Laserfiche WebLink
exceptional opportunities arise or when there is an extraordinary circumstance to <br />produce or preserve affordable housing. There are also exceptions to the prioritization <br />to allow the City to allocate funds to projects that provide an exceptional opportunity or <br />greater benefit to the City. <br /> <br />Process for Allocation of Affordable Housing Funds <br />The City currently issues a Notice of Funding Availability (“NOFA”) and Request for <br />Proposals (“RFP”) each December for its federal Community Development Block Grant <br />(“CDBG”), Home Investment Partnership Funds (“HOME”) and its local Human Services <br />Financial Assistance (“HSFA”). The Housing and Human Concerns Committee <br />(“HHCC”) has an established and efficient process for reviewing funding proposals. It <br />includes a series of public meetings, presentations from funding applicants, public <br />hearings and several opportunities for public comments on the use of funds. After this <br />process is carried out, the HHCC’s funding recommendations for capital housing project <br />funding are reviewed by the Planning Commission to confirm the proposed activities <br />conform to the General Plan before they make their final recommendations to Council <br />each April. Combining the NOFA/RFP for the CDBG, HOME and HSFA funds has <br />proven to be very effective for the review of the proposals for staff, the HHCC and for <br />funding applicants that are interested applying for multiple fund sources and streamlines <br />the entire process. <br /> <br />Based on the effectiveness of the NOFA/RFP process outlined above staff recommends <br />including the Affordable Housing Fund in the existing NOFA/RFP process. If this <br />process were approved, a NOFA/RFP would be issued in December and would be <br />published in a local newspaper, the City website and through other City social media <br />and electronic news emails as well as a press release. The notification of the Affordable <br />Housing Fund would be expanded beyond the standard outreach for the grant funds to <br />ensure all types of development entities have the opportunity to submit a proposal. <br /> <br />City staff will review the proposals to ensure they include comprehensive project <br />information to support the funding request and that they meet the City’s and mandatory <br />submittal requirements including the following: <br /> <br />· Describes how the project meets one or more City affordable housing goals <br />· Affordability proposal <br />· Site Information <br />o Site Description <br />o Development Standards <br />o Site Control/Property Disposition <br />o Site Condition/Environmental Conditions <br />7.A. - Page 8