Quarterly Better Future and individual housing update

1:19:44You're welcome. Thank you. Very good. Well, good luck, sir. Thank you. Okay. Ready for my update?

1:19:52Um actually let's stay right to there, quarterly

1:19:54update. Okay. Okay. Um I have PowerPoint. Uh I want to run through with you. Uh uh Chuck Lane, Director now, not interim director, Office of Disaster Recovery Resources. I'm joined again by Tim Laguti. Tim, please confirm that you're plugged in. I'm here, Chuck. Tim's going to share in this presentation with me. As we said earlier, uh Tim represents IEM. They are our implementation vendor for this uh for this undertaking. Um so this would be my first quote uh quarterly update since

1:20:24moving to program implementation. I'd like to update you on the status of the Better Future program, and I'll ask uh Tim to provide details on the progress we've made with the individual housing program since we lost. Mm-hmm. Uh on the screen. Uh I'm sorry. Um

1:20:42On the screen, you can see uh each program we plan to roll out the amounts allocated to each program, and when we plan to begin receiving applications or accepting applications for each program. The allocation amounts were established in our action plan, which you approved earlier this year. As for program launch dates, HUD has asked us to focus on helping residents with housing needs and small businesses that have been impacted by the storm. The planning program will be an early launch as well because we expect some planning studies to help

1:21:12set the table for projects in future phases. We'll launch infrastructure mitigation in March, and we expect that round to be quite competitive.

1:21:22So as you know, my team has worked very hard to launch the inter the individual housing program as soon as possible. Uh we were targeted on a 12-1 launch and and we hit that date. I'm very proud of that. Earlier today you approved the policies and procedures for that program. Over the next two months, staff will request board approval of policies and procedures for the remaining programs.

1:21:44Sorry about that. One of the uh remaining pro One of the reasons we were able to launch the individual individual house housing program on time was because you all approved a contract. for our system of record neighborly software. They're well suited for our program. Uh, and they were able to can custom configure an application for our individual housing program in about three weeks, which was very impressive. So thanks to neighborly, the efforts of my my uh disaster recovery team and IEM were off to an excellent start.

1:22:14So our primary focus last month, uh for the last month has been to get the individual housing program started. Our residents have waited a long time for this level of assistance. The screen shows the major activities under the individual housing program and the maximum financial investment under each activity. The maximum rehab cost for a traditionally built home, such as stick built or concrete block, is $175,000. uh and three hundred thirty thousand dollars to replace a home. You can see the respective amounts for a manufactured home. Uh maximum reimbursement cost is $75,000

1:22:45for a traditionally built home and $25,000 for a manufactured home. These amounts are are life-changing for our residents. We've done a ton of community outreach. Our media relations and communication teams has worked overtime to get word out through uh a range of media opportunities. We hosted six public meetings across the county and we're doing more as specific groups uh make requests such as uh as as the the event I was at with with Commissioner Mariano. Um

1:23:16We're Uh we're conducting mobile intake events right now. We have three more scheduled this week, including two today. We want to meet people where they are to help them complete applications in person. Applicants need to know they can complete applications online, in person at one of our intake events or at our office located at 8239 Youth Lane. If someone has mobility issues and is not comfortable with the computer, we'll come to their home if we need to. If that's what it takes to get it done, we will do that. We want to make sure that no one misses this opportunity. It's just too important. Um

1:23:49As you know, we're required to spend 70 percent of the funds to help low to moderate income households. This means households earning no more than 80 percent of the area's median income. Those income limits vary by household size, and you can see them on the screen. Uh consistent feedback we heard at the public meetings is that the income limits are low. We consistently we were consistently asked if we could if we could serve a higher income category. So our action plan allows us to serve households who earn up to 120% of area median income. And those income

1:24:19limits are now on the screen. We were initially planning to wait on that for a later phase. In response to the feedback, we will open up applications for a limited amount of funding on a first-come, first-serve basis for those earning between eighty and one hundred twenty percent of area median income. For the higher income category, uh, we will limit assistance to those to those that are still displaced from the storm. That will ensure that we're helping the hardest hit funds. Folks. Um so altogether there's two hundred and five million dollars budgeted

1:24:49for the individual housing program. And of that, we will set aside twenty million dollars for the higher income category.

