Staff Report — Simi Valley City Council, April 25, 2022

CDBGAllocationsActionPlanCCmtg 4-25-22(klk)

CITY OF SIMI VALLEY

MEMORANDUM
A
pril 25, 2022
TO
: City Council
F
ROM: Department of Environmental Services
S
UBJECT: A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT ALLOCATIONS AND THE DRAFT FY 2022-23 ACTION PLAN

STAFF RECOMMENDATION
I
t is recommended that the City Council:

1. A
dopt or modify the Community Development Block Grant Advisory Committee (Committee) funding recommendations, and make the final determination of projects and activities to be funded in FY 2022-23; and

2. A
uthorize the submission of the FY 2022 -23 Action Plan (Exhibit 1) to the U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban Development.

BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW
T
he U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations require that the City, as a recipient of funds from HUD, prepare an annual Action Plan (AP) that describes the intended use of Federal and other funding resources on community needs outlined in the City’s Consolidated Plan [24 CFR § 91.220(c).].

This public hearing serves as the second of two that must be held prior to the adoption of the A P. The AP (Exhibit 1) contains preliminary funding recommendations made by t he City’s Community Development Bl ock Grant (CDBG) Advisory Committee (Committee). These recommendations were all incorporated into the Draft AP prior to its release for a minimum 30 -day public review, which began on March 25, 2022. The deadline for submitting a completed AP to HUD is May 15, 2022.

A
s part of the City Council’s direction on June 23, 2014, and staff’s efforts to streamline the CDBG process, Public Service applications are funded for a two-year cycle, which in turn has created efficiency for both the applicants and the C ity. Public Service applications are conditionally approved for a t wo-year funding cycle, provided that the City is awarded an entitlement from HUD and the subrecipient organization is in compliance with HUD and City regulations. With FY 2022- 23 being ye ar two of the funding cycle, new Public Service applications were not considered.

AGENDA ITEM NO.

5A
CDBGAllocationsActionPlanCCmtg 4-25-22(klk)
CDBG Capital Improvement funds may be used for projects such as the acquisition of real property, rehabilitation of structures, public facility improvements, removal of architectural barriers, and energy conservation (24 CFR 570.201. ). Up to 15 percent of the CDBG entitlement may be reserved for Public Service programs [24 CFR. 570.201(e) (1).] and up to 20 percent may be reserved for Planning and Administration [ 24 CFR. 570.200(g).].

HUD is expected to formally notify the City of its FY 2022- 23 CDBG entitlement in May 2022. The funding allocation for FY 2021-22 was $648,104. This amount will be used as an estimate for the upcoming funding cycle. The estimated entitlement amount will be divided as follows: 15 percent for Public Service programs ($97,215); 20 percent for Planning and Administration ($129,620); and 65 percent for Housing and Community Development projects ($421,269), in accordance with HUD’s maximum expenditure percentages in these categories. There is an additional $99,500 in unspent prior years’ fund that the City must spend in the Housing and Community Development category, per HUD regulations for a grand estimated total of $553,094 in this category. This amount includes $32,325 of an unallocated surplus of Public Service category funds this fiscal year. Consequently, the estimated available CDBG funds for FY 2022-23 total $747,604.

Since there are no Capital Improvement (Housing and Community Developm ent category) applications this year, the entire amount $553,094 will be programmed for the City’s Department of Public Works Annual Minor Street s Rehabilitation Program. City policy dictates that Public Works receives a minimum 50% of the funding in this category, and in the event that other applications in this same category do not receive funding recommendations totaling the other 50% of the available funds, any surplus will automatically be awarded to the Minor Streets Rehabilitation Program. This pol icy direction was approved by the City Council in July 2013, in an effort to allocate a guaranteed portion of this category’s funds to supplement diminishing government funds earmarked for transportation and infrastructure, as well as decreased local tax revenues.

