Fresno Logo
File #: ID 20-00485    Version: 1 Name:
Type: Action Item Status: Agenda Ready
File created: 4/9/2020 In control: City Council
On agenda: 5/14/2020 Final action:
Title: CONTINUED HEARING to obtain public comments regarding the Draft 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan Including Citizen Participation Plan, Draft 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan, and Draft Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice
Sponsors: Planning and Development Department
Attachments: 1. Public Draft of 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan Including Citizen Participation Plan and 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan, 2. Public Draft of Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice, 3. Overview, 4. Attachment A - Summary 5.14.20, 5. Supplement Powerpoint and URL link to item 1005#2.pdf
Date Ver.Action ByActionResultAction DetailsMeeting DetailsVideo
No records to display.

REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL

 

 

 

May 14, 2020

 

 

FROM:                     JENNIFER CLARK, Director

Planning and Development Department

 

BY:                                          THOMAS MORGAN, Housing Manager

                                          Housing and Community Development Division

 

                                          KAREN JENKS, Administrative Manager

                                          Housing and Community Development Division

 

                                          EDWARD CHINEVERE, Senior Management Analyst

                                          Housing and Community Development Division

 

SUBJECT

Title

CONTINUED HEARING to obtain public comments regarding the Draft 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan Including Citizen Participation Plan, Draft 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan, and Draft Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice

 

Body

RECOMMENDATION

 

Staff recommends the City Council obtain the views and comments from interested persons regarding the Draft 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan including the Citizen Participation Plan, Draft 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan, and Draft Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice.

 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

 

City staff implemented a comprehensive citizen engagement, analysis, and planning process beginning in November 2019 to develop the strategies and recommended project types for the 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan including the Citizen Participation Plan, 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan, and Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice. In response to recent events, HUD has extended the deadline for submission from May 15, 2020 to August 16, 2020. The plans will be deemed approved 45 days after HUD receives them, unless HUD notifies the City before that date that the plans are disapproved. The City will submit the plans as early as feasible following City Council adoption, scheduled for consideration on May 21, 2020, to allow for timely approval at the start of Fiscal Year 2021.

 

BACKGROUND

 

2020-2024 Consolidated Plan

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires jurisdictions receiving federal entitlement funds through its Community Planning and Development Department to prepare a five-year Consolidated Plan detailing the housing and community development needs of its low- to moderate-income persons. Staff has undertaken, in partnership with its consultant, a robust public participation process and comprehensive needs assessment with the general public, housing agencies, social service agencies, and government agencies. Community input was analyzed alongside public databases of housing and demographic information, and current plans and studies including the City’s General Plan, the Housing Element, and the Greater Fresno Region DRIVE Plan.

 

The analysis conducted as part of this process in consultation with stakeholders and members of the public was used to develop five-year strategies to address the highest priority needs of low- to moderate-income persons. These strategies will serve as the guide for expending CDBG, HOME, ESG, and HOPWA program funds. The 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan includes a revision to the City’s Citizen Participation Plan to better align the timing of Public Hearings to HUD requirements and to include provisions regarding citizen participation in the preparation of future Fair Housing Studies.

 

2020-2021 Annual Action Plan

In order to qualify for and receive federal grant funding through HUD, the City is required to prepare an Annual Action Plan detailing the projects proposed for funding through CDBG, HOME, ESG, and HOPWA programs, and the benefits to low- and moderate-income persons. The 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan covers the period from July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021, and is the first year of the five-year Consolidated Plan.

 

The 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan allocates proposed funds according to HUD-defined ‘Projects’ which include descriptions of the types of activities that may be funded to benefit an estimated number of low- and moderate-income persons. Except in the case of City-administered programs, the specific subrecipients and activities to be implemented under each project are not defined by the 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan and will be presented to City Council for consideration following an application process to begin after the adoption of the 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan and 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan.

 

Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice

As a requirement of receiving funds under the CDBG, HOME, ESG, and HOPWA programs, the City must periodically conduct a Fair Housing Study to certify the City’s commitment to affirmatively further fair housing. The current study required by HUD to meet this obligation is the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice. Through the community engagement process and analysis of available demographic, economic, and housing data, the Analysis of Impediments identifies existing impediments to fair housing choice and provides recommended actions, goals, and timeframes for addressing those impediments.

