History of Sioux Empire Housing Partnership


The Sioux Empire Housing Partnership (SEHP) is dedicated to inspiring people to reach the American Dream of homeownership by increasing housing opportunities for individuals and families in the Sioux Empire. The Partnership carries out its mission by building new affordable housing developments, rehabbing homes and revitalizing neighborhoods, providing financial and homeownership education to people in the Sioux Empire and by working with area employers to provide down payment assistance to their workforce.

The Partnership was created in 1997 with the goals of preserving, improving and increasing the affordable housing stock in the Sioux Empire. These goals have been achieved over the years through a variety of innovative programs and services offering affordable housing to low-and moderate-income households and we continue to strive to achieve the same goals today that were set from the start.

Since its inception, the SEHP has revitalized 30 homes and built more than 60 new homes for modest-income families. Further, thousands of individuals and families have completed pre-purchase homebuyer education through the organization. The Partnership's primary market includes those between the 60%-80% median income.

Home Buyer Education


Julie with Clients
Julie Clark with clients
The Sioux Empire Housing Partnership’s award-winning homebuyer education program has assisted thousands of individuals and families with homebuyer education and financial counseling to guide them through the home buying process, eliminate some of the fear and anxiety of buying and to become more confident homebuyers. Lenders, Real Estate Agents and the business community have recognized the importance of SEHP’s education programs.

Many local lenders offer incentives for their buyers to attend homebuyer education through Sioux Empire Housing Partnership prior to buying a home. Further, the local title companies support our education programs by offering an additional discount on fees for those buyers who complete pre-purchase homebuyer education programs exclusively through Sioux Empire Housing Partnership.

Through the Education Department, Sioux Empire Housing Partnership provides one-on-one pre-purchase counseling and education, money management counseling, pre-foreclosure counseling and credit and debt management strategies. Working one-on-one with individuals and families, we provide guidance through the entire home buying process, addressing and identifying a buyer's unique needs and fears as well as establishing a financial plan unique to each borrower's situation. We provide support to help potential homeowners gain more confidence in themselves and the buying process, to repair credit, and to set up manageable budgets to ensure long term financial success even after the purchase of a home.

SEHP’s Education Center also provides outreach education to local business, nonprofits and colleges. SEHP has also been instrumental in forming the Employee Mortgage Assistance Program (EMAP), partnering with area businesses to assist more employees with their down payment and closing costs.

Whittier Neighborhood Revitalization


In 1999, SEHP joined forces with the Sioux Falls Community Development Office and Sioux Falls Housing Authority to begin a purchase/rehabilitation program in the Whittier neighborhood of Sioux Falls. This neighborhood suffered from a large number of absentee landlords. A number of homes were run down and it affected the entire area. SEHP, with its partners, was able to purchase several homes, rehabilitate them and sell them to low- to moderate-income buyers. This also had the desired effect of encouraging surrounding neighbors to fix up their homes and improve the entire area. The city installed new streetlights and addressed other neighborhood concerns.
Lacey Park
A Lacey Park neighborhood

Lacey Park


The Sioux Empire Housing Partnership's affordable housing project at Lacey Park encompasses 56 homes. This neighborhood offers a peaceful environment next to Lacey Park and near businesses that make a quick commute to work. The homes are a mixture of homes donated and moved from the Avera McKennan Hospital campus and completely renovated and quality, new construction homes. The Lacey Park project was made possible through donations made by the City of Sioux Falls, Avera McKennan Hospital and Wells Fargo, as well as generous funding from local lenders and Forward Sioux Falls.

Valley Green


Valley Green
Completed home in Valley Green
In 2004, SEHP purchased a tract of land in the northeast portion of Sioux Falls. The land was purchased at a discount rate and the development costs were reduced to develop the land. Eleven area banks formed a zero interest loan pool to fund the construction of new construction homes to be sold to low- to moderate-income households. Forty-nine homes were added to the city of Sioux Falls. The project is complete and low- to moderate-income families at or below 80% of the median income are now in new homes.

