Pima County Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation Department 2012 - 2013 Annual Action Plan What is the Annual Action Plan? The Annual Action Plan (Action Plan) is submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and serves as the formal application for the use of entitlement funds that are received by Pima County. The Action Plan defines the one-year activities in relationship to the five-year vision and goals of the City of Tucson and Pima County Consortium Consolidated Plan covering Fiscal Years (FY) 2010-2014: Vision: TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 COMMUNITY AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT   5 AFFORDABLE HOUSING 15 NEIGHBORHOOD REINVESTMENT     21 Sustainable Communities Goals: Invest in geographic areas with the greatest need while promoting greater housing choice and economic and social integration Be the model of cooperative and coordinated planning and implementation, encouraging community support and engagement Develop innovative funding sources Invest in human dignity and thriving communities by supporting intervention, prevention, improvement, and enrichment activities Additionally, the Action Plan provides a brief description of the programs and projects of the Pima County Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation (CDNC) Department for FY 13, as well as funding announcements for the CDBG, ESG, and Outside Agency programs. The Action Plan also includes information on supplementary funds allocated to CDNC programs and their leveraged investments. COMMUNITY PLANNING AND REVITALIZATION     23 OUTSIDE AGENCY APPENDIX 1 25 Entitlement Programs CDBG/ESG ALLOCATIONS 26 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 28 NOTE: The online version of this document has been optimized for electronic viewing - by clicking on the different headings on the contents page you can jump to the relevant section accordingly. 2012 Annual Action Plan Resources Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) HOME (through an agreement with the City of Tucson) Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) 2012 Allocation $ 2,421,588 $ 464,056 $ 208,832 Competitive and Stimulus Programs Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Neighborhood Stabilization Program I Neighborhood Stabilization Program II $ 419,942 $ 1,063,430 $ 3,086,867 $22,165,000 Local Resources Outside Agency Program - County General Funds Neighborhood Reinvestment Bond Program HOME Program Income FEMA Emergency Food & Shelter Program – Phase 29 $ 3,590,545 $ 5,133,856 $ 0 $ 421,133 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY City of Tucson/Pima County Consolidated Plan Priorities AFFORDABLE HOUSING AFFORABLE HOUSING • Provide homeownership opportunities for first time homebuyers • Rehabilitate and preserve the existing housing stock • Increase rental opportunities • • SPECIAL POPULATIONS • Home adaptations to improve accessibility • Permanent supportive housing • Enhance support for individuals, their families and caregivers • HOMELESSNESS • Develop permanent supportive housing • Support transitional housing • Decrease chronic homelessness • Prevent first-time homelessness HUMAN SERVICES AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HUMAN SERVICES • Facilitate and promote needed intervention and prevention services including: food and clothing, emergency shelter, transportation, senior nutrition, child care, health services, youth programs, and fair housing counseling FACILITIES & INFRASTRUCTURE • Facilitate and promote needed community safety, security and stability services including: fire protection, flood control, street improvements, community facilities, and water and wastewater system improvements. 2 Highlighted Initiatives for FY 2013 Develop or preserve 33 new homeownership opportunits Develop or preserve 15 rental housing units SPECIAL POPULATIONS AND HOMELESS • • • Pima County’s Special Populations Program Coordinator will work collaboratively with the City of Tucson and TPCH on the full implementation of the HEARTH Act. Employ HPRP best practices and lessons learned to explore implementation strategies to develop a comprehensive rapid re-housing program. Develop community-wide Housing First Model best practices to serve chronically homeless individuals and families utilizing the 51 Homes pilot program. Connect HOPWA clients with employment resources though new funding opportunities. • Pima County received 79 applications for public services funding from 32 organizations totaling $1,043,496. Recommendations will go before the Board of Supervisors in May 2012. • Rent, mortgage and utility assistance will be provided to approximately 200 households at risk of homelessness or loss of utilities. FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE • Pima County received 33 applications for public facilities, infrastructure and housing funding from 28 organizations and geographic areas totaling $2,446,861. Recommendations will go before the Board of Supervisors in May 2012. • Staff anticipates that $40,000 will be allocated for infrastructure projects and $200,000 will be allocated for community facilities. COUNTYWIDE ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITIES • Southwest Fair Housing Council (SWFHC) will coordinate Fair Housing Outreach, Education and Compliance. In addition, SWFHC will perform 10 landlord tests and audits to ensure landlord compliance with fair housing laws. • Southern Arizona Legal Aid will coordinate a Homeowner and Tenant Protection Program to provide direct legal assistance, advice to low-income tenants and homeowners facing eviction or foreclosure, and to aid in the prevention of homelessness. Approximately 170 low-to-moderate income households will be served. Pima County Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation Department 2013 Annual Action Plan Return to Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY What Geographic Area does the Annual Action Cover? Pima County consists of 9,189 square miles – an area larger than the States of Rhode Island, Delaware and Connecticut combined. The government holds most of the land in Pima County; less than 14% of the total land area is in private ownership. Pima County shares approximately 130 miles of border with Mexico. In addition to a vast unincorporated County that includes 23 Census Defined Places, Pima County includes 5 incorporated cities and towns: • • • • • Tucson, which covers approximately 227 square miles and is the center of a 400 square mile urban area (population 520,116 - Source: 2010 Census); South Tucson, which covers one square mile and is surrounded by the City of Tucson (population 5,652 - Source: 2010 Census); Marana, located north of Tucson and including 127 square miles (population 34,961 - Source: 2010 Census); Oro Valley, located north of Tucson and including 35 square miles (population 41,011 - Source: 2010 Census); and Sahuarita, located south of Tucson and including about 30 square miles (population 25,259 - Source: 2010 Census). Pima County is Increasingly Diverse Nearly three quarters (73%) of the population is White. One third of households are Hispanic. The population is becoming more diverse. Approximately 10,000 refugees have moved to Tucson since 1975, including 3,000 in the past three years. Recent refugees are coming mostly from Bhutan, Iran, Iraq, Cuba, Afghanistan, and Somalia. From 2000 to 2008: • • • The White population grew 13%. The Hispanic population grew 24%. The Minority population grew 24%. Despite increasing diversity in the County, there is a trend towards decreased population diversity in suburban communities. While the 2006/2008 American Community Survey did not provide data on race/ ethnicity for the Urban County, from 1990 to 2000 the White population increased from 68% to 84%, while the Hispanic population decreased from 37% to 19%. Areas of Minority Concentration Areas of minority concentration in Pima County are those in which the proportion of minorities is 10% or more than the proportion of minorities as a whole. According to the 2010 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice, six zip codes in Tucson and Pima County have a disproportionate concentration of minorities. All of these zip codes are located in or immediately adjacent to Tucson and South Tucson. Pima County Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation Department 2013 Annual Action Plan Return to Table of Contents 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Community Development Target Areas State of Arizona Certifications Pima County CDNC will work with these Federally-designated Colonias to certify them under the Arizona Department of Housing guidelines, thereby making such communities eligible for ‘setaside’ funding. This fiscal year, CDNC will focus on certifying two Colonias, Rillito and High Chaparral in Robles Junction. Once the certification process is refined and better understood, the focus will expand to certify each of the additional Colonias in Pima County. CDNC will also work to improve communication and relations between each Colonia and the department. The aim is to increase public participation in community meetings and project development by means of multilanguage mail notifications, regular quarterly meetings, and prompt announcements of funding opportunities. The ultimate goal is to maximize the ability of each Colonia to become more adept in applying for grant funds to meet individual community needs. There are 19 Pima County Community Development Target Areas. • 59,081 people (or 7% of Pima County’s total population) reside in these target areas. • 39% of the people are Hispanic or Latino • 61% of households are low- or moderate-income. (all information was derived from the Census 2000) Colonias There are 15 USDAdesignated Colonias in Pima County. Colonias, typically similar in makeup to Target Areas, include communities located within 150 miles of the US-Mexico border that meet the federal definition of lacking sewer, wastewater removal, decent housing, or other basic services. 