Title
Staff Report for Resolution Approving the City of San Leandro Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) for the FY 2013-2014 Annual Action Plan
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends that the City Council hold a public hearing and then adopt the resolution approving the FY 2013-2014 CAPER and authorizing the execution of all related documents by the City Manager and submission of the CAPER to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The CAPER has been available for public comment since September 1, 2014. Upon adoption by the City Council, the CAPER will be combined with the Alameda County HOME Consortium's reports (for the County and each Consortium member city) and submitted to HUD.
BACKGROUND
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires each jurisdiction that receives Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME funds to prepare a Five-Year Consolidated Plan, an annual Action Plan, and an annual Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER). The CAPER reports on all activities that took place during the fiscal year to assess the City's overall progress in accomplishing the annual Action Plan and the Five-Year Consolidated Plan objectives. The FY 2013-2014 CAPER reports on the activities and projects described in the FY 2013-2014 Action Plan and conducted during the period of July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014.
Analysis
This year's CAPER document was prepared for the first time using HUD's required online format and includes the following: an assessment of the progress toward achieving the five-year goals and objectives, an evaluation of annual performance, and a financial summary. Various HUD reports are included that provide information on the number of people served with each project and by categories such as race and income. Below is a summary of some of the City's notable activities and outcomes described in the CAPER.
Objective: Provide Decent Housing
Priority: Preserve existing affordable rental and ownership housing for low- and moderate-income households.
Housing Rehabilitation Program
In FY 2013-2014, the City continued to contract with Neighborhood Solutions to administer the City's Housing Rehabilitation Program. A total of 12 housing rehabilitation grants (10 minor home repair and 2 mobile home repair) were provided. Of these 12 grants, 6 were for extremely low-income (30% AMI) homeowners, 5 were for very low-income (50% AMI) homeowners, and 1 was for a low-income (60% AMI) homeowner. A total of 5 of the grants were for seniors.
Objective: Create Suitable Living Environment
Priority: Reduce housing discrimination.
Eden Council for Hope and Opportunity Housing (ECHO Housing)
The City continued to contract with ECHO Housing, a regional non-profit fair housing agency, to provide fair housing services. ECHO Housing received 19 fair housing inquiries involving 37 clients, in which ECHO Housing provided information, counseling, and/or investigation in fair housing inquiries or allegations of housing discrimination. ECHO Housing also educated people about fair housing laws, rights, and responsibilities by conducting one Fair Housing seminar, four training sessions, and nine presentations.
Priority: Support public services
Child Abuse Listening, Interviewing, and Coordination Center (CALICO)
CALICO's San Leandro Child Abuse Intervention Project provides family support services to improve mental health outcomes for San Leandro toddlers, children, adolescents, and adults living with developmental disabilities who have suffered physical or sexual abuse or neglect, and for the caregivers of those victims. During FY 2013-2014, CALICO served 41 San Leandro families and provided onsite or follow up support to 42 unduplicated caregivers.
SOS/Meals on Wheels
SOS/Meals on Wheels' Meal Delivery Service program provides uncurtailed delivery of warm, nutritious, and balanced meals to homebound seniors who are over 60 years of age and are unable to purchase or prepare food for themselves. In FY 2013-2014, 160 homebound seniors were served with hot and nutritious meals and provided daily health and safety check-ins by meal delivery drivers.
Spectrum Community Services (Spectrum)
Spectrum's Senior Nutrition & Activity Program (SNAP) is a senior lunch program that provides healthy, nutritious meals to low-income San Leandro seniors at the San Leandro Senior Community Center and Fargo Senior Apartments five days week. In FY 2013-2014, Spectrum provided 9,163 meals to 2,961 seniors.
Racial and Ethnic composition of families assisted
CDBG
White 5,783
Black or African American 1,048
Asian 1,600
American Indian or American Native 56
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 115
Hispanic 2,966
Not Hispanic 5,636
Total 17,204
Table 1 - Table of assistance to racial and ethnic populations by source of funds
Resources and Investments
Source Funds*
CDBG $257,614
HOME $100,000
*Actual Amount Expended in Program Year 2013.
Narrative
The City also appropriated the following local General Funds to the following programs in FY 2013-2014. These programs assist the City in addressing the affordable housing, homelessness, and community development needs of the City, as identified in the City's FY 2010-2014 Five-Year Consolidated Plan.
