EMPLOYMENT TRAINING

Employment training is an integral part of St. Louis' comprehensive strategy for economic development. In partnership with the federal government, the City of St. Louis provides its citizens with a wide array of job skills training for a variety of vocations. In addition, many private businesses hire private training centers to train their new workers. The City faces acute problems with regard to employment training and requires a strategy to address these needs.

The St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment (SLATE) is the City department designated to administer employment training programs with federal funding through the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). SLATE's main purpose is to prepare youth and unskilled adults for entry into the labor force and to provide job training to economically disadvantaged individuals and others who face barriers to employment.

• Occupational Skills Training, which includes clerical, medical, and trade and service industry training;
• On-the-Job Training (OJT), in which private business pay 50 percent of the training costs;
• Job Search Training, where participants learn how to find a job and how to secure long-term employment,
• Direct Job Placement.

SLATE also provides supportive services for eligible persons enrolled in employment training programs. These services include day care, transportation assistance, and needs-based cash payments to eligible individuals.

In addition to SLATE, employment training in the City of St. Louis is conducted by many schools, vocational training centers, and other private firms dedicated to job training services. SLATE, for example, contracts with over 20 training centers each year to provide services to eligible individuals (see table). Individuals who do not qualify for JTPA funds through SLATE still have these training centers at their disposal, but the costs of many training programs -- plus day care and transportation services -- may be exceedingly high to many persons in need.

Residents of the City who receive job training -- either with public assistance or exclusively through the private sector -- include (1) individuals who qualify for JTPA funding, (2) unemployed individuals who can afford job training from an educational/vocational center or private job training firm, and (3) newly employed individuals whose employers pay for their job training through a private training center. The following groups of individuals automatically qualify for federally funded job training through JTPA:

• Persons who are eligible for the federal food stamps program,
• Persons who are eligible for Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), and
• High school dropouts.

The most immediate challenge is to offer job training to those individuals who do not qualify for JTPA funding and cannot afford a private job training center. The following groups of individuals, who are ineligible for JTPA funding through SLATE, represent those St. Louis residents most in need:

• Individuals whose annual income exceeds the JTPA limit (see table). For example, in a family of four where the mother earns an income greater than $15,540 and the father is unemployed, the father is ineligible for employment training through SLATE. It is reasonable to assume that this family of four could not afford the costs a private training center.
• Individuals who have attained a level of education that exceeds JTPA limits (known as persons who are "educationally overqualified.") These individuals are particularly vulnerable because even though they may have a high school diploma or General Equivalency Diploma (G.E.D.) they may lack the necessary skills for long-term employment.
• Persons with mental illness are automatically ineligible for JTPA funding.

Another challenge that should be addressed involves those individuals who may qualify for JTPA-funded employment training but are unaware of SLATE and its services. Rough estimates from SLATE, indicate that up to 900 people per week visit their office to fill out a JTPA pre-application form. However, this constitutes only a fraction of potential candidates for help.

Finally, there is a need for enhanced follow-up services for those individuals who are assigned a job counselor at SLATE but do not take advantage of the training opportunities. Of the roughly 40,000 - 50,000 people that come through SLATE's doors in a given year, for example, only 3,000 receive employment training and placement assistance. Job counselors at SLATE describe the tremendous difficulty in moving individuals through the entire employment training process. SLATE needs more job counselors to follow up on individuals who have expressed interest in employment training but for some reason do not see the process through to conclusion.

The City of St. Louis should consider the following initiatives in its effort to improve the delivery of employment training:

a) Enhance Community Outreach to Potential SLATE Participants.

St. Louisans who are most in need of job training -- high school dropouts, the unemployed, persons living below poverty -- are also those who are most in need of employment training information. Current resources such as the City’s cable station, public service announcements, and advertisements in local publications should be used to inform citizens of job training opportunities at SLATE and elsewhere. The City especially needs to expand outreach to the St. Louis public high schools so that students can be informed about employment training before they drop out of school. SLATE currently provides a high school outreach program but cites the need for an expansion of the program.

b) Bolster Follow-Up Services for Discouraged Participants.

Action Step (a) may bring more St. Louisans through SLATE's doors but the job counselors at SLATE may not have the resources to handles the increased volume of clients. In fact, SLATE job counselors report that one of the most significant problems with job training in St. Louis is the high attrition rate of clients; that is, clients drop out of the process before they complete their job training or placement. The City needs to build its follow-up resources at SLATE so that job counselors will be better able to assist clients through the entire employment training process.

c) Expand the Number of Publicy-Assisted Job Training Positions.

