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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01 HUD CONSOLID PLAN 04-03-95APRIL 3, 1995 NO. 1 a-3-95 Inter-Corn TO' WILLIAM A. HUSTON, CITY MANAGER FROM: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT SUBJECT: HUD CONSOLIDATED PLAN RECOMMENDATION No formal action is required by the Council. The purpose of the public hearing is to receive and respond to citizen's comments and questions on the Consolidated Plan. FISCAL IMPACT No fiscal impact anticipated. BACKGROUND In response to President .Clinton's directive to "reinvent government", the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has developed regulations to consolidate all major federal Community Planning and Development formula programs. Those include the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Home Investment Partnership (HOME), Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA), and Emergency Shelter.Grant (ESG) programs. Currently, each of the grant programs has a separate fiscal year start date, as well as separate planning, application, monitoring and reporting requirements. However, the "Consolidated Plan" integrates all programs into one application. The goal is to simplify the requirements for all HUD programs. Such a broad change to federal law substantially impacts large jurisdictions which participate in many or all of the HUD programs; but because of its relatively small population, Tustin participates only in the CDBG program. Consequently, the move to consolidate programs will not significantly effect us. Nevertheless, the City of Tustin must follow the new federal rules for the Consolidated Plan in applying to HUD for CDBG monies. The Consolidated Plan is a planning document intended to identify a jurisdiction's overall 'need for affordable and supportive housing, community development programs, social services and economic opportunities. It also outlines a strategy to meet those needs, as well as identifies resources and programs that can be City Council Report HUD Consolidated Plan April 3, 1995 Page 2 used to address them. A section of the Consolidated Plan also serves as the application to HUD for our CDBG programs. The City has previously prepared a document similar to the Consolidated Plan called the Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS). MUch of the data from the CHAS is included in the Consolidated Plan. COMPONENTS OF THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN Citizen Participation Plan - a plan detailing policies and procedures for citizen participation in the development of the Consolidated Plan. HUD regulations provide detailed criteria about the necessary contents of the Citizen Participation Plan. Community Development Department staff has prepared a Citizen Participation Plan which closely follows the federal criteria, yet is "customized" to .reflect citizen participation procedures already established by City of Tustin policy. Federal regulations also require that a public meeting be held to obtain and consider citizens' views on possible goals and objectives of the Consolidated Plan, including housing and non-housing community needs. On March 16 and continued on March 22, 1995, the Ad Hoc Citizen Participation Committee held a public meeting to provide citizens the opportunity to give the City input on priority needs of the community such as low/moderate income housing, public services, infrastructure and public facilities, as well as discuss goals and objectives of the Consolidated Plan. During the meetings, the Committee established and rated priorities for community needs. One letter providing general comments on the Consolidated Plan was received. See attached. After that meeting, staff proceeded with the preparation of the remaining components of the Consolidated Plan. Those include: Housing and Homeless Needs Assessment' - a 5-year estimate of housing and supportive services needs, including the nature and extent of homelessness in the community. This section uses 1990 Census information and other data sources to estimate the City's need for housing for low- and moderate-income households, sheltered and unsheltered homeless City Council Report HUD Consolidated Plan April 3, 1995 Page 3 persons, those persons threatened with homelessness, and populations with special needs. Lead based paint hazards are also discussed in this section. Housing Market Analysis - a description of significant characteristics of the housing market; a brief inventory of facilities and services meeting housing needs of homeless persons; and an explanation of barriers to affordable housing. The second section of the Consolidated Plan provides a complete background of the City of Tustin including historical, economic and demographic information. Maps have been included to show which areas of the City are characterized by racial/ethnic minOrity concentrations and low-income concentration. Housing industry statistics, including assisted housing numbers and specifics regarding facilities to serve those with special needs are also provided. The section concludes with a discussion of the identified barriers to affordable housing, such as market and governmental constraints. Community Housing and Development Strategic Plan - a plan/strategy identifying key goals