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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAFF Housing-Assessment of Fair Housing Plan FY 2018-19 to 2022-23 CITY OF PALM DESERT SPECIAL PROGRAMS DEPARTMENT STAFF REPORT REQUEST: APPROVE AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHERING FAIR HOUSING/ ASSESSMENT OF FAIR HOUSING PLAN FOR THE PERIOD OF FY 2018/2019 —2022/2023 SUBMITTED BY: Frankie Riddle, Director of Special Programs APPLICANT: N/A DATE: September 7, 2017 CONTENTS: None Recommendation By Minute Motion 1. Approve the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing/Assessment of Fair Housing Plan for the period of FY 2018/2019—2022/2023. Strategic Plan Objective Approval of Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing/Assessment of Fair Housing Plan does not tie into identified goals within the Strategic Plan. Executive Summary The Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing/Assessment of Fair Housing Plan has been undertaken according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development(HUD) new guidelines and will be in-line with the new Five Year Community Development Block Grant Consolidated Plan (Consolidated Plan). With approval, staff will be able to move forward to the next step(s)which is the development of the Five Year Consolidated Plan (FY 2018/2019—2022/2023) and FY 2018/2019 Annual Action Plan. Discussion The City Council at its meeting of April 27, 2017, approved the Amended Citizens Participation Plan and initiated the development of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH)/Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH) Plan. As previously mentioned, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has made significant changes in regulations relative to the citizen participation process primarily pertaining to the new AFFH/AFH Plan, and the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. As a result, the City's amended its Citizen Participation Plan (CPP) to provide for the enhanced public input and consultation process on both a local and regional level that was implemented with regard to the development of the new AFFH/AFH Plan. As part of the annual CDBG process, a Notice of Public Hearing and 30-day public input period was published in the Desert Sun and posted on the City's webpage relative to the AFFH/AFH Plan. In addition, the City Council was provided a copy of the AFFH/AFH Plan for review prior to the September 7, 2017, meeting. STAFF REPORT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHERING FAIR HOUSING/ASSESSMENT OF FAIR HOUSING PLAN SEPTEMBER 7, 2017 PAGE 2 Ralph Castenada and Associates completed the AFFH/AFH Plan of which a brief overview of Section VI — Fair Housing Goals and Priorities are outlined below, which identify areas of concern relative to Fair Housing and associated impacts: Section VI Fair Housing Goals to Address Contributing Factors Identified below are the fair housing issues as analyzed in the Fair Housing Analysis section of the Plan as well the identified contributing factors and the priority placed on each contributing factor. Table I addresses the goals as set forth to address contributing factors. The highest priority has been given to those factors that limit or deny fair housing choice or access to opportunity, or negatively impact fair housing or civil rights compliance. The Fair Housing Analysis identified the following contributing factors: • Availability of affordable units in a range of sizes: Priority High • Lack of access to opportunity due to high housing costs: Priority High • Housing production out of balance with housing demand: Priority High • Rising rents: Priority High • Income stagnation: Priority High • Housing discrimination: Priority High • Siting selection policies, practices and decisions for publicly supported housing, including discretionary aspects of Qualified Allocation Plans and other programs: Priority Medium • Access to publicly supported housing for persons with disabilities: Priority High • Lack of affordable, accessible housing in a range of unit sizes: Priority High Chart VI —Table 1 Fair Housing Goals to Address Contributing Factors Each fair housing issue with significant contributing factors identified above have set goals as outlined in the below table and how each goal is designed to overcome the identified contributing factor and related fair housing issue(s). Also, identified is metric and milestone(s) for determining what fair housing results will be achieved and timeframe for achievement: Goals Contributing Fair Housing Metrics, Milestones, and Timeframe Factors Issue(s) Goal 1: Preserve the Availability of Disproportionate Pursuant to Housing Element Program 6B, affordability of housing units affordable units in a housing needs the City will annually coordinate with private that could convert to market range of sizes development and management companies to rate housing promote the preservation of existing Lack of access to affordable housing units; and may cooperate opportunity due to through state and federal program funding for high housing costs third party ownership, and other means to assure the long term affordability of the project(s). Discussion: State law requires the City to take measures to preserve existing affordable units and to expand,whenever possible, the affordability of the existing housing stock. Program 6.B of the Housing Element states that the City will coordinate with private development and management companies to maintain the affordability of the existing housing stock. The Housing Element notes (page III-45)that an effective means of preserving the affordability of existing units is to facilitate the purchase of the apartment communities by a nonprofit housing corporation, obtain Low Income Housing Tax Credits to rehabilitate the buildings, and thereby extend the affordability controls. STAFF REPORT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHERING FAIR HOUSING/ASSESSMENT OF FAIR HOUSING PLAN SEPTEMBER 7, 2017 PAGE 3 The affordability of the existing housing stock can be retained through actions adopted as part of the 2013-2021 Housing Element. The California Department of Housing and Community Development(HCD) certified Palm Desert's Housing Element on November 13, 2013. Goal 2: Increase the Housing production Disproportionate Work to achieve the production of one new number of new affordable out of balance with housing needs affordable housing development that includes housing units that address housing demand units for families with children or disabled the needs of families with persons by June 2023 (which is the end of children or disabled persons Rising rents the Consolidated Plan time period that by reserving a portion of the begins on July 1, 2018) total units in an affordable Income stagnation housing project for a fair housing protected group Discussion: The 