CD-22-0128

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TranscriptWhat was said at each appearance is below it. Machine transcription, with speaker names inferred from voice matching. 66% of 76 lines carry a name. It shows what was said, not what was decided, and both the words and the names can be wrong.

1. 1Jul 12, 2022
   Board of County CommissionersR90Regular businessApproved

   Approved minutes

   Approved to authorize Chairman Starkey to sign an extension agreement for the Federal Lobbying Service.

   Open this item →▶ Play from 1:45:43
   ▶ 1:45:4314m

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   1:45:43I I I cannot beat that, so I I apologize already. Good afternoon, Commissioners for the Record. Marcy Yesberg, Director of Community Development, here to speak about the Home American Rescue Plan funding, uh, the new allocation plan. Uh so um When President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan in addition to funding that came to counties, cities, uh funding also went to some of the um

   1:46:13departments, including Housing and Urban Development, and five million dollars was uh set out to uh assist individually or individuals or households uh assist individually or individuals or households that were experiencing homelessness. So basically it is a combination of our home investment partnership funds, which is for affordable housing, and our emergency solutions grant, which is just for homeless people. So it's funding

   1:46:44to house people that are experiencing homelessness. So we are receiving just under $4.5 million. The funds were allocated on April 8th, 2021, and we have to expend them by 2030. They finally got the message that they should stop giving us money and asking us to spend it in nine months. So, in order to start this process, it starts with this allocation plan with you approving

   1:47:15the plan that we transmit to HUD and kind of an FYI. There are 600 of these. We're part of 600 entitlement communities. 87 plans have gone forward and Thirty seven of them have been approved. So keep your fingers crossed that this one will get approval. We did a really good job with outreach um and gaps analysis, which were the two major reasons

   1:47:45other plans were not being approved. So here's some eligible activities that we could do. We could produce or preserve affordable housing, we could do tenant-based rental assistance, we can do supportive services, and we could purchase and develop non-congregate shelter, which would be individual units, not bunk beds and one big room. So the populations are those identifying serving individuals and households that are homeless,

   1:48:15at risk of homelessness, fleeing or attempting to flee, domestic violence, and other populations where supportive services would prevent individuals or families from becoming homeless. including veterans and families of veterans.

   1:48:35So as part of the consultation process, which was a very big thing for HUD um this year, uh, was um making sure that we met with a lot of the partners in Pasco County. So we met with the Coalition, the Continuum of Care, United Way Salvation Army, Pasco Sheriff, uh, Sunrise of Pasco, which are our domestic violence provider. Uh Pasco County Housing Authority, Vincent House, Veterans Administration, and Catholic Charities, talking

   1:49:05to them about what they see are the greatest needs, going over the gaps analysis with them and getting kind of their input and their buy-in. And so based on all of these meetings and the findings of our gaps analysis, we are proposing in our allocation plan to prioritize the following activities. Permanent supportive housing. So permanent supportive housing is only funded at 7%, yet 42% of our

   1:49:35homeless population are chronically homeless, so they're very much under-resourced. Housing for single adults. Families represent 17%, just under 18% of our homeless population, but they take almost 50% of our bed. inventory. and ninety-one percent of the households experiencing homelessness are adults without children. Uh s non-congregate shelter, sixty-one percent of our per uh people experiencing homelessness

   1:50:05are unsheltered and um yet the non-congregate shelter beds were at a hundred percent capacity. Those were uh the beds that we were paying for in hotels. uh but congregate shelter beds were utilized at 50%. So because of that information uh we're going to focus on uh production and preservation of affordable housing uh to either acquire or construct it or rehab current housing. And

   1:50:36then on the other funding sources, if you go to the next page, we are looking for you to approve the plan, direct the chairman to sign the documents, and then this will transmit the plan to uh HUD. We have put out a request for proposals, actually, this is the second time around for Proposals from our partners for this funding. That's usually what we do. So those have come in. I think we got about

   1:51:06six or seven applications. And so we will review those at the beginning of August with a committee and then bring the proposed projects back to you. So today you're just looking at the allocation plan and signing the documents.