1:24:56Can I stop you for one second, Chuck? I just want to say you know. With Chuck so involved, his team so involved, part of the reason this is coming forward is he looked and listened to what was going on in the meetings and some of the issues that were going on, and he developed something that we should take care of a group of people, even though it was just one. But others are going to be upset with this. So Chuck, thank you for responding and and making something happen with this. That's a great, great, great move. Shows you're really paying attention to what's going on out there and I appreciate it.

1:25:24Yes, sir. Thank you. Mr.

1:25:26Starkey.

1:25:27Um at uh the um Might have been at the regional meeting with all the commissioners, which I had to zoom in after my other meetings. I heard that some of the other counties or cities Have Added other monies to the pot so that P people with a higher income level can access some of this money. I don't know how that works. I I don't know if we've looked at that, but um I'd I want to help as many

1:25:57people as possible and so I'm very glad you've gone to this 120. Um but I just wonder if there's more we can do to help.

1:26:04I'll I'll I'll monitor that as much as possible and whatever we can bring to the table.

1:26:08It was either it might have been Pinellas County, might have been Saint Petersburg.

1:26:13I'll do I'll I'll research that. Okay. So we're on on our ninth day of accepting applications. As I said earlier, we're off to a strong start. I'm going to turn it over to Mr. Leguti to give you a brief update on the activity that we've we've received so far. Tim?

1:26:31Uh thanks, Chuck, and good morning again, Commissioners. Here's an update on how the community is engaging with the Pasco County Better Future Individual Housing Program. On the screen, you'll see our public response as of Monday, December eighth, around this time yesterday. At that time we had 420 total applications in the system, with 316 started and 104 fully submitted. Our call center had already handled 251 calls with an average handling time just under 13 minutes. About 40% of those calls were for

1:27:01appointment scheduling. Uh we've been holding mobile intake events around the county. 21% for application assistance and 12% for eligibility questions, which tell us that residents are not only interested, but they're actively trying to move forward with the program. Since that snapshot, interest has continued to climb. We're actually at about 455 total applications with 128 submitted. So that growth demonstrates, you know, strong demand for the program and then our outreach and support channels are working. Uh we can move on to the next slide.

1:27:32At a high level, the application process for the individual housing program is designed to be straightforward and supported by our case management and program staff. First, residents can start an application online or by calling the program's call center where staff can also help schedule an in-person or virtual appointment if they prefer guided assistance from our case management team. Uh we're also holding mobile outreach meetings around the county where we've held a hundred meetings to date uh in our first three mobile intake meetings uh last week uh and yesterday.

1:28:03And we'll even go out to applicants' homes if they need additional assistance. Second, applicants work through the application. They upload or they bring their documents to a program office or a mobile intake location and receive help from staff as needed. The goal here is to remove barriers, whether that's technology or paperwork or simply understanding whether or not they're eligible for the program. Once that application is submitted, our team reviews it for eligibility and completeness. We assign a case manager, which is a one-to-one relationship between the resident and

1:28:33becomes their point of contact throughout the life of their application. They can follow up with any questions, and we move qualified applicants into the pipeline for funding and next steps on their housing improvements. Eligible applicants will move into the Assessment stage where we complete a damage assessment and an environmental review, which is required by HUD. Applicants who have construction or will have construction performed on their homes will move into the pre-construction meeting stage where residents are assigned a general contractor. Uh they'll

1:29:03be able to select floor plans for mobile home replacements or for their reconstruction projects. And for any construction project, uh Residents are also able to select any finishes for any of the work that's being completed. We then complete a final quality control review just to ensure that we have all the documentation that's needed in place and that the award is calculated properly. If they are a reimbursement award, we then trigger the reimbursement, which will be a check or an ACH to that applicant if they've been confirmed

1:29:33for a reimbursement award. And then all other applicants who are having construction performed on their homes will move into the construction stage where the general contractor who's been assigned will complete any repair, reconstruction, replacement, or elevation that they've been deemed eligible for. And I will hand it back to Chuck.

1:29:55How do you s select the mobile locations?

1:30:00How do we select the mobile locations? Of the ones to be repaired, to be replaced?

1:30:06No, I'm talking when you do mobile applications.

1:30:09We what we did was we we used the same sites that we had the public meetings. We tried to keep it as as consistent and as easy on the residents to remember as possible. So we went right back to those same locations where we had the six public meetings throughout the county.