The only publicly-assisted job training that is currently offered in St. Louis is through SLATE's federally funded programs. If, for example, a St. Louisan does not qualify for federally assisted job training or cannot afford to pay out-of-pocket for job training, then that citizen will not receive training. Therefore, the City should explore alternative sources to subsidize job training positions for those individuals who do not qualify for current federal guidelines.

d) Enhance Day Care and Transportation Services.

Day care and transportation services are crucial components of employment training programs. SLATE currently provides day care and transportation for those who qualify. The City should explore alternatives to expand these resources so that more citizens could participate in the training programs.

SLATE is funded with Federal money; it receives no funding support currently from City General Revenue. Recognizing that action steps (b), (c), and (d) will require a significant amount of funding, the private sector should be called upon to help defray these costs. Although many private firms currently provide job training for their new workers, contributions should be sought to support publicly-assisted employment training programs. Additional funding opportunities should be sought as well from State and Federal sources. New public-private partnerships will enable the City of St. Louis to build a stronger, more qualified labor force.

CRIME AWARENESS

Violent and abusive crimes along with crimes against property have a profound effect on the City of St. Louis. According to St. Louis City Crime Statistics, between the years of 1988 and 1993 crimes against persons rose 43% (from 10,481 to 14,996); crimes against property rose 6% (from 47,391 to 50,238). These crimes affect the City's economic balance as well as public health. This rise in crime is largely associated with drug trafficking. Presently 70% of the courts calendar is devoted to drug-related cases. Of the City's current inmate population, over half are drug-related offenders. The relationship between drug abuse and violent crime is a profound problem. The number of victims of random violence is increasing. Currently homicide is the leading cause of death of young African American's in the City of St. Louis. Between 1988 to 1993 homicides in St. Louis City rose 91%(from 140 persons murdered to 267).

Crime, especially violent crime, is destructive and demoralizing to its victims. The effects of crime against property and crime against persons extends from the victims to the surrounding neighborhood. It weakens the bonds that create a sense of place and a sense of community. In addition, crime and the perception of crime, is one of the major contributing factors to housing and neighborhood disinvestment. The need for crime prevention programs was a recurring theme in the citizen participation phase of this plan.

A variety of both private and public organizations provide services to residents of the City. These service programs cover a wide range, from preventative measures to that of victim services.

Aid for Victims of Crime (AVC) is a comprehensive program that offers services to all victims of crime. Victimization extends to the family members and loved-ones of both the victim and the perpetrator. They act as a referral service to a myriad of victim assistance organizations. Through their outreach services, AVC sees that victims get the most appropriate services in the appropriate jurisdiction in the multi-county area (see Table 45). They provide hotline counseling, listening, and advocacy(employers, creditors, funeral directors, family, friends, landlords, etc.). In addition AVC offers criminal justice system guidance and helps in filing crime victim's compensation claims. They respond specifically to the victims and survivors of homicide, DUI/DWI, assault, robbery, burglary, auto theft, arson, harassment, and stalking. Currently there are no other organizations that respond to these survivors.

Crusade Against Crime is a volunteer organization aimed at educating the public on all aspects of crime prevention and crime awareness. They educate consumers about the criminal justice system. Crusade Against Crime is also a people's advocate that works toward needed legislative and judicial reform.

Operation SafeStreet is a research and development branch of the City government that targets issues of crime prevention. It provides both public awareness and training to City residents at the neighborhood level. Important services include:

• Home Security Program which provides crews that can install double cylinder dead-bolt locks; pin first-floor windows; install removable basement door barricades; peep-holes in front doors; bars on basement windows; and smoke detectors.
• Anti-auto theft collars which are provided at a moderate cost.
• Operation Crackdown which is a joint program between the City of St. Louis, the State of Missouri, and the Federal government to remove drug traffickers from targeted neighborhoods.
• Drug Nuisance Program which informs landlords of reported drug activities and drug arrests made on or about their property.
• Coordination for National Night Out, a national event promoting neighborhood unity.

The Police Department is responsible for the protection of life and property in the City. They also compile data on crimes, traffic offenses, juvenile delinquency, etc.. The Department organizes a series of programs aimed toward educating the public on all aspects of crime prevention and awareness. It also operates special hotline services: TAAC(Those Against Armed Criminals), Get Tough Narcotics Hotline, and Crime Stoppers Hotline. The Police Department supervises the COPS program (Community Oriented Policing) which provides violence prevention programs targeted toward selected neighborhoods.

This organization offers monetary rewards to persons who assist in solving crimes. They guarantee anonymity to citizens who share pertinent information to the Police Department.

