Local Community Housing Corporation

Cops n Kids Youth CenterThe Cops n Kids Youth Center (Cops n Kids) is a licensed childcare center in providing high quality afterschool and summer camp programming. The immediate community in the Union Academy Neighborhood is considered at-risk youth due to the number of families that live in the census track with incomes near and below the 250% Federal Poverty Level. Due to this concentration, it is one of five high risk zones in the large demographic area of Pinellas County, Zone 5 neighborhood. Cops n Kids Youth Center was established in 1994 out of a small public housing community in Manago Circle managed by LCHCs sister agency Tarpon Springs Housing Authority. Mango Circle was demolished, and a new construction family community Eagle Ridge Apartments was accomplished in 2021. The Executive Director of the Tarpon Springs Housing Authority reached out to the Police Chief and offered the apartment to encourage Officers to hang out with local children and teens to help establish more positive community relations. The partnership and the program expanded and relocated to the Authority resident community center 560 E. Harrison Street and converted into a childcare center and the Police Department purchased the church 555 E. Harrison across the street to create a two-building campus for afterschool and summer camp programming for students. The mission of Cops n Kids Youth Center is to instill personal values through programs that empower youth and families to experience healthy successful lives. All staff (10 Housing Authority personnel and 1 Police Officer) are passionate about enriching the lives of youth ages 5-17 years of age through stimulating and fun year-round afterschool and summer camp programming. All services are free to families. LCHC is grateful to its immediate partner, the Tarpon Springs Police Department, for their support in providing the service to the community. Cops n Kids is a licensed childcare center certified and inspected regularly by the Pinellas County Licensing Board funded and regulated by the Department of Children and Families and the approved student capacity to serve is 75 youth. Frequent exposure to high quality programming that reinforces the power of education and strengthening a diverse and strong personal character is critical to developing resiliency, in addition to realizing the agency vision of stopping the generational cycle of poverty. Daily programming includes formal education program that includes one-one-one and small group personalized tutoring, student personalized social emotional skill-building to enhance education specific self-esteem and self-management, campus wide homework help, evidenced-based youth development curriculums, academic goal achievement through advanced grade level reading and math teacher lessons and assessments, organic gardening on-site, performing arts, career exploration, personal leadership, recreation / sports, community service projects, exposure field trips to venues that reinforce learning objectives and parent and community engagement events. The nonprofit agency contracts with local and state government agencies to fund personnel expenses and operational maintenance and enhancement costs. Each agency releases competitive grant solicitations, and the most effective applications are approved for annual funding year by year. Grant contract renewal is first- based on available funding within that agency funder and secondly- if LCHC contract holder, employer and programming provider meets annual targeted measurable objectives prescribed. All funding agencies require full compliance with local, state and agency regulations and performance measures. The Cops n Kids has consistently met all performance standards and often exceeds funder expectations. Current programming funders include the Juvenile Welfare Board- Out of School Time, Pinellas County CDBG (Community Development Block Grants) and the Department of Juvenile Justice- Positive Prevention.

Home Share PinellasThe Home Share Pinellas program was founded by LCHC in 2006. The program addresses the lack of affordable housing in Pinellas County for 20 years next 2026. The model is simple and extremely impactful if not a life saver. Staff with an extensive professional background facilitate new client (Homeowner Providers or Renters) eligibility process that includes background check of both potential Homeowner, comprehensive application and interviewing process prior to becoming approved as a Home Providers. Providers are homeowners who have a home yet struggle to keep up with ownership expenses such as mortgage, property taxes, homeowners insurance, and maintenance costs. Most of Home Shares current homeowners are from the Baby Boomer generation that want to age in place and maintain the home they have lived in for decades. They need a trustworthy tenant that can reliably pay below the market rate monthly rent. Traditionally Home Share has been able to help Renters negotiate rent rates that are 30% of the total current market rent rate for a one-bedroom apartment in Pinellas County. This steady income allows homeowners to avoid foreclosure, invest in home improvements and maintenance such as new AC, roofing, hot water heaters, etc. and have enough money to live well. Home Share has been able to directly empower long-term quality and stable housing such as 3-10 years matched, which HUD calls length of stay. Home Share Renters are individuals in need of housing that will allow them to pay an affordable rent which no longer exists in the private market across our Nation. Everyone deserves the right and dignity to live in a comfortable and secured dwelling and have long-term housing security and peace of mind versus the year-by-year anxiety of landlord rent hikes. Renters can be adult students, adults, small families (one adult one child or a couple) with a low-moderate income or people on fixed incomes. We often hear from applicants that they cant secure housing assistance vouchers through HUD programs due to the full and closed enrollment waitlists. Our sister agency Tarpon Springs Housing Authority certainly understands this local and national backlog of a population count that significantly exceeds the number of housing options available. This is a national crisis. Renters are working adults who can pay rent close to but not at the market and find it impossible to pay costly applications fees and one years advance rent deposits, creating a barrier to obtaining quality housing if a unit becomes available. A critically important phase of matching a Homeowner Provider and a Renter is talking with them privately and later together about their needs, interests and preferences. The match assessment process is both a skill and a nontangible art. The current Program Coordinator has more than 11 years working for Home Share Pinellas in addition to directly defining the protocol and facilitating the operational objectives to empower quality long term housing security for both the Homeowner and the Renter. Home Share professional staff promote living arrangements that are a good fit and mutually beneficial. Most Home Providers and Renters have stated in customer satisfaction surveys that having a long-term Renter / Home Provider arrangement enabled them to achieve greater quality of life goals because sharing home with another adult, they experienced lower levels of depression, anxiety and stress and strengthened their financial stability. Plus, the companionship is often a welcome bonus knowing that someone cares about your general safety coming and going from your home day by day. Home Share staff enjoy learning about the Home Provider and Renter becoming close friends and sharing their lives together like extended family, participating in hobbies to enjoying the festivities of the Holiday seasons. For the past 6 years, the average length of stay has been more than 27 months (2 years, 3 months. Most Home Providers are currently asking a rent rate between $650 $850 a month and this rate also includes utilities. LCHC manages Home Share Pinellas and contracts with local and state government agencies and foundations to provide funding resources for personnel expenses and operational costs. Each agency requires full compliance with regulations and targeted measurable program objectives. Grant writing efforts for management and staff are intense throughout each year for the small LCHC agency due to funders only contracting for one-year terms. Home Share is not a financial assistance program, and funds are not distributed to participants. Instead, Renters benefit from access to quality homes with reasonable rent. There are no application fees or deposits required for Home Share services. Most often, the Renter and the Home Provider are so pleased with the living arrangement that it becomes a long-term housing solution for both parties. Home Share captures the reasons for match Exits and we are pleased to share that the great majority were due to either the Home Provider or the Renter accomplishing a goal such as saving for a downpayment for their own place, moving out of the area to live closer to family or friends, securing a new job opportunity, etc.