City Council
MEETING DATE: 9/14/2016
TITLE:
Title
Status of the Dream Homes Neighborhood Related to the Use of CDBG Funding
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FROM:
Vincent Lopez, Community Development Specialist
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
This item is provided for information, discussion and direction only.
Body
BACKGROUND:
During the 2014-2015 Fiscal Year (FY), the Dream Homes neighborhood was classified by HUD as a low and moderate income area and, therefore, was eligible for the use of CDBG funding. Staff identified a section of San Joaquin Drive that needed sidewalk. The installation of sidewalk would allow connectivity to other sidewalk in the neighborhood for better walking circulation. At the time, CDBG funds were utilized to prepare an engineering study and design to identify the challenges of installing sidewalk on the street.
Because an engineering design had already been prepared for San Joaquin Drive, staff proposed to use CDBG funds the following fiscal year (FY 2015 - 2016) to implement the design and construct the much needed sidewalk on San Joaquin Drive. However, due to changes in the Census Tract information, the Dream Homes neighborhood no longer qualified as a low and moderate income area eligible to receive CDBG funding.
Rising incomes in the neighborhood is definitely a desirable trend, however, because the change removes the area from CDBG eligibility staff felt it was advisable to confirm the data. Therefore, staff met with the local HUD Representative to discuss the Census Tract information and explore options and ultimately requested that the information for the Dream Homes neighborhood be reviewed. The HUD Representative agreed and investigated the matter. The HUD Representative subsequently advised that the only way to reclassify this neighborhood as low and moderate income (LMI) is for the City to conduct an income survey.
Under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Notice CPD-05-06, the City of Cathedral City ma...
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