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03/09/2021 Neighborhood and Affordable Meeting Minutes March 9, 2021 Housing Advisory Board City of Clearwater Main Library- Council Chambers 100 N. Osceola Avenue Clearwater, FL 33755 e Meeting Minutes Tuesday, March 9, 2021 9:00 AM Main Library - Council Chambers Neighborhood and Affordable Housing Advisory Board Page 1 City of Clearwater Neighborhood and Affordable Meeting Minutes March 9, 2021 Housing Advisory Board Roll Call Present 7 - Chair Camille Hebting, Vice Chair Kevin Chinault; Board Member Linda Kemp, Board Member Carmen Santiago, Board Member Gabby Camacho, Board Member Peter Scalia, and Board Member Lindsay Dicus-Harrison Also Present - Denise Sanderson — Economic Development & Housing Director, Chuck Lane — Economic Development & Housing Assistant Director, Terry Malcolm-Smith — Senior Housing Coordinator, Patricia O. Sullivan — Board Reporter 1. Call To Order The Chair called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. at the Main Library. To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not necessarily discussed in that order. 2. Approval of Minutes 2.1 Approve the February 9, 2021 NAHAB Meeting Minutes Member Scalia moved to approve minutes of the February 9, 2021 Neighborhood & Affordable Housing Advisory Board meeting as submitted in written summation. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. 3. Citizens to be Heard Regarding Items Not on the Agenda Linda Liinangi said she had been a resident for more than 30 years. She said low-income working families, singles, widows, and divorcees needed help securing affordable housing. Councilmember Kathleen Beckman thanked board members for their service. She said she was monitoring legislative bills under consideration in Tallahassee and supported Sadowski fund authorization. 4. New Business Items 4.1 Recommend City Council Approval of the Local Housing Assistance Plan for Fiscal Years 2021/22 through 2023/24 Mr. Lane reviewed the City's LHAP (Local Housing Assistance Plans) for FYs (Fiscal Years) 2021/22 - 2023/24. DPA (Down Payment Assistance) served very-low- to moderate-income homebuyers and tenants. Maximum awards were increased: 1) new construction - $200,000/unit for developers/ non-profits, $45,000 for homebuyers; 2) rehabilitation of existing construction Page 2 City of Clearwater Neighborhood and Affordable Meeting Minutes March 9, 2021 Housing Advisory Board - $200,000/unit for developers/non-profits, $47,000 for homebuyers (DPA/ closing costs assistance loan not to exceed$45,000),- 3) existing construction without rehabilitation - $47,0007- 4) owner-occupied rehabilitation - $50,0007- 5) construct/preserve multi-family housing - $150,000/unit new construction, $45,000/unit rehabilitation, and 6) disaster mitigation strategy- $10,000. Mr. Lane said DPA loan recipients were required to obtain a first mortgage from a licensed lending institution. DPA loans were targeted to 1st time homebuyers; recipients could not own a permanent residence at closing. DPA could be used to purchase existing homes up to $229,000 and new construction up to $262,000. Staff was praised for increasing DPA maximums which would help homebuyers with incomes below 80% AMI (Area Median Income) who are struggling to find affordable housing. In response to a concern re housing affordability for residents with incomes at 30% - 60% AMI, Mr. Lane said very low income residents benefitted most from rental programs. Senior Housing Coordinator Terry Malcolm-Smith said low-income residents probably would not qualify for a mortgage but would benefit from homebuyer education. Mr. Lane reviewed developers'construction and rehabilitation loan terms. Disaster mitigation strategies could be used for emergency materials, utilities, rental assistance, or mortgage payments related to a State or Federally declared disaster. Mr. Lane reviewed Affordable Housing Advisory Committee recommended incentive strategies: 1) Expedite permitting form to request fast tracking of affordable housing projects, 2) Ongoing process to review local policies, ordinances, regulations and plan provisions that increase housing costs,- 3) osts,3) Comprehensive Plan that supports: a) flexible densities, b) reductions to parking and setback requirements; c) flexible site plan configurations for affordable housing, d) mixed-use development, and e) development near transportation hubs and major employment centers, and 4) Staff prepare/ maintain inventory of locally-owned public lands suitable for affordable housing. In response to questions, Mr. Lane said loans had a 0% interest rate,- mobile ate,mobile homes did not qualify. While no firm date was established for expedited development approval for affordable housing, a 14-day target was established for development review and project plan priority permitting. Affordable housing inspection fees were included in product delivery and not charged to developers. Land trust rules for rehabbed properties followed HUD (Department of Housing & Urban Development) guidelines, City inspectors reviewed scope of work submittals, identified required work and determined if proposals and budgets were feasible. Page 3 City of Clearwater Neighborhood and Affordable Meeting Minutes March 9, 2021 Housing Advisory Board Member Kemp moved to recommend approval of the Local Housing Assistance Plan for Fiscal Years 2021/22 through 2023/24. