OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 1 of 115
DRAFT Annual Action Plan
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Community Planning and Development Programs
Program Year 2022 (July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023)
Public Review Document
Comment Period: March 18, 2022 – April 19, 2022
All sources and uses are considered estimates pending HUD finalization of Program Year 2022 Allocations and City Council Adoption
Planning and Development Department
Housing and Community Development Division
2600 Fresno Street, Room 2065
Fresno, CA 93721
559-621-8300
[email protected]
March 18, 2022
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 2 of 115 This is a draft document that has been made available
for public review and comment.
The Public Comment Period will begin March 18, 2022 and conclude on April 19, 2022.
Residents are encouraged to submit comments by one of the following methods:
Submit Comments by Mail:
City of Fresno
Planning and Development Department
Attn: Housing and Community Development Division
2600 Fresno Street Room 3065
Fresno CA 93721
Submit Comments by Email:
[email protected]
Please include “2022 Action Plan” in the subject line
Submit Comments by Phone:
559-621-8300
Submit Comments by TTY:
559-621-8721
Submit Comments by Fax:
559-457-1579
Submit Comments by Survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/N6F3T7Z
Residents may also submit comments during an April 28, 2022, Public Hearing at approximately 10:00 A.M., prior to City Council consideration of the Plan. For participation instructions, visit https://fresno.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx and select the agenda for the April 28, 2022 meeting.
For additional accommodations, please contact the office of the City Clerk at (559) 621-7650 or [email protected] at least three business days prior to the meeting.
There has been a revision to the Executive Summary section of the draft Annual Action Plan on page 5.
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 3 of 115 Contents
AP-05 - Executive Summary ...................................................................................................... 4 PR-05 – Lead and Responsible Agencies .................................................................................16 AP-10 – Consultation ................................................................................................................17 AP-12 – Participation ................................................................................................................24 AP-15: Expected Resources .....................................................................................................27 AP-20: Annual Goals and Objectives ........................................................................................33 AP-35: Projects .........................................................................................................................36 AP-50: Geographic Distribution ................................................................................................. 49 AP-55: Affordable Housing ........................................................................................................50 AP-60: Public Housing ..............................................................................................................51 AP-65: Homeless and Other Special Needs Activities ...............................................................53 AP-70: HOPWA Goals ..............................................................................................................56 AP-75: Barriers to Affordable Housing ......................................................................................57 AP-85: Other Actions ................................................................................................................58 AP-90 Program Specific Requirements .....................................................................................60 Appendix A: Public Notices and Citizen Outreach .....................................................................65 Appendix B: Citizen Input and Public Comments ......................................................................94 Appendix C: ESG Policies and Procedures ............................................................................. 113
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 4 of 115 AP-05 - Executive Summary
The City of Fresno (City) receives annual allocations from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through four grant programs:
1. Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
2. HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME)
3. Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), and
4. Housing Opportunities for People With AIDS/HIV Grant (HOPWA) The purpose of these four programs is to assist low- and moderate-income families and households, which are those that earn less than 80% of the area median income. The funds are used to pursue three goals:
1. Provide decent, affordable housing,
2. Create suitable living environments, and
3. Expand economic opportunities.
In order to access these federal funds, the City must carry out a planning process to identify the scope of housing and community development needs in its jurisdiction and how the available funding can best be used to meet those needs. This planning process, called the Consolidated Plan, was conducted in late 2019 and early 2020. The term of the plan began on July 1, 2020 and will end on June 30, 2025. A full copy of the Consolidated Plan is available for review at the City’s Planning and Development Department’s Housing and Community Development Division (HCDD) web page at www.fresno.gov/housing.
Each year, the City prepares an Annual Action Plan that describes the projects and actions it will undertake to carry out the strategies outlined in the Consolidated Plan. This document is the Third Year Annual Action Plan, covering the period from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023 (Program Year 2022 and City Fiscal Year 2023).
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 5 of 115 Sources and Uses of Funds
More detailed information on sources can be found in AP-15 Expected Resources and more detailed information on uses can be found in AP-35 Projects.
Table 1 – CDBG Sources and Uses
Sources – CDBG Amount Uses – CDBG % Amount
Annual Entitlement $7,184,218 Public Infrastructure 5% $375,000 Program Income $105,000 Affordable Housing 62% $4,658,852.031 Prior Year Funds $246,113.93 Public Services 14% $1,027,953 Fair Housing >1% $50,0002
Administration & Compliance 18% $1,386,843.60
Section 108 Loan Repayment >1% $36,683.30
Subtotal $7,535,331.93 Subtotal 100% $7,535,331.93
Table 2 – HOME Sources and Uses
Sources – HOME Amount Uses – HOME % Amount
Annual Entitlement $3,289,681 Affordable Housing 78% $2,872,2601 Program Income $405,000 CHDO Housing Development 13% $493,453 Administration & Compliance 9% $328,968
Subtotal $3,694,681 Subtotal 100% $3,694,681
Table 3 – ESG Sources and Uses
Sources – ESG Amount Uses – ESG % Amount
Annual Entitlement $606,586 Rapid Rehousing 52% $316,031 Emergency Shelter/Street Outreach 33% $197,140
Homelessness Prevention 4% $26,690
HMIS 4% $21,231
Administration & Compliance 7% $45,494
Subtotal $606,586 Subtotal 100% $606,586
1 All sources and uses are considered estimates pending HUD finalization of Program Year 2022 Allocations and City Council Adoption. The City anticipates that the CDBG and HOME allocations will be lower and higher, respectively, than originally estimated. In this scenario, the allocations to Affordable Housing will be adjusted as follows: the CDBG allocation will be decreased, and the HOME allocation will be increased by the difference between the estimated allocations and the actual allocations for each funding source. Any activities with statutory minimums and maximums will also be adjusted accordingly. 2 $35,000 is also available for Fair Housing under public services funds OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 6 of 115
Table 4 – HOPWA Sources and Uses
Sources – HOPWA Amount Uses – HOPWA % Amount
Annual Entitlement $875,943 Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS/HIV 97% $849,665
Administration & Compliance 3% $26,278
Subtotal $875,943 Subtotal 100% $875,943
All sources and uses are considered estimates pending HUD finalization of Program Year 2022 Allocations and City Council Adoption
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 7 of 115 Summary of Objectives and Outcomes
The City of Fresno’s 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan identified six strategic priority areas to be addressed using HUD Community Planning & Development funding. Consistent with these six priorities, and in response to the community needs assessment conducted for the 2022-2023 Annual Action Plan, the City issued or will issue requests for applications to address each priority area. Eligible applicants are City of Fresno departments, units of local government, and non-profit organizations. Applications for funding will also be requested from developers of affordable housing and providers of fair housing assistance. Applications are reviewed by staff, the Administration, and a committee of the City Council. Projects and activities recommended for funding are listed below by strategic priority area.
Homeless and Homelessness Prevention
Need: Provide assistance for the homeless and those at risk of becoming homeless through safe low-barrier shelter options, housing first collaborations, and associated supportive services.
Projects and activities for funding in program year 2022-2023:
• WestCare California, Inc. – The Living Room
WestCare California, Inc. (WCCA) the lead agency, is partnering with Fresno Housing Authority to continue providing Short Term Rental and Mortgage Assistance (STRMU), Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA), transitional housing, homelessness prevention, rapid re-housing, supportive services, and housing information to homeless and at-risk of homelessness individuals affected by HIV/AIDS and their families in Fresno. The primary goals of the proposed program are to help participants achieve both permanent housing and health stability.
• WestCare California, Inc. – Project Unite
WestCare California, Inc. (WCCA) will provide rapid rehousing and homelessness prevention services through Project Unite. During the grant period, Project Unite will conduct weekly outreach activities in order to establish supportive relationships with the street homeless population providing linkages and support to enable them to move off the streets and into housing. The program will engage homeless and chronically homeless extremely low-income (30% area median income) individuals and families, including Veterans who are not eligible for housing assistance through Supportive Services for Veteran Families and VASH.
• Poverello House - Homeless Outreach Progressive Engagement (HOPE Team) The HOPE Team will provide street outreach to people experiencing homelessness that live in the City of Fresno. The purpose of the team is to link people experiencing homelessness to navigation services and shelter.
• Poverello House – Rapid Rehousing Program
The program will provide direct case management and rental support for those experiencing homelessness in the City of Fresno for up to one year. This program will support security deposits, pay for costs associated with PG&E arrears, and direct rental OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 8 of 115 support. Case Managers will work with program participants during this timeframe to develop a plan to sustain housing beyond the rapid rehousing program support.
• Fresno Housing Authority – Homeless Management Information System Fresno Housing will provide a functioning Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) for the purposes of gathering and analyzing community data from various programs including Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG). This system will be used to assess the effectiveness of the homeless response system and inform decision making on housing and services needs for individuals/families experiencing homelessness.
Affordable Housing
Need: Improve access to affordable housing for low‐income and special needs households by partnering with interested developers to increase development of low-income and affordable housing in high opportunity areas, and by promoting the preservation and rehabilitation of existing affordable housing units.
Projects and activities for funding in program year 2022-2023:
• City of Fresno – Senior Paint and Exterior Repair Program & Housing Rehabilitation Program Delivery
Funds will pay for a licensed lead-certified painting contractor to paint the exterior of the home and minor repairs (i.e., screens, broken window panes, loose or damaged gutters, etc.). This program serves low-income seniors (62 years of age or older) who own and occupy their homes. Funds will also be used for program delivery costs associated with owner-occupied home repair programs.
• Affordable Housing Development or Substantial Rehabilitation The City of Fresno will request applications from developers of affordable housing for funding to develop units affordable to low- and moderate-income people that meet the guidelines of the HOME program.
• Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) Affordable Housing Development
The City of Fresno will request applications from Community Housing Development Organizations for funding to develop units affordable to low- and moderate-income people that meet the guidelines of the HOME program.
Public Infrastructure and City-Owned Facilities
Need: Promote quality of life and neighborhood revitalization through improvements to current public infrastructure and facilities, and by closing gaps in areas with aging, lower quality, or nonexistent public infrastructure and facilities.
Projects and activities for funding in program year 2022-2023:
• City of Fresno – Roberts Avenue and Tenth Street (Tenth – Barstow – Roberts – Cedar) Neighborhood Street Improvements
This project is located on Tenth Street from Barstow Avenue to Roberts Avenue and on Roberts Avenue from Tenth Street to Cedar Avenue. The work includes roadway pavement removal, re-compaction, and repairs to roadway base, as needed, followed by OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 9 of 115 pavement reconstruction. Barriers to pedestrian access will be removed with this project, and curb ramps will also be reconstructed to improve sidewalk accessibility.
Public and Community Services
Need: Provide services to low‐income and special needs households that develop human capital and improve quality of life.
Projects and activities for funding in program year 2022-2023:
• Boys & Girls Clubs in East and West Fresno
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Fresno County will provide after school enrichment programs to 1,012 young people living in low-income, high-crime neighborhoods in East, West, and Central Fresno. It will provide programs that help girls and boys develop and adopt a healthy attitude and lifestyle; develop academic, behavioral, and social skills through homework completion, learning activities, and tutoring; support and guide teens in setting career goals and improving their employability skills; and provide teens with skill- building opportunities and hands-on work experience.
• Valley Caregiver Resource Center – OASIS Adult Day Care OASIS provides services that are essential and lifesaving to dependent adults that have early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and other mild cognitive impairments. The services provided include personal care in a licensed, supervised, protective, and congregate setting that provides meaningful interactions alongside friends; and stimulating recreational and therapeutic activities. After having to close operations as a result of the pandemic, OASIS is relaunching. Marketing efforts will be enhanced to ensure community members with the most need are aware of the services.
• Chinatown Fresno Foundation – Business Visibility Initiative of the Make Time Business School
Make Time Business School offers free training for Chinatown microenterprise businesses. The focus this year is increasing visibility for Chinatown micro-enterprises through the Business Visibility Initiative. This initiative gives micro-enterprises access to one-on-one guidance that will help expand the businesses’ customer base by focusing on building a strong social media presence.
Programmatic Compliance
Need: Plan and administer funding for community development, housing, and homelessness activities with improved transparency, increased community involvement, and full compliance with federal regulations.
• City of Fresno – Planning, Grant Administration, and Compliance The City of Fresno will use grant funding to conduct public participation in support of planning activities; issue NOFAs and conduct project and activity selection; consult with subrecipients in program implementation; conduct environmental reviews; conduct historic preservation reviews; monitor subrecipient activities; prepare performance reports; and undertake other administrative and program tasks to effectively support the funded activities in compliance with all local, state, and federal requirements.
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 10 of 115 Evaluation of Past Performance
Below is a summary of activities recently completed and reported in the City’s 2020 Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER):
Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation work completed during PY 2020 to increase development, preserve and rehabilitate affordable housing for low-income owner-occupied households included:
• City of Fresno Senior Paint Program: Completed 11
• Self-Help Home Repair and Rehabilitation Program: Completed 8 • Habitat for Humanity Housing Rehabilitation/Repair Program: Completed 11
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City experienced a decrease in project completions. As a result, the City implemented interim procedures to minimize potential risks associated with program operations. The City will continue to conduct owner-occupied home repair programs for low- and moderate-income households through the City’s Housing and Community Development Division and its subrecipients in a manner that prioritizes the health and well-being of Fresno families, contractors, and program staff.
Housing Development
Housing Projects completed in PY 2020 include:
• Self-Help Enterprises – Annadale Commons Senior Housing Project. The City provided $2.5 million in HOME funds to Self-Help Enterprises for the development of a 40-unit apartment complex containing one and two-bedroom units, a single-story community room, and on-site and off-site improvements and amenities. The total project cost was approximately $14 million.
• Habitat for Humanity - B and Amador Project. The City provided $580,263 in HOME Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) funds to Habitat for Humanity for the acquisition of three parcels located at the corner of B and Amador Street in southwest Fresno and the subsequent construction of four 5-bed/2bath single-family OMB Control No: 2506-011 City of Fresno PY 2020 CAPER Page 8 of 105 homes to be sold to low-income homebuyers. Also included were on- and off-site improvements. The cost of the project was approximately $1.3 million.
• Habitat for Humanity – Central Lots Project. The City provided $445,000 in HOME CHDO funds to Habitat for Humanity for its Central Lots Project in northwest Fresno.
The project included the construction of one 3-bed/2bath and two 4-bed/2bath single- family homes to be sold to low-income homebuyers. Also included were on-and off-site improvements. The cost of the project was approximately $904,666.
Homelessness
• HEARTH Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG). The City acts as the pass-through agency for ESG Program funds. While the City is responsible for the administration and OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 11 of 115 oversight of the grant, 93% of funds were awarded to local homeless services providers (WestCare and Marjaree Mason) who performed the day-to-day program delivery.
Based on the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) reports provided to the City, 517 people were assisted with emergency shelter or street outreach services (185 unduplicated). One hundred twenty-two people received Rapid Rehousing, and 40 received Homeless Prevention with PY 2020 ESG funding. The City also provided 77 people impacted by COVID-19 with temporary emergency shelter with ESG-CV funding.
Furthermore, the City provided 83 people with emergency shelter and 24 people with rapid rehousing through the PY 2019 agreement with Marjaree Mason Center (MMC).
• Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA). The City contracted with WestCare California, Inc. to provide HOPWA and HOPWA-CV funding for housing assistance and housing-related supportive services benefitting people living with HIV/AIDS and their families. Program Year 2020 HOPWA funds were used for supportive services; housing information and referral services; tenant-based rental assistance; and short-term rent, mortgage, and utility (STRMU) assistance. Fifty people were assisted with a housing subsidy, 50 people received housing information services, and 75 people received supportive services; please note some people received more than one activity component. HOPWA-CV funds were used to provide STRMU to 7 people and Supportive Services assistance to 84 people impacted by COVID-19.
• HOME Investment Partnerships Program. The City provided Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) to a total of 32 households through agreements with the Fresno Housing Authority. Furthermore, 23 households received TBRA through the HOPWA agreement with WestCare.
Community Services
• City of Fresno After School Program: COVID-19 had an adverse effect on the After School Programs offered at our Neighborhood Centers. Under the CDC guidelines and City protocols the PARCS Department had to adopt a cohort model program and had to adhere to strict social distancing, mask mandates, sanitizing and out-only protocols.
These restrictions made it very challenging to develop and implement a program that is meaningful, fun, and safe. Staff did an excellent job with all aspects of these restrictions.
PARCS saw a reduced number of participants due to the following reasons: weather, concerns over the virus, and kids not wanting to participate in restricted activities. As a whole the PARCS Department served 315 unique individuals in the cohort model.
PARCS had two locations that were not open: Maxie L. Parks (due to an air remediation project the property was not accessible to the public) and Sunset (there is not outside park space to run a program, and the building was off limits due to the CDC and City policies). In addition to the cohort and drop-in models between September 2020 and December 2020, the PARCS Department developed, produced, recorded and posted virtual recreation programs on the City’s website. The virtual model had 891 hits or views. In closing the PARCS Department had to adapt, as everyone did, to the COVID restrictions, and its attendance numbers suffered. Three hundred fifteen youth benefitted from the Afterschool program during PY 2020. Effective July 6, 2021, PARCS shifted back to a drop-in model, and attendance numbers started to increase.
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 12 of 115 • City of Fresno PARCS Senior Program: Enrichment programming provided kits that included a variety of crafts, an activity book, an exercise band, and puzzles to help sharpen minds and motor skills. Participants were provided instructions on how to assemble their crafts by watching a video that PARCS staff recorded and edited.
PARCS staff also provided exercise and virtual tours though virtual programming. In addition to the videos, PARCS partnered with Fresno Adult School to provide Physical Fitness, Tai-Chi, and Pilates online classes. Ninety-four seniors, 62 years of age and older, benefitted from the program during PY 2020.
