Loading...
04/11/2023 Neighborhood and Affordable Meeting Minutes April 11, 2023 Housing Advisory Board City of Clearwater Main Library- Council Chambers 100 N. Osceola Avenue Clearwater, FL 33755 e Meeting Minutes Tuesday, April 11, 2023 9:00 AM Main Library - Council Chambers Neighborhood and Affordable Housing Advisory Board 1 City of Clearwaterl Neighborhood and Affordable Meeting Minutes April 11, 2023 Housing Advisory Board Rollcall Present 5 - Chair Kevin Chinault, Vice Chair Robyn Fiel, Board Member Camille Hebting, Board Member Gaby Camacho, and Board Member Lindsay Dicus-Harrison, Absent 2 - Board Member Peter Scalia, and Board Member Carmen Santiago Also Present— Denise Sanderson — Economic Development & Housing Director, and Nicole Sprague — Deputy City Clerk 1. Call To Order The meeting was called to order at 9:00 a.m. 2. Approval of Minutes 2.1 Approve the February 14, 2023, NAHAB Meeting Minutes Board Member Hebting moved to approve the February 14, 2023 NAHAB meeting minutes. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. 3. Citizens to be Heard Regarding Items Not on the Agenda Beth Davis said she represents a group of citizens who are ready to help. The group will meet with each Councilmember to discuss concerns and to make affordable housing a priority. This year's budget shows Economic Development and Housing has been reduced by I%. Mohamad Abdur-Rahim said he is a resident of North Greenwood and part of the group Ms. Davis spoke about. He said the City is in a spiral when in comes to affordable housing and encouraged all to make housing affordable for all citizens of Clearwater. The 2045 Comprehensive Plan needs housing components built in. Cassandra Gadson said she is a mother of five and is currently staying in a shelter and her kids are in foster care. She said there are not many programs available to help her and that there is a need for affordable housing for mothers who are trying to reunite with their children. 4. New Business Items 4.1 Applicants for Community Development Block Grant funding for Public Service programs, Public Facility improvements and Economic Development programs will present to the Neighborhood and Affordable Housing Advisory Board. 2 City of Clearwaterl Neighborhood and Affordable Meeting Minutes April 11, 2023 Housing Advisory Board Economic Development and Housing Director Denise Sanderson said a call for grant applications was put out in February that closed in March. She reviewed Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) grant guidelines and restrictions. The Board will review staff application recommendations in May. Applicants for CDBG funding for Public Service Programs, Public Facility improvements, and Economic Development programs present to the Neighborhood and Affordable Housing Advisory Board: 1) Rhonda Lieberman and Katrina Tucker for WestCare GulfCoast-Florida; 2) Jalem Robinson and Donald Walker for Metropolitan Ministries, 3) Helena Calhoun for Personal Enrichment Through Mental Health Services, 4) Andrea Vendetti for InterCultural Advocacy Institute aka Hispanic Outreach Center, 5) Kathleen Kelly and Monique Whitaker for The Kimberly Home, 6) Jonita Lewis for Hope Villages of America; 7) Starr Mastrodonato for WeeCare, 8) Theresa Prichard for Gulfcoast Legal Services, 9) Fabian Yepez for Hispanic Business Initiative Fund of Florida aka Prospera, 10) Zachary White for Homeless Emergency Project aka Homeless Empowerment Program, 11) Ellen Soffer for Suncoast Housing Connections fka Tampa Bay CDC, 12) Roger Rayburn for Tampa Bay Neighborhood Housing Services, 13) Lynn Tucker and Mike Smith for R'Club Child Care, 14) Summer Gray for Directions for Living, 15) Kimberley Nunn-Crawford for Willa Carson Health and Wellness Center, 16) Carolyn Reginelli for The Arc of Tampa Bay, and 17) Christine Bond for Society of St. Vincent DePaul. The representatives and organizations were thanked for their efforts serving Clearwater residents. Chair Chinault said the presentations regarding the need for affordable housing should be kept in mind as the board does its work through the year and think about how the community can help. 5. Old Business Items: None. 6. Director's Report Economic Development and Housing Director Denise Sanderson said Assistant Director Chuck Lane has been temporarily assigned as the Interim Director of Public Works. She said as a follow up to an item Mr. Lane presented in November, the Capri Mobile Home Park closed in March and Council approved an 3 City of Clearwaterl Neighborhood and Affordable Meeting Minutes April 11, 2023 Housing Advisory Board allocation to the Pinellas Community Foundation who contracted with the Homeless Leadership Alliance to provide housing navigation services to the residents. A final report has not yet been received but as of mid-March, all units were vacated except one resident who refused to leave and was served eviction papers. She said as a follow-up to an item Mr. Lane presented in December, the project at 1454 S Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. will be co-developed by Tampa Bay Neighborhood Housing Services and Habitat for Humanity into 24 townhomes, with 12 units for households under 80% Area Median Income (AMI) and the other 12 units for households up to 120% AMI. This is a mixed-income project and will provide homeownership opportunities in an area dominated by rental units. Ms. Sanderson said she will be providing Council with a presentation on May 1, 2023 regarding all current and planned affordable and workforce housing units. She plans to provide the same presentation to the NAHAB at the next meeting on May 9, 2023. Ms. Sanderson said quorum is essential for the next NAHAB meeting on May 9, 2023 as it is a required public hearing on the recommended budget allocations for the projects presented today. 7. Board Members to be Heard Committee Member Fiel said a co-worker did not have a good experience with the Down Payment Assistance Program working with the City and the Suncoast Housing Connection. The co-workers housing counselor left the organization and there was no communication on the status of the application. The closing was a few days late due to a delayed request for inspection. She said her co-worker is a mortgage underwriter and even they were confused by the process. Committee Member Dicus-Harrison said she worked with someone who went through Hope Expo and did the pre-purchase counseling with a housing counseling agency and she was pleasantly surprised how quick and easy the process was. 4 City of Clearwaterl Neighborhood and Affordable Housing Advisory Board 8. Adjourn Attest: Meeting Minutes The meeting adjourned at 10:49 a.m. April 11, 2023 Chair eighborhood & Affordable Housing Advisory Board Board Reporter City of Clearwater) 5