CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
Memo Date: 3/15/2024.
Agenda Date: 3/26/2024.
Prepared By: Florence Torbert, Housing Program Coordinator
Through: Charlene Neuterman, Community Services Director
Requested Action:
title
Conduct a Public Hearing to obtain citizen input and comments on housing and community services needs and approve recommendations on the FY 2024-2025 CDBG and HOME program funding.
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BACKGROUND:
For Fiscal Year 2024-2025, and based on last’s year’s allocation, the City anticipates receiving $128,609 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) as a direct entitlement. The City also anticipates receiving $76,044 in HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) funds from HUD as part of the Brevard County HOME Consortium, which is composed of the cities of Cocoa, Melbourne, Palm Bay, Titusville, and Brevard County.
The use of CDBG funds must meet one (1) of the three (3) National Objectives: benefit low/moderate income persons; eliminate or prevent slums or blight; or meet urgent needs. CDBG allows a maximum of 15 percent of the grant to be allocated to a public service agency and a maximum of 20 percent of the grant be allocated for staff administration.
HOME funds can only be used to address housing needs, such as: home purchase or rehabilitation financing assistance; build or rehabilitate housing for rent or ownership; or for other reasonable and necessary expenses related to the development of non-luxury housing, including site acquisition or improvement, and demolition of dilapidated housing to make way for HOME-assisted development. Additionally, some special conditions exist with HOME funds. The City must provide a 25 percent match for every dollar of HOME funds used (except for administrative costs) from nonfederal sources and at least 15 percent must be set-aside for Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) activities, 7.43 percent is available for staff administration and the remaining allocation towards eligible HOME activities (2.57 percent is retained by Brevard County as lead agency).
All activities carried out with CDBG and HOME funds must be consistent with the priorities and needs of the five (5) year Consolidated Plan. The FY 2022-2027 Five (5) Year Consolidated Plan was adopted in 2022 and the one (1) year FY2023/2024 Action Plan was adopted in 2023. The FY 2024-2025 Action Plan will be submitted to Brevard County by July 23, 2024 for submission to HUD.
Staff advertised a notice of funding availability along with a Request for Proposals (proposals) using the anticipated grant allocations. In addition to city staff generated requests, five (5) proposals were received. All proposals were reviewed at a publicly noticed meeting by a staff review committee. The committee consisted of: Tiffany Bonadio, Public Information Coordinator, David Radford, Senior Budget Analyst, Marcia Markham Housing Program Coordinator, Florence Torbert, Housing Program Coordinator, Connor Williams, Grant Writer/Economic Development Specialist, Charlene Neuterman, Community Services Director.
Proposals were reviewed and evaluated according to the criteria below:
A. Introduction (maximum of 10 points)
B. Demonstration of Need (maximum of 15 points)
C. Description of Target Clientele (maximum of 10 points)
D. Measurable Outcomes (maximum of 5 points)
E. Consolidated Plan Consistency (maximum of 10 points)
F. Organizational Capacity and Capability (maximum of 15 points)
G. Leveraging (maximum of 10 points)
H. Financial Capacity (maximum of 20 points)
I. Past Performance (maximum of 20 points)
The five (5) agencies that requested CDBG public service dollars were ranked by committee members as follows:
|
AGENCY NAME: |
Tiffany Bonadio |
David Radford* |
Marcia Markham |
Florence Torbert |
Connor Williams |
Charlene Neuterman |
TOTAL |
AVG |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PTS: |
SCORE: |
|
Family Promise 1 |
95 |
72 |
97 |
94 |
95 |
92 |
545 |
90.8 |
|
Central Brevard Sharing Ctr. 2 |
96 |
85 |
85 |
91 |
91 |
90 |
538 |
89.7 |
|
Salvation Army 3 |
87 |
86 |
80 |
90 |
83 |
80 |
506 |
84.3 |
|
Aging Matters 4 |
88 |
77 |
87 |
82 |
79 |
75 |
488 |
81.3 |
|
Housing for Homeless 5 |
65 |
47 |
60 |
66 |
59 |
63 |
360 |
60.0 |
* David Radford, Senior Budget Analyst reviewed and ranked Financial Capacity, his score was added to each of the reviewers scores.
Of the five (5) proposals submitted, four (4) requested public service funds related to the CDBG Program. The total amount of funds requested was $91,657 and the City will have approximately $19,291.35 available to support public services. As noted in the RFP, the minimum funding was listed at $3,000.
Based on thorough review of each agency’s proposal and financial statements, the committee’s recommendations are as follows:
|
CDBG Public Services - Maximum 15% allowed $19,291.35 |
|
Name of Agency |
Description of services to be provided |
Amount Requested |
Amount Recommended |
|
Family Promise |
Transitional Housing for 83 (25 families) |
$10,177 |
$5,291.35* |
|
Brevard Sharing Ctr. |
Preparing meals to 500 participants |
$10,000 |
$5,000.00* |
|
Salvation Army |
Domestic Violence Program 88 participant |
$4,000 |
$5,000.00* |
|
Aging Matters |
Providing for the Senior Citizens in Brevard |
$17,480 |
$4,000.00* |
|
Housing for Homeless |
Provide affordable housing |
$50,000 |
$0.00 |
|
CDBG SECTION 108 Payments - $83,595.85 |
|
Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program |
Repayment of Section 108 Loan |
N/A |
$83,595.85* |
|
CDBG Administration - 20% - $25,721.80 |
|
City Staff |
Salaries |
N/A |
$24,721.80* |
|
Fair Housing |
|
N/A |
$ 1,000 |
|
Total CDBG Allocation $128,609 |
|
HOME Administration- 7.43%* Brevard County Staff Admin 2.57%* - Total Admin 10% |
|
Brevard County Staff Admin |
County admin of HOME funds |
N/A |
$1,954.33* |
|
City Staff Admin |
City Staff salaries |
N/A |
$5,650.07* |
|
HOME CHDO & Housing Set Aside - $79,466* |
|
CHDO Housing Activity |
15% Mandatory CHDO set aside |
N/A |
$11,406.60* |
|
Homebuyer Assistance Program |
Homebuyer Assistance Program |
N/A |
$57,033.00* |
|
Total HOME Allocation $76,044 |
|
*The award will be modified if any increase or decrease to funding occurs. |
Housing for Homeless was a first-time applicant with the City of Cocoa. After the review committee scored the application, funding was not recommended. Staff provided additional technical assistance to try to strengthen their application and encouraged them to reapply next year.
As required by the City’s Citizen Participation Plan, staff is requesting City Council hold a Public Hearing to obtain citizen input and comments on housing and community development needs and approve recommendations on FY 2024-2025 CDBG and HOME Program funding. Upon the City Council’s approval, a 30-day public comment notice listing proposed projects along with the corresponding Action Plan will be advertised in the Florida Today newspaper. The notice will also inform the public of the date of the second and final Public Hearing, which will be held after June 1, 2024.
PRIORITY AREA CONNECTION:
Economic and Community Development.
BUDGETARY IMPACT:
No budget impact to the current Fiscal Year 2024 Budget as the allocations will take effect in Fiscal Year 2025, beginning October 1, 2024.
N/A
PREVIOUS ACTION:
N/A
RECOMMENDED MOTION:
Recommendation
Conduct a Public Hearing to obtain citizen input and comments on housing and community services needs and approve recommendations on the FY 2024-2025 CDBG and HOME program funding.