5/7/2002 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

BACKGROUND On October 23, 2001, the Board of County Commissioners conducted the first of two required Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) public hearings, and authorized community development staff to apply for a Housing Rehabilitation CDBG for the east Gifford area. The Board also authorized staff to initiate the process of selecting a consultant to prepare the CDBG application and administer the grant, if awarded. On March 19, 2002, the Board approved a consultant contract for CDBG application services with Fred Fox Enterprises, Inc. DESCRIPTIONS AND CONDITIONS CDBG Program As indicated, the Board of County Commissioners chose to apply for a Housing Rehabilitation Community Development Block Grant. This type of grant provides funds to bring substandard housing up to code, and allows the replacement of dilapidated housing with new housing for very low and low-income residents. Housing Rehabilitation CDBG grants are awarded to communities on a competitive basis. All grant applications must be received by the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) no later than May 15, 2002. The following table gives a breakdown of the scoring system used by DCA to rank Housing Rehabilitation grant applications: Table 1 Scoring Breakdown for Housing Rehabilitation Category Community -wide needs 250 points Sources and uses of Non-CDBG Funds 70 points Program impact, Scope of Work, LMI Benefit 580 points Outstanding performance in equal opportunity employment and housing 100 points Total points 1,000 points In order to meet all CDBG application requirements, the County is required to hold two Fair Housing Act workshops, obtain input regarding the application from the Citizens Advisory Task Force (CATF), and hold a second public hearing to obtain public input and authorize staff to submit the application to DCA. The CATF meeting will be held on May 6, 2002, to review the grant application and make a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners regarding that application. Also, on May 6, 2002, the first of the two required Fair Housing Act workshops will be held for real estate professionals. At the second Fair Housing Act workshop, to be held at the May 7 2002 meeting of the Board of County Commissioners, the consultant will give a brief presentation and answer questions from the public about fair housing issues. At this second public hearing the Board must obtain public input on the county's proposed Housing Rehabilitation CDBG application and approve the application for submittal to the Florida Department of Community Affairs (DCA). This is the required second public hearing. ANALYSIS Project Area The county has significant housing rehabilitation needs — particularly in Gifford. For example, a study ofhousing conditions in Gifford revealed that there are 3sub-standard housing units and MAY 7, 2002 •,ice' -70-