Resolution 6607 - Laserfiche WebLink

Staff Report for Community Development Block Grant, HOME, and Housing Trust Funds— 2060 The Citizen's Committee for Housing and Community Development reviewed proposals for the expenditure of the City of Everett's Community Development Block Grant program and other available funding for housing. The deadline for grant applications was December 21, 2012. The Committee studied each proposal and interviewed each proponent. Four meetings and six hours of interviews took place. The Committee spent additional hours at home reviewing the Consolidated Plan and proposals for Community Development Block Grant spending. The City's 2013 Community Development Block Grant is estimated at $732,110 which is a five percent reduction from the $770,643 received in 2012. HUD has advised entitlement communities like Everett to plan for this reduction due to sequestration. This direction was not given until the City's Citizens Advisory Committee had completed their work. The Committee used a planning figure of $750,000. The amounts for individual allocations in this Staff Report and in the proposed Council Resolution Federal funding reflects difference between the $750,000 planning figure the Committee used and the estimated $732,110. The awards have been adjusted accordingly. $732,110 is an estimate based on HUD communication to use a five percent reduction from 2012. The actual amount will be known after the Federal budget is passed. The Committee recommends funding public services at the maximum allowed by HUD, fifteen percent of the grant. Fifteen percent of $732,110 is $109,116. There are also public service funds from prior years available for reallocation in the amount of $4,457. The total recommended for public service activities is $114,273. The Committee recommends using the remaining 85% of the 2013 CDBG award, $622,295, along with $100,000 reallocated from prior years, for eligible non-public service projects. The total for non-public service project would be $722,295. There are also Housing Trust 2060, HOME, and CHIP rehabilitation funds available to fund projects. The Committee recommends using $150,860.31 in Housing Trust 2060 funds for funding homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters and low-income housing projects. The priority for HOME funds has been the CHIP rehabilitation loan fund so the Committee recommends an estimated $289,003 in 2013 HOME funding to CHIP for low income homeowner rehabilitation. The total amount proposed for CDBG non-public service, HOME, and 2060 Housing Trust Fund projects is $1,276,430.31. If the Department of Housing and Urban Development reduces or increases the CDBG and/or HOME allocations, each affected item will be reduced or increased by a percentage equal to the increase or decrease, including the Community Housing Improvement Program and Community Development Block Grant Administration. The Annual Action Plan has been available for public comment for 30 days commencing March 5, 2013 and ending on April 5, 2013. Each one of the members of the Committee provided a valuable contribution to this recommendation. This group was very dedicated while performing this difficult task. Staff congratulates the Committee for a job well done and thanks them for their time and effort. Participating Committee members were: Rick Dorris, Gregg Elder, David Simpson - Chair, Kaye Phinney, Greg Campbell, Maddy Metzger-Utt, Peter Sontra, Bruce Overstreet, and Tim Knopf. The recommended funding allocations to agencies/programs and brief program descriptions follow.