4 Pima County Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation Department 2013 Annual Action Plan Return to Table of Contents COMMUNITY AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT Function Reaching out to Communities By means of grants, outreach, and technical assistance, the general services that Community and Rural Development provides are: Each year Pima County issues a Request for Proposals for projects, combining CDBG, Emergency Shelter Grant, and Outside Agency Program funds. On December 16, 2011, the County began this process for FY2012. The proposal forms were posted on CDNC’s website, and approximately 500 were e-mailed or mailed to area agencies. Public meetings were held in 6 communities throughout unincorporated areas of Pima County from November 2011 through January 2012 to explain the proposal process, discuss potential projects, and offer technical assistance to citizens interested in developing proposals. The Town of Marana and the City of South Tucson conduct their own proposal process and submit their recommendations to Pima County. The deadline for the application was February 7, 2012. Seventy-nine applications were received, totaling $4,974,172 in requests. • • • Promote development of infrastructure and neighborhood facilities; Improve critical service delivery to youth, seniors, and those in need; and Promote cultural and recreational services in low and moderate income communities, including neighborhoods within South Tucson, Marana, and unincorporated Pima County. Programs • • • • • • • • Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Home Repair and Weatherization EPA- Brownfields, Supportive Housing Programs Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Housing Opportunity for People with Aids (HOPWA) Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Program Performance Measures – Public Facilities Improved Infrastructure Projects Funded Houses Rehabilitated Public Services Provided Economic Development Initiatives Funded Homeless Case Management Homeless Shelter Services Projected 12-13 11 6 225 17 0 5500 7500 Staff reviews proposals using the following criteria: • Eligibility of project • Leverage of other funds • Geographical distribution of projects • Total cost and cost feasibility • Urgency of the project • Capacity for project to achieve objectives • Capacity of project to clearly link to statutory objectives and key goals applied by HUD • Coordination with other community development efforts • Evidence of substantial neighborhood or public support • Benefit to a high number of low/moderate income people • Plan for permanent funding for project program • Ability to spend grant funds in timely manner Recommendations are then submitted to the Board of Supervisors. Accountability for other CDNC programs are governed by citizen advisory committees who determine program funding priorities and make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors. Outlook The federal government has proposed a freeze on domestic spending for the next five years in order to cut the deficit by $400 billion. In FY 2012, HUD is requesting approximately $11 billion to fund capital grants towards the local housing market. This request includes a $3.08 billion allocation to HUD, which equates to a 14% reduction over FY 2011. these funding cuts to CDBG will have a dramatic impact on Pima County’s ability to provide public facility and infrastructure improvements, rehab of houses for the very low income, and support services provided by non-profit agencies. Pima County Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation Department 2013 Annual Action Plan Return to Table of Contents 5 COMMUNITY AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT Outcome Measurement System Programs funded through CDBG, ESG, and OA provide documentation to the output/outcome measurement system. Agencies that submit new Request for Proposals complete a worksheet which provides a description of the proposed activity, numbers served, outputs and outcomes, and the measurement tools utilized to determine success. In addition, monthly, quarterly, and annual reports are submitted to CDNC with actual unduplicated numbers of participants served under each activity funded by CDBG, ESG, and OA The three primary HUD-defined outcomes are: • • • Availability/Accessibility Affordability Sustainability Within each program there are three objectives: • • • Creating Suitable Living Environments Providing Decent Affordable Housing Creating Economic Opportunities. As a result, there are nine possible outcomes and the outcome for each objective is identified according to the following key: HUD OUTCOME CODE KEY Decent Housing Suitable Living Environment Economic Opportunity AVAILABILITY/ ACCESSIBILITY DH1 AFFORDABILITY SUSTAINABILITY DH2 DH3 SL1 SL2 SL3 EO1 EO2 EO3 HUD has requested that grantees identify the objectives according to the system suggesting that they be identified using a “shorthand” to identify the outcomes that are linked to the specific projects. A matrix has been suggested so that the objectives and outcomes can be “mapped” and linked to projects. The charts detailing the funded recommendations for the CDBG and ESG programs show the HUD recommended shorthand numbering system. Additionally, the information from the CDNC Outcome Measurement System is used to report accomplishments on HUD’s Integrated Disbursement Information System (IDIS) and the CAPER Report submitted to HUD annually. 6 Pima County Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation Department 2013 Annual Action Plan Return to Table of Contents COMMUNITY AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT Monitoring Pima County CDNC is committed to ensuring accountability and performance in all program funding. Programs are monitored on fiscal accounting and program requirements. The staff representing each funding source coordinates monitoring on the program component. Programs that meet the following criteria are targeted for monitoring: • • • • • Entitlement grant sub-recipients (Marana and South Tucson) Programs receiving funding from multiple departmental sources Programs experiencing difficulty with monthly billing, quarterly reporting, or other contract requirements; and that required follow-up to outstanding issues from prior monitoring visits Programs experiencing significant changes in organization (mergers, etc.) or staffing Recipients of grants totaling over $100,000 CDNC will target a minimum of 60% of all programs funded through CDBG, OA and ESG. CDBG public service activities will be analyzed using the Monitoring - Risk Analysis Tool. Each program participant’s past performance is analyzed and compared to: • • • • • • • • • • • Audit findings (if any) Problems with project (has project or program encountered difficulties, which may or may not be related to contractor performance) Timeliness of reports and meeting deadlines Monitoring dates within the previous two years (may not be necessary if there were no issues or findings within the past year) Monitoring issues (if any from previous monitoring visits) Staff stability (if new, may effect operations) Current activity under contract New agency (if not familiar with program may require monitoring) Status of draws Timeliness of expenditures as it pertains to CDBG 1.5 rule. Agency capacity (assessment of the sub-recipient’s current staffing and experience in carrying out the activity) The Monitoring Risk Analysis Tool ranks program participants in descending order, from highest to lowest risk. Three categories are used: high, medium, and low risk. The work plan identifies: • • • • Actions taken to assess programs performance Which programs/functions will be monitored The type of monitoring (e.g., in-depth, limited, on-site, remote) The expected monitoring dates and needed staff. Quarterly monitoring meetings are conducted with staff. Concerns or findings from prior monitoring are discussed in order to resolve the issues. The quarterly meetings are another step that CDNC ensures that accountability and performance measurements are met for all programs receiving funding. Lead-based Paint Childhood lead poisoning is a serious pediatric health problem. Children ages six years old and younger are particularly susceptible to lead poisoning. Research indicates that even a low level of lead in a child’s blood can have harmful effects on physical and developmental health. The most common source of exposure is deteriorating leadbased paint and lead-contaminated dust found in the home, but other sources include pottery, jewelry, candy and makeup. The use of lead-based paint became illegal in 1978. To reduce the risk of lead poisoning, information is distributed to participants in County housing programs. The County follows strict HUD guidelines for testing and abatement of lead-based paint and other hazardous substances. The County requires compliance from its contractors and subcontractors and has licensed contractors who are available to perform appropriate abatement and/or removal procedures if lead-based paint is present. Any structure built before 1978 that is proposed for rehabilitation under a federal program, is tested for leadbased paint. Notices and requirements regarding testing and removal of lead-based paint are provided to program participants, contractors and project sponsors. The County will continue searching for grants to promote healthy homes and lead hazard control. Pima County Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation Department 2013 Annual Action Plan Return to Table of Contents 7 COMMUNITY AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEMOLITION: Community Development Building Block: CDBG CDBG funding has been set aside in support of Pima County’s Demolition Program. CDBG funds will be used for clearance, demolition, removal, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of buildings and improvements for abandoned and blighted properties in Pima County. Objectives: • • • • • Microenterprise development: CDBG funding has been set aside in support of microenterprise business activities. This includes: general support to persons developing microenterprises such as entrepreneurial training to owners of microenterprises, loans, and rehabilitation to a public facility or installation of commercial equipment. Catholic Community Services dba Pio Decimo Center is the non-profit agency for the Micro Loan Program. The Pio Decimo Center has been serving the community since 1946 with childcare and early child education, housing and family services, youth programs, and asset building for families including Individual Development Accounts (IDAS). Pio Decimo’s clients who already have IDAS established will be able to use their accounts as a match to capitalize their small business. Pio Decimo will recruit participants throughout Pima County and provide low interest rate loans to low-to-moderate income business owners. In addition, Pio Decimo will be responsible for all the preparation and servicing of all loans created. Additional training from National Development Council will be provided for staff from Pio Decimo Center and Pima County to further strengthen development finance and capacity building services. Other sources of funding provided for the microenterprise program include the Gisela Hogan Charitable Foundation and the Arizona Community Foundation. 