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TO: Mayor Thomas J. Weisner
FROM: Daniel Barreiro, Chief Community Services Officer
DATE: October 16, 2015
SUBJECT:
Resolution Authorizing Approval of the City of Aurora 2016 Annual Action Plan for Federal Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnership Act Funding.
PURPOSE:
Staff requests the adoption of the City of Aurora 2016 Annual Action Plan, which includes funding recommendations for the use of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) funds.
BACKGROUND:
The City of Aurora receives annual CDBG and HOME program entitlement allocations to support housing and community development efforts that benefit low and moderate income residents of Aurora. The funding amounts contained in the attached 2016 funding recommendation summary and draft 2016 Annual Action Plan (AAP) for each grant source are estimates only and are based upon 90% of the prior year's funding levels. (The City's 2015 CDBG allocation was $1,462,042 and HOME allocation was $494,914.) At such time as HUD announces the City’s actual 2016 award amounts (generally in the spring), NRD staff will present any necessary plan and funding modifications for City Council approval through the City's CDBG citizen participation process.
Funding that is not expended during the grant period will be reallocated to other program(s) or project(s) in order to make use of the federal funding investment in the community. In addition to the 2016 recommended funding allocations, the AAP also reflects the allocation of unexpended funds from prior year grants.
DISCUSSION:
All 2016 Annual Action Plan (AAP) funding recommendations must qualify under HUD's eligible activity requirements and correspond to the goals and objectives established in the City's 2015-2019 Consolidated Plan which relate to the following priorities:
1. Economic development and job training;
2. Youth services and youth violence prevention;
3. Funding assistance for Aurora's existing neighborhood planning processes;
4. Addressing housing and infrastructural issues in areas that have just become, or are in danger of becoming, low to moderate income in character; and
5. Redevelopment and/or creation of rental housing units; replacement units for
scattered site housing, elderly, special needs or homeless (HOME).
The City of Aurora Block Grant Working Committee (BGWC) met on Wednesday, October 7, 2015 to finalize their CDBG funding recommendations. A summarized list of the 2016 AAP funding recommendations together with the draft 2016 AAP is attached. The City received twenty-seven proposals, and the BGWC has recommended sixteen agencies for funding. The proposals were evaluated based upon the following criteria:
1. Ability to Address a City Objective;
2. Organizational capacity and experience;
3. Leveraged Resources;
4. Project Readiness; and
5. Location within the NRSA.
The BGWC's 2016 HOME funding recommendations have been proposed as per HUD's regulatory allocation requirements. Of note, HOME project applications are accepted by the City on an ongoing basis. Specific 2016 HOME projects will be presented at a later date to the City Council for review and approval as project proposals are received and recommended by the BGWC.
In accordance with the City of Aurora’s Citizen Participation Plan and the requirements of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development CDBG Program, a notice of the Annual Action Plan and Public Hearing will be posted in the Beacon News on October 25, 2015. The list of funding recommendations will also be available by October 25, 2015 for review at all Aurora public library branches, the Neighborhood Redevelopment Division office, and the City's website. A public hearing will be held on November 9, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. to provide the public an opportunity to comment.
IMPACT STATEMENT:
Since its inception in 1974, the CDBG program has invested over $35 million in the City of Aurora. This investment has supported neighborhood revitalization, housing rehabilitation, housing development, job training, youth development, homeless services, historic preservation, and senior services.
Since becoming an entitlement community under the HOME program five years ago, the City has committed close to $3 million in HOME funds to rehabilitate its aging housing stock and to support affordable housing projects. This investment includes the City Council's recent October 13, 2015 approval of $500,000 in HOME funds to assist in the development of the St. Charles Senior Living Center, a 60-unit senior rental housing project, which includes twelve low-income HOME funded housing units.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Staff recommends approval of a Resolution Authorizing Approval of the City of Aurora 2016 Annual Action Plan for Federal Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnership Act Funding, and that the Mayor and Chief Community Services Officer be authorized to execute any CDBG subrecipient agreements/amendments for the 2016 program year.
cc: Alderman Saville, Chairman
Alderman Donnell
Alderman Irvin
Alderman Hart-Burns, Alternate
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
RESOLUTION NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
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A Resolution Approving the 2016 Annual Action Plan Funding Recommendations - Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnership Act Programs (HOME).
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WHEREAS, the City of Aurora has a population of more than 25,000 persons and is, therefore, a home rule unit under subsection (a) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution of 1970; and
WHEREAS, subject to said Section, a home rule unit may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, the City of Aurora has made preservation of older neighborhoods, production of decent housing, and the support of human service programs, a priority;
WHEREAS, the City of Aurora has initiated numerous community development activities through participation in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's CDBG and HOME programs, and an Annual Action Plan is required as a pre-requisite to any such funding; and
WHEREAS, the City of Aurora's Block Grant Working Committee recommended adoption of the 2016 Annual Action Plan, including funding recommendations attached hereto as Exhibit "A" at its October 7, 2015 meeting; and
WHEREAS, said 2016 Annual Action Plan includes allocations for funding using
an estimated entitlement amount of $1,315,838 in 2016 CDBG funds, and $445,422 in 2016 HOME funds; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, finds as facts all of the preamble recitals of this Resolution and hereby that the Block Grant Working Committee's funding allocations are hereby adopted for the 2016 CDBG and HOME program year, that authorization is given for submission of the 2016 Annual Action Plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), that the Mayor is hereby authorized to execute any contracts or other overall program documents with HUD that authorizes the use of these federal funds, and that the Mayor and Chief Community Services Officer are hereby authorized to execute CDBG sub-recipient agreements/amendments for the 2016 program year.