Fort Walton Beach Council agenda — 01-10-12 regular — reading text

Affordability —applies to activities that provide affordability in a variety of ways to low - and moderate -income people. It can include the creation or maintenance of affordable housing, basic infrastructure hook -ups, or services such as transportation or daycare. Affordability is an appropriate objective whenever an activity is lowering the cost, improving the quality or increasing the affordability of a product or service to benefit a low- income household. 3. Sustainability — applies to activities that are aimed at improving communities or neighborhoods, helping to make them livable or viable by providing benefit to persons of low- and moderate -income or by removing or eliminating slums or blighted areas through multiple activities or services that sustain communities or neighborhoods. The following programs were accomplished during the FY 2010 -2011: Planning & Administration: The City of Fort Walton Beach Development Services Division is responsible for the oversight of the CDBG program. This program helps to assess community needs, plan the use 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 & Utility 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 5 Packet Pg. 31  F82.. 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 projects. The labor for this program is provided through a faith— based program the City partners with, at no cost to the City. This cost savings helps increases the effectiveness of limited resources. Volunteer labor is provided in the City Changer program by local churches, youth groups, and military groups. These programs are very important to the City and its citizens alike. 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. Emergency Generator: This project provided a back up generator to a program within the target area that provides food services to low- and moderate income individuals. This program is also designated as a distribution center for emergencies and is the only one in the target area. 5. Okaloosa County Head Start Daycare Facility Roof Project: This project helped to provide a suitable living environment for students as a facility that is a locally successful in child development and enrichment. The facility was in disrepair and the funds were used to repair and/ or replace the roof. This program serves over 115 students in the target area each day. III. ASSESSMENT OF ANNUAL PROGRESS 1. Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing In FY 20010 -2011, 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 6 Packet Pg. 32  8. 2. a 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 & Utility 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 & Utility 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. 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 divisions that may deal with Fair Housing issues, such as the Development Services Division. Fair Housing information and complaint referta] 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 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. No CDBG funds are allocated to provide homeless with affordable housing; however, the City participated in the Okaloosa County Homeless Community Deliberative Series Strategy Development Work Group. The group was established to address the growing homeless condition in the county. Members of the department staff participate on the housing committee for this group. This committee is dedicated to providing emergency and transitional housing for homeless. In another effort to address the problem, the FWBHA and the City are partnering to develop a new 200 -unit 7 Packet Pg. 33  F82. affordable housing project called Sound Side Apartment Homes. This project has schelduled to begin construction in April 2012. 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 a 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 mCQ7U extremely low, low- and moderate- income. 0N0 0N 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 I, and the area between Bay Street and Barnette 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. 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,