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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMay 18, 2023 HCDC Packet If you will need disability-related accommodations to participate in this program or event, please contact Brianna Thul at bthul@iowa-city.org or 319-356-5230. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. Upcoming Housing & Community Development Commission Meeting: Regular: July 20 (No meeting in June) HOUSING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION (HCDC) May 18, 2023 Regular Meeting – 6:30 PM Iowa City Senior Center Assembly Room 28 S Linn Street AGENDA: 1. Call to Order 2. Consideration of Meeting Minutes: April 20, 2023 3. Public Comment of Items not on the Agenda Commentators shall address the Commission for no more than 5 minutes. Commissioners shall not engage in discussion with the public concerning said items. 4. Unsuccessful and Delayed Projects Updates The City’s Unsuccessful and Delayed Projects Policy requires CDBG recipients to expend a minimum of 50% of the funds awarded by March 15. Agencies will provide HCDC with brief updates on three projects that missed the checkpoint: 1) Shelter House HVAC Improvements ($225,000), 2) DVIP Shelter Construction ($425,000), and 3) Free Medical Clinic Facility Improvements ($75,000). Updates may be given in person or in writing. 5. Project Monitoring Updates Agencies with ongoing projects will provide HCDC with brief updates. Agencies include DVIP, Habitat for Humanity, Inside Out Reentry, Shelter House, and The Housing Fellowship. Updates may be given in person or in writing. 6. Review and Consider Recommendation to City Council on Approval of Substantial Amendment to the City’s FY23 Annual Action Plan The Annual Action Plan outlines proposed activities, project locations, budgets and the scope of activities being funded with federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) funds for housing, jobs and services for low-moderate income persons. The proposed amendment reallocates $50,000 of CDBG from economic development to the Neighborhood Improvements Program. This will allow the City to facilitate timely expenditure of CDBG funding. The amendment also increases the budget by an additional $25,000. The source of this funding is unanticipated program income. The final budget for the FY23 Neighborhood Improvements Program is $150,000. Activities planned include accessibility improvements in low-to-moderate income areas of Iowa City by adding ramps to existing curbs. A 30-day public comment period began May 5, 2023 and will run through June 6, 2023. A public meeting is scheduled for June 6, 2023 where Council will consider formal approval. Following Council approval, the amendment is submitted to HUD for review. 7. Staff & Commission Updates This item includes an opportunity for brief updates from staff and Commissioners. Commissioners shall not engage in discussion on updates. 8. Adjournment Housing and Community Development Commission May 18, 2023 Meeting Packet Contents Agenda Item #2  April 20, 2023 Draft HCDC Meeting Minutes Agenda Items #4 & #5  DVIP Progress Report  Inside Out Reentry Progress Report  The Housing Fellowship Progress (slides to be presented at the meeting) Agenda Items #6  FY23 Annual Action Plan Substantial Amendment Draft MINUTES PRELIMINARY HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION APRIL 20, 2023 – 6:30 PM FORMAL MEETING THE CENTER ASSEMBLY ROOM MEMBERS PRESENT: Kaleb Beining, Michael Eckhardt, Jennifer Haylett, Karol Krotz, Kiran Patel, Becci Reedus MEMBERS ABSENT: Maryann Dennis, Nasr Mohammed, Kyle Vogel STAFF PRESENT: Brianna Thul OTHERS PRESENT: Mayor Bruce Teague RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL: By a vote of 6-0 the Commission moved to recommend that City Council approve the FY24 Annual Action Plan. CALL MEETING TO ORDER: Beining called the meeting to order at 6:30 PM. PRESENTATION OF IOWA CITY STRATEGIC PLAN: Mayor Teague came to the HCDC meeting to talk about the City's Strategic Plan. The City started this process in January when they started talking about the budget. The process was interesting because there's a lot to try to figure out for what they want to put in a five-year plan. First up is the introduction and environmental scan of strategic values, strategic impact areas and action steps, resources and how to get it done. Through this process they identified some challenges as well as some opportunity. They knew coming out of COVID there are some definite impacts on people finances and also at the City level there are some COVID impacts as well. Staffing the workforce is an issue across the board. He acknowledged the social service aid providers that HCDC work with are feeling those challenges as well. There was however a significant influx of funding opportunities through the federal government and the City wants to try to take advantage of those. One thing they want to do this fiscal year is hire a grant writer specialist so that was put it in the budget, and they will be advertising for that individual to come and be a part of the team. Because of the opportunities out there the City needs somebody to do the work to bring those opportunities here to our community. Regarding challenges, one is the state property tax reform and they’re still waiting for the final