City Council
MEETING DATE: 5/10/2017
TITLE:
Title
Approve the CDBG Five-Year Consolidated Plan and first year Annual Action Plan for submittal to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
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FROM:
John A. Corella, P.E. - City Engineer
Vincent Lopez - Community Development Specialist
Darrell Stamps, The Ramsay Group
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Staff is recommending approval of the FY 2017-2021 Consolidated Plan and first year Annual Action Plan for submittal to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); and, authorize the City Manager (or designee) to execute the SF-424 application of the Action Plan to receive funding.
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BACKGROUND:
Every five years, Cathedral City is required to prepare and submit a comprehensive consolidated plan to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The consolidated plan (Con Plan) assists the City of Cathedral City in assessing its affordable housing and community development needs and market conditions, and to make data-driven, place-based investment decisions.
On January 11th, the City Council approved a contract with The Ramsay Group to assist staff in planning and developing the City’s Five-Year Consolidated Plan and first year Annual Action Plan. The Ramsay Group was previously contracted to prepare the City’s first ever Assessment of Fair Housing (formerly the Analysis of Impediments).
On February 22nd 2017, an update was provided to the City Council by Staff and The Ramsay Group (TRG) regarding the Consolidated Plan process. The purpose of the update was to provide the City Council an opportunity give direction and feedback on the types of program, service, and public improvement goals needed during this planning term. TRG also provided an update of what had been completed thus far and provide information on what to expect during the planning process.
DISCUSSION:
The City of Cathedral City’s Five-Year Consolidated Plan consists of three basic components required from the HUD program. The three components of the Consolidated Plan are: a housing and community development needs assessment; a survey of available resources; and a five-year strategy that specifies attainable program goals.
The City of Cathedral City has identified seven priority development areas to meet the greatest needs of residents in the City. Priorities are based on responses to the 2017 Community Survey conducted in the City, information gathered in specific focus groups, interviews with various organizations and service providers in the housing and community development field, and data obtained from the 2010 Census, the American Community Surveys, Needs Assessments, Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy, and the City’s General Plan.
Based on this information gathered, the City will invest its CDBG funding to address needs in the following priority areas:
• Community Services (Public Services)
• Infrastructure
• Community Facilities (Public Facilities)
• Neighborhood Services
• Special Needs Services
• Housing
• Business and Jobs (Economic Development)
More detailed priorities, project-specific information, and accomplishment projections for Housing, Community Development, Homeless and Special Needs populations and anticipated accomplishments will be presented and carried out by the Annual Action Plans.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION:
Per the City’s adopted Community Participation Plan (CPP), the City must host two community meetings to solicit resident input and one focus group meeting with local organizations and agencies to discuss the development of programs and services for this next Consolidated Plan. The City hosted its first community meeting on February 2nd at the Cathedral City Branch Library. The second community meeting was held March 28th at Agua Caliente Elementary School. The Focus Group meeting was also held March 28th early that day.
The invitations and public notices were published in the Desert Sun two week prior to the meeting. Staff hand delivered meeting invitations to the Cathedral Center, Boys and Girls Club, and Agua Caliente Elementary School. In addition to these community locations, the community meeting invitation was also sent to most faith-based organizations in Cathedral City via email.
The Community Participation Plan also requires the City to hold one public hearing to allow anyone interesting in the process an opportunity to share his or her opinion regarding the types of programs and services described in the Con and Action Plans. A public hearing will be held on May 10th during the regularly scheduled City Council meeting.
The Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan have been prepared and completed their thirty (30) day public review and commenting period. No public comments were received during this commenting period.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Please note that HUD Grantees (Entitlement Cities) have not yet received their funding amounts. However, HUD Office of Community Planning & Development’s programs will be funded at similar levels compared to FY 2016. Cathedral City’s award for FY 2016 was $527,376.
ATTACHMENTS:
FY 2017-2021 Consolidated Plan/Annual Action Plan