FINDINGS AND ALTERNATIVES

CDBG Advisory Committee Public Hearing

The CDBG Advisory Committee is comprised of the following members:

Name Affiliation
Pamela Campeau Neighborhood Councils
Roop Maan Neighborhood Councils
Allan Mann Planning Commission
Peter Stong Council on Aging
Harry VanDyck Chamber of Commerce

On March 16, 2022, t he Committee held a public hearing to make funding recommendations and solicit comments on the Draft FY 20 22-23 Action Plan. The Committee recommended that the City Council adopt its preliminary funding allocations 2 CDBGAllocationsActionPlanCCmtg 4-25-22(klk)
and approve the Draft Action Plan. However, any or all of the funds that were preliminarily allocated by the Committee may be changed by the City Council. The final CDBG funding amounts adopted by the City Council for the 20 22-23 program year will be incorporated into the FY 2022 -23 Action Plan prior to its submission to HUD. The Draft Action Plan was released for the required 30-day public review on March 25, 2022.

The Public Service category includes, but is not limited to, activities relating to seniors, youth, health, and homeless services, or programs for persons with special needs. The same organizations that were awarded funding in FY 2021- 22 (Year 1 of 2) will receive the same amount of funding ($64,890) in FY 2022-23 (Year 2 of 2), provided that the City receives a FY 2022-23 HUD entitlement. Staff has verified that the organizations are in compliance with City and HUD regulations , and they are recommended for funding as illustrated in Table 1 below:

Table 1 - Public Service Category

The Planning and Administration category represents the costs for administering the CDBG program and providing fair housing services to the public at-large. This category is not rated by the Committee . The allocation for the fair housing program is based on services rendered by a fair housing provider through a contract with the County of Ventura, as illustrated in Table 2, below:

Table 2 – Planning and Administration Category
Organization/Program CDBG
Request
Recommended
Allocation
Fair Housing Program $14,000 $14,000
CDBG Program Administration $115,620 $115,620
Totals: $129,620 $129,620

Notification of HUD Entitlement

HUD has not yet notified the City the exact amount of the FY 2022-23 CDBG entitlement.

HUD is expected to formally notify the City in May 2022 however the funding allocation for FY 2021- 22 was $648,104. This amount is being used as an estimate for the Organization and Program CDBG
Request
Allocation
Received in
Year 1 of 2
FY 2021-22
Recommended
Allocation for
Year 2 of 2
FY 2022-23
Conejo Valley Senior Concerns -
Senior Advocacy Services/Geriatric
Care Management
$19,890 $19,890 $19,890
Samaritan Center - Case
Management
$45,000 $45,000 $45,000
Totals: $64,890 $64,890 $64,890
3 CDBGAllocationsActionPlanCCmtg 4-25-22(klk)
upcoming funding cycle. When HUD announces the exact grant amount, staff will modify this estimated funding and make adjustments to the allocations for the Public Service and Housing/Community Development categories based on the percentage of their preliminary allocations to the total amount available within each funding category. The final allocations will be incorporated into the final Action Plan document and will be made available on the City’s website, City Hall, and the Public Library.

California Environmental Quality Act Review

Staff has reviewed the applications for CDBG funding and has determined that each of the proposed uses of the funds is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Neither the Program Administration/Fair Housing Programs nor Public Service Programs involve any physical changes to the environment. Therefore, they are exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b) (3) of the State CEQA Guidelines, in that they are “covered by the common sense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environm ent.” In addition, the Capital Improvement project is exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15301, which states:
“Class 1 consists of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private struc tures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use.” This exemption applies in that the Capital Improvement Project consists of the repair and maintenance of existing public facilities (street rehabilitation).

The following alternatives are available to the City Council:

1. Adopt the Community Development Block Grant Advisory Committee’s funding recommendation and make the final determination of projects and programs funded in FY 2022-23;

2. Authorize the submission of the FY 2022-23 Action Plan (Exhibit 1) to the U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban Development;

3. M odify and adopt the Community Development Block Grant Advisory Committee’s funding recommendation and make the final determination of projects and programs funded in FY 2022-23;

4. Provide further direction to staff.

Staff recommends Alternative Nos. 1 and 2.

