04/04/2017 (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

is currently funded at roughly $700,000 to $916,000 per year. Since its inception in 1992, over 1,206 income eligible households in owner occupied dwellings received SHIP assistance to buy a house or to rehabilitate their existing home. Unlike the Section 8, VASH Voucher, and SHIP programs which are on-going and annually funded, the CDBG program is a competitive "project by project" program, and the county must compete with other jurisdictions that apply for CDBG funding. As noted above, the Home Again and HHR programs were one time programs related to recovery from the 2004 hurricanes. Another competitive program used by applicant -developers and sometimes supported by the County (via a modest SHIP allocation of $20,000) is the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. To date, 21 projects providing 2,573 affordable multi -family units and 61 single family units have been provided in Indian River County through the LIHTC program. The LIHTC program is managed by HUD and developers must sign contracts with HUD but the County does not have any obligations to HUD with respect to the LIHTC program. Although the HOME Investment Partnership program is competitive for individual small jurisdictions, large counties get entitlement funding from the HOME program. Smaller counties can also become entitlement communities if several join together and establish a HOME consortium. By being part of a consortium, a smaller county such as Indian River County does not need to compete with other applicants for HOME funds. Currently, Indian River County is part of a HOME consortium with Martin and St. Lucie Counties. Consequently, as long as Indian River County is part of a consortium with St. Lucie County and Martin County, the county will receive HOME funds each year. In order to receive the HOME funds from HUD the Indian River County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) passed Resolution No. 2006-057 and authorized execution of the Treasure Coast HOME Consortium agreement. Later, on August 8, 2007, Indian River County entered into an agreement with Martin and St. Lucie Counties to form the Treasure Coast HOME Consortium (attachment # 1). St. Lucie County is the lead agency for the Treasure Coast HOME Consortium; it receives all HOME funds, processes all applications, and disburses all HOME funds. As structured, St. Lucie County retains all program administration funds to fund its cost of running the program. Since forming the Treasure Coast HOME Consortium, 47 households within Indian River County have been assisted with $827,292 in HOME funds. Currently, Indian River County receives about $85,000 of HOME funds per year. Within Indian River County, HOME funds are used by Habitat for Humanity's clients to assist with down payment/closing costs. The Consortium's current contract with HUD expires in 2018. Recently, St Lucie County notified the County that the consortium is now in the 5' year of its second (five year) cycle. In order to continue to receive funding beyond the 2018 expiration, St. Lucie County on behalf of the Consortium must prepare a new five year Consolidated Plan and submit the First Year Action Plan to HUD by August 15, 2017. According to St Lucie County staff, HUD has changed the requirements for preparing the Consolidated Plan by increasing outreach efforts and the number of public meetings required. To meet its obligations as the consortium lead agency, St. Lucie County needs to conduct outreach and work on a new plan now. Based on the Board's recent directive to scrutinize obligations involving HUD's 2015 Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) policy, staff asked St. Lucie County if the 2015 P208