Fort Walton Beach Council agenda — 11-23-2010 Regular — reading text

of resources, provide for citizen input and public information on programs, monitor and report on the use of CDBG funds and performance of programs, and assure compliance with HUD requirements. The Engineering Services Department, or designated representative, provides technical assistance to groups representative of persons of low- and moderate -income that request assistance in developing CDBG proposals. The level and type of assistance is determined by the Fort Walton Beach City Council based on its ability to provide or arrange for such assistance, the cost of providing such assistance, and other relevant factors. 2. World Changers: This program helps low- and moderate -income homeowners by replacing roofs and /or painting the exterior of the home and supports the City Changers program, which is a City- initiated program to assist low- and moderate - income homeowners with yard work, constructing handicap ramps, painting the exterior of homes, and other minor Because the labor is provided projects. through the World Changers program, which is a faith — based program the City partners with, at no cost to the City, 18 to 28 homes are able to be re- roofed and/ or painted with CDBG funds. Volunteer labor is provided in the City Changer program by local churches, youth groups, and military groups. These programs are very important and beneficial to the City. 3. Chester Pruitt Youth Enrichment Program: This item includes a summer program, after -school program, and a year -round tutoring program for approximately 40 to 60 low- and moderate -income youth. 4. S4P Synergy, Inc. Generator: This project provided a natural gas emergency generator for a disaster distribution center. 5. Greg Chapel A.M.E. Church: This project provided a brick and aluminum perimeter fence around the daycare' s playground area. 6. Infrastructure Improvements: The Citizen' s Advisory Committee approved infrastructure improvements throughout the eligible areas of the CDBG program. This item includes improvements to sidewalks, multi -use paths, curb and gutter, potable water mains and services, sewer mains and services, sanitary and stormwater infrastructure. The areas for improvements were selected by the CAC on an as- needed basis and a list of projects was developed throughout the year and added to the Annual Action Plan. VA III. ASSESSMENT OF ANNUAL PROGRESS 1. Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing In FY 2009 -2010, the City continued its effort to affirmatively promote fair housing by providing homeowners, tenants and potential home buyer' s information about affordable housing and financing opportunities. The City is committed to non -discrimination and equal opportunity as it relates to housing opportunities. The City is also committed to furthering the objectives of Title VIII of the Civil Rights Acts of 1968. The City includes compliance language in each of its contracts with entities receiving federal funds. Fair Housing complaints may be filed at the federal, state, regional, county or local level by parties alleging discrimination in housing choice on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or family status. Individuals, advocacy groups, or government organizations on behalf of plaintiffs may file complaints. The City did not receive any fair housing complaints this reporting period. These results may indicate Fort Walton Beach does not have a problem with fair housing rights or violations. The citizens affected by discriminatory means may not have access to information concerning fair housing laws. Subsequently not knowing when a violation has occurred and/ or what options are available to them complaints may not get filed. Citizens are often not engaged with housing discrimination issues until it affects them personally. The City' s Engineering Services Department proclaims April as Fair Housing Month. Fair Housing awareness is also addressed through First Time Homebuyer' s Education Classes, provided by Okaloosa Community Development Corporation. In addition, all Section 8 tenants are provided with Fair Housing Literature upon receipt of a housing voucher. The City of Fort Walton Beach continues to provide information, referrals, and/ or assistance to citizens about fair housing and landlord/ tenant laws. Citizens with housing discrimination complaints are advised that they may file a complaint with the City' s Engineering Services Department and /or the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Because of the ongoing efforts by the City of Fort Walton Beach and local community organizations, fair housing practices are being carried out in the community by distributing literature and other materials on fair housing within the community. Current Action: Support of Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Rehabilitation Support of Habitat for Humanity projects for first time homebuyers Participated in the World Changers Housing Program Participated in the City Changers Program Participate in the Okaloosa Walton Homeless Continuum of Care /Opportunity, Inc. 0  Harbour Place Apartments consists of 12 units and meets the Fair Housing guidelines. Five percent of the units are available for handicapped tenants. Future Actions: Training opportunities will be extended to City departments that may deal with Fair Housing issues, such as the Planning and Zoning Department. Fair Housing information and complaint referral numbers will be prominently displayed in the Neighborhood Improvement section of the City' s website. 