In addition to the before mentioned organizations, many neighborhood organizations have established crime prevention committees. Their mission is to unify St. Louis neighborhoods by involving the total family, and all aspects of community including churches, teachers, social workers, city and state representatives and neighborhood businesses.

Table 45 lists providers of targeted services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse. The Circuit Attorney's Office primarily services victims whose cases are going to trial; however, only one percent of reported crimes goes to trial.

As the crime rate in the City of St. Louis continues to rise, so does the need for citizens to address the situation. The most pressing issue lies in the need for City residents to become more aware of crime and to take preventative measures against victimization. The safety of neighborhoods and the people that reside in them is a self-sustaining responsibility. There is a strong need for more community based programs such as a neighborhood watch. The cost of such programs is minimal; but, the positive effect they have can be tremendous. Safety is a responsibility that begins with the family. From the family the responsibility expands to the neighborhood and community in which they live.

There are other ways in which a community can protect itself from crime. The formation of volunteer mobile patrols creates a more secure environment and gives residents some control over the crimes that occur in their neighborhood. Street closings and the establishment of block groups can enhance the sense of community. The more vulnerable residents of the City need to be protected. Their security can be enhanced with programs such as the locks and window bars that are provided to elderly residents by the Senior Home Security.

The problem of crime and violence is very much interrelated with issues of substance abuse and depressed community existence; however, crime and its destructive results cuts across all social, racial, and economic lines. The City faces the challenge of finding a solution that will address the issues of crime and crime awareness in an integrated way.

Currently the City of St. Louis and several non-profit groups offer a wide array of services promoting crime awareness and crime prevention. Many of the programs are in need of continued or expanded funding. A particular gap exists in the area of victim's services. To fill that gap and to further provide for existing prevention and awareness programs, the following recommendations are made:

a) Explore funding opportunities to support community based programs aimed at crime prevention.

This would aid in reinstituting much needed programs that are currently short of funds such as Operation SafeStreet's Porch Light Program. This would also enable organizations to continue some of their existing programs.

b) Enforce curfew laws and investigate the feasibility of establishing "Curfew Centers" as well as after-school programs.

The curfew laws in the City need to be enforced in order to keep our youths off the street. Curfew Centers would detain the youths until they are picked up by their parent or guardian. The establishment of after-school programs would aid further in the effort to offer alternative activities to youths.

c) Increase the number of substance abuse programs for City residents including a major effort towards prevention and outreach.

A great percentage of perpetrators are also substance abusers. It is known that a large majority of crime is related to illegal substances and their abuse. Not only does the issue of elevated crime incidence require attention; the issue of substance abuse requires attention as well.

d) Create programs to provide services to crime victims whose needs are not presently being met.

Currently 85%-90% of victim service funding goes to three categories- Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse. This reflects large unmet needs. The result of this focus, however, is to exclude victims of other crimes who are often left untreated.

Many avenues can be explored to implement the proposed recommendations. Monetary contributions need not come solely from local government. They can also be provided through corporate, civic and individual contributions. Programs and services on the neighborhood level can be realized through volunteer efforts.

Currently the City of St. Louis has allocated $437,000 through the 1995 Community Development Block Grant towards various crime prevention programs. If held constant in the future, this figure will amount to $2,185,000 over the next five years.

FAIR HOUSING COUNSELING

Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 made it unlawful to discriminate against anyone in respect to the selling, renting, or financing of housing on the basis of their race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. In order to strengthen this legislation, Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 was enacted. The Amendment, which went into effect on March 12, 1989, enforces Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and extends its protection to families with children and the handicapped.

Salient issues in Fair Housing are the insurance of affirmative fair housing for the handicapped and Fair Housing compliance within the lending institutions and real estate communities. The discriminatory practices exhibited within lending institutions are usually the result of a lack of understanding of the Fair Housing Act requirements. Non-compliance is largely attributable due to ignorance.

To nullify discriminatory housing practices in the St. Louis area, fair housing agencies are emphasizing education. These agencies have conducted numerous seminars designed to inform homebuyers/renters of their rights and housing providers, realtors and lending institutions of the responsibilities required under Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988.

There are numerous services in the St. Louis area that provide fair housing counseling. Many agencies also serve as advocates of fair housing legislation as well as to educate their clients on the rights guaranteed them in the legislation. Most of the agencies provide referral services to other agencies that treat fair housing complaints. In a few instances, agencies are able to promote fair housing compliance through litigation.

Studies on impediments to fair housing in the St. Louis Metropolitan area are actively being conducted. The Fair Housing Impediment Analysis is one such study. Information assembled in the study will be used to target impediments to fair housing. Area agencies may then direct their services to these problem areas, creating a more efficient fair housing network.

