University City program helps workers buy houses

UNIVERSITY CITY, Mo. -- For years, David Crismon commuted more than an hour from his home in New Athens to his job in University City as a firefighter and paramedic.

But his $300-a-month gasoline bills were starting to add up.

Crismon, a battalion chief with the University City fire department, also missed his Great Pyrenees dog, Dozer, on the 24-hour shifts he worked 10 days each month.

Then, Crismon read in an employee newsletter that University City had a program to encourage its municipal employees to move to the city. It would give employees up to $4,000 or 5 percent of the purchase price of a house, whichever was less.

"When U. City offered this, I jumped on it," said Crismon, who also had been looking at houses in Maplewood and Webster Groves.

University City is one of only a few municipalities in the country to offer employees help in buying a house. In the St. Louis area, it's the only one.

Crismon and Dozer now live happily on Purdue Avenue in the northeastern part of town. The house is just what he wanted: a 1 1/2-story brick house with a porch and "extremely nice neighbors."

For University City, the program offers a way to strengthen neighborhoods and recruit government employees.

For Crismon, it's a way to cut his commute to a few minutes and to live in the community where he works.

"I knew the house needed a little work, but that gives me something to do -- a new hobby, I guess you could say," Crismon, 38, said. "It's unassuming and has nice curb appeal and it's perfect for me. And I love U. City."

Crismon, who was the city's first employee to sign up, will receive a forgivable loan, meaning one-fifth of the loan is forgivable for each of five years. If he stays five years, he'll owe nothing.

University City's mission goes beyond its borders. The city is first to offer employees this assistance as part of a new regional effort to increase affordable housing for working families near their workplaces.

A regional alliance of housing and civic groups, businesses and governments launched the campaign this fall in response to a report by FOCUS St. Louis, a citizens group. The campaign says the region needs affordable work-force housing in all its communities for its teachers, police officers, day-care workers, bank tellers, social workers and others.

Employer-assisted housing isn't altogether new in St. Louis. Washington University and BJC pioneered the concept of employer-assisted housing in the St. Louis area more than a decade ago. The city of St. Louis and St. Louis Public Schools followed, along with some private companies and health systems.

Programs at St. Louis University, Washington University and BJC are still operating; the others are not.

The consortium helping University City includes Beyond Housing, FOCUS St. Louis and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored mortgage company. Other leading regional organizations in the alliance include the Regional Chamber and Growth Association, Downtown St. Louis Partnership, Housing Action Illinois and the Federal Reserve Bank, among others.

"The hope is that other municipalities and employers will follow University City's lead and explore these types of options," said Brian Phillips, a consortium member, FOCUS St. Louis volunteer and the administrator of the BJC and Washington University programs. Phillips, who has given some guidance to University City as it launches its program, is director of the Washington University Medical Center Redevelopment Corp.

Some other governments, including Tulsa, Okla., Rochester, N.Y., and Arlington County, Va., offer housing assistance for their public employees. Arlington County provides up to a $5,400 "forgivable loan" for county and school board employees to buy in Arlington. Around the country, governments, housing groups and businesses are forming consortiums to promote private and public employer-assisted housing. Illinois offers a tax credit and matching funds to employers to offer employees housing incentives.

University City is sweetening its pot to encourage employees to move to the northeast section of the city. The target area lies east of Midland Avenue and north of Olive Boulevard and abuts Pagedale, Wellston and St. Louis. The buyer must live on the property as a primary place of residence for five years. It may be a single-family house, a duplex or a condo.

Most of the existing housing stock in the northeast section is well maintained but a few properties have begun to show signs of deterioration, and some lots are vacant, said Yolanda Williams, University City director of human resources.

"If ignored, this influence leaves the area vulnerable to widespread blight," she said.

The University City council has budgeted $15,000 this fiscal year for the grants.

Crismon, the fire battalion chief, said he already is enjoying the benefits of home ownership. He wakes up as late as 5:30 a.m. to get to his 6 a.m. shift.

He also wants to use the money he will receive to put in a new driveway.

"And I want to build a fence for Dozer," Crismon said.