8 Develop, expand and rehabilitate existing public facilities to support neighborhood and community demographics Encourage community involvement in support services recreation opportunities. Provide housing rehabilitation, including emergency home repairs to low-to-moderate income residents. Increase energy-efficiency through the Weatherization Program for low-to-moderate income residents. Support public safety and security through fire protection. CDBG RECOMMENDED PUBLIC SERVICES FUNDING ALLOCATIONS CDBG Program Allocation for 2012-2013: $2,421,588 Maximum Public Services Allowed (15%): $ 363,238 For the coming fiscal year, Pima County received 79 applications for public services funding from 32 organizations totaling $1,043,496. Public Services Funding Recommendations will go before the Board of Supervisors in May 2012. Staff anticipates a Public Service allocation in the amount of $ 338,234 CDBG RECOMMENDED PUBLIC FACILITIES, INFRASTRUCTURE, HOUSING AND ADMINISTRATION ALLOCATIONS CDBG Program Allocation for 2012-2013: $2,421,588 Maximum Administration (20%) allowed: $ 484,317 For the coming fiscal year, Pima County received 33 applications for public facilities, infrastructure and housing funding from 28 organizations and geographic areas totaling $2,446,861. Funding Recommendations will go before the Board of Supervisors in May 2012. Staff anticipates that funds will be allocated to the following activities: Administration - $459,312 Housing Rehab - $1,053,000 Infrastructure - $139,000 Public/Community Facilities - $407,012 Economic Development - $0 Fair Housing - $25,000 Pima County Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation Department 2013 Annual Action Plan Return to Table of Contents COMMUNITY AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT Home Repair and Weatherization The Home Repair Program provides grant assistance to low-income homeowners who live in unincorporated Pima County, Sahuarita and Oro Valley. Conventional and mobile or manufactured homes are eligible for rehabilitation that may include repairs or replacement of roofs, heating and cooling systems, septic systems, and other major systems such as electrical, gas and water. Over $900,000 has been requested for housing rehabilitation for 2012/2013, therfore Pima County anticipates to rehabilitate 275 units during the next year, including: • Handicap accessibility improvements to 28 units. • Emergency Home Repairs and Housing Rehabilitation to 230 units. Pima County or one of its nonprofit or local government partners inspect the home, prepare a cost estimate of work to be performed, and hire a licensed contractor. Upon completion of the repairs, a final inspection and walk through with the homeowner is conducted. Resources for housing rehabilitation come from multiple sources including: • • • • • • U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development U.S. Department of Energy U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Low Income Homeowner Emergency Assistance Fund (from Arizona Department of Economic Security) Southwest GAS Tucson Electric Power Company Trico Electric Cooperative South Tucson Home Repair Program Partnership In direct collaboration with the City of South Tucson leadership, Pima County CDNC—through its Home Repair Program—will explore and employ cooperative strategies to provide assistance to South Tucson’s Home Repair Program. Specifically, Pima County seeks to capitalize on its increased housing rehabilitation capacity and personnel, as attained via respective ARRA funded housing rehabilitation programs, to aide South Tucson in reenergizing their home repair program and expend their available CDBG funding. In addition, contractors procured by Pima County will be utilized to conduct eligible home repairs. The City of South Tucson is a CDBG subgrantee under Pima County’s cooperative agreement and it has been determined that developing this partnership is in the best interest of both parties. Pima County seeks to assist South Tucson in improving its aging housing stock by completing an estimated ten (10) to twelve (12) home repair projects for the upcoming fiscal year. The county will also look to replicate this home repair model and partner with another of its sub-grantees, the Town of Marana. Employing Green Standards and Practices - Post ARRA For this upcoming fiscal year, Pima County Home Repair seeks to implement the following green standards, practices, and certifications in the procurement of future housing rehabilitation contractors: • • • Building Performance Institute (BPI) certification OSHA-30 Hour Course Lead Renovators certification Put into practice under previous ARRA grants, contractors selected to become part of the Contractors Pool will be required to be certified within ninety (90) days of contract awards. Not meeting this requirement could lead to loss of contract for non-compliance. Before and after HVAC/Roof Repair Pima County Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation Department 2013 Annual Action Plan Return to Table of Contents 9 COMMUNITY AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT A “brownfield” is a site that has actual or perceived contamination through previous uses such as gas stations, manufacturing sites, or industrial facilities. Now abandoned lots or derelict buildings, brownfields are often deemed a liability and difficult to reuse and redevelopment. However, available federal and state brownfields initiatives can provide local governments, private developers, nonprofit agencies, financial institutions, insurance companies, and community activists the tools and resources to assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse these denigrated areas. Cleaning up and reinvesting in these properties protects the environment, reduces blight, and takes development pressures off greenspaces and working lands. Before Interior of Western Stucco Pima County Brownfields Program: Continued Success, Expansion and Collaboration Pima County currently administers three (3) EPA Community-Wide Brownfields Assessment grants. Current efforts focus on the community development target areas of Flowing Wells, Ajo, Why and Lukeville. For the next fiscal year, Pima County CDNC seeks to complete and close out these respective grants as it continues to work collectively with its non-profit partners, contracted environmental consultants, and community business leaders. In addition to community outreach and public involvement activities, it is anticipated that $600K in awarded EPA brownfields funds will have resulted in the completion of 12 projects, which include: 8 Phase I/II environmental site assessments in Flowing Wells and 4 Phase I environmental site assessments in AJo/Why/Lukeville; directly benefiting public and private property owners in their redevelopment efforts. Moreover, CDNC’s Brownfields Program has recently applied for an additional $400K in available EPA Brownfields funding to continue the highly successful brownfields program in Ajo, Why and Lukeville. The results of that effort will be known in Spring 2012. CDBG funding has been set aside in support of the Brownfields Program for areas determined to be Brownfields in Pima County. For FY 2013, Pima County CDNC looks to partner with the City of South Tucson and City of Tucson respective brownfields programs to apply for EPA’s $1M Brownfields Coalition Grant to conduct eligible pre-development activities for the proposed El Paso Greenway. Partnering with the two cities will provide the opportunity to cooperatively coordinate brownfields revitalization projects for the greater good of the region and not just one jurisdiction. Specifically, CDNC, Tucson, and South Tucson, plan to gather their efforts to complete the El Paso-Southwestern Greenway, an urban trail that will, after completion, traverse through parts of all three jurisdictions. Finally, in the spirit of regionalism, Pima County, City of Tucson, City of South Tucson, area non-profits, and other essential stakeholders are working directly with Groundwork Trust USA to complete a feasibility study to determine the potential outcomes of establishing a local “Groundworks: Pima County” to further attract and leverage available brownfields resources into Southern Arizona. Before Exterior of Western Stucco 10 Pima County Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation Department 2013 Annual Action Plan Return to Table of Contents COMMUNITY AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT HOMELESS AND SPECIAL POPULATIONS Supportive Housing HEARTH ACT Pima County supportive housing grants account for $2,115,108, which is approximately 28% of the Continuum of Care’s total HUD funding of $7,403,142. In addition, Pima County is able to bring additional funds to support homeless services to the community, such as the Pima County general fund, known as Outside Agency, and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA.) The Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2009, was enacted into law on May 20, 2009. The Final Rule became effective January 4, 2012, and combines three separate homeless assistance programs into a single program, revises and renames the Emergency Shelter Grants program to now be called the Emergency Solutions Grants program and creates the Rural Housing Stability program to replace the Rural Homeless Grant program. The Special Populations Program Coordinator is an important position to allow Pima County to connect more closely with the community while closely monitoring the programs supported by these grant funds. The Program Coordinator actively participates in Continuum of Care planning activities and regularly attends committee meetings, such as the Continuum of Services Committee, Homeless Youth Committee, and the HMIS Committee. The Continum of Care The Continuum of Care, the Tucson Pima Collaboration to End Homelessness (TPCH,) recently completed the initial CoC Check-up process and will be using the results of the check up to assist with their new strategic planning process. Leverage • Our Family Services new funding for homeless youth housing • Support Tucson Homeless Connect which is tracking housing outcomes • Mayor of Tucson announced the formation of the Mayors Commission on Poverty, which will be implemented through two homeless provider’s executive directors and will begin community dialogue to develop coordinated/centralized intake In addition, the HEARTH Act requires the Continuum of Care to coordinate services in their community. A key piece of the HEARTH Act implementation is the revision of the definition of Homeless to now include individuals and families who are: • Literally homeless • In immediate risk of becoming homeless • Determined homeless under certain federal statutes • Feeling domestic violence or other dangerous conditions The HEARTH Act implementation requires communities to be accountable for how funds are expended and program measures must demonstrate how funded projects are working to end homelessness. In particular, focus must be made on exit to permanent housing. As the new layers of the HEARTH Act are being phased in, local government grantees are required to amend their Consolidated Plan Annual Plan to reflect how their jurisdiction will reduce and end homelessness through: • Outreach and assessment • Addressing emergency shelter and transition housing needs of homeless persons • Assisting homeless individuals and families make transition to permanent, independent housing • Helping low-income persons avoid homelessness All jurisdictions are expected to describe coordination and collaboration efforts among the Continuum of Care, housing providers, service providers, housing assistance and services and cooperation among state and local governments. In preparing for the new ESG, Pima County CDNC has identified the Hold