The Fair Housing and Equal opportunity division of HUD is a federal office that advocates and enforces fair housing legislation, especially the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Fair Housing Act (FHA). The local office, which was a compliance advisory agency until 1991, now handles discriminatory complaints and conducts investigations. The Agency, which files approximately 1,000 housing discrimination cases per year, conducts any necessary legal action in association with the U.S. Department of Justice. Other functions include:

• Investigating discrimination complaints and providing mediation.
• Pursuing legal action in cases where investigation concludes that discrimination has occurred, if the situation cannot be settled through mediation. In compliance with the Fair Housing Act of 1988, the complainant will be provided with an attorney if the discrimination problem is irreconcilable, or the client desires to pursue the case in court. The Act also empowers the Agency in cases were there is not a complainant, but there are inferences of discriminatory practices (e.g. lending institutions with a low level of loans to minorities and a high level of loan applicants from minority groups). In these cases they may initiate investigation and legal action themselves.
• Providing informational/educational outreach for the housing industry and community organizations. Outreach, as well as an abundance of literature is provided upon request, in addition to that which the Agency initiates.

The Missouri State Commission on Human Rights advocates and enforces state laws which oppose discrimination in employment, private accommodations and in housing. The Commission has the power to investigate discrimination complaints and to seek civil suits on behalf of clients. The Commission's fair housing services include:

• Investigating housing discrimination complaints in order to determine if any violations of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or the Fair Housing Act of 1988 have been committed. Violations are, if possible, remedied through Commission mediation to ensure non-discriminatory practices. In instances of blatant discrimination, the case is relinquished to the civil courts.
• Sponsoring educational materials and seminars designed to inform both home buyers/renters and home providers of their rights and duties under fair housing legislation.
• Referring clients to the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Division, when warranted.

The purpose of the City's Civil Rights Enforcement Agency is to advocate and enforce both State and Federal civil rights legislation. With regards to fair housing, the Agency advocates and enforces fair housing regulations set by Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Fair Housing Act of 1988. This Agency works along side HUD in its mission, particularly with civil suits. Some services provided by CREA include:

• Advocating and enforcing civil rights legislation, including fair housing laws.
• Educating its clients by conducting seminars in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. These seminars focus on the fair housing rights of all St. Louis citizens. They also address the necessity of housing industry compliance with fair housing legislation.
• Mediating between the complainant and the discriminating party is another service provided by CREA. In irreconcilable instances the case is sent to the Fair Housing Office of HUD.

This nationally based non-profit organization strives to provide housing for low income people. The local organization assists approximately 1,300-1,500 area clients per year with various offerings such as: credit and budget counseling, housing rehabilitation loans, and homebuying loans. ACORN's service area is comprised of St. Louis City and metropolitan area counties. The organization's fair housing services include:

• Referring clients to other agencies that are more specifically designed to deal with discrimination complaints and counseling clients on their rights to fair housing.
• Ensuring that clients receive fair treatment in the pursuit of a home, particularly with respect to financing. ACORN refers its clients to lending institutions that actively comply with fair housing legislation. The organization acts as a middleman by securing financial backing from lending institutions and allocating home loans themselves as a means to insure fair housing legislation compliance.

The Catholic Charities of St. Louis is a multi-service United Way organization. This organization is comprised of four sites serving the metropolitan area: the Catholic Charities Administrative Offices, Dial Help, Refugee Services, and Catholic Charities Homeownership Program. Services include community planning and research, volunteer placement services, resettlement needs to immigrants and an array of housing and fair housing services:

• Through a financial aid program, the Catholic Charities' Homeownership program provides home loans to clients that would be considered "at risk" borrowers by lending institutions. Catholic Charities helps obtain the loan and finances in accordance with its clients income.
• The financial aid program also provides fair housing counseling and education, as well as counseling to enable first time homebuyers to purchase a home.
• The Information and Referral program provides referral to other fair housing organizations in the area.

The NPC's mission is to provide the City of St. Louis' Northside community with a quality living environment. Although the NPC is a housing oriented organization, it also provides crime prevention, youth training and employment services. The organization's housing activities include home rehabilitation, home improvement grants (a joint effort with HUD and CDA), and the following fair housing services:

• Counseling its clients on what constitutes discriminatory behavior and referring clients to other fair housing counseling agencies.
• Providing bi-monthly homebuyer/homeowner seminars in conjunction with lending institutions, realtors, and home inspectors. These seminars are designed to inform buyers of their rights and to acquaint them with housing providers that are in compliance with fair housing legislation.
• Providing home loans through the HOPE 3 Program and by working with lending institutions to develop forgivable loans.
• Helping first-time homebuyers to receive low interest second mortgages that are income based through the Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC) Assistance for Homeownership Program..

