08/09/2022 Neighborhood and Affordable Meeting Minutes August 9, 2022
Housing Advisory Board
City of Clearwater
Main Library- Council Chambers
100 N. Osceola Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33755
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Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, August 9, 2022
9:00 AM
Main Library - Council Chambers
Neighborhood and Affordable Housing Advisory
Board
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City of Clearwater
Neighborhood and Affordable Meeting Minutes August 9, 2022
Housing Advisory Board
Roll Call
Present 5 - Chair Camille Hebting, Vice Chair Kevin Chinault, Board Member
Peter Scalia, Board Member Gaby Camacho, and Board Member
Lindsay Dicus-Harrison
Absent 2 - Board Member Carmen Santiago and Board Member Robyn Fiel
Also Present - Chuck Lane — Economic Development & Housing Assistant Director,
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 July 12, 2022, NAHAB Meeting Minutes.
Member Scalia moved to approve the minutes of the July 12, 2022
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: None.
4. New Business Items
4.1 Presentation by Linda Fisher, Forward Pinellas, regarding transportation as it relates to
Affordable Housing.
Forward Pinellas representative Linda Fisher provided a PowerPoint
presentation. She said affordable housing is a substantial local problem. She
said median sale prices and rents in Pinellas County had increased
significantly and more than 30% of residents, including teachers, firefighters,
police officers, nurses etc., cannot afford rent. She said long term strategies
will create more units for all income levels.
Ms. Fisher said residents also need transportation, less expensive housing
is farthest from employment and requires reliable transportation. She said
high quality transit would help close the distance gap. She said Pinellas
County's Long-Range Plan, developed with input from local municipalities,
concentrates redevelopment on major corridors and at high-density mixed-
use hubs. She said the 5-year transportation program coordinates land uses.
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City of Clearwater
Neighborhood and Affordable Meeting Minutes August 9, 2022
Housing Advisory Board
Ms. Fisher said the Pinellas County Housing Compact sets general goals
and identifies community resources and an investment corridor strategy. She
said NAHAB (Neighborhood &Affordable Housing Advisory Board) will be
asked to identify regulatory and financial barriers to affordable housing and
jobs, incentives, and short- mid- and long-term strategies. She said
investment will target transit, bicycle, and pedestrian infrastructure.
4.2 Recommend City Council approval of a CDBG-CV Subrecipient Agreement between the
City of Clearwater and the Pinellas County Early Learning Coalition.
Mr. Lane said federal funds issued for Covid recovery will fund a one-year
program providing tuition help for childcare educational enrichment
programs based on income and family size. The program will help stabilize
approximately 42 Clearwater families. Monthly reports will be required.
Concerns were expressed that the program needs to be monitored as
parents may accept tuition help without obtaining employment. The difficulty
of finding work without daycare was noted. It was stated that preschool
children will benefit from education even if parents do not find work. It was
hoped a program goal is for parents to actively look for work to help break
the cycle of poverty. A final report was recommended that reviews program
outcomes and reevaluates the program. Support was expressed for program
benefits.
Member Chinault move to recommend approval of a CDBG-CV
Subrecipient Agreement between the City of Clearwater and the
Pinellas County Early Learning Coalition. The motion was duly
seconded. Members Chinault, Camacho, Dicus-Harrison' and Chair
Hebting voted "Aye"; Member Scalia voted "Nay." Motion carried.
5. Old Business Items: None.
6. Director's Report
Mr. Lane said at the next 3 meetings the Board will meet as the 11-member
AHAC (Affordable Housing Advisory Committee), a quorum is 6 members.
NAHAB business can be done prior to AHAC meetings.
7. Board Members to be Heard
Discussion ensued re programs. Frustration was expressed that multiple
programs have waste and abuse and provide band aids rather than solving
the problems they were designed to help. Support was expressed for
reducing the homeless rate but not by warehousing the homeless. It was
stated no one program can solve homelessness and provide affordable
housing, but small solutions reduce pressures on clients. It was commented
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City of Clearwater
Neighborhood and Affordable Meeting Minutes August 9, 2022
Housing Advisory Board
that parent(s) purchasing affordable housing provides children a sense of
community and boosts the entire neighborhood's economy.
8. Adjourn
Attest:
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Suggestions for NAHAB action: 1) develop measurable goals and
accountability standards that focus on success for funded agencies; 2) add
goals, standards, and expected outcomes/community impacts to funding
applications; 3) schedule a yearend review of agency reports for satisfactory
outcomes; 4) hold agencies accountable; 5) determine which programs
should be eliminated or revised; and 6) encourage prevention efforts, such
as childcare, to prevent homelessness.
Concerns were expressed that some program benefits may not be apparent
for many years as long-term success is difficult to predict and measure.
In response to a recommendation for a bus tour to drive by and visit
programs, evaluate them, and verify successes, Mr. Lane said a bus tour
may be scheduled in January. He agreed early learning benefits children
and is a great predictor of a child's long-term success.
The meeting adjourned at 10:10 a.m.
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Chair
Neighborhood & Affor
City of Clearwater
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able Housing Advisory Board