Broward County Commission Regular Meeting

MOTION TO AUTHORIZE County Administrator to amend Broward County's Five Year Strategic Consolidated Plan for Fiscal Years 2010 - 2014 and Fiscal Years 2015 - 2019 and the accompanying Annual Action Plans for Fiscal Years 2014 through 2018 for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ("HUD") Community Planning and Development Grants; reprogramming unexpended HOME Investment Partnerships Program ("HOME") Funds and revising Community Development Block Grant ("CDBG") Program recommendations; authorizing the County Administrator to take all necessary administrative actions for implementation of the changes, to submit a copy of the amendment to HUD, and to execute amendments, reinstatements and interlocal agreements with subrecipients of funding for the respective grant Programs.

(Per the Tuesday Morning Memorandum, the following should be added at the end of the motion: “subject to review and approval by the Office of the County Attorney.”)

(Transferred to the Consent Agenda.)

ACTION:  (T-10:39 AM)  Approved.

VOTE: 9-0.

Board action is required to amend Five Year Strategic Consolidated Plans and Annual Action Plans for HUD to implement substantial changes to program funding allocations and priorities.

Approves changes to the Five Year Strategic Consolidated Plans and associated Annual Action Plans.

No previous action.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT AND THE HOUSING FINANCE AND COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT DIVISION RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE ABOVE MOTION.

This item supports the Board's Value "Offering sustainable, compatible, innovative housing options for all income-levels, including integrated, permanent supportive housing: and the corresponding goal to "Increase the availability of affordable housing of all types, countywide in every community using effective, uniform criteria, policies and strategies."

Amendments to the five year consolidated plans and annual action plans are needed to accommodate substantial changes requested by the municipalities and the Housing Finance and Community Redevelopment Division for projects funded with CDBG and HOME funds.

A. Broward Housing Partnership Community Land Trust Inc. (BHP) has requested that the Fiscal Year 2015/2016 funding for the Land Acquisition and New Construction of three affordable homes in the amount of $339,988 be reprogrammed to the New Construction of two (HOME Assisted) units for sale to income eligible households. BHP acquired the three lots with their own funding, however the lots were not platted. The platting process delayed the project a year, and there were additional costs involved that were unforeseen including a 20% increase in construction costs.

B. BHP has an opportunity to acquire a 15 unit multi-family apartment building in the City of Plantation. They are requesting that the Fiscal Year 2017 allocation in the amount of $383,588 and Fiscal Year 2018 allocation in the amount of $385,629 be reallocated to the acquisition of the 15 unit multi-family building. Five of the 15 units will be set-aside for households earning less than 50% of the area median income for an affordability period of 30 years.

C. There are remaining balances from Fiscal Years 2011/2012 to 2013/2014. These funds were previously allocated to the HOME Consortium Municipalities and subgrantees listed below. The awarded projects have been completed leaving these remaining balances. The funding is being requested to be reprogrammed to a Housing Finance and Community Redevelopment Division HOME eligible activity. These funds will be used for eligible projects to include, Down Payment/Purchase Assistance, Gap Financing for Multi-family Rental, or New Construction of Affordable Housing. The total amount is $62,125.

City of Coral Springs (Fiscal Year's 2011, 2012 and 2013) in the amount of $5,864
City of Deerfield Beach in the amount of $2,500
The City of Lauderhill in the amount of $3,761
Crystal Lakes in the amount of $25,000
City Vista in the amount of $25,000

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Amendments/Changes
A. The County allocated $20,000 in Fiscal Year 2016/2017 and $30,000 in Fiscal Year 2017/2018 to the Broward Municipal Services District (BMSD) for Area Neighborhood Improvement Projects. This action allocates the funding to Rebuilding Together Broward County to partner on BMSD Neighborhood Improvements. Rebuilding Together will provide Minor Home Repair to address emergency and/or health and safety issues in a minimum of seven single family income eligible households.

B. The City of Oakland Park is requesting the reallocation of  the Fiscal Year 2017/2018 funding in the amount of $160,829 from the Downtown South Plaza project to the Mainstreet Enhancement Project. The City is requesting the change because this grant was originally allocated to be combined with the County's 2018 Redevelopment Project and the County is not moving forward with the 2018 Redevelopment funding cycle rendering the project infeasible.  

C. The following Board-approved municipal allocations from Fiscal Year 2016 have remaining balances totaling $3,099. The funding is being recommended to be reprogrammed to a Housing Finance and Community Redevelopment Division CDBG eligible activity to include: Housing Rehabilitation, Purchase/Homebuyer Assistance, Land Acquisition and/or Capital Improvement Projects. 

Women in Distress in the amount of $1,396
City of Lauderdale Lakes Quality of Life in the amount of $946
City of Parkland Senior Program in the amount of $758

The Housing Finance and Community Development Division published a Public Notice advertising these changes, which will be submitted to HUD after the required comment period and Broward County Board of County Commissioners approval.

Ralph Stone, Director, Housing Finance and Community Redevelopment Division, (954) 357-5320