SUGGESTED CITY COUNCIL MOTION

I move to adopt the Community Development Block Grant Advisory Committee’s funding recommendation and make the final determination of projects and programs to be funded in FY 2022-23 and authorize the submission of the FY 2022- 23 Action Plan to the U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban Development.

4 CDBGAllocationsActionPlanCCmtg 4-25-22(klk)

SUMMARY

On March 16, 2022, the Community Development Block Grant Advisory Committee conducted a public hearing on the proposed CDBG funded projects and programs to be carried out in FY 2022-23 and on the Draft FY 2022-23 Action Plan. The Committee also made funding allocation recommendations. Staff recommends that the City Council consider the Committee’s recommendations and make the final determination for the CDBG projects and programs to be funded in FY 2022- 23. The Committee also recommends that the City Council authorize the submission of the FY 2022- 23 Action Plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

____________________________________
Stratis Perros
Environmental Services Director

Prepared by: Julia Ramirez, Senior Management Analyst

INDEX Page

Public Hearing Procedure ................................................................ 6 Exhibit 1 - Draft FY 2022-23 Action Plan………………………………7

5 CDBGAllocationsActionPlanCCmtg 4-25-22(klk)

PUBLIC HEARING PROCEDURE

HEARING DATE: April 25, 2022

1. MAYOR: This is the time and place set for a public hearing to consider the Community Development Block Grant Allocations and the Draft FY 2022-23 Action Plan.

May we have an oral report on this matter by staff?

2. STAFF
: (Report)

3. ANY COUNCIL
MEMBER : (Questions of staff and staff response)

4. MAYOR: Is there anyone in the City Council Chamber wishing to be heard on this matter?

5. AUDIENCE
: (Comments)

6. MAYOR
: The hearing is closed. Are there any comments or questions from members of the City Council?

7. ANY COUNCIL
MEMBER : (Comments)

8. MAYOR
: The Chair will now entertain a motion.

9. ANY COUNCIL
MEMBER : City Council Actions (by motion of any Council Member):

1) A dopt or modify the CDBG Advisory Committee funding recommendations and ma ke the final determination of
projects and programs to be funded in FY 2022-23; and

2) Authorize the submission of the FY 2022- 23 Action Plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development.

* Any action to refer the matter back to staff or to continue the matter requires a second and a vote.

10. ANY COUNCIL
MEMBER
: Second

11. MAYOR: (Call for vote)

12. MAYOR: Proceed to the next item.
6 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022
DUNS NUMBER 076238211
____________________________________________________________________________ FY 2022-23 DRAFT ACTION PLAN
Public Review Period
March 25 through April 25, 2022
City of Simi Valley
Department of Environmental Services
2929 Tapo Canyon Road
Simi Valley, CA 93063
EXHIBIT 1
7 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022

This page has been intentionally left blank

8 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022

Table of Contents

Process

AP-05 Executive Summary ...................................... ................................................. 1 PR-05 Lead & Respon sible Agencies ....................................................................... 5 AP-10 Consul tation ................................................................................................... 6 AP-12 Participation and Citizen Comments ............................................................ 10

Annual Action Plan

AP-15 Expected Resources.................................................................................... 12 AP-20 Annual Goals and Objectives ...................................................................... 14 AP-35 Projects ........................................................................................................ 16 AP-38 Projec t Summary ......................................................................................... 17 AP-50 Geographic Distribution ............................................................................... 20 AP-55 Affordable Housing ..................................... ................................................. 21 AP-60 Public Housing ............................................................................................. 22 AP-65 Homeless and Other Spec ial Needs Activities ............................................. 24 AP-75 Barriers to A ffordable Housing ..................................................................... 26 AP-85 Other A ctions ............................................................................................... 27 AP-90 Program Spec ific Requirements .................................................................. 31

Appendices*

A. Certifi cations .........................................................................................................