word on how that looks but those funds impact the City and also impact the school district. They will need to figure out how to make up some of that lost revenue and still meet the strategic goals of this community. HCDC is a commission that sees the needs firsthand, they see some great projects of course want to fund 100% of all of them, but there's a challenge as there isn't always enough money to meet those needs. Mayor Teague stated the community is growing and they anticipate that growth will continue so how do they make sure that they capture it in the best way and this plan really does help set the stage for the next levels within the community. As Peter Drucker said “The best way to predict your future is to create it”. The City sees the Strategic Plan as a guiding document to lay out the priorities for the next six years, in a transparent and accountable way. By clearly stating the priorities, they can then align their time, budget, and resources with these priorities to make sure they’re moving forward with a vision of Iowa City's future at the forefront. Mayor Teague acknowledged they know not everything within the Strategic Plan is possible, and the bulk of the work will still be in the same order to provide essential City services, but the vision and the values in the Plan should inform the how they carry out the work and frame the decision making. Housing and Community Development Commission April 20, 2023 Page 2 of 8 2 The Strategic Plan has three distinct components, the light green is the values, the blue is the impact statement, and the dark green is the resources. The values are partnerships, engagement, climate action, racial equity, social justice, and human rights. These values should be familiar to many through the work they do, and the value should be embodied in every element of this Strategic Plan and day to day work. The impact areas are the housing, mobility, economies, safety and wellbeing and this is how do they see the mission really fulfilled and also represents the focus of our government. This is where they'll collaborate to move the community forward through new partnerships with new and existing strategies every step of the way. The last one is the resources which is the building blocks that will be needed to support the Plan. This includes facilities, equipment, and the staff to make this all work. First Mayor Teague discussed the values. There are three values of focus: racial equity, social justice, and human rights, climate action, partnerships and engagement. With the racial equity, social justice, and human rights value he showed a few examples, one is they identified is our community celebrates and welcomes cultural diversity. There's a lot of things they're doing now, throughout the community to showcase this. He has been very impressed to see the Asian community and some of their celebrations that they've been doing downtown. Latino fest happen every year and Juneteenth is also now a City holiday. While they’re seeing a lot of diversity and celebrations within the community, they know that there is more to also be captured and celebrated. Another example is that every resident understands how systemic inequities have disadvantaged some populations and have skills to disrupt biases. So, they have identified some things to keep in the forefront of their minds so they can reach these goals as a community. The next value is climate action. The City has a climate action commission with 11 commissioners who are experts in the world of climate action, and they make recommendations to Council. They have brought experts in areas of climate action because the commissioners are not experts in everything, but they do know how will affect themselves and can speak to that. So how will they know when they’ve achieved this goal, first would be for the world to look to Iowa City to copy our innovative carbon reduction strategies. At least to have cities in the state of Iowa do that. The Strategic Plan has made very bold statements that will take everyone in the community to make them a reality. Individual homes make a huge impact on climate action, so they have to get out there and educate folks about the things residents can do to take climate actions, such as riding the bus, shopping locally, and conserving energy. They have to ensure that people in the community know that they can be a part of achieving this goal. Which leads into the final value, partnerships and engagement. Again, the Strategic Plan shows a few examples for what the City looks for to achieve that value. Every resident is routinely reached by the City in a way that aligns with their preferred method of communication. There are all types of platforms a municipal body can use to reach residents and so the City is going through the process of wanting to make sure that they're doing their best to be intentional at meeting and making sure they have partnerships and engagement. Mayor Teague acknowledged the work HCDC does as a commission is certainly ensuring that some of these partnerships have the support to be viable in order for this Strategic Plan to really meet the needs of the community. He next discussed some of examples of how HCDC can carry out this work. HCDC has had a meeting to connect some businesses, but he encourages the commission to look at the City's