• Boys and Girls Club of Fresno County (B&GC): The afterschool program provided education, job training, and recreation to 183 youth ages 6-18 at the West Fresno and East Fresno Boys and Girls Clubs. As a youth development organization with skilled, caring professionals, the B&GC provides culturally relevant programs, helping kids shape their paths toward great futures. This funding will continue to be used to provide afterschool enrichment programs that include educational and recreational activities to young people living in low-income, high-crime neighborhoods in East and West Fresno.
• Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission (FEOC) Afterschool and Recreation Program: Fresno Street Saints provided educational enrichment and homework assistance, personal protective equipment, household cleaning supplies, diapers and baby formula, along with grab-and-go meals for 45 youth and their families. Following CDC and local guidelines, FEOC was also able to serve a small group of youth at Martin Luther King Square Apartments, Bigby Villa, and Sunset Community Center.
• Stone Soup Family Forward Program: Stone Soup Fresno (SSF) through this pandemic, found it difficult at times to calm fears of contracting COVID-19 if the client had to leave the safety of their home. Many clients lacked personal transportation and hesitated to get on public transportation. Some clients struggled with trusted childcare for their children who did not qualify for early education childcare services. Those were children in grades 1 to 6, who aged out of early childcare but were not able to remain home unsupervised. In total, SSF made 310 referrals, 13 direct job referrals, held 15 outreach events (5 Parent Leadership Club meetings, 2 Flu Clinic Events, 3 Supply Distributions, 3 Food Distributions, 2 Live Virtual Community Resource Hour). It offered service referrals for citizenship, education, employment, immigration, legal services, volunteerism, baby supplies, childcare, early intervention, food, health, housing, voting, PPE supplies. One hundred fifty-nine participants benefitted from these services in the program year.
• Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation (FAHF) Entrepreneurship Program: The first cohort of 2021 of the Womanpreneur and Latinapreneur launched the week of May 10 and successfully completed on June 28. There were 41 residents from the City of Fresno. All participants attended the weekly live marketing training for eight consecutive weeks and accessed additional marketing content using an E-Learning platform online. In addition, participants worked on creating their Strategic Marketing Plan and a Business Pitch Elevator Video. Other trainings included two legal workshops in May, The Pros and Cons of Forming an LLC, and in the month of June, Employer Rules and Exceptions During COVID-19.
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 13 of 115 FAHF provided participants one-on-one business consultant Technical Assistance. The focus was on the permit and licensing process for startup businesses to ensure the company could register legally by meeting all local and state laws. The focus was on analyzing current revenue, sales strategy, and objectives for job creation or location expansion for existing businesses.
Neighborhood Street Improvements
• The Calwa-Vine-MLK Neighborhood project was completed and benefits 3,665 people. • The Shields-Crystal-Dakota-West Neighborhood project carried over from PY 2018 was completed. This was the first phase of a larger overall project. • The Shields-Dakota-Crystal-Hughes Neighborhood project was the second phase of the project listed above and was also completed. Overall the two areas benefit 11,375 people.
• The Orange-Cedar-Butler-California project was completed and benefits 2,555 people.
Each neighborhood street improvement project received pavement reconstruction, including complete pavement removal, re-compacting and repairing the asphalt base as needed, and reconstructing each pavement section. Neighborhood residents have benefited from the restoration of the previously deteriorated roadways, which are now safer to drive upon, as well as walk across and ride bicycles down. In addition, City crews were able to repair curb ramps and gutters for improved ADA accessibility and an overall neighborhood commute improvement.
Park Facilities Improvements
Park Facility Improvements completed during PY 2020 are:
• Fink White Park Improvements (play structure), which benefits 5,370 people • Romain Park Improvements (doors and bathrooms), which benefits 14,040 people • Ted C. Wills Park Improvements, which benefits 12,710 people • Holmes Park Improvements (ADA remediation), which benefits 11,200 people
A full copy of the City’s PY 2020 CAPER includes more details about the City’s accomplishments, including projects that are underway or near completion, and can be found on HCDD’s webpage at www.fresno.gov/housing.
Summary of Citizen Participation and Consultation Process During the citizen participation and consultation phase of the Annual Action Plan development, the City continued to experience the restrictions implemented to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the waivers issued by HUD was a waiver to allow the City to conduct hearings electronically. Given the challenges in reaching constituents through conventional means, the City expanded upon the activities required in the adopted Citizen Participation Plan in order to encourage the broadest participation possible, and to collect the most relevant input in order to conduct a thorough needs assessment. A comprehensive list of participation and consultation activities is available in sections AP-10 and AP-12 of this plan.
Among the actions the City took to collect community and stakeholder input are:
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 14 of 115 - A community needs questionnaire completed by 13 Housing and Community Development stakeholders (units of local government, non-profits, affordable housing developers, etc.)
- Four virtual workshops broadly promoted through email, social media, newspaper, and local media to collect broad-based community input and identify the most-needed activities, attended by 33, 17, 21, and 26 people, respectively, followed by subsequent input through an online form by 12 members of the community and emails from 15 community members
- A community needs public hearing held before City Council with 11public comments - Three webinars held to provide technical support for the 2022-2023 Consolidated Notice of Funding Available
- A web page maintained at www.fresno.gov/housing explaining the Annual Action Plan process and timeline, with links to relevant notices, recordings, and presentations - A 30-day public comment period to collect input from members of the community on the draft Annual Action Plan and recommended activities for funding - A public hearing to review activities recommended for funding to be held on April 28, 2022 prior to City Council consideration of Plan adoption Summary of Public Comments
A summary of all comments is included in Appendix A.
Summary of Comments Not Accepted
The City accepted all comments.
Summary
During development of the 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan, participants consistently identified homelessness, affordable housing, neighborhood infrastructure improvements, and fair housing among their top priorities. The community needs assessment conducted for the 2022-2023 Annual Action Plan continued to support these needs. In PY 2022, the City will invest approximately $10.9 million to address the needs identified in this plan, inclusive of project savings from prior years, and anticipated program income. While the needs of the community far outstrip the ability of this plan to address the needs in their entirety, the investments selected address the most pressing needs with the most appropriate funding available, while adhering to all regulations governing the use of HUD Community Planning and Development funds.
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 15 of 115 Project Funding Summary
Table 5 - Project Funding Summary
PRIORITY AREA PROJECT CDBG HOME ESG HOPWA
Homeless & Homelessness
Prevention
Emergency Solutions Grant $606,5861
Homeless & Homelessness
Prevention
Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS/HIV $849,665 Affordable Housing Housing Rehabilitation (Non-Profit)
Affordable Housing Housing Rehabilitation Program Delivery $200,000 Affordable Housing Senior Paint and Exterior Repair Program $500,000 Affordable Housing Affordable Housing Development $3,958,852.03 $2,872,260 Affordable Housing Affordable Housing Development – CHDO $493,453 Public Infrastructure & Facilities Neighborhood Street Improvements $375,000 Community Services PARCS After School Programs $315,000 Community Services PARCS Senior Enrichment Programs $480,711 Community Services Non-Profit Public Services $197,242
Fair Housing Fair Housing Education, Outreach, and Referral $85,000 Section 108 Loan Repayment Repayment $36,683.30
Administration & Compliance Program Administration $1,386,843.60 $328,968 See note $26,278 TOTALS $7,535,331.93 $3,694,681 $606,586 $875,943
1 Administration funds of $45,486 are included in the ESG project total OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 16 of 115 PR-05 – Lead and Responsible Agencies
The City of Fresno Planning and Development, Housing and Community Development Division is responsible for the administration of HUD Entitlements including the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG), the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), the Emergency Solutions Grant program (ESG), and the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS/HIV (HOPWA).
Public Contact Information:
Karen Jenks
Manager | Housing and Community Development Division
2600 Fresno Street ▪ CHN 3065-C ▪ Fresno CA 93721
City of Fresno
Phone: (559) 621-8507
TTY: (559) 621-8721
Fax: (559) 457-1054
Email: [email protected]
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 17 of 115 AP-10 – Consultation
Introduction
Public participation plays a central role in the development of the Consolidated Plan. To develop its 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan, the City launched an in-depth and collaborative effort to consult with community stakeholders, elected offices, City and County departments, and beneficiaries of entitlement programs to inform and develop the priorities and strategies. For the PY 2022 Annual Action Plan, the City followed up with many of the same organizations to identify shifts and trends within the needs of the community.
Efforts to Enhance Coordination
Provide a concise summary of the jurisdiction’s activities to enhance coordination between public and assisted housing providers and private and governmental health, mental health, and service agencies (91.215(l)).
In addition to the citizen engagement process, the City asked all organizations who participated in the 2021 Annual Action Plan, 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan, or the 2021 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) to complete a community needs questionnaire. Thirteen responses were collected, and the responses were used in conjunction with the community needs assessment to prepare the NOFA. The City released a Consolidated NOFA for CDBG, HOME, ESG, and HOPWA to coordinate with local non-profits on the provision of public services and homelessness services.
Continuum of Care Consultation – Homeless Needs
Describe coordination with the Continuum of Care and efforts to address the needs of homeless people (particularly chronically homeless individuals and families, families with children, veterans, and unaccompanied youth) and people at risk of homelessness.
The Fresno Madera Continuum of Care (FMCoC) is comprised of organizations and individuals working to address homelessness in the counties of Fresno and Madera. Members of the FMCoC include representatives of federal, state, and local government agencies, nonprofits, the private sector, and faith-based organizations. The FMCoC holds monthly meetings to coordinate the efforts of its members to efficiently provide housing and services to the homeless population.
As part of the PY 2022 planning process, the City coordinated with the FMCoC to develop a recommendation for funding priorities utilizing ESG funds. The FMCoC board of directors presented their recommendation to the general membership at their January 13, 2022 meeting, and its recommendation was adopted. The City included the breakdown by funding categories recommended by the board of directors and also noted that the recommendation was not binding, with the expectation that the constituent members of the FMCoC could propose any alternatives through the NOFA process.
The City also coordinates with the FMCoC related to allocations of State of California Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention (HHAP) funding.
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 18 of 115 Continuum of Care Consultation – Program Design
Describe consultation with the Continuum(s) of Care that serves the jurisdiction's area in determining how to allocate ESG funds, develop performance standards for and evaluate outcomes of projects and activities assisted by ESG funds, and develop funding, policies and procedures for the operation and administration of HMIS.
Allocation
The City of Fresno acts as a pass-through agency for ESG funds. While the City is responsible for the administration and oversight of the grant, the vast majority of funds are awarded to local homeless service providers who perform the day-to-day operation of the funded programs. As part of the PY 2022 planning process, the City coordinated with the FMCoC to recommend the amount of the ESG allocations that should be used for each eligible use. The City used the breakdown by funding categories to inform subrecipient allocations.
Development of Standards and Policies
ESG standards and policies were developed by the City, County, and the FMCoC when the ESG program transitioned from the Emergency Shelter Grant to the Hearth Emergency Solutions Grant in 2011. These standards are included in Appendix C of this document. The City will continue to work cooperatively with Fresno County and the FMCoC to update the ESG Policies and Procedures. The City will also continue to coordinate with its public and private partners to ensure that the local FMCoC meets all HEARTH requirements with respect to ESG funds.
HMIS and Coordinated Entry System
The Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) is used by all local homeless providers participating in the FMCoC. HMIS is a database used to track performance and outcomes for the agencies. As the HMIS Lead of the FMCoC, the Fresno Housing Authority plays a critical role in coordinating the annual Point-in-Time Count, collecting data, and distributing results from the annual count. The work of the Fresno Housing Authority in this regard meets and exceeds HUD requirements for the implementation and compliance of Homeless Management Information System Standards.
The FMCoC’s Coordinated Entry System utilizes a common assessment tool – the Vulnerability Index. All member agencies of the FMCoC have committed to using both the assessment tool and the Coordinated Entry System.
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 19 of 115 List of Consultations
Describe Agencies, groups, organizations and others who participated in the process and describe the jurisdiction’s consultations with housing, social service agencies and other entities.
Table 6 - List of Agencies, Groups, and Organizations Consulted No. Agency / Group / Organization Type Section of Plan
Addressed Consultation Method
1 Arte Americas Community organization Action Plan Questionnaire 2 Asian Business Institute Civic organization Action Plan Questionnaire 3 Addams Community Development Center Civic organization Action Plan Questionnaire 4 California Apartment Association Housing Action Plan Questionnaire 5 CARE Fresno Civic organization Action Plan Questionnaire 6 Central California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Civic organization Action Plan Questionnaire 7 Central California Legal Services Civic organization Action Plan Questionnaire & Interview 8 Central Unified School District Services – education Action Plan Questionnaire 9 Central Valley Community Foundation Civic organization Action Plan Questionnaire 10 Chinatown Fresno Foundation Civic organization Action Plan Questionnaire 11 City of Clovis Affordable Housing Other government – city Action Plan Questionnaire 12 City of Fresno Department of Public Works Other government – city Action Plan Questionnaire 13 City of Fresno Disability Advisory Commission Other government – city Action Plan Interview 14 City of Fresno Community Revitalization Other government – city Action Plan Questionnaire 15 City of Fresno Disability Advisory Commission Other government – city Action Plan Questionnaire & Interview 16 El Dorado Community Development Center Civic organization Action Plan Questionnaire 17 Elder Abuse Services, Inc. Services – elderly Action Plan Questionnaire & Interview 18 Every Neighborhood Partnership Services – education Action Plan Questionnaire 19 FACE Robinson Community Development Center Civic organization Action Plan Questionnaire 20 Fresno City College Services – education Action Plan Questionnaire 21 Fresno County Superintendent of Schools Services – education Action Plan Questionnaire OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 20 of 115 No. Agency / Group / Organization Type Section of Plan
Addressed Consultation Method
22 Fresno Housing Authority Housing Action Plan Questionnaire & Interview 23 Fresno Unified School District Services – education Action Plan Questionnaire 24 Habitat for Humanity Greater Fresno Area Housing Action Plan Questionnaire 25 Highway City Community Development, Inc. Civic organization Action Plan Questionnaire 26 Jackson Community Development Center Civic organization Action Plan Questionnaire 27 Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability Civic organization Action Plan Questionnaire 28 Lowell Community Development Corporation Civic organization Action Plan Questionnaire 29 Marjaree Mason Center Housing; services – domestic violence Action Plan Questionnaire & Interview 30 Poverello House Housing Action Plan Questionnaire & Interview 31 Resources for Independence Central Valley Services – people with disabilities Action Plan Questionnaire & Interview 32 Saint Rest Community Development Center Civic organization Action Plan Questionnaire 33 Southeast Fresno EDC Civic organization Action Plan Questionnaire 34 SW Fresno Community Development Center Civic organization Action Plan Questionnaire 35 Trans-E-Motion Services – fair housing Action Plan Questionnaire 36 WestCare California, Inc. Services – health, mental health Action Plan Questionnaire & Interview OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 21 of 115 Identify any Agency Types not consulted and provide rationale for not consulting Not applicable
List other local/regional/state/federal planning efforts considered when preparing the Plan and how the goals of the Strategic Plan overlap with the goals of each plan
Table 7 - Other Planning Efforts Considered
Name of Plan Lead Organization How do the goals of your Strategic Plan overlap with the goals of each plan?
Downtown
Neighborhoods
Community Plan
City of Fresno
The Downtown Neighborhoods Community Plan covers
long range planning topics such as urban form,
transportation, natural resources, historical/cultural
resources and health and wellness. Specific housing
related goals including increasing quality of housing
and homeownership, and increased access to health
and mental health services are also reflected in the
strategic plan.
Drive Plan City of Fresno
The DRIVE Plan has goals to improve housing
affordability and stability, reduce racial and economic isolation and support environmental justice and
sustainability, most of which are addressed in the
strategic plan.
Fresno Parks Master Plan City of Fresno
The Fresno Parks Master Plan includes goals to
maintain, improve and expand its existing parks, to
include associated recreational facilities; strategic plan. 2015 - 2023 Housing
Element City of Fresno
The goals of the 2015-2023 Housing Element are for
the City of Fresno to meet its RHNA housing
requirements, assist in the development of housing for
low-income households, remove government
constraints on housing development, conserve existing
affordable housing, and to promote equal housing
opportunity, which are shared goals with this strategic plan.
Permanent Local Housing
Allocation 5-Year Plan City of Fresno
The Permanent Local Housing Allocation 5-Year Plan
qualifies the City of Fresno to receive funding over 5
years from the State of California to address housing
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 22 of 115 Name of Plan Lead Organization How do the goals of your Strategic Plan overlap with the goals of each plan?
quality and increase affordable housing supply. The
five-year plan goals are to invest in affordable housing development, rehabilitation for owner-occupied homes
to include mobile homes, and to provide down-payment
assistance for first-time homebuyer with low incomes.
Here to Stay Report City of Fresno
The Here to Stay report is an overview of the 46 anti-
displacement policies the City recommends based on
the first-hand experiences of Fresno residents and
supported by research, data, and lessons learned in
other cities with anti-displacement policies.
Street2Home Fresno
County Fresno Housing Authority
Street2Home Fresno County identifies solutions to help
reduce and ultimately end unsheltered homelessness.
Several recommendations focused on affordable
housing and resources for survivors of domestic
violence align with the goals and priorities identified in the strategic plan.
HHAP 3 Homeless Action
Plan City of Fresno
The HHAP 3 Homeless Action Plan is a cross-
jurisdictional plan that identifies improvements in the delivery of housing and services to people experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness
through partnerships with local health, behavioral
health, social services, justice entities, and people with lived experiences of homelessness.
Describe cooperation and coordination with other public entities, including the State and any adjacent units of general local government, in the implementation of the Consolidated Plan (91.215(l)) The City works closely with the Fresno Housing Authority, the County of Fresno, and the State of California on a number of affordable housing programs.