B. SF-424 Forms ............................................... ........................................................

C. List of Propos ed Projects ......................................................................................

D. Map of Proposed Projects and M ap of Low/Moderate Income Areas ...................

E. Summary of Citizen Participat ion Process and Notification Mailing List ................

F. Proofs of P ublication .............................................................................................

*All Appendices will be inserted before this document is submitted to HUD. 9 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022 1

Executive Summary
AP-05 Executive Summary - 24 CFR 91.200(c), 91.220(b)

1. Introduction
Simi Valley is located in southea stern Ventura County. It borders Los Angeles County, unincorporated portions of Ventur a County, and the Cities of Mo orpark and Thousand Oaks. The City of Simi Valley has a population of approximately 128,862 (as of October 2019). It is the third largest of Ventura County's 10 cities, occupying an area of approximately 42 square miles, and is approximately 37 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. The City was incorporated in 1969 under the genera l laws of the State of California and operates under a General-Law/council-manager form of government.

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-23 Draft Action Plan (Action Plan) se rves as the official application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for the City of Simi Valley. This Action Plan is for year three of the Regional Consolidated Plan FY 2020-2024 (RCP), and covers the planning period from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023.

The County of Ventura and the Cities of Camarillo, Simi Valley, and Thousand Oaks have formed the Ventura County HOME C onsortium, which took effect in FY 2020-21. The HOME Consortium jurisdictions will collaborate to address the housing crisis and increase the annual HOME resources availabl e to our communities to incre ase the supply of affordable housing.

This Action Plan identifies the housing and community development needs of the City and sets forth specific program s and projects that address these needs. It also satisfies the minimum statutory requirements for CDBG. It was prepared using the eCon Planning Suite system developed by HUD. T he system prescribes the struct ure and contents of this document, following the Federal Consolidated Planning regulations.

2. Summarize the objectives and outcomes identified in the Plan This Action Plan incorporates outcome measures for activities i n accordance with the Federal Register Notice, dated March 7, 2006, which requires the following Performance Measure Objectives/Outcomes to be associated with each activity funded:

General Objective Categories - Activities will provide one of the following:
 Decent Housing (DH)
 Suitable Living Environment (SL)
 Economic Opportunity (EO)
10 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022 2

Outcome Categories - Activities will meet one of the following:
 Availability/Accessibility
 Affordability
 Sustainability
Simi Valley has a range of housi ng and community development ne eds. CDBG funds alone are not adequate to addre ss the myriad of needs identified during the public outreach process and summarized in the Needs Assessment of the RCP. Recognizing the national objectives of these funding programs and specific program regulations, the City of Simi Valley intends to us e these funds to coordinate pr ograms, services, and projects to create decent and suitable living environments to benefit low- and moderate- income households and those with special needs. Needs that hav e been identified will receive funding during the RCP per iod. The priorities from the RCP, determined in consultation with residents and community groups, are listed on the following page.

11 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022 3

Consolidated Plan Priorities
 New Rental Housing – Create new affordable rental units  Housing Support and Stability – C reate supportive housing units and tenant-based rental assistance
 Homeownership Opportunities – C reate affordable homeowner housing units
 Rehabilitation and Pres ervation of Existing Housing Units – Create/preserve stable, safe, affordable housing opportunities  Assistance for Senior Residents – Make public facilities/infrastructure ADA-accessible, and provide housing with direct care, health, and social services for seniors
 Increase Job Skills – Provide low- and moderate-income adults with job skills training directly tied to obtaining employment
 Façade Improvements – Assist businesses in low- and moderate-income areas with commercial façade treatments
 Local Entrepreneurship – Assis t for-profit small businesses with technical and financial assistance to create jobs or to create a microenterprise startup
 Social Services – Provide low- to moderate-income population with medical, disability, education, and legal/advocacy services  Youth Activities and Services – Provide services/activities fo r youth from low- and moderate-income households
 Homelessness – Facilities/services for homeless population or those at risk of homelessness
 Streets and Streetscapes – Reconst ruct streets/sidewalks, add/replace street trees, and improve ADA accessibility on public walkways in low- and moderate-income areas
 Parks and Community Spaces – C onstruct or improve public parks/community buildings in low- and moderate-income areas  Disaster Planning and Recovery – Disaster planning/recovery activities after severe weather, fire, or earthquakes
 Utilities and Public Infrastr ucture – Improve public and publicly-regulated utilities and infrastructure for residents in low- and moderate-income areas