Strategic Plan and how it illuminates what they do. Use the Strategic Plan as a guiding document to guide decisions, especially when looking at some complex things. When things get presented at Council he will look to the Strategic Plan to see where does it fit in and if it doesn't fit in as a priority then it is not something they should focus on. Mayor Teague next talked about the roadmap they’ve developed for what they're going to do within the next five years, the impact areas, and action steps. There are four: neighborhood and housing, mobility, economy, safety and wellbeing. The impact areas within the Strategic Plan are broken down into three sections: vision, strategy, and action steps. Vision is the why. Why do they do what they do, and the type of community that they aspire to be. Strategy is the what. What are the top priorities they will focus on in order to move the community forward? He noted that's where they can get distracted a little bit because there's a lot of needs and they try to prioritize based on what they're sensing is going to be the greatest impact so that is why they have to really narrow the focus and keep it in line with the Strategic Plan. Finally, the action steps, the how. How will they implement the specific projects within these next few years? He stated the City did receive ARPA dollars, which has been phenomenal. The City got $18.3 Housing and Community Development Commission April 20, 2023 Page 3 of 8 3 million and have been doing some great things with those funds. They have been taking some bold steps with those funds to really make an impact. Regarding neighborhoods and housing, this commission is the champions for the support services that are happening within the community. HCDC deals with housing all the time and they make some recommendations for affordable housing in neighborhoods. They also have the parks and rec commission that does a lot of work in neighborhoods. Mayor Teague stated they want to make sure that the Strategic Plan has impact within the neighborhoods and permanent, affordable housing is an essential need so how do they get there and also make sure that people have choices of the housing that they would like to live in and the neighborhoods that they would like to live in. He acknowledged Iowa City is not the easiest and the cheapest place to live in, and the property taxes are really expensive. They need to make sure they are doing this in a strategic way and seeing real impact. Council wants to take bold actions towards affordable housing within the community. Another impact area is mobility. There are all types of mobilities, scooters, bicycles, the City busing system, the Cambus system, and also SEATS, so there's a lot of modes of transportation as well as vehicles. They know that there's a move towards more electric vehicles and they are going to continue to see that throughout the nation. Some car dealerships are already saying by 2025 they may have to be ready to just sell all EV vehicles. Safety and wellbeing is another impact area. Mental health and physical wellbeing is something that they've been hearing about and is really heightened from the community. In the past five to six years this has been a conversation by more of the experts that have sat around the table and evidence of this work is the Guide Link Center. That was a 10 year plus project and Commissioner Reedus was a part of that conversation and also a part of Community Crisis Services. Mayor Teague acknowledged how valuable Community Crisis is, especially for individuals that are in the middle of a mental crisis. The work these mental health professionals do, which is a little underestimated at times within the community, is really saving folks lives and giving people hope. So again, mental health is an impact area. Regarding resources Mayor Teague stated the City is going to focus on the facilities, equipment, and technology to ensure people get reached in the community via their preferred communication style. They will have to make some investments to make sure that they can do that. Regarding facilities, they just went through a parks and rec study and a lot of folks had comments on what they want to see in facilities. They also know that there's a next generation to come and a larger population, so how are they going to meet those needs as the City is starting to grow a little bit on the edges? When they're talking about mobility and making this a walkable city, that means to make sure that there are certain amenities within a 15-minute walkable distance for someone. That is going to take some real strategy, as well as some funding to achieve. Another resource is people. The City staff can only do so much, so they really do have to rely on the people in the community. They need to make sure people are engaged and that it feels like an inclusive space where they can share their ideas. He believes one of the greatest things is when they can get different types of folks in the room, all having a different lens. Different perspectives should be welcomed. Another resource is financial. Mayor Teague noted believe it or not, financially the City is in a good position, but they know across the nation there are financial challenges looming, so they have to make sure to grow the tax base to keep up. Everyone knows prices are