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INTRODUCTION <br />This manual is a guide for implementing the housing strategies and related <br />aspects of Indian River County's (henceforth "County") Community Development <br />Block Grant (CDBG) Housing Programs, including the Regular CDBG categories <br />(henceforth "CDBG"), and the Community Development Block Grant Disaster <br />Recovery Initiative (henceforth "DRI"). The responsibilities of the County, the <br />Applicant homeowner, construction contractor, the Program Administrator (PA) <br />and the Housing Rehabilitation Specialists (HRS) are specifically addressed in <br />this manual. <br />The Program Administrator (PA) shall be the County Designee for oversight of <br />this Housing Assistance Plan (HAP) and Procedures, and his/her duties are <br />addressed herein. The PA shall approve all HRS work, including any Consultant <br />or contract work, such as grants administration or project delivery services. The <br />PA makes all final recommendations and decisions as to awards, monitoring <br />reports, policies or other work generated by contractors or consultants. The <br />major focus of this manual is on housing finance, housing rehabilitation, <br />demolition/clearance, procurement and replacement of eligible, HRS -approved <br />dwellings. Relocation of households is also covered to a limited extent, as <br />described herein. The Anti -Displacement Policy should be consulted if <br />displacement or permanent relocation becomes a concern. Except under <br />Federally Declared Disasters and similar extenuating circumstances, and by <br />waiver of the County Commission and approval by the Florida Department of <br />Economic Opportunity (FDEO), no CDBG housing activity shall be undertaken <br />that causes displacement of legal residents from a dwelling unit. Permanent <br />relocation shall only be considered for replacement units where the existing lot is <br />not suitable for the replacement unit or is unsafe for the residents. Eminent <br />domain shall not be addressed using County CDBG Housing funds. <br />The goal of the CDBG program(s) is to meet the U.S. Department of Housing <br />and Urban Development (HUD) CDBG (DRI where applicable) National <br />Objectives including but not limited to the rehabilitation of substandard units, and <br />the rehabilitation of units affected by natural disasters, located within the <br />unincorporated limits of the County and to bring them up to a minimum <br />acceptable living standard. This standard shall include the HUD Section 8 <br />Minimum Housing Quality Standards (Section 8 HQS), the current Florida <br />Residential Building Code and other relevant local codes (whichever is most <br />stringent for each code -related item). This goal will be achieved through the use <br />of CDBG funds to contract for the required rehabilitation construction. The <br />rehabilitation units under the CDBG regular category and DRI categories to be <br />assisted shall be owner -occupied. <br />DISCLAIMER: Not all provisions apply to all programs herein. County staff, or <br />designee, reserves the right to make final interpretation of this plan. Further, in <br />the event of any conflict between or among any provision(s) herein applicable <br />4 <br />