CITY OF MERCED
2022 Consolidated Annual Performance
and Evaluation Report (CAPER)
FINAL DRAFT
Presented for Approval by City Council
September 18, 2023
Prepared by:
CITY OF MERCED HOUSING DIVISION – DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT CAPER 1
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
Table of Contents
CR-05 - Goals and Outcomes ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 2 CR-10 - Racial and Ethnic composition of families assisted ..................................................................................................................................... 16 CR-15 - Resources and Investments 91.520(a) ........................................................................................................................................................ 18 CR-20 - Affordable Housing 91.520(b) ..................................................................................................................................................................... 28 CR-25 - Homeless and Other Special Needs 91.220(d, e); 91.320(d, e); 91.520(c) ................................................................................................. 33 CR-30 - Public Housing 91.220(h); 91.320(j) ............................................................................................................................................................ 39 CR-35 - Other Actions 91.220(j)-(k); 91.320(i)-(j) ..................................................................................................................................................... 41 CR-40 - Monitoring 91.220 and 91.230 .................................................................................................................................................................... 48 CR-45 - CDBG 91.520(c) ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 51 CR-50 - HOME 24 CFR 91.520(d) .............................................................................................................................................................................. 52 CR-58 – Section 3 ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 55 Attachments ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 58
1. City Council Resolution 2023-____ ..................................................................................................................................................................... 58
2. PR26 Financial and Activity Summaries (CDBG) ................................................................................................................................................... 59
3. Annual Performance and HOME Match Reports (40107, 40107-A) .................................................................................................................... 63
4. CDBG, CDBG-CV, and HOME Fiscal, Activity, and Accomplishment Reports ....................................................................................................... 71
5. Public Notices, Public Comment Summary, and Other Outreach ..................................................................................................................... 235
CAPER 2
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
CR-05 - Goals and Outcomes
Progress the jurisdiction has made in carrying out its strategic plan and its action plan. 91.520(a) This could be an overview that includes major initiatives and highlights that were proposed and executed throughout the program year.
The City of Merced has prepared the 2022 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) for the period of July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023. The 2022 CAPER describes a general assessment of the City's progress in carrying out projects and programs during the 2022 Program Year with the use of CDBG, HOME, and CDBG-CV funds, provided by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), primarily to benefit Low and Moderate Income persons (LMI) and/or LMI areas within the City limits.
The CDBG award for the 2022-23 program year was $1,099,911, with approximately $399,271.89 in Program Income received during the program year. Carryover from previous years also contributed to the continued efforts of ongoing projects and programs. Overall, a total of $2,987,979.45 in CDBG and $124,679.83 CDBG-CV funds wer spent during the snapshot period of July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023.
The HOME award for the 2022-23 program year was $603,192, with approximately $264,033.03 in Program Income. Carryover from previous years also contributed to the continued efforts of ongoing projects and programs, and the 2022-23 HOME expenditures were $62,718.70. Funds from the remaining 2022 HOME allocation, prior carryover, and accumulated program income at this time are set aside for construction of affordable rental housing projects and HOME CHDO projects.
The City of Merced allocated CDBG funds during the 2022-23 program year to permanent supportive housing and social service agencies in order to meet the housing and community priorities and goals set forth in the Consolidated Plan for the 2020-2024 Strategic Plan period. Additionally, the City set aside CDBG funding for public infrastructure projects in expectation of being able to achieve its infrastructure goals.
At the start of the 2022-23 program year, the City was still recovering from the overlapping, mostly COVID-19 and staffing related delays experienced during the 2020 and 2021 program years. The 2022 Annual Action Plan was submitted to HUD for approval on July 13, 2022; however, HUD did not issue Grant Agreement approval until November 13, 2022, which slowed the City of Merced and its subrecipient’s efforts to execute contractual agreements and expend CDBG funds expeditiously.
CAPER 3
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
Comparison of the proposed versus actual outcomes for each outcome measure submitted with the consolidated plan and explain, if applicable, why progress was not made toward meeting goals and objectives. 91.520(g) Categories, priority levels, funding sources and amounts, outcomes/objectives, goal outcome indicators, units of measure, targets, actual outcomes/outputs, and percentage completed for each of the grantee’s program year goals.
Goal Category Source /
Amount
Indicator Unit of
Measure
Expected
–
Strategic
Plan
Actual –
Strategic
Plan
Percent
Complete
Expected
–
Program
Year
Actual –
Program
Year
Percent
Complete
1A Improve
Public
Infrastructure &
Facilities
Non-Housing
Community
Development
CDBG: $
Public Facility or
Infrastructure
Activities other than
Low/Moderate
Income Housing
Benefit
Persons
Assisted 20000 11440 57.20% 20041 0 0.00%
2A Increase
Owner Occupied
Rehab
Opportunities
Affordable
Housing CDBG: $
Homeowner
Housing
Rehabilitated
Household
Housing
Unit
15 0 0.00% 8 0 0.00%
2B Increase
Affordable
Housing
Opportunities
Affordable
Housing
CDBG:
$6434 /
HOME:
$
Rental units
constructed
Household
Housing
Unit
92 119 129.35% 200 119 59.50%
2B Increase
Affordable
Housing
Opportunities
Affordable
Housing
CDBG:
$6434 /
HOME:
$
Rental units
rehabilitated
Household
Housing
Unit
8 5 62.50% 7 4 57.14%
CAPER 4
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
2B Increase
Affordable
Housing
Opportunities
Affordable
Housing
CDBG:
$6434 /
HOME:
$
Homeowner
Housing Added
Household
Housing
Unit
1 0 0.00% 4 0 0.00%
2B Increase
Affordable
Housing
Opportunities
Affordable
Housing
CDBG:
$6434 /
HOME:
$
Housing for
Homeless added
Household
Housing
Unit
30 30 100.00%
2C Provide
Assistance for
Supportive
Housing
Affordable
Housing
CDBG: $
/ HOME:
$
Rental units
rehabilitated
Household
Housing
Unit
9 4 44.44% 5 4 80.00%
2C Provide
Assistance for
Supportive
Housing
Affordable
Housing
CDBG: $
/ HOME:
$
Housing for
Homeless added
Household
Housing
Unit
6 2 33.33%
3A Provide Vital
Services for LMI
Families
Non-Homeless
Special Needs CDBG: $
Public service
activities other than
Low/Moderate
Income Housing
Benefit
Persons
Assisted
2800 5901 210.75% 2290 1330 58.08%
3A Provide Vital
Services for LMI
Families
Non-Homeless
Special Needs CDBG: $
Public service
activities for
Low/Moderate
Income Housing
Benefit
Households
Assisted
395 61 15.44% 68 32 47.06%
3A Provide Vital
Services for LMI
Families
Non-Homeless
Special Needs CDBG: $ Homelessness
Prevention
Persons
Assisted
155 320 206.45% 33 184 557.58%
CAPER 5
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
4A Provide
Homeless
Prevention &
Support Services
Homeless CDBG: $
Public service
activities other than
Low/Moderate
Income Housing
Benefit
Persons
Assisted
0 614 225 390 173.33%
4A Provide
Homeless
Prevention &
Support Services
Homeless CDBG: $ Homeless Person
Overnight Shelter
Persons
Assisted
400 13 3.25%
4A Provide
Homeless
Prevention &
Support Services
Homeless CDBG: $ Homelessness
Prevention
Persons
Assisted
50 0 0.00% 50 0 0.00%
4A Provide
Homeless
Prevention &
Support Services
Homeless CDBG: $ Other Other 200 0 0.00% 555 0 0.00%
5 Enhance Fair
Housing
Knowledge and
Resources
Non-Homeless
Special Needs
HOME:
$
Public service
activities other than
Low/Moderate
Income Housing
Benefit
Persons
Assisted
425 350 82.35% 85 0 0.00%
Table 1 - Accomplishments – Program Year & Strategic Plan to Date
CAPER 6
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
Assess how the jurisdiction’s use of funds, particularly CDBG, addresses the priorities and specific objectives identified in the plan, giving special attention to the highest priority activities identified.
The City of Merced’s 2020-2024 Consolidated/Strategic Plan identifies four Priority Needs, with associated goals, that will be addressed during the 5-year period it covers (July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2025):
1. E xpand and Improve Public Infrastructure and Facilities Associated Goals: 1A - Improve Public Infrastructure & Facilities
2. P reserve and Develop Affordable Housing
Associated Goals: 2A - Increase Owner Occupied Rehab Opportunities; 2B - Increase Affordable Housing Opportunities; and, 2C - Provide Assistance for Supportive Housing
3. P ublic Services and Quality of Life Improv ements
Associated Goals: 3A - Provide Vital Services for LMI Families; and, 5 - Enhance Fair Housing Knowledge and Resources
4. H omelessness Housing and Support Services
Associated Goals: 4A - Provide Homeless Prevention & Support Services During the 2022 Program Year, the third year of the Consolidated Plan, the City of Merced focused on the below-listed goals to address the above needs, particularly focusing on the need for affordable housing and expenditure of CDBG funds. • Goal 1A – Improve Public Infrastructure & Facilities
• Goal 2A – Increase Owner Occupied Rehab Opportunities • Goal 2B – Increase Affordable Housing Opportunities
• Goal 2C – Provide Assistance for Supportive Housing
• Goal 3A – Provide Vital Services for LMI Families
CAPER 7
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
• Goal 4A – Provide Homeless Prevention & Support Services • Goal 5 – Enhance Fair Housing Knowledge and Resources Program Year 2022 Use of Funds Towards Goals:
Direct and Indirect Administrative funds for both CDBG and HOME are spread amongst all goals each year in managing the overall program.
Goal 1A. Improve Public Infrastructure and Facilities:
The 2022 Annual Plan set aside a total of $440,244 of CDBG funding for two separate public infrastructure projects with the City Engineering Division, including the design and contractor bidding process.
Due to a large number of priority non-HUD-funded projects in progress that had experienced COVID-related delays of their own, along with staff turnover in the Engineering Division, no CDBG infrastructure project funds were expended during the program year. Additionally, Housing Division staff was continuing the push with our subrecipients to recover from the accumulated COVID-related delays and close out prior-year projects, which took focus away from spearheading the planned infrastructure projects.
The 119-unit Childs and B Street Affordable Housing Project included a neighborhood/community facility and was completed at the start of the 2022 program year.
Goal 2A. Increase Owner Occupied Rehab Opportunities:
The 2022 Annual Plan set aside $199,474 for the first year of a three-year contract for Homeowner Occupied Rehabilitation activities through Habitat for Humanity Stanislaus County, and expected to assist approximately 3 homeowners by year-end. Due to the continuing effort to recover from the COVID-19 backlog, this program was not implemented by June 2023. It will be ready to start in September 2023 after approval of the three-year agreement by City Council.
The 2022 plan also set aside $6,000 of the City’s CDBG administrative funds to fund oversight of a state-funded owner-occupied rehab program with Self-Help Enterprises. However, that did not move forward, as other non-HUD funding was utilized instead.