rising and as a city they are also feeling those impacts. Lumber isn't the same cost anymore, fixing roads is very expensive and so as they're seeing those costs rise, they still need to make sure needs are met. They have to grow the tax base to keep up with changing costs, so when they looked at the Strategic Plan, they needed to align higher costs with the Strategic Plan. When COVID happened in 2020, there was a group that came together really quickly (Better Together) around the table, social service agencies, that were able to make true change in an urgent crisis moment. From that came some of the visions for the Strategic Plan, not only for the City of Iowa City, but for Johnson County, to bring resources together to work for the entire Johnson County Community. There are also individual plans for affordable housing and that action plan will be zoning in on affordable housing. Mayor Teague discussed what's not in the Strategic Plan - 99% of what they do won't be reflected here as the bulk of the time and resources go to delivering basic service levels within the City. While they don't Housing and Community Development Commission April 20, 2023 Page 4 of 8 4 show up in the plan, they are extremely important and if they don't deliver the core services in a way that aligns with their values, nothing else in the Strategic Plan is going to be possible. He acknowledged they expect some unexpected challenges. COVID happen and everyone’s lives changed in a moment. So there are going to be some unexpected changes, but the goal is to deal with those by keeping the Strategic Plan in mind. In closing, Mayor Teague stated a Strategic Plan keeps Council on target when making decisions and it is also an opportunity to think long term. They really want communication and community involvement to take these things through fruition. Krotz stated the 2022 report from the housing office had a statement in there that for low-income folks the median rent is $800 a month. That's the standard, but there's a huge percentage of people who only get $700 a month from Social Security, so how can they make up for that, and does the City have a responsibility? Mayor Teague understands the concern because most times they hear people at 30%, 60%, 90% - there'll be housing projects created for those individuals and they have certain rent brackets they would be within. Krotz asked how can the City really make sure that those needs are being met for those individuals? She stated from her own experience that the least expensive places are really uninhabitable and those she can find that will pass the Section 8 inspections are at the $800 rents. Her income on Social Security Disability makes that rent a big chunk. She is grateful that she received some help from the Section 8 program. One of the issues is the City engaged with some developer who put up some projects in return for tax incentives and the workforce housing program came into effect and there are a certain number of units that they would need to rent to low-income folks. While that's all good her experience - the rent with the workforce housing program is still $800 because they're charging the maximum allowed but not taking into consideration what the renter’s income might be. She doesn’t know if the City has any ability to help regulate that or not. Mayor Teague agreed that is something that the City finds challenging. They have projects that come before them and because they do need some affordability, and because the projects are within the guidelines, they are approved. They do hear that all the time “affordable to who” so he stated when they go through this next affordability process as a Council, they're going to have to answer that and ensure that it's affordable to make sure that they meet the impact in the Strategic Plan. Krotz noted a lot of people in Iowa City live here for a number of reasons - the University, health care and etc., and one of the things she has noticed when she’s talked to people who are in a lower income bracket is they tend to not fill out the census forms because they don't think it's going to help them. But the census forms are what HUD uses to establish the basic rents or various programs. Maybe the City can get involved in helping people get their census filled out as a way to help make things more affordable. Mayor Teague noted this Commission has their lens on affordable housing on a lot of levels an that also the Planning & Zoning Commission is dealing with this topic as well and within the CDBG. Program. As this Council has these hard conversations, they're going to have to make sure that all this comes in the mix, because in their statement they said they need to be bold and to ensure that they have the impact. Reedus noted it is great to see the decision to invest ARPA funds in public facilities for Free Medical and NCJC. They also invested in some projects at Shelter House to address homelessness, because they invested in mobile crisis, which is something that we all agree was a long time coming. Will the Strategic Plan address keeping those programs going after the ARPA money is gone? Is that an issue and a challenge to the City? Mayor Teague replied that part of the rationale for using ARPA funds was to make sure that they do some once in a lifetime impacts that they otherwise as a