For HOPWA, the City is responsible for administering the grant on behalf of the entire metropolitan statistical area, which includes all of Fresno County. In addition, the City coordinates with the County Public Health Department and the State of California to ensure the needs of people living with AIDS/HIV are addressed.
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 23 of 115 The City participates in the FMCoC to address homelessness issues in the region. Through this organization, the City is able to coordinate its resources with other public entities to ensure a strategic response to homelessness. The City is also on the steering committee of the Multi-Agency Response to Community Homelessness (MARCH), formerly known as the Street2Home initiative, a county-wide collaboration to address homelessness compassionately and intelligently. MARCH is a collective impact structure, and jointly convened by the City, County of Fresno, Fresno Housing Authority, the FMCoC, and other community stakeholders to implement collective resources to maximize overall impact synergy, educate and engage the entire community in solutions, establish a data framework and reporting mechanism, speak with one voice, raise funds and other resources, receive frequent input and updates from community benefit organizations, service providers, and partner jurisdictions.
In collaboration between the City, County, and FMCoC in allocating their emergency homelessness funding through the State of California’s Homeless Housing and Prevention Program (HHAP) will result in funding for shelter, triage, bridge housing, and rental assistance for homeless people funded through June of 2024.
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 24 of 115 AP-12 – Participation
Summary
Summarize the citizen participation process and efforts made to broaden citizen participation. Summarize citizen participation process and how it impacted goal-setting.
The City provided a number of opportunities for the public to participate in the PY 2022 planning process:
Table 8 - Annual Action Plan Schedule of Activities
Date / Time* Description
January 7, 2022 Public Notice
January 19, 2022; 11:00 A.M. Virtual Community Needs Workshop #1 January 20, 2022; 6:30 P.M. Virtual Community Needs Workshop #2 January 24, 2022; 6:30 P.M. Virtual Community Needs Workshop #3 January 25, 2022; 11:00 A.M. Virtual Community Needs Workshop #4 January 27, 2022; 10:05 A.M. City Council Community Needs Public Hearing February 4, 2022 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) Released Applications requested from City Departments, Offices, and Local Organizations for eligible
Week Ending February 11, 2022 NOFA Technical Assistance Webinars Visit www.fresno.gov or email [email protected] for more
information
March 4, 2022 at 4:00 P.M. NOFA Responses Due
March 18, 2022 – April 19, 2022 Draft Annual Action Plan Public Comment Period The 2022-2023 Annual Action Plan will be published at
www.fresno.gov/housing for public comments, which will be accepted by email at [email protected]; phone at 621-8300; fax at OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 25 of 115 457-1579; TTY at 621-8721; or online survey at
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/N6F3T7Z
April 28, 2022; 10:00 A.M. City Council Annual Action Plan Public Hearing & Consideration Participation instructions posted at least 72 hours in advance at fresno.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx
May 15, 2022 2022-2023 Annual Action Plan Due to HUD
May 17, 2022 (approximate) Affordable Housing Development and Substantial Rehabilitation NOFA
Available on Planet Bids; due July 5, 2022 (approximate)
In addition to the required public notice, the City promoted participation in community workshops and public hearings by newspaper, email, social media, and through digital flyers distributed throughout City schools. Promotional materials were made available in English, Spanish, and Hmong. Each workshop and hearing included Spanish and Hmong interpretation. All public notices are included in the appendix. Input received at the community meetings, hearings, and through questionnaires was used to inform the NOFA which was issued on February 4, 2022 with applications due on March 4, 2022. The draft plan was also distributed digitally on the website of the City Clerk and Housing and Community Development Division, and promoted on social media and by email. The draft plan is available for public comment from March 18, 2022 through April 19, 2022.
Citizen Participation Outreach
Table 9 - Citizen Participation Outreach
Mode of Outreach Target of Outreach Number of
Participants Summary of Comments Received
Community Meeting – Virtual Community Workshops
– January 19, 20, 24, & 25, 2022
Non-targeted/broad
community 97 attendees See attached/appendix
Public Hearing – Community Needs Public Hearing –
January 27, 2022
Non-targeted/broad
community 11 attendees See attached/appendix
Community Meeting – Disability Advisory
Commission Housing Subcommittee – November 19,
2021 and January 28, 2022
Housing and services
advocates for people with
disabilities
16 members
Need for landlord education or incentives to
provide accessibility features and
modifications; need for more veterans
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 26 of 115 Mode of Outreach Target of Outreach Number of
Participants Summary of Comments Received
housing and services to address mental
health and homelessness
FMCoC Consultation for ESG – Executive Meeting
January 6, 2022; General Meeting January 13, 2022
Homeless Services
Providers
Made recommendations on the use of ESG
allocation in consultation with FMCoC board
of directors
Web Form – Consultation Questionnaire Housing and service providers; community
development practitioners
13 participants
See attached/appendix
Web Form – Community Needs Input Attendees of Community Meetings 12 responses See attached/appendix
Notice of Funding Available Webinars – February 15,
16, & 17
Housing and service
providers
Provided technical assistance for
community organizations and units of
government wishing to apply for funding
[scheduled] Public Comment Period – March 18 –
April 19, 2022
Non-targeted/broad
community
TBD TBD
[scheduled] Public Hearing – Annual Action Plan
Public Hearing – April 28, 2022
Non-targeted/broad
community
TBD TBD
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 27 of 115 AP-15: Expected Resources
Introduction
Provide a short summary of the anticipated resources that the jurisdiction will have at their disposal over the course of the Strategic Plan.
The City has not yet received notice of its 2022 annual entitlement award through the CDBG, HOME, ESG, and HOPWA programs. The City estimates receiving awards comparable to prior year funding levels. Together with program income and project savings from prior years, the City anticipates funding approximately $12.7 million in activities using these four federal programs through this plan.
In addition to the annual entitlement funds, the City is in the process of creating the HOME-ARP Allocation Plan to receive $11.9 million in funds through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021. These funds will be included as a Substantial Amendment to the City’s 2021 Annual Action Plan and will be reported on separately as instructed by HUD.
The City will also continue to expend the CDBG Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) and ESG Coronavirus (ESG-CV) funds allocated through the CARES Act; $7,980,086 and $10,948,953, respectively.
The City will have an estimated balance of $7.8 million in CDBG-CV and $3.6 million in ESG-CV that will be expended in accordance to the CDBG-CV and ESG-CV activity plans.
On top of the $15,804,678 made available through the U.S. Treasury to the City to provide rent relief for people impacted by COVID-19 in the first tranche, the City is anticipated to receive $19,813,664 through a second tranche of funds for rent relief. Additionally, the City has allocated portions of its ARPA funds to affordable housing development ($13.2 million) and voucher assistance ($1 million).The federal government has several other funding programs for community development and affordable housing activities. These include but are not limited to:
Fair Housing; Lead Based Paint; Jobs Plus; Self-Help Homeownership; Veterans Housing Rehabilitation, and others. It should be noted that in most cases the City would not be the applicant for these funding sources as many of these programs offer assistance to affordable housing developers and nonprofits rather than local jurisdictions.
Also, housing developers receiving HOME Program funds to help develop multi-family affordable housing projects have leveraged the State of California’s 9% and 4% Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Infill Infrastructure Grant, and the Affordable Housing Sustainable Communities funding.
Private, State, and Local Funds
Explain how federal funds will leverage those additional resources (private, state and local funds), including a description of how matching requirements will be satisfied.
As a recipient of HOME and ESG funding, the City is required to generate matching funds.
Examples of matching funds under the HOME Program include private finance and interest subsidies from home buyer and residential rehabilitation programs. For the HOME Program, the City is required to match twenty-five percent of all project expenditures. HUD waived the City’s HOME match requirement based on fiscal distress criteria for Program Years 2020, 2021, and 2022.
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 28 of 115 ESG requires a 100% match of program funds. The City passes this matching requirement to the service providers receiving ESG funds. ESG providers meet this requirement through the use of private donations, state grants, and/or volunteer hours. The City may also provide general funds to service providers in order to meet match requirements.
The City anticipates receiving $8,704,073 in Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA) funds which will be coordinated with the federal entitlement funds to expand investments in affordable housing development, to provide a down-payment assistance program, and to fund the rehabilitation of owner-occupied homes not currently eligible for the City’s CDBG-funded programs. The City will also expend its allocations under the State’s HHAP ($16,593,674.33) program to address homelessness in coordination with the County, FMCoC, and area organizations, as discussed previously in this plan. Under the State’s Encampment Resolution Funding (ERF) Program, the City will receive $5,070,057.68 to address the immediate crisis of experiencing unsheltered homelessness in encampments, to support people living in encampments onto paths to safe and stable housing, and result in sustainable restoration of public spaces to their intended uses while safeguarding the needs of unhoused people seeking shelter. In addition, the City is expected to receive an additional $12,794,300 through the second tranche of Rental Assistance funds provided by the State of California under SB91 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In May 2021, the City also received authorization and $2,500,000 from the State of California to develop a Local Housing Trust Fund. The City will have to provide matching non-federal funds for the LHTF, and it is currently developing its plan to best expend the funds. The City will continue to pursue opportunities such as these in PY 2022.
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 29 of 115 Anticipated Resources / Priority Table
Table 10 - Anticipated Resources / Priority Table
Program /
Source Uses of Funds Expected Amount Available in Program Year
Narrative
Description
CDBG /
Public-
Federal
• Public Improvements
• Public Services
• Homeowner Rehab
• Housing
• Economic
Development
• Admin and Planning
• To be determined
activities (HUD
repayment)
Annual Entitlement: $7,184,218
Anticipated funding
will include
entitlement grant
funds, program
income, prior year
resources, and a
repayment to HUD
Program Income: $105,000
Prior Year
Resources: $246,113.93
Total: $7,535,331.93
Anticipated for Con
Plan Years 3-5 $21,575,919
ESG /
Public-
Federal
• Financial assistance
• Overnight shelter
• Rapid re-housing
(rental assistance)
• Rental assistance
• Services
• Transitional housing
Annual Entitlement: $606,586
Anticipated funding
consists of
entitlement grant
funds
Program Income: $0
Prior Year
Resources: $0
Total: $606,586
Anticipated for Con
Plan Years 3-5 $1,833,486
HOME /
Public-
Federal
• Acquisition
• Multifamily rental new
construction
• Multifamily rental
rehab
• New constructions for
ownership
• Homebuyer
assistance
Annual Entitlement: $3,289,681
Anticipated funding
will include
entitlement grant
funds, program
income, and prior
year resources
Program Income: $405,000
Prior Year
Resources: $0
Total: $3,694,681
Anticipated for Con
Plan Years 3-5 $10,145,293
HOPWA /
Public-
Federal
• Permanent housing in
facilities
• Permanent housing
placement
• STRMU
• Short term or
transitional housing
facilities
• Supportive services
• TBRA
Annual Entitlement: $875,943
Anticipated funding
consists of
entitlement grant
funds
Program Income: $0
Prior Year
Resources: $0
Total: $875,943
Anticipated for Con
Plan Years 3-5 $1,830,238
Publicly Owned Land
If appropriate, describe publicly owned land or property located within the jurisdiction that may be used to address the needs identified in the plan.
In accordance with AB 1486, the City provides a notice of availability for surplus properties to be posted on the California Housing and Community Development (HCD) website, and gives priority consideration to the development of affordable housing. Active and prior notices can be OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 30 of 115 viewed at https://www.hcd.ca.gov/community-development/public-lands-for-affordable-housing- development.shtml. The City will continue to assess its inventory of publicly-owned land for opportunities to meet the strategic needs of this plan, as well as offering notices of availability in advance of any disposition of City-owned property, placing particular emphasis on potential sites of affordable housing in areas of high opportunity.
Additionally, the below land is noted as vacant on the City’s current inventory and will be assessed for inclusion in future notices and development opportunities.
Table 11 - Vacant City-Owned Parcels
APN Address Lot Area Zip Zoning
31332107T 313321 # NONE ASSIGNED 0.46 93727 RS-4
31391321ST NONE ASSIGNED 2.45 93727 RS-4
31399067ST NONE ASSIGNED 0.07 93727 RS-5
31399070ST NONE ASSIGNED 1.06 93727 RS-4
31399071ST NONE ASSIGNED 1.51 93727 RS-4
31399072ST NONE ASSIGNED 0.03 93727 RS-4
31644158T 1146 S ARMSTRONG AVE 0.25 93727 RS-4
43033402T 4804 N BONADELLE AVE M/C 0.12 93726 CMX
43602311T 436023 # NONE ASSIGNED 0.01 93726 RMX
44404117T 720 W VASSAR AVE 0.38 93705 RS-5
44405116T 2252 N FRUIT AVE 0.13 93705 RS-5
45021106T 929 N FRUIT AVE 0.2 93728 RS-5
45026003T 507 N THORNE AVE P 0.13 93728 CMS
45603034T 5471 E BELMONT AVE 4.17 93727 RM-1
45908129T 459081 # NONE ASSIGNED 0.06 93701 NMX
46015427T MAPLE/JACKSON 0.25 93702 NMX
46410207T 0 # NONE ASSIGNED 0.11 93706 CMX
46410208T 2022 S WEST AVE 0.5 93706 CMX
46411313T 130 W LEMON AVE 0.14 93706 RS-5
46427237T 1212 S WEST AVE 1.05 93706 RS-4
46431211T 1122 S ROEDING DR 0.23 93706 RS-4
46431212T 1136 S ROEDING DR 0.24 93706 RS-4
46431213T 1150 S WEST AVE 0.46 93706 RS-4
46431214T 1164 S WEST AVE 0.39 93706 RS-4
46504038ST 1309 H ST 2.98 93721 DTC
46516301T 1827 B ST 0.11 93706 RS-5
46516302T 465163 # NONE ASSIGNED 0.16 93706 RS-5
46517421T 1511 B ST 0.13 93706 RS-5
46517422T 1515 B ST 0.13 93706 RS-5
46620651T 405170 # NONE ASSIGNED 0.16 93721 DTC
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 31 of 115 APN Address Lot Area Zip Zoning
46621426T NONE ASSIGNED 0.32 93721 DTC
46621427T NONE ASSIGNED 0.46 93721 DTC
46621428T 1821 FRESNO ST 0.32 93721 DTC
46621430T 1258 H ST 0.32 93721 DTC
46707306T 467073 # NONE ASSIGNED 0.18 93706 DTN
46707307T 467073 # NONE ASSIGNED 0.28 93706 DTN
46707316T 730 F ST 0.63 93706 DTN
46708116T 655 G ST 0.34 93706 DTN
46715507T 1107 B ST 0.15 93706 RS-5
46718609T 1128 COLLINS AVE 0.34 93706 RS-5
46819213T 2508 VENTURA ST 0.14 93721 DTG
46819214T 2522 VENTURA ST 0.3 93721 DTG
46819534T 502 N ST 2.15 93721 DTG
46822212T 2304 VENTURA ST 0.3 93721 DTG
46822215T 525 N ST 0.26 93721 DTG
46822216T 505 N ST 0.34 93721 DTG
46822301T 2330 SANTA CLARA ST 0.18 93721 DTG
46822302T 453 N ST 0.09 93721 DTG
46822319T NONE ASSIGNED 0.18 93721 DTG
47005201T 3702 E VENTURA ST 0.29 93702 NMX
47005202T 3754 E VENTURA ST 2.84 93702 NMX
47005203T 3745 E EL MONTE WAY 0.26 93702 RS-5
47403071T 5747 E ALTA AVE P/S 0.13 93727 CMX
47706004T 146 E FLORENCE AVE 7.94 93706 RS-3
47712105T NONE ASSIGNED 0.18 93706 NMX
47712106T NONE ASSIGNED 0.19 93706 NMX
47712113T 33 E ATCHISON ST 0.18 93706 RS-5
47714531T 84 E GEARY ST 0.4 93706 RS-5
47714544T 29 E FLORENCE AVE 0.19 93706 RS-5
47809236T 478092 # NONE ASSIGNED 0.05 93706 RS-5
47811429T 478114 # NONE ASSIGNED 0.02 93706 RS-5
47927034T 1411 E ANNADALE AVE 3.89 93706 RS-5
48102029T 481020 # NONE ASSIGNED 7.68 93725 RS-1
48102030T 2155 S PEACH AVE 21.87 93725 RS-1
48111042T 0 # NONE ASSIGNED 10.23 93725 RS-5
48111053T 2546 S WILLOW AVE S/A 1.03 93725 RS-3
48130033ST 5344 E CHURCH AVE S/A 5.76 93725 RS-4
49408103T 4826 E SHIELDS AVE 0.19 93703 RS-4
49408104T 4832 E SHIELDS AVE 0.19 93703 RS-4
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 32 of 115 APN Address Lot Area Zip Zoning
49408105T 4838 E SHIELDS AVE 0.19 93703 RS-4
49408106T 4844 E SHIELDS AVE 0.19 93703 RS-4
49408107T 4850 E SHIELDS AVE 0.19 93703 RS-4
49408108T 4856 E SHIELDS AVE 0.19 93703 RS-4
49408109T 4862 E SHIELDS AVE 0.19 93703 RS-4
49408110T 4868 E SHIELDS AVE 0.19 93703 RS-4
49408111T 4874 E SHIELDS AVE 0.19 93703 RS-4
49408112T 4880 E SHIELDS AVE 0.19 93703 RS-4
50601014T 506010 # NONE ASSIGNED 4.75 93722 RM-2
50733022ST 4069 W KADOTA AVE 0.27 93722 RM-1
51135201ST 5986 W DAYTON AVE P/S 0.28 93722 RS-4
51203105T 6605 W SHAW AVE 1.68 93723 RMX
51209417T 489158 # NONE ASSIGNED 0.02 93723 RS-5
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 33 of 115 AP-20: Annual Goals and Objectives
Goals Summary Information
Table 12 - Goals Summary Information
Goal Name Category Geographic
Area
Needs
Addressed Funding Goal Outcome Indicator
Homelessness
and the
Prevention of
Homelessness
Homeless Citywide Homelessness
ESG:
$561,092
HOPWA:
$849,665
• Tenant-Based Rental Assistance/Rapid Rehousing: 294
households assisted
• Public service activities for low/moderate-income housing benefit/homelessness prevention: 600 people assisted
Safe and
Affordable
Housing
Affordable Housing Citywide Affordable
Housing
CDBG:
$4,658,852.03
HOME:
$2,872,260
• Rental Units Constructed / Rehabilitated: 22 household housing units
• Homeowner Housing Added / Rehabilitated: 17
household housing units
• Land acquired for affordable housing development: 2
Public
Infrastructure
and Facilities
Non-Housing Community
Development / Non-
Homeless Special Needs
Citywide
Public
Infrastructure
and City-Owned
Facilities
CDBG:
$375,000
• Public Facility or Infrastructure Activities other than Low/Moderate Income Housing Benefit: 2,545 people
assisted
Community
Services
Non-Housing Community
Development / Non-
Homeless Special Needs
Citywide Public Services CDBG:
$992,953
• Public Services Activities other than Low/Moderate
Income Housing Benefit: 1,784 people assisted, 20
businesses assisted
Fair Housing Other: Fair Housing Citywide Promote Fair
Housing
CDBG:
$85,000
• Public Services Goal: 75 people assisted
• Outreach, education, and referral services for low- and moderate-income prospective home buyers and tenants
• $35,000 from Public Services; $50,000 from
Administration
Compliance Other: Administration Citywide Programmatic
Compliance
CDBG:
$1,386,843.60
HOME:
$328,968
ESG:
$45,494
HOPWA:
$26,278
• Full compliance with adopted Consolidated Plan, Annual Action Plans, Citizen Participation Plans, and all other applicable regulations (Federal, State, local, and HUD)
Section 108
Loan Payment
Other: Section 108 Loan
Repayment Citywide N/A CDBG:
$36,683 • Full repayment of loan
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 34 of 115 Goal 1: Homelessness and the Prevention of Homelessness Provide assistance for the homeless and those at risk of becoming homeless through safe low- barrier shelter options, housing first collaborations, and associated supportive services.
