Okaloosa County BOCC — March 3, 2015 — Approve Resolutions Amending 2007/2010, 2010/2013, and 2013/2016 — agenda request

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA REQUEST DATE: March 3, 2015 TO: Honorable Chairman and Members of the Board FROM: Elliot Kampert SUBJECT: Approve Resolutions Amending 2007/2010, 2010/2013, and 2013/2016 Local Housing Assistance Plans DEPARTMENT: Growth Management BCC DISTRICT: ALL STATEMENT OF ISSUE: Amendment of the Local Housing Assistance Plans for 2007/2010, 2010/2013, and 2013/2016 to include the acquisition of existing dwelling units under the rental rehabilitation strategy. BACKGROUND: Part VII of Chapter 420 of the Florida Statutes creates the State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) program which provides funds for the provision of affordable housing. The SHIP program is administered at the state level by the Florida Housing Finance Corporation (FHFC). As required by Chapter 420, every community wishing to receive SHIP program funds must develop a Local Housing Assistance Plan (LHAP) that must be updated every three years. The LHAP must identify the specific strategies (rental housing, down payment assistance, etc) that will be used to help economically challenged families meet their housing needs. The County has a contract with the local non-profit Okaloosa Community Development Corporation (OCDC) to provide for the administration of the SHIP program on behalf of the County and City of Ft Walton Beach. The OCDC has developed the LHAPs for the City and County since the program’s inception. The County and City of Ft Walton Beach have an interlocal agreement through which the County serves as lead agency for administering the contract with the OCDC. During a recent review of the OCDC’s administration of the SHIP program, it was discovered that the rental rehabilitation strategy did not specifically reference the acquisition of existing dwelling units for rehabilitation and use as rental properties which the OCDC has done since at least 2007. However, in order to ensure that the OCDC’s implementation of the SHIP program unequivocally reflects the strategies of the LHAP, it is necessary to amend the LHAPs to add the word “acquisition” to the strategy. As required by Chapter 420, Florida Statutes, the local Affordable Housing Advisory Committee (AHAC) must review and make recommendations to the local governing bodies any LHAPs or LHAP amendments. The AHAC reviewed and approved the proposed amendments during its regular meeting of December 18, 2014. The attached resolutions amend the 2007/2010, 2010/2013, and 2013/2016 Local Housing Assistance Plans as discussed herein. RECOMMENDATION: The Growth Management Department requests that the Board approve and authorize the Chairman to sign the resolutions amending the 2007/2010, 2010/2013, and 2013/2016 to add the word “acquisition” to the rental rehabilitation strategy of each plan, and further requests that the Board authorize the Office of Contracts and Grants forward the amendments to the Florida Housing Finance Corporation as required by Chapter 420, Florida Statutes. RECOMMENDED BY: APPROVED BY: John Hofstad, County Administrator