   StarkeyChair

   1:51:24Okay. So um this five million, is that the number you said? Is that all is that all we're getting between now and twenty thirty?

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   1:51:32Yes. This is a special well, this is just a special program home ARP. This isn't like our regular home money which we get every year. So this is a one-time deal. And they're giving you the twenty thirty to spend this?

   StarkeyChair

   1:51:44Yes. That's a long time. I hope we can put it to use much sooner than that.

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   1:51:48Well I do too. Um yeah, but we all know that if it's if we're gonna build sometimes it takes three to four years just to get it out of the ground. So

   1:51:59Second.

   MarianoVice Chair

   1:52:00Discussion please. Yeah, discussion, please. Marcy, a while ago we talked, and I've talked about this several years now. The Rope Center over in Hudson, they have a building that we built for them. Uh it houses twenty men in bunks, twenty women in bunks. Usually the the women only like seven or eight of them stay there because they don't want to stay there in that situation. Uh they've offered the land that they have, but they could actually build a single structure which would take, let's say, twenty women, which would free up

   1:52:30twenty more beds for the males. Um they said they'd be willing to work with details to make that happen. Had you explored that with them and if so, how'd that turn out?

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   1:52:40So That type of project would not be eligible because it's congregate shelter, it's not non-congregate, and so there are twenty beds in one room. No,

   MarianoVice Chair

   1:52:50no,

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   1:52:50no. And we have we have talked to them.

   MarianoVice Chair

   1:52:53They would build individual structures for the ladies so they would have their own separate rooms, not the congregate where you have twenty in a row.

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   1:53:02Yeah, so they haven't presented that to me and they did not apply when this request for proposals went out. So I have not seen an application from them.

   MarianoVice Chair

   1:53:13Yeah.

   1:53:16Some of the things that they do with their folks may have prevented them com coming forward, but I know they wanted to do it. They've asked to go do it several times. Um Let me ask the board a question. Earlier today we talked about trying to take care of seniors. That may not be that aren't aren't on the list as far as getting meals. Uh to me with the inflation rate they're at risk. Um I think if we took a look at what the numbers would be to maybe take a lot of this money even over a several

   1:53:47several years period of time. that would that be something we want to take a look at as far as funding from this source? As they I think they'd be at risk if they Just had a ten percent decrease in their spendable income.

   Fitzpatrick

   1:54:00So y are you saying to build ho housing for

   MarianoVice Chair

   1:54:04I I'd left the housing outside for now. I'm not gonna I'm not gonna talk about that. I'm talking about just taken seniors that are on the list that aren't getting meals to go take part of the money and go get those seniors that are on the list and fund them through this funding source.

   Fitzpatrick

   1:54:21There are three hundred and sixty nine on the wait list at this time. And I am going to talk with Area Agency on Aging about the additional funding that they have to see if we can move the utilize those funds for the additional meals at the next board meeting.

   StarkeyChair

   1:54:37touch this m and I don't know if we even legally can. I I think they're looking at that other issue and they'll be bringing it back to us um uh for a solution. But Um I do, you know, like the idea of if there's land available and we can get something going quickly, do we not want to look at it and if Co like the road um property if they're willing to I don't You know. So it could still get looked at, even

   MarianoVice Chair

   1:55:05if we assume those today?

   StarkeyChair

   1:55:06They have that other property too. Right, where they have their or I don't know if they still have it, 'cause I went to it where they have their The little store. Don't they own that? Their little thrift

   MarianoVice Chair

   1:55:17Uh yes.

   StarkeyChair

   1:55:18Yeah. So um

   Moore

   1:55:19Madam Chairman

   StarkeyChair

   1:55:20M Yeah.

   Moore

   1:55:20I think the question would be And I understand where you're coming from.

   StarkeyChair

   1:55:27She said no. I saw her shaking her head.

   Moore

   1:55:28Okay, well I just for

   StarkeyChair

   1:55:29the record. So

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   1:55:31For the for feeding the elderly.

   StarkeyChair

   1:55:33No. Okay. No, this is

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   1:55:35housing and

   StarkeyChair

   1:55:36and we need the housing and we need this money to go for housing.

