UNITED WAY TASK FORCE TACKLING AREA HOUSING ISSUES

Addressing affordable housing needs in Cape Girardeau could be simplified once an assessment study of needs and demands is completed.

A housing task force of the Area Wide United Way met Thursday morning with consultant Liz Hagar-Mace of Jefferson City, Mo. The task force committee has been meeting monthly since last summer to discuss how to address the issue.

"You've got to find the problem and then decide what to do about it," said Michael Miller, city manager and a United Way board member.

Hagar-Mace has been hired under a $2,500 contract with the Area Wide United Way to conduct a study of the existing housing options in Cape Girardeau, assess the demand for housing, particularly at low- and moderate-income levels and make recommendations to the task force. The work should be complete by late June.

Over the years United Way has determined that there are housing needs in Cape Girardeau but that no one is addressing them collectively, said Nancy Jernigan, United Way executive director.

There is a void in the programs being offered in Cape Girardeau, officials said. The city does qualify for programs offered by the USDA Rural Development agency because of its size but isn't large enough for other entitlement grants offered by the government.

But Hagar-Mace remains optimistic that programs are available. "The funding is out there, you just have to go after it," she said. There are tax credit programs for developers, loan programs for people making the move from rental to ownership, and other assistance vouchers and grants for low-income families.

Until now, the community has relied on the city to take the initiative in finding block grants and assistance programs, Jernigan said.

"We don't want to lose focus on the people and just build homes and put people in them but work on what their needs are," Jernigan said. "We want to help the people who are willing to be helped."