CAPER 8
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
Continued (1)
Goal 2B. Increase Affordable Housing Opportunities:
The 2022 Annual Plan set aside $210,574 of CHDO HOME, which can be used towards rehabilitation or new construction of affordable rental units. Additionally, $3,781,338 of formula HOME funds for affordable rental units was set aside specifically for new construction. As of year end, all subsidy layering was not quite fully obtained for a promising project (Devonwood Apartments, 156 affordable units), which will now likely begin construction at the latter part of the 2023-2024 Program Year. Additionally, The 119-unit Childs and B Affordable housing project was completed during the 2022 program year using pre-2022 CDBG and HOME funds.
The Annual Plan also set aside $3,781,338 for construction of new affordable rental units with HOME funds. These units were not constructed by year end.
$45,000 of HOME funds was set aside for Fuller Center for Housing of Merced County towards pre-development costs; however, this project is proceeding with alternative non-HUD funding.
Goal 2B is also addressed with the acquisition with rehabilitation projects discussed in 2C below.
Goal 2C. Provide Assistance for Supportive Housing:
The 2022 Annual Plan set aside $1,771,678 (including 10% activity delivery costs of $203,613) of CDBG funds for a multi-unit acquisiton with rehabilitation project with Sierra Saving Grace Homeless Project. While the project's intent originally began with the goal to purchase and rehab a single multi-family structure, no suitable structures were found within the budgeted amount. Sierra Saving Grace was alternatively able to purchase three separate single and 2-unit properties, for a total of four units, at which they are currently commencing rehab activities. Upon completion of rehab, the units will be rented formerly and/or chronically homeless tenants as case-managed permanent supportive housing.
During the 2022 program year, both Sierra Saving Grace and the Merced Rescue Mission completed rehab work on a total of four units that used pre-2022 CDBG funds. The four completed units also address Goal 2B above, by creating and providing more affordable rental unit options for low-income tenants.
Continued (2)
CAPER 9
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Goal 3A. Provide Vital Services for LMI Families:
The 2022 Annual Plan set aside $182,788 of CDBG funds for various public services projects, and City staff continued to work with subrecipient organizations to wrap up programs that had been affected by the COVID-19 and staffing related setbacks using pre 2022 funding, while implementing programs approved with the 2022 Annual Plan.
Pre-2022 Programs completed under Goal 3A:
As reported previously in the 2021 CAPER, due to COVID related accumulated delays, LifeLine Community Development Corporation (LifeLine CDC) carried out their PY2021 Empower Loughborough Community program during the 2021 program year without a contract in place that would have allowed reimbursement of eligible costs during the program year, and accomplishments would be reported in this 2022 CAPER.
With a contract executed in December 2022, LifeLine was successfully reimbursed for all eligible expenses they had incurred and the project was closed out in PY2022, reporting a total of 464 adults assisted with Employment Training, which was the focus of this program and is the number reported in the charts above. However, secondary to the employment training goals was assistance to the parents of children living in the Loughborough area, as 2,251 Loughborough area children took part in afterschool childcare/community center enrichment activities with assistance provided by this program so that participating parents could attend the necessary training and other children whose parents did not participate in employment training could have positive outlets for their time after each school day, as well.
As with other programs, the PY2021 Alliance for Community Transfomations (ACT) program for life skills education, case management, and housing deposits for their domestic violence emergency shelter residents was affected by the accumulated COVID related delays, and the program continued into the 2022 program year. ACT successfully completed this program by the end of PY2022, with an additional 26 clients assisted with life skills training, on top of the 15 persons reported in the 2021 CAPER. ACT also assisted 9 households with rental deposit assistance to obtain independent housing for themselves and their children (0 deposits reported in PY2021 CAPER), and overall, assisted a total of 120 clients with services aimed at preventing and improving their homelessness/victim status, including the provision of case management and advocacy.
Like Lifeline CDC, the Symple Equazion Symple Soul Work Readiness Program was implemented during the 2021 program year, but the contract was not able to be executed by the end of PY2021 due to its own delayed 2020 program still finishing, and City accumulated delays and staff constraints. The program provided work readiness training to youth participants via real time food service training in the Symple Soul food truck at catered and community events. Following execution of their PY2021 contract during PY2022, eligible expenses including food truck supplies, CAPER 10
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
training costs, meal stipends, instruction staff costs, and post completion job seeking expenses were reimbursed, and Symple Equazion reported that a total of 11 youth were provided with beneficial work readiness training that is expected to help them obtain jobs in the food industry as well as provided them with important self-esteem and critical thinking skills.
Continued (3)
2022 Programs completed under Goal 3A:
Harvest Time was successful in completing their 2022 Food 4 You program, assisting a total of 224 households throughout the year with food distributions. At least seven of those households needed repeated assistance, for a total of at least 31 repeats over the year. Additionally, in November 2022, the combined 2020 and 2021 Harvest Time project for the replacement of vital walk-in refrigerator and freezer units received final health and building permit inspection and became operational. Since then, their electric utility costs have been reduced greatly, which enables them to assist more families with food distributions.
Sierra Saving Grace Homeless Project (SSG) successfully implemented a Subsistence Payments (Rental, Mortgage, and Utility Assistance) program in PY2022, assisting 23 households and benefitting 64 individuals by the end of the program year. The 2022 Annual Plan approved $30,000 to this program, as SSG was working to expend their previous year (PY2021) subsistence payments program funding. In PY2021, the CDBG-funded program was not being used as expeditiously as in previous years, due to the vast availability of Coronavirus and other rental assistance at that time. Therefore, SSG still had PY2021 funds remaining when it was closed out and de-funded at the end of the 2021 program year. As such, the remaining PY2021 funds became PY2022 carryover funds, which were subsequently added to the new PY2022 program in order to re-circulate them out to the community, for a total of $32,730 available to the community in PY2022. Unlike the previous program year, the CDBG funded short term rental/mortgage/utility assistance was in higher need and these funds were fully used up by the end of February 2023.
The Boys and Girls Club successfully began and completed their PY2022 JUMP Youth Enrichment Program, with a total of 19 City of Merced youth (ages 13-19 years old) provided with valuable education-field workforce and college preparation experience gained by taking part in tutoring some of the younger afterschool program children and with outings to local universities and colleges. Though activities were completed, this program was not fully closed out by year end due to outstanding reimbursement invoices being processed (reporting of CAPER 11
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accomplishments was received prior to year end).
Continued (4)
Goal 4A. Provide Homeless Prevention and Support Services:
The PY2020/2021 Harvest Time project for purchase and installation of replacement cold storage units and the PY2022 project for operational cost support, as explained above in Goal 3A, also provided prepared meals to homeless individuals, delivered directly to local homeless encampments by Harvest Time volunteers. Approximately 390 homeless individuals were provided this nutritional support in this manner. Due to the nature of this aspect of their project, Harvest Time did not collect ethnicity or income data on the homeless individuals assisted.
The 2022 Annual Plan set aside $42,616 for Alliance for Community Transformations (ACT) to implement a Housing Navigation for Suvivors of Violence Program, aimed at reducing homelessness by securing permanent housing for those impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking by providing funds for case management, tenant education workshops, and rental deposits. However, ACT chose not to move forward with the PY2022 program. Therefore, accomplishments for Goal 4A are less than anticipated. $38,000 of CDBG funding was set aside in the 2022 Annual Plan to help fund a portion of staffing costs of the Merced County Human Services Agency, the agency that functions as the City and County Continuum of Care (CoC) Collaborative Applicant, whose purpose is the coordination, data tracking, and funding of regional homeless prevention and supportive service management programs countywide - more particularly within the City limits of Merced, where nearly three-fourths (72.8%) of the countywide homeless population resides. Accomplishments are not reported for this project, as it uses a portion of City funding used for Planning Activities, which includes strategies to reduce homelessless within the City. That being said, the annual Point In Time count conducted on Thursday, February 23, 2023, of both sheltered and unsheltered homeless counted a total of 571 individuals living within the City boundaries. The entirety of this program is directed towards strategizing how CDBG funds could be used to benefit these 571 individuals.
Continued (5)
Goal 5. Enhance Fair Housing Knowledge and Resources:
Fair Housing Services was provided by Project Sentinel, Inc. with $33,360 of HOME funding in the 2022 program year. During PY2022, Project Sentinel assisted 34 residents through ten case investigations. The types of complaints dealt with in these cases ranged from those having to do CAPER 12
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
with Reasonable Accommodations, which tend to include problems under the status of disability, to potential discrimination regarding sources of income. Additionally, through Intake, Information, and Referral Services, 48 calls were received that assisted a total of 114 people, with the logged reasons for the calls involving change of terms, deposits, evictions, maintenance and repair, termination notices, and rate increases.
Additionally, Project Sentinel organized or attended local outreach events and took other actions for outreach to residents by meeting regularly with tenant advocacy groups, conducting formal presentations to local organizations, attended City Town Hall Meetings with City staff, provided training to local agencies, and distributed a total of 1,986 Fair Housing education-related mailers and over 250 brochures to residents and agencies. The services provided by Project Sentinel were especially vital during and following the January 2023 storms and floods.
CARES Act Coronavirus Community Development Block Grant (CDBG-CV) Funds CAPER 13
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
In December 2019, a new coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2 was first detected in Wuhan, Hubei Province, Peoples Republic of China, causing outbreaks of the coronavirus disease COVID-19 that spread globally, with the first U.S. case reported in January 2020. In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic, and national, state, and local emergencies were declared.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in response to the crisis was signed into law by the President on March 27, 2020, which provided over $2 trillion of direct economic assistance for American workers, families, and small businesses, and for preservation of jobs.
As part of the CARES Act, additional assistance was provided for HUD grantees, and the City received CARES Act allocation of CDBG funds (CDBG- CV funds) in Rounds 1 and 3. In total, the City received $1,193,573 of CDBG-CV funds, and repurposed $125,239 of regular CDBG funds to be used towards combating the local effects of the pandemic and addressing immediate community needs that were identified through a public process.
The City implemented four programs that addressed community COVID needs through the pandemic and beyond. The needs of very low- to low-income residents who are at risk of homelessness and who regularly experience food insecurity were amplified by the effects of COVID-19, especially workers employed by the types of businesses, such as restaurants/bars and personal service (gyms, hair and nail salons, etc.), that were the first to be affected by State-mandated closures and among the last to re-open.
With one of the four original CDBG-CV programs completed in PY2021, the three remaining-CV programs that continued through PY2022 were:
1). United Way of Merced County; Workplace Stabilization Program (Implemented August 2021) Activity: a) For-Profit Small Business Assistance (SBA); and b) Microenterprise Assistance Total Project Funding (Round 1 only): $500,000 Drawn by 6/30/2023: $111,575.88 Accomplishments: Expected: 50 businesses assisted Actual by 6/30/2023: 10 businesses assisted Current Project Status: This project is continuing. United Way began accepting applications for assistance from businesses in October of 2021 for reimbursement of eligible expenses dating to the start of mandated business shutdowns (March 2020). During PY2022, Unitied Way raised its $7500 prior maximum assistance level to $30,000, as the prior level was determined by the City to be too low to meet some businesses' documented COVID related losses. United Way is currently re-processing some previously assisted businesses to re-evaluate their need for assistance at the new maximum levels as well as processing new applications. Due to the higher maximum now being applied and the waning of CAPER 14
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
the Pandemic, funds will likely not assist the 50 businesses that were originally anticipated.
