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

moderate -income. All CDBG projects and activities must meet one of three national objectives: ( 1) principally benefit low- and moderate -income persons, ( 2) aid in the prevention or elimination of slums or blight, or (3) meet other urgent community needs. The City will use CDBG funds for activities that provide decent housing and provide a suitable living environment  principally for persons of low- and moderate -income, by rehabilitating single family homes, by providing education and care for our youth, and by improving infrastructure. f.l) General f,La) General. The City plans to undertake activities to address obstacles to meeting underserved needs by funding the non -profit sub -recipient organizations previously identified. f.1. 1)) Affordable Housing. The City' s CRA encourages the private sector in their effort to secure additional public and private funds for affordable housing, 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 (20) low- to moderate - income single family homeowners are expected to be 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 have partnered to develop a new 200 -unit tax credit affordable housing property. Applicants for these programs are also advised of the rehabilitation of the Okaloosa Development services County Corporation, which also provides housing and rehabilitation services through the State Housing Initiative Partnership ( SHIP) program and the HOME Investment Partnership Program. f.I. c) Foster and Maintain Affordable Housing. The City' s allocation will provide assistance to homeowners for rehabilitation, emergency home repairs, and property maintenance. The City has effective property maintenance standards which are enforced through its Code Enforcement Division. The CRA allocates funds to demolish or restore vacant/deteriorated properties, and the City' s Engineering Services Department provides neighborhood organizational support and educational services to community organizations through its Neighborhood Improvement Program. The City will maintain the stock of affordable housing by way of the World Changers and City Changers programs. f.Ld) Fair Housing. The City will provide fair housing educational and investigative services to limit housing discrimination, as well as other activities to remove barriers to affordable housing. The steps to be taken by the City are outlined in the City' s Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing, which is currently being developed. f.I. e) Lead -Based Paint Hazards. The City' s Residential Rehabilitation program continues to include lead -based paint hazard education within the initial phase of the application process. During the preconstruction conference, homeowners are given a copy of the booklet " Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home ". In addition, as part of the process,  homeowners must complete and sign a written acknowledgement of the receipt of this booklet. Each unit to undergo rehabilitation will be evaluated for the presence of lead based -paint. If such hazards are determined to exist, the City will hire a certified consultant to remove the paint to the extent possible and repair the surface. Since there are no residential rehabilitation projects scheduled for FY 2009 -10, the City will continue the lead -based paint compliance activities, a number of actions are planned for the coming year: 1. Distribution of 25 Lead -Safe Painting Pre Kits to Homeowners; 2. Coordination of 5 homeowner awareness events; and 3. Distribution of 25 additional lead hazard literature items to homeowners where children aged 6 or younger spend a significant amount of time in the home and encourage homeowners to have children tested for " elevated blood" condition. f.Lf) 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 be funded through the CDBG program): 1. Expedite processing of permits for affordable housing projects, and 2. The modification of street requirements. Other assistive strategies are: 1. Down payment assistance and closing cost assistance; 2. Minor repairs to existing single family owner occupied housing units through the City Changer program, which is a faith based partnership; and 3. Acquisition of property for low- to moderate -income housing. The CRA and the City Council updated the Community Redevelopment Plan, which directs mixed use development and strategies for affordable housing. As a result, the Land Development Code ( LDC), which was last updated in FY 2008 -09, is currently being reviewed and updated to streamline procedures. The LDC will also be revised in FY 2009 -10 to include the new mixed use zoning districts. These districts are intended to encourage the development of affordable housing.  f.l. g) Anti -Poverty Strategy. The City does not plan to undertake activities which will reduce the number of poverty level families, develop institutional structure, and enhance coordination between public and private housing and social services agencies. f.l. h) Institutional Structure. The City funds services to extremely low, low, and moderate income families through non -profit organizations who provide services to these families. Funding may be sought by these organizations through an during the application process formation of the annual program. Funding for Public Service programs is highly competitive due to limited funds and an abundance of need. Therefore, the City has not solicited projects which target specific needs. f.l .h. l) The City chartered the Fort Walton Beach Housing Authority FWBHA) in 1968. The FWBHA is administered by seven commissioners appointed by the Mayor and City Council. The executive director, who manages the daily functions, is hired by the FWBHA Commissioners. Other than the appointment of the Commissioners, the FWBHA is an independent agency from the City. The City is not involved in any hiring, contracting, or procurement activities of the FWBHA. Various Public Service activities of the FWBHA have been funded through the CDBG program to benefit the residents of public housing. The City will review development sites proposed by FWBHA in the same manner as other applications for development proposed by a private developer. As mentioned above, the FWBHA and the City have partnered to develop a 200 -unit tax credit project. f.l 1.2) The City is not aware of any gaps in the institutional structure that will impact the priority needs which will be addressed by the City within the planning period. f.Li) Coordination. The City does not coordinate activities between public and assisted housing providers and private and governmental health and governmental health and mental health and service agencies except as mentioned above. f.2) Public Housing. The FWBHA does not operate under the Comprehensive Grant Program. The FWBHA receives assistance through the Comprehensive Improvement Assistance Program ( CIAP). The FWBHA has not been designated as " troubled" by HUD. The City works closely with the FWBHA and continues to encourage homeownership through the sponsorship of the  Housing Expo each year. The Chester Pruitt Summer Enrichment program and after school tutoring are available and in close proximity to FWBHA residents. Also, the City has partnered with the FWBHA to develop a 200 -unit tax credit project as described above. Because of the limited amount of CDBG funds, they are not used to directly support the FWBHA or its programs. The City is a major coordinator and sponsor of the Housing Expo each year, which provides one -stop shopping" to homeownership and free credit checks and counseling to individuals seeking home ownership. The Housing Expo is advertised Countywide, with the FWBHA participating each year. The Housing Expo has grown each year with 1- 5 families purchasing a home because of the information received at the Housing Expo. g) Program Specific Requirements g. 1) CDBG g. La) A description of the activities planned with respect to the CDBG funds is provided in the Listing of Proposed Activities chart found on page 5. g. Lb) The City will not receive any program income. g. I. c) The City will not receive any surplus for urban renewal settlement. g. 1. d) The City does not intend to return any grant funds to the line of credit for which the planned use has