 

Citizen Participation

Citizens were consulted at every step of the drafting and review process for the 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan, 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan, and Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice. Seventeen meetings were held throughout the City at different stages of the analysis. Citizens were asked to provide broad feedback on community needs at an initial round of meetings, followed by a prioritization exercise of the most-discussed needs at a second round of meetings, and assisted in the review and revision of draft strategies in a third round of meetings. Spanish and Hmong interpretation was available at all meetings, and all notices and flyers were presented in English, Spanish, and Hmong. In total:

 

                     168 individuals participated in community meetings

                     66 individuals participated in focus groups

                     13 unique individuals were engaged in intercept interviews

                     500 individuals completed a community needs survey

                     40 housing and community development stakeholders were engaged in interviews

                     818 site visits were recorded for a dedicated project website (fresnoconplanai.com)

                     81,264 meeting information views were recorded on social media

                     411 interactions (shares, likes, comments) were recorded on social media posts

                     30,000 FresGo users received push notification invitations for community meetings

                     130,000 utility bill inserts were distributed

                     7,500 door hangers were distributed in neighborhoods near meeting sites

                     25,000+ Fresno Unified School District, Central Unified School District, and Clovis Unified School District parents received digital flyers

 

A list of meeting, public review, and key notice dates is provided below. An exhaustive list of promotional and outreach activities is provided in Appendix A of the Draft 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan and 2020 Annual Action Plan.

 

                     October 13, 2019 - Notice of upcoming meetings and planning process published in the Fresno Bee

                     October 16, 2019 - Spanish Language notice of upcoming meetings and planning process published in Vida en el Valle

                     November 2, 2019 - Meeting at Teague Elementary School, 4725 N. Polk Avenue

                     November 2, 2019 - Meeting at Discovery Center, 1944 N. Winery Avenue

                     November 2, 2019 - Meeting at Inspiration Park, 5770 W. Gettysburg Avenue

                     November 4, 2019 - Meeting at Kirk Elementary School, 2000 E. Belgravia Avenue

                     November 4, 2019 - Meeting at Pinedale Elementary School, 7171 North Sugar Pine Avenue

                     November 4, 2019 - Meeting at Vang Pao Elementary School, 4100 E. Heaton Avenue

                     November 4, 2019 - Senior Focus Group at Ted C. Wills Community  Center, 770 N. San Pablo Avenue

                     November 5, 2019 - Meeting at Highway City Neighborhood Center, 5140 N. State Street

                     November 5, 2019 - Meeting at Webster Elementary School, 2600 E. Tyler Avenue

                     November 5, 2019 - Meeting at Centennial Elementary School, 3830 E. Saginaw Way

                     November 5, 2019 - Teen/Pre-Teen Focus Group at Maxie L. Parks Community Center, 1802 E. California Way

                     November 6, 2019 - Meeting at City Hall, 2600 Fresno Street

                     December 8, 2019 - Advertisement for upcoming meetings published in the Fresno Bee

                     December 9, 2019 - Meeting at Leavenworth Elementary School, 4420 E. Thomas Avenue

                     December 10, 2019 - Meeting at Ted C. Wills Community Center, 770 N. San Pablo Avenue

                     December 12, 2019 - Meeting at Williams Elementary School, 525 W. Saginaw Way

                     January 21, 2020 - Meeting at Sal Mosqueda Community Center, 4670 E. Butler Avenue

                     January 22, 2020 - Meeting at Wesley United Methodist Church, 1343 E. Barstow Avenue

                     January 23, 2020 - Meeting at West Side Seventh Day Adventist Church, 2750 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard

                     February 21, 2020 - Public notice of 30-day comment period and upcoming Public Hearings published in the Fresno Bee

                     February 26, 2020 - Spanish language notice of 30-day comment period and upcoming Public Hearings published in Vida en el Valle

                     February 28, 2020 - Public Comment Period Begins

                     March 4, 2020 - Public Notice of First Extension of Public Comment Period through April 3, 2020

                     March 24, 2020 - Public Notice of Continued Hearings (COVID-19 Related Postponement)

                     March 31, 2020 - Public Notice of Second Extension of Public Comment Period through May 20, 2020

                     May 13, 2020 - Public Hearing with the Housing and Community Development Commission, City Hall, 2600 Fresno Street, with remote participation

                     May 14, 2020 - Public Hearing with City Council meeting, City Hall, 2600 Fresno Street, with remote participation

 

ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS

 

This is not a project for purposes of CEQA pursuant to CEQA guidelines Section 15378.  These plans, strategies and studies are an exempt activity under HUD NEPA Requirements (24 CFR 58.34 (1)).

 

LOCAL PREFERENCE

 

Local preference is not applicable because of the use of federal funding.

 

FISCAL IMPACT

 

Adoption of the 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan and Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice will qualify the City to receive an estimated $59,700,000 of new entitlement funding and entitlement program income over five years, including $11,943,000 in Fiscal Year 2020-2021 pursuant to the adoption of the 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan.

 

Attachments:                     Public Draft of 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan Including Citizen Participation Plan and 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan

Public Draft of Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice

Overview (with Attachment A: Summary)