Item 29: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funding

[COSM_Admin]

Receive a staff presentation and hold a Public Hearing to obtain the views of citizens on the use of $727,486 in new Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding and $144,200 in reallocated Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for housing, social services, public facilities, and infrastructure, and the selection of projects for the 2022-2023 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Action Plan; and provide direction to staff.

 

[JHughson]

At one time we had requested that the Human Services Advisory Board review the applications. Is that no longer being done?

Please provide for us, anytime a percent of Area Median Income is specified, exactly what that number is now?
It would be helpful to have it in the ARF and the presentation.
On page 518 of the packet, there is "Income qualification is 80% of area median income, which until recently was
$55,400 for one person or $79,100 for a family of four."
Are the numbers on pages 544 and 566 of the packet, on page 5 of the Application, current?

 

[MBaker]

Can staff be more specific about why Southside has nearly $400k unspent and yet still we're awarding them money? What in their program needed "revamping"?

Are there benefits beyond the education for the habitat courses, like a better loan rate for having taken a class? Does habitat have any data to support the outcomes and attendance of their program?

Could CDBG funds be used to build the 24 hour public restrooms I've mentioned before?

 

[COSM_Admin]

At one time we had requested that the Human Services Advisory Board review the applications. Is that no longer being done?

Please provide for us, anytime a percent of Area Median Income is specified, exactly what that number is now?
It would be helpful to have it in the ARF and the presentation.
On page 518 of the packet, there is "Income qualification is 80% of area median income, which until recently was
$55,400 for one person or $79,100 for a family of four."
Are the numbers on pages 544 and 566 of the packet, on page 5 of the Application, current?

Response provided by Carol Griffith, Housing and Community Development Manager:
On page 518 of the packet, there is "Income qualification is 80% of area median income, which until recently was $55,400 for one person or $79,100 for a family of four."

 

[COSM_Admin]

Can staff be more specific about why Southside has nearly $400k unspent and yet still we're awarding them money? What in their program needed "revamping"?

Are there benefits beyond the education for the habitat courses, like a better loan rate for having taken a class? Does habitat have any data to support the outcomes and attendance of their program?

Could CDBG funds be used to build the 24 hour public restrooms I've mentioned before?

Response provided by Carol Griffith, Housing and Community Development Manager:
Can staff be more specific about why Southside has nearly $400k unspent and yet still we're awarding them money? What in their program needed "revamping"?
As a subrecipient, Southside is essentially a “staff extension” – they must handle a program exactly like staff would handle it. Staff is responsible for setting them up for success, ensuring they are trained. In 2019, all City staff responsible for development and oversight of the program left. In 2020, the HUD monitoring had an extensive 15 findings that included every part of the program – such as documenting whether contractors were procured competitively, whether homeowners received information appropriately, and what each expenditure included. HUD required that City staff completely rewrite the policies and procedures and retrain Southside. Staff also chose to take on some of the actions such as procuring contractors, in order to ensure it was done correctly. Southside has been on hold since, waiting for 1) policy and procedure rewrite 2) retraining 3) contractor procurement. In addition, Southside was responsible for the application intake and income verification process and that did not go well; staff has taken this over as well and is working to receive the correct income documentation from applicants.

Staff recommended a reduced amount because the program has been on hold until recently; Southside has not fully had an opportunity to implement the program with the funding they have.

Are there benefits beyond the education for the habitat courses, like a better loan rate for having taken a class? Does habitat have any data to support the outcomes and attendance of their program?
Attendees who enter the Habitat homebuying program receive the benefits of being in the Habitat homeowner program – lower rates and downpayments, etc. The general public who attend the workshop without entering the Habitat program do not receive tangible benefits from the class.
Habitat submits a quarterly progress report regarding attendance; outcomes are followed only if the attendees then enter the Habitat homeownership program.

Could CDBG funds be used to build the 24 hour public restrooms I've mentioned before?
It is possible under the “area benefit” requirements – the restrooms would have to benefit a primarily residential area in which the 51% of the residents have low-to-moderate incomes.