municipality have not been able to do. They wanted to make sure that whatever they did, it was set up for longevity, for maybe even setting up an entity to have the ability to serve someone so that they can have the impact that they need. They know if they stay stagnant with some things and don’t raise the tax levy, they will have little change within the community. They have to have more income and there are several ways to do that. They can Housing and Community Development Commission April 20, 2023 Page 5 of 8 5 bring in more development. The City of Iowa City, in comparison to others, has been maybe a little on the slower side in bringing in development, but bringing in development adds funds towards the tax base and funds to social services. He stated even through the majority of the programs that are funded right now, the City didn't proceed with funding a project unless it can continue funding, and he believes they are going to get more opportunities to do some bold stuff. After ARPA they would be looking towards the regular funding opportunities like CDBG. Reedus noted last year's Commission talked about the policy with those that receives Section 8 housing and she was surprised that there was a question about when the last time the bylaws were updated (which was in 2000). They need to take a look at obstacles they may have in their current policies and current rules, that's low hanging fruit. Mayor Teague recognized that reviewing policies can be an issue, but they certainly do look at a lot of the policies and procedures based on the item that is before them and they will review. There are some overhauls that need to be done with the Comprehensive Plan for the City and they are making changes along the way, but looking at the entire document is something that they do plan to do. The City is also moving into form-based codes, which is changing a lot of what they'll be doing anyway. He appreciates her point but be aware that they are making changes but yes, they do need to look at everything comprehensively as well. Reedus also noted one thing about climate action is the newer electric bikes which are about a third of the total bike sales in the country and that type of electric vehicle is much easier to obtain. She’d love to see more incentives and things like that for people to buy E-bikes. Mayor Teague stated that is in the Strategic Plan, they need to figure out how to get that impact. He stated the staff is really good but there's a lot of opportunities that are coming up, but they have limited staff time, because that staff are human. Eckhardt is wondering what the role of this Commission is regarding the Strategic Plan because if their role is to advise on different policies, are they in a position to discuss or suggestion possible policy to address things? Mayor Teague replied absolutely, if they want to put on their agenda and have a discussion of this Strategic Plan and come up with some examples of how they can carry out these values through this Commission, certainly they can have that discussion amongst themselves. Haylett noted she works at the University and engages with students a lot so that is one population that she is concerned that falls through the cracks. Sometimes the students are treated with what she calls predatory practices because they are only here for a short period so has there been any discussion in the strategic plan about connecting with that group in particular and engaging them like it is discussed to engage the public. Mayor Teague stated the University of Iowa students have a student government and they come to the Council work sessions every first and third Tuesday of the month. They definitely engage in conversation with Council and have been very vocal about their needs and challenges with landlords. They used to, once a year, although stopped because of COVID for a few years, go over to the University as a body, all of Council, and discuss anything that they wanted to talk to us about, from their perspective, and that was always at the top of the list. Mayor Teague thanked the Commission and acknowledged all the work that they do. He reminded them to refer to the Strategic Plan when they make decisions. CONSIDERATION OF MEETING MINUTES: MARCH 30, 2023: Haylett moved to approve the minutes of March 30, 2023. Eckhardt seconded the motion. A vote was taken and the minutes were approved 6-0. PUBLIC COMMENT FOR TOPICS NOT ON THE AGENDA: None. REVIEW AND CONSIDER RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL ON APPROVAL OF THE FY24 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN: Housing and Community Development Commission April 20, 2023 Page 6 of 8 6 Thul noted the Action Plan is a section of the City’s Consolidated Plan which is the five-year plan. There is the Action Plan, the Consolidated Plan, and then CAPER which are all HUD required documents. The public comment for this plan opened on April 1 and there is a 30-day public comment period before it goes to City Council for approval on May 2. The public can make any comments and those are included in the Plan, and they will also include a staff response to anything that might require a response. She noted they haven't received any comments to date. The Plan includes the HCDC budget that was recommended to Council at the last meeting, Appendix B. Thul