Projects funded through this Plan are expected to result in the following accomplishments:
• Emergency Shelter & Street Outreach:
o Poverello House – Homeless Outreach Progressive Engagement: 600 people • Rapid Rehousing:
o Poverello House – Rapid Rehousing Program: 6 people
o WestCare – Project Unite: 64 people
• Homelessness Prevention:
o WestCare – Project Unite: 64 people
• Short-Term Mortgage, Rental, and Utility Assistance:
o WestCare – Living Room: 40 households
• Tenant-Based Rental Assistance:
o WestCare – Living Room: 20 households
• Transitional or Short-Term Housing:
o WestCare – Living Room: 32 units
Goal 2: Safe and Affordable Housing
Improve access to affordable housing for low‐income and special needs households by partnering with interested developers to increase development of low-income and affordable housing in high opportunity areas, and by promoting the preservation and rehabilitation of existing affordable housing units.
Projects funded through this Plan are expected to result in the following accomplishments:
• Rental Units Constructed:
o HOME-Assisted Projects: 22 household housing units
• Homeowner Housing Added:
o HOME-Assisted Projects: 2 household housing units
• Homeowner Housing Rehabilitated:
o City of Fresno – Senior Paint and Exterior Repair Program: 15 household housing units
Goal 3: Public Infrastructure and Facilities
Promote quality of life and neighborhood revitalization through improvements to current public infrastructure and facilities, and by closing gaps in areas with aging, lower quality, or nonexistent public infrastructure and facilities.
Projects funded through this Plan are expected to result in the following accomplishments:
• Public Facility or Infrastructure Activities:
o Roberts Avenue and Tenth Street Neighborhood (Tenth-Barstow-Roberts-Cedar) Street Improvements: 2,545 people assisted (area benefit) OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 35 of 115 Goal 4: Community Services
Provide services to low‐income and special needs households that develop human capital and improve quality of life.
Projects funded through this Plan are expected to result in the following accomplishments:
• Public Service Activities:
o City of Fresno PARCS – After School Programs: 400 people assisted o City of Fresno PARCS – Senior Programs: 350 people assisted o Boys & Girls Clubs – B&GC in East and West Fresno: 1,012 people assisted o Valley Caregiver Resource Center – OASIS Project: 22 people assisted • Businesses Assisted:
o Chinatown Fresno Foundation – Make Time Business School: 20 businesses assisted
Goal 5: Fair Housing
Provide services to residents and housing providers to advance fair housing.
Projects funded through this Plan are expected to result in the following accomplishments:
• Public Service Activities:
o Fair Housing Services – 75 people assisted
• Administrative Activities:
o Accomplishment information is not reported for administrative activities. The City will work with its subrecipients to identify appropriate reporting metrics related to outreach, education, and referral services for low- and moderate-income prospective home buyers and tenants
Goal 6: Compliance
Plan and administer funding for community development, housing, and homelessness activities with improved transparency, increased community involvement, and full compliance with federal regulations.
Accomplishment activities are not reported for administrative activities, however the City’s goal is full compliance with adopted Consolidated Plan, Annual Action Plans, Citizen Participation Plans, and all other applicable regulations (Federal, State, local, and HUD).
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 36 of 115 AP-35: Projects
Describe the reasons for allocation priorities and any obstacles to addressing underserved needs.
The City’s allocation priorities reflect alignment to the 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan (Consolidated Plan), and to the needs assessment conducted in support of the 2022 Annual Action Plan. The Consolidated Plan identified highest-priority needs through data analysis, extensive community engagement, public survey results, consultation with stakeholders, and reviews of other plans and studies developed for the City and its region. The needs assessment conducted in support of the 2022 Annual Action Plan supported the Consolidated Plan allocation priorities, and was used to inform the activities selected to address each priority. The key strategic priorities that emerged from the Consolidated Plan process that these projects are designed to address are listed below:
Homelessness
The 500 respondents to the Consolidated Plan Housing and Community Needs Survey ranked the City’s homelessness needs above all other types of needs surveyed. Additionally, public meeting participants frequently discussed needs related to homelessness. These included needs for more low-barrier shelter space, case management for people experiencing homelessness, job and skills training, drug/alcohol counseling, and shelters for LGBTQ people that are not coupled to requirements for religious participation. The 2022 Annual Action Plan needs assessment identified particular need among populations including domestic violence survivors, veterans, LGBTQ, deaf and hard-of-hearing, people with intellectual disabilities, youth, victims of human trafficking, and the elderly. Services of particular need identified included comprehensive case management, employment programs and services, mental health services, and addiction and recovery services. Applications which included these particular populations or services received additional points in accordance with the scorecard released with the NOFA.
Affordable Housing
More than one in three of the City’s households (39%) is cost burdened, spending more than 30% of its income on housing expenses; nearly a fifth of the City’s households (20%) spend more than 50%. Cost burdening is particularly pervasive among renters, who make up more 67% of the City’s cost burdened households. Compounding the housing affordability issue is the fact that housing prices have increased far more steeply than household income, meaning that a housing supply that meets all of the City’s affordability needs today will be insufficient to do so in the future, and among the ten California cities listed in data provided by Zumper, a real estate listing website, Fresno has the second highest year-over-year percentage increase for two- bedroom units (21.8%) and the highest year-over-year percentage increase for one-bedroom units (30.4%) as of February 2022. Public meeting participants and stakeholders interviewed as part of the development of the Consolidated Plan identified a wide variety of needs related to housing affordability in the City. For many, the issue was primarily related to expanding the supply and improving the quality of rental housing. The needs assessment conducted in support of the 2022 Annual Action Plan further identified the particular need for owner-occupied home repair among the following populations: people with disabilities, people who are deaf or hard-of- OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 37 of 115 hearing, elderly people, and non-English speaking residents or residents with low English proficiency. Applications which included these particular populations received additional points in accordance with the scorecard released with the NOFA.
Public Infrastructure & City-Owned Facilities
Other than homelessness-related needs, street, road, and sidewalk improvements were ranked more highly than any other needs queried in the Consolidated Plan survey. Participants also ranked parks, gymnasiums, outdoor recreation space, and youth centers among the highest priorities just behind street, road, and sidewalk improvements. During the needs assessment conducted in support of the 2022 Annual Action Plan, residents strongly identified street and sidewalk improvement needs in neighborhoods comprised predominantly of households with low- and moderate-incomes. This aligns further with the 2020 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice, and for this reason, additional points were awarded to applications which improved neighborhoods in locations designated as racially and ethnically concentrated areas of poverty (RECAPs) as defined by HUD.
Community Services
Stakeholders and public meeting participants, including groups of seniors and teens, were instrumental in identifying these high-priority community services needs during the development of the Consolidated Plan. The Community Need Scorecard exercise used in public meeting settings generally shows these types of needs as lower priority than those related to homelessness and affordable housing, yet many of the activity types included in the description of this priority were nonetheless ranked highly by survey respondents. The top five public service needs ranked by survey respondents included drug abuse and crime prevention, child abuse prevention, afterschool services, employment training, and neighborhood deterioration.
These needs were frequently named in public meeting settings as well. During the needs assessment conducted in support of the 2022 Annual Action Plan, residents identified particular need for the following services: youth life skills or health education, entrepreneurship programs, workforce training and employment for the digital market, workforce navigator programs, medical and mental health care access, adult life skills, addiction and recovery, and day centers for unsheltered people. Applications which included these particular services received additional points in accordance with the scorecard released with the NOFA. In alignment with the needs assessment and the 2020 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice, applications also received additional points if they benefited people primarily residing in racially and ethnically concentrated areas of poverty (RECAPs).
Fair Housing
Survey responses reveal a gap in the community’s understandings of fair housing and a need for greater education and enforcement around this subject. While 64% of respondents reported knowing their fair housing rights, fewer than half (45%) knew where to file a complaint of housing discrimination. Further, 20% of respondents (91 individuals) said they had experienced some form of housing discrimination since living in the City, with more than four in five of those instances going unreported. Stakeholder interviews further support this priority and particularly indicate wrongful evictions as a fair housing issue to be addressed. The 2022 needs assessment continued to support these needs, and for this reason, the 2022 Annual Action Plan includes funding for Fair Housing. The notice of funding availability will be developed in consultation with Fair Housing subject matter experts, and responsive to the needs identified by OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 38 of 115 the Consolidated Plan, the 2020 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice, and the 2022 needs assessment.
Programmatic Compliance
These are necessary administrative costs associated with ensuring effective coordination and delivery of services to City residents. The City is committed to ensuring compliance with federal regulations.
The primary obstacle to completing projects on time has been the continuous adaptation of services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The City and its subrecipients have continued to adapt to the ever-changing environment by implementing alternative processes for activities which were previously conducted in-person, such as housing quality inspections, recreational activities, and monitoring activities. The City anticipates being able to restart in-person activities in PY 2022.
Project Summary
Table 13 - Project Summary
# Project Name
1 Housing Rehabilitation Program Delivery
2 Senior Paint and Exterior Repair Program
3 Affordable Housing Development or Rehabilitation
4 Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) Set-Aside 5 Non-Profit Public Services
6 PARCS After School Program
7 PARCS Senior Enrichment Program
8 Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG)
9 Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS/HIV
10 Neighborhood Street and Sidewalk Improvements
11 CDBG Program Administration and Planning
12 HOME Program Administration
13 Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS/HIV Program Administration 14 Fair Housing
15 Fair Housing Services
16 Section 108 Repayment
17 Affordable Housing Development – Land Acquisition
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 39 of 115 Table 14 - IDIS Entry: Housing Rehabilitation Program Delivery IDIS Field IDIS Entry
IDIS Project ID Number 1
Project Name Housing Rehabilitation Program Delivery
Target Area Citywide
Goals Supported Safe and Affordable Housing
Needs Addressed Affordable Housing
Funding CDBG: $200,000
Description CDBG funds will pay for the delivery costs associated with housing rehabilitation targeted to income-eligible households
Target Date 6/30/2023
Goal Indicators N/A
Location Description 2600 Fresno Street, Room 3065, Fresno CA 93721 Planned Activity 14H: Rehabilitation Administration (24 CFR 570.202)
Table 15 - IDIS Entry: Senior Paint Program
IDIS Field IDIS Entry
IDIS Project ID Number 2
Project Name Senior Paint and Exterior Repair Program
Target Area Citywide
Goals Supported Safe and Affordable Housing
Needs Addressed Affordable Housing
Funding CDBG: $500,000
Description CDBG funds will pay for a licensed lead-certified painting contractor to paint the exterior of the home and may include minor repairs, (i.e., screens, broken window panes, loose or damaged gutters, etc.) provided there are enough funds available after deducting the cost of the paint project. This program serves low-income seniors (62 years of age or older) who own and occupy their homes.
Target Date 6/30/2023
Goal Indicators Homeowner housing rehabilitated: 15 household housing units Location Description Citywide
Planned Activity 14A: Single-Unit Residential Rehabilitation (24 CFR 570.202)
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 40 of 115 Table 16 - IDIS Entry: Affordable Housing Development or Rehabilitation IDIS Field IDIS Entry
IDIS Project ID Number 3
Project Name Affordable Housing Development or Rehabilitation Target Area Citywide
Goals Supported Safe and Affordable Housing
Needs Addressed Affordable Housing
Funding HOME: $2,872,260
Description HOME funds will be loaned to local affordable housing developers to finance the development or rehabilitation of rental housing projects affordable to low-income households.
Target Date 6/30/2025
Goal Indicators Rental units constructed: 22 household housing units Location Description To Be Determined
Planned Activity Development/Rehabilitation or Rental Housing
Table 17 - IDIS Entry - Community Housing Development Organization Set-Aside IDIS Field IDIS Entry
IDIS Project ID Number 4
Project Name Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) Set-Aside Target Area Citywide
Goals Supported Safe and Affordable Housing
Needs Addressed Affordable Housing
Funding HOME (CHDO): $493,453
Description HOME funds will be loaned to a qualified CHDO to finance the development of housing affordable to low-income households.
Developments may be either rental or homebuyer.
Target Date 6/30/2025
Goal Indicators Homeowner housing added: 2 household housing units Location Description To Be Determined
Planned Activity Rental housing development or homebuyer housing development
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 41 of 115 Table 18 - IDIS Entry: Non-Profit Public Services
IDIS Field IDIS Entry
IDIS Project ID Number 5
Project Name Non-Profit Public Services
Target Area Citywide
Goals Supported Community Services
Needs Addressed Community Services
Funding CDBG: $197,242
Description CDBG funds will be provided to local non-profits to support programs that serve predominantly low and moderate income clientele. • Boys & Girls Clubs - $117,242
• Chinatown Fresno Foundation - $40,000
• Valley Caregiver Resource Center - $40,000
Target Date 6/30/2023
Goal Indicators Public service activities: 1,784 people assisted, 20 businesses assisted
Location Description Citywide
Planned Activity 05: Public Services (24 CFR 570.201(e))
Table 19 - IDIS Entry: PARCS After School Programs
IDIS Field IDIS Entry
IDIS Project ID Number 6
Project Name PARCS Neighborhood Park After School Programs Target Area Citywide
Goals Supported Community Services
Needs Addressed Community Services
Funding CDBG: $315,000
Description CDBG funds will be used to operate the Neighborhood After School program for youth ages 5 - 17 at community centers and
neighborhood parks to improve quality of life for youth through recreation. Enrichment activities are included in areas like arts, theatre, dance, fitness, sports, and culinary arts.
Target Date 6/30/2023
Goal Indicators Public service activities: 400 people assisted Location Description Various community centers in low/mod income areas, to potentially include:
1. Dickey Youth Development Center – 1515 E. Divisadero
2. Einstein Neighborhood Center – 3566 E. Dakota
3. Fink White Neighborhood Center – 535 S. Trinity Ave
4. Frank H. Ball Neighborhood Center – 760 Mayor Ave
5. Holmes Neighborhood Center – 212 S. First
6. Lafayette Neighborhood Center – 1516 E. Princeton
7. Maxie L Parks Community Center – 1802 E. California
8. Quigley Neighborhood Center – 808 W. Dakota
9. Romain Community Center – 745 N. First
10. Ted C. Wills Community Center – 770 N. San Pablo
Planned Activity 05D: Youth Services (24 CFR 570.201(e)) OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 42 of 115
Table 20 - IDIS Entry: PARCS Senior Enrichment Programs IDIS Field IDIS Entry
IDIS Project ID Number 7
Project Name PARCS Senior Enrichment Programs
Target Area Citywide
Goals Supported Community Services
Needs Addressed Community Services
Funding CDBG: $480,711
Description CDBG funds will be used to provide recreational activities at up to 10 community centers in the City of Fresno for low- and moderate- income seniors ages 62 and older to improve quality of life and strengthen community resiliency. Activities include: arts and crafts, educational and skill building workshops, nutrition education, therapeutic recreation, gardening, special events and excursions.
Target Date 6/30/2023
Goal Indicators Public service activities: 350 people assisted Location Description Various community centers in low/mod income areas, to potentially include:
1. Bulldog and 6th – 1343 E. Barstow
2. Inspiration Park - 5770 W. Gettysburg
3. Lafayette Neighborhood Park - 1516 E. Princeton Ave
4. The Link – McKinley and Blackstone - 1507 N Blackstone Ave
5. Mary Ella Brown Community Center - 1350 E. Annadale
6. Mosqueda Community Center - 4670 E. Butler Ave.
7. Pinedale Community Center - 7170 N. San Pablo Ave.
8. Romain Park – 745 N. First Street
9. Senior Citizens Village - 1917 S. Chestnut Ave.
10. Ted C. Wills Community Center - 770 N. San Pablo Ave.
Planned Activity 05C: Senior Services (24 CFR 570.201(e))
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 43 of 115 Table 21 - IDIS Entry: Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG)
IDIS Field IDIS Entry
IDIS Project ID Number 8
Project Name Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG)
Target Area Citywide
Goals Supported Homeless and Homelessness Prevention
Needs Addressed Homelessness
Funding ESG: $606,586
Description ESG funds will be used to provide homeless prevention services, shelter assistance, street outreach, and rapid rehousing services for homeless people and people at risk of homelessness; and to provide Homeless Management Information Systems and Administration support for the grant program.
