss became Bowling Green's housing specialist, after working at the Maumee Valley Planning Organization, a five-county operation based in Defiance. Speiss replaced Forrest Blake, who retired after 25 years building up several housing programs. "I was part of a cluster of builders in the Delta area that were building 200 homes a year. In 2008 that dropped 90 percent. I was the last man standing," Speiss said. "I sure don't miss the 90-hour weeks and my weekends are now weekends. This is a great community to come into," he said. He also enjoys the fact that he can walk to at least some of the job sites from his office, compared to the Defiance job, which required him to drive long distances through Defiance, Williams, Paulding, Henry and Fulton counties. "The housing market is healthier here by far than in that area. There are some places in that area where $30,000 can buy a decent home. That $30,000 isn't going to get you as far in Bowling Green," Speiss said. Still he finds there is no lack of qualified low and moderate income individuals and families that the housing office can help. BG Grants Administrator Tina Bradley said Speiss also brings skills to the job that end the need for the office to contract out for lead and pest inspections. "Those are two key pieces that we now have and it enables the grant funding to go further. It helps us to do a little bit more than before," Bradley said. Speiss conducted a lead abatement training event for contractors in January. "We had 20 attend and can do it again if there is a need. We have to have contractors who are certified to do the work." Lead assessment is a requirement for most projects, especially in homes built before 1978. "The housing stock here is the right age. We have to handle lead abatement before we can do an $8,000 furnace project. We have to do what HUD says," Speiss said. Bradley said that Speiss' builder background is a plus "because he has the expertise of being able to judge the quality of a property and a project. We're less likely to have a liability issue. He administers the pieces and the parts and is very detail-oriented," she said. All six of the housing programs have income requirements and are focused on low and moderate income individuals and families. Many have features that forgive loans over a period of years following a project. Speiss said that when Blake retired, city officials noted he had been involved with more than $6 million worth of federal housing projects in the city. He pointed to a file cabinet saying it holds paperwork for roughly $1 million worth of projects financed through local housing programs. A special emphasis has been placed on the CDBG home repair program. Speiss said the program is for qualified homeowners who have a need to replace or repair on substandard system such as a furnace, roof, plumbing or electrical. The maximum project is $8,000. Finding people qualified for the downpayment assistance program has been a challenge. "It's a function of the market. Banks have been staying on the conservative side," Speiss said. A typical project averages less than four months, Speiss said, including intake, review, bidding and construction. "Rental rehab projects typically take longer because there is more to them," he said. Proceeds from revolving loan projects can generate new funds for a program. In one case the benefit was $38,000. On the flip side, there have been some foreclosures. "The bank is in line first and the city's $20,000 in a project takes a back seat." Speiss also fills a role as the city's Fair Housing Officer. "I'm the contact. If the complaint is legitimate, it is forwarded to the Ohio Civil Rights Commission." Details on all of BG's housing programs can be found at http://www.bgohio.org/departments/municipal-administrator/grants-administration/housing-programs |
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Comments
Also, his last name is spelled Spiess.
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