February 23, 2017 Minutes (City Commission Room)
|
MEMBERS PRESENT: |
|
Frank Brown, Jenna Coker, Alex Delaney, Jonathan Holley, James Minor, Frank Pondrom |
|
|
|
|
|
MEMBERS ABSENT: |
|
Will Averill, Matthew Kapfer, Steven Koprince, Kendall Simmons, Blake Swenson |
|
|
|
|
|
STAFF PRESENT: |
|
Danelle Dresslar, Brad Karr |
|
|
|
|
|
PUBLIC PRESENT: |
|
Nathan Littlejohn, Mia Gonzalez, Emily Winters, Nickie Daneke, Rich Minder, Shannon Oury, Rebecca Buford, John Harvey, Anju Mishra, Aaron Paden |
Vice Chair Holley called the meeting to order at 5:44 p.m.
1. Introductions
The committee members introduced themselves.
2. Approval of the February 9, 2017 Minutes
Coker moved to approve the CDAC meeting minutes from February 9, 2017. Delaney seconded the motion. The motion passed 6-0.
3. Continue Discussion of 2017 CDBG Public Service Applications
Dresslar reminded the committee of their request to revisit the allocations recommended at the last meeting. Holley reviewed the recommended allocation amounts for each applicant and asked if any applicant in attendance wished to speak again to the committee; no applicants spoke to the committee. Delaney said he was comfortable with the recommended allocations. Holley said he was also comfortable with the recommended allocation amounts. Coker said she was very happy with the statistics provided by Holley at the last meeting indicating the cost per low/mod person in each neighborhood applying for funding. Delaney agreed and recommended the neighborhood associations review the data. No changes were suggested to the recommended allocations from the February 9, 2017 meeting.
4. Discussion of the 2017 HOME applications
Dresslar informed the committee of the amount of HOME reallocation ($70,000) and estimated HOME Program Income ($25,000) added to the amount available for allocation, which leaves a gap of around $200,000 between what is requested and what is available for allocation. Dresslar explained the city’s First Time Homebuyer program, which is administered by Tenants to Homeowners, would reduce the amount requested in half to $100,000, which would reduce the gap to $100,000.
Shannon Oury, Executive Director of the Lawrence Douglas County Housing Authority (LDCHA), spoke to the committee about their application for funding. Oury provided the committee with a summary of the number of households assisted with the Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) program over the last 9 years. TBRA provides a voucher for up to 24 months of transitional housing exclusively for the homeless. Supportive services for the households are provided by local agencies and are paired with the housing. The program has around an 84% success rate of people graduating from TBRA into permanent housing. There are currently nine families housed and another eight families issued vouchers who are looking for a unit to rent. The income range served by this program is aimed at those under 50% of Area Median Income; 87.5% of the program participants are at 30% or below of Area Median Income. Coker asked what 30% of AMI would be; Oury said for one person it would be around $15,000 in Lawrence.
John Harvey, Director of Resource Development for Lawrence Habitat for Humanity, spoke to the committee about their application for funding. The requested funding would be used for building one new home. Habitat is proposing a four to one match from private donations for the requested HOME funds. The new workforce home would be for a family making at or below 60% of AMI; typically Habitat families are in the 50% to 55% range. Harvey said Habitat is proposing to make this new house permanently affordable through the use of a deed restriction, which differs from the typical Habitat equity model. Delaney asked how the permanent affordability aspect of this home would affect the seller’s equity when they want to sell the property. Harvey said Habitat would assist the seller in finding another income qualified family to purchase the home. Karr explained the HOME Resale requirements, which use a pre-defined “fair return on investment” and formula for setting the next sales prices at an affordable level. Delaney asked if these requirements would only be on Habitat houses that use HOME funds. Harvey said yes, other houses would continue to use the typical Habitat equity model of a 30 year period of affordability. Minor asked about the upkeep of the homes. Harvey said after the warranty period on the new home is expired, the family is responsible for the upkeep of the home; families receive 30 hours of homebuyer education including information on maintenance and upkeep.
Rebecca Buford, Executive Director for Tenants to Homeowners, spoke to the committee about their funding application. The CHDO set aside project funds are for the direct costs of developing affordable housing while the CHDO operating expense is used to fund staff salaries and expenses to operate. Tenants to Homeowners manages both rental and homeownership programs, along with providing homebuyer workshops. The Lawrence Community land Trust currently has 75 homes in trust to remain permanently affordable. Resales of these homes are handled by Tenants to Homeowner to assist the seller in finding an income qualified buyer.
Delaney said he was comfortable allocating $100,000 to the First Time Homebuyer program, allocating the 15% minimum for the CHDO set aside and the 5% maximum for the CHDO operating expenses, allocating the entire $28,575 requested by Habitat, which would leave the remaining amount to be allocated to the LDCHA. Holley asked if the committee thinks the funding would better be allocated to Habitat or the TBRA program. Delaney felt the funds should be spread across the entire housing spectrum, including both rental and ownership programs.
Delaney moved to fund 12b, First Time Homebuyer Program-Lawrence Community Housing Trust, at $100,000; 16a, CHDO Project Funds (Required 15% minimum), at the 15% minimum of $50,423; 16b, CHDO Operating Funds (Subject to 5% cap), at the 5% maximum of $16,808; 17a, Lawrence Habitat for Humanity, Foundation/Phase I Environmental, at $28,575; and 15a, LDCHA, Homeless Transitional Housing Program (TBRA), at $201,731. Holley seconded the motion. The motion passed 6-0.
5. Public Comment
There was no public comment.
6. Miscellaneous/Calendar
The next meeting of the CDAC will be on March 9, 2017 and the committee will begin reviewing the CDBG Non-Public Service (Capital Improvements) applications.
7. Adjourn
Delaney moved to adjourn the February 23, 2017 meeting of the CDAC at 6:23 p.m. Holley seconded the motion. The motion passed 6-0.
Attendance Record
|
Members |
Jan 12 |
Jan 26 |
Feb 9 |
Feb 23 |
Mar 9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Will Averill |
|
|
+* |
E |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Frank Brown |
+ |
+ |
E |
+ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jenna Coker |
E |
E |
+ |
+ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Alex Delaney |
+ |
+ |
+ |
+ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jonathan Holley |
+ |
+ |
+ |
+ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Matthew Kapfer |
+* |
+ |
+ |
E |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Steven Koprince |
+ |
+ |
+ |
E |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
James Minor |
+ |
+ |
U |
+ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Frank Pondrom |
+* |
+ |
+ |
+ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Blake Swenson |
E |
+ |
+ |
E |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kendall Simmons |
+ |
+ |
+ |
E |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
E Excused Absence
U Unexcused Absence
X Meeting Cancelled – Weather Conditions
- Meeting Cancelled – Committee Vote/No Business
* First meeting after appointment
** Last Meeting Prior to expired term
^ Last Meeting