04/03/2018 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA MEMORANDUM TO: Jason E. Brown, County Administrator THROUGH: Stan Boling, AICP, Community Development Director FROM: Sasan Rohani, AICP, Chief, Long -Range Planning DATE: March 26, 2018 SUBJECT: Continuing Participation with St. Lucie County and Martin County in the Treasure Coast HOME Program Consortium It is requested that the data herein presented be given formal consideration by the Board of County Commissioners at its regular meeting of April 3, 2018. BACKGROUND & ANALYSIS 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 the Treasure Coast HOME program 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. 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. The HOME program planning and funding cycle operates in multi-year increments. 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, 50 households within Indian River County have been assisted with about $900,000 in HOME funds. Currently, Indian River County receives about $82,500 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 and/or construction of new homes. On April 4, 2017, as part of an item related to HUD's 2015 Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFA) the Board considered continuing participation in the Treasure Coast HOME program Consortium. At that time, the Board voted 5-0 to continue Indian River County's participation in the HOME Consortium after the 2018 expiration of the then current funding cycle. Recently, St. Lucie County staff asked Indian River County staff to verify IRC's participation in the next HOME funding cycle. Based on the Board's April 4, 2017 vote, county staff confirmed that IRC intends to participate in the next HOME Program consortium cycle. 41