2. Affordable Housing The City' s Community Redevelopment Agency ( CRA) encourages the private sector in their effort to secure additional public funds for and affordable housing, private community and economic development. The City will foster and maintain the stock of affordable housing by way of the World Changers and City Changers programs. Twenty - six ( 26) low- to moderate -income single family homeowners were assisted in this grant year through these programs. No CDBG funds are allocated to provide homeless with affordable housing; however, the FWBHA and the City are partnering to develop a new 200 -unit affordable housing project called Sound Side Apartment Homes. Applicants for these programs are also advised of the rehabilitation services of the Okaloosa County Development Corporation, which also provides housing and rehabilitation services through the State Housing Initiative Partnership ( SHIP) program and the HOME Investment Partnership Program. The City also has provisions in the Comprehensive Plan of the City of Fort Walton Beach and the City' s Land Development Code to encourage affordable and workforce housing. Targeted Areas The City has established a CDBG Target Area within the City which represents the Block Group with the greatest concentration of low- to moderate -income households. All of the proposed Youth Services and Public Facilities activities are located within the Target Area. The World Changers program may be located anywhere within the City limits provided the households meet the income qualification of extremely low, low- and moderate -income. At the onset of the CDBG program in the mid- 1970' s, federal regulations required that certain activities be geographically targeted. Although this requirement has since been removed, the City has continued its targeting strategy. The primary consideration for target area selection is neighborhood economic need ( low- and moderate -income levels) followed by the degree of housing deterioration. The geographic boundary of the two target areas are Hughes Street ( north), Eglin Parkway ( east), Robinwood Drive ( west), and First Street ( south) for Target Area 1, and the area between Bay Street and Burnette Avenue in the northwest portion of the City for Target Area 2 ( See attached map). These two areas are the areas within the City of low income and minority concentration. X  Target Area 1 is located within the Community Redevelopment Area ( CRA), which is an area identified as blighted and corresponds with the Beal Parkway Neighborhood. The CRA prepared a plan for the Beal Parkway Neighborhood. The Plan identifies specific projects needed within this area. Both the CDBG and the Community Redevelopment Agency allocates funds each year towards these projects. See attached map. Target Area 2, north of Lovejoy Road, is adjacent to Okaloosa County' s Front Porch Community and is known as Sylvania Heights. This entire neighborhood is primarily low -income and minority concentrated. It is a relatively isolated neighborhood north of the City' s Commerce and Technology Park. The City has allocated substantial resources to this area for housing rehabilitation and World Changers projects through CDBG funds and SHIP funds, stormwater improvements, code enforcement, and police protection. See attached map. Sound Side Affordable Housing. This year, the City has partnered with the Fort Walton Beach Housing Authority to develop a 200 -unit affordable housing development unit known as Sound Side. Because of the limited amount of CDBG funds, they are not used to directly support the FWBHA or its programs. The City will be contributing approximately $ 1. 5 million to the project. The project is located west of Carson Drive SE at the intersections of Third Street SE and Methodist Avenue SE in the City of Fort Walton Beach and is comprised of 36 platted parcels totaling approximately 13. 39 acres. It is a redevelopment of the existing Germany Terrace Units. There are currently 50 low - income residential dwelling units located on the proposed development site comprised of duplex and single unit dwellings. The site currently provides 3. 74 gross units per acre, although 15 gross units per acre is permitted under the City' s Future Land Use Map FLUM) Medium Density Residential ( MDR) designation. The majority of the buildings were constructed prior to 1970 ( 1965 for most residential dwellings) and have been outdated and costly to repair. Sound Side is currently moving forward and will be owned and operated by the FWBHA. Construction is scheduled to begin late 2010 or early 2011. Barriers to Affordable Housing. As per the requirements of the adopted SHIP Affordable Housing Incentive Plan, the City will undertake the following actions to remove barriers to affordable housing ( these actions will not necessarily be funded through the CDBG program): expedite processing of permits for affordable housing projects, modification of street requirements;