CDBG-CV Continued
2). Salvation Army; Merced Social Services Program (Implemented January 2021) Activity: Subsistence Payments/Rental, Mortgage, and Utility Assistance Total Project Funding (combined Rounds 1 and 3): $302,648 Drawn by 6/30/2023: $82,699.12 Accomplishments: Expected: 45 households Actual by 6/30/2023: 40 households Current Project Status: This project is continuing. This program provides rental, mortgage principle and interest, and electric/gas utility payments assistance to landlords/mortgagors/providers for a maximum of six consecutive months, including the payoff of arrears with the first assistance payment. Salvation Army began assisting Merced City residents who have lost income due to COVID-related reasons in July 2021.
After initially assisting 40 households by August 2022, the services provided by Salvation Army slowed the second half of PY2022, after shifting its efforts to assisting flood victims. The Salvation Army is required to coordinate with Sierra Saving Grace (below) to ensure that participants are not using both programs. Though the Pandemic has waned, this assistance is still available to provide Merced residents with vitally needed help to keep their housing and utilities in good standing. 3). Sierra Saving Grace; COVID Emergency Assistance Program (Implemented January 2021) Activity: Matrix Code 05Q; Subsistence Payments/Rental, Mortgage, and Utility Assistance Total Project Funding (combined Rounds 1 and 3): $316,164 Drawn by 6/30/2023: $119,397.16 Accomplishments: Expected: 50 households Actual by 6/30/2023: 52 households Current Project Status: This project is continuing. This program provides rental, mortgage principle and interest, and electric/gas utility payments assistance to landlords/mortgagors/providers for a maximum of six consecutive months, including the payoff of arrears with the first assistance payment. In January 2021, Sierra Saving Grace began assisting Merced City residents who had lost income due to COVID-related CAPER 15
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reasons. SSG has continuously assisted City of Merced residents during PY2022, helping 11 households (29 people) with rental, mortgage, and electric/gas utility payment assistance during the year. Sierra Saving Grace also administers the non-COVID CDBG subsistence payments program listed and described elsewhere in this report. Sierra Saving Grace is required to coordinate with the Salvation Army (above) to ensure that participants are not using both programs. Though the Pandemic has waned, this assistance is still available to provide Merced residents with vitally needed help to keep their housing and utilities in good standing.
Timely Expenditure of CDBG funds:
Though now nearly completely caught up from the COVID-19 related disruptions, the Housing Division is still grappling with the payoff of a large CDBG loan in January 2021 by the Grove Apartments when it unexpectedly refinanced as a part of an ownership transfer. Though several infrastructure projects were identified to expend this influx of CDBG program income funds, those projects did not move forward as expeditiously as expected over PY2022, though recent progress has been made. Unfortunately, this has meant that the City did not meet its timeliness obligations with regards to the timely expenditure of CDBG funds by its yearly May 2nd deadline.
Last program year, an October 2021 HUD Memorandum was issued that provided grantees like the City of Merced, and other jurisdictions experiencing expenditure challenges since the start of the pandemic, a temporary revision to its corrective action process, in order to help address the ongoing, overlapping effects that the City has experienced due to the pandemic and the administrative burdens the additional CARES Act CDBG-CV funding issued during the 2020-21 program year created. While the Housing Division has recovered from those effects, it has not yet recovered from the additional impact of the unplanned CDBG program income balance that the Grove Apartments payoff created.
Housing staff is currently making progress on the Workout Plan that is required by HUD that maps out CDBG expenditures over the coming year, so that HUD and the City can work together in a coordinated approach to expending these funds by May 1, 2024.
CAPER 16
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
CR-10 - Racial and Ethnic composition of families assisted Describe the families assisted (including the racial and ethnic status of families assisted).
91.520(a)
CDBG HOME
White 120 0
Black or African American 31 0
Asian 7 0
American Indian or American Native 3 0
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 3 0
Total 164 0
Hispanic 194 0
Not Hispanic 128 0
Table 2 – Table of assistance to racial and ethnic populations by source of funds
Narrative
Please note that the above numbers do not reflect the 154 individuals assisted with CDBG funds who identify as "Other Multi-Racial,” 1 individuals who identify as “Asian and White,” and 3 individuals who identify as “Black/African American and White” (a total of 158 individuals). These individuals are, however, included in the Hispanic/Not Hispanic totals above (total of 322 individuals reported).
An additional 464 adults and 2251 children living in the Loughborough area, whose race and ethnicities were not recorded, were served by the PY2021-22 LifeLine CDC program that served that area in PY2021 but reported data in PY2022. Race and ethnicity data in this area of the city can be tracked using the 2020 Census data collected for the area served by the program (Census Tracts 10.03 and 10.04).
Of the programs that were implemented and closed out prior to the end of the Fiscal Year, the Housing Division and its public service partners was able to provide funding to assist or benefit approximately 3284 individuals in 789 household through Public Service and Acquisition and Rehabilitation program funding (not including administrative fund projects).
The City provided HOME administrative funding to Project Sentinel, Inc., for Fair Housing Services, which assisted another 147 individuals with housing discrimination case investigation, tenant/landlord counseling, and information, intake, and referrals, and attended 13 events through the year as outreach to tenants, landlords, and service organizations on behalf of the City. These outreach and fair housing services were especially valuable during the January 2023 storms and floods in ensuring that residents’ rights were protected.
CAPER 17
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
The Merced City and County Continuum of Care, which provided assistance to approximately 555 Point- In-Time (PIT) homeless individuals, both sheltered (331) and unsheltered (224), that were assumed to still be residing in the City of Merced at the start of the 2022 program year (counted January 27, 2023, prior to PY2022). The 2023 count performed on February 23, 2023, revealed a increased total of 571 homeless in the City (344 sheltered, 227 unsheltered), increasing mostly in the sheltered population (sheltered is a sign of progress!). Some of these individuals can assume to be assisted through CDBG funding to two Acquisition programs, which typically creates permanent housing for those counted in transitional shelters, as well as by Harvest Time’s food distribution program that delivered meals directly to homeless encampments throughout the City.
The populated data is not reflective of projects that were not implemented and/or closed out this fiscal year, projects currently underway or nearing completion, units acquired but not yet occupied, or other non-HUD funded housing projects. These accomplishments will be reported in the 2023 CAPER next year.
Most notably not reflected in the accomplishments above is Sierra Saving Grace’s Acquisition/Rehab project, which purchased a total of four units with their PY2022 funding, but has not yet completed rehab activities in order for the units to be occupied, so beneficiary data was not reported by year end.
This data will be reflected in the 2023 CAPER next year.
CAPER 18
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
CR-15 - Resources and Investments 91.520(a)
Identify the resources made available
Source of Funds Source Resources Made
Available
Amount Expended
During Program Year
CDBG public - federal 2,782,954 2,987,979
HOME public - federal 4,097,231 62,719
Table 3 - Resources Made Available
Narrative
The City of Merced received $1.099,911 in 2022 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and $603,192 in 2022 HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) formula funds. Through the repayment of existing rehabilitation and first time homebuyer loans of CDBG and HOME funds, approximately $399,271 in CDBG funds and $264,033 in HOME funds were received as Program Income.
The City has taken no action to hinder the implementation of the 2022 Annual Action Plan and has strived to continue catch-up work caused by the Pandemic and to implement new projects and programs that work toward achieving its goals and objectives. Like 2021 programs, at the start of PY2022, some programs were previously hindered by the accumulated year-to-year delays experienced since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic. While we have mostly recovered from those delays directly attributed to COVID-19 shutdowns and limited remote work of both ourselves and our subrecipient partners, we have not fully recovered from the influx of unexpected CDBG and HOME program income that came in with the Grove Apartment loan payoffs.
Additional information provided in this report include approved Certificates of Consistency that were submitted by agencies applying for separate Federal funding. By approving these certificates, the City of Merced confirmed that the goals of these agencies are consistent with the City of Merced's goals and needs, as identified in the 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan.
Identify the geographic distribution and location of investments Target Area Planned
Percentage of
Allocation
Actual
Percentage of
Allocation
Narrative Description
City Wide 90 61
The City allocated 10% of CDBG and HOME
funds to specific low-income Census Tr
Table 4 – Identify the geographic distribution and location of investments
Narrative
For the 2022 program year, Merced anticipated that at least 10 percent of its CDBG and HOME funds would be spent reaching the 80 percent Area Median Income (AMI) disadvantaged census tracts (HUD CAPER 19
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
Income Eligible Census Tracts), and approximately 90% would serve City residents city wide.
Approximately three-fourths of the city is within one of those tracts. As stated in the Strategic Plan, certain racially and/or ethnically concentrated areas of poverty were identified as having greater needs in the City.
For PY2022 and with prior year CDBG funding, several large dollar projects were allocated as Citywide projects, but did not occur during the program year, particularly the planned expenditure of $3,781,337 of HOME funds on an affordable housing project. Therefore, the actual percentage of funds spent Citywide was not as high as expected (60.9%).
Each year, a small number of Merced's subrecipients provide services and housing to residents living in the eligible census tracts, including Harvest Time (food distribution center) and Lifeline CDC (employment training) for the 2021 program year, the latter’s accomplishments being reported in this CAPER. The City's planned infrastructure projects for sidewalk, curb, and gutter improvements were also directed towards projects within these areas – however, they did not move forward during the program year as expected.
Some of the remaining funds were targeted to the general population; however, because Merced is a relatively smaller community and low-income populations are distributed throughout, the City of Merced believes that those activities outside these census tracts will still serve low-income populations.
CDBG income-eligible Census Tracts now occupy most of the total census tracts in the City: Tracts 10.03,
10.04, a portion of 10.05, 13.01, 13.02, 14.01, 15.02, 15.03, 16.01, and portion of tract 17.00.
CAPER 20
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
Leveraging
Explain how federal funds leveraged additional resources (private, state and local funds), including a description of how matching requirements were satisfied, as well as how any publicly owned land or property located within the jurisdiction that were used to address the needs identified in the plan.
The City is dedicated to leveraging its funds towards increasing the number of affordable housing units available to City residents. At the start of the 2022 program year, the 119-unit Childs and B Affordable Housing Project finished construction (official Certificate of Occupancy issued 8/18/22), and all units were fully occupied by December 2022.
The City is currently in discussion with several affordable housing developers to begin the early stages of leveraging its remaining and future CDBG, HOME, CA Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA), and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) U.S. Treasury funding allocations towards new affordable housing projects. Additionally, now with a HUD-approved HOME-ARP Allocation Plan, the City also has HOME-ARP funds to dedicate towards a qualifying affordable rental unit construction project.
Additionally, the City leveraged some of its CDBG planning activity funds to the City and County of Merced Continuum of Care program’s Collaborative Applicant, to support eligible costs of data collection and formulating strategies for homelessness planning for the City’s homeless populations.
