STRATEGIC PRIORITY: Government Performance & Financial Management
AGENDA DATE: February 28, 2024
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S): N/A
DEPARTMENT: Budget and Management Services
EXECUTIVE: Jack Ireland
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SUBJECT
Title
Authorize initial support of the approach for development of the new 5-Year Consolidated Plan, covering the period of FY 2024-25 through FY 2028-29 for the four U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant funds: Community Development Block Grant; HOME Investment Partnerships Program; Emergency Solutions Grant; and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS, as prescribed by federal regulations - Financing: No cost consideration to the City
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BACKGROUND
The City of Dallas receives four distinct grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on an annual basis for community development and affordable housing. The four grants include: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME), Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA).
In order to receive these funds, the City is required to develop and submit a Consolidated Plan to HUD. The current 5-year Consolidated Plan expires on September 30, 2024. The new HUD 5-Year Consolidated Plan for the period of FY 2024-25 through FY 2028-29 is due to HUD in August 2024.
A Consolidated Plan is a comprehensive analysis and strategic plan that identifies community needs, prioritizes those needs, and proposes details of how they will be addressed. Needs currently identified in the City of Dallas include: affordable housing, homelessness, poverty, public improvements/infrastructure and economic development.
To ensure collection of required information and all elements of the Consolidated Plan regulations are addressed, HUD designed a template that grantees must use to develop their plan. The template is divided into six sections: Executive Summary; Process; Needs Assessment; Housing Market Analysis; Strategic Plan; and First Year Action Plan (the annual budget). The City recognizes the need for the goals and strategies in the new 5-Year Consolidated Plan to align with existing systems, strategies and policies to ensure consistency among them and a baseline for a strategic approach for implementation to address identified needs.
Existing systems include the Continuum of Care and the Ryan White Planning Council of the Dallas Area. Existing strategies and policies have already been developed including the Dallas Housing Policy 2033, Poverty Study, Broadband & Digital Equity Plan, Comprehensive Environmental and Climate Action Plan (CECAP), Public Infrastructure Needs Inventory, etc. The process is outlined in the City’s Citizen Participation Plan. Research, findings, and recommendations from documents such as the Dallas Housing Policy 2033, Poverty Study, Homeless Solutions Strategy, and the assessment of fair housing study provide information and data for the various needs assessments and housing market analysis required by HUD’s template. Incorporation of these existing systems, strategies and policies to tell one comprehensive story of the City’s needs and plans to address those needs furthers the goals and requirements of the Consolidated Plan. As a result, the approach for developing the strategic plan section of the Consolidated Plan is recommended as follows:
A. Use of CDBG Public Service funds to address the drivers of poverty, with focus on reducing and/or eliminating barriers to work.
B. Use of CDBG Housing funds consistent with the Dallas Housing Policy to create new homeowners through the homebuyer assistance program; and preservation of existing housing through rehabilitation and/or reconstruction of single-family and multi-family units.
C. Use of CDBG Funds for public facilities, facades, and infrastructure needs in eligible areas, including racially or ethnically concentrated areas of poverty.
D. Use of CDBG Funds for fair housing, planning and program administration up to the maximum 20% allowed.
E. Use of HOME Funds consistent with the Dallas Housing Policy 2033, and include using up to the maximum 10% allowed for program administration and minimum 15% set-aside for community housing development organizations.
F. Use of ESG Funds, in consultation with the Continuum of Care, consistent with the Office of Homeless Solutions amended Four-Track Strategy Plan, including using up to the maximum 7.5% allowed for program administration.
G. Use of HOPWA Funds consistent with priorities established by the Ryan White Planning Council of the Dallas Area (RWPC) and with needs identified in the RWPC Comprehensive human immunodeficiency virus needs assessment, and using up to the maximum 3% allowed for program administration.
There will be opportunity for additional input during the 30-day public review and comment period scheduled to begin in May 2024. Preliminary approval of the new 5-year Consolidated Plan is scheduled in May 2024 and final approval in June 2024.
PRIOR ACTION/REVIEW (COUNCIL, BOARDS, COMMISSIONS)
The City Council was briefed on the “HUD Consolidated Plan for FY 2024-25 through FY 2028-29” on October 18, 2023.
On November 9, 2023, the Community Development Commission’s recommended Communication Plan for the HUD Consolidated Plan for FY 2024-25 through FY 2028-29 was submitted to the City Council.
The Community Development Commission was briefed on the “HUD Consolidated Plan for FY 2024-25 through FY 2028-29” on December 7, 2023.
The City Council was briefed by memorandum regarding this matter on December 8, 2023. <https://dallascityhall.com/government/citymanager/Documents/FY23-24%20Memos/Update%20on%20the%20Dev%20of%20HUD%207yr%20Plan%20for%20FY%202024-25%20-%20FY%202028-29.pdf>
The City Council was briefed on the “HUD Consolidated Plan for FY 2024-25 through FY 2028-29” on January 31, 2024.
FISCAL INFORMATION
No cost consideration to the City.