• WestCare Project Unite - $243,459
• Poverello House Rapid Rehousing - $99,262
• Poverello House HOPE Team - $197,140
• Fresno Housing Authority HMIS - $21,231
• Administration - $45,494
Target Date 6/30/2023
Goal Indicators Street Outreach: 600 people assisted
Rapid rehousing: 94 households assisted
Location Description Citywide
Planned Activity Street Outreach
Shelter Operations
Homeless Prevention
Rapid Rehousing
HMIS
Grant Administration and Oversight
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 44 of 115 Table 22 - IDIS Entry: Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS/HIV IDIS Field IDIS Entry
IDIS Project ID Number 9
Project Name Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS/HIV Target Area Countywide
Goals Supported Homeless and Homelessness Prevention
Needs Addressed Homelessness
Funding HOPWA: $849,665
Description HOPWA funds will be used to provide housing assistance and housing-related supportive services for people living with AIDS/HIV and their families. HOPWA funds will be used for supportive services, housing information and referral services, tenant-based rental assistance, short-term rent, mortgage, and utility assistance. • WestCare Living Room - $849,665
Target Date 6/30/2023
Goal Indicators Tenant-based rental assistance: 20 households assisted Short-Term Rental, Mortgage, and Utility Assistance: 40 households assisted
Transition or Short-Term Housing: 32 households assisted Location Description Citywide
Planned Activity Supportive services
HIV/AIDS Housing Operations
Housing Information/Referral
Tenant-Based Rental Assistance
Short-Term Rent, Mortgage, and Utility Assistance
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 45 of 115 Table 23 - IDIS Entry: Neighborhood Street and Sidewalk Improvements IDIS Field IDIS Entry
IDIS Project ID Number 10
Project Name Neighborhood Street and Sidewalk Improvements Target Area Citywide
Goals Supported Public Infrastructure and Facilities
Needs Addressed Public Infrastructure and City-Owned Facilities Funding CDBG: $375,000
Description Neighborhood street and sidewalk improvements in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods to potentially include pavement reconstruction, sidewalk, curb, and gutter improvements. • Roberts Avenue and Tenth Street Neighborhood Street
Improvement
Target Date 6/30/2023
Goal Indicators Public facility or infrastructure activities: 2,545 people assisted Location Description Low/Moderate Income Neighborhoods
Planned Activity 03K: Street Improvements – 24 CFR 570.201(c)
Table 24 - IDIS Entry: CDBG Program Administration and Planning IDIS Field IDIS Entry
IDIS Project ID Number 11
Project Name CDBG Program Administration and Planning
Target Area Citywide
Goals Supported Compliance
Needs Addressed Programmatic Compliance
Funding CDBG: $1,386,843.60
Description Grant monitoring and administration, planning, historic preservation, and environmental assessments.
Target Date 6/30/2023
Goal Indicators Stated goal: Full compliance with adopted Consolidated Plan, Annual Action Plans, Citizen Participation Plans, and all other applicable regulations (Federal, State, Local, and HUD)
Location Description 2600 Fresno Street, Fresno CA 93721 Planned Activity 21A: General Administration (24 CFR 570.206)
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 46 of 115 Table 25 - IDIS Entry: HOME Program Administration
IDIS Field IDIS Entry
IDIS Project ID Number 12
Project Name HOME Program Administration
Target Area Citywide
Goals Supported Compliance
Needs Addressed Programmatic Compliance
Funding HOME: $328,968
Description Grant administration and oversight of the program and HOME-funded projects.
Target Date 6/30/2023
Goal Indicators Stated goal: Full compliance with adopted Consolidated Plan, Annual Action Plans, Citizen Participation Plans, and all other applicable regulations (Federal, State, Local, and HUD)
Location Description 2600 Fresno Street, Fresno CA 93721 Planned Activity Grant monitoring and administration
Table 26 - IDIS Entry: HOPWA Program Administration
IDIS Field IDIS Entry
IDIS Project ID Number 13
Project Name Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS/HIV Program Administration
Target Area Citywide
Goals Supported Compliance
Needs Addressed Programmatic Compliance
Funding HOPWA: $26,278
Description HOPWA funds will be used for administrative and compliance oversight activities associated with HOPWA-funded projects.
Target Date 6/30/2023
Goal Indicators Stated goal: Full compliance with adopted Consolidated Plan, Annual Action Plans, Citizen Participation Plans, and all other applicable regulations (Federal, State, Local, and HUD)
Location Description 2600 Fresno Street, Fresno CA 93721 Planned Activity Grant monitoring and administration
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 47 of 115 Table 27 - IDIS Entry: Fair Housing
IDIS Field IDIS Entry
IDIS Project ID Number 14
Project Name Fair Housing
Target Area Citywide
Goals Supported Fair Housing
Needs Addressed Promote Fair Housing
Funding CDBG: $50,000
Description CDBG administration funds will be used to support fair housing outreach, education, and referral services consistent with the recommended activities of the 2020 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice.
Target Date 6/30/2023
Goal Indicators Stated goal: Outreach, education, and referral services for low- and moderate-income prospective home buyers and tenants
Location Description 2600 Fresno Street, Fresno CA 93721 Planned Activity 21D: Fair Housing Activities (24 CFR 570.206(c))
Table 28 - IDIS Entry: Fair Housing Services
IDIS Field IDIS Entry
IDIS Project ID Number 15
Project Name Fair Housing Services
Target Area Citywide
Goals Supported Fair Housing
Needs Addressed Promote Fair Housing
Funding CDBG: $35,000
Description CDBG public services funds will be used to support fair housing outreach, education, and referral services consistent with the recommended activities of the 2020 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice that result in a direct benefit to people with low or moderate incomes.
Target Date 6/30/2023
Goal Indicators Public service activities: 75 people assisted Location Description Citywide
Planned Activity 05J: Fair Housing Activities (24 CFR 570.201(e))
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 48 of 115 Table 29 - IDIS Entry: Section 108 Loan Payment
IDIS Field IDIS Entry
IDIS Project ID Number 16
Project Name Section 108 Loan Payment
Target Area Citywide
Goals Supported Public Infrastructure and Facilities
Needs Addressed Public Infrastructure and City-Owned Facilities Funding CDBG: $ 36,683.30
Description CDBG funds will be used to pay Section 108 debt service Target Date 6/30/2023
Goal Indicators Not applicable
Location Description 2600 Fresno Street, Fresno CA 93721 Planned Activity 19F: Section 108 Planned Repayment
Table 30 - IDIS Entry: Acquisition of Land
IDIS Field IDIS Entry
IDIS Project ID Number 17
Project Name Affordable Housing Development – Land Acquisition Target Area Citywide
Goals Supported Affordable Housing
Needs Addressed Affordable Housing
Funding CDBG: $ 3,958,852.03
Description CDBG funds will be used to acquire land for affordable housing development
Target Date 6/30/2023
Goal Indicators 16 housing units
Location Description Citywide
Planned Activity 01: Acquisition of Real Property (24 CFR 570.201(e))
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 49 of 115 AP-50: Geographic Distribution
Description of the geographic areas of the entitlement (including areas of low-income and minority concentration) where assistance will be directed.
The 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan generally allocates CDBG, HOME, and ESG dollars according to low- and moderate-income (LMI) census tracts without specification of target areas. However, in alignment with the 2020 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice, certain projects which are targeted to racially and ethnically concentrated areas of poverty (RECAPs) are given preference. These project types include public service activities, public infrastructure and facility improvements, and owner-occupied home repair programs. Affordable Housing development is prioritized in areas of opportunity.
Geographic Distribution
Table 31 - Geographic Distribution
Target Area Percentage of Funds
Citywide 100%
Rationale for the priorities for allocating investments geographically The 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan does not formally identify any specific target areas. The City will invest resources throughout the City, with the understanding that most funding will go toward the improvement of predominantly low- and moderate-income residential areas identified as racially and ethnically concentrated areas of poverty (RECAPs) to include south Fresno.
RECAPs are defined by HUD as areas where the poverty rate is 40% or more, and the non- white population is 50% or more. The number of RECAPs located within the City increased from 26 in 2000 to 40 in 2010. Residents and stakeholders who participated in the 2022 needs assessment strongly identified the need to invest in these communities through services and infrastructure while emphasizing the need to provide more housing options in areas of opportunity in order to provide services and amenities more equitably and increase access to opportunity for people with low- and moderate-incomes.
HUD generally awards HOPWA funds on a regional basis to the largest city within a HOPWA- eligible region. Fresno, therefore, receives and administers HOPWA funding for the entirety of Fresno County, known as its “Eligible Metropolitan Statistical Area” or EMSA. The City is required to serve eligible people living anywhere within the EMSA and not just within City limits.
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 50 of 115 AP-55: Affordable Housing
Introduction
The City anticipates expending a significant portion of its federal allocation dollars on the preservation and provision of affordable housing. Over the 2022 program year, the City anticipates partnering with affordable housing developers to support the construction of 22units affordable to low- and moderate-income households.
One-Year Goals for the Number of Households to Be Supported Note that the below totals represent the number of households to be supported using HOME funds only. Additional households will be supported through ESG, HOPWA, and CDBG funds for these activities as noted in the footnotes.
Table 32 - Households Supported by Household Type
Household Type Number of Households Supported
Homeless 0
Non-Homeless 261
Special Needs 0
Total 26
Table 33 - Households Supported by Assistance Type
Assistance Type Number of Households Supported
Rental Assistance 02
The Production of New Units 24
Rehab of Existing Units 03
Acquisition of Existing Units 0
Total 24
1 19 non-homeless people to be assisted using CDBG funds 2 294 people to be assisted with ESG Rapid Rehousing, HOPWA tenant-based rental assistance, or HOPWA short-term rent, mortgage, and utility assistance 3 15 households to be assisted with owner-occupied home repair programs OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 51 of 115 AP-60: Public Housing
Introduction
Fresno residents are served by the Fresno Housing Authority, or Fresno Housing (FH). FH works to create vibrant communities, build quality-affordable housing, and empower nearly 50,000 residents throughout Fresno County to achieve their goals. HUD PIC data reports that there are 651 units of conventional public housing and another 98 units designated for elderly and/or disabled households through the Section 202 and 811 programs. The FH 2022 Annual PHA Plan identifies 510 traditional public housing units, many of which will undergo demolition, disposition, or conversion to RAD in coming years.
Actions planned during the next year to address the needs to public housing The FH is continually planning for and working toward improvements to its existing housing as well as the development of new units. FH administers the Housing Choice Voucher Program, provides housing and service programs, and develops high-quality, affordable units with an emphasis on sustainability and aesthetic designs that uniquely fit the neighborhood. Within Fresno, there are currently several new properties under development or planned for rehabilitation and construction for the next year. In its 2022 Annual Plan, FH contemplates several mixed-finance developments that would potentially draw upon a variety of financing options, including Public Housing Capital Funds, rental subsidy, Project Based Vouchers, Project Based Rental Assistance Vouchers, and/or Public Housing Operating reserves. The FH 2022 Annual Plan states that eight of the city’s public housing sites are being considered for demolition or disposition and conversion to a different low-income housing type or community facility. These eight sites are Desoto Gardens (28 units), Monte Vista Terrace (20 Units), Sequoia Courts (60 units), Sequoia Courts Terrace (78 units), Sierra Plaza (70 units), Fairview Heights Terrace (64 units), Yosemite Village II (69 units), and Pacific Gardens (56 units). Nine sites are also planned for conversion under the RAD program between 2022 and 2023: Desoto Gardens (28 units), Monte Vista Terrace (20 Units), Sequoia Courts (60 units), Sequoia Courts Terrace (78 units), Sierra Plaza (70 units), Fairview Heights Terrace (64 units), Yosemite Village II (69 units), Parc Grove II (31 units), and Pacific Gardens (22 units). Conversion of these sites under the RAD program may include demolition, rehabilitation, or new construction at these sites.
Actions to encourage public housing residents to become more involved in management and participate in homeownership
FH currently offers a number of socially distanced or virtual activities for residents to increase their involvement, improve their health goals, and include efforts to assist residents with goals related to homeownership. As identified in its 2022 Annual PHA Plan, the FH conducts a financial literacy course through its Faith and Finance Program. FH has a small portfolio of single-family homes designated for sale as part of its Public Housing Homeownership Opportunities Program (HOP). Existing participants in HOP make monthly rental payments and a portion of those payments are deposited into a reserve to be used for down payment assistance upon their eventual purchase of the home. Participating families receive OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 52 of 115 homeownership counseling and financial literacy training as they work toward purchasing their home.
FH refers families inquiring about homeownership to HUD approved Local Housing Counseling agencies to pre-purchase housing counseling and financial management workshops. Families are referred to resources regarding credit counseling and other homeownership ready workshops in the community as needed.
If the PHA is designated as troubled, describe the manner in which financial assistance will be provided or other assistance
Not applicable – the Fresno Housing Authority is not designated as “troubled.”
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 53 of 115 AP-65: Homeless and Other Special Needs Activities
Introduction
The City is covered by the Fresno Madera Continuum of Care (FMCoC), a network of service providers covering Fresno and Madera counties. The FMCoC brings together housing and service providers to meet the needs of individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
Over the past year, and in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City has increased coordination with the County and the FMCoC to coordinate the funding of homeless services utilizing all funding sources including state and federal one-time funding.
Funding sources being utilized in the coordination of homelessness services include HUD entitlement funds, emergency COVID-19 state funds (through SB89), State of California Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention (HHAP), one-time HUD CPD COVID-19 emergency funds (CDBG-CV and ESG-CV), Federal Emergency Rental Assistance Funds, and State Emergency Rental Assistance Funds (through SB91).
Describe the jurisdictions one-year goals and actions for reducing and ending homelessness including:
Reaching out to homeless people (especially unsheltered people) and assessing their individual needs
During the 2022 program year, the City will award new federal entitlement funding to organizations and/or projects for the following street outreach and emergency shelter activities:
• Poverello House – HOPE Team (Homeless Outreach Progressive Engagement) • WestCare – Living Room
The federal entitlement funds will be used to complement existing street outreach, emergency shelter, and supportive services. The below totals represent funding planned to be used for these activities from July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2025 (excluding the new funds included in this plan):
• $2,409,626 for Street Outreach, Homelessness Prevention, and Diversion- including funding for street outreach to the Poverello House’s Homeless Outreach Progressive Engagement Team and Kings View’s citywide street outreach program; homeless prevention and diversion to WestCare California Inc.’s Project Unite program, and adding funding for tenant/landlord counseling
• $21,163,473 for Emergency Shelter Services- including funding for: the County of Fresno’s Joint COVID-19 homeless response providing 423 temporary beds through August 2021; Fresno Economic Opportunity Commission’s Homeless Youth Services, providing 6 beds; the Fresno Housing Authority’s Project Homekey shelter operations, providing 327 rooms; the City of Fresno’s acquisition and operation of the former Travel Inn site and at least one other site, providing at least 60 rooms; and funding for emergency shelter and rapid rehousing for victims of domestic violence • $7,911,810 for Homeless Triage Centers- including Turning Point’s Bridge Housing Program, Golden State Triage Center, and L Street Triage Center, providing an OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 54 of 115 incremental 18 beds; WestCare’s Living Room program for people impacted by HIV/AIDS; and Mental Health Systems’ Triage Center providing an incremental 50 beds Helping homeless people (especially chronically homeless individuals and families, families with children, veterans and their families, and unaccompanied youth) make the transition to permanent housing and independent living, including shortening the period of time that individuals and families experience homelessness, facilitating access for homeless individuals and families to affordable housing units, and preventing individuals and families who were recently homeless from becoming homeless again
The City will award new federal entitlement funding to nonprofit organizations for the following activities to prevent homelessness and to support people experiencing homelessness make the transition to permanent housing:
• Poverello House – Rapid Rehousing Program
• WestCare – Project Unite
• WestCare – Living Room
The City will also work to increase the availability of affordable housing in the City by using HOME funds to support the development of affordable housing, including housing for seniors and people with disabilities, and CDBG funds to provide housing rehabilitation for low-income homeowners and acquire land for the development of affordable housing.
The federal entitlement funds will be used to complement existing transitional housing and rental assistance services. The below totals represent funding planned to be used for these activities from July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2025 (excluding the new funds included in this plan):
• $36,803,251 for Transitional Housing and Rental Assistance- including funding for direct rental assistance to landlords on behalf of tenants facing financial hardship through the State and Federal Emergency Rental Assistance Programs; tenant-based rental assistance provided by the Fresno Housing Authority; a rapid rehousing program offered by Poverello House, and additional deposit assistance and rental assistance programs included as part of the Joint COVID-19 homeless response, and the Citywide emergency homeless response
Helping low-income individuals and families avoid becoming homeless, especially extremely low-income individuals and families and those who are: being discharged from publicly funded institutions and systems of care (such as health care facilities, mental health facilities, foster care and other youth facilities, and corrections programs and institutions); or, receiving assistance from public or private agencies that address housing, health, social services, employment, education, or youth needs.