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. 4.2 Homeless Initiative Presentation Community Development Coordinator Gabe Parra said in 2012, more than 360 homeless individuals were identified in the downtown corridor. The City hired Robert Marbut, PhD, to evaluate the City's homeless situation and provide recommendations. The City adopted many recommendations included in Robert Marbut's 2012 report. The City Council approved $250,000 to distribute annually to HLA (Homeless Leadership Alliance) - $25,000 and 5 Continuum of Care providers: 1) HEP (Homeless Empowerment Program) - $50,000' 50,000; 2) Pinellas Safe Harbor- $100,000; 3) Pinellas Hope - $40,000, 4) Hope Villages of America, Inc., FKA RCS (Religious Community Services) Pinellas - $25,000, and 5) Salvation Army of Upper Pinellas - $10,000. Mr. Parra reviewed the providers'homeless programs. HLA oversees all continuum of care organizations in Pinellas County and is primarily funded by HUD (Department of Housing & Urban Development) and local governments. HLA organizes the annual point in time count of County homeless and reports findings to HUD. Financial assistance for homeless services is based on the survey. Due to COVID-19, this year's count was limited to homeless shelters. HLA's Executive and Funder's committees had City representation. The City permitted feeding the homeless on the vacant lot next to the Police Department by organizations that provided contact information, expressed a commitment, and agreed to leave the lot as clean as it was found. In response to questions, Mr. Parra said each service provider budgeted for its case management. All City funded organizations submitted quarterly financial reports accounting for their use of City funds. The Police Department's downtown bike team handled monthly homeless counts in the downtown corridor. The City could not force homeless individuals to accept help. Some homeless individuals preferred going to jail than staying at Safe Harbor, which banished individuals with multiple trespasses. It was felt costs related to City policing efforts on behalf of the homeless should be identified and redirected to mental health and other homeless services. It was noted that homeless-related costs were spread across multiple jurisdictions, police, paramedics,jail, courts, etc. Member Scalia said the average national municipal cost for homelessness was $35,000 per Page 4 City of Clearwater Neighborhood and Affordable Meeting Minutes March 9, 2021 Housing Advisory Board individual, it was estimated that St. Vincent de Paul's efforts to remove 58 homeless individuals from the street saved the City$1.5 million. Mr. Lane said a high percentage of the City's CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) funds are used to address homelessness and homeless prevention efforts. It was stated many dedicated people were working to solve homelessness. Mr. Parra was thanked for his passion. 4.3 Recommend City Council approval of the City of Clearwater's FY 2019-2020 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER). The Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) is the principal administrative report documenting the City's expenditures for CDBG and HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) programs to HUD. For FY 2019-2020, the City's entitlement allocation was $764,043 in CDBG and $383,978 in HOME program funds, $1,682,755 of Prior Year funds, $102,286 of Program Income and $1,192,174 in CDBG Revolving Loan funding for a total budget of$4,125,236 from federal funds. Through the CDBG and HOME program activities, total expenditures were $869,395 in FY 2019-2020, which included program income and funding from the prior year reprogrammed funds. Those funds not expended from this year's budget will be programmed in future years. In addition to reporting activities carried out with federal money, a summary of activities conducted with the Florida State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) Program and Pinellas County Housing Trust Fund (PCHTF) Program is included in the narrative section. For FY 2019-2020, SHIP fund expenditures totaled $1,185,451 and PCHTF fund expenditures totaled $97,154. The report provides HUD with necessary information for the Department to meet its requirement to assess each grantee's ability to carry out relevant Community Planning and Development programs in compliance with all applicable rules and regulations. It also provides information necessary for HUD's Annual Report to Congress and it provides grantees an opportunity to describe to citizens their successes in revitalizing