Title
Staff Report for Resolution Approving Owner-Occupied Housing Rehabilitation Program Amendments
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The City’s Owner-Occupied Housing Rehabilitation (Housing Rehab) Program has historically been one of the City’s most popular housing programs particularly for the minor home repair grants. In order to enhance the program’s effectiveness and efficiency, staff recommends that the City Council approve the amendments (discussed below) to the program.
BACKGROUND
The City’s Housing Rehab Program has been in operation since 1989. In recent years, the program was funded through Redevelopment Agency (RDA) Housing Set-Aside Funds. Since 2003, the City has outsourced the administration of the program to Neighborhood Solutions, which is an experienced administrator of municipal rehab programs for cities including Pleasanton and Livermore.
In early 2012, the State eliminated redevelopment in California. For the FY2012-13 budget, the City Council has already approved some key changes to the Housing Rehab Program: 1) elimination of the low interest rehab loan component of the program and 2) funding the program primarily through federal Community Development Block Grant funds.
Analysis
Based on their day to day experiences over the years in working with and processing applications through the existing program rules and guidelines, Neighborhood Solutions and City staff have developed the following recommendations to streamline, clarify and simplify the program while providing staff with sufficient flexibility to operate the program as efficiently as possible while being able to effectively address unforeseen or urgent situations in the future. The last time changes were made to the program was in 2003. Below are the recommended changes to the program:
· Merge the existing six separate grants into a single minor home repair grant not to exceed $5,000: Currently, there are six separate grants available to eligible San Leandro ho...
Click here for full text