3. Evaluation of past performance
The City reviews all quarterly progress reports for funded acti vities on an ongoing basis throughout the fiscal year. The reports are collected, reviewed , and compared to each program or project’s written agr eement, application, and any ot her formal or informal communication or information available. At fiscal year’s end, t he City completes the Program Year Review Summary Table and assesses its progress toward meeting its community priorities as established by the current RCP. The use of other data, such as the City’s Quarterly Development Summaries, which includes the tracking of affordable housing projects; Senior and Affordable Housing Guides; and statistics obtained from the Housing staff, is also considered when analyzing past performances. 12 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022 4

The City does not limit the types of programs/projects for which applications will be accepted during the Notice of Funds Available period; however, all proposals must address one of the established pr iorities. Questions 21 a. & b . on the City’s CDBG Application specifically inquire about prior CDBG funding and o utcomes. If the applicant/program meets the requirements established by HUD, the RCP, and the City’s application guidelines, it will be evaluated by staff and submi tted to the CDBG Advisory Committee (Committee) for their consideration and funding recommendations to the City Council.

Funding for a variety of community development activities has been allocated and several activities were completed during FY 2021-22. Through various pr ograms for special needs, homeless, and low- and moder ate-income persons, about 2, 857 persons benefitted from block grant funding.

4. Summary of Citizen Participat ion process and consultation process The Committee makes funding recommendations to the City Council in response to applications made by service providers, community organizations, and City departments.

On March 16, 2022, the Committee made preliminary funding recom mendations to the City Council. That same night, the Committee entertained commen ts on the Action Plan and authorized staff to release t he document for a required 30-day public review period from March 25 to April 25, 2022. All of the Committee’s recomm endations have been incorporated into the Action Pl an. The City Council will conduc t another public hearing, tentatively scheduled for April 25, 2022, to receive additional public comments and make final allocations of CDBG funds for FY 2022-23. The final alloc ations will be provided in Appendix C before this document is submitted to HUD.

5. Summary of public comments
A summary of all public comments will be provided on page 11 be fore this document is submitted to HUD.

6. Summary of comments or views not accepted and the reasons fo r not accepting them
All comments received will be incorporated before this document is submitted to HUD.

7. Summary
The City of Simi Valley has undertaken diligent and good faith efforts conducting outreach to all segments of the community that may benefit from the CDBG Program. 13 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022 5

PR-05 Lead & Responsible Agencies - 91.200(b)

1. Agency/entity responsible for preparing/administering the Co nsolidated Plan
The following are the agencies/ent ities responsible for preparing the Consolidated Plan and those responsible for administration of each grant program and funding source.

Table 1 – Responsible Agency
Agency Role Name Department/Agency
CDBG Administrator City of Simi Valley Department of Environmental Services

Narrative
The City’s CDBG Program is admini stered by the City of Simi Val ley Department of Environmental Services.

Consolidated Plan Public Contact Information
For matters concerning the City of Simi Valley’s CDBG Program, please contact: Julia Ramirez, Senior Management Analys t, Department of Environmental Services, City of Simi Valley, 2929 Tapo Canyon Road, Simi Valley, CA 93063, (805) 583-6728.

14 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022 6

AP-10 Consultation - 91.100, 91.200(b), 91.215(l)

1. Introduction
As part of the Action Plan development, the City consulted and coordinated with non-profit agencies, affordable housing providers, and government agencies regarding the needs of the low- and moderate-income population. T he outreach efforts are furth er discussed in the Executive Summary and Citizen Participation sections of this Action Plan.