for addressing priority housing/community needs. The general priorities for assisting those with low- and moderate-incomes are strategized in this section of the document. The priorities for affordable housing, homelessness, and nonhousing community development activities are prioritized on a scale which ranges from "no such need" to "high". A series of short and long term community development objectives are provided to demonstrate the support for the priority activities. Strategies are also included which address the barriers to affordable housing, lead-based paint hazards and poverty .in the community. The institutional structure through which the City of Tustin carries out its housing and community development plan"is discussed at the end of the section. Action Plan - a description of activities and projects to be undertaken during the fiscal year. The City,s funding source for these will be the CDBG program and redevelopment funds. The Action Plan is the annual plan of the Consolidated Plan. The actual application for federal assistance is required by HUD to be contained within this section. Available Federal, City Council Report HUD Consolidated Plan April 3, 1995 Page 4 State, local, and private fund resources are discussed. The activities to be undertaken for the program year are individually identified and information such as the number of persons receiving benefit and the amount of funds expected to be committed are included in this section. As prescribed by HUD, Table IVA contains all of the activities proposed for funding under the CDBG program. certifications - statements assurin9 compliance with federal regulations. HUD requires that these certifications be included in the Consolidated Plan. They pertain to such issues as fair housing, drug-free workplaces, fair labor standards and hiring practices, the prohibition of excessive force by law enforcement, and consistency and compliance with other federal standards and regulations. CONCLUSION A summary of the proposed Consolidated Plan was published on March 31, 1995, thereby initiating a 30-day public comment period on the document. In early May, Community Development Department staff will bring the final version of the Consolidated Plan to the City Council for adoption. On May 15, 45 days prior to the beginning of the funding year, the final Consolidated Plan will be submitted to HUD. The 1995-96 Fiscal Year for the CDBG program will begin July 1, 1995. Submission of the Consolidated Plan to HUD is required for the City to receive CDBG funds. The goal of that program is to return federal monies to local jurisdictions for the purpose of developing and maintaining viable urban communities by providing decent housing, a suitable living environment and expanding economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income persons. The pub!i~'hearing to obtain citizen input and comments on the Consolidated Plan is an important part of involving citizens in the process of identifying and addressing community needs. ~ lo~ i a~?~anner 'Christine A. S~ngleton Assistant City Manager Scott Reekstin Assistant Planner Attachment: Public Comment Letter PR:kd\ccreport\HUDP[an.pr Sl elte · I cF The I cn eless March 8, 1995 -- RECEIVED-- ~0 MAR 1 3 1.,.,§ COMMUNITY DEVLEOPM~ Christine Shingleton Community Development Department City of Tustin 300 Centennial Way Tustin, Calif. 92680 Re: Public comments on the Consolidated plan: Dear Ms. Shingleton., Shelter for the Homeless (SFTH) has in place a comprehensive housing' program for the poor and homeless which takes families from the street and places them in a home of their own. However~ FUNDING to continue providing this level of service is needed in the following areas: - 1. EMERGENCY SHELTER. During an average month~ SFTH turns away about 100 families not counting single men and women. The reason for this is because we do not have enough housing to care for them. An emergency walk in shelter is desperately needed to care for these Homeless families which consist mostly of Single women with children. 2. TRANSITIONAL HOUSING is the second step in our program. Once the homeless have found employment, they are offered housing for up to one year and only pay 30% of their income. SFTH also provides computer training, Drug and alcohol prevention, job training, nutrition~ budgeting, parenting and child care support. Financial support from you is essential to ensure that these programs continue. 3. PERMANENT HOUSING is needed once the clients have stabilized their lives and have established a savings account. SFTH is requesting that you consider establishing a loan pool where Non Profit Organizations can borrow funds at 3% i-nterest to purchase the needed housing for the poor and formerly hOmeless families. SFTH is currently offering a continium of care to the residents of our permanent housing on a voluntary basis as part of our stabilization program for the family. A nonprofit organization helping homeless men, women and children get back on their feet These are three areas in which you can take a direct roll in helping Non Profit Organizations Provide the needed services to their clients. Thank you for your concern. ncerely ~ ~ 'Miller'er xecutive Director A nonprofit organization helping homeless men, women and children get back on their feet