also discussed how this Action Plan is different from other City plans. First, it is a HUD requirement, and they have very specific questions they want answered and in a very specific format. Everything is fed into the federal database called IDIS. While the format and questions are a little bit different than other City plans, there are a lot of the common threads seen in other City plans as well. Affordable housing is a huge issue, that is seen throughout the City’s Strategic Plan and the Action Plan. Also in the appendix they included the 2022 update to the City's Affordable Housing Action Plan. Thul pointed out the main focus of this Plan is CDBG and HOME funded activities which is why they don’t talk at length about Emerging or Aid to Agencies funds. This Plan’s focus is HUD wanting to know what the City plans to do with their federal dollars. Staff do include other things where they can like local initiatives, or ARPA funds. ARPA has definitely been a hot topic in the last year or so. Thul stated ARPA funds were issued by the Treasury, so they have separate reporting requirements, and they are not necessarily reported through these specific documents to HUD. The City did receive some HOME-ARP funds - those were federal funds received from HUD and allocated in the FY22 Action Plan. HOME-ARP activities will be reported on through the CAPER which report accomplishments of the past year. HCDC has already voted on the budget recommendations, but staff is asking for a recommendation to Council to approve the entire Action Plan. Reedus had a question about GRIP. Thul replied GRIP is a locally funded rehab program. With the City rehab programs, there are certain budget line items that are set aside each year. $90,000 of HOME is set aside for homeowner or rental rehab. They also use a portion of the CDBG funds. $235,000 of CDBG is set aside by Council every year to do rehab here in Iowa City. There are also some local dollars allocated towards the GRIP program. Having the different funding sources and programs definitely helps because depending on the homeowner’s eligibility, they’re able to find a good fit between the different funding sources. Krotz asked about how low-income people access applications and program. Thul replied all the applications online but if someone contacts the office staff can give them a hardcopy and they are offered in multiple languages. Staff also does a lot of flyers that they can advertise in the Housing Authority which is a part of City Hall. Reedus noted they are seeing similar types of agencies requesting funds for very similar projects. One of the concerns that she has is it is like Christmas charity fatigue, having multiple groups with multiple toy drives and everybody's collecting stuffed teddy bears so some kids get five different stuff bears rather than working together for money to buy something else. She would like to see them try to be able to identify where alliances and collaborations or partnerships could happen. Thul can't comment on every area program but with rehab specifically, they do work really well with other agencies. For example, Johnson County offers rehab to people outside of Iowa City. Another example would be Habitat, they have some similar rehab programs, but where maybe someone can’t meet the federal requirements, Habitat might be able to help. Partnerships are super helpful when they are seeing applicants that maybe don't meet the threshold for one program’s requirements, so it is really nice to see the different agencies working together. Thul noted they are also approaching a point where they are going to start the process for the next five- year plan and that it will be interesting to see what has changed from the last planning cycle that was done before 2020. Part of the consolidated planning process is a huge effort to get community feedback Housing and Community Development Commission April 20, 2023 Page 7 of 8 7 through all different sources. The City usually hires a consultant to help with that because it is such an undertaking. Reedus moved to recommend that City Council approve the FY24 Annual Action Plan. Krotz seconded the motion, a vote was taken and the motion passed 6-0. STAFF & COMMISSION UPDATES: Reedus noted the first subcommittee meeting for the Aid to Agencies group is on May 1 at 2:00pm. Thul noted there's three terms ending in June. Patel filled a term that was expiring, so she may reapply online. Mohammed and Vogel also both have terms expiring in June and if they want to reapply they can do so online as well. The FY24 budget is going to Council on May 2. April is Fair Housing Month and there was a press release that went from the Office of Equity and Human Rights. There's also a video training online about fair housing that's available anytime. They're also doing a film screening and panel discussion for the A Matter of Place documentary, the film that shines a light on housing discrimination. That is sponsored by Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition and Iowa Legal Aid and will be Wednesday, April 26, on Zoom, and you can register online if interested. The next HCDC meeting will be May 18. ADJOURNMENT: Haylett moved to adjourn, Reedus seconded the motion, a vote was taken and the motion passed 6-0. Housing and Community Development Commission April 20, 