Harmless Need amount, completed an initial assessment of ESG projects, plans to follow HUD’s encouragement using HPRP models, employ the new street outreach category, and focus on much needed Rapid Re-housing in this community. In addition, all grantees will continue to use HMIS while expanding the system to accommodate the new requirements. Pima County Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation Department 11 2013 Annual Action Plan Return to Table of Contents COMMUNITY AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT • McKINNEY VENTO LIAISONS • The Pima County jurisdiction includes 10 Unified school districts, along with numerous smaller districts and charter schools. Each school district must identify a liaison to locate homeless students in their service area. Some school districts have also been awarded special grant funds through a competitive process with the Arizona Department of Education to cover medical services, purchase clothing and shoes, pay athletic fees and prom tickets, as well as other things students may need but cannot obtain to be successful in school. These liaisons also connect community resources with the students and their families, often working closely with area homeless service providers for assistance with shelter, clothing, and housing options. • During the January 24, 2012 Point in Time count, the Department of Education estimated there are approximately 3,000 youth who are doubled up, living in shelters or motels, or living unsheltered situations. Final numbers for this school year will be available in the summer. During the coming year, Pima County plans to work closely with McKinney Vento liaisons to better connect students and their families with available housing resources through the new Rapid Re-housing options and using available transitional housing. Housing the Homeless The Tucson Housing First model pilot project, known as 51 Homes, continues to be a successful collaborative effort between local providers. The coordinator position will continue to be supported by Pima County Outside Agency, as well as a Continuum of Care bonus award. The goal for the coming year is to continue to house the 51 chronically homeless individuals identified in April, 2011, using the Vulnerability Index. In addition, chronically homeless veterans will be moved up on the master list as an additional 50 VASH vouchers are expected this year. As the project continues, it will increase 2 dedicated navigators from two agencies providing intensive case management. Goals for the coming year include: 12 Identifying and connecting with more key mainstream resources, Documenting community-wide system change as it occurs Better tracking of participant data utilizing a 51 homes identity marker in HMIS. The Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program The Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program, locally branded Project Action, ended on June 30, 2011. The goals of the program were to help stabilize housing for households through an array of services with the focus on financial assistance and appropriate case management. Project Action has been replicated locally by the Veterans Program for Supportive Housing. The following lessons learned are encouraged for the continuation of programs that provide homeless prevention and rapid re-housing: • • • • • • • • • Maintain collaborative efforts throughout the program utilizing agencies and program employees from development to implementation Provide seamless intake through single points of entry, such as web-based and phone response systems Provide services on a first-come first-serve basis Triage intake to determine type and degree of services needed On-going communication with service providers to ensure individual and community needs are met Marry financial assistance and resources with financial education, case management, legal services, multidisciplinary services, and job services Establish and maintain standards, requiring consistency and minimal deviation among providers; modify in a group consensus when needed Establish an oversight committee to review activities quarterly Develop IGAs and MOUs to maintain consistency and buy-in Discharge Planning Pima County will explore options to develop and implement comprehensive community-wide discharge planning policy and procedures for individuals being discharged from publicly funded institutions. Pima County Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation Department 2013 Annual Action Plan Return to Table of Contents COMMUNITY AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT Emergency Solutions Grant Program • Pima County has prepared for the new ESG by reviewing past ESG sub-grantee service categories to determine the Hold Harmless need amount under new Emergency Solutions Grant. This amount, $86,952, has become the cap amount for Street Outreach and Emergency Shelter essential services. ESG sub-grantee activities have been focused heavily on Emergency Shelter activities, with only 1 agency providing Homeless Prevention. • • The new Homeless Prevention requirements will be implemented with the new funding and a special focus will be made to target rapid re-housing for homeless families using HPRP best practices. HMIS is required of all ESG sub-grantees. As the new ESG programs begin, Pima County will work closely with agencies to help them implement the new ESG guidelines and make adjustments to programs as needed. Pima County Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) The Pima County Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) continues to grow and data quality is improving. Pima County will continue to work with the HUD Regional Office, the Continuum of Care – Tucson Pima Collaboration to End Homelessness (TPCH), and the City of Tucson to operate HMIS. Through CDNC, Pima County will continue its role as HMIS Lead Agency. Along with the HMIS partners, Bowman Systems and Symmetric Solutions, Inc., Pima County will work closely with TPCH to develop additional policy, procedures, and agreements as required by HUD. The Pima County HMIS is strong in meeting HUD requirements, in all service categories, even submitting a successful AHAR report for both Veterans and non-veterans, which will be distributed widely in the community. HMIS also produces an annual report each year that focuses on a target population. HMIS usage continues to increase, with the addition of both new agencies and new users. • • • • • • • • • • • Expanding the HMIS implementation to include all VA homeless programs as directed by the VA and HUD Include new ESG programs program outcomes in HMIS Add Supportive Service Providers as participants in HMIS, as appropriate Implement and support HMIS-related requirements from the HEARTH Act, including compliance with the HUD HMIS Regulations Develop and implement system and program performance measure reports for HEARTH reporting Improve on the annual CoC-wide report including assisting the CoC in interpreting and using the data Continue to support the new Annual Progress Report for HUD grantees Develop formal data quality performance measures and plans Develop and implement additional data quality reports Develop and implement additional agency-level reports Continue to fully participate in HUD AHAR project Support efforts for the possible future centralized intake processes Continue to support the performance of the annual Point-in-Time Shelter Count and Housing Inventory Chart in HMIS Develop formal security & privacy plans and procedures # of HMIS User Licenses 160 140 160 140 118 120 96 100 80 60 40 30 20 0 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 The 2013 Point In Time (PIT) Shelter Count and Housing Inventory Chart (HIC) will continue to be generated through HMIS reports and submitted to HUD, as was done for the first time in 2012. Specific Goals for the 2012-2013 fiscal year include: Pima County Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation Department 13 2013 Annual Action Plan Return to Table of Contents COMMUNITY AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT Section 3 - Compliance Action Plan CDNC will continue to work diligently to meet Section 3 compliance goals, as required by HUD. The following shows steps taken by CDNC staff to satisfy Section 3 goals, as they pertain to the creation of new employment, contracting and training opportunities for low- or very low-income persons, and business concerns: • • • • • • Work with Pima County One-Stop, as well as other local employment agencies, to arrange communication between contractors and sources of employees Conduct pre-bid meetings for Section 3 covered projects (i.e. housing construction, demolition, rehabilitation, or other public construction) to inform contractors of Section 3 employment, contracting, and training opportunities goals and requirements. Conduct pre-construction meetings with winning-bid contractors to ensure contractor understands their Section 3 employment and reporting responsibilities. Gather Section 3 reporting information on a quarterly basis from sub-recipients Conduct follow up correspondence (i.e., phone calls, regular mail, emails, in-person interviews), as necessary, to ensure timely submittal of reporting information Submit yearly report, HUD Form 60002, concurrently with current year’s CAPER Section 3 compliance applies to specific funding grants, such as Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnership, Housing Opportunities for Persons with Aids (HOPWA), Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG), and Neighborhood Stimulus Program 1 & 2 (NSP1 & 2) HOPWA Positive Directions is a partnership among Pima County, Arizona, the City of Tucson, and the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation (SAAF) to provide permanent supportive housing and services to people (and their families) living with HIV/AIDS. The partnership has been established for over fifteen years and has been fulfilling the goals of the HOPWA program. The goals for the HOPWA funding are to provide the following: • • • • Tenant-based rental assistance for a minimum of 52 households (40 households/year) in Section 8 eligible apartments and homes for lease in the community, administered by the City of Tucson. Permanent housing facility operating costs, providing permanent supportive housing for 15 households (9 households/year) over the contract within SAAF’s properties. Supportive Services: Comprehensive housing case management to assist the recipients to maintain housing, reduce the risk of homelessness, and access health care and other resources necessary for managing the effects of living with HIV/AIDS. Supportive Services: Limited substance abuse and mental health counseling and treatment to assist individuals in maintaining stable housing and promote adherence to medical and behavioral health treatment. Positive Directions provides a permanent housing program with case management and supportive services to maintain housing stability, reduce the risk of homelessness, and increase access to care and support. The service area is Pima