Citizen Participation Plan
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LCG Consolidated Plan Citizen Participation Plan (Amended July, 2017) Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government LCG CONSOLIDATED PLAN Draft Citizen Participation Plan Joel Robideaux, Mayor-President Lowell Duhon, CAO Shaneá M. Nelson, Ph.D., Director - Community Development Department Lafayette City-Parish Council Kevin Naquin – District 1 Jay Castille – District 2 Patrick Lewis – District 3 Kenneth P. Boudreaux – District 4 Jared Bellard – District 5 Bruce M. Conque – District 6 Nannette Cook – District 7 Liz W. Hebert – District 8 William G. Theriot – District 9 Prepared by the Lafayette Consolidated Government Community Development Department Table of Contents I. Citizen Participation Plan 1 II. Citizen Participation in the Development of Consolidated Planning Documents 1 and the Assessment of Fair Housing A. Citizen Participation in the Development of Five-Year Consolidated Plans, 2 Annual Action Plans, and Assessment of Fair Housing 1. Encouragement of Citizen Participation 2 2. Consultation 2 B. Public Hearings 3 1. Public Hearings for Five-Year Consolidated Plan and Assessment of 4 Fair Housing a. Public Hearing #1 4 b. Public Hearing #2 4 2. Public Hearings for Annual Action Plan 5 a. Public Hearing #1 5 b. Public Hearing #2 5 3. Other Public Meetings 5 4. Locations of Consolidated Planning and Assessment of Fair Housing 6 Public Hearings C. Amendments to the Consolidated Plan, Annual Action Plan, and 6 Assessment of Fair Housing 1. Amendments to the Consolidated Plan 6 2. Amendments to an Annual Action Plan 6 3. Revision of the Assessment of Fair Housing 7 D. Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Reports (CAPERs) 8 E. Public Notices and Public Service Announcements 8 F. Public Review of Consolidated Planning and Assessment of Fair Housing 9 Documents G. Submitting Comments Regarding Consolidated Plans, Annual Action Plans, 10 CAPERs, Substantial Amendments, and Assessment of Fair Housing H. Access to Records 10 I. Technical Assistance 10 J. Minimizing the Displacement of People 10 K. Complaints 11 L. Use of Citizen Participation Plan and the Jurisdiction’s Responsibility 11 Map – Public Hearing and Document Review Sites Draft Citizen Participation Plan I. Citizen Participation Plan The Lafayette Consolidated Government (LCG) is an entitlement recipient of Community Development Block Grant funds (CDBG) under Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (as amended), and HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) funds under Title II of the National Affordable Housing Act of 1990. The LCG’s Citizen Participation Plan (CPP) was prepared in accordance with section 104(a)3 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 and has been amended as required for the Consolidated Plan in accordance with CFR Part 91, Section 105. The purpose of the CPP is to outline the procedures for citizen participation in the development and implementation of the LCG’s Five- Year Consolidated Plans (Consolidated Plans), Annual Action Plans, Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Reports (CAPERs), Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH), and substantial amendments to all documents. A key element of the Consolidated Planning process is citizen participation. The CPP is designed to encourage the participation of low- and moderate-income households, particularly those living in slum or blighted areas where LCG federal entitlement funds may be spent. The CPP encourages the participation of all citizens, including minorities and non-English speaking persons, as well as persons with mobility, visual, or hearing impairments. The CPP also encourages the participation of public and assisted housing residents in the development and implementation of the Consolidated Plan. The LCG, Community Development Department (CDD) provides information to the Housing Authority of the City of Lafayette regarding Consolidated Plan activities affecting public housing development sites so that the housing agency may make this information available at its annual public hearings required under the Public Housing Comprehensive Grant Program. II. Citizen Participation in the Development of Consolidated Planning Documents and the Assessment of Fair Housing The following narrative describes how citizens of the LCG can become involved in the development of the LCG’s Consolidated Plans, Annual Action Plans, CAPERs, AFH, and substantial amendments. The Consolidated Plan identifies housing and community development priority needs (in quantifiable terms) within the jurisdiction of the LCG (the City of Lafayette and unincorporated Lafayette Parish regions). The Consolidated Plan also identifies the funding (public and private) and the activities required to address priority housing and community development needs over a five-year period. The Annual Action Plan identifies the funding and activities that the LCG anticipates being available during the five program years covered by the Consolidated Plan. The Annual Action Plan also serves as the consolidated application for the CDBG and HOME federal entitlement programs. The CAPER is prepared annually and reports on the accomplishments of CDBG and HOME funded activities, and the LCG’s overall progress toward meeting the five-year goals and objectives established in the Consolidated Plan. Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government Page 1 Draft Citizen Participation Plan The AFH (formerly the Analysis of Impediments for Fair Housing Choices), describes how the LCG will meet the statutory obligation to “affirmatively further fair housing” by outlining steps it will take to combat housing discrimination. The document also identifies the actions that will be taken to address significant disparities in housing needs and in access to employment, transportation and other needs while reducing segregation. This document will be prepared every five years in conjunction with the preparation of the Consolidated Plan (with the exception of the first AFH covering the LCG’s 2012/2022 Consolidated Plan – additional information regarding this issue is provided on pg. 4 “1. Public Hearings for the Five-Year Consolidated Plan and *Assessment of Fair Housing”). A. Citizen Participation in the Development of Five-Year Consolidated Plans, Annual Action Plans, and Assessment of Fair Housing 1. Encouragement of Citizen Participation The LCG encourages all interested parties to participate in the development and preparation of the Five-Year Consolidated Plan, Annual Action Plan, and AFH. These parties include (but or not limited to): local residents (especially those that would benefit from the expenditure of LCG’s federal entitlement funding), local and regional institutions, the local Continuum of Care, businesses, developers, non-profit organizations, philanthropic organizations, and community- based and faith-based organizations. The LCG also encourages the participation of the local Public Housing Authority, including its residents, advisory boards, resident councils, and resident management corporations. The LCG will make available to the public, residents, public agencies, and other interested parties any HUD-provided data and other supplemental information the LCG intends to incorporate into its AFH at the start of the public participation process (or as soon as feasible after). A link to the HUD-provided data and a summary of other supplemental information will be provided on the LCG’s Consolidated Planning website - http://www.lafayettela.gov/CommunityDevelopment/FederalPrograms/Pages/Consolidated- Planning.aspx . 2. *Consultation Consolidated Plans and Annual Action Plans During the development of the Consolidated Plan, the CDD conducts meetings with local public and private agencies that serve the populations and address the issues covered by the Consolidated Plan. These meetings are held to obtain information on housing and community development needs within the jurisdiction of the LCG. The consultation meetings begin approximately one year prior to the preparation of the Consolidated Plan. The CDD submits invitations to appropriate agencies stating the date, time and location of each meeting. Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government Page 2 Draft Citizen Participation Plan During the development of an Annual Action Plan, the CDD consults with local agencies to identify low/moderate-income housing and community development activities that will occur during the CDD’s upcoming federal program year. (*NOTE: Due to reduced federal entitlement funding, the LCG, CDD is focusing its CDBG and HOME allocations on the jurisdiction’s most pressing and documented need - low/moderate-income housing construction, rehabilitation and housing related public services. Many of the LCG’s housing and community development needs cannot be addressed with its current level of CDBG and HOME funding. As a result, the LCG, CDD will not hold separate consultation meetings with local agencies (with the exception of housing related agencies). In lieu of meetings, the LCG, CDD will request needs and activity information from all other agencies via email, letters, and telephone. The CDD will also attempt to obtain local data and studies on all needs covered by the Consolidated Plan. If federal funding levels are adequately increased in the future, the CDD will once again hold service-specific consultation meetings as part of its Consolidated Plan development process.) Assessment of Fair Housing During the development of the AFH, the LCG will consult with: other public and private agencies that provide assisted housing; health service providers;