This organization provides a number of housing services in the City and County. Condemnation relocation assistance, counseling, and six month follow-up are key services. The center also assists clients that are in need of relocation from shelters. Intervention to prevent homelessness and eviction is also provided. Fair housing services include:

• Staffing a 24- hour hotline that assesses housing problems, such as housing discrimination, and refers them to a proper agency.
• Assisting clients in finding emergency and transitional housing.

This nine site organization provides an abundance of services. These services include, but are not limited to: emergency food and clothing allocation; home rehabilitation and weatherization; vocational training; employment placement; educational courses including GED and literacy classes; recreational and cultural activities (African-American); crime awareness programs; community development; and transportation for the elderly. The Urban League also provides a number of housing and fair housing related services:

• The League refers clients to decent and affordable housing with referral assistance from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Fair housing counseling and referrals are also conducted.
• Home management services programs educate Urban League clients to be knowledgeable consumers in the home market. The League also assists clients in finding home industry services (lending institutions and home providers).
• The Urban League provides forgivable loans to elderly and to disabled homeowners. They also provide low interest loans for code-related repairs through the Agency's "Direct Revolving Loan Program".

The City of St. Louis is working to secure the enforcement of fair housing and an understanding of impediments to fair housing. Enforcement of fair housing laws will be the key to change. Punitive action may be a measure of insuring that home providers comply. Educating housing providers of their responsibilities, under the fair housing laws, is a necessity. This includes educating home providers on their responsibilities to the disabled community as a crucial element in insuring their right to fair housing.

The fair housing agencies and services in the St. Louis area are actively engaged in a mission to alleviate discrimination in housing. For this reason, most recommendations will focus on improving efficiency in existing programs and legislation. The following recommendations are designed to bring the City closer to its goal of insuring the citizens right to fair housing.

a) Increase the amount of education available to home seekers and providers on the implications of fair housing laws.

Lack of knowledge is the greatest cause of housing discrimination. Home seekers accept discrimination because they do not know their rights, while home providers discriminate because they do not know what the term discrimination embodies or what potential civic and/or punitive actions may result from discriminatory behavior. If existing agencies offered more educational/informational seminars, the discriminatory practices caused by ignorance would decline. Providing some type of incentive for participation in seminars may be appropriate.

With regards to discrimination against the disabled, educating home providers on their obligation to provide accessible housing is necessary. A program which requires and/or rewards home providers for participation in educational seminars is a possible solution here as well.

b) Create a network within counseling and referral agencies that will aid clients in finding lending institutions with good fair housing compliance records.

The sharing of information by agencies will allow clients to improve chances of a home loan from a fair lending institution. This network will also broaden the financial information that the individual agencies presently have. Most importantly, by increasing the clientele of certain lenders, other lending institutions will be forced into compliance in order to compete.

c) Conduct follow-up studies such to the Fair Housing Impediment Analysis.

Studies will be the key to understanding the impediments to fair housing, particularly for the disabled. It will also aid fair housing agencies in targeting their services. The problem cannot be solved if it is not identified and understood.

d) Create a forum, whereby service providers for the disabled community can exchange ideas.

By working together, referral services will broaden the disabled housing provider base. They will be able to expand existing listings. It should also help define ways that developers, lenders, and landlords can better understand their rights and responsibilities.

e) Build a database of housing providers willing to accept large families, particularly those with children, and the disabled.

This will allow large families to find housing with sufficient rooms more easily. The disabled will be able to find housing designed in consideration with their needs.

The expansion of local fair housing counseling services should come from the Community Development Block Grant program, general revenue and special grant opportunities. Key functions of this program are the affirmative promotion of fair housing and the provision of affordable housing to the community. In that some fair housing service agencies are federal and state operations, it is fitting that any necessary budget supplementations be federal and state revenue funded.

TENANT-LANDLORD COUNSELING

Disputes between tenants and landlords are a common phenomenon in a City with a high renter population. These disputes often arise out of a lack of accurate information regarding the roles and responsibilities in a landlord/tenant relationship. This lack of knowledge can lead to misunderstandings, evictions and law suits. Due to the need for education and mediation, area counseling agencies play an integral role in improving tenant-landlord relationships.

A mix of non-profit and government agencies provide counseling services. Among the participants in St. Louis are:

Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Division. This U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development agency advocates and enforces fair housing practices. Services include counseling tenants and landlords of their rights under the law and providing mediation and education services. The agency holds several seminars a year which address rental property issues.