County, Arizona which includes the City of Tucson. Pima County, with 15.47% of the state population, has 16.29% of current prevalence of HIV/AIDS. Current reported prevalence of people living with HIV/AIDS in Pima County is 2,324. In addition, SAAF was awarded funding for participation in the Getting to Work – HOPWA Employment Initiative and will be building extra capacity to work with clients in accessing employment and training resources 14 Pima County Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation Department 2013 Annual Action Plan Return to Table of Contents AFFORDABLE HOUSING Function Fair Housing The general services that Affordable Housing provides are: The Pima County CDNC Department, in partnership with community organizations, promotes fair housing choices that are healthy, sustainable, and affordable for all protected classes identified by the Federal Fair Housing Act (FFHA). The protected classes include race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, disability, and persons discharged from jails and prisons. The department will take steps to affirmatively further fair housing opportunities for all the protected classes, including planning, marketing and monitoring fair housing choices under the programs and projects funded by the County. • • • Leadership and support to Pima County residents in addressing critical needs, sustainability, stabilization, and preservation of affordable housing Expand affordable housing to include home ownership and rental opportunities. Access to sustainable long term affordable housing to low and moderate income residents through education, resources and information through new and existing initiatives and opportunities Programs • • • • HOME Foreclosure Prevention Initiatives Affordable Housing GO Bond Section 8 Program Performance Measures – New housing construction units produced Rental units produced Down payment support to new home buyers Roadway Dev. Impact Fee waivers granted Foreclosure notifications, outreach, referrals Projected 12-13 30 74 50 70 7000 Outlook The housing market continues to experience a large volume of defaults and foreclosures due to enduring declines in home values, high unemployment rates, decreased wages, and elimination of jobs. Homeowners are also seeing loan modifications declined and options from lenders that are unattainable. The Community Planning and Housing Program (CPHP) continues to take a leadership role in the local Foreclosure Prevention Coalition, working with our community partners, HUD-approved counseling agencies, and the State Foreclosure Prevention Task Force. The HOME program budget will be cut by 37% in FY 2013. Pima County provides funding to the Southwest Fair Housing Council (SWFHC) to undertake educational and outreach programs. While the SWFHC has applied for another 18 month grant from HUD to fight mortgage fraud in 2013 and beyond, SWFHC Don’t Borrow Trouble (DBT) program staff will continue to implement the current SWFHC $323,000 grant to investigate mortgage modification fraud and assist homeowners in avoiding these situations. Working with the Spanish speaking population will be a focal point for the grants.. In support of disabled persons, Pima County provides funding to the Direct Center for Independence who implements a home accessibility program which modifies and improves housing units to accommodate low and moderate income elderly and disabled persons who own a home. The lack of accessibility to disabled persons and other impediments to fair housing is summarized in the “Addressing Impediments to Fair Housing” table on page 16. CDNC housing staff is planning to launch a Limited English Proficiency Implementation Plan to identify the language needs of Pima County residents based on the Four Factor Analysis developed by HUD and the U.S. Department of Justice. Pima County data shows that 72.5% of Pima County residents speak English at home. Individuals who identified themselves as LEP individuals speak the following languages: Spanish (22.8%), IndoEuropean (2.1%), Asian or Pacific Islander (1.4%) and other languages (1.2%). Staff will be reaching out to organizations serving these language groups to inform them of affordable housing programs and services that may help their clientele. Pima County will collaborate with the University of Arizona Language Department to establish a system for students to provide translation services at the housing center. CDNC will also make an effort to reach out to local Native American Tribes and learn what barriers to housing choices they may be facing. Pima County Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation Department 15 2013 Annual Action Plan Return to Table of Contents AFFORDABLE HOUSING Addressing Impediments to Fair Housing Pima Legal County CDNC Department will Aid, and other local partners Impediment 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 16 continue to in addressing fund the the activities of the SWFHC, Southern Arizona following impediments to fair housing choices. i Action Plan Housing Discrimination in home sales, rental Testing, complaint intake and filing (with HUD and AZ AG), reporting, community housing, mortgage lending, home insurance, surveying, analyzing of demographics, patterns of minority concentrations, and illegal accessibility, and modification for the disabled. housing discrimination complaints all of which will be conducted by the SWFHC with support from the county and the city. SWFHC will seek to obtain remedies through conciliations and litigation and publicize fair housing settlements and awards to further encourage compliance with fair housing laws. Lack of fair housing choice rights among County will support efforts to continue informational presentations to housing consumers homebuyers, homeowners and renters. Lack and providers through forums, workshops and distribution of written materials. Continue of fair housing choice responsibilities among surveys to monitor trends in fair housing concerns and understanding among consumers housing providers. and providers of housing services including builders, designers, lenders and insurers. Lack of fair housing choice knowledge among County will support efforts to conduct at least two annual trainings for staff to help nonprofit housing developers and housing reduce and eliminate fair housing choice barriers and complaints. This may also include service providers. education of the city law department about the fair housing services of the SWFHC for their citizens. Lack of knowledge about fair housing choice County will support efforts to conduct at least one annual training for realtors, home responsibilities among private housing insurance agents, mortgage lenders, property owners, landlords, contractors, builders, developers and private housing service architects, and others in the private sector who impact fair housing choices for consumers. providers. The SWFHC maintains its license with the State of Arizona to provide accredited fair housing training to realtors. Predatory and abusive lending practices County will support efforts to pursue, expose, and file complaints on predatory and targeting minorities and other protected abusive lending, especially in mortgage modifications and mortgage refinance. Areas classes under the fair housing laws. Mortgage hardest hit by the foreclosure crisis indicate continued predatory lending among modification and refinancing scams among minorities and other protected classes in concentrated areas of Pima County. Through minorities and other protected classes the DBT program SWFHC will continue to refer foreclosure clients to HUD approved struggling to prevent foreclosures housing counseling agencies for help, or to file complaints with the AZ AG on more difficult cases. Redlining by lenders and insurance companies County will support efforts to survey and pursue complaints of redlining by lenders and particularly in areas hardest hit by the insurance companies who discriminate against minorities and other protected classes foreclosure crisis. trying to save their homes as a result of predatory lending such as complex mortgage loans resulting in interest rate resets and balloon payments. Lack of reasonable accommodations for County will support efforts to test, educate and reach out to property owners, developers, disabled persons seeking accessible and builders, and contractors regarding their responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act visitable rental or owner-occupied housing. independent of local building codes. County will also support efforts to educate them about the enhanced marketability of their units as a result of reasonable accommodations. SWFHC will continue to monitor the number and type of complaints from the disabled community regarding a lack of reasonable accommodations. County will support SWFHC refresher trainings to county and city building inspectors on federal accessibility requirements. Lack of plans among county and county County will develop a model plan to affirmatively further fair housing that will be housing partners to ensure efforts to presented to nonprofit housing partners to adopt or modify to meet their respective affirmatively further fair housing choices for housing programs and services. SWFHC will assist the county in these efforts. the protected classes. Lack of knowledge and understanding of County will support SWFHC efforts to educate and support the refugee population, local rental and homebuyer contracts and as well as the housing providers serving this special population, to achieve fair housing related housing services among the refugee choices, understand fair housing rights, responsibilities, and conditions in the leasing, community. purchasing, maintaining and managing of housing. Pima County Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation Department 2013 Annual Action Plan Return to Table of Contents AFFORDABLE HOUSING 2012-13 Strategies to Assist Renters Pima County HOME funds and Housing Bond funds will provide gap funding to support projects that create and/or preserve new affordable rental units while leveraging other valuable private and public funding resources. Leveraged resources include: Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), HUD Financing (Sections 221d(4), 223(f), 202 and 811 Programs), U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs, and Southern Arizona VA programs. Pima County NSP II funding will be available to redevelop foreclosed properties and vacant/blighted properties to further benefit low income and very low income rental households. Rental Housing Search Engine In 2007, Pima County partnered with socialserve.com to develop a search engine to connect landlords and tenants. The search engine allows prospective tenants to find rental housing, both subsidized and unsubsidized, by geographic area, bedroom size, monthly rent, handicap accessibility, and access to public transit, shopping and hospitals. Search engine tools assist tenants to build a budget, estimate how much rent they can afford, and how much moving costs will be. For landlords, the search engine is a free and simple way to find the right tenant. Tools for landlords include information about Fair Housing and Section 8. workforce housing developments serving low-income homebuyers, including employer assisted housing programs. • Pima County NSP II funding will be available to redevelop foreclosed properties and vacant/blighted properties to further benefit low and moderate income homebuyers. • Pima County Affordable Housing Waiver of Roadway Impact Fee will continue to be available for low-income property owners. Roadway Development Impact Fees are assessed and paid at the time the building permit is issued, and it includes all new residential construction in unincorporated Pima County. In addition to site-built homes, this includes manufactured homes, travel trailers, trailers, mobile homes, recreational vehicles, and nonresidential development. Affordable Housing Waivers are available to current property owners who meet the income limits as determined by HUD. A household may receive only one Affordable Housing Waiver for the amount of the Roadway Development Impact Fee, and it does not cover the $50.00 administrative fee or any other building permit costs. FHR Homeownership Class The search engine also provides links to other resources useful to tenants – how to purchase a home, credit, buyer, and foreclosure prevention resources, legal aid, and available housing programs. 