The City is also in various stages of leveraging its Housing Successor Agency properties towards the affordable housing needs of the community, by disposing those properties to affordable housing developers, namely: Fuller Center for Housing of Merced County, Certified Containers 915, and Linc Housing.
All Participating Jurisdictions (PJs) receiving HOME funds, like the City of Merced, must contribute or match no less than 25 cents for each dollar of HOME funds spent on affordable housing. As PJs draw funds from HOME, they incur a match liability, which must be satisfied by the end each federal fiscal year. This being said, the HOME statute provides for a reduction of the matching contribution requirement under three conditions: 1) fiscal distress; 2) severe fiscal distress; and 3) for Presidentially declared major disasters covered under the Stafford Act.
When a local jurisdiction meets both distress criteria in 24 CFR 92.222, it is determined to be in severe fiscal distress and receives a 100% reduction of match. Individual poverty rate and per capita income (PCI) are based on data obtained from the latest American Community Survey (ACS) estimates from Census data. In 2022, for a jurisdiction to qualify as distressed based on the poverty criterion, its percentage persons in poverty must have been at least 17.96% , and to CAPER 21
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qualify as distressed based on the PCI criterion, its average PCI must have been less than $24,306. With a 2022 estimated poverty rate of 29.75% and a PCI of $20,363, the City of Merced’s match is reduced 100 percent for fiscal years 2022 and 2023. Additionally, with a Federal Declaration of Major Disaster declared in January 2023 due to storm-related flooding, the City could also request a reduction of the HOME Match funds under the third criteria (24 CFR 92.222(b)) for years 2023 and 2024.
Fiscal Year Summary – HOME Match
1. Excess match from prior Federal fiscal year 25,393,312
2. Match contributed during current Federal fiscal year 0
3. Total match available for current Federal fiscal year (Line 1 plus Line 2) 25,393,312
4. Match liability for current Federal fiscal year 0
5. Excess match carried over to next Federal fiscal year (Line 3 minus Line 4) 25,393,312 Table 5 – Fiscal Year Summary - HOME Match Report
CAPER 22
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Match Contribution for the Federal Fiscal Year
Project No. or
Other ID
Date of
Contribution
Cash
(non-Federal
sources)
Foregone
Taxes, Fees,
Charges
Appraised
Land/Real
Property
Required
Infrastructure
Site
Preparation,
Construction
Materials,
Donated labor
Bond
Financing
Total Match
Table 6 – Match Contribution for the Federal Fiscal Year
HOME MBE/WBE report
Program Income – Enter the program amounts for the reporting period Balance on hand at begin-
ning of reporting period
$
Amount received during
reporting period
$
Total amount expended
during reporting period
$
Amount expended for
TBRA
$
Balance on hand at end of
reporting period
$
2,603,072 264,033 0 0 2,867,105
Table 7 – Program Income
CAPER 23
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Minority Business Enterprises and Women Business Enterprises – Indicate the number and dollar value of contracts for HOME projects completed during the reporting period Total Minority Business Enterprises White Non-
Hispanic Alaskan
Native or
American
Indian
Asian or
Pacific
Islander
Black Non-
Hispanic
Hispanic
Contracts
Dollar
Amount 0 0 0 0 0 0
Number 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sub-Contracts
Number 0 0 0 0 0 0
Dollar
Amount 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total Women
Business
Enterprises
Male
Contracts
Dollar
Amount 0 0 0
Number 0 0 0
Sub-Contracts
Number 0 0 0
Dollar
Amount 0 0 0
Table 8 - Minority Business and Women Business Enterprises
Minority Owners of Rental Property – Indicate the number of HOME assisted rental property owners and the total amount of HOME funds in these rental properties assisted Total Minority Property Owners White Non-
Hispanic Alaskan
Native or
American
Indian
Asian or
Pacific
Islander
Black Non-
Hispanic
Hispanic
Number 0 0 0 0 0 0
Dollar
Amount 0 0 0 0 0 0
Table 9 – Minority Owners of Rental Property
CAPER 24
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Relocation and Real Property Acquisition – Indicate the number of persons displaced, the cost of relocation payments, the number of parcels acquired, and the cost of acquisition Parcels Acquired 0 0
Businesses Displaced 0 0
Nonprofit Organizations
Displaced 0 0
Households Temporarily
Relocated, not Displaced 0 0
Households
Displaced
Total Minority Property Enterprises White Non-
Hispanic Alaskan
Native or
American
Indian
Asian or
Pacific
Islander
Black Non-
Hispanic
Hispanic
Number 0 0 0 0 0 0
Cost 0 0 0 0 0 0
Table 10 – Relocation and Real Property Acquisition
CAPER 25
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Certificate of Consistency - Merced County Housing Authority
CAPER 26
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
Certificate of Consistency - 2023 Merced City and County Continuum of Care
CAPER 27
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
2022 Certificate of Consistency – Project Sentinel, Inc.
CAPER 28
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CR-20 - Affordable Housing 91.520(b)
Evaluation of the jurisdiction's progress in providing affordable housing, including the number and types of families served, the number of extremely low-income, low-income, moderate-income, and middle-income persons served.
One-Year Goal Actual
Number of Homeless households to be
provided affordable housing units 605 30
Number of Non-Homeless households to be
provided affordable housing units 236 31
Number of Special-Needs households to be
provided affordable housing units 0 0
Total 841 61
Table 11 – Number of Households
One-Year Goal Actual
Number of households supported through
Rental Assistance 25 32
Number of households supported through
The Production of New Units 201 0
Number of households supported through
Rehab of Existing Units 10 0
Number of households supported through
Acquisition of Existing Units 8 4
Total 244 36
Table 12 – Number of Households Supported
Discuss the difference between goals and outcomes and problems encountered in meeting these goals.
The above goals and actuals are reconciled as explained below:
1. Provision of Affordable Housing:
a. Number of Homeless households:
CAPER 29
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
• The Alliance for Community Transformations/Valley Crisis Center (ACT) Housing Navigation Services to 50 individuals or families fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or other dangerous or life-threatening condition and/or living in a supervised shelter designed to provide temporary living arrangements (meets HUD definition of homeless) – ACT chose not to move forward with this program in PY2022 (-50) • Continuum of Care assisted sheltered and unsheltered individuals/households, but is removed from this category, as program was supported with administrative funds, which does not report accomplishments (-555)
• The 119-unit Childs and B Affordable Housing Project (now called The Retreat) completed and was occupied during PY2022 and included 30 permanent supportive units for homeless individuals.
b. Number of Non-Homeless households:
• Sierra Saving Grace completed 2022 rental, mortgage, and utility assistance program, assisting 23 households retain their permanent housing (+5)
• Sierra Saving Grace Homeless Project – 3 rental units acquired/rehabilitated and rented to low- income households (-2)
• Habitat for Humanity of Merced/Stanislaus County – 0 homeowner occupied rehabilitation projects completed (-3)
• Self-Help Enterprises – project will not move forward (-3) • Central Valley Coalition for Affordable Housing – a CHDO HOME project did not move forward (- 2)
• New Construction of Affordable Housing – an affordable housing project was not constructed during the year (-200)
• Not reported in above table: Sierra Saving Grace assisted a total of 11 households with CDBG-CV rental, mortgage, and utility assistance.
c. Number of Special-Needs households:
• None planned or accomplished
2. Households Supported Through Project Types:
a. Rental/Mortgage and Rental Deposit Assistance:
• Sierra Saving Grace – CDBG program: 23 households (+5) • Alliance for Community Transformations – CDBG (finished 2021 program): 9 households (+2) • Not reported in above table: CDBG-CV programs - Sierra Saving Grace: 11 households b. Production of New Units:
CAPER 30
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• Affordable rental housing construction did not occur in PY2022 (-200) • Fuller Center for Housing of Merced County – project was not funded by HUD funds (-1) c. Rehab of Existing Units:
• Central Valley Coalition for Affordable Housing – 0 units rehabilitated (-2) • Habitat for Humanity Merced/Stanislaus Counties – 0 units rehabilitated (-3) • Self Help Enterprises – project funded with alternative funding (-5) d. Acquisition of Existing Units:
• Sierra Saving Grace Homeless Project: completed acquisition/rehab activities for 3 units using prior year funds (-2)
• Merced Rescue Mission: completed acquisition/rehab activities for 1 unit using prior year funds (+1)
• Self Help Enterprises – homebuyer activities were funded with non-HUD funds: (-3) • Acquisition with rehab activities using 2022 funds will be reported in the 2023 CAPER following completion of associated rehab activites and tenant occupancy (four units were purchased)
Discuss how these outcomes will impact future annual action plans.
1. Provision of Affordable Housing:
Homeless:
Any new projects using 2022 HOME or CDBG funds to benefit homeless households will be reported in next year’s CAPER.
Non-Homeless:
• Habitat for Humanity’s OOR program will begin September 2023 and will use 2022 and 2023 funding. Currently, there are approximately three homeowners that are planned to be assisted during the 2023 program year. These accomplishments will be reported in the 2023 CAPER. • Further CDBG-CV rental/mortgage assistance accomplishments for both Sierra Saving Grace and the Salvation Army will be reported in next year’s CAPER. • Acquisition with rehab activities using 2022 funds will be reported in the 2023 CAPER following completion of associated rehab activities and tenant occupancy (four units purchased) • The City is currently working with a developer for construction of 156 units of new affordable rental housing. These units likely will not complete construction during the 2023 program year, CAPER 31
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but may be fully constructed by the end of PY2024. If so, they will be reported in the 2024 CAPER.
Special Needs:
Any new projects to benefit special needs households will be reported in subsequents CAPER reports.
2. B y Project Type:
Rental Assistance: please see above
Production of New Units: please see above
Rehab of Existing Units: please see above
Acquisition of Existing Units: please see above
Include the number of extremely low-income, low-income, and moderate-income persons served by each activity where information on income by family size is required to determine the eligibility of the activity.
Number of Households Served CDBG Actual HOME Actual
Extremely Low-income 276 0
Low-income 33 0
Moderate-income 8 0
Total 317 0
Table 13 – Number of Households Served
Narrative Information
In the table above, HUD requires only those figures for affordable housing rental units (none), acquisition with rehab (Sierra Saving Grace and Merced Rescue Mission), homeownership assistance (none), and rental assistance programs (Sierra Saving Grace CDBG program only) be included.
CDBG funds were used for activities benefitting low/mod persons and were in compliance with certifications that require no less than 70% of CDBG funding during the specified period on activities that benefit low/mod person.
During the 2022-2023 program year, approximately 98% of CDBG funding was directed towards LMI households and persons.
Additionally, included in the Attachments is the PR23 reports for both CDBG and HOME, which reflect Matrix Code, Accomplishment Type, Beneficiaries by Income Category, which include census for persons, and Units.
CAPER 32
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Not reflected in this table are CDBG & HOME projects still underway, projects that will close escrow and/or be closed out after June 30, 2023, CDBG activities that benefit residents living in HUD Eligible Low/Mod Census Tracts of the City, all CDBG-CV projects (food distribution, business/microenterprise assistance, and rental/mortgage/utility assistance), Continuum of Care support, and fair housing services.