· $11,000 to Davis Street Family Resource Center to provide affordable housing services to City residents.
· $25,000 to ECHO Housing to provide San Leandrans with rental housing counseling, which includes resolving tenant-landlord issues as well as administering the City's Rent Review Program.
· $35,000 to Bay Area Homebuyer Agency (BAHBA) to administer and monitor the City's First-Time Homebuyer Program.
· $150,000 (City Community Investment Program) to non-profit agencies providing social support services to San Leandrans.
Additionally, the City has a current balance of $67,856 in its Affordable Housing Trust Fund and $913,893 in loan repayments from Redevelopment Housing Set-Aside loans for first-time homebuyer loan borrowers and owner-occupied housing rehabilitation loan borrowers as well as for affordable rental housing projects. The City intends to use both sources of funds to fund future affordable housing development as well as affordable housing-related services.
Affordable Housing
Objective: Provide Decent Housing
Priority: Increase the availability of affordable rental housing for extremely low-, very low-, low-, and moderate-income families.
New construction of affordable housing
Cornerstone at San Leandro Crossings
In FY 2013-2014, the City and non-profit developer BRIDGE Housing Corporation continued to work closely together to move the residential development towards commencement of construction. The redesigned Phase 1, which will construct 115 affordable workforce and family units, was awarded tax credit financing in June 2014. Construction of the 115-unit building is targeted to commence in December 2014.
Acquisition and rehabilitation of affordable housing
324 Lille Avenue
In FY 2013-2014, the City provided a $100,000 federal HOME Investment Partnership Act (HOME) program loan to nonprofit developer Hello Housing to rehabilitate a 2-bedroom, 1-bath single-family home into permanent, supportive housing for individuals with physical disabilities and/or development disabilities who qualify under the California Community Transition (CCT) demonstration project in Alameda County. The property will be rented at an affordable rent to a very low-income (50% AMI) household for a minimum of 55 years. The formerly vacant and foreclosed property was acquired by Hello Housing with Neighborhood Stabilization (NSP1) Program funds, the federal stimulus funds intended to address the problem of foreclosed properties in need of rehabilitation. One (1) renter and his caretaker, both of which have been assessed under the California Community Transition (CCT) program, have moved in.
Homeless and Other Special Needs
Objective: Create Suitable Living Environment
Priority: Maintain and improve the current capacity of the housing and shelter system, expanding transitional and permanent supportive housing, and providing services to homeless individuals and families, including integrated health care system, employment services, and other supportive services.
Building Futures with Women and Children (BFWC) - San Leandro Shelter
The City funded BFWC with City General Funds to provide supportive services to homeless families at its emergency shelter, known as the San Leandro Shelter. In FY 2013-2014, BFWC provided emergency shelter and supportive services, which included 10,489 bednights, of which 676 bednights were supported by the City, and 31,467 meals for 283 San Leandro homeless women (194) and children (89) in crisis. All 194 women received access to health care and group sessions which help to advance essential skills, such as employment strategies, money management, housing strategies, parenting skills, and other basic life skills. Of the 114 women who exited the San Leandro Shelter, 46, or 40%, exited to permanent housing.
Davis Street Family Resource Center (DSFRC)
The City funded DSFRC with CDBG public services funds to provide supportive services to homeless persons. DSFRC provided an array of basic services to 59 homeless persons. Homeless persons received various services, including three days' worth of groceries up to twice a month, emergency clothing, and household items. DSFRC Family Advocates/Intake Specialists also provided these clients with information and referral to DSFRC's other programs that include free acute medical and dental care, childcare, employment counseling, housing assistance, and case management services.
Objective: Create Suitable Living Environment
Priority: Support public services.
Family Emergency Shelter Coalition (FESCO) - Les Marquis Emergency Shelter
FESCO's Les Marquis Emergency Shelter, which is a 22-bed shelter located in Hayward, provides emergency shelter, food, and supportive services to extremely low-income homeless families. In FY 2013-2014, the shelter served 144 homeless persons (56 adults and 88 children) with 18,145 meals and 7,419 bednights. All 42 households were also provided with case management, mental health counseling, children's programming, and referral services that assist them in accessing income, employment, and educational opportunities. Of the total persons who moved out of the shelter, a total of 52 persons moved into transitional/interim housing while 27 persons moved into permanent housing.
