AgdaPkt 2009-07-13 clsd and jnt - Laserfiche WebLink

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6.3A two new acquisition activities were funded in FY 2009-2010 year that will produce a Page 2 total of 36 affordable rental units and 18 transitional housing beds. This acquisition will allow the City to exceed 100%) performance in this program objective over the five year Plan period. On April 27, 2009, Council approved recommendations from the Housing and Human Concerns Committee to allocate funding for acquisition of an existing multi-family building that could be converted to affordable housing. After considering several other properties, a suitable apartment building has become available and the property owners have agreed to sell to the City at Fair Market Value (FMV). The property contains 23 units with a one bedroom unit and 22 studio units. Approximately five units will be used in the future to house formerly chronic homeless persons who will receive ongoing case management and supportive services according to their needs under the Housing First best practices model. Current tenants will not be displaced; the five designated units will be made available as vacancies occur, and pursuant to Housing First Program Guidelines that the .Homeless Outreach Team Oversight Committee will recommend for Council approval when they are finalized. Benefits to City of Redwood City There are seven primary benefits to the City to proceed with the proposed acquisition: 1. Support of Downtown Businesses - Merchants have complained to the City about the number of homeless persons living on the streets and congregating in the downtown. These persons often exhibit unacceptable behaviors that include littering and harassing both business owners and customers which is negatively impacting business and is inconsistent with the improvements the City has invested in the downtown. Merchants need relief from these behaviors in order for their businesses to succeed. 2. Reaional Housina Needs Allocation (RHNA) aoals - In addition to acquisition of the proposed property meeting the City's Five Year Consolidated Plan goals, the City will be able to count 22 extremely low and very low income housing units against its RHNA housing goals. The Redevelopment Agency will also be able to count 22 units toward its Five Year Implementation Plan goals. This performance would allow the City to continue to meet its RHNA goals for very low income while other Downtown housing projects are currently stalled. 3. Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) - The City has recently endorsed its HOT and is taking advantage of an opportunity to have the Police Department, Human Services and Housing Staff work with social service providers, shelter case managers, behavioral and mental health representatives and Downtown merchants to identify those chronically homeless persons most ready to leave the streets, find them housing, then provide services that will help them sustain their permanent housing. The property to be acquired is located within the Redevelopment Plan Area but just outside the downtown core. It is close to downtown services, EI Camino and public transit, shopping, and health care, and makes it an ideal location for future redevelopment should adjacent properties become available in the future. Five units are proposed to be used to help move homeless persons currently living on the streets of the downtown to permanent housing as the units become vacant.