2020-2024 Regional Consolidated Plan, Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice and Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area Drafts
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
AGENDA ITEM 11A Date: January 23, 2020 Council Action Date: February 10, 2020 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Alex D. McIntyre, City Manager Peter Gilli, Community Development Director SUBJECT: 2020-2024 Regional Consolidated Plan, Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice and Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area Drafts SUMMARY The Regional Consolidated Plan and the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice are required documents for any jurisdiction to receive federal funding for Community Development Block Grants and HOME Investment Partnership programs. These documents were prepared in cooperation with all jurisdictions in Ventura County, and therefore describe the County as a whole. The Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area Plan is specifically for the Westside Community within the City of Ventura. RECOMMENDATIONS a. Conduct a Public Hearing and receive comments on the draft 2020-2024 Regional Consolidated Plan, the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice and the Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area Plan. b. Provide comments on Community Development Block Grant-HOME priorities for the 2020-2024 Regional Consolidated Plan Cycle, the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing and the Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area Plan. DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS The County contracted with Cloudburst Consulting, a firm specialized in working with the federal U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs, in preparing the Regional Consolidated Plan (RCP) and the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI) documents. The City has a separate contract with Cloudburst to prepare the Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area (NRSA) plan. This is the second RCP the City has participated with the County in, and the first contracted with Cloudburst. 1 2020-2024 Regional Consolidated Plan, Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice, and Neighborhood Revitalizations Strategy Area Drafts February 10, 2020 Page 2 of 5 The development of the three plans included a comprehensive, countywide, outreach strategy comprised of citizen participation through public meetings and surveys (including digital surveys), stakeholder meetings and focus groups. Below is a list of the outreach activities and the attendance numbers for each. Activity Participation Community Workshops 72 Individuals Attended Resident Survey 749 Online Responses Stakeholder Survey 61 Individuals Stakeholder Meetings 71 Individuals Attended Focus Groups 22 Agencies Represented Focus Group (NRSA only) 8 Agencies Represented Five-Year Regional Consolidated Plan The Five-Year Regional Consolidated Plan (RCP) is effectively the official application from the City to HUD for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) programs. The document includes an assessment of the housing and community development needs in the respective community and strategies for how the jurisdiction would prioritize and spend federal funds. The City works in partnership with the other cities within the County, with the County serving as the lead agency, for the development of a single RCP that covers all participating County jurisdictions. This is more efficient than each jurisdiction preparing their own. Prior to the completion of the RCP, the draft document must be heard at a public hearing to allow the public the opportunity to comment and to receive any City Council input. An Executive Summary of the draft RCP is provided in Attachment A of this report. The full report is available in the City Clerk’s Office, City Hall Room 117, and digitally on the County’s website: https://www.ventura.org/county-executive-office/community-development/hudplans- reports/5yr-regional-consolidated-plan/ Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice Another requirement for receiving federal housing funds is the preparation of an Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI). HUD grantees are required to administer all housing and community development related programs and activities in a manner that affirmatively furthers the policies of the Fair Housing Act. In addition to an RCP, the City must have an AI. Similar to the RCP, the City coordinated efforts with the County and other respective cities for the AI. The AI identifies impediments to fair housing choice within its 2 2020-2024 Regional Consolidated Plan, Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice, and Neighborhood Revitalizations Strategy Area Drafts February 10, 2020 Page 3 of 5 jurisdiction, both in the public and private sector, such as laws, regulations, policies, procedures or practices. The AI also identifies appropriate actions to overcome the effects of such impediments. For example, the Housing Rights Center conducts periodic discrimination testing to ensure landlords are adhering to the federal and state laws that affect their tenants. The AI draft must also be heard at a public hearing to allow the public the opportunity to comment. An Executive Summary of the draft AI is provided in Attachment B. The full report is located in the City Clerk’s Office, City Hall Room 117, and on the County’s website: https://www.ventura.org/county-executive-office/community-development/hudplans- reports/5yr-regional-consolidated-plan/ The RCP and the AI are regional plans that cover analyses for all ten cities and the unincorporated areas of the County. The RCP analysis included a needs assessment and market study for housing and community development for low-income households and neighborhoods, and a recap of past regional achievements within the last RCP cycle, categorized by jurisdiction. Coordinated efforts to further local priorities in the interest of homelessness and housing and community development needs were also reported through the plan, such as how the County (and cities) consider the cooperation and coordination of other public entities such as the state and other adjacent units of general local government when implementing the Consolidated Plan. Over 150 agencies were contacted for these efforts and multiple outreach methods were used to ensure a wide variety of input was received. A comprehensive market study analyzed current housing market conditions, supportive services surrounding low-income housing and homelessness, and the economic conditions and needs to support housing sustainability. The market study identified the effects of low housing supply and other barriers to affordable housing, limited job growth, and special facilities and service needs to special populations such as the elderly, frail elderly, and persons with disabilities. As a result, the draft RCP identified a list of goals and prioritized them according to the results of the meetings and surveys conducted. The list prioritizes the needs based upon “High Priority” and “Low Priority” needs. Needs which have been determined to be a High Priority level will receive funding during the 2020-2024 RCP period. Needs with a Low Priority may be funded based on the availability of funds. The priorities established in consultation with residents and community groups for the 2020-2024 RCP, have been identified as follows: 3 2020-2024 Regional Consolidated Plan, Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice, and Neighborhood Revitalizations Strategy Area Drafts February 10, 2020 Page 4 of 5 High Priority Needs New Rental Housing Housing Support and Stability Home Ownership Opportunities Rehabilitation and Preservation of Existing Housing Units Assistance for Senior Residents Increase Job Skills Local Entrepreneurship Social Services Youth Activities and Services Homelessness Low Priority Needs Façade Improvements Streets and Streetscapes Parks and Community Space Disaster Planning and Recovery Utilities and Public Infrastructure Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area The NRSA plan identifies the demographics and disparities, in the Westside, in comparison to the rest of the City and analyzes the housing and economic conditions that support the need to establish a community strategy and goals in support of improving area conditions. A NRSA stakeholder meeting resulted in the development of seven goals and fourteen objectives that may target the concerns identified in the analysis. Stakeholders who participated in the meeting also serve as prospective collaborators to assist in addressing these concerns. The NRSA plan is exclusive to the City of Ventura. See Attachment C, or review the draft NRSA plan on the City’s website: https://www.cityofventura.ca.gov/426/CDBG-and-HOME-Programs Extended Public Comment Period The draft RCP and AI were released for an extended public review and public comment period beginning on January 21, 2020 and ending on April 24, 2020. Staff expects to return to Council in May 2020 for the adoption of the 2020-2024 RCP, the AI, and the NRSA Plan. The first Annual Action Plan (2020-2021) of this RCP period will be drafted prior to the adoption of these plans and will accompany the final reports in May. The draft Annual Action Plan will have a separate 30-day public comment period and a review of CDBG applications will be presented to Council no later than April 2020. 4 2020-2024 Regional Consolidated Plan, Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice, and Neighborhood Revitalizations Strategy Area Drafts February 10, 2020 Page 5 of 5 FINANCIAL IMPACT The City is an entitlement city for both CDBG and HOME funds and receives grant funds every year to carry out eligible housing and community development activities. Further, staffing costs for