Provide a concise summary of the jurisdiction’s activities to e nhance coordination between public and assisted housing providers and private and g overnmental health, mental health and service agencies (91.215(l)).

The City will continue to enhance coordination between public h ousing groups, private developers, and social service agencies that assist low- and moderate-income persons.

To improve communications with these and other community stakeholders, the City developed a master mailing list, consisting of approximately 200 agencies and individuals, and contacted them as part of its community outr each. Priority will be given to s trengthening coordination efforts between the City and those agency groups that provide assistance to homeless, persons threatened with homelessness, and persons with special needs in order to improve the delivery of services to those households.

A complete list will be included in Appendix E before this document is submitted to HUD. These agencies were mailed notices of funding availability and public hearings.

Describe coordination with the Continuum of Care and efforts to address the needs of homeless persons (particularly c hronically homeless individuals and families, families with children, veterans, and unaccompanied youth) and persons at risk of homelessness.

The outreach list includes homeless service agencies in the Ventura County Regional Continuum of Care. The City will continue to encourage the development o f affordable apartment projects for extremely low- and low-income households. Such development s would provide permanent housing opportunities for homeless persons and increase the availability of low - cost rental units to assist those who are rent burdened or severely rent burdened . The City will also consider allocating a portion of its annual CDBG funds toward the provis ion of services for the homeless and those with special needs. T he City Council has adopted a p rioritized list of strategies recommended by the City’s Task Force on Homelessness to address the homeless issue. Those priorities include: 1) finance homeless service programs; 2) ac hieve a coordination of services through the support of a one-stop services facility; 3) encourage and support the development of shelters and transitional housing; and 4) develop strategies to create more affordable housing units and maximize the use of existing housing stock.
15 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022 7

The Task Force on Homelessness will continue to work with a coalition of individuals, public, and private organizations, service providers, and the community to educate, advocate, and implement short- and long-term solutions for the homeless of Simi Valley.

The City of Simi Valley is also an active member of the Ventura County Continuum of Care and relies on social service providers to provide the majority of services and housing assistance for its homeless population.

While the City continues to work toward a permanent housing sol ution for the community’s homeless, the City provides funding and assistance to the Samaritan Center of Simi Valley, who offers a wrap-around approach of services to house and support individuals transitioning from living on the street or in their vehicles to permanent housing.

Describe consultation with the Continuum(s) of Care that serves the jurisdiction's area in determining how to allocate ESG funds, develop performance standards for and evaluate outcomes of projects and activities assisted by ESG funds, and develop funding, policies and procedures for the operation and administration of HMIS The City’s HUD entitlement allocation does not include ESG funds.

16 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022 8

2. Agencies, groups, organizati ons and others who participated i n t h e p r o c e s s a n d consultations
Table 2 – Agencies, groups, organizations who participated 1 Agency/Group/Organization MANY MANSIONS
Agency/Group/Organization Type Services - Families with Children Services - Persons with Disabilities
What section of the Plan was addressed by
Consultation?
Housing Need Assessment
Non-Homeless Special Needs

Briefly describe how the
Agency/Group/Organization was consulted.

What are the anticipated outcomes of the
consultation or areas for improved
coordination?
Agency attended Application Workshop on
November 30, 2021, and discussed a
proposed project to assist formally homeless,
disabled and low-income persons with a
rehabilitation project at a local complex.
2 Agency/Group/Organization VENTURA COUNTY COMMUNITY

DEVELOPMENT COORPORATION
Agency/Group/Organization Type Services - Education
Services - Families with Children
What section of the Plan was addressed by
Consultation?
Housing Need Assessment
Non-Homeless Special Needs
Briefly describe how the
Agency/Group/Organization was consulted.

What are the anticipated outcomes of the
consultation or areas for improved
coordination?
Agency attended Application Workshop on
November 30, 2021, and discussed a
proposed project to assist people in the east
portion of Ventura County.
3 Agency/Group/Organization SAMARITAN CENTER
Agency/Group/Organization Type Services – Families with Children Services – Homeless Individuals
Services - Education
What section of the Plan was addressed by
Consultation?
Housing Need Assessment
Briefly describe how the
Agency/Group/Organization was consulted.

