REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
September 22, 2016
FROM: JENNIFER CLARK, Director
Development and Resource Management Department
BY: KELLI FURTADO, Assistant Director
Development and Resource Management Department
SUBJECT:
title
Approve Program Year 2015 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) and authorize submission to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
body
RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends the City Council approve the Program Year 2015 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) and authorize staff to submit the CAPER to HUD by the September 29, 2016 deadline.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The CAPER serves to meet the performance reporting requirements of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as set forth with the Consolidated Plan Regulations. On September 7, 2016, a Public Review Draft of the CAPER was made available for a fifteen day review period. HUD’s deadline for receipt of the CAPER is September 29, which is ninety days after the close of the City’s program year on June 30. This year’s CAPER describes the activities undertaken by the City of Fresno (City) with specific federal funds during PY 2015, beginning July 1, 2015 and ending June 30, 2016. In addition to the report are several documents, including a draft addendum to the PY 2014 CAPER. The addendum is responsive to HUDs request that specific items be included in the PY 2015 CAPER.
BACKGROUND
The City is an entitlement jurisdiction receiving annual federal funding from HUD. In accordance with federal regulations, each year, the City’s Department of Development and Resource Management’s Housing and Community Development Division produces a Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER). The CAPER serves to meet the performance reporting requirements of HUD as set forth in the Consolidated Plan Regulations.
HUD’s deadline for receipt of the CAPER is September 29, which is ninety days after the close of the City’s program year on June 30. The CAPER requires a 15 day public review process. On September 7, 2016, a Public Review Draft of the CAPER was made available. The draft report describes activities undertaken by the City during the HUD PY 2015, beginning July 1, 2015 and ending June 30, 2016, using the following federal funds:
− Community Development Block Grant (CDBG),
− Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG),
− Home Investment Partnership (HOME), and
− Housing Opportunities for Persons With HIV/AIDS (HOPWA).
These grants fund community development efforts to improve housing, economic, and social conditions and opportunities for low-income and moderate-income residents of the City. The City funded and administered projects to address the four main goals of the 2015-2019 Consolidated Plan. Housing staff developed the draft CAPER based on information provided by project managers, subrecipients, and several additional Departments. Some highlights from the draft CAPER listed according to the goals of the Consolidated Plan include:
Goal 1: Safe and Affordable Housing
A significant amount of rehabilitation work was completed during PY2015 to increase development, preserve and rehabilitate affordable housing for low-income households.
− City-wide Rehabilitation Program: Goal 20/Completed 20
− Senior Paint Program: Goal 20/Completed 17, allocated funds were fully utilized for 17 projects.
− Code Distressed Property Program: Goal 2/Completed 2
− Completed utilization of prior year funds: Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission improved nineteen homes through the Targeted Area Rehab Program and two homes through the Targeted Area Distressed Property Program for a total of twenty-one additional projects.
− Financed nineteen home loans with the CalHome First Time Homebuyer Assistance Program using funding from the State of California Department of Housing and Community Development.
− Conducted outreach in Spanish and English for a workshop held August 19, 2015 for contractors interested in performing rehabilitation work and to learn how to become a City approved contractor as well as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise.
Goal 2: Homeless Services: During PY 2015 the City focused efforts on working with HUD to allocate all prior year ESG funds going back as far as PY 2011. This was accomplished and the City received notification regarding HUD’s monitoring clearance on September 8, 2016.
Goal 3: Community Services
− After School Program: The City PARCS Department operates the after school program and summer FUN Camp. These programs benefitted 1,017 children during PY2015.
− Anti-Graffiti Program: PY2015 funds were used to remove blight conditions that impair low income neighborhoods and to foster safe living environments. During PY 2015 64,317 square feet of graffiti removal occurred within RESTORE Fresno neighborhoods, an additional 996,697 square feet was removed in other CDBG eligible areas.
− Senior Hot Meals: Weekday meals and programming provided for seniors, 60 years of age and older. The program served 37,277 meals to 657 individuals. The program is operated at six sites, including Lafayette Neighborhood Park, Mary Ela Brown Community Center, Mosqueda Community Center, Pinedale Community Center, Senior Citizens Village and the Ted C. Wills Community Center.
Goal 4: Public Facilities and Public Improvements
− Neighborhood Streets Improvements: Improvements to target area infrastructure based on community input on access to schools, parks and services also leveraged other community revitalization activities during PY 2015. Some highlights include the completion of Weller/Bardell Streets, and the substantial completion of Townsend/ Heaton Streets. Shields/Dakota/Pleasant and Hughes improvements are estimated to be begin in October, 2016.
− Roy and Almy Reconstruction: This multi-year project to complete the reconstruction of two severely deteriorated streets with curbs, gutters, and sidewalks in a very low income neighborhood complimenting ongoing revitalization efforts including new housing construction, commercial investment and a new neighborhood park moves forward. Roy Avenue construction has been completed and work is underway to complete the cul-de-sac construction and Almy construction.
− Park Facilities Improvements: Thirteen projects were completed at ten park sites including several pool assessments and upgrades to exterior lighting at the aquatics facilities in addition to improvements to a tot lot, fields, courts, picnic tables and other items.
Public Outreach: In an effort to enhance the awareness of the citizen participation process, and in addition to the required posting of this information in the Fresno Bee, staff has taken several low and no-cost measures to reach out to the community. Staff worked with the Communications Department within the City Manager’s Office to develop a flyer in both English and Spanish that provided information regarding the public review process and how to access the draft CAPER. Housing staff sent electronic messages including the flyers to over 500 stakeholders, including residents, community based organizations, and both public and private agencies who were asked to consider sharing with their respective networks as well. Staff also worked with the Communications Department to utilize other no-cost outreach methods such as posting information on social media. In addition to these efforts, staff mailed hard copies of the flyer to individuals that have provided a physical address to the Housing Division staff as their preferred method of contact.
Public Comment and Public Review: The required 15-day public comment period began on September 7, 2016. The City will continue to take public comments through September 22, 2016.
The Public Review Draft of the PY 2015 CAPER is available at Fresno City Hall, 2600 Fresno Street, Room 2133 (City Clerk’s Office) and Room 3070 (Housing Division); as well as at the Downtown Branch of the Fresno County Public Library and online at www.fresno.gov/housing <http://www.fresno.gov/housing>.
Written comments on the CAPER may be mailed to: City of Fresno, DARM, Attention: Crystal Smith, 2600 Fresno Street, Room 3070 Fresno CA, 93721 or by e-mail to crystal.smith@fresno.gov <mailto:crystal.smith@fresno.gov>. Written comments must be received no later than September 22, 2016.
Approval of this agenda item by the City Council is included in the City’s Citizen Participation Plan.
HCDC Public Hearing: HCDC conducted a noticed public hearing to receive and consider public comments and make a recommendation to the City Council on September 14, 2016. All public comments received at the public hearing will be summarized and read into the record at Council for consideration and approval.
HUD Deadline: Once approved by the City Council, staff will begin the process of uploading the final CAPER into HUDs Integrated Disbursement and Information System (IDIS) by no later than September 29, 2016. This is a time sensitive item as staff has experienced significant IDIS technology delays in the past due to the system becoming overloaded as cities across the country are also uploading their CAPERs.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
This is not a project for the purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to CEQA guidelines Section 15378.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference is not applicable to the CAPER.
FISCAL IMPACT
This agenda item does not request the use of funds. However, it is important the City continue to be responsive to HUD deadlines in order to not jeopardize the future use of CDBG, HOME, HOPWA, and ESG funding.
Attachment:
Draft PY 2015 CAPER