The City will award new federal entitlement funding to housing and service providers in the City to prevent homelessness in populations who are vulnerable or at risk of homelessness. The City will support the following homelessness prevention programs with federal entitlement funds during the program year:
• WestCare – Project Unite
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 55 of 115 • WestCare – Living Room
The federal entitlement funds will be used to complement existing transitional housing and rental assistance services. The below totals represent funding planned to be used for these activities from July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2025 (excluding the new funds included in this plan):
• $1,966,016 for Supportive Services- including funding for a new clinic to provide services in an underserved part of the City; family services provided by Poverello House and Marjaree Mason Center; a homeless employment program provided by Fresno County Economic Opportunities Commission; and additional funding for navigation services for both the joint COVID-19 homeless response and the Citywide emergency homeless response
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 56 of 115 AP-70: HOPWA Goals
Table 34 - HOPWA Goals
HOPWA Activity Households Assisted
Short-term rent, mortgage, and utility assistance to
prevent homelessness of the individual or family
(STRMU)
40 Tenant-based rental assistance (TBRA) 20
Units provided in permanent housing facilities
developed, leased, or operated with HOPWA funds
0 Units provided in transitional short-term housing
facilities developed, leased, or operated with HOPWA
funds
32 Total 92
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 57 of 115 AP-75: Barriers to Affordable Housing
Actions planned to remove or ameliorate the negative effects of public policies that serve as barriers to affordable housing such as land use controls, tax policies affecting land, zoning ordinances, building codes, fees and charges, growth limitations, and policies affecting the return on residential investment:
The City will continue to implement activities that remove barriers to affordable housing, such as its 50% permit fee reduction for residential projects in inner city areas like Highway City, Pinedale, and Herndon Townsite. In its 2019 Downtown Displacement Report, the City also acknowledged its current opportunity to help preserve affordable housing in downtown and plans to prevent the displacement of current residents through its Downtown Displacement Program. To that end, an Anti-Displacement Task Force was established in November 2019, and the task force has worked with an anti-displacement consultant, Thrivance Group, since March of 2020 to identify causes of displacement and strategies to prevent it. Many of the strategies include preserving and developing more affordable housing options.
To encourage the development of transit-oriented development and affordable housing, the City has zoned mixed use along transit corridors, and offers TOD height and density bonuses which can be combined with a density bonus for affordable housing. Several affordable housing and transit-oriented development projects are in progress in the City, including the Cesar Chavez Foundation’s Las Palmas de Sal Gonzales Sr. Apartments at 5070 E. Kings Canyon Road, Fresno. The Project is a mix of 135 senior and multi-family units situated on a major transit corridor.
Any developer receiving City funds is required to comply with the Universal Housing Ordinance.
Every development project that has received City funds since the Ordinance was adopted has complied with this requirement.
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 58 of 115 AP-85: Other Actions
Introduction
This section details the City’s actions planned to ensure safe and affordable housing for its residents, along with plans to meet underserved needs, reduce poverty, develop institutional structure, and enhance coordination between public and private sector housing and community development agencies.
Actions planned to address obstacles to meeting underserved needs The City will continue to coordinate with the Fresno Madera Continuum of Care and the County of Fresno on a comprehensive coordinated homeless housing and services delivery system that assists people experiencing homelessness in making the transition from homelessness to independent or supportive permanent housing, and in accessing education, health and mental health services, employment training, and life skills development.
The City will also continue to identify new funding mechanisms for, and implement infrastructure and public services activities in areas of the City experiencing the greatest need. Examples include the financing and construction of a senior center, the development of an Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District, and catalyzing projects implemented as part of the Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) Program. The City’s Proactive Rental Housing Inspection Program and Reactive Rental Housing Teams will continue to address rental housing quality through baseline inspections and rental registry development.
Actions planned to foster and maintain affordable housing The City will fund multiple programs to foster housing affordability, including continuing to use HOME and State of California Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA) funds to support development of affordable housing through partnerships with affordable housing developers and community housing development organizations. The City will also continue to support applications and provide technical assistance to developers utilizing low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC), and continuously identify and pursue other potential funding sources and strategies to encourage the development of affordable housing.
In addition to specific programs designed to foster and maintain affordable housing, the City will review its zoning ordinances for prospective barriers to affordable housing development and make amendments as needed. The City received a Local Early Action Planning (LEAP) grant to prepare a successful affordable housing trust fund proposal. The City established a local housing trust fund and received an award from the State of California for matching funds resulting in an additional $5 million for affordable housing development.
The City was also made eligible for an additional $11.9 million in federal entitlement funds under the American Rescue Plan Action through the HOME-ARP program to address affordable housing and mitigate the effects of COVID-19 amongst the City’s most vulnerable populations.
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 59 of 115 The City has allocated portions of its ARPA funds for the development of affordable housing ($13.2 million) and a voucher assistance program ($1 million). Furthermore, the City allocated $3 million in general funds for an affordable housing development project.
Actions planned to reduce lead-based paint hazards
The City will continue to conduct lead-based paint inspections and, if a hazard is found, remediation. These actions will both reduce lead exposure risk and help to maintain the City’s older, lower and moderately priced housing. Any housing rehabilitation activities conducted using HOME and CDBG funds will continue to monitor closely for any potential lead exposure.
Actions planned to reduce the number of poverty-level families One of the Mayor’s main goals is to reduce the number of individuals who are homeless. The City will continue to collaborate with the FMCoC and the County to coordinate with homeless, housing, and service providers, particularly in the implementation of the City’s COVID-19 homelessness response and emergency homeless response, and annual homelessness entitlement programs. The City assists individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness through its partnerships with non-profit agencies that provide job search and resume assistance and connections to workforce development opportunities, as well as emergency shelter; transitional housing; and services such as food, clothing, and childcare.
Another main goal of Mayor’s is to increase the development of affordable housing. As such, the City will also continue to focus on the development of affordable housing, both multi-family rental and single family home ownership, that is located near transportation to help poverty-level families access more employment opportunities, while lowering transportation and housing costs. The City has multiple funding sources, in addition to its own general fund dollars, that will help support its goal to increase the number of affordable housing units including: CDBG, HOME, PLHA, and LHTF.
Actions planned to develop institutional structure
The City has developed a robust administrative structure to manage its CDBG, HOME, ESG, and HOPWA funds. The City’s Housing and Community Development Division (HCDD) staff continues to seek online training to improve and enhance their knowledge of federal and state requirements. HCDD also requires its subrecipients, CHDOs, and contractors to participate in annual technical assistance to ensure compliance with regulations. HCDD also has a staff position dedicated to compliance activities to enhance its monitoring roles and responsibilities.
Additionally, the City’s citizen participation process is designed to make engaged and informed citizens a vital part of the institutional structure. City plans focused on affordable housing, homelessness, and workforce development provide overarching goals and frameworks for collaboration among agencies and the use of federal, state, local, and other funding.
Actions planned to enhance coordination between public and private housing and social service agencies
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 60 of 115 The City will continue to participate as a member of the FMCOC and coordinate with other jurisdictional leaders and non-profit partners. The City will also enhance coordination between public and private housing and social service agencies both programmatically by coordinating the planning of available funds and through individual initiatives, such as the City’s HART Team.
The City’s HART Team partners with local homeless providers, Fresno Police Department, CalTrans, and others to address homeless encampments living in dangerous conditions, such as along the City’s highways, connecting individuals with services and emergency shelter.
Many of the individuals are offered emergency shelter along Parkway Drive, where multiple hotels and motels were acquired by either the City or Fresno Housing Authority using State of California Project Homekey funds or City CARES Act funds, operated by various service providers in part utilizing ESG-CV and CDBG-CV funds.
• The City will also continue to work closely with the Fresno Housing Authority to coordinate efforts and planning and to support its projects and initiatives. For example, the City will specifically work with the Fresno Housing Authority to develop and implement a voucher assistance/landlord incentive program using ARPA funds to address the growing concern over rental price increases and the impending end of the eviction moratorium.
AP-90 Program Specific Requirements
Introduction
Projects planned with CDBG funds expected to be available during the year are identified in the Projects Table (see AP-35). The following identifies program income that is available for use that is included in projects to be carried out.
Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) Reference 24 CFR 91.220(l)(1) Table 35 - CDBG Program Income
Program Income Type Program Income
1. The total amount of program income that will have been received before the start of the next program year and that has not yet been reprogrammed $0
2. The amount of proceeds from section 108 loan guarantees that will be used during the year to address the priority needs and specific objectives identified in the grantee's strategic plan
$0
3. The amount of surplus funds from urban renewal settlements $0
4. The amount of any grant funds returned to the line of credit for which the planned use has not been included in a prior statement or plan. $0
5. The amount of income from float-funded activities $0 Total Program income $0
Other CDBG Requirements
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 61 of 115 Table 36 - Other CDBG Requirements
Program Income Type Program Income
1. The amount of urgent need activities 0
2a. The estimated percentage of CDBG funds that will be used for activities that benefit people of low and moderate income. 100%
2b. Specify the years covered that include this Annual Action Plan. 2022 HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) Reference 24 CFR 91.220(l)(2)
1. A description of other forms of investment being used beyond those identified in Section 92.205 is as follows:
The City will not employ other forms of investment beyond those identified in Section 92.205.
2. A description of the guidelines that will be used for resale or recapture of HOME funds when used for homebuyer activities as required in 92.254, is as follows:
The City will use the recapture provisions in all cases where a homebuyer subsidy exists. For HOME-funded homebuyer assistance loans, the Promissory Note, Deed of Trust, Declaration of Restrictions, and the Homebuyer Agreement are the enforcement mechanisms for the City's recapture provisions. The City will enforce minimum periods of affordability based on the amount of homebuyer subsidy provided to the buyer of not less than:
• Five years for less than $15,000,
• Ten years for between $15,000-$40,000, and
• Fifteen years for more than $40,000.
Recapture provisions are based on 24 CFR 92.254 (a) (5) (ii), which stipulates the conditions for recapture of the HOME investment used to assist low-income families in purchasing a home.
Homebuyer recapture provisions are included in the recorded deed of trust that secures a HOME loan note, or as a deed restriction rider. This requires recapture of funds if the home does not continue to be the borrower’s principal residence or if all or any part of the property or any interest in it is sold, rented, conveyed or transferred during the affordability period.
Recapture provisions also stipulate that only the direct subsidy to the homebuyer is subject to recapture, which includes down payment assistance, closing cost, other home assistance provided directly to homebuyer, and the difference between fair market value and the sales price.
The net proceeds are the sale price minus the senior loan repayment (other than HOME funds) and any closing costs. If the net proceeds are not sufficient to recapture the full HOME investment plus enable the homeowner to recover the amount of the homeowner’s down payment and any capital improvement investment made by the owner since the purchase, the City may share the net proceeds. The net proceeds may be divided proportionally between the City and the homeowner as set forth in the following mathematical formulas:
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 62 of 115 (𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻 𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 𝑥𝑥 𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁 𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠)
(𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻 𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 + 𝐻𝐻𝑝𝑝𝐻𝐻𝑁𝑁𝑝𝑝𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻𝑁𝑁𝑝𝑝 𝑠𝑠𝐻𝐻𝑖𝑖𝑁𝑁𝑠𝑠𝑁𝑁𝐻𝐻𝑁𝑁𝐻𝐻𝑁𝑁) = 𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻 𝑎𝑎𝐻𝐻𝑝𝑝𝑠𝑠𝐻𝐻𝑁𝑁 𝑁𝑁𝑝𝑝 𝑠𝑠𝑁𝑁 𝑝𝑝𝑁𝑁𝑝𝑝𝑎𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑁𝑁𝑠𝑠𝑝𝑝𝑁𝑁𝑠𝑠
(𝐻𝐻𝑝𝑝𝐻𝐻𝑁𝑁𝑝𝑝𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻𝑁𝑁𝑝𝑝 𝑠𝑠𝐻𝐻𝑖𝑖𝑁𝑁𝑠𝑠𝑁𝑁𝐻𝐻𝑁𝑁𝐻𝐻𝑁𝑁 𝑥𝑥 𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁 𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠) (𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻 𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 + 𝐻𝐻𝑝𝑝𝐻𝐻𝑁𝑁𝑝𝑝𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻𝑁𝑁𝑝𝑝 𝑠𝑠𝐻𝐻𝑖𝑖𝑁𝑁𝑠𝑠𝑁𝑁𝐻𝐻𝑁𝑁𝐻𝐻𝑁𝑁 ) = 𝐴𝐴𝐻𝐻𝑝𝑝𝑠𝑠𝐻𝐻𝑁𝑁 𝑁𝑁𝑝𝑝 ℎ𝑝𝑝𝐻𝐻𝑁𝑁𝑝𝑝𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻𝑁𝑁𝑝𝑝
In the event of foreclosure, the amount subject to recapture is based on the amount of net proceeds (if any) from the foreclosure sale.
3. A description of the guidelines for resale or recapture that ensures the affordability of units acquired with HOME funds-see 24 CFR 92.254(a)(4)-are as follows:
The City does not use its HOME Program funds to refinance existing debt for multifamily housing projects.
4. Plans for using HOME funds to refinance existing debt secured by multifamily housing that is rehabilitated with HOME funds along with a description of the refinancing guidelines required that will be used under 24 CFR 92.206(b), are as follows:
The City does not provide HOME funds for the refinancing of multi-family housing.
Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Reference 91.220(l)(4)
1. Include written standards for providing ESG assistance (may include as attachment) The City will continue to work cooperatively with Fresno County and the Fresno Madera Continuum of Care (FMCoC) to update the ESG Policies and Procedures. A copy of the current document is included in the Appendix. In addition, the City, Fresno County, and FMCoC are also continuing to update and document written standards.
2. If the Continuum of Care has established centralized or coordinated assessment system that meets HUD requirements, describe that centralized or coordinated assessment system.
The Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) is used by all local homeless providers participating in the FMCoC. HMIS is a database used to track performance and outcomes for the agencies. As the HMIS Lead of the FMCoC, the Fresno Housing Authority plays a critical role in coordinating the annual Point-in-Time Count (PITC), collecting data, and distributing results from the annual count. The work of the Fresno Housing Authority in this regard meets and exceeds HUD requirements for the implementation and compliance of Homeless Management Information System Standards.
The FMCoC’s Coordinated Entry System utilizes a common assessment tool – the Vulnerability Index (VI). The VI gave the community a way to identify and triage individuals most at risk. The VI was enhanced to the Vulnerability Index Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool (VI- SPDAT), which further triaged individuals’ priority for housing and other services.
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 63 of 115 All member agencies of the FMCoC have committed to using both the assessment tool and the Coordinated Entry System managed in partnership by FMCoC members. The assessment system is a client-centered process that streamlines access to the most appropriate housing interventions for individuals or families experiencing homelessness.
The Multi-Agency Access Program (MAP) Point at the Poverello House was the first coordinated physical entry point collectively developed by the Community Conversations stakeholder group. The MAP Point at the Poverello House serves as a physical location of the Coordinated Entry System. The program has proved successful in its first two years and has begun expansion. Main components of this process include:
1. Assessment
2. Navigation and case conferencing
3. Housing referral with choice
4. Data collection and communication
3. Identify the process for making sub-awards and describe how the ESG allocation is made available to private nonprofit organizations (including community and faith- based organizations).
The City issued a request for applications for the 2022-2023 program year. Prior to this release, the City consulted with the FMCoC on the needs of homeless in the community and the best use of ESG funds per category. Through the 2022 community needs assessment, the City has determined the following sub-populations are a high priority for ESG services:
• Domestic violence survivors
• Homeless veterans
• Homeless LGBTQ people
• Deaf and hard-of-hearing homeless people
• Homeless people with intellectual disabilities
• Homeless youth
• Elderly homeless people
The following services were also prioritized through the 2022 community needs assessment:
• Mental health services
• Addiction and recovery services
• Employment programs and services
Proposals that propose to serve these populations or provide these services were given additional points in the scoring process. Proposals providing ESG services to populations outside of the identified high priority populations or which included other services for homeless people were also considered for funding.
Applicants could propose to provide all or a portion of the ESG eligible activities stated above.
Qualified/eligible vendor(s) are those agencies that are State certified non-profit entities, validly existing in California, with a tax-exempt IRS determination letter, as of the date the application is submitted, or public agencies that are qualified to receive ESG funds under applicable federal rules. Qualified/eligible vendors are those that have a minimum of two years’ experience serving the beneficiary populations and a minimum of two years’ experience utilizing federal, state OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 64 of 115 and/or local funding. The NOFA was published on the City’s website, promoted on social media, and distributed to an electronic distribution list of over 500 e-mail addresses.
4. If the jurisdiction is unable to meet the homeless participation requirement in 24 CFR 576.405(a), the jurisdiction must specify its plan for reaching out to and consulting with homeless or formerly homeless individuals in considering policies and funding decisions regarding facilities and services funded under ESG.
During the development of the 2022-2023 Annual Action Plan, the City consulted with the FMCoC in making decisions related to ESG funds. The FMCoC includes representation from the homeless community, which meet the homeless participation requirement in 24 CFR 576.405(a).
5. Describe performance standards for evaluating ESG.
The following performance standards are outlined in the City’s adopted written policies; however, updates to the standards are currently under way:
• Decrease the number of homeless youth and households with children by 10% from the FMCoC Point in Time Count of January 2016.
• Increase the percentage of participants in transitional housing that move into permanent housing to 80% or more.
• Increase the percentage of participants that are employed at program exit to 25% or more.
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 65 of 115 Appendix A: Public Notices and Citizen Outreach
In support of the 2022 Annual Action Plan, the City completed the following key citizen participation and consultation activities.
Public Notice & Workshop/Hearing Promotion
The City issued a public notice on January 7, 2022. The Public Notice included information about the HUD CPD programs to be funded through the 2022-2023 Annual Action Plan, the priorities of the 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan, and a schedule of activities including the Community Meetings, Public Hearings, Notice of Funding Availability, Comment Period, and City Council consideration. The City distributed the notice along with flyers and social media promoting participation in the workshops in late January.
