Okaloosa County BOCC — 2013 meeting #1140 (date undetermined) — 2013-2016 LHAP Revised Per FHFC — reading text

NAME OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT: Okaloosa County and City of Fort Walton Beach SHIP LOCAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE PLAN (LHAP) FISCAL YEARS COVERED 2013/2014 2014/2015 2015/2016 Prepared by: Okaloosa Community Development Corporation -1-  SHIP LOCAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE PLAN (LHAP) I. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION Chapter 67-37.005 FAC. and Section 420.9072, F.S. A. Name of the participating local government and Inter-local if Applicable: Section 420.9072(5),F.S. Okaloosa Countv/City of Fort Walton Beach Inter local: Yes _ X _ No Pending Name of participating local government(s) in the Inter-local Agreement; Okaloosa County/City of Fort Walton Beach A copy of the Inter-local Agreement will follow. B. Purpose of the program: Section 420.9072, F.S. & Chapter 67-37.005(3), FAC . Creation of the Plan is for the purpose of meeting the housing needs of the very low, low and moderate-income households, to expand production of and preserve affordable housing, to further the housing element of the local government comprehensive plan specific to affordable housing. C. Fiscal years covered by the Plan: Chapter 67-37.002, F.A.C. _X_ 2013/2014 _ X_ 2014/2015 _X_ 201512016 D. Governance: Chapter 67-37.005(3)and (5)(i)FAC. and Section 420.9071(14)F.S. The SHIP Program is established in accordance with Section 420.907-9079, Florida Statutes and Chapter 67-37.007 Florida Administrative Code. The SHIP Program does further the housing element of the local government Comprehensive Plan. E. Locat Housing Partnership Section 420.9072(1)(a), F.S. SHIP Program encourages building active partnerships between government, lenders, builders and developers. real estate professionals, advocates for low- income persons and community groups. F. Leveraging: Chapter 67-37.007(1)(b)(c), FAG. and Section 420.9075(1){a) and (1)(b3, and (1)(c), F.S. The Plans are intended to increase the availability of affordable residential units by combining local resources and cost saving measures into a local housing partnership and using public and private funds to reduce the cost of housing. SHIP funds may be leveraged with or used to supplement other Florida Housing Finance Corporation programs and to provide local match to obtain federal housing grants or programs. G. Public Input: Chapter 67-37.005(3), FAG. Publ ic input was solicited through face-to-face meetings with housing providers, social service providers and local lenders and neighborhood associations. Public input was solicited through the local newspaper in the advertising of the Local Housing Assistance Plan and the Notice of Funding Availability. -2- H. Advertising and Outreach Chapter 67-37.005(6) (a), F.A.C. The county or eligible municipality or its administrative representative shall advertise til e notice of funding availability in a newspaper of general circulation and periodicals serving ethnic and diverse neighborhoods, at least 30 days before the beginning of the application period. If no fundi ng is available due to a waiting list, no notice of funding availability is required. J. Discrimination: Section 420.9075(3)( c), F.S. In accordance with the prov"lsions of ss.760.20-760.37, it is unlawful to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, religion, color, age, sex, marital status, famil ial status, national origin, or handicap in the award application process for eligible housing. J. Support Services and Counseling: Chapter 67-37.005(5)(g),F.A.C. Support services are available from various sources. Available support services may include but are not limited to: Homeownership Counseling (Pre and Post), Credit Counseling, Tenant Counseling and Transportation K. Purchase Price Limits: Section 420.9075(4)(c),F .S .. and Chapter 67- 37.007(6)F.AC. Purchase Price Limits: The sales price or value of new or existing eligible housing may not exceed 90% of the average area purchase price in the statistical area in which the eligible housing is located (Okaloosa County 2011 90% Average purchase price $284,810.40). Such an average area purchase price may be that calculated for any 12-month period beginning not earlier than the fourth calendar year prior to the year in which the award occurs. The sales price of new and existing units, which can be lower but may not exceed 90% of the median area purchase price established by the U.S. Treasury Department or as described above. The methodology used by Okaloosa County is: _X__ Bond Study Numbers provided by Florida Housing Finance Corporation Independent Study (copy attached) U.S. Treasury Department Local HFA Numbers The purchase price limits shall run concurrently with those set annually by the State: Okaloosa County $ 284,8 10.40 L. Income Limits, Rent Limits and Affordability: Chapter 67-37.005(5)(e), F.A.C. and Section 420.9071(2), F.S. The Income and Rent Limits used in the SHIP Program are updated from the Housing Finance Corporation. Affordable means that monthly rents or mortgage payments including taxes and insurance do not exceed 30 percent of that amount which