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City updates CDBG housing rehab and $5.55 million workforce housing fund programs
Summary
City staff reported completion of the CDBG single-family rehab program (32 homes improved; nearly $1,000,000 distributed) and detailed a $5,550,000 workforce housing fund with program allocations and early enrollment figures for rent and home-improvement assistance.
City planning staff presented updates on two housing efforts: the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) single-family home rehabilitation program and a newly created workforce housing fund backed by developer contributions.
Joanne Scoria, assistant director of planning and zoning, summarized a decade of CDBG activity: the city received 47 applications for the most recent cycle, completed improvements on 32 homes and replaced 23 roofs; she reported that 17 issued loans have been forgiven and that the program has distributed close to $1,000,000 to local residents. Scoria also described completed infrastructure work in annexed neighborhoods (Mary Circle and Dania Drive), including right-of-way acquisitions and new potable-water and sewer connections; she said an estimated 8 duplex units and 11 homes are currently connected to the new water line.
Olivia Ellison, development compliance and zoning manager, reviewed the workforce housing fund, which the transcript states is funded with $5,550,000 from developer contributions. She outlined the council-adopted program structure: $3,000,000 for a citywide multifamily home improvement program, $1,000,000 for a citywide single-family home improvement program, $1,000,000 for employee purchase assistance, $400,000 for employee rent assistance and $150,000 for administrative costs. Ellison said two rounds of rent assistance have launched; 23 employees are receiving assistance and $128,400 of the $400,000 rent-assistance budget has been expended to date. The single-family improvement program launched March 10 and had 14 applications under review.
Why it matters: The CDBG and workforce housing programs target home repairs and housing affordability for lower- and middle-income residents and employees; staff said further community input meetings and a five-year consolidated plan update are underway. Council members praised the work and asked staff to share practices with neighboring municipalities.