Additional 2022 Low-M
od Accomplishments - CDBG
Harvest Time (Food Distribution): 206 Extremely Low (0-30% AMI); 13 Low-Mod (31-50% AMI); 3 Moderate (51-80% AMI); 2 Non-Low Moderate (81-100% AMI) Other 202 2 Low -Mod Accomplishments - CDBG-CV
Sierra Saving Grace (rental/mortgage/utility): 9 Extremely Low (0-30% AMI); 1 Low-mod (31-50% AMI); 1 Moderate (51-80%)
United Way (Businesses/Microenterprise) - employees: 24 Extremely Low (0-30% AMI); 15 Low-Mod (31-50% AMI)
CAPER 33
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CR-25 - Homeless and Other Special Needs 91.220(d, e); 91.320(d, e); 91.520(c) Evaluate the jurisdiction’s progress in meeting its specific objectives for reducing and ending homelessness through:
Reaching out to homeless persons (especially unsheltered persons) and assessing their individual needs
The City relies on its partnerships developed through the Continuum of Care and non-profit organizations (CDBG-funded Public Service activities) to reach out directly to homeless individuals in need of these services.
Among others, the following standout positive outcomes helped to direct resources towards homeless programs and activities:
• All 119 residential units at the Childs and B Affordable Housing Project were fully completed at the start of the program year, receiving their Certificate of Occupancies on August 18, 2022. The project utilized $2,400,000 of 2020 CDBG funds towards the Neighborhood Facility that was completed prior to June 30, 2022, and $1,374,000 of HOME funds towards construction of the 119 residential units, 30 of which are permanent supportive units for formerly homeless. The facility completion was recorded in last year’s CAPER.
• The Merced Rescue Mission and Sierra Saving Grace Homeless Project acquisition with rehabilitation programs were able to successfully close escrow on properties and house families and individuals using 2021 funds by the end of the program year. Both programs acquired and rehabbed homes were rented to either case-managed formerly homeless or to very- to moderate-income families and individuals.
• A total of 64 individuals in 23 households received emergency rental, mortgage, or utility payment assistance through Sierra Saving Grace's CDBG assistance program to prevent homelessness (non-COVID).
• The City of Merced provided the City and County Continuum of Care Collaborative Applicant (Merced County Human Services Agency) planning activities funding support in strategizing homeless support and prevention programs within the City Limits, for sheltered and unsheltered individuals.
• Harvest Time continued to provide meals to homeless individuals throughout the program Additionally, the City of Merced participates in the Merced City and County Continuum of Care’s Coordinated Entry (CE) system, which is linked to a wide range of public & private agencies through street outreach within the CoC jurisdiction, so that people sleeping on the streets are prioritized for assistance in the same way as all other homeless persons.
CoC advertises the CE process in ways that include: 1) leaving business cards of outreach workers; 2) leaving flyers that describe the process and include contact information; 3) leaving information at CAPER 34
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
service sites; 4) leaving information at public locations; 5) educating mainstream service providers; 6) at events that attract homeless persons; 7) navigation center; 8) 2-1-1 help line; and 9) meal programs at centers and parks.
Addressing the emergency shelter and transitional housing needs of homeless persons The City of Merced participates in the Merced City and County Continuum of Care which is linked to a wide range of public & private agencies working together to address emergency and transitional housing needs of homeless persons.
This past year, the City of Merced collaborated with the following organizations to provide immediate shelter to chronically homeless individuals or individuals at-risk of becoming homeless:
• Sierra Saving Grace - Rental and Utility Payment Assistance • Merced County - COC Collaborative Applicant for homelessness strategies The City worked with Sierra Saving Grace to assist 23 households with rental and utility payment assistance to help them pay their late rent or mortgage and utility bills. This helped these families avoid eviction or foreclosure and/or gas and electricity shut-off due to nonpayment, which would have resulted in loss of their basic means to cook meals or heat and cool their homes, crucial in summer temperatures that regularly reach over 100 degrees for days at a time.
The City set aside funding for the Allance for Community Transformations’ (ACTs) Valley Crisis Center, a transitional shelter for domestic violence victims, to provide housing navigation services to their shelter residents, to assist them in finding stable, independent living. However, at the start of the year, ACT chose not to move forward with the project, which was estimated to be able to provide housing-related case management to 50 individuals.
Additionally, the City worked with both the Merced Rescue Mission and Sierra Saving Grace to complete and close out separate programs that used prior year funds to acquire and rehab homes to use for permanent supportive housing units within the community for formerly homeless individuals and families (usually those who are chronically homeless).
In December 2022, the County's Navigation Center coordinated with the property management team at the newly constructed Childs Court/Childs and B Street Apartments nearby to coordinate the permanent housing of up to 30 homeless clients. This collaborative approach allowed for a more comprehensive screening, placement, and case management of the client/resident and a chance for greater housing successes.
Helping low-income individuals and families avoid becoming homeless, especially extremely low-income individuals and families and those who are: likely to become homeless after being discharged from publicly funded institutions and systems of care (such as health care CAPER 35
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
facilities, mental health facilities, foster care and other youth facilities, and corrections programs and institutions); and, receiving assistance from public or private agencies that address housing, health, social services, employment, education, or youth needs The County-wide Continuum of Care's homeless prevention strategy was implemented to help identify specific risk factors based on fact-finding with general assistance, mainstream, and prevention assistance providers that include loss of income, history of residential instability, sudden death or illness, utility shutoffs, etc.
A strategic step of the prevention strategy focuses on shelter diversion by stabilizing the households in current housing or by temporarily sharing housing with other family members or friends until the household is ready to obtain and maintain permanent housing.
Steps also include links to temporary or ongoing support and case management, if needed. Temporary support may include one-time or short-term rental and/or utility assistance and participation in employment services. Ongoing supports may include mainstream resources and job training. Case management, if desired by the household, may be short-term.
The overall goal of the homeless prevention strategy is to stabilize the household and prepare a plan if another housing crisis occurs.
In addition, the Merced County Rescue Mission operates a Respite Care program that focuses on helping homeless persons discharged from local hospital and healthcare facilities. The Respite Care program offers such persons a safe and supportive environment, as well as meals and oversight of medical treatment, while helping them explore long-term housing options through case management.
For the past three years, the City has supported LifeLine Community Development Corp.'s "Empower Loughborough Community" program. The program was implemented with 2019 CDBG funds (however, it started slowly due to the Pandemic), and LifeLine plans to expand the program to other nearby apartment complex communities in the Loughborough area. The program focuses on residents living in Census Tract 10.03 and 10.04, both Qualified Census Tract that have a large percentage of low-income families and higher crime, by providing them with job skills, mentorship, personal finance training, and childcare, that will eventually enable them to lift themselves out of systemic poverty.
While initially categorized as a Neighborhood Cleanup activity, Restore Merced's "Restore Jobs" transitional employment program initially got its start from 2018 and 2019 CDBG funds, providing homeless or formerly incarcerated men with jobs, mentorship, and case management during their work in cleaning up certain LMI Census Tracts in the City, removing over 60 tons of trash and bulky debris within the 2019 program year alone. In spring of 2020, the City began contracting independently with Restore Merced using its Solid Waste Enterprise Funds through its Public Works Department to maintain its downtown and creek areas, enabling the organization to continue employing, mentoring, and training these individuals, as well as assisting them in finding other employment. Since its inception, Restore CAPER 36
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
Merced has consistently seen its former employees successfully progress to mainstream jobs and positive lives.
Helping homeless persons (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
By partnering with the Merced City and County Continuum of Care to strategize homelessness in the City, helping homeless persons includes:
• Focusing more intensely on chronically homeless individuals and families through street outreach, and engagement into areas and encampments where chronically homeless persons are known to live;
• Engaging chronically homeless households through the Coordinated Entry System, to help link them to the appropriate permanent supportive housing provider and level of supportive services;
• Increasing resources to provide bridge housing for chronically homeless households who need a short-term stay while awaiting permanent housing availability that includes low-barrier shelter and vouchered stays in motels;
• Connecting chronically homeless households to mainstream resources, including Medi-Cal and behavioral health services while awaiting PSH placement; • Connecting chronically homeless households to community resources such as food, transportation, money management, housing counseling services, etc., to ensure they maintain their housing; and,
• Emphasizing a consumer-driven mindset that is choice-based.
The Coordinated Entry System (CES) plays a critical role in providing the right intervention for each homeless family to effectively house them within 30 days. CES helps families avoid entering shelters by offering assistance to help them remain in their housing or live with friends and families for a short period of time in order to gain time to move into permanent housing. If emergency shelter is needed, rapid rehousing assistance and supportive services are provided to help ensure a stay of no more than 30 days. Services are provided within a housing first and low-barrier environment. Assistance is flexible, so that families with lower barriers receive modest financial assistance and those with higher barriers receive moderate assistance.
The Continuum of Care has also developed more effective coordination between prevention efforts and mainstream benefits and programs.
CAPER 37
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
Merced County Regional Homeless Plan
In 2019, the City and County began work on a Regional Homeless Plan that would bring coordination of jurisdictions county-wide to address concerns associated with homelessness and the homeless population.
The concept first began with State Assemblyman Adam Gray's ability to obtain funds for facility improvements in the County and grew from conceptual meetings between regional leaders to potential fruition of the concept, with CA Governor Gavin Newsom's willingness to support regional solutions for homelessness in the State budget. The County's conceptual plan also includes the County's Continuum of Care program and business owners within the County.
The County Regional Homeless Plan includes a housing-first concept that increases low-barrier temporary and permanent housing under the following purposes and principles: 1) establish and enlist measurable objectives; 2) strategic and efficient use of State and Federal funds across jurisdictions; 3) create client-focused best practices that serve the individual, not just the program. Key objectives of the Plan include outreach and engagement and development and expansion of housing resources and opportunities (Housing First, Navigation Center, interim housing, permanent housing, and long-term supportive housing).
System Support and Proposed Actions include: 1) Identify and categorize all available funding for services across agencies; 2) Develop multi-agency teams to engage individuals experiencing homelessness; 3) Develop a housing inventory or registry program to aid in expediting placements using vouchers; 4) Update the Coordinated Entry System (CES) and Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) to enhance assessment tools and collect data more effectively; 5) Implement a Homeless Court aimed at addressing chronic cases; and, 6) Enhance case management efforts to achieve independence.
Homeless Court Program
In March of 2020, the Merced City Council approved a Homeless Court Memorandum of Understanding among the County of Merced District Attorney's Office, County of Merced Public Defender's Office, Public Defender Firm Ciummo and Associates, the Superior Court of California/Merced County, and the City of Merced to establish the Homeless Court Program (HCP), a collaborative court that provides homeless and formerly homeless individuals with an opportunity to resolve outstanding eligible pre- and post-judgement criminal cases and/or infractions, in the interest of promoting public and individual safety and self-sufficiency.
The HCP addresses the unique needs of the homeless population's legal challenges, which hinder an individual's ability to re-establish themselves into society. The HCP is designed to reward eligible individuals who have made significant progress in improving their situation through participation in a treatment program with access to additional community and court resources.Examples of eligible CAPER 38
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
program service activities include behavior health and recovery services, employment or employment training services, individual counseling, chemical dependency meetings, or other like activity approved by the Homeless Court Coordinator. Eligible cases for the HCP include both infraction and misdemeanor traffic and criminal fines.