2013-2021 Housing Element includes a quantified objective of 165 new affordable housing units by October 2021 which is the end of the current housing element planning period. The Housing Element includes a policy to strive to meet the housing needs of fair housing protected groups such as families with children, female householders, single parent families, and disabled individuals and families. Housing policies included in the Housing Element encourage the inclusion of housing for the disabled in affordable housing developments. The Housing Element states: "The City will continue to encourage developers to reserve a portion of affordable housing projects for the disabled, including those with developmental disabilities." Goal 3: Increase the Housing Disproportionate Targets for outreach, workshops and awareness of Palm Desert discrimination housing needs seminars will be set in the 2018-2023 residents to Consolidated Plan which will be adopted by recognize housing Lack of access to the City Council in May 2018(Targets are in discrimination and their housing part a function of the CDBG funds allocated knowledge of how to file a opportunities to the FHCRC) complaint with the Fair Housing Council of Riverside County, (FHCRC) Inc. Discussion: Housing discrimination contributes to a lack of access to housing opportunities and disproportionate housing needs. The incidence of housing discrimination exceeds the number of complaints filed with the FHCRC, Dept. of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), and HUD. Thus, there are an unknown number of housing discriminatory acts that prevent individuals and families from access to housing opportunities. The FHCRC will increase awareness of illegal discrimination and informs people about how to recognize discriminatory behavior and how to file a complaint through workshop/seminars. The efforts of the FHCRC can improve access to housing opportunities and reduce disproportionate housing needs caused by lending discrimination such as high cost loans. Goal 4: Utilize the siting Siting selection Disparities in By October 2020, or sooner the City will policies of affordable policies, practices access to complete an evaluation of sites in terms of housing funding programs and decisions for opportunity how well they meet the siting selection to the extent they are publicly supported policies of one or more affordable housing appropriate to guide the housing, including Disproportionate funding programs identification of sites to discretionary aspects housing needs accommodate the City's of Qualified Allocation share of the regional Plans and other housing need for the 2021- programs 2029 time period Discussion: The 2013-2021 Housing Element identified sufficient sites to accommodate Palm Desert's share of the regional housing need of 413 housing units. The regional share of the very low-and low-housing need is 165 housing units.A policy of the Housing Element is: "New affordable housing projects shall be encouraged in all areas of the City. Special attention will be made to distributing the units so that large concentrations of affordable housing in any one area are avoided."The Housing Element contains a new construction quantified objective of 413 housing units between January 2013 and October 2021. In October 2020, Southern California Association of Governments will inform City of its share of regional housing need. The need could the same, less or more than the 413 housing units allocated in the current planning cycle. Under California law, the 2021-2029 Housing Element must identify sites to accommodate the housing need no later than October 2021. STAFF REPORT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHERING FAIR HOUSING/ASSESSMENT OF FAIR HOUSING PLAN SEPTEMBER 7, 2017 PAGE 4 The City will determine if"siting policies" of various affordable housing programs can be used to guide the identification of sites to accommodate its share of the regional housing need for 2021-2029 time period. One funding program example is the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program. The California Tax Credit Allocation Committee will adopt in the Fall 2017 siting policies to incentivize the development of large-family, new construction developments in neighborhoods whose characteristics have been shown by research to support childhood development and economic mobility for low-income families. The City's current demographics do not indicate a high need for large family (5+ persons) housing developments. However, in the future, the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC)/The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit(LIHTC) program or perhaps other funding programs may adopt siting policies regarding the location of housing for small families, seniors and special needs households. Goal 5: Increase the supply Access to publicly Disability and Continue to work with Desert ARC on a new of housing designed to meet supported housing for Access affordable housing the needs of households persons with development designed to meet the needs of with disabled members or disabilities developmentally disabled persons other special needs Lack of affordable, accessible housing in a range of unit sizes Discussion: The 2013-2021 Housing Element includes policies and programs to increase the supply of housing for disabled people and special needs populations. The Community Development Department and Housing Department have been working on implementing the adopted policies and programs. One potential project involves Desert ARC, an organization located in Palm Desert that serves developmentally disabled persons living in the Coachella Valley. A 32-unit development has been approved by the City on a site owned by Desert ARC. It should be noted that overall the City of Palm Desert fared well in this review and should not be required to undertake any special activities to address identified areas of concern. Some activities will be handled through additional education and awareness by the Fair Housing Council of Riverside County and through future, planned activities such as the minor amendments to the senior overlay that the Planning Department intends to address. In regards to housing, there were identified areas to address; however, the language is such that the City would not be responsible for activities/events outside its control that may prevent identified activities from coming to fruition. Housing related items are proposed as being addressed through normal City procedures, planned projects, and given timeframes in the future. Staff recommends approval of the Proposed Final Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing/Assessment of Fair Housing Plan. Fiscal Analysis There is no fiscal impact associated with the approval of the AFFH/AFH Plan. Submitted By: ✓7 Frankie\Riddle Director of Special Programs Approved: Lauri Aylaian City Manager