AGENDA CAPTION:
Title
Receive a staff presentation and hold a Public Hearing to receive comments for or against Resolution 2021-107R, authorizing the submission of the 2019-2020 Community Development Block Grant (“CDBG”) Program Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (“CAPER”) to the United Stated Department of Housing and Urban Development; and declaring an effective; and consider approval of Resolution 2021-107R.
Body
Meeting date: June 1, 2021
Department: Planning and Development Services
Amount & Source of Funding
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Fiscal Note:
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City Council Strategic Initiative: [Please select from the dropdown menu below]
Workforce Housing
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Comprehensive Plan Element (s): [Please select the Plan element(s) and Goal # from dropdown menu below]
☐ Economic Development - Choose an item.
☐ Environment & Resource Protection - Choose an item.
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☒ Neighborhoods & Housing - Diversified housing options to serve citizens with varying needs and interests
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☐ Core Services
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Master Plan: [Please select the corresponding Master Plan from the dropdown menu below (if applicable)]
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Background Information:
Program year 2019-2020 (PY 2019) which began October 1, 2019 and ended September 30, 2020 was the fifth year of the 2015-2019 Consolidated Plan for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. This 5-year plan established five priority needs to be addressed using CDBG funds: (a) affordable housing; (b) public services; (c) public facilities / infrastructure / transportation; (d) clearance activities; and (e) program administration. All projects and activities carried out during program year 2019 addressed a priority need. All projects/activities satisfied a National Objectives: most benefitted low to moderate income persons; one program was funded to clear slum and blight. The City was below the timeliness threshold of 1.5% on the August 1, 2020 testing date.
Significant progress was not made toward meeting numerical goals and objectives in PY 2019 for a couple of reasons: loss of staff and the pandemic. Because the City of San Marcos has CDBG-DR funding in addition to CDBG Entitlement, the CDBG program has six staff positions (five program staff and one financial specialist). By October, 2019, only two program staff and the financial specialist remained, and by December, 2019, only one program staff and the financial specialist remained. A temporary staff person was hired in January, 2020 to assist with the CDBG-MIT action plan and the Consolidated Plan process. Additional program staff were added in March and July (one each).
Key accomplishments in Program Year 2019:
• New staff were trained.
• Staff created new policies and procedures for Overall CDBG Management and for Housing Rehabilitation as required by HUD through monitoring.
• Staff created the CDBG-MIT Action Plan, which was approved by HUD in June, 2020.
• Staff amended the CDBG-DR Action Plan to adjust prior program funding and create a new Housing Rehabilitation Reimbursement program.
• One staff-administered program was active during the year: Homebuyers Assistance Program. Nine new homebuyers were assisted with down payment and closing costs. Funding was available for twelve.
• One subrecipient-administered program was active during the year: Advocates for Foster Children. 121 foster children received advocates, one more than the expected 120.
• The homebuyer’s counseling program was reconfigured by the subrecipient to be provided virtually.
• In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, HUD allocated $425,261 in round one CDBG-CV funding to the City of San Marcos during PY 2019. The City released a Notice of Funding Availability that led to the funding of three programs. Staff created policies and procedures for one of the programs, Small Business Assistance, since this type of program had not been funded in San Marcos previously. (CDBG-CV programs launched in PY 2020.)
• San Marcos continued to affirmatively further fair housing by publishing an annual fair housing rights ad in English and Spanish in the local newspaper, maintaining a Fair Housing page on the City's website, and issuing a proclamation declaring April to be "Fair Housing Month".
Council Committee, Board/Commission Action:
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Alternatives:
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Recommendation:
Staff recommends approving the report for submission to HUD.