2012-13 Strategies to Assist Homebuyers & Homeowners During the next year, Pima County will assist homebuyers and homeowners through several sources: • HOME funds will continue to support the jointly funded down payment assistance programs coordinated with the City of Tucson and local HUD approved Housing Counseling Agencies. • HOME funds will support projects that preserve affordable homeownership units. • Housing bonds and HOME funds will continue to support development of new transit-oriented and HUD Housing Counseling Agency Roundtable Pima County Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation Department 17 2013 Annual Action Plan Return to Table of Contents AFFORDABLE HOUSING HOME Program – Discretionary Allocation for FY 2012-13: $603,105 Projects: $418,354 CDNC will develop or preserve 33 new homeownership opportunities and develop or preserve 15 rental housing units. HOME funds are targeted to projects located in unincorporated Pima County, incorporated communities, designated colonias, and neighborhood stress areas. A priority for the use of HOME funds is to preserve existing affordable housing and to leverage other funding sources that will maximize/increase long-term affordable units reserved for low-income households. • Homebuyer/Homeownership Assistance: $218,354 – 33 homeowners Programs include: • Down Payment Assistance Programs • Employer Assisted and Workforce Housing Programs • Transit Oriented Housing Projects • Leveraged assistance in combination with other resources such as Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco’s AHP, WISH & IDEA Programs • Mortgage Revenue Bond Program/Mortgage Credit Certificates • Housing Bond Projects • Replacement Home Programs for existing homeowners of sub-standard housing that is beyond repair or renovation. • Other Targeted local programs rental HOME funds will leverage other forms of financing such as Low Income Housing Tax Credits, HUD 202 or 811 programs, and City of Tucson HOME funds. Pima County will continue working with the City of Tucson to develop a HOME funded Tenant Based Rental Assistance Program designed to supplement existing HUD Voucher Choice and VA Supportive Housing Programs. Administration: $ 45,702 Rental housing that is developed using HOME funds are monitored on an annual basis to insure that they meet HOME Program Affordability requirements. Owner occupied homes that are replaced with manufactured or site-built housing, and homes acquired by down payment assistance programs will continue to be monitored at project completion/closing for compliance with all HOME Program regulations. Pima County staff will continue to work with City staff to jointly monitor down payment assistance program activities, issue new funding RFP’s and to jointly review, underwrite and approve new CHDO and non-CHDO funding proposals. Program Income is not anticipated for 2012-13. Matching funds for the HOME program will come from the continued investment of HOPE 3 proceeds, grants to HOME funded projects from various sources including the Federal Home Loan Bank, Pima County Housing Bond funds invested in HOME funded projects, waived fees, and volunteer donations. Priority will be placed on implementation of programs and projects that are transit oriented, compatible with FHA products, and for purchase or development of homes through the Community Land Trust. Priority will also be given to sustainable development projects that incorporate Pima County Residential Green Building Standards, USGBC LEED Standards, and Energy Star Standards. It is expected that these funds will leverage other forms of financing, including City of Tucson HOME funds. • Rental Housing: $200,000 - 15 units Funds will be made available in the form of loans to both non-profit and for-profit developers to preserve and develop rental housing. A high priority will be placed on the need to provide housing opportunities for special needs populations, to preserve existing affordable rental housing, and to develop new transit oriented rental housing or new rental housing in the downtown area or Sunnyside Point in targeted Pima County communities. It is expected that Pima County Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation Department 18 2013 Annual Action Plan Return to Table of Contents AFFORDABLE HOUSING Foreclosure Prevention Strategies Foreclosure Notice of Sale Pima County Housing Center staff will continue to coordinate with local HUD approved housing counseling agencies and mortgage servicers to meet face-to-face with borrowers during evening and weekend hours to accommodate the schedules of working families. All homeowners who receive a Notice of Trustee Sale/ Foreclosure Notice will also continue to receive a letter from the Affordable Housing Program Manager urging them to call the Pima County Housing Center for a referral to a HUD approved housing counseling agency to learn about options to help them save their home. Pima County will support the SWFHC DBT and nine local housing counseling agencies certified by of Housing and HUD in the efforts to respond to foreclosure prevention and provide counseling, education and related services to homeowners facing foreclosure. Housing Center staff will be directly partnering with the mortgage servicing industry to include Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, HOPE NOW Alliance, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, the Arizona Foreclosure Prevention Task Force, and the Pima County Foreclosure Prevention Coalition to coordinate future community events and workshops. Staff will also be partnering with Congressional representatives to coordinate foreclosure prevention workshops. Workshops continue to be a primary method of assisting homeowners at risk of foreclosure. Pima County will continue to monitor the ongoing foreclosure crisis by tracking the number and location of homes in foreclosure. The information will be mapped and reported to local officials requesting information on the locations of where the troubled families reside and where services are needed. Approximately 90% of all Housing Center calls and visitors are foreclosure related. Pima County Foreclosure Workbook The nationally recognized Pima County Foreclosure Prevention Workbook will be updated to include new programs such as Save Our Home Arizona, Making Home Affordable, and local Community Action Agency emergency services. The workbook explains in lay terms the process of foreclosure and steps homeowners must follow to achieve the best possible alternative to foreclosure. The workbook was the recipient of the 2008 Innovation Award presented by the National Association for County, Community, and Economic Development (NACCED), and has proven to be a useful tool for homeowners, counselors, attorneys and other experts. The workbook will continue to be distributed at all workshops. Foreclosure Recovery Strategies Financial planning classes such as family budgeting and credit repair will be offered by HUD Approved Housing Counseling Agencies at the Pima County Housing Center. Staff will coordinate quarterly roundtables for housing counseling agencies to meet with leading private mortgage servicers and government officials to discuss affordable housing concerns and to explore and develop best practices in meeting the continuing demand for mortgage loan modification and other foreclosure prevention options. The Housing Center will be partnering with Financial Education Collaborative of Southern Arizona (FECSA) for Financial Literacy Month and co-coordinate financial education classes during the Financial Fitness Fair April 2013. This community event is designed to provide low to moderate income consumers with direct access to affordable and fair financial products, services and information in order to obtain financial stability. Staff will be working closely with the Pima County Library System in holding financial education and foreclosure prevention classes at the Pima County Housing Center and at designated libraries throughout Pima County. Live the Solution will be conducting “Surviving the Foreclosure” credit repair classes for consumers who have had a foreclosure. Families will receive guidance on credit repair and will work with a housing counselor on a one-toone basis. These classes will be offered after hours and on weekends. Together with Live the Solution and United Way Prosperity Center, a new program will be developed to bridge the gap from financial stability to homeownership. The program will include a series of four workshops that will be offered to the community. The four workshops will include budgeting, credit repair, car buying, and home buying. The program will give low to moderate income population the opportunity to reach the dream of becoming a homeowner. Pima County Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation Department 19 2013 Annual Action Plan Return to Table of Contents AFFORDABLE HOUSING Pima County Housing Center Foreclosure Rescue Scams The goal of the Pima County Housing Center is to provide an innovative “one stop” housing format to assist constituents in need of housing and housing-related services. In conjunction with local governments and nonprofits, the housing center seeks to provide healthy and affordable housing for the region. Serving a wide range of needs, housing center staff is prepared to assist first-time homebuyers, homeowners, and renters with program information and referrals to obtain emergency rental or mortgage assistance, down payment assistance, budgeting assistance, and other situational needs. The housing center will continue to assist walk-in clients needing aid by referring them to the appropriate agency, making