REPORT TO THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
March 22, 2017
FROM: JENNIFER CLARK, Director
Development and Resource Management Department
THROUGH: KELLI FURTADO, Assistant Director
Development and Resource Management Department
BY: Thomas Morgan, Housing Manager
Development and Resource Management Department
SUBJECT
Title
Public Hearing - FY 2018 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Applicant Presentations, Scoring, Tabulation and Ranking of CDBG Applications by Commissioners, Presentation of FY 2018 Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) and Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS/HIV (HOPWA) Evaluation Committee Scoring Results, and Approval of a Recommendation to the Mayor for allocating federal entitlement funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) related to the FY 2018 Annual Action Plan.
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Housing and Community Development Commission (HCDC) conduct a public hearing for:
1. Applicant presentations on their request for FY 2018 Community Development Block Grant funding;
2. Reviewing and scoring applications based on the criteria established in the CDBG application packet;
3. Receiving the results of the staff scoring component for each FY 2017 - 2018 CDBG application;
4. Validating the tabulation and ranking of the overall CDBG application scoring results;
5. Reviewing the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) and Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS/HIV (HOPWA) application evaluation and scoring committee results and rankings;
6. Approving staff’s submission of the Commission’s recommended CDBG, ESG and HOPWA activities/projects and HOME funding allocations to the Mayor and City Council for consideration.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Fresno is the annual recipient of federal entitlement program funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). As a condition of receiving these funds, the City is required to prepare an Annual Action Plan detailing program expenditures and the benefit to low and moderate-income persons.
One of the steps in developing the Annual Action Plan is for HCDC to review: 1) submitted CDBG applications, 2) ESG and HOPWA evaluation committee scoring results, 3) staff recommendations for HOME funding allocations, and 4) provide funding recommendations to the Mayor and City Council. This item requests that HCDC conduct a public hearing to consider these matters and provide funding recommendations to the Mayor and City Council.
BACKGROUND
The City of Fresno is the annual recipient of federal entitlement funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). These funds are provided through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME); the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), and the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS/HIV (HOPWA) programs. As a condition of receiving these funds, the City is required to prepare an Annual Action Plan detailing the uses of the federal dollars and the benefits to low and moderate income persons.
Citizen Participation
City staff began preparation of the FY 2018 Annual Action Plan by conducting Community Workshops on January 10, 2017 and January 17, 2017. The workshops provided basic information on the CDBG, HOME, ESG and HOPWA programs, the citizen participation process, and the steps and anticipated timeline for identifying and selecting activities for FY 2018 funding. These two workshops were followed by a Community Needs Public Hearing at the January 25, 2017 meeting of the HCDC. The process continued with the release of the Consolidated Notice of Funding Availability and Information Guide on February 10, 2017. CDBG, ESG and HOME applications were due on March 3, 2017 and CDBG applicants were asked to make oral presentations to the HCDC during a Public Hearing to be conducted on March 22, 2017. The HCDC will review, evaluate and score CDBG applications. Additionally, the HCDC will receive the ESG and HOPWA application scoring results prepared by a panel that has experience working with persons experiencing homelessness and/or AIDS/HIV. HOME scoring results will be presented at a future to-be-determined HCDC meeting. (Note: HUD requires the completion of extensive due diligence and underwriting requirements prior to the City committing HOME funds). The HCDC will provide CDBG, ESG and HOPWA funding recommendations to the Mayor and City Council as part of the Annual Action Plan process. HOME funds will be set-aside for HOME eligible activities in the Annual Action Plan, but specific awards will be made following the completion of underwriting and due diligence.
FY 2014-2015 Federal Entitlement Funding
Because HUD has not yet announced the annual allocation, the City of Fresno cannot predict its annual allocation amounts. However, the City’s estimated allocation amount expected to be received for FY 2018 entitlement funding is listed below:
− CDBG: $6,330,331
− ESG: $565,293
− HOME: $2,192,795
− HOPWA: $387,290
Scoring Process
Applicants submitting applications for CDBG funding have been invited to present the merits of their respective projects to HCDC on March 22, 2017. A book of submitted applications was provided to HCDC members prior to the March 22, 2017 meeting. Applicants will be eligible to receive up to 100 points on their CDBG applications. Prior to the March 22, 2017 meeting, staff reviewed and evaluated the CDBG applications, determined threshold eligibility and provided a score of up to 20 points based on the qualifying criteria. During the Public Hearing, the HCDC Commissioners will review and evaluate the CDBG applications and score up to 80 points based upon the standards set forth. The scoring results will be tabulated and ranked during the HCDC meeting.
Attachment:
Exhibit A - FY 2018 CDBG Applications