The City Manager and City Attorney's Office staff provide staff support to the Homeless Court on behalf of the City of Merced, and Merced County provides the coordinator duties by facilitating and implementing the administrative functions of the program.
CAPER 39
OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021)
CR-30 - Public Housing 91.220(h); 91.320(j)
Actions taken to address the needs of public housing
The Housing Authority of Merced County (HAMC) is the public housing agency serving those needs within the City of Merced. HAMC is independent of the City of Merced, and the City retains no control or decision-making over its funding, voucher programs, or implementation of programs. HAMC owns multiple public housing properties in Merced. The City does not own any public housing.
In May 2023, the HAMC opened several different waiting lists to begin accepting online preapplications from potential tenants for Project Based Vouchers (PBV), Public Housing (PH), and Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV) programs. Though an online process, applicants with disabilities could contact HAMC to request reasonable accommodations assistance. These vouchers will assist low-income tenants as units become available, and especially, as new units are constructed by the City's HOME funding, local and state funding sources, and private developers in the next years.
The City of Merced continues to work closely with non-profit organizations who, in association, work closely with HAMC to provide assistance to low-income families in the development of housing projects in Merced. In this connection, the City and HAMC each strive to address the public housing needs of the community, though our combined funds are insufficient to address the extent of the affordable housing crisis.
The Housing Authority provides and manages the Housing Choice Voucher program, formerly known as Section 8. Due to the lack of available units and the community’s low vacancy rate, many voucher recipients still experience difficulty finding and securing housing.
The success of the HAMC assistance within the City of Merced continues to hinge on the shortage of available units, and the lack of affordable, decent housing is a major issue in Merced County as a whole.
Developing enough affordable housing in the jurisdiction to meet the need is a huge challenge for stakeholders seeking to improve the quality of life for a large sector of our population.
The City is working with affordable housing developers to partner with in creating more affordable rental units within the next one to five years with voucher assistance from HAMC.
Actions taken to encourage public housing residents to become more involved in management and participate in homeownership
The Housing Authority of Merced County (HAMC) encourages residents to participate in policy, procedure, and program implementation and development through its Board, particularly focusing on self-sufficiency and enhancing the quality of one's own life. HAMC connects residents and participants to services, activities, and other organizations that promote that vision. There are community and network center partnerships for residents to utilize, including public computer centers. On the HAMC website, CAPER 40
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residents can locate relevant services and service providers in dedicated resident and resident services sections. Additionally, HAMC distributes information via webpage and mail-outs to participants about the status of its programs and residents for current and future participants, relevant news, information on training and employment opportunities, and other community resources available. Public housing residents also participate in the development of the HAMC five-year and annual plans. The HAMC distributes a survey to prioritize residents’ needs and schedule short- and long-term improvements.
Actions taken to provide assistance to troubled PHAs
The Housing Authority of Merced County (HAMC) is not designated as troubled.
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CR-35 - Other Actions 91.220(j)-(k); 91.320(i)-(j)
Actions taken 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. 91.220 (j); 91.320 (i) City of Merced Housing staff continues to move forward to meet the daily challenges and has worked to educate subgrantees, identify challenged areas, establish community partnerships, and improve upon outdated processes to create an efficient, effective program. With a meagerly staffed division, the work is always uphill, but deeply entrenched in a focused mission to assist Merced residents and improve living conditions for the most vulnerable, while administering funding responsibly and ethically.
The Housing Program continues to service existing First Time Homebuyer Program (FTHB) loans funded by the previous-year HOME program funds, Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) funds, and previous-year CalHome funds.
The City was awarded $2.5 million of 2021 CalHome Program funding from the State of California Housing and Community Development (HCD) on April 19, 2022. This amount is split towards the following activities and amounts: 1) homeowner occupied rehabilitation - $1,375,000; and 2) first time homebuyer for mortgage assistance - $1,125,000. The City enlisted the partnership of Self-Help Enterprises for their expertise in both applying for and managing the programs post-award. Since 2017, we have maintained a waiting list of potential applicants who we have determined to be preliminarily income-qualified, and Self-Help Enterprises has prioritized these residents in beginning the program.
Additionally, we still expect to be able to fund a handful of new loans during the 2023-2024 program year from a small pool of program income that has accumulated over time from payments received on existing loans that we continue to administer.
In February 2020, the City received an award of State SB2 Planning Grant Program funds that funded planning activities directed at accelerating the production of new housing units in the City. These funds were directed towards several activities, including updating the Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) Ordinance, developing pre-approved ADU and duplex plans to streamline permitting processes and encourage the construction of housing units by home and landowners, and to strategize use of permanent Local Housing Allocations (PLHA) funds towards activities that reduce the cost and policy barriers for residents.
In June 2021, the City received an award of $300,000 by the CA HCD Local Early Action Planning Grants Program (LEAP) that has assisted us in examining and updating ordinances and policies that may have historically and unintentionally served to limit the development of affordable housing.
For the 2022 program year, the City restarted its Homeowner Rehabilitation program with Habitat for CAPER 42
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Humanity Merced/Stanislaus County to benefit low-income homeowners, although it will not get implemented until September 2023. These homeowners, while able to pay their mortgages and taxes, are sometimes not able to afford large or even small-scale repairs to maintain the home itself over time.
The program removes the financial barriers of those repairs by providing a low-interest loan that is forgivable after 15 years of continued owner occupancy.
Actions taken to address obstacles to meeting underserved needs. 91.220(k); 91.320(j) The 2022 Annual Action Plan identified the lack of funding resources that fully address all the needs of target-income residents as one of the primary obstacles in meeting underserved needs. One way to combat this is to encourage programs that produce the most widespread benefit, and another is to partner with other agencies and non-profit organizations to pool resources that attain the same or similar goals. Another identified obstacle is the location of services for those that need access to them.
The City of Merced Housing Division has partnered with the Merced County Human Services Agency as Collaborative Applicant to identify planning strategies that the Continuum of Care program can oversee within the City of Merced and County of Merced jurisdictional lines. Almost three-fourths of Merced County¿s homeless reside within the city limits. Through the Annual Plan, the City of Merced continues to provide CDBG planning activity funding to support staff costs of the Merced County Human Services Agency¿s Collaborative Applicant homelessness planning role. Several positive activities identified by the Continuum of Care can be found throughout this document and past year performance reports.
In 2011, the City and County of Merced took a lead role in providing resources to the homeless in Merced and the County outlying areas and smaller communities by adopting the 10-Year Strategy to End Homelessness. The plan discussed the extent of homelessness in Merced County, recommended best practices, identified potential local resources, described solutions, and ultimately rendered area organizations eligible for federal Continuum of Care grant funding. The City intentionally supports and complements the goals of the County of Merced Community Regional Homeless Plan by striving to fund any of the following activities each year through public services and housing provider partnerships, as funding availability, non-profit organization capacity, and community need allows:
• Rental and utility assistance/homeless prevention
• Security deposit assistance/support for rapid re-housing programs • Owner occupied rehabilitation
• Housing navigation services
• Homeless program operating cost support
• Health services
• Mental health services
• Legal aid services to homeless and low-income persons • Services for victims of domestic violence
• Permanent supportive housing
• Employment training
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• Programs to address barriers to employment, such as self-sufficiency skills and personal finance education
• Childcare services, including parenting skills classes • Food bank operating costs
• Construction of affordable housing units
• Provide set-aside units within housing projects for homeless and special needs • Fair housing services
As the Housing Division does not have the staff capacity to provide these services, the City relies heavily on existing and new non-profit organizations as subrecipients to carry out these activities.
Actions taken to reduce lead-based paint hazards. 91.220(k); 91.320(j) Since a majority of housing units in the City of Merced were built before 1978, the City requires lead- paint testing for all acquisition and rehabilitation projects. If lead-based paint is detected within the project area, the Housing Division requires that the problem is abated prior to the final reimbursement, closeout of the project, and occupancy of the unit. As required by Federal and State funding sources, housing rehabilitation programs must comply with the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992 (Title X) and subsequent changes made since its enactment.
As part of its procedures, the City requirements include:
• Notification of potential lead-based paint hazards
• Identification
• Treatment, if necessary
The City works with its Acquisition with Rehabilitation and Homeowner Occupied Rehab subrecipient partners to abate properties that are identified as potentially containing lead-based paint by requiring testing for every project. The practice of automatic testing for all relevant projects was fully implemented in the 2019 Annual Plan for all contracts and programs, no matter the age of the structure involved.
The 2022 Annual Plan approved funding to Habitat for Humanity of Merced/Stanislaus County (HFHS) for a homeowner occupied rehabilitation program spanning three years. Though it was not implemented during the 2022 program year, it will restart in September 2023 to assist homeowners and abate properties of lead paint hazards.
Actions taken to reduce the number of poverty-level families. 91.220(k); 91.320(j) The City's anti-poverty strategy is based on funding and supporting a range of housing, employment, and family service opportunities aimed at enabling those in poverty to move into or increase their skills in the workforce. Also, the City, in cooperative efforts, continues important planning strategies with the CAPER 44
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Continuum of Care and its partnering cities and non-profit agencies to identify resources available to reduce the number of persons living below the poverty level and address the needs of the community.
We continue to encourage job and life skills training programs and the provision of connections to employment agencies.
For the last few program years, and again in this upcoming PY2023, the City partners with LifeLine CDC to deliver employment training and healthy, meaningful afterschool activities to poverty-level residents living in the Loughborough Area of Merced. This program has brought these neighborhoods together for clean up events and with PY2021 funding, was able to assist 464 adults with workforce connections, employment training, sometimes healthy nutrition supplementation if needed, and personal finance management skills.
Actions taken to develop institutional structure. 91.220(k); 91.320(j) The City continues to support and encourage an institution-wide - even inter-agency - cooperation and partnership with developers, non-profit organizations, and other organizations through the provision of financial and/or technical assistance in working towards the shared goal of providing affordable housing opportunities to extremely low-, very-low, low- and moderate-income households. As we continue these relationships, we are constantly evaluating and striving to improve on their effectiveness in addressing the community's housing issues. The City continues to find ways to provide support by way of multi-agency partnerships, technical assistance, funding support, expedited permit processing, fee deferrals, land write-downs, and incentives and concessions that meet or exceed State density bonus law as appropriate.
The City resolves to be diligent and thorough in our approach to working with developers, monitoring the progress of projects at all stages, and remaining compliant with all HUD rules, laws, and authorities.
The City is currently updating its environmental, monitoring, and other policies and procedures to remain compliant with HUD requirements.
The Housing Division also continues to work with the all City departments, particularly Code Enforcement, Police/Fire, and Building, to identify substandard housing and encourage the owners to contact the Housing Division. If the homeowner is living in a non-compliant residence, Housing staff will contact Habitat for Humanity to see if the homeowner is eligible for the Homeowner Rehabilitation Program. If the property owner is not living on-site and would like to sell the substandard unit, we assist the property owner in connecting with local non-profit organizations who may be interested in purchasing the unit, thereby transforming the unit from market rate to affordable housing. Whether by homeowner rehab or acquisition and rehab, these measures to identify and improve these units in this way also improves and stabilizes the neighborhoods in which they are located and improves the lives of the residents in them.