sure that they receive the proper resources. Pima County Housing Center will continue to take a leadership role in addressing the issue of loan modification and foreclosure rescue scams by working closely with DBT. DBT will continue to inform and advise community residents of fair housing rights through presentations at community meetings, special community events, and educational training programs. The plan for 2012-2013 is to provide in-kind space for nonprofit agencies that provide housing services. We will be looking at specific agencies that have the capacity to staff a representative at the housing center who can provide default counseling, legal assistance, homeownership counseling, financial education, and case management for Individual Development Account programs. Healthy Communities The Pima County Housing Center, in coordination with local housing partners, will develop a “Sustainability Corner” in the lobby highlighting healthy home and “green” building features. Information, resources, and interactive displays will be available to educate residents on how to make a home safer, healthier, and more energy efficient. We look forward to starting a process whereby we will begin to leverage our housing efforts and resources with those of health, education, business, nonprofits, public safety, philanthropic organizations and others through the application of best practices currently in place for successful cross-collaboration. State and National Foreclosure Prevention Initiatives Pima County will remain involved in the Arizona Foreclosure Prevention Task Force and Arizona Attorney General’s Office on national initiatives and settlements affecting foreclosure prevention and recovery. The County will also continue to support community education and awareness of the Making Home Affordable Programs. Quality, affordable housing for low income households will be sustained only in an environment of thriving businesses, schools, health centers, day care centers and other services and institutions necessary for people to live, work and enjoy healthy lifestyles. The Housing Center will begin a series of Green Building Training for homeowners and developers of affordable housing. Homeowners will be offered basic introduction to Green Homes whereas architects and builders of affordable housing will be offered more intensive instruction on the details of green building and rating systems. Training will be coordinated with the Pima County Building Safety and Sustainability Program of the Development Services Department. Adjacent to the housing center is the Menlo Park Linda House and Community Garden, a facility that encourages residents and neighbors to live a sustainable lifestyle. Slated for renovations, the Linda House will demonstrate the features of an aging-in-place, green living, and adaptive reuse residential property. Residents will learn how to modify their homes as their housing needs change. 20 Pima County Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation Department 2013 Annual Action Plan Return to Table of Contents NEIGHBORHOOD REINVESTMENT The Pima County Neighborhood Reinvestment Program Approach Function: Neighborhood Reinvestment provides the following services: The movement of Pima County residents to suburbs and exurbs has had a major impact on both urban and rural communities. This population migration has contributed to deterioration of the urban core neighborhoods, as limited public funds are stretched to pay for infrastructure in the new residential communities. Growth on the urban fringe and rural areas of Pima County creates stress for these communities, as new development burdens roads, schools, parks, and law enforcement. • In response to the burgeoning infrastructure and service needs, the electorate approved Neighborhood Reinvestment bond questions in 1997 and 2004. The dual functions of the Neighborhood Reinvestment Program are to fill gaps created by diminishing government dollars and to empower residents of stressed communities. • • • The unique Neighborhood Reinvestment funding allocation procedure originates at the grass roots; residents themselves determine what capital improvement projects will be constructed. With the assistance of Neighborhood Reinvestment Program staff, neighborhoods select a project, obtain cost estimates, and prepare a written proposal to submit to the Neighborhood Reinvestment Oversight Committee. The Committee reviews the proposal, visits the neighborhood, and makes a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors. • • Provide stability and revitalize stressed communities pursuant to 1997 and 2004 Neighborhood Reinvestment Bond Ordinances. Promote the funding of small capital improvement projects selected through a community consensus process. Develop community leaders, identify emerging needs, and strengthen community decision making. Programs Neighborhood Reinvestment GO Bond Program, Community Leadership Development Community Outreach and Support Program Performance Measures – Community Outreach Events Held Projects Completed Evaluations Completed Projected 12-13 36 4 15 Outlook Currently all 1997 ($5 million) Neighborhood Reinvestment bond funding has been allocated by the Board of Supervisors and all 41 projects have been completed. $20 million of 2004 Neighborhood Reinvestment bond funding has been allocated to fifty-five (55) community projects. Approximately $2.5 million will be used to construct projects in 2012/13: • Wakefield Neighborhood youth skate park, a joint project of Wakefield Neighborhood, Pima County, the City of Tucson, and Saint John’s Catholic Church • Toumey Park Neighborhood sidewalks, traffic safety amenities, and park improvements • 29th Street Weed and Seed Coalition (five neighborhoods) pedestrian walking path and park improvements • Five Points Coalition (area businesses and neighborhoods) pedestrian safety amenities and gateway art project. Barrio Centro Neighborhood Solar Street Lighting Project Dedication - the first such project in Tucson. Pima County Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation Department 21 2013 Annual Action Plan Return to Table of Contents NEIGHBORHOOD REINVESTMENT Project Utilization & Maintenance Review Neighborhood Leadership Institute During the next year, the Neighborhood Reinvestment (NR) Program will continue a project utilization and maintenance review of 1997 and 2004 bond projects, a total of eighty-six (86) completed neighborhood projects. The purpose of the review is to ensure that NR-financed projects are available to the public, are being utilized appropriately, and that beneficiary jurisdictions are maintaining the projects at the level required by intergovernmental agreements. NR staff will visit project sites at times of expected usage, meet with sponsoring neighborhood associations, and confer with government staff responsible for maintenance and operation. The Neighborhood Reinvestment (NR) Program will implement a Neighborhood Leadership Institute (NLI) to develop effective community leaders, facilitate the organization and activity of vibrant grass roots organizations, support a strong collective neighborhood voice, and reinforce collaboration among communities, social service providers, government, faith based organizations, and school districts. The 2012/13 objective is to complete twenty (20) 1997 NR project reviews and twelve (12) 2004 NR project reviews. If there are maintenance or usage problems, NR staff will work with jurisdictional staff and elected officials to bring the project into compliance and maximize the value of the project to the community. The Institute will build on the success of the NR Program, and will utilize Pima County staff, experienced neighborhood leaders, and nonprofit organizations emphasizing neighborhood revitalization. The first step is the convening of a focus group of representatives from a wide range of stressed Pima County neighborhoods for the purpose of identifying topics to be addressed by the Leadership Institute. The first NLI program will be designed and implemented in 2012/13. 1997 & 1994 Bond Projects 22 Pima County Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation Department 2013 Annual Action Plan Return to Table of Contents COMMUNITY PLANNING AND REVITALIZATION Green and Healthy Homes Initiative NSP2 requires that new construction and rehabilitation be done to high energy conservation standards. Pima County used the Regional Green Building Standards adopted by the Board of Supervisors and the City of Tucson Mayor and Council as a guideline for contractors working on the NSP2 funded projects. Local architectural firm, Poster Frost Mirto, took the standards and expanded them for ease of use by contractors. Poster Frost Mirto built on the five domains from the Arizona State University Stardust Foundation: energy conservation, water saving, healthy toxin free interiors, accessibility/ aging in place and visitability, outdoor comfort, and use of space. This experience has influenced the County as it works on other projects. Pima County anticipates using these standards for other HUD funding to the maximum extent possible in the future. In the coming year, Pima County will implement the Green and Healthy Home standards for CDBG and HOME funded housing projects and will seek additional resources to assist the shelters and affordable multi-family apartment complexes reduce their energy costs and improve the living conditions. Additionally, Housing staff will begin planning a Healthy Communities Initiative. The agenda will include national experts who will discuss the bridge between health and community development. Experts will key in on how Arizona can make connections among its foundations, private sector lenders, health institutions, government, community development organizations, schools, colleges, universities and others to develop models of cross-sector collaboration and explore new and innovative funding streams. Function • • Primarily responsible for administration of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2 (NSP2) Grant Support for county-wide activities involving community revitalization and planning Programs • • • Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2 Community Planning Economic Development Initiatives Program Performance Measures – Homes built and sold by sub-grantees Foreclosed homes purchased and resold by subgrantees Multi-family projects acquired or built (units) Projected 12-13 26 49 20 Outlook During the course of the program year the NSP2 grant will terminate (February 11, 2013). This will not mean the end of the PNIP program. Pima County and sub-grantees will continue to invest funds generated from the sales of homes, rents, and loan repayments. Foreclosed homes purchased with grant funds will be available for sale and purchase. To the extent funds remain available, the PNIP office will remain open and local organizations and partners will be encouraged to make use of the office space and facilities. Housing staff will coordinate with City of Tucson Housing and Community Development staff to initiate the