Hayward Meadows


Hayward Meadows is our newest development that will house a combination of multifamily and single family homes. It is located near 5th Street and Marion Road and will have a bike trail and green space that will go directly from the housing development to Hayward Elementary School. Development has begun with homes available for sale. Each prospective home buyer will have to meet income guidelines and attend a homebuyer education course through SEHP.
Hayward Meadows
Governor's House in Hayward Meadows

It is the goal of the Sioux Empire Housing Partnership to continue to offer affordable homes to first-time homebuyers. As we seek alternative methods to do this, Hayward Meadows will prove to be a prime area to venture into new forms of completing our mission.

One of the new programs that SEHP is excited about is the lease/purchase program. SEHP has partnered with South Dakota Housing Development Authority to construct Governor's Homes in Hayward Meadows with a three year lease/purchase option available to include qualified homebuyers. A portion of the monthly lease payment is set aside specifically to be applied as a down payment towards the purchase of the home at the end of the lease. This program allows individuals and families with poor credit to improve their credit score, thus qualifying for a home loan through a financial institution. Please call (605) 339-0492 or e-mail sehp@siouxfalls.com for further information.

Neighborhood Revitalization Project


Revitalized Home
An example of a revitalized home
In the spring of 2005, SEHP purchased the first of many repossessed HUD homes in an effort to offer a quality, rehabbed home to a low- to moderate-income homebuyer as well as beautify neighborhoods. HUD and SEHP have a partnership that offers a discount in the sale price of these homes with the agreement that the savings get passed along to the homebuyer.

Menlo Project


The Sioux Empire Housing Partnership undertook the Pettigrew Heights development in the fall of 2007 and it was completed in the winter of 2008. It is a multifamily unit of 5 condominiums located on 10th Street and Menlo Avenue that are being leased to those wishing to live near the heartbeat of the city. The units are approximately 1,100 square feet, consisting of two bedrooms and 1-1/2 bathrooms. They are within minutes of the businesses, shops and restaurants of downtown Sioux Falls. For leasing information, please call (605) 339-0942 or e-mail
Menlo Project
Menlo Project
sehp@siouxfalls.com.

The Menlo Project was the first major development in Pettigrew Heights. This area of the city has been designated
for revitalization by the Mayor. Pettigrew Heights is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Sioux Falls and was named
after Richard F. Pettigrew, one of South Dakota's first senators.

The vital and important history of the community was taken into account when the units were designed. They are an attractive addition to the neighborhood and a first step in establishing this area as a vibrant, family safe district to live and raise children. The Sioux Empire Housing Partnership is pleased to be the first to invest in the future of this area and is confident Pettigrew Heights will thrive and be a place of preference for citizens to live and work.

Affordable Housing Resource Centers


One of the services that the Partnership provides is assistance with identifying current affordable housing needs and planning for future affordable housing in your community. The Affordable Housing Resource Center program has been made possible through a grant from the Citi Foundation. The Citi grant affords the Sioux Empire Housing Partnership the ability to establish in communities within the MSA of Sioux Falls affordable housing resource centers whose activities will be directed towards affordable housing for low- to moderate-income families. A website has been designed that will develop and compile available data to help the communities with he purchase of land for the development of affordable housing projects, for revitalization projects of depressed neighborhoods, foreclosed properties through public/private partnerships and linked to the websites for South Dakota Housing Development Authority, HUD, Southeastern Council of Governments, USDA and other organizations. For the first-time homebuyer the center would have material available to address down payment assistance, for local banks on grants available from the Federal Home Loan Bank, employer assistance down payment programs and other options that may help with the purchase of an affordable home. The primary focus of the centers is that funds would be directed towards affordable housing. When completed, these centers will be solely owned and maintained by the communities themselves.

CHDO


In 2010, the Sioux Empire Housing Partnership addressed the issue of becoming a CHDO (Community Housing Development Organization). A CHDO is a private nonprofit, community-based, service organization that has, or intends to obtain, staff with the capacity to develop affordable housing for the community it serves. As a CHDO, the organization would have the opportunity to apply for HOME funds provided by HUD to the participating jurisdiction(s) which would improve its overall capacity to develop affordable housing. This is another avenue that the Sioux Empire Housing Partnership, serving as the sponsor agency for the CHDO, would be able to assist the low- to moderate-income individual in obtaining affordable home ownership.