The Notice & Workshop/Hearing Promotional materials were distributed through the following methods:
• Public Notice in the Fresno Bee
• English/Spanish public notice posted to websites of the City Clerk and Housing and Community Development Division (HCDD)
• Public notice promoting workshops and hearing emailed to HCDD’s distribution list (500+ recipients)
• Facebook and Twitter posts directing residents to a flyer promoting the workshops (3,573 impressions; 167 engagements)
• Digital flyers distributed to Fresno Unified and Central Unified school district families • Digital flyers posted to online calendars for local media outlets: KMPH Fox 26, KFSN ABC30 Action News, YourCentralValley (KSEE/NBC, KGPE/CBS)
Community Needs Consultation Questionnaire
The City prepared a questionnaire which was distributed to all organizations that were consulted on either the 2020 or 2021 Annual Action Plans/Consolidated Plans, as well as any organizations who participated in the 2021 Notice of Funding Availability. Organizations were provided a link to complete the questionnaire using an online survey tool. The objective was to collect as much information as possible regarding community needs from subject matter experts and community leaders representing a broad array of City constituents. The questionnaire was emailed to each organization directly, followed by one reminder email. As each organization completed the questionnaire, they were also provided with an email template that they could forward to their constituents inviting them to participate in the upcoming community meetings and public hearing.
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 66 of 115 Community Needs Virtual Workshops
Four virtual community needs workshops were held on January 19, 2022 at 11 AM, January 20, 2022 at 6:30 PM, January 24, 2022 at 6:30 PM and January 25, 2022 at 11 AM. The workshops were hosted on the Zoom platform and featured a presentation regarding the Annual Action Plan followed by mediated break-out rooms. All sessions featured Spanish and Hmong interpretation. Thirty-three people attended the first session, 17 people attended the second session, 21 people attended the third meeting, and 26 people attended the fourth session.
Community Needs Public Hearing
A Public Hearing was held before the Council of the City of Fresno on January 27, 2022 at 10:05 AM. Spanish, Hmong, and ASL interpretation was provided. The City Council received 11 public comments.
Notice of Funding Available
The City released a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) on February 4, 2022 for three project types: homeless & homelessness prevention, community services, and infrastructure and facility improvements. Applications were requested from City departments, units of local government, and non-profit organizations.
Availability of the notice was promoted at community workshops, noticed in the Fresno Bee and emailed to a distribution list of 500+ stakeholders who had signed up to receive updates from the City’s Housing and Community Development Division.
The NOFA was supported with a detailed handbook and three virtual webinars which were recorded and posted to the City’s website for continued access.
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 67 of 115 Public Outreach Exhibits
Fresno Bee Public Notice
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 68 of 115 Public Notice – City Clerk Website, HCDD Website, Email Distribution (1 of 6)
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 69 of 115 Public Notice – City Clerk Website, HCDD Website, Email Distribution (2 of 6)
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 70 of 115 Public Notice – City Clerk Website, HCDD Website, Email Distribution (3 of 6)
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 71 of 115 Public Notice – City Clerk Website, HCDD Website, Email Distribution (4 of 6)
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 72 of 115 Public Notice – City Clerk Website, HCDD Website, Email Distribution (5 of 6)
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 73 of 115 Public Notice – City Clerk Website, HCDD Website, Email Distribution (6 of 6)
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 74 of 115 Public Notice Email (1 of 5)
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 75 of 115 Public Notice Email (2 of 5)
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 76 of 115 Public Notice Email (3 of 5)
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 77 of 115 Public Notice Email (4 of 5)
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 78 of 115 Public Notice Email (5 of 5)
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 79 of 115 Community Needs Questionnaire – Email
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 80 of 115 Social Media Posts Promoting Workshops and Hearings – Facebook
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 81 of 115 Social Media Posts Promoting Workshops and Hearings – Twitter
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 82 of 115 Flyer Promotions Workshops and Hearing
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 83 of 115 City of Fresno Website (1 of 6)
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 84 of 115 City of Fresno Website (2 of 6)
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OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 89 of 115 Community Needs Questionnaire – Web Form (1 of 5)
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OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 94 of 115 Appendix B: Citizen Input and Public Comments
Community Needs Consultation Questionnaire Responses
Question: What is most-needed to address the following priority? Provide assistance for the homeless and those at risk of becoming homeless through safe low-barrier shelter options, housing first collaborations, and associated supportive services.
Responses:
1. Sustainable funding for ongoing services and investment in property developments for affordable housing
2. The area needs safe, secure and clean low-barrier shelters with supportive services.
This includes an increase of beds, specifically for households with children.
Transportation to get to those services is vital. Housing needs to allow people to stay in a unit (with their own valuables) until they can acquire an appropriate next step housing.
Flexible funding to assist with helping individuals more easily move towards self- sufficiency (car payment, PG&E, childcare, fines/fees owned, clothing for interviewing) and linkages for job placements are an additional resource that help people become successfully housed.
3. Not allowing anyone to sleep outside on a sidewalk or any public or private space
4. Support services should be a priority - mental health support, drug rehabilitation and social skills.
5. Coordination of city and non-profit resources, collaboration with school district and other community service agencies. Available shelter and mental health options.
6. Funding for acquisition and operations of low barrier shelter.
7. Do a review of every parcel of Fresno government-owned vacant property to determine its viability as possible housing sites
8. Appropriate partnerships/ collaboration Appropriate training for everyone involved
9. Universal Basic Income. Make the person responsible for their own decisions on housing, food, and other decisions. Homeless people we work with want to be housed.
They can't afford it. UBI would allow them a foundation to pay rent and stay house if that is what they want to be.
10. Continue rental/mortgage assistance to prevent homelessness; allow for temporary safe camps with services (can be organized by nonprofit/charitable orgs); continue with hotel renovations; allow rv parking in backyards; support tiny home villages; employ housing first principles throughout (but don't let housing first be the enemy of temporary shelters - immediate relief is needed), but also think of dignity-first as well. Even temporary shelter should not feel undignified.
11. Statewide support for in-patient mental health services and laws to help mandate drug treatment programs.
12. More than the required minimum of accessible units. More low barrier options for people experiencing homelessness. LGBTQ+ Cultural and identity training for staff providing these services, with an emphasis on working with people who are transgender; more consistent policies for working with transgender individuals that do not unnecessarily segregate or "out" them.
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 95 of 115 Question: Under HOME-ARP, the City is able to designate preferred populations within the qualified populations enumerated by HOME-ARP regulations. Of the following qualifying populations, which, if any, should be given preferential consideration and why? Responses:
1. People experiencing homelessness – 4 respondents
2. People at risk of homelessness – 7 respondents
3. People fleeing, or attempting to flee, domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking – 6 respondents
4. Households who have previously been homeless and are currently housed due to temporary or emergency assistance – 3 respondents
5. Households who have an annual income that is less than or equal to 30% of the area median income and is paying more than 50% of the monthly household income toward housing costs – 1 respondent
6. Veterans and families that include a veteran family member that meet the criteria for one of the qualifying populations – 3 respondents
7. Households who have an annual income that is less than or equal to 50% of the area median income and has met at least one of the following conditions: Moved because of economic reasons two or more times during the 60 days immediately preceding the application for homelessness prevention assistance; is living in the home of another person because of economic hardship; has been notified in writing that their right to occupy their current housing or living situation will be terminated within 21 days after the date of application for assistance; lives in a hotel or motel and the cost of the hotel or motel stay is not paid by charitable organizations or by Federal, State, or local government programs for low-income individuals; lives in a single-room occupancy or efficiency apartment unit in which there reside more than two people or lives in a larger housing unit in which there reside more than 1.5 people per room; is exiting a publicly funded institution, or system of care (such as a healthcare facility, a mental health facility, foster care or other youth facility, or correction program or institution; otherwise lives in housing that has characteristics associated with instability and an increased risk of homelessness, as identified by the City’s 5-year consolidated plan – 5 respondents Choice Explanations:
1. The at-risk population has little access to supportive housing resources.
2. People who are in transition - those on the way up to a permanent living arrangement, and those on the way down from one. This could protect them from ending up unhoused.
3. I think we begin with those most in crisis, and work our way outward to those with less pressing need. I think we can’t successfully begin by trying to take on everything.
4. The number of people experiencing homelessness is skyrocketing and it impacts the quality of life for all residents. The core causes of homelessness can only be addressed when people are safe and their basic needs are met.
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 96 of 115
5. Be proactive and prevent potential homelessness is easier than trying to fix homelessness.
6. Prioritize people in immediate danger; prevent people at the brink of homelessness.
7. Domestic violence can result in a sudden loss of a support structure. Some may not consider these victims as homeless due to income. But our federal laws should be altered to consider special circumstances for victims of domestic violence, human trafficking and other victims of crimes resulting in homelessness.
8. There are not enough supports and resources for individuals at risk of experiencing homelessness. More financial supports that are easier to access for folks who are at risk of losing their housing.
Question: What is most needed to address the following priority? Improve access to affordable housing for low‐income and special needs households by partnering with interested developers to increase development of low-income and affordable housing in high opportunity areas, and by promoting the preservation and rehabilitation of existing affordable housing units.
Responses:
1. Policies that encourage and promote development, make it attractive to do business in Fresno, and reduce burdensome and detracting barriers to development
2. Increased availability of units, landlord engagement (with incentives to landlords to provide housing), and housing navigators to assist homeless individuals to secure housing.
3. Reduce the application process to one page to qualify for low income housing
4. Include neighborhood organizations that understand the needs of residents and are familiar with existing affordable housing.
5. This is a primary need. Finding developers interested in doing this type of work in the form of a pre-approved list of developers in this area, perhaps?
6. Funding to support the acquisition, rehabilitation, and services costs associated with affordable housing developments.
7. Incentivize developers by minimizing the cost of infrastructure upgrades along transit- oriented development corridors.
8. Property in locations that are a " step up" from locations thar are currently being used.
For example; a person who is or has challenges with drugs might be placed in a motel on Parkway Drive. This person will be triggered daily. The potential for this person to relapse is magnified. Create housing in North Fresno
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 97 of 115
9. The city needs to purchase and rehab homes and then sell it to low to moderate income workers. The city also needs to make grants to purchase homes for low to moderate income families available to make these transaction. Home ownership is the only pride to save these dilapidated neighborhoods.
10. Funding and active recruitment for competent and compassionate developers; tie funding to permanent affordability vs. 55 years; better tracking and action in regards to units that are exiting their affordability period; ensuring such development is allowed by right; look into possibility to adopt a tax incentive + grant funding for private property owners (https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/planning-and-economic- development/housing/housing-trust-fund/4d-affordable-housing); offer financial support to ADU development tied to affordability; partner with Fresno Housing to expand landlord outreach; include information on affordable housing options at the planning counter (in- person and online).
11. The construction of market rate housing of all types (not just Multi-family) to increase supply, lowering the cost of housing to reduce inflow to homelessness. Affordable housing should not just be “government subsidized” housing.
12. providing or requiring developers build more than the regulatory minimum number of units that are accessible for people with disabilities.
Question: What is most needed to address the following priority? Promote quality of life and neighborhood revitalization through improvements to current public infrastructure and facilities, and by closing gaps in areas with aging, lower quality, or nonexistent public infrastructure and facilities.
Responses:
1. A detailed strategic plan with actionable targets and funding
2. Yes! Picking up the trash on west Fresno streets, sidewalks, and parks would greatly improve our quality of life.
3. Yes! Do it! Chinatown is suffering from decades of infrastructure neglect. Older neighborhoods like Chinatown are just as valuable within the City of Fresno as newer neighborhoods. Spending infrastructure dollars equally is just not fair. It should be apportioned by need.
4. Go back to the work Phil Skei was leading with regard to neighborhood revitalization with elementary school neighborhoods as the boundary
5. Updates to park facilities (e.g. bathrooms, play equipment).
6. Stay in weekly contact with State/Federal departments to ensure that budget spending on infrastructure will be allocated to California/Fresno. Because billions in federal infrastructure money was recently approved by the Biden administration, they will be ready to fund a variety of projects with local implications.
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 98 of 115
7. Bike trails, walking trails, trees
8. The city needs to purchase these dilapidated homes. Rehab these homes to revitalized the neighborhood. Sell these homes to low income families. Then ask the families what they want in their neighborhood. Most families we talk to do not want run-down public buildings or infrastructure and facilities. Most just want green space. Would probably be cheaper to just demolish and lay down sod.
9. Street trees should be considered a priority, especially in existing urban heat islands and along key destination corridors. Look also at filling in sidewalk and bike network gaps first to create complete connections. Shaded bus stops should also be a priority.
10. The ability to create Community Facilities Districts or other special districts to fund regular neighborhood maintenance through property tax assessments. Due to Prop 18 and other state laws, it is de facto impossible to retroactively create these districts in established, older neighborhoods.
11. accessibility improvements to public transportation infrastructure (bus stops) and filling sidewalk gaps.
Question: What is most needed to address the following priority? Provide services to low‐ income and special needs households that develop human capital and improve quality of life.
Responses:
1. Person-centered approach geared toward building resiliency through education, job training, and health literacy
2. Helping individuals secure and maintain employment
3. Monthly check ins from a nurse or social worker?
4. People are important! Keep in mind, though, that households in mixed-use neighborhoods as just as valuable as residential neighborhoods.
5. Leverage successful Career-technical opportunities and job upskilling opportunities that exist in our community. On site job trainers/developers.
6. Provide programs for children and youth to give them a safe, positive place to thrive.
7. Provide funding to the DRIVE initiative.
8. Universal Basic Income (UBI).
9. Every neighborhood should have an easy way to access services. Consider the possibility of developing more community centers where services can be located or OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 99 of 115 routed or partnering with local schools (maybe to have pop-up services on weekends, etc.).
10. Couple requirements with government aid, e.g. Welfare to Work. It is important to help folks in a desperate state but it should be conditioned on them taking up a choice of available opportunities. “Developing” human capital requires effort and investing time.
11. funding for community benefit organizations to assist with services and advocacy for individuals who are at risk of losing housing, as well as those who need assistance with requesting reasonable modifications to their home for accessibility.
Question: What is most needed to address the following priority? Provide services to residents and housing providers to advance fair housing.
Responses:
1. Strategic investments in education through trusted messengers
2. Helping people navigate home ownership or first time renters leases
3. Again, involve neighborhood organizations. For example, the Lowell CDC gives tenant education classes.
4. Support affordable housing projects throughout the city, not just in impoverished areas.
5. Work with Fresno's faith institutions to provide supportive housing on a portion of their properties.
6. Access to housing opportunities in ALL areas of our beautiful city
7. Universal Basic Income (UBI). UBI gives families negotiating power and purchasing power if they choose to be homeowners.
8. Continue with audits, responding to complaints, and providing landlord/tenant rights training. In addition, part of fair housing might include location of housing to services and amenities and this is where permitting a variety of housing, including affordable housing, by right is important.
9. That depends on the definition of fair housing and how we expect the public to interpret it. If private sector, we need to amend policies to reduce barriers - not policies like inclusionary zoning which infringe. For quality of life, we need to ensure robust enforcement and abatement of substandard housing practices by landlords.
10. Housing providers need more education and awareness about the needs of the communities, working with people with disabilities, and working with transgender individuals. For residents, funding for community benefit organizations to assist with services and advocacy for individuals who are at risk of losing housing, as well as those OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 100 of 115 who need assistance with requesting reasonable modifications to their home for accessibility.
Question: What is most needed to address the following priority? Plan and administer funding for community development, housing, and homelessness activities with improved transparency, increased community involvement, and full compliance with federal regulations.
Responses:
1. Easy to navigate public processes including public meetings, access to information on website; provide information for the public in layperson terms without industry or governmental jargon
2. Give funds to community created organizations
3. Choose neighborhood CDCs and Foundations as partners. Share the responsibility for increasing transparency and community involvement.
4. Regular, transparent updates regarding initiatives funded via this effort
5. Change the format of city council meetings so that business and public comment are done before councilmembers share district updates. Citizens are often unable to sit through a full day meeting to provide feedback on items important to them.
6. It needs to be part of someone's job at City Hall to work with Fresno's CEDP (Community Economic Development Partnership). https://www.fresnocedp.org/
7. Honest discussion with residents. Open and honest talk from elected officials
8. These activities should be nonprofit lead supported by the City.
9. Work across departments/divisions to see how efforts can be combined; continue with annual reports and community engagement; create cheat sheets to show how money is allocated; try to consolidate engagement to reduce meeting fatigue. Some of this could be attained via the Housing Element Annual Progress Report.
10. Transparency is very important but this has now gone beyond disclosing the municipalities plans. Now it is a handful of the same people or special interests representing a small part of the population instead of a majority of the communities population which is how a democracy should work. It is also beneficial to engage with recipients of funding in a apolitical way to assess the effectiveness much like a business would do to poll customer service.
11. asking developers to provide more than the regulatory minimum number of accessible units.
Question: From your perspective, what is the biggest challenge facing the City of Fresno today?
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 101 of 115 Responses:
1. Rapidly rising costs of housing are significantly complicating the already precarious challenge of people experiencing homelessness, pushing more and more people, especially young adults, into the at-risk category.
2. Lack of a consistent and collaborative plan with all engaged entities that has accurate data analysis of the full picture of homelessness and the needs of those who are unhoused or unsafely housed. An ongoing system-gap analysis is vital to actually know what is available, what is funded and what needs to be in future priorities. This needs to be updated on a regular basis with projections for what programs will be defunded and which new programs have come online.
3. Homeless encampments on sidewalks
4. Of course housing, but always consider the obstacles other than physical buildings when assisting people to become or continue being housed - mental health, drug treatment, social skills, employment.
5. "The biggest challenge facing the City of Fresno today is the lack of technical assistance we have for the socially disadvantaged and underserved farmers, especially during the pandemic. Data from Asian Business Institute and Resource Center (ABIRC)’s intake form since March 2020 revealed that 87% of our small-scale, socially disadvantaged farmers (SDF) experienced devastating sales losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even with the crisis relief efforts, many could not apply for these efforts on their own due to language and technology barriers. Nearly 70% of these farmers did not qualify for crisis relief efforts because they did not have their financial records in a format that was acceptable for Small Business Administration loans and other debt-relief options.