formation of a Safe, Healthy Homes Investment Partnership (SHHIP). Efforts will be made to include key partners of various local governments including the rural and small cities of Pima County as well as partners in the health and housing industries. Pima County Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation Department 23 2013 Annual Action Plan Return to Table of Contents COMMUNITY PLANNING AND REVITALIZATION PNIP Pima County is responsible for the oversight of the $22.1 million Neighborhood Stabilization Program II (NSP2) grant funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). As the grantee, Pima County is responsible for sub-grantee performance, grant and contract compliance, and program reporting. The Pima Neighborhood Investment Partnership (PNIP), as the grant and program is locally branded, consists of a consortium that includes Pima County, City of Tucson and seven (7) non-profit agencies. The agencies and affiliated PNIP projects include: • • • • • • • Assistance Program • Family Housing Resources – Rental housing PNIP staff provides support for sub-grantee activities, which include acquisition of foreclosed properties, redevelopment of vacant land, land banking, and demolition of blighted structures. Program activities are limited to a target area consisting of 30 census tracts located in the City of Tucson, South Tucson, and an unincorporated area of Pima County. City of Tucson – Pima County Community Land Trust Southern Arizona Land Trust (SALT) – Land Banking/Acquisition Rehab Habitat for Humanity – Corazon del Pueblo Old Pueblo Community Services – Sunnyside Pointe Chicanos Por La Causa – Liberty Corners Primavera Foundation – South Tucson Revitalization Community Investment Corporation – Homebuyer NSP2 Rehab - CLT Home PNIP Target Area Map 24 Pima County Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation Department 2013 Annual Action Plan Return to Table of Contents OUTSIDE AGENCY Function Outlook • Economic condition, high unemployment rates (8.75%+) and mounting state debt are creating significant issues for low income households and vulnerable populations. Prolonged stagflation and the contraction of Pima County property taxes has decreased the County’s ability to support General Fund programs. Additional State cost transfers create increased demands on the County budget. The County’s General Fund has traditionally supported the human service agencies. Severe state and city cuts in programs and services provided to low income households and vulnerable populations create increased stress on the non-profit sector • • • • Administers County General Funds to nonprofit agencies that have successfully completed a community review process and are determined to be qualified to deliver essential food and clothing services to identified groups. Work with community agencies to identify program gaps. Provide support to a Board of Supervisors appointed citizens committee to develop and implement a community planning process. Administer contracts which meet priority community needs and deliver specific services. Assure accountability for program funds through effective monitoring, technical assistance, and reporting. Programs • County Outside Agency Service Categories (Goals and Objective Program Performance Measures - Projected 12-13 EMERGENCY FOOD AND CLOTHING • Deliver essential food and clothing services which benefit Pima County residents • Provide for the dignity and a basic quality of life of extremely poor households • Provide services to vulnerable populations Emergency Food and Clothing Unduplicated Individuals Served 7 Agencies 82,217 SENIOR SERVICES • Deliver essential senior services in low income and rural areas • Promote healty lifestyles, dignity and independence for seniors • Provide services to vulnerable populations Senior Service Grants Unduplicated Individuals Served 9 Agencies 12,071 SUPPORT SERVICES, SHELTER AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE • Provide essential suppor services through shelters and case-management to vulnerable populations • Provide services that ensure the protection and well-being of individuals at risk of phusical harm or who live in unsafe conditions • Provide services to vulnerable populations Support Services, Shelter, DV Grants Unduplicated Individuals Served 18 Agencies 45,643 YOUTH, YOUNG ADULT AND FAMILY SUPPORT • Deliver essential youth and family support services in low income and rural areas • Promote healty environments, education and opportunities for at risk youth and young adults • Provide services to vulnerable populations Youth, Young Adult and Family Support Serivces Unduplicated Individuals Served 25 Agencies 42,300 COMMUNITY SERVICES • Deliver essential services in low income and rural communities • Provide funding to programs that are starting up essential programs or maintaining essential services • Provide services to vulnerable populations Community Support Grants Unduplicated Individuals Served 5 Agencies 55,000 GENERAL SERVICES • Deliver identified programs and services that benefit Pima County resident • Provide services to vulnerable populations General Service Grants Unduplicated Individuals Served 24 Agencie 45,000 Pima County Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation Department 25 2013 Annual Action Plan Return to Table of Contents APPENDIX 1 CDBG / ESG ALLOCATIONS COMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUND ALLOCATIONS JURISDICTION/APPLICANT PROGRAM/PROJECT ALLOCATION Ajo Ambulance, Inc. Paramedic Training $ 5,234 Ajo/Gibson Volunteer Fire Dept Fire Equipment $ 5,000 Ajo ISDA-Ajo Plaza Reborn $ 70,000 Cataina Golder Ranch Fire Dept-Fire Hydrants $ 20,000 Flowing Wells Unified School District Flowing Wells Family Resouces Center Operating Funds $ 13,000 Flowing Wells NACC Operating Funds $ 5,000 Green Valley Hand of a Friend (Manos Amigas) Inc-Facility Improvements $ 6,000 Green Valley United Community Health Center UCHC Pediatric Dental Program $ 80,000 Picture Rocks Avra Water Co-op, Inc. Aging Meter Replacement Program $ 39,000 Picture Rocks Community Center Inc. Food, Diaper and Clothing Assistance $ Picture Rocks Vol Fire District Point to Point Wireless System $ 30,000 Robles Junction Friends of Robles Ranch-Playground Equipment $ 60,000 Robles Junction Three Points Fire District Smoke Detectors & Car Seats Program $ Robles Junction High Chapparal Water Coop Water Improvements Water Improvements $ 10,000 Valencia West Drexel Heights Fire District Fire Hydrants $ 20,000 Valencia West Drexel Heights Fire District Family Safety Program $ 10,000 Pima County CDNC Department Administration $ 385,512 Pima County CDNC Department Brownfields $ 30,000 Pima County CDNC Department Emergency Demolition $ 20,000 Pima County CDNC Department Home Repair Program $ 750,000 Pima County CDNC Department Septic Program $ 100,000 Town of Marana Administration $ 15,000 Town of Marana Emergency Housing Repair $ 25,000 Town of Marana Graffiti Abatement Program $ 12,000 Town of Marana Colonia - Neighborhood Cleanup Program $ 10,000 Town of Marana Owner-Occupied Housing Rehabilitation $ 28,000 City of South Tucson Administration $ 58,800 City of South Tucson Community Policing & Crime Prevention $ 63,000 City of South Tucson Fire Safety Equipment $ 46,200 City of South Tucson Graffiti Abatement Program $ 12,000 City of South Tucson South Tucson Youth Programs & Family Assistance $ 120,000 Administration of Resources & Choices Reverse Mortgage Program $ 10,000 Arizona Rural Human Services Ntwk Operating $ Community Home Repair Projects of Arizona Owner-occupied Emergency Home Repair Program $ 100,000 Chicanos Por La Causa Rehabilitation of New Offices $ 18,928 Chicanos Por La Causa Housing Counseling $ 14,000 Chicanos Por La Causa Nahui Ollin Wellness Program $ 14,000 DIRECT Home Accessibility Program $ 50,000 26 5,000 5,000 5,000 Pima County Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation Department 2013 Annual Action Plan Return to Table of Contents APPENDIX 1 CDBG / ESG ALLOCATIONS COMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUND ALLOCATIONS (CON’T) JURISDICTION/APPLICANT PROGRAM/PROJECT ALLOCATION Dunbar Coalition Dunbar Community Center Renovation $ 32,000 Emerge! Facility Improvements $ 25,000 New Beginnings For Women & Children La Promesa Transitional Housing (rehab) $ 6,930 Old Pueblo Community Services Facility Rehabilitation for OPCS Veteran Properties $ 5,451 Pima Prevention Partnership Pima County Teen Court $ 15,000 San Ignacio Yaqui Council Inc Old Pascua Center Renovation Work Experience Project $ 15,972 Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation HIV/AIDS Housing Safety & Energy Efficiency Project $ 5,531 Southern Arizona Legal Aid Homeowner and Tenant Protection Program $ 20,000 Southwest Fair Housing Council Fair Housing Education, Outreach, & Enforcement $ 25,000 TOTAL $ 2,421,558 EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT PROGRAM FUND ALLOCATIONS JURISDICTION/APPLICANT PROGRAM/PROJECT ALLOCATION Arizona Housing & Prevention Svs Pima County Emergency Services Project $ 15,000 Chicanos Por La Causa Emergency Asst. to Prevent Homelessness $ 15,000 Compass Health Care 51 Homes $ 10,000 Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse Comprehensive Domestic Abuse Program $ 12,000 La Paloma Family Services Inc Amparo de los Angeles $ 5,000 New Beginnings for Women & Children Emergency Shelter $ 6,500 Old Pueblo Communitiy Services OPCS Street Outreach for Homeless $ 10,000 Open Inn Inc. LGBT Emergency Housing Program $ 5,000 Our Family Services Inc. Teens in Transition (TNT) $ 6,000 Pima County Community Services Community Action Agency $ 29,000 Pima County Sullivan Jackson Employment $ 11,952 Primavera Foundation Greyhound Emergency Family Shelter $ 10,000 Primavera Foundation Casa Paloma Drop In Center & Transitional Shelter $ 10,000 Pima County CDNC Administration $ 15,662 Pima County CDNC Rapid Re-Housing RFP To be Announced $ 45,000 HMIS Reporting System $ 2,718 $ 208,832 TOTAL Pima County Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation Department 27 2013 Annual Action Plan Return to Table of Contents ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PIMA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Ramón Valadez Chairtman, District 2 Ann Day, District 1 Sharon Bronson, District 3 Raymond J. Carroll, District 4 Richard Elías, District 5 PIMA COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR C.H. Huckelberry DEPUTY COUNTY ADMISTRATOR FOR COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Henry Atha PIMA COUNTY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND NEIGHBORHOOD CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT Margaret M. Kish, Director Kino Service Center 2797 East Ajo Way Tucson, AZ 85713 (520)243-6777 www.pima.gov/ced/cdnc? THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR THE ANNUAL ACTION PLAN TOOK TAKE PLACE FROM APRIL 17 TO MAY 17, 2012. NO COMMENTS WERE RECEIVED 28 Pima County Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation Department 2013 Annual Action Plan Return to Table of Contents