1:30:22Okay, gotcha.

1:30:22Okay.

1:30:23So if you have let's say a Um

1:30:28You know, like some of the mo the elderly, the mobile home parks that get hit hard. Are you sending anybody in there to kind of get the word out?

1:30:37W we can, um and and we will when we need to. If we feel there's a need to do that, we absolutely will. Like I said, we'll go to people's homes if we have to to help them fill out an application. We're not gonna let anybody miss this opportunity because they can't use a computer or because they can't get up and go to a mobile site. We're gonna make sure we capture as everybody that we can.

1:30:54Yeah, that's what I was thinking. You know, maybe if you, you know, get a flyer or something, distribute it in the parks because they're you know, they're not very techie. Okay. So um That's just a suggestion.

1:31:04Okay, thank you for that.

1:31:08Uh Mr. Chairman Mariano.

1:31:10Mr.

1:31:10Sharkey.

1:31:11What are we do so I have I have a neighborhood That is a m a m travel park. But people have travel RVs into permanent structures. We're not investing in those, I would imagine.

1:31:29We're not able to, no. The fund that's not eligible for funds. I know the county is working on other means to try to work through some of those issues.

1:31:36Yeah, but but hope you know maybe we can help those residents in another way. Right.

1:31:41Well p part of a a later phase is we're gonna create housing and then maybe housing opportunities for folks to relocate.

1:31:47Okay, but I just wanna be sure we're not rebuilding travel trailers. No ma'am. Not allowed.

1:31:54Commissioner Weightman,

1:31:59We boot those folks out. I mean by the time we get to any kind of housing, those folks may have moved on or whatever. So I mean there's a I think a bit of a Yeah. sense of urgency on where where they're gonna go and how they're gonna get there, not a couple years down the line. I don't know what the answer is, but that's just a concern. Understood. Um And then the the other piece, if you go back go back one slide, please. What's your estimated timeline? From application

1:32:30from a customer puts it in application.

1:32:34To the last from the first green box to the last green spot box. What's your measurable? How quickly What's your goal on how quickly to process each case?

1:32:43Well, sir certain projects are gonna y you know, with the repairs and rehabs, it really depends on the scope. Um and that's all there is to it. Uh some will be quick and some will take up to six months to do that rehab possibly. Um so the pre-construction timeline we're probably looking at at potentially three to four, maybe five months, post-construct uh construction thereafter. Um, you know, uh uh a a rebuild is gonna take three to four months. Uh again the rehab projects are it just depends on the scope.

1:33:17What processes can we put it on our place to help these folks like move them out of our standards?

1:33:23Yeah, that I was I was I I I think the intent of the commissioner's question really is is how you know construction is what it is. What is the administrative and the you know the permitting and those those types of things. things you know to get us to pre construction and construction. And and are we perhaps uh gonna find ways to streamline through through permitting? Uh you know, do we have those things that we're thinking about?

1:33:44Yes. I'm I'm working closely with with uh With JP on on uh the construction side of things. They're gonna assign a uh a review a plan reviewer for us. Um they're gonna expedite these. Um I'm working very closely with the construction services department so we can get through these as quickly as possible, find ways to get through them quick more quickly. So that is top of mind on this project.

1:34:06Okay. Thank

1:34:06you, Chuck. Okay. Okay. Just to wrap up, next steps, we're going to launch uh the planning program to include an innovative housing study. We've heard a lot of different types of housing, uh, such as uh shipping containers, alternative construction, uh, alternative materials for construction. We're gonna ask Florida Housing to do a study for us, um, to guide us on the bet how to best implement these innovative uh uh options. We'll launch a small business and nonprofit recovery program in

1:34:36late January, early February, and with the remaining programs to follow by spring of 2026. That includes my update. I'd be happy to answer any questions that you might have.

1:34:47Uh Chuck, I wanna just th throw one idea with with your um products affordable Uh items that could be used There's a new um Instead of a drywall board out there, there's a new magnesium board. Uh gentleman by the name of Chet Petanato, he's got a plant out in Zephyrhills. He's using that and it looks like it's a really good thing to take a look at. He's got So it's very affordable as well, so maybe something to take a look at.

1:35:11Yeah, we'll discuss that with our contractors.

1:35:16Okay, I know we've got a couple other presentations, so thank you very much. Keep up to the work. Thank you. And congratulations.