City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: APRIL 9, 2018
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Public Hearing on the Draft City Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Action Plan for Housing and Community Development.
BODY
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ISSUE: Public Hearing of the Draft City FY 2019 Action Plan for Housing and Community Development.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council:
1. Receive the Draft FY 2019 Action Plan for Housing and Community Development (Citizen Summary of this Plan is attached), containing the City’s draft application for
FY 2019 funding for an estimated $809,792 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) monies and $397,627 in Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) monies; and
2. Schedule the Draft FY 2019 Action Plan for Public Hearing, and final Council action on May 12, 2018.
DISCUSSION: The City of Alexandria’s Draft Consolidated Plan (“Plan”) for Housing and Community Development has been prepared in accordance with regulations set forth by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). These regulations require that participants in certain HUD programs including, but not limited to, the CDBG and HOME programs, submit an annual Action Plan to provide a summary of the actions, activities, and the specific federal and non-federal resources that will be used each year of the current five-year Plan period to address the priority needs and specific goals identified by the Plan. A Draft Citizen Summary of the Action Plan is provided as an attachment.
The Draft Action Plan describes the City’s specific objectives to be undertaken or accomplished during FY 2019 to address Alexandria’s overall needs for affordable housing, shelters and services for the homeless, housing for persons with special needs, and community and economic development. The draft plan is the fourth Action Plan prepared for the FY 2016 to FY 2020 Consolidated Plan period, and is consistent with ongoing program activities as well as core services included in the City Manager’s Proposed FY 2019 Budget.
BACKGROUND: The Office of Housing prepares the Action Plan in consultation with the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS), the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA), the Partnership to Prevent and End Homelessness as well as numerous other area agencies and nonprofit organizations that provide services for very low-, low- and moderate-income persons.
The Citizen Summary provides highlights of planned federally funded program activities and demonstrates the City’s anticipated initiatives to leverage local, state, federal and private resources to support programs that serve and empower targeted very low-, low-, and moderate-income populations in the Alexandria community, as reported in the FY 2016 to FY 2020 Consolidated Plan that was submitted online to HUD in May 2015.
Several plans adopted or reviewed by City Council (e.g., Housing Master Plan, ARHA Strategic Plan, Aging Plan, Child and Youth Master Plan), provide an excellent roadmap of the activities, services and resources Alexandria will be dedicating for objectives of interest to HUD.
The Draft FY 2019 Action Plan is being released on March 30 for the required 30-day public comment period, which will end on May 1. The Draft Action Plan also contains the City’s applications for federal grant funds, including an estimated $809,792 in CDBG and $396,733 in HOME monies. The majority of CDBG funds ($523,552) are proposed for use by the Home Rehabilitation Loan Program, and the majority of HOME funds ($375,000) are proposed for use within the Housing Opportunities Fund. The balance of grant funds received will be used as described on page 9 of the Citizen Summary.
It is noted that the FY 2019 CDBG and HOME funding levels presented in the Draft FY 2019 Action Plan and Citizen Summary are estimates based on the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2017 Approved Budget. Due to Congress ongoing appropriations process, HUD cannot yet provide actual FFY 2018 allocations amounts for grantees to use for planning purposes in the development of action plans. When the FFY 2018 Budget is approved by Congress (now anticipated to occur on March 23), the proposed activities’ budget provided in the City’s Draft Action Plan will be adjusted to match the actual FFY 2018 formula program allocation amount. HUD usually provides this information within 30 to 60 days after budget approval.
Release of Alexandria’s Draft Plans are announced by notices placed in local and national media. The Draft Citizen Summary of the Action Plan is being distributed to a host of interested parties on March 30 via email and mail. This document is a concise summary of the objectives and anticipated outcomes in the Draft FY 2019 Action Plan for Housing and Community Development. Both the Draft Citizen Summary and the complete Draft Action Plan are posted on the City’s website at www.alexandriva.gov/Housing, and hard copies are distributed upon request to the Office of Housing.
Comments from the public will be solicited at two public hearings: one to be held as part of the Alexandria Housing Affordability Advisory Committee’s April 5 meeting, and another to be held as part of City Council’s public hearing on May 12. Comments may also be submitted directly, or online, to the Office of Housing through Cindy Metcalf, cindy.metcalf@alexandriava.gov <mailto:cindy.metcalf@alexandriava.gov>.
The proposed Action Plan will be docketed for City Council’s action on May 12 following the public hearing, and will be filed with HUD according to City Council’s guidance. In the meeting materials staff will provide City Council with a summary of comments received for their information.
FISCAL IMPACT: Upon its approval of the FY 2019 Action Plan for Housing and Community Development, HUD will appropriate an estimated total of $1,207,419 in new federal funding to the City for FY 2019, including $809,792 in CDBG funds and $397,627 in HOME Program funds. The proposed uses are consistent with the City Manager’s FY 2019 proposed budget and the City’s Strategic Plan. An increase or decrease in the CDBG and HOME program funding amounts could impact the planned scope of the Home Rehabilitation Loan Program and the Housing Opportunities Fund.
ATTACHMENTS: Citizen Summary of the Draft FY 2019 Action Plan for Housing and
Community Development
STAFF:
Emily A. Baker, Deputy City Manager
Helen S. McIlvaine, Director, Office of Housing
Eric Keeler, Deputy Director, Office of Housing
Lucinda Metcalf, Asset Manager, Office of Housing