   Moore

   1:55:39So b back to kind of um Commissioner Oakley's statement about uh looking after our seniors again, go back again and show us um what your plan is to take care of some of our low-income seniors with the plan.

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   1:55:53So m this is not for low income seniors, these are for people that are experiencing homelessness. And we have noticed a trend trend that more and more of our homeless are are growing in age. Right. So so uh certainly the most vulnerable people will be taken off the streets and put into housing.

   Moore

   1:56:11Yeah. So we say when we say homeless, are we saying these people are homeless today or they ha are they're possibly at risk of being homeless?

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   1:56:22Our first priority would be for those that are homeless because that's the biggest population and the least resourced. Uh-huh. Um and then after that we would go into uh vulnerable populations that m that perhaps we could prevent homelessness.

   Unidentified speaker

   1:56:39Right.

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   1:56:40We could also do that though with other funds, whereas these funds are the only funds that we have right now for buildings. So so um this is a really good opportunity to bring a lot of units online. You know you know what I did I do a lot of

   StarkeyChair

   1:56:55stuff

   Unidentified speakerVoice A

   1:56:56on this.

   StarkeyChair

   1:56:56Yeah. We can't use it

   Moore

   1:56:58though, we can't use

   StarkeyChair

   1:56:58it. Yeah, we can't use it. Um stay at risk. I I I read a lot on this. Um And I'm seeing some of the creative things I've seen from other areas is they get Well I think I told you in Palm Beach County, every development that comes in Used to be a D R I you had to put ten ten percent aside for affordable housing. They require five percent. Of the housing that comes in, any new development has to has to have affordable housing component to it. Which it

   1:57:28could be a quadruplex, you know, duplexes. There's and they get they blend seamlessly. into the community. Um Other places they just donate they just donate some of the land in their development. They give them a couple lots on the end of the street. I think we should start asking. Um, because that's the best way to blend. these kind of folks in is to Not put 'em all in one building in the bad area of town and away from any life or anything is

   1:57:59to just You don't even notice it, just blend them in. Mm-hmm.

   Kathy Pearson

   1:58:05Kathy wanted to say something? Sure. Kathy Pearson, Assistant County Administrator of Public Services. So I just want to reiterate for this funding. The R the proposals went out. Applications are in, it has been closed. So if I'm hearing Marcy correctly, she's putting a team together to review those applications to see what projects came through and that will come back to you in August for your final approval. So We don't know what the I don't know if you've read the application. So so she has seen some from the committee has not. Um I'm

   1:58:35sure that's gonna be scheduled. So it's it's they're out, it's closed, and let the team review in the application. So I just wanted to bring that to the question.

   Moore

   1:58:44Can we just move on because they're gonna bring this back? Okay.

   StarkeyChair

   1:58:48Um did all right. Oh sorry. Wait, we did the first time the Second?

   Moore

   1:58:52Yeah.

   StarkeyChair

   1:58:53Oh

   1:58:53my god.

   1:58:53Motion, second. Madam Clerk.

   1:58:57Aye. Aye. Okay. Wait.

   Fitzpatrick

   1:58:59Um talking about inclusionary housing, and then we do we would we have to make a motion to ask staff to bring that back to us uh in an ordinance?

   StarkeyChair

   1:59:09Well we just have to have a discussion to see if there's other Other Marcy's gotta make the rounds to see if there's a lot of things.

   Fitzpatrick

   1:59:15Because I heard it would sup help reduce the senior homeless population by having say you had a five story building if you put two senior units on each floor.

   StarkeyChair

   1:59:28Oh I I don't wanna get into the design of it now, but just wanted to throw out the concept. Right, that concept would come through

   Unidentified speakerVoice B

   1:59:36your land development code.

   StarkeyChair

   1:59:37Oh land development code. And just like we're talking about redoing it with ADUs. Allowing more EV use. P ninety one.

   County Administrator

   1:59:46You

   StarkeyChair

   1:59:46finished the agenda. P ninety two.

   County Administrator

   1:59:48You're on the done.