Lastly, the City continues to encourage the creation of housing units for households earning 30% or less of Median Family Income, with emphasis on housing for families, single-occupant units, transitional CAPER 45
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facilities, and housing units serving temporary needs.
Actions taken to enhance coordination between public and private housing and social service agencies. 91.220(k); 91.320(j)
The City continues to hold community meetings to enhance coordination between housing providers, government agencies, and other key stakeholders in the City and County.
We have also continued to participate in and fund the Continuum of Care (CoC) in planning for the fight against homelessness, joining other governmental agencies, service providers, and community member in sharing information on existing programs, identifying areas for improvement in the coordination of services, and exchanging knowledge of best practices to better understand and address the community¿s needs as a whole. The Continuum of Care holds quarterly board meetings to provide a platform for agencies to coordinate services and exchange information. Board Members of the Continuum of Care include public housing authorities, service providers, community stakeholders, and people who have experienced homelessness themselves. These meetings are held to address unmet needs and ensure that resources are leveraged and not duplicated.
The Merced County Human Services Agency became the Collaborative Applicant in 2017 and still oversees the CoC. A staff member is designated to serve on the Board as a liaison between the department and homeless clients/service providers experiencing barriers in receiving assistance. The County has had a significant presence in the Project Homeless Connect events held each year pre- COVID-19. At these events, the needs of at-risk individuals and people experiencing homelessness were assessed on-the-spot to get them connected to services immediately. These linkages increased the community¿s efforts to avoid discharge into homelessness, as well as to serve the existing homeless population. These beneficial events resumed in Spring of 2023.
In addition to the actions listed above, the City will continue to enhance coordination and work with the Housing Authority of Merced County, housing and service providers, and faith-based organizations to identify services, housing, and other needs. Other agencies that we will continue to collaborate with include the Central Valley Coalition for Affordable Housing and Habitat for Humanity Merced/Stanislaus Counties. These and other such relationships are extremely important in providing safe, affordable housing to residents in need.
Identify actions taken to overcome the effects of any impediments identified in the jurisdictions analysis of impediments to fair housing choice. 91.520(a) Insufficient supply of affordable rental housing:
The City of Merced has identified the provision of affordable housing as a priority in the City¿s Housing Element, as well as the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice, and it is a need expressed continually by the residents of our community. The City continually works to be able to provide these CAPER 46
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crucial housing units.
While the City is not a direct provider of affordable housing, it does assist developers and non-profit organizations with affordable housing funding. The City is currently working with multiple affordable housing developers on several promising projects that will further alleviate the impediments to housing choice that the affordable housing crisis continues to present.
Including 2022, the City has funded acquisition and rehabilitation of existing affordable rental units in collaboration with non-profit organizations and leverages other City monies to assist with financing new construction.
As a result of feedback from the public regarding the City¿s ordinances and policies that may be unintentially causing barriers to housing construction and affordability, staff and City Council have proactively looked for ways to increase the number of affordable units, whether by creating workable, custom-fit policies unique to Merced, adjusting fee schedules to encourage the construction of affordable units either directly by developers or via a new City-maintained Housing Trust Fund, by seeking funding opportunities and creative subsidy layering strategies, or a combination of these.
Unfair Lending Practices:
Homebuyer education classes remains a goal for future Annual Plan funding. However, residents who will be taking advantage of First Time Homebuyer Program through 2021 CalHome funding will receive homebuyer education training.
These classes give residents the knowledge they need to help them recognize any unfair lending practices in their future home purchase transactions.
Fair Housing Education Efforts
Project Sentinel's fair housing program directly served approximately 34 residents through 10 case investigations that were performed, 113 residents through information, intake, and referral calls, for a total of approximatey 147 residents. Additional residents were reached through distribution of over 250 brochures that provided fair housing information at events such as community fairs, schools, and through other community organizations. Approximately 1087 mailers were sent directly to residents living in low-income areas of the city to further reach and inform residents. The extension of City services that Project Sentinel provided was instrumental during and after the January 2023 storms and resulting flooding that affected many tenants and homeowners.
During prepartion of the 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan and 2020 Update to the Analysis of Impediments for Fair Housing Choice, Housing staff met with Project Sentinel to discuss the housing complaints that Project Sentinel typically encounters in serving the tenants, landlords, and other individuals living in Merced, and how we can address fair housing impediments. City Housing staff is committed to CAPER 47
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furthering those efforts throughout the remainder of this Consolidated Plan period.
The City of Merced Housing Division has a Fair Housing Resources and Services webpage on its website, providing multi-language downloadable resources to immigrants, families with children, and veterans, among others, and provides the website and direct contact information for Project Sentinel, to better connect residents who need assistance.
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CR-40 - Monitoring 91.220 and 91.230
Describe the standards and procedures used to monitor activities carried out in furtherance of the plan and used to ensure long-term compliance with requirements of the programs involved, including minority business outreach and the comprehensive planning requirements
The Coronavirus pandemic presented an enormous hurdle for our staff, in addition to staffing constraints, both of which we continue to recover from. As a result, on-site monitoring of public service projects through site checks or office visits could not be performed, but we continued to communicate with each subrecipient by email, online meetings, and telephone calls to make sure programs continued as much as possible under the circumstances. Loan servicing has continued in-house by current Housing Division staff. There were no problems that needed mitigation as a result of these monitoring efforts.
Monitoring remains an area that our division can improve upon, especially with new subrecipients and as new Housing staff comes on board and increases their knowledge of programs and procedures.
Multi-F
amily Housing Program Monitoring
City Housing staff conducts site visits and audits annually to multi-family housing subrecipients to review record keeping, upkeep of facility, and ensure that eligibility requirements are being maintained. If discrepancies are found, the subrecipient will be informed during the on-site visit, provided a formal letter, and provided 30-days to correct any findings and/or work with staff for a reasonable timeline in achieving compliance for those items. Once compliance has been achieved, the sub-recipient receives a clearance letter from the City. The City Council is informed of any unresolved problems during the budget process. Before each monitoring, the City allows each subrecipient reasonable time to prepare for the monitoring.
Single-F
amily Housing Program Monitoring
Homes rehabilitated or purchased with CDBG or HOME funds for use as rental properties for moderate to low-income families are monitored annually by staff. The owner is provided a letter requesting information and income verification of the renter. Given a small staff, City of Merced Housing visitations to all sites is not feasible; instead, staff ensures that a minimum of one or two sites is visited. If discrepancies are found, the subrecipient and/or on-site manager will be informed during the on-site tour, provided a formal letter, and provided 30-days to correct the problem; and/or work with staff for a reasonable timeline.
Public Service/Other Activity Monitoring
The City has established monitoring procedures for its subrecipients to ensure compliance with all CDBG and HOME requirements and objectives. Those procedures include written contracts and invoicing before funds are distributed; workshops with applicants and new subrecipients to ensure an CAPER 49
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understanding of reporting requirements; clear timelines for measured success; reporting forms that include hours, task, client demographic information, and income range; and, clear provision of information on HUD's cost and other principles. Reports are required with each invoice, and year-end evaluations are required. All sub-recipients normally receive one on-site visit during the program year.
Minority Outreach
Annual public outreach and project funding processes involve translated notices and invitations to both Hmong and Latino commerce and service provider groups. The Merced Lao Family Community Inc. is the main support organization that provides social and business services to Hmong residents, and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is included in all processes. Language interpretation is provided and available at all meetings held throughout the year, and subrecipients are required to provide or arrange for language interpreters to clients, when needed.
Citizen Participation Plan 91.105(d); 91.115(d)
Describe the efforts to provide citizens with reasonable notice and an opportunity to comment on performance reports.
Staff made a concerted effort to reach out to the community for comments and input about the CAPER for fiscal year 2022-23. The public was notified of the CAPER’s availability through notifications in two newspapers, website postings, at a public meeting, and the City Council approval meeting. The CAPER report process was also mentioned during City Council and other meetings throughout the year when speaking with local housing and other community advocates.
The availability of the FY 2022 CAPER for public review and a request for comments was publicly noticed in the following ways:
• July 19, 2023 - Notices were posted on the Housing Division Public Notices webpage. • July 20, 2023 - A Public Notice was published in the Merced Sun-Star daily print and online newspaper.
• July 20, 2023 - A Public Notice was published in the Merced County Times weekly print and online newspaper. The notice informed the public how special accommodations for the CAPER public input process could be requested.
• July 27, 2023 – A Public Meeting to solicit public input was held in the Sam Pipes Meeting Room, 1st Floor City Hall, from 5:30-6:30 p.m.
• August 18, 2023, to September 8, 2023 - A 15-day Public Review and Comment Period was held and extended another seven days, for a total of 22 days; Draft CAPER posted on City website and available for viewing in the Housing Division office. • September 18, 2023 – Public Meeting at City Hall to request Council action to approve the CAPER.
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During the program year, no Substantial or Technical Amendments were made to the 2022 Annual Plan.
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CR-45 - CDBG 91.520(c)
Specify the nature of, and reasons for, any changes in the jurisdiction’s program objectives and indications of how the jurisdiction would change its programs as a result of its experiences.
Priorities identified in the 2022 Annual Action Plan were implemented and remained unchanged through the program year.
Each year, community outreach efforts are meaningful and informed when developing the Annual Action Plan. City staff continually seeks new ways to expand outreach and community engagement, and the input gleaned from citizens gets prioritized during the development of the plan. Our goal is to strive to meet the community’s most pressing needs when determining project funding.
The City takes a proactive approach and continually evaluates programs, projects, and activities to ensure they are meeting targeted goals, as well as keeping in line with current levels of funding. As a result of our experience, difficult and strategic recommendations are made to City Council. CDBG timeliness expenditure ratios are monitored each month, as are HOME commitment and expenditure deadlines.
The City’s Citizen Participation Plan (CPP) allows minor and technical amendments to be reviewed and authorized by the City Manager. Substantial amendments are defined by the CPP as a change that affects more than 75% of the allocation of funding in any project and/or the total distribution.
Substantial amendments require public notices be published in local newspapers and a 30-day public review and comment period. No public hearing is required by the CPP, but the City encourages resident's participation in all phases, including at City Council meetings. No amendments to the CPP were made during the 2022 program year.
The Goals and Objectives established in the 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan and 2021 Annual Action Plan did not change during the 2022 program year.
Does this Jurisdiction have any open Brownfields Economic Development Initiative (BEDI) grants?
No
[BEDI grantees] Describe accomplishments and program outcomes during the last year.
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CR-50 - HOME 24 CFR 91.520(d)
Include the results of on-site inspections of affordable rental housing assisted under the program to determine compliance with housing codes and other applicable regulations Please list those projects that should have been inspected on-site this program year based upon the schedule in 24 CFR §92.504(d). Indicate which of these were inspected and a summary of issues that were detected during the inspection. For those that were not inspected, please indicate the reason and how you will remedy the situation.