Civil Rights Enforcement Agency (CREA). CREA advocates and enforces all state and federal civil rights legislation, including that which pertains to housing. Although the Agency deals with all types of housing issues, tenant-landlord complaints are the bulk of its caseload. Services include counseling, dispute mediation, and referrals service for tenants and landlords.

The Agency receives approximately 2,500-3,000 calls per year dealing with tenant-landlord issues. CREA acts as a mediator, and tries to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants. CREA will try to resolve the conflict so that it does not result in an eviction. In cases that cannot be resolved, the Agency will refer clients to legal agencies. Educating both parties of their rights and duties under the law, and in accordance with their rental contract, is another Agency service.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri (ACLU). The ACLU provides legal services in cases involving free speech, equal protection, and fair practices under the law. The Agency asserts these rights through court action, when necessary. The ACLU provides counseling and mediation services to tenants and landlords, and tries to resolve the problem out of court. Clients are also referred to other tenant-landlord counseling providers in cases where legal action is not necessary. Providing literature and seminars educating clients on the legal obligations of renters and landlords is another ACLU function.

DeSales Community Housing Corporation. The Desales Housing Cooperation is the operating agency for the Community Development Agency's "Property Management and Repair Program". The program provides rental property owners with a property manager free of charge. The current goal is to seek participation by 300 housing units, particularly those occupied by low-income families. The program is designed to enhance living conditions for tenants. It requires participating landlords to make necessary repairs to obtain compliance with all property codes, and performs follow-up visits to insure that the repairs are made.

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri. This organization provides legal assistance and advocacy to assists clients in obtaining government entitlements. It also provides free legal services in civil cases, such as housing, to income eligible clients. Tenant-landlord services of the Agency include counseling and mediation. The Agency tries to resolve conflicts between the parties involved. Seminars on legal responsibilities and rights are provided.

Northside Preservation Commission (NPC). The Commission is dedicated to improving housing conditions on the City's Northside. NPC provides "Forgivable Loans" to clients so that they may become homeowners, or make aesthetic and code related repairs to their homes. The NPC implements several housing programs, including the HOPE 3 Program. The organization also provides educational services to homeowners, such as budgeting and maintenance classes.

With regards to tenants and landlords, the NPC provides several services. The NPC offers a placement service for tenants who have completed a tenant training program. The client not only finds housing, but is able to keep it by fulfilling tenant responsibilities. NPC educates landlords of their duties as well. Through routine follow-up visits, the Commission monitors landlords to assure that they maintain their property.

Education and law enforcement are a necessity for dispute resolution in this arena. Most tenants and landlords do not understand their obligations or rights under the law or as dictated in their rental contracts. Many landlords do not know proper eviction procedures, or what housing code compliance entails. Tenants do not know when they are breaching their contract by having too many occupants, or are being disruptive. Educational workshops are necessary to inform these groups.

Training sessions for landlords and programs, such as the CDA/ Desales Community Housing Cooperation's Property Management and Repair Program, will insure that landlords understand and fulfill their obligations to tenants. Tenant training sessions and placement services will help responsible tenants find housing with compatible landlords. This all leads to better rental property relations.

Tenant-landlord problems are due in large part to a lack of knowledge. Most tenants and landlords do no know their rights and duties under the law, or as signified by their leases. Although there are counseling agencies that provide tenant-landlord mediation, many of these agencies are busy with other duties. The most important recommendations for tenant-landlord counseling would address these issues.

a) Increase services available to aid and educate landlords.

More programs like the CDA/Desales Community Housing Corporation's management program could provide owners of rental property with free management advice and insure proper management conduct. This program also aids property owners in making repairs necessary to improve the living conditions of renters.

b) Increase the number of services which educate and assist tenants.

Expanding counseling programs that are over subscribed will allow more tenants to understand their legal rights and duties as renters. Mediation and financial services provided by these agencies will allow tenants to deal responsibly with landlords and fulfill their contractual obligations.

c) Improve court sponsored mediation services.

Having a defined mediation system in the courts may alleviate the frequency of tenant-landlord cases that go to court. Cases can be resolved without punitive action and court mandated eviction.

Tenant-landlord counseling agencies are funded by a number of sources. The Civil Rights Enforcement Agency currently receives $368,000 annually; approximately thirty percent of this funding is allocated to tenant-landlord counseling and mediation. The DeSales Corporation receives approximately $210,000 in funding annually with about $60,000 being allocated towards tenant-landlord issues. Several providers are CDBG funded; however, general revenue and private donations are prominent sources of funding as well.

