Title
Staff Report for Resolution Approving the City of San Leandro Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) for the FY 2014-2015 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 2014-2015 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 August 25, 2015. 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 2014-2015 CAPER reports on the activities and projects described in the FY 2014-2015 Action Plan and conducted during the period of July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015.
Analysis
This year’s CAPER document was prepared using HUD’s required online format and includes 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 2014-2015, the City continued to contract with Neighborhood Solutions to administer the City's Housing Rehabilitation Program which is designed to make homes safe and healthy for homeowners. A total of 9 housing rehabilitation grants (6 minor home repair and 3 mobile home repair) were provided. Of these 9 grants, 2 were for extremely low-income (30% AMI) homeowners, 3 were for very low-income (50% AMI) homeowners, and 4 were for a low-income (60% AMI) homeowner. A total of 4 of the grants were for seniors.
The housing rehabilitation program provided a wide range of improvements to the 9 income-eligible homeowners including new roof and/or roofing repair, water heaters, exterior paint, grab bars, dry rotted porch replacement, and sewer lateral replacement.
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 23 fair housing inquiries involving 44 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, 2 training sessions, and 13 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 2014-2015, CALICO served 40 San Leandro families comprised of 86 total persons (40 unduplicated caregivers and 46 unduplicated victims, which includes 1 adult victim with developmental disabilities).
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 2014-2015, 160 homebound seniors were served 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 2014-2015, Spectrum provided 8,629 meals to 3,994 seniors of whom 448 seniors reported to be San Leandro residents.
Table 1 - Table of assistance to racial and ethnic populations by source of funds
Racial and Ethnic composition of families assisted:
CDBG
White 11,737
Black or African American 2,530
Asian 3,345
American Indian or American Native 118
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 231
Hispanic 3,562
Not Hispanic 7,610
Total 29,133
Resources and Investments:
Source Funds*
CDBG $654,017
HOME $640,000
*Actual Amount Expended in Program Year 2014
Narrative
The City also appropriated the following local General Funds to the following programs in FY 2014-2015. 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, and assisting in the administration of 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 $84,094 in its Affordable Housing Trust Fund and approximately $1.3 million in loan repayments from Redevelopment Housing Set-Aside loans for past first-time homebuyer loan borrowers, owner-occupied housing rehabilitation loan borrowers and affordable rental housing development projects. These funds are earmarked for future City affordable housing development project, programs and/or 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 2014-2015, the non-profit developer BRIDGE Housing Corporation began the construction of Phase 1 of the 200-unit affordable housing project, which BRIDGE renamed Marea Alta in early 2015. Phase 1 consists of 115 affordable rental units and is projected to be completed by or before Spring 2016. BRIDGE has expended $640,000 of the $650,000 federal HOME loan awarded to this project.
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 2014-2015, BFWC provided emergency shelter and supportive services, which included 8,377 bednights, of which 676 bednights were supported by the City, and 25,131 meals for 233 San Leandro homeless women (160) and children (73) in crisis. All 160 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 93 women and 37 children who exited the San Leandro Shelter, 3 households (consisting of 5 women and children) exited to transitional housing while 30 households (consisting of 45 women and children) 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 2014-2015, the shelter served 98 homeless persons (32 adults and 66 children) with 19,579 meals and 7,208 bed nights. All 26 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 20 families (22 adults and 45 children) who moved out of the shelter, a total of 5 families (5 adults and 10 children) moved into transitional/interim housing, 14 families (14 adults and 32 children), which includes 1 San Leandro household consisting of 1 adult and 1 child, moved into permanent housing, 1 family (1 adult and 4 children) moved into a motel.
Davis Street Family Resource Center (DSFRC) - Affordable Housing Services
In FY 2014-2015, the City provided City General Funds to DSFRC for affordable housing assistance in locating housing for 282 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 for and find housing units. Homeless persons were assisted with the goal of transitioning them to permanent housing. Individuals and families were assisted in identifying and applying for affordable housing units, and ultimately moving into affordable housing properties. With assistance from DSFRC, 8 households (23 persons) were placed into permanent housing. DSFRC also provided 206 homeless persons with information on local services to help them with their housing search
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 in order to remain permanently 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 9 grants awarded, 4, or 44%, were provided to very low income seniors this past fiscal year.
Rental Housing Counseling
Using City General Funds, the City contracted with ECHO Housing for Rental Housing Counseling services to help keep people in their housing. Information and referral services were provided to 627 landlords and tenant households. In FY 2014-2015, ECHO Housing handled 86 cases related to eviction and succeeded in preventing 28 households from being evicted. Staff also assisted with 34 landlord-tenant inquiries related to repairs, 16 cases regarding security deposits, 101 instances involving rent increases, 4 occurrences of unlawful entry by the landlord, and 5 cases involving retaliation by the landlord. There were also 70 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 72 households with conciliation/mediation services and referred 23 households to attorneys/small claims court and 71 households to other appropriate agencies. 1 adult 1 child.
Additionally, the City provided City General Funds to ECHO Housing to assist City staff in the administration of 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 75 tenant and 20 landlord inquiries relating to the City's policies on rent increases and its Rent Review Program, including 65 renters who applied for Rent Review Board hearings. Of these 65 hearing requests:
• 17, or 26%, of the cases were settled without a hearing;
• 5 cases were ineligible for a rent review hearing;
• 13, or 20%, of the cases were settled prior to the scheduled hearing;
• 26, or 40%, of the cases were heard by the Rent Review Board. Of the 26 cases heard by the Rent Review Board: 12 or 46% cases were settled mutually; 6 cases were dismissed; 7 cases were settled after the rent review process concluded; and 1 case was not resolved.; and,
• 4 cases are currently scheduled for a hearing.
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. This FY2014-2015 CAPER covers the last and fifth year of the previous FY 2010-2015 Consolidated Plan cycle. The FY 2015-2019 Consolidated Plan, which covers the new FY 2015-2019 Consolidated Plan cycle, was adopted by Resolution No. 2015-080 on April 20, 2015.
Previous Actions
The Action Plan containing the programs and activities carried out during FY 2014-2015 was approved by the City Council on May 5, 2014.
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 20, 2015. The CAPER was available at City Hall, the Main Library, and on the City's website for public comment from August 25 through September 8, 2015. Letters were sent on August 17, 2015, 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 FY 2014-15 CAPER
PREPARED BY: Steve Hernandez, Housing Specialist II, Community Development Department