deteriorated neighborhoods and in meeting objectives stipulated in their Consolidated Planning document. The City of Clearwater's FY 2019-2020 CAPER contains information on the City's assessment of the following activities: 1) Assessment of Four-Year Goals and Outcomes; 2) Resources and Investments; 3) Affordable Housing; 4) Homeless and Other Special Needs; 5) Public Housing; 6) Other Actions to Address Barriers to Affordable Housing; 7) Monitoring; 8) CDBG; and 10) HOME. Page 5 City of Clearwater Neighborhood and Affordable Meeting Minutes March 9, 2021 Housing Advisory Board A list of notable accomplishments utilizing federal, state and local funds for FY 2019-2020 include: 1) Provided 1 down payment & closing cost assistance loan totaling $20,725; 2) Provided $278,308 for the rehabilitation of 8 owner-occupied units; 3) Assisted Community Service Foundation with the rehabilitation of 2 multi-family rental units; 4) Assisted Lexington Club at Renaissance Square with the rehabilitation of 7 multi-family rental units; 5) Provided $115,992 to Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas County for the acquisition of land and construction of 1 single-family home; 6) Completed construction and lease-up of Woodlawn Trail Apartments, an 80-unit family rental complex; 7) Completed construction and lease-up of Madison Point Apartments; an 80-unit senior rental complex; 8) Committed $208,904 for three Public Facilities projects: Directions for Living, Homeless Empowerment Program and RCS Pinellas and completed a Public Facilities Project with Arc of Tampa Bay carried over from the previous fiscal year; 9) Provided $98,855 to assist 4,804 individuals through partnerships with 10 public service providers: Intercultural Advocacy Institute, Pinellas Opportunity Council, Safety Harbor Neighborhood Family Center, Gulfcoast Legal Services, WestCare GulfCoast of Florida, Homeless Emergency Project, Religious Community Services (now, Hope Villages of America), Kimberly Home, Directions for Living and Miracles Outreach; 10) Provided $51,575 for technical assistance services to Hispanic Business Initiative Fund of Florida, Inc. dba Prospera and Tampa Bay Black Business Investment Corporation that assisted 83 entrepreneurs and businesses; 11) Provided $5,530 to 3 organizations to provide homebuyer education to assist 79 Clearwater residents: Clearwater Neighborhood Housing Services, Tampa Bay Community Development Corporation, and Bright Community Trust. Overall federal, state and local funding assisted 4,388 persons and 169 households On March 18, 2021, the CAPER will be presented to City Council. The March 9 NAHAB meeting and March 18 City Council meeting will serve as two public hearings providing an opportunity for public comment. The CAPER is due annually to HUD no later than December 31; however, HUD granted a 90-day extension as the pandemic had impacted the workload of participating jurisdictions. Mr. Lane reviewed a PowerPoint presentation on the City's FY 2019/20 CAPER. COVID-19 related activities included a vehicle with showers and washing machines made available to homeless individuals. Member Chinault moved to recommend approval of the City of Clearwater's Fiscal Year 2019/20 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report. The motion was duly seconded. Members Chinault, Kemp, Santiago, Camacho, Dicus-Harrison, and Chair Hebting voted "Aye." Motion carried unanimously. Page 6 City of Clearwater Neighborhood and Affordable Housing Advisory Board Chinault, Kemp, Santiago, Camacho, Dicus-Harrison, and Chair Hebting voted "Aye." Motion carried unanimously. Meeting Minutes March 9, 2021 5. Old Business Items It was questioned if the City could provide housing help for extremely low-income residents who are not homeless. It was noted that Clearwater's tourism industry staff was negatively impacted by COVID-19. Concern was expressed many industry workers spend more than half their salary on rent. Mr. Lane said the County was providing short-term rental assistance. An opportunity for mortgage assistance may occur as long-term housing was a critical issue. Discussion ensued re rental assistance limits, local efforts to help low-income residents, the need for long term housing solutions, and that the 7 -week approval process disadvantaged down payment assistance applicants who were completing for limited housing stock with cash buyers able to close in 30 days. It was commented while homeowner costs, such as taxes, put homeownership out of reach for many, renting was a short-term solution; consistently increasing costs made renting ultimately more expensive than homeownership. It was recommended that more assistance be provided to residents with 70% — 80% AMI. 6. Director's Report Mr. Lane reviewed the meeting schedule and thanked Board Members for their service. 7. Board Members to be Heard: None. 8. Adjourn Attest: The meeting adjourned at 10:40 a.m. Chair Neighborhoo oard Reporte City of Clearwater Page 7 ble Housing Advisory Board