CHILD CARE SERVICES

Currently more than two thirds of women in the nation are employed full time. Fifty-seven percent of children under the age of 13 have mothers who work outside the home. An increasing number of working mothers are single-heads of household. Finding appropriate child care is one of their greatest concerns. The child care system in the United States is viewed as an issue of collective responsibility. Increasingly, society is expected to assume a joint responsibility with families in the raising of productive children as future members of society.

The State of Missouri requires the inspection and licensing of all child care facilities that provide services for more than four unrelated children. These licensing requirements are intended to protect the child by establishing a level of acceptable care. Services are provided through a licensing staff that offers on-site inspections of child care facilities and technical assistance and consultation to child care providers.

In the City of St. Louis there are 298 certified child care facilities comprised of 113 centers, 182 homes, and 3 group homes. The capacity range is between 15 to 232 in the centers, 5 to 10 in home care, and 16 to 19 in group homes. The total capacity of all certified child care facilities is 9,133. Approximately 7,600 children are cared for in day care centers, 1,700 are cared for in family day care centers and about 50 children are cared for in group homes. Currently there are 45 day care centers and 63 homes accepting children of at least six weeks of age. Five of these centers and 135 of these homes offer services to infants younger than six weeks of age.

The Child Day Care Association provides resource and referral services, staff development, and child care food programs. The association is the central planning, training and coordinating agency for day care in the Greater St. Louis area. It delivers services to the community, to families and to child care providers in centers and homes.

The St. Louis Regional Child Care Partnership's major goal is to improve the quality, affordability and accessibility of child care in the St. Louis Community. The Partnership functions as a vehicle for the study and analysis of child care issues, dissemination of information, development of cooperative ventures and appropriate advocacy to improve child care in the St. Louis area.

The Department of Health currently requires child care facilities to be licensed; however, many child care services are exempted from the licensing requirement. For example, the State of Missouri has exempted schools and religious institutions from all licensing requirements. Because investigation of child care facilities is necessary to determine the adequacy of services this exemption could curtail the ability to provide safe, and affordable quality child care.

Quality child care is a universal goal. Low income families face the added burden of affordability. According to the 1990 census, of the City's 91,747 families, almost 21% live in poverty. Female-headed households claim the largest proportion of these families (approximately 14,061 households). Because of the high numbers of young children living in female headed households and the lower earning power of women, the need for affordable, quality childcare has become of primary importance. Dead-end, low-wage jobs force many women to take on more than one job to make ends meet. This reality exacerbates their need for affordable childcare.

However, lack of access to good quality, affordable child care is not a problem felt exclusively by female heads of households. Young families in particular find quality child care outside their reach. The cost of child care combined with the stagnation of wages during past decades has place many young families in a bind. Often families need the income of two earners to make ends meet: however, the additional income earned by a second worker is sometimes solely devoted to child care cost. The impact on expendable income is obvious.

Although market rates vary between child care providers, some child care facilities adopt rates for financial assistance such as sliding fee scales, Title XX, and Future's funds. Often these programs are insufficient, causing the burden of child care expenditures to be an insurmountable obstacle for many families. Lack of affordable and quality child care is often responsible in keeping women of low income from seeking employment outside the home. Inadequate funding for welfare to work programs and FUTURES limits the access to child care and ultimately closes the road to economic independence for many mothers on welfare.

The challenge of child care is not exclusively economic. Currently, the overall demand is much greater than the spaces available. Licensed child care, homes and centers Statewide are only able to meet 36% of the existing need. The City of St. Louis reflect this situation, although the City provides 9,133 licensed day care spaces, the estimated demand is for 22,000. Clearly the discrepancy between the demand and the actual availability of care for children speaks to the urgency of creating more child care facilities that offer quality affordable child care services to families in the City of St. Louis.

Child care for infants and toddlers is an acute problem in St. Louis. A higher percentage of mothers with low income are in need of these type of child care; however, the limited number of services and the high cost associated with infant and toddler care severely limits the ability of mothers to access services.

Another challenge is the lack of professional recognition of child care providers. This climate allows the profession to require less advanced professional training and inadequate monetary compensation. The combination of these factors has led to a 50% turnover rate per year among child care providers in the City. This trend contributes to the diminishing standards of professionalism and the overall quality of care. Child care providers need to demonstrate proficiency in conflict resolution skills, language and literacy skills, the ability of integrating special needs children, and an understanding of issues of diversity. These skills can only be acquired through appropriate professional training; however, inadequate funding and lack of recognition are a hindrance to such training.

a) Legislate more stringent regulations and monitoring systems for child care providers.