Davis Street Family Resource Center (DSFRC) - Affordable Housing Services
In FY 2013-2014, the City provided City General Funds to DSFRC for affordable housing assistance in locating housing for 363 San Leandro residents. Housing services provided to the homeless and to extremely low-, very low-, low-, and moderate-income persons include assistance with affordable housing information and referrals to rental opportunities in the City, including the existing City below-market rate (BMR) units, to help individuals and families search and find housing units. Homeless persons are assisted with the goal of transitioning them to permanent housing. Individuals and families are assisted in identifying and applying for affordable housing units, and ultimately moving into affordable housing properties.
Priority: Maintain and expand activities designed to prevent those currently housed from becoming homeless.
Housing Rehabilitation Program
Under the City's Housing Rehabilitation Program, extremely low- and very low-income homeowners, particularly seniors, have their homes improved, and they are able to be remained housed. The following grants are available to income-eligible homeowners: Minor Home Repair, Mobile Home Repair, Accessibility, Exterior Clean-Up, Exterior Paint, and Seismic Strengthening. Of the 12 grants awarded, 5, or 42%, were provided to very low income seniors.
Rental Housing Counseling
Using City General Funds, the City contracted with ECHO Housing for Rental Housing Counseling services to help maintain people in housing. Information and referral services were provided to 277 landlords and tenant households. In FY 2013-2014, ECHO Housing handled 109 cases related to eviction and succeeded in preventing 10 households from being evicted. Staff also assisted with 38 landlord-tenant inquiries related to repairs, 21 cases regarding security deposits, 41 instances involving rent increases, 8 occurrences of unlawful entry by the landlord, and 8 cases involving retaliation by the landlord. There were also 87 miscellaneous inquiries (e.g. information on rental contracts and unlawful detainers, providing general information on tenant and landlord rights with referrals to attorneys, Fair Housing Department, Eviction Defense, Small Claims Court, and mediation services). ECHO Housing staff assisted 19 households with conciliation/mediation services. Lastly, staff referred 53 households to attorneys/small claims court and 20 households to other appropriate agencies.
Additionally, the City provided City General Funds to ECHO Housing to administer the City's Rent Review Program which provides a non-binding arbitration board review of eligible rent increase cases in San Leandro. ECHO Housing and City staff addressed 37 tenant and 34 landlord inquiries relating to the City's policies on rent increases and its Rent Review Program, including 14 renters who requested to have their rent increases reviewed by the Rent Review Board. Two (2) Rent Review Board cases were heard by the Rent Review Board. One (1) case was dismissed due to legal matters in Civil Court. In three cases, the landlord agreed to properly re-notice their tenants. Seven (7) cases involved the landlords agreeing to reduce the rent increase amount to close and resolve the cases rather than move forward with a rent review hearing. One (1) case was mutually resolved prior to the scheduled hearing taking place.
Current Agency Policies
Current Council Policy is defined by the FY 2010-2014 Consolidated Plan, adopted by Resolution No. 2010-038 on April 19, 2010.
Previous Actions
The Action Plan containing the programs and activities carried out during FY 2013-2014 was approved by the City Council on May 6, 2013.
Applicable General Plan Policies
The Housing Element of the General Plan addresses increasing the supply of affordable ownership and rental housing in San Leandro in Goal 53 - Affordable Housing Development of the Housing Element of the General Plan. Additionally, Goals 47 to 51 of the General Plan address the provision of community services and facilities in coordination with non-profit and other social services providers. Such services range from library and childcare services to youth and senior services.
Environmental Review
No environmental review is required.
Summary of Public Outreach Efforts
A notice of the public hearing was published in the Daily Review on August 26, 2014. The CAPER was available at City Hall, the Main Library, and on the City's website for public comment from September 1 through September 15, 2014. Letters were sent on August 26, 2014, to the City's "CDBG's Mailing List" which includes CDBG service providers, homeowner associations, and community-based organizations.
Fiscal Impacts
None.
ATTACHMENT
Attachment to Resolution
· Draft CAPER
PREPARED BY: Steve Hernandez, Housing Specialist II, Community Development Department