represents the percentage of the median annual gross income for the households as indicated in Sections 420.9071 (19), (20) and (28), F.S. However it is not the intent to limit an individual household's ability to devote more than 30% of its income for housing, and housing for which a household devotes more than 30% of its income shall be deemed affordable if the first institutional mortgage lender is satisfied that the household can afford mortgage payments in excess of the 30% benchmark and in the case of rental housing does not exceed those rental limits adjusted for bedroom size. -3-  M. Welfare Transition Program: Chapter 67-37.005(6)(b)(7)F.A.C. Should an eligible sponsor be used, the city/county has developed a qualification system and selection criteria for applications for Awards to eligible sponsors, which includes a description that demonstrates how eligible sponsors that employed personnel from the Welfare Transition Program and Workforce Development Initiatives programs will be given preference in the selection process. N. Monitoring and First Right of Refusal: Section 420.9075(3)(e)and (4) (f), F.S. In the case of rental housing, the staff or entity that has administrative authority for implementing the local housing assistance plan assisting rental developments shall annually monitor and determine tenant eligibility or, to the extent another governmental entity provides the same monitoring and determination, a municipality, county or local housing financing authority may rely on such monitoring and determination of tenant eligibility. However, any loan or grant in the original amount of $3,000 or less shall not be subject to these annual monitoring and determination of tenant eligibility requirements. Tenant eligibility will be monitored for at least annually for 15 years or the term of assistance whichever is longer unless as specified above. Eligible sponsors that offer rental housing for sale before 15 years or that have remaining mortgages funded under this program must give a first right of refusal to eligible nonprofit organizations for purchase at the current market value for continued occupancy by eligible persons. O. Administrative Budget: Chapter 67-37.005(6)(f)3, F.A. C.. There is currently no administrative budget due to no fu nding. The Okaloosa County/City of Fort Walton Beach finds that the moneys deposited in the local housing assistance trust fund shall be used to adm inister and im plement the local housing assistance plan. The cost of administering the plan may not exceed 5 percent of the local housing distribution moneys and program income deposited into the trust fund. A county or an eligible municipality may not exceed the 5 percent limitation on administrative costs, unless its governing body finds, by resolution, that 5 percent of the local housing distribution plus 5 percent of program income is insufficient to adequately pay Ihe necessary costs of administering the local housing assistance plan. The cost of administering the program may not exceed 10 percent of the local housing distribution plus 5% of program income deposited into the trust fund, except that small counties, as defined in s. 120.52(17), and eligible municipalities receiving a local housing distribution of up to $350,000 may use up to 10 percent of program income for administrative costs. P. Program Administration: Okaloosa County BCC will provide the Request for Proposal based on SHIP program guidelines, and select the most qualified organization to provide services, according to Okaloosa County Procurement requirements. Q. Essential Service Personnel: Section 420.9075 (3) (aO Essential Personnel shall be defined as employees or persons whose profession or occupation is considered essential to the community, such as, but not exclusive to persons employed in the education system, city or -4-  county government, medical and health services and public safety. In accordance with Rule Chapter 67-37.002(8), FAC. and Chapter 67-37.005(8) FAC. Chapter 67-37.005(5), FAC. R. Green 1Innovative Design: Section 420.90755 (3)(d) F.S.: The Housing Rehabilitation and Substantial Rehabilitation strategy provides that energy conservation will be incorporaled into all substantial rehabilitation projects. This includes, but is not limited to energy conserving windows and doors, higher efficiency HVAC units, increased wall and ceiling insulation, programmable thermostats, lo-flow plumbing fixtures, as appropriate and Energy Star rated appliances where applicable and with homeowners' acceptance, metal roofing is installed. Metal roofing contributes to increased energy efficiency, longer life and is less susceplible to hurricane wind damage. II. LHAP HOUSING STRATEGIES: A. Name of the Strategy: Purchase Assistance with or without Rehabilitation 1. Summary of the Strategy: SHIP funds will be made available to support down payment, closing costs, gap financing, and substantial rehabilitation of existing or newly constructed affordable housing units on a one-time basis to income eligible homebuyers. However, each homebuyer shall only receive the minim um level of assistance required to enable the purchase, based on the Lender's Underwriting staff, and necessary repair of an existing or newly