2023 Page 8 of 8 8 Housing and Community Development Commission Attendance Record 2022-2023  Resigned from Commission Key: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused --- = Vacant Name Terms Exp. 7/21 9/15 10/20 11/17 1/19 2/16 3/30 4/20 Beining, Kaleb 6/30/24 X O/E X X X O/E X X Dennis, Maryann 6/30/25 X O/E X X X X X O/E Haylett, Jennifer 6/30/25 X X O/E O/E X X O/E X Krotz, Karol 6/30/24 O/E X X X X O/E X X Mohammed, Nsar 6/30/23 X X X X X X X O/E Reedus, Becci 6/30/24 X X X X X X X X Vogel, Kyle 6/30/23 O/E X X X O/E X X O/E Eckhardt, Michael 6/30/25 -- -- X X X X X X Patel, Kiran 6/30/23 -- -- -- -- -- O/E X X Inside Out Reentry Community 500 N. Clinton St. Iowa City, IA. 52245 (319) 338-7996 ***.insideoutreentry.com Progress Report To: The Iowa City Housing Community Development Commission 5/10/23 Inside Out Reentry FY23 HOME Funds The mission of Inside Out Reentry Community (IO) is to support people involved in the criminal legal system in changing from the inside out, and to educate the public, in order to promote healing, restore relationships and achieve success in the community. To fulfill our mission, IO assists formerly incarcerated individuals with housing, employment, healthcare (especially behavioral health), transportation, education, and basic life skills, both directly and by referral. IO also communicates with individuals incarcerated across the state to provide support and develop reentry plans before release. We provide a supportive community to promote prosocial living, accountability, and personal awareness through case management and reentry planning, mentoring, weekly support groups, volunteer opportunities, and social activities. In FY23, IO was awarded HOME funds to purchase a Reentry House. On March 10th, 2023, using HOME and other funding, we purchased 719 Page St in Iowa City. This house will serve as transitional housing for individuals returning to the community after incarceration. The Reentry House will house men who have been released from jail, prison, or work release within the past 6 months, and who are low income, at or below 30% AMI at admission. Residents can stay up to 24 months. IO will provide support both in the Reentry House and outside of the home including weekly house meetings and peer support groups, finding employment, referrals to mental health and substance use treatment, and transportation assistance. IO will help with house issues, monitor the house regularly, and provide personalized planning for the move out. Residents of the house will sign an agreement for expectations for living in and maintaining the house and be paired with a volunteer mentor for additional support while residing in the house. Through this reentry housing, IO can help our residents in reaching stability as they work on rejoining our community, rebuilding relationships with family and friends, and work on their short- and long-term goals. The peer component of this housing also builds prosocial skills and helps individuals form stronger bonds with the community they live in. The home is currently a four-bedroom home and IO is in the process of transitioning the home from four to six bedrooms with a professional contractor. We are collecting furniture donations so the house will be fully furnished upon opening. With other funding, we recently hired a part- time staff who will be providing on-site support within the house. We are on track for opening the house in August 2023. EXHIBIT A FY23 Annual Action Plan Substantial Amendment #1 May 5, 2023 Each year, $50,000 of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds are set aside by City Council for economic development activities per the City’s Investment Policies. The disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic caused numerous spending delays over the last several years as subrecipients shifted their focus to immediate pandemic-related concerns. As a result, the City is working through a backlog of economic development funding and is currently near completion of FY22 economic development activities. Due to the approaching FY24 budget allocation of an additional $50,000 for economic development, an amendment is proposed to reallocate FY23 economic development funding. This will allow the City to facilitate timely expenditure of CDBG. An additional $75,000 of CDBG is allocated to the Neighborhood Improvements Program annually. The City plans to make accessibility improvements in low to moderate income areas of Iowa City by adding ramps to existing curbs with FY23 funding. The proposed amendment reallocates $50,000 of CDBG from the economic development set-aside to the Neighborhood Improvements Program. The amendment also increases the budget by an additional $25,000. The source of this funding was unanticipated program income that was not allocated during the recent FY24 funding round. The final budget for the curb ramp improvements totals $150,000 which will allow the City to address curbs at ten intersections in low-to-moderate income neighborhoods. This use is consistent with priorities identified in the City’s consolidated plan, City Steps 2025, as well as the new Strategic Plan which prioritizes maintaining streets that are comfortable and safe for all users. The City Council will consider this recommendation on June 6, 2023 following a 30-day public comment period and an amendment will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) subject to City Council approval. Jurisdiction: City of Iowa City, Iowa Contact Person Jurisdiction Web Address: http://www.icgov.org/actionplan Erika Kubly 410 E. Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 319.356.5121 Erika-Kubly@Iowa-City.org Proposed Amendment The proposed amendments include the following:  Updates to AP-20 and AP-35 to be consistent with this amendment.  Update Appendix B to be consistent with this amendment.  Update Appendices and other text as needed to be consistent with this amendment. AP-20 Sort Order Goal Name Start Year End Year Category Geographic Area Needs Addressed Funding Goal Outcome Indicator 1 Increase the number of affordable rental housing units including through new construction and acquisition 2023 2024 Affordable Housing AHLM Eligible Areas Citywide Affordable rental and owner housing $0 CDBG $596,000 HOME 7 Other (Rental Units) 2 Rehabilitate and improve owner- occupied housing units 2023 2024 Affordable Housing Citywide Housing Rehab Targeted Areas Preservation of existing affordable rental and owner housing $282,000 CDBG $90,000 HOME 22 Owner Units Rehabbed 3 Rehabilitate and improve renter- occupied housing units 2023 2024 Affordable Housing Citywide Housing Rehab Targeted Areas Preservation of existing affordable rental and owner housing $0 CDBG $26,000 HOME 1 Other (CHDO Operations) 4 Provide public services 2023 2024 Non-Housing Community Development Citywide Public Services $124,000 CDBG $0 HOME 2,800 People Assisted 5 Improve public facilities 2023 2024 Non-Housing Community Development LMI Areas Citywide Public facility Improvements $500,000 CDBG $0 HOME 1,900 People Assisted (2 Public Facilities) 6 Improve public infrastructure & address climate action needs 2023 2024 Non-Housing Community Development LMI Areas Citywide Public Infrastructure improvements $75,000 CDBG $150,000 CDBG $0 HOME 300 People Assisted (1 Public Facility/Infrastructure) 7 Support economic and workforce development 2023 2024 Non-Housing Community Development LMI Areas Citywide Economic Development $50,000 CDBG $0 $0 HOME 2 Businesses Assisted 8 Effectively administer and plan for the CDBG, HOME, and related programs 2023 2024 Other Citywide Administration and Planning $160,000 CDBG $60,000 HOME 2 Other AP-35 3 Project Name Neighborhood and Area Benefits Target Area LMI Areas Goals Supported Improve public infrastructure Needs Addressed Public infrastructure and neighborhood-based climate action Funding $75,000 CDBG $150,000 Description Improvements to the built environment that enhance the quality-of-life for residents living in LMI neighborhoods. Target Date 6/30/2023 Estimate the number and type of families that will benefit from the proposed activities Beneficiaries are dependent on the area to be served, so beneficiaries cannot be estimated until the areas to be assisted have been identified. For a placeholder in this plan, 300 persons per year has been used. It is important to note, however, that this is only an estimate and actual number assisted may vary widely. In any given year, the ability to complete neighborhood improvement projects is dependent on funds available, eligible projects coming forward, and availability of public works staff and contractors to carry out the projects. These projects may not be completed every year. In this plan, a placeholder of $75,000 is being used to ensure that funds are available in the event an appropriate project comes forward. Location Description Funding is available in LMI areas. However, funds are typically concentrated in older areas of the City due to the age of facilities. Planned Activities The following activities are proposed: green infrastructure improvements in LMI areas including (but is not limited to) installing street trees, landscaping, and other neighborhood amenities that provide ecosystem services and other related benefits. Activities depend on submitted proposals by City departments. IDIS Table 8.3 – Neighborhood and Area Benefits Description Appendix B Project Planned activities CDBG Award HOME Award Persons / Households / Facilities Assisted Aid to Agencies - Shelter House 90,810$ NA 700 Aid to Agencies - DVIP 33,190$ NA 600 Aid to Agencies - NCJC - NA - DVIP - Shelter New Construction 425,000$ NA 700 Free Medical Clinic - Facility Improvements 75,000$ NA 1,200 75,000$ $ 150,000 Homeowner/Rental Housing Rehabilitation Comprehensive Rehabilitation 282,000$ 90,000$ 22 The Housing Fellowship CHDO Operations -$ 26,000$ NA Inside Out Reentry - Rental Acquisition -$ 100,000$ 4 CHDO Reserve Activities The Housing Fellowship - Rental Acquisition -$ 320,000$ 2 Economic Development Economic Development Program 50,000$ NA 2 CDBG Administration 160,000$ NA NA HOME Administration NA 60,000$ NA Total 1,216,000$ 596,000$ 3,530 Administration & Planning Public Service Activities Public Facility Activities Other Housing Activities Neighborhood Improvement Program Neighborhood and Area Benefits NA 300 Public Comments Received with Staff Response The 30-day public comment period for the FY23 Annual Action Plan Substantial Amendment #1 began May 5, 2023 and ends June 6, 2023. The City Council is holding a public meeting on June 6, 2023. Comments Received: TBD. Staff Response: N/A