The Coronavirus pandemic presented an enormous hurdle for our staff and subrecipients for program monitoring, especially the ability to safely perform on-site visits between City staff, site managers, and residents of units. As restrictions of the Pandemic lifted, the Housing Division and subrecipients were still recovering from the effects of delays during these times. The 2022 program year was spent entirely on the effort to catch up to expenditure hurdles caused by both the Pandemic-related overlapping delays and the large amount of CDBG and HOME program income that has come in during this Consolidated Plan period, as well as remedying issues discovered in a January 2020 Environmental monitoring by HUD, while pushing forward current programs. Thus, monitoring affordable housing units was unfortunately affected adversely by these dilemmas and efforts and efforts in other areas and was less of a priority.
Staff is in continual contact with subrecipients that manage these developments, and as a result of those communications, we are confident that there are no problems that would cause non-compliance with housing codes or other applicable regulations.
Multi-F
amily Housing Program Monitoring
City Housing staff normally conducts site visits annually to multi-family housing sub-recipients to review record keeping, the upkeep of facility, and to ensure eligibility requirements are being maintained. A City inspector is part of this tour, and if discrepancies are found, the subrecipient is informed during the on-site tour, provided a formal letter, and provided 30-days to correct the finding and/or work with staff for a reasonable timeline.
Annual audits are required by these subrecipients for their programs. If discrepancies in this area are found, the subrecipient is informed immediately, and a formal letter is mailed. The subrecipient is given 30 days to correct the problem or provide a timeline for correction. The City will work with the organization to ensure the requirements are understood and that compliance is attained. Once compliance has been achieved, the sub-recipient receives a clearance letter from the City. The City Council is informed of any unresolved problems during the budget process. These same procedures will be followed with non-housing sub-recipients.
Since October of 2020, the City has enlisted the services of RSG, Inc. for multi-family rental project CAPER 53
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monitoring, including monitoring for income-eligibility and tenant file inspections. RSG’s services are professional, knowledgeable, and efficient, and the City intends to keep using their services for large- scale rental housing monitoring. Housing staff still participates in on-site monitoring for unit inspections.
Single-F amily Housing Program Monitoring
Homes rehabilitated or purchased with HOME funds for use as rental properties for moderate- to low- income families are normally monitored annually by Housing staff. The owner is provided a letter requesting information and income verification of the renter. Given a small staff, City of Merced Housing Division visitations to all sites is not feasible; instead, staff ensures that a minimum of one or two sites is visited. If discrepancies are found, the subrecipient and/or on-site manager will be informed during the on-site tour, provided a formal letter, and provided 30-days to correct the problem; and/or work with staff for a reasonable timeline.
Provide an assessment of the jurisdiction's affirmative marketing actions for HOME units. 24 CFR 91.520(e) and 24 CFR 92.351(a)
The City of Merced continues to follow the Affirmative Marketing Policy as outlined in the Consolidated Plan and monitors compliance with the Policy by the City and participating property owners on an annual basis.
The City of Merced Housing Division is responsible for implementing the Affirmative Marketing Policy and evaluating its effectiveness concurrently with the HOME Program:
• The Housing Division shall inform the public about the Affirmative Marketing Policy through handouts and application forms, periodic advertisements in general circulation newspapers, and regularly scheduled public meetings.
• The City shall, at times, display informational posters in the Merced City Hall Lobby, which is open to the public. All graphic presentations concerning the HOME Program shall display the HUD Equal Housing Opportunity logo or slogan.
• The owners of buildings selected for rehabilitation shall likewise be informed about the City’s Affirmative Marketing Policy at the time that an application is submitted to the Housing Division. • The City shall also provide tenants and rental property owners with copies of the “Landlord- Tenant Fact Sheet” produced by the State Department of Consumer Affairs. • The City shall continue its practice of providing general information and telephone reference numbers to persons contacting the Housing Division with questions regarding affirmative marketing, federal fair housing, tenant’s rights, assisted housing, and correction of substandard conditions in tenant-occupied dwellings.
This year, the City continued the services of the Fair Housing Services provider (Project Sentinel) for all Merced residents. Some of the services provided by Project Sentinel include seminars, educational pamphlets, and counselors to assist renters with any fair housing questions or problems.
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Refer to IDIS reports to describe the amount and use of program income for projects, including the number of projects and owner and tenant characteristics In January 2021, the City received a large loan payoff of HOME and Section 108 Loan Guarantee funds from The Grove Apartments in January 2021. The City used a $2,400,000 portion of the $3,877,751 of CDBG funds received in that transaction towards the Childs and B Street Affordable Housing Project via a Substantial Amendment process during the 2020-21 program year. The remaining CDBG funds were allocated through the 2021 and 2022 Annual Plans to several public improvement projects that did were unfortunately not able to be implemented during the 2022 program year. While some funds are carried over to new 2023 projects, the City is progressing on two prior year infrastructure projects.
Like was reported in the 2021 CAPER, the remaining HOME funds left from The Grove Apartments loan payoff will be used towards new affordable housing projects during the 2023 program year, as will the remaining LMI Asset Funds.
Describe other actions taken to foster and maintain affordable housing. 24 CFR 91.220(k) (STATES ONLY: Including the coordination of LIHTC with the development of affordable housing). 24 CFR 91.320(j)
The HOME program objectives continue with promoting, maintaining, and providing affordable housing by working with affordable housing developers and nonprofit organizations.
Staff worked with Habitat for Humanity Stanislaus to assist homeowners with rehabilitation of their properties (though the program was not in contract before the end of the program year); Sierra Saving Grace and Merced Rescue Mission with the acquisition of properties to increase the number of permanent supportive and affordable housing units within the community; and, Central Valley Coalition for Affordable Housing as our CHDO partner.
In April 2021, the City published an open RFQ (Request for Qualifications) to continuously recruit affordable housing developers as potential partners for both current and future affordable housing projects. The RFQ attracted several affordable housing developers, whom in 2022 we continued working with on several viable future and progressing projects in the City of Merced. This RFQ list will also be utilized for a future HOME-ARP assisted rental housing project.
In April through May 2021, an RFP (Request for Proposal) was published to enlist proposals from affordable housing providers for disposition of properties owned by the City as Housing Successor Agency to the former Redevelopment Agency. During 2022, the City continued working with three of these developers – Fuller Center for Housing of Merced County, Linc Housing, and Certified Containers 915 – on affordable housing developments using Housing Successor and State-awarded grant funding.
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CR-58 – Section 3
Identify the number of individuals assisted and the types of assistance provided
Total Labor Hours CDBG HOME ESG HOPWA HTF
Total Number of Activities 0 0 0 0 0
Total Labor Hours
Total Section 3 Worker Hours
Total Targeted Section 3 Worker Hours
Table 14 – Total Labor Hours
Qualitative Efforts - Number of Activities by Program CDBG HOME ESG HOPWA HTF Outreach efforts to generate job applicants who are Public Housing Targeted Workers
Outreach efforts to generate job applicants who are Other Funding Targeted Workers.
Direct, on-the job training (including apprenticeships).
Indirect training such as arranging for, contracting for, or paying tuition for, off-site training.
Technical assistance to help Section 3 workers compete for jobs (e.g., resume assistance, coaching).
Outreach efforts to identify and secure bids from Section 3 business concerns.
Technical assistance to help Section 3 business concerns understand and bid on contracts.
Division of contracts into smaller jobs to facilitate participation by Section 3 business concerns.
Provided or connected residents with assistance in seeking employment including: drafting resumes,preparing for interviews, finding job opportunities, connecting residents to job placement services. 1 Held one or more job fairs.
Provided or connected residents with supportive services that can provide direct services or referrals. 1
Provided or connected residents with supportive services that provide one or more of the following: work readiness health screenings, interview clothing, uniforms, test fees, transportation.
1 Assisted residents with finding child care.
Assisted residents to apply for, or attend community college or a four year educational institution. 1
Assisted residents to apply for, or attend vocational/technical training. 1 Assisted residents to obtain financial literacy training and/or coaching. 1 Bonding assistance, guaranties, or other efforts to support viable bids from Section 3 business concerns.
Provided or connected residents with training on computer use or online technologies. 1
Promoting the use of a business registry designed to create opportunities for disadvantaged and small businesses.
Outreach, engagement, or referrals with the state one-stop system, as designed in Section 121(e)(2) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
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Other.
Table 15 – Qualitative Efforts - Number of Activities by Program
Narrative
As an entitlement jurisdiction that receives annual formula grants of CDBG and HOME and special allocations such as CDBG-CV and HOME-ARP funding, the City of Merced is required to comply with Section 3 regulations.
The current benchmarks are:
• 25 percent of all labor hours must be performed by a Section 3 worker; and, • 5 percent of labor hours must be performed by Targeted Section 3 workers For the 2022 program year, which is the second year of CAPER reporting required by the 2020 Final Rule, the City of Merced did not provide HUD assistance to any housing rehabilitation, housing construction, and other public construction project that exceeded a per-project threshold of $200,000. The City did provide housing rehabilitation funds to three acquisition with rehab projects by Sierra Saving Grace – however, the amount of the rehab portion of each project did not exceed the threshold amount.
If the City had not been able to meet the above benchmarks in this or in any year for any qualifying project, Qualitative Effort reporting using the above table would have been necessary. Section 3 requirements do not apply to public service projects, as they do not include housing rehab, construction, or other public construction above $200,000. Therefore, public service projects typically would not be included on the table.
However, through CDBG funding, the City enlisted subrecipient public service programs that fulfilled some of the above services to low-income residents and have included these activities in the table.
What is Section 3?
Section 3 is a provision of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, since amended and expanded, for the purpose of ensuring that employment and other economic opportunities generated by certain HUD financial assistance shall, to the greatest extent feasible, and consistent with existing federal, state, and local laws and regulations, be directed to low- and very low-income persons, particularly those who are recipients of governmental assistance for housing and to business concerns which provide economic opportunities to low- and very low-income persons. The HUD Act of 1968 was enacted as a result of civil unrest in the 1960’s, to which nationwide high unemployment was a contributing cause.
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that arise in connection to a HUD-funded housing rehabilitation, housing construction, or other public construction project that exceeds $200,000, are subject to compliance with Section 3. Additionally, contracting opportunities arising from public housing and other Section 3 projects are required to be given to business concerns that provide economic opportunities to low- and very-low persons.
A Final Rule to the Section 3 regulations took effect on November 30, 2020, and creates more effective incentives for employers to retain and invest in their targeted workers, streamline reporting by aligning them with typical business practices, provide for program-specific oversight, and clarify the obligations of entities covered by Section 3. This Final Rule requires certain benchmarks to be met, which are updated by the Secretary of HUD every three years.
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Attachments
1. City Council Resolution 2023-____
TO BE UPDATED AFTER COUNCIL APPROVAL
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2. PR26 Financial and Activity Summaries (CDBG)
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3. Annual Performance and HOME Match Reports (40107, 40107-A)
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4. CDBG, CDBG-CV, and HOME Fiscal, Activity, and Accomplishment Reports
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