SPHA Beats Deadline for Obligation of ARRA Funds

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – Last year, the St. Petersburg Housing Authority (SPHA) received an allocation of approximately $1.3 million for the modernization of its public housing units under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). As of February 26, 100 percent of SPHA's ARRA funds have been obligated or expended, beating the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) March 17 deadline for obligation of these funds.

SPHA Chief Administrative Officer Robin Adams said, “We are very proud of our staff, who worked quickly and efficiently to get the ARRA funds under contract. We are confident that these stimulus projects will improve the quality of life for our public housing residents and provide jobs for our community.”

The housing authority is utilizing the ARRA funds for planned capital improvements on several public housing properties in St. Petersburg. The stimulus funding more than doubles the capital funding amount that SPHA typically would receive in a year, allowing SPHA to expedite necessary improvements and to create local jobs.

Several of the housing authority’s ARRA-funded projects already have been completed, and all will be underway during the 2010 calendar year. SPHA expects that all funding for stimulus projects will be expended by March 2011, one year earlier than the required ARRA expenditure deadline of March 2012.

Following is the list of the housing authority’s ARRA projects:

• Section 3 Resident Skills Assessment (Contract amount: $59,500.00)
• Administration (Budget amount: $129,763.00)
• Construction Management/Inspection and A&E Fees for ARRA related work/contracts (Budget amount: $129,763.00)
• Clearview Park Roof/Gutter Replacement (Contract amount: $55,260.00 - COMPLETE)
• Clearview Exterior Paint (Contract amount: $15,950.00 - COMPLETE)
• Clearview Exterior Wall Improvements Repair (Contract amount: $12,661.00)
• Clearview Gas/Electrical Conversion (Contract amount: $43,740.00) and Appliances (Contract amount: $6,918.00)
• Romayne Roof Replacement (Contract amount: $89,000.00 - COMPLETE)
• Romayne HVAC Unit Relocation on Roof (Contract amount: $16,933.00 - COMPLETE)
• Romayne Kitchen and Bath Replacement (Contract amount: $227,100.00)
• Romayne Windows and Doors Replacement (Contract amount: $63,075.00)
• Disston Interior Doors Replacement (Contract amount - ARRA portion: $28,659.00)
• Gateway Landscape/Signage/Fencing (Contract amount: $144,000.00)
• Gateway Replace HVAC Units (Contract amount: $55,800.00)
• Gateway Window Replacement (Contract amount: $75,500.00)
• Jordan Park Exterior Paint/Repair (Contract amount: $144,007.00)
TOTAL: $1,297,629.00

In completing these stimulus projects, SPHA is and will be compliant with all federal requirements involving Davis Bacon wage determination, Section 3 and M/WBE and SDB programs.

About St. Petersburg Housing Authority (SPHA):

The St. Petersburg Housing Authority (SPHA) is a public body corporate that has a 70‐year history of developing and administering affordable housing programs in the city of St. Petersburg. Consistently scored as a “High Performer” on U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) assessments, SPHA provides housing assistance to more than 3,400 families residing in St. Petersburg. The authority has received national awards and recognition for its innovative programs, including the Economies of Scale program, the Jordan Park HOPE VI redevelopment program, the
Section 3 program and the Fraud Recovery program. More information about the authority’s programs and services can be found at www.stpeteha.org.