Local governments have struggled to outreach and work with the community in a culturally appropriate manner. Through the Crop Buy-Back Program, funded by the City of Fresno rescue dollars, ABIRC was able to assist over 250 small, local farmers, provide over 10,000 bags of free groceries to local needy families. The pandemic is still uncertain with the new variant, and the need for programs like the Crop Buy-Back is still critical to financially support small BIPOC farmers that reside in the City of Fresno."
6. Income disparity by zip code.
7. Poverty. We need pathways for people to get out of poverty, which will alleviate many of societal ailments such as gangs, drugs, domestic violence, homelessness, etc.
8. It's hard to pick only 1! It's probably implementing best-practice affordable housing models that can keep our housing developers engaged and simultaneously serve our city's low-income residents.
9. opportunities for housing in all areas of Fresno.
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10. The City of Fresno for decades have been trying to solve other people's problems. Make and Give a UBI to all residents. Put the power of change in their hands. Residents need to be responsible for their livelihood. Local Government can then do their job of governing and keeping the peace.
11. Poverty. Even if Fresno is historically lower-cost than the rest of the state, many Fresnans have struggled with housing cost burden. - We should examine rent control similar to how homeowners enjoy caps on property tax increases. - We should promote more variety of housing types to allow people to "right-size" their housing according to their needs, not just what is available. This should also include promoting condos, which are more affordable entries into homeownership. - And we should promote infill development to reduce car dependency, which is also expensive and has deleterious impacts to air quality.
12. Increasing crime and victimization of residents especially from arrested and charged criminals who are released. Homelessness is a close second but the laws need to change in order to address that on a large enough scale.
13. not enough low-barrier shelters, not enough accessible and affordable housing units
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 103 of 115 Social Media Comments
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 104 of 115
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 105 of 115 Community Needs Workshop Participation Summary
Community Workshop #1 – January 19, 2022 at 11 AM
January 19 - Group 1
• Affordable Housing:
o Should be located in areas of high opportunity within the City Along the FAX bus line
Not just in southwest Fresno
Take median income and education levels into consideration with finding location for affordable housing
o Housing should be focused on 30%-50% AMI and lower
o Housing type should be available for people with disabilities including mental health issues
• Homeless and Homelessness Prevention:
o Emergency shelters should be located in areas of high opportunity within the City Along the FAX bus line
Not just in southwest Fresno
Take median income and education levels into consideration with finding location for affordable housing
o Different types of shelters like cooling centers, warming centers, Day Centers should be provided
o More focus on case management for homeless participants o More case workers should be provided at projects sponsored by the City o More case workers at areas along the FAX bus line
o More case workers throughout the City; not just in southwest Fresno January 19 - Group 2
• Affordable Housing:
o homeless citizens to be able to use vouchers to lease tiny homes to get out of the shelters – this will also allow for newly homeless citizens a place to go to regroup
• Homeless and Homelessness Prevention:
o onsite support services seem non-existent
o over-populated with participants in shelters that stress the resources o focus on certain areas of city – not targeted the entire community o listen to advocate groups supporting homeless citizens and apply their feedback to services and programs
o type of shelters: separate from single and couples, separate for addicts who are in low barrier shelters, separate domestic violence individuals to minimize human trafficking incidents
o locations of shelters in the community to minimize homeless citizens to fall back in their negative environment
o location to move the juvenile homeless shelter to a more positive environment.
• Community Services:
o see a need for a more streamline networking system to provide services to citizens who need social services
• Program matic Compliance:
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 106 of 115 o get community more involved in planning and delivering activities o having shelters provide WiFi service to help homeless citizens join in these types of discussions and participate in the planning instead of only advocates
Community Workshop #2 – January 20, 2022 at 6:30 PM
January 20 – Group 1
• Affordable Housing:
o Fresno has the second-highest rent rates
o High slum housing areas that target low-income families o Qualifications to get into affordable housing need to be more transparent to the community
o Low-barrier entry for people who have an eviction in their history Evictions make people ineligible for HUD programs for 7 years • Homeless and Homelessness Prevention:
o Shelters separate single mothers with children 5-17 years old – need full family shelters
• Community Services:
o Free public transportation for the homeless, possibly bus tokens for homeless • Public Infrastructure:
o Need more street lights, especially around bus stops
o Public showers and bathrooms with lockers that are free, safe, and accessible for homeless individuals to use
January 20 – Group 2
• Affordable Housing:
o Rent stabilization needed
o How is this program meeting housing goals of housing element? o Housing first is the thinking; provide more stable and permanent homeless housing
o Housing for very low income in high opportunity areas for both housing and shelters
o Shelters not available for families – they often get separated o Need low-barrier entry services
o Eviction on record creates a barrier
• Community Services:
o Need homeless resources
o Homelessness with children, what are wrap-around services for children? o Families with children should be prioritized as highly as those with special needs o Address accessibility issues for individuals with disabilities o Reestablish free tokens for bus fare
• Programmatic Compliance:
o Have unhoused individuals at the table
• Public Infrastructure:
o Still need better infrastructure around schools, like sidewalks, signals, crosswalks o Lockers to be able to put belongings
o Access to showers/toilets
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 107 of 115 o Provide wifi at shelters and Zoom
• Other:
o Not happy with ARPA money going to police
Community Workshop #3 – January 24, 2022 at 6:30 PM
January 24 – Group 1
• Community Services:
o Better training for case managers no dealing with mental health issues and substance abuse disorders
o Need on-site mental health and drug counselors
o Social Security staff needed to assist with benefits
o County staff to assist with applying for Medi-Cal and Food Stamps o Proper intake assessments to determine participants’ real needs o Training for staff and security on how to properly engage and treat participants January 24 - Group 2
• Affordable Housing:
o Stop spending money to buy land on Parkway
Using CEQA exemption violates environmental justice rights o Rent control needed
• Homeless and Homeless Prevention:
o Shelters are disrespectful to individuals using them
Walking in on people without knocking
Stealing medication
o Shelters and housing need to be available in all areas of the City of Fresno Need to be in safe areas, close to FAX
o Motel investments are a showboat of doing something but not really • Community Services:
o Medical (including mental health), dental, and vision mobiles to shelters to help individuals
o Mental health services needed – therapy/counseling in addition to psychiatric help
o Portable showers going throughout Fresno
o Ability to do laundry throughout Fresno
o In Portland, Oregon there’s City Central Concern that offers various health care options and pathway to jobs. Would like to see something similar o Implementing a model similar to Cahoots in Eugene, Oregon (Cahoots is a community-based public safety system to provide mental health first response for crises involving mental illness, homelessness, and addiction o More programs for youth recreation
o Keep parks and gyms open later
o Don’t just need services, but we need quality services • Programmatic Compliance:
o Involve people who are most affected by homelessness
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 108 of 115 Community Workshop #4 – January 25, 2022 at 11 AM
January 25 – Group 1
• Affordable Housing:
o Greatest need is to stabilize the homeless population; provide permanent housing – provide affordable housing
o For every emergency shelter, 4-5 permanent housing options are needed o Rent control must be put in place. Rental prices are not affordable as is o Shelter is a band-aid; permanent affordable housing is a priority o Tiny home villages are needed
o High opportunity housing is needed. People should be able to choose what neighborhood they live in
o Tulare, California is building prefab units that are working out very well as housing communities
o Combine a tiny home village with the new pet shelter. The homeless would benefit from an opportunity to help feed and care for the animals. Both the animals and the individuals would benefit from the connection • Homeless and Homelessness Prevention:
o Demographics being left behind: elderly, mentally ill, individuals that are hard to house, and those fleeing domestic violence situations
o Research whether people are being charged to stay in shelters o Parks for kids in the shelter and housing settings are needed • Community Services:
o Resources need to be attached to services and rental/home assistance o Protection programs need to be in place alongside housing services o Individuals given a voucher and rental assistance are not provided with life skills needed to maintain their life. They are overwhelmed with bills and the stress associated with living in a new environment. Services are needed to support each individual through the process. They can’t be given a home or shelter without also being provided with the means to care for their daily living o Resources are needed to help individuals find homes and apartments o Medical, dental, and mental health services are needed for individuals who cannot travel to these appointments. Having services on site would allow people to get health services
January 25 – Group 2
• Affordable Housing:
o Use existing vacant buildings for immediate housing options o Put tiny homes on vacant pads in mobile home parks
o Need more permanent housing – current model is transitional o Need more permanent housing
o Public sector units stretched too thin – Public Works should build units – too much money skimmed off the top in current system
o Affordable housing not available; nothing is affordable enough o Low-income housing should not be more than 30% of a person’s income • Homeless and Homelessness Prevention:
o Build safe camps with clean water and sanitation areas for bathing and cleaning o Continuum of Care not working well
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 109 of 115 o Support housing first
o Security is an issue
o People need to take advantage of the Rental Assistance Program – there’s still money available
• Community Services:
o Provide water and sanitation services for people living on the street – use Sacramento as an example
o Need services for people who may have some problems like mental health that would prevent them from participating because of lack of support January 25 - Group 3
• Affordable Housing:
o Convert shelters to permanent housing
o Gap financing for the motel conversion projects currently underway o Carve out housing for undocumented and immigrant populations • Homeless and Homelessness Prevention:
o Need to increase number of beds at youth shelters
o Homeless people need an address to send mail to
o Tenant based rental assistance
o Prevent rental evictions
o Provide funding for rent
o Foster youth and youth with medical issues cannot find a place to live – focus on them
• Community Services:
o Programs that prepare homeless individuals for transition into permanent housing and homeownership
o Work with school districts on navigating youth shelters and programs o Mental health and drug counseling
o Improve community policing to make areas feel safer
o Credit counseling to help people for housing and funding o Need more community centers, resiliency centers, community gardens, mental health services for free or low cost with wrap-around services for youth o Services and support around queer youth and specific services for that population
• Public Infrastructure:
o Need to improve streetlights and sidewalks in District 5 o Too many stray dogs make it feel unsafe to walk around the community • Fair Housing:
o More funds to further fair housing or to hire a consultant to get information out into the community
Community Needs Public Hearing Input
1. Brunette Harris made the following suggestions:
o Objects to Community Workshops not being held in West Fresno o Would like the City to lose its HUD funding
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 110 of 115
2. Robert McKloskey made the following suggestions:
o Look at housing-first rapid rehousing instead of shelter and temporary housing programs to reduce costs and improve outcomes
o Use publically-financed low-income housing to eliminate for-profit developers from the process
o Consider using modular houses for permanent housing
3. Ivanka Saunders made the following requests:
o Need funding the Addams Elementary area park
o Wants funding for public housing with wrap-around services for extremely low- income people
o Hotel purchases are insufficient without services to assess needs People need to be screened for Social Security benefits and CalWORKs eligibility
4. Alexandra Alvarado made the following requests:
o Programs need to benefit those who were intended to be served. Follow up on implementation
o Wrap-around services are needed
o Low turnout in one of the Community Needs meetings. Need to increase turnout
5. Lisa Flores made the following suggestions:
o Reiterated the importance of outreach to West Fresno
o Recommends outdoor listening sessions
o Would like to see a safe lot for people living in their cars
6. Brandi Nuse-Villegas made the following suggestions:
o Would like Public Hearings to take place at 6 PM
o Anti-Displacement insight should be incorporated
o Affordable housing needs to be housing-first
o Housing protections to make sure renters remain in their homes o Need more development in high opportunity areas
Near FAX routes and good schools
o Need Day Centers with wrap-around services
o Would like mobile medical services at shelters
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 111 of 115 o Wants resource centers with training for employment and employment opportunities
o Does not want federal money to be used fund the police department o Would like the City to better engage the unhoused to get input o Wants Wifi to be available throughout the City at no cost o Would like better notification of the public of opportunities to comment
7. Alexandros Acedo made the following suggestions:
o Housing-first as a priority
o Wants more programs for students and recreational opportunities for youth o Would like schools to be used as community centers for outreach
8. Desiree Martinez made the following requests:
o Turnout was low in Community Needs meetings
o Wanted more time in breakout rooms during Community Needs meetings o Would like to see Wifi at shelters and parks
o Tiny homes are needed, and they can be placed at RV parks o Include wrap-around services in tiny home villages
o Need permanent housing for temporary shelter residents
9. Pedro Navarro-Cruz made the following suggestions:
o Need additional youth programs throughout the
City
o Would like more and improved first-time homebuyer programs without immigration restrictions
o Look at Central City Concern in Portland, Oregon as an example for providing vision, dental, and substance use services
o Need tiny homes
o Need better racial equity for people receiving help
10. Nicole Linder on behalf of the Marjaree Mason Center via email o In response to Item 22-115 on the January 27, 2022 agenda (today), we are encouraging the City to increase ESG (homeless outreach and emergency shelter) funding to the maximum amount allowable by HUD. For several years we have made this request and also did so at the most recent FMCOC meeting. By increasing this amount, it aligns with the priorities as listed in the 5-year annual action plan. Although there are currently increased resources for emergency shelter, that hasn't always been the case. Often times, these ESG funds are the OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 112 of 115 only eligible funds to provide direct emergency shelter for homeless individuals in our community. In the past, these are the most competitively applied for resources and alternatively, in most recent years, rapid rehousing has been undersubscribed. Therefore, it makes sense to decrease rapid rehousing allocations and increase ESG to the maximum allowed amount. The funding to purchase motels for emergency shelter in Project Home Key round 1 allowed for temporary emergency shelter with a plan to transition to permanent housing.
Therefore, the community will not likely have the depth and volume of resources to provide emergency shelter that we have now (which we can all agree is STILL not enough) into the future. Increasing ESG allows us not only meet for current emergency shelter needs but to be proactive in planning for this transition.
11. Teri Ann Kezirian made the following request via email:
o Hello: I attended the seminar briefly today regarding proposals for use of funds. I wanted to propose improvements to Koligian Park at Alluvial and Dante in District 2, it is need of repair/upgrades and has no shade structure making the playground useless during warm months. It is a diverse community and the only park in walking distance to the area. It is a well-used park and the current state of the playground and facilities does not match the importance of the park to the community.
12. Jose Ramos made the following suggestion via email:
o I am a citizen living in the westerra community on Gettysburg and Hayes in Fresno, CA 93723. I wanted to share my comments and experience living in west Fresno the last 8 months. Although the neighborhood and communities are for the most part peaceful, we are lacking police presence in our west Fresno communities. The constant sound of street racing, unwanted visitors (car theft attempt and ring camera stolen at our house), and frequent graffiti up on the main community walls shows that there it is easy to engage in illegal activity in our community. It is unsettling and concerning for a middle class family and community that wants to make west Fresno a quality place to live.
13. Pat Wilson made the following request via email:
o Very simply: combine the housing authorities' housing voucher program, or similar city rental assistance program if there is one, with the city’s apartment inspection and code compliance efforts.
That way properties which need repairs can be matched with low income tenants who receive rental assistance, thereby assuring landlords of a guaranteed rental income which can be used to pay for repairs.
14. W.S. Tait made the following request via email:
o Road or street repair, not new construction thereof.
o Homeless shelter, like say mini homes as seen at Fresno fair.
15. Heather Halsey made the following suggestions:
o I’m writing on behalf of my 58-year-old unhoused friend, Charles. He has been sleeping mostly outdoors for the last 20 years and is now blind, which makes his OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 113 of 115 situation exponentially more precarious. Every time I hear about a pedestrian getting hit by a car, I think of him.
He genuinely wants to find housing and asked me to help him apply in December. With the recent Project HomeKey shelters, I was hopeful that we would be able to find an option even if it was a short term shelter. I was shocked to find that he literally has no options and had to sleep on the streets during the rain and freezing temperatures that we had in December.
He is disqualified from staying at most shelters and all long-term housing through Fresno Housing, due to a lifetime sex offense on his record. To my knowledge, there is only one low barrier shelter that may accept him, which is the Golden State Triage Center — and with only 50 beds it is perpetually full.
Charles and the 2,400 individuals in Fresno with these offenses on their records need safe shelter options and a path to long term housing.
I believe it would go a long way in addressing the city’s overall homelessness and crime if these individuals weren’t disqualified from shelters and housing.
Please include low barrier shelters and housing, specifically for those with these type of lifetime offenses on their records, in your annual action plan. So that Charles and those like him have a chance at survival.
16. Stephen Sacks made the following requests:
o People need a safe place before anything significant can be done to help.
Destroying homeless encampments is not helpful. We need as a start, safe and secure campgrounds with facilities. If not, then we need big projects like turning the former VMC (UMC) into living quarters for the homeless. o Also, something needs to be done about housing costs. Many people need financial help to obtain housing or retain housing. Housing prices are too high for a large segment of Fresno's population. People need help!
17. Pam Childers made the following request:
o There are new homes being built in the area of Dakota, Armstrong and Fowler areas. It appears the roads are going to come through 6300 Robinson Ave, 3400 N. Burl Avenue, as well as 6200 Robinson and 3400 N Burgan Avenue. Up until this point, there have been barriers so vehicles cannot drive through this area.
As someone who lives in this neighborhood, there is a park in the middle of these roads where children walk to and from as well as play in the park daily.
My point is there should continue to be road barriers in these locations as people are already driving their vehicles in this area way too fast and removing the barriers is only going to make the traffic through this area worse. I fear for the safety of the children in this neighborhood.
Emails and Survey Responses Received During the Public Comment Period OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 114 of 115 The Public Comment period is from March 18, 2022 – April 19, 2022. Those comments, and City responses, will be added to this section at the conclusion of the period.
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 City of Fresno PY 2022 Annual Action Plan Page 115 of 115 Appendix C: ESG Policies and Procedures