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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Statement 1984/07/03 Item 4,4a COUNCIL AGENDA STATEMENT Item 4,4a Meeting Date 7/3/84 ITEM TITLE: Public Hearing: Consideration of program design and description for HUD, Rental Rehabilitation Program 4. Resolution /9'42r9' Approving Rental Rehabilitation Program description and related documents and authorizing submittal to HUD SUBMITTED BY: Community Development Director /5ths Vote: Yes No X ) 0 REVIEWED BY: City Manage The City has been notified that it has been allocated $61 ,800 by HUD under the Section 17 Rental Rehabilitation Program of the recently enacted Housing and Urban-Rural Recovery Act 1983. The program is aimed at improving substandard rental units occupied by low income households, with emphasis on large families. The Act gives localities much latitude to design their programs with public input. A proposed program has been designed for public comment and City Council consideration. RECOMMENDATION: That the Council approve the resolution approving description and documents for Rental Rehabilitation Program for FY 1984-85 and authorizing submittal of documents to HUD. BOARDS/COMMISSIONS RECOMMENDATION: Not applicable DISCUSSION: The newly created HUD Rental Rehabilitation Program provides grant monies to selected jurisdictions to pursue certain general statutory housing assistance goals, while leaving much program design to local discretion. The attached report makes recommendations for program design and discusses in some detail the reasons for those recommendations. In summary, those recommendations are as follows: 1 . Use existing CHIP staff and staffing levels to administer program. 2. Consider program assistance requests on first-come/first-serve basis, evaluating projects for satisfaction of the following goals: a) Maximum correction of substandard units, especially those occupied by very low income families (less than 50% of median income = $13,750) . b) Predominance of assistance to large families in lower income categories (less than 80% of median income = $22,000) , with a minimum of 70% of all units assisted being two bedrooms or larger. \ -10) • Page 2, Item 4,4a Meeting Date i/.5/84 c) Maximum stimulation of private investment. d) Minimization of displacement of tenants. Selection of projects would be made by the CHIP Loan Committee. 3. Assist projects with 10-year, 0% interest deferred loans, fully forgiven at full term. Such loans would be assumable. 4. Maximum subsidy would be $5000 per unit or 50% of the full rehabilitation cost, whichever was less. Minimum subsidy would be $1000 per unit. 5. Program would be operated in existing CHIP target neighborhoods. 6. Request HUD blanket approval to rehabilitate projects with 70% lower income tenancy, rather than 100%. 7. Approve Tenant Assistance Policy which would guarantee relocation assistance to displaced lower income tenants. 8. Pursue Lender Services Agreement for program with Bank of America. It remains unclear whether the Rental Rehabilitation Program, however designed by the City, will be a viable, effective housing assistance program. Questions remain unanswered regarding its salability to property owners, the size of the pool of eligible projects, and the potential impact on rental housing availability and affordability. But the initial year's proposed activity and impact is not large (rehabilitation of approximately 12 to 24 units) and can be accommodated with existing staff levels, the funding award from HUD is without repayment obligation, and the undertaking of the program would demonstrate the City's commitment to pursuit of its adopted Housing Assistance Plan goals. Therefore, it is recommended that we try the program for one year. At the end of the year, the City Council can evaluate program design and performance, with the options of continuing the program as designed, amending the program design, or dropping the program. If the City Council approves the recommendation, the necessary documents will be submitted to HUD by the July 9 deadline. HUD will approve or deny the submittal , tendering to the City an Annual Contributions Contract if the program is approved. The City Council would then consider the Annual Contributions Contract for execution, along with a possible amendment to the bank rehabilitation lending services agreement and a Memorandum of Understanding between the City and the Housing Authority regarding provision of the Section 8 certificates to eligible tenants. The appropriate documents for HUD submittal are attached to the resolution and incorporated therein. FISCAL IMPACT: No General Fund monies would be involved in the recommended action. Program expenses would be provided by the HUD grant. WPC 0899X /e-//( f5