Regulation and monitoring of uncertified facilities is necessary to insure minimum standards of safety. The State of Missouri should require all child care facilities to undergo monitoring in keeping with State regulations.

b) Develop a coordinated record keeping system that organizes data along hours, rates, and type of services by ZIP code.

A computerized systems would enable the Missouri Department of Social Services to determine the need for child care services in specific communities and plan accordingly. It would also offer child care information to parents in need of such services.

c) Establish a State wide professional registry in the child care field for the purpose of promoting a universal set of criteria.

This registry would recognize professional growth and behavior through both formal education and experience on the job. The registry would facilitate the quality of services delivered in the child care service industry and would provide an incentive to upgrade professional training. The professional registry could lead to the increase of trained child care providers and make the profession more appealing to well qualified individuals. In addition the Sytate in partnership with child care facilities could develop tuition funds to help child care workers develop professionally. This would in turn bring about an increase in pay to licensed professionals that was commensurate to the level of professionalism as recorded in the professional registry.

d) Explore avenues for public/private partnerships to develop investment options to generate funds to supplement tuition fees and to provide child care services for their own employees as a fringe benefit.

The availability of child care on the job saves costs as well as parents' time. Private corporations should be encouraged to initiate privately sponsored child care centers for their employees. The possibility of joint or cooperative facilities should be explored. Greater involvement from the private sector will greatly enhance the accessibility and acceptance of child care services.

Traditional funding sources are Title XX, Department of Health, Department of Social Services, Division of Family Services, United Way, Community Development Block Grant, and donations from public and private corporations. Technical assistance for educational, nutritional, and administrative programs are secured through organizations which include Child Day Care Association, St. Louis Board of Education, Department of Family Services, the City's Youth Nutrition Program, Department of Health, the United Way, and YMCA. With more funding available, the City could expand the Walbridge Caring Community model to offer early childhood day care. The Caring community model could then be replicated throughout the City of St. Louis.

ACCESSIBILITY NEEDS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

One of the most important issues facing persons with disabilities in the City of St. Louis is that of accessibility. Accessibility problems in both the public and the private sector produce impediments for people living with physical and mental disabilities. This includes persons with Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities, physical disabilities, the elderly, and people living with AIDS. The barriers these groups encounter prevent them from employment opportunities and independent living. Removing these barriers would alleviate many problems; and, would enable persons with disabilities to fully integrate all living and employment situations.

The City of St. Louis provides services to aid persons with disabilities and their accessibility needs. The organizations that offer these services have been described in the previous section entitled to "Housing for Persons with Disabilities".

Many aspects of our community compromise the independence of people with disabilities. Public and private sector service providers need to become more sensitive to the needs of the disabled. This is especially important for the providers of services to the mentally ill. Often social service agencies lack the training required to deal with this special needs population. They are most certainly in need of outreach programs for service providers.

Persons with physical disabilities encounter physical and social barriers that limit their accessibility and hinder them from living independently. The existence of these environmental barriers must be identified for their effective removal. Those barriers then need to be removed to assure the elderly and the disabled access to all the City's facilities and services.

The City of St. Louis and the agencies which serve people in the City must make their services and programs accessible to people with mental and physical disabilities. This accessibility must include both physical accessibility of individuals and assurances that services and programs meet the needs of people with disabilities. Key recommendations will include:

a) Expand current programs for providing information and services to people with disabilities.

A more personal needs assessment is often warranted. This would enable persons to access the in-home services they require. The outreach worker would also be able to recommend appropriate resources and provide education on the purchase or rental of equipment and technology that assists people with disabilities to live independently.

b) Establish an entity to identify environmental barriers in the City, stress proper compliance to ADA regulations, and provide for barrier removal.

This entity might make recommendations for promoting access by persons with disabilities in both public and private areas. It could explore the feasibility of providing training services to employers on accommodating persons with disabilities both as employees and consumers.

In order to better provide for St. Louis' disabled population many services and programs aimed towards the elderly and the disabled have already been established. In many cases, they require a mechanism to make them more accessible to their consumers. This vehicle may be found in existing programs or through community workers and volunteers. The resources that could finance the establishment of a "Barrier Removal" entity range from private sector contributions to general revenue funds. A model of such an entity has been proposed by the Office on the Disabled for the Empowerment Zone.

The following is a statement of probable costs for the establishment of a "Barrier Buster Team" put forth by St. Louis' Office on the Disabled. The statement is inclusive of the Empowerment Zone Area. The Barrier Buster Team would be a section of the Office of the Disabled, Department of Human Resources.