4 Agency/Group/Organization LIGHTHOUSE BIBLE CHURCH
Agency/Group/Organization Type Services - Families with Children Services - Education
What section of the Plan was addressed by
Consultation?
Non-Homeless - Special Needs
Briefly describe how the
Agency/Group/Organization was consulted.

CORPORATION
Agency/Group/Organization Type Services – Families with Children Services – Education
What section of the Plan was addressed by
Consultation?
Non-Homeless Special Needs

Briefly describe how the
Agency/Group/Organization was consulted.

Identify any Agency Types not consulted and provide rationale for not consulting The City contacted approximatel y 200 agencies as part of the outreach process for this Action Plan. All applicable agencies and agency type were consulted.

Other local/regional/state/federal planning efforts considered when preparing the Plan

Table 3 – Other local / regional / federal planning efforts Name of
Plan Lead Organization How do the goals of your Strategic Plan overlap with the goals of each plan?
Continuum
of Care
Ventura County
Housing and
Homeless Coalition
As part of the outreach process, the City has identified homeless and homeless prevention services as a priority for the CDBG Program. These services complement the Continuum of Care Strategy for transitioning the homeless to permanent housing.

18 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022 10

AP-12 Participation - 91.105, 91.200(c)

1. Summary of citizen participation process/Efforts made to broaden citizen participation
Citizen participation is one of the most important elements of the Action Plan process. To solicit public input during the developm ent of the Action Plan, the Cit y holds two public hearings and makes available a draft of the Action Plan for public review.

Public Hearings : The City of Simi Valley held a public hearing before the CDB G Advisory Committee, an appointed body who makes recommendations to the C ity Council, on March 16, 2022, to solicit public input on FY 2022-23 community needs and proposed projects. In addition, a second public hearing is scheduled for April 25, 2022, to receive additional public comments on the Action Plan. The City Council will consider and adopt the Action Plan at the April 2022 public hearing.

Public Review of Draft Action Plan: A 30-day public review period will be held from March 25 through April 25, 2022. The Acti on Plan, amendments to the Plan , and annual performance reports will be available for five years at City Hall.

A complete summary of the citizen participation process will be inserted in Appendix E before this document is sent to HUD. A list of speakers and comments receiv ed at the above-mentioned public hearings will be included on the following page before this document is sent to HUD.

19 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022 11

Citizen Participation Comments –
Public Hearing #1, March 16, 2022:

Applicant speakers: None

Citizen Comments: None

Citizen Participation Comments –
Public Hearing #2, April 25, 2022

Applicant speakers:

Citizen Comments:

20 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022 12

Expected Resources
AP-15 Expected Resources - 91.220(c) (1,2)
Introduction
Several Housing and Community Development funding resources are currently available in the City of Simi Valley, including:
 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
 California Home Investment Partnership (HOME) Program repaymen t of grant funds and Housing Successor Agency funds
 C a l H o m e
 Energy Efficiency Community Block Grant (EECBG) funds.  Local Housing funds

Anticipated Resources
Table 4 - Expected Resources – Priority Table
Program Source
of
Funds
Uses of
Funds
Amount Available Year 3 Expected
Amount
Available
Remainder
of RCP
Narrative
Description Annual
Allocation
Program
Income
Prior Year
Resources
Total:

CDBG Public -
Federal
-Effective
Administration
-Improve the
Supply of
Affordable
Housing
-Create Quality
Neighborhoods
-Work to End
Homelessness
-Increase
Social
Services $648,104 $0 $99,500 $747,604 $1,296,208
Annual
allocation for
second year of
plan is used for
determining
expected
amount
available
remainder of
RCP years
($648,104 x 2 =
$1,296,208
)

Explain how federal funds will leverage those additional resour ces (private, state and local funds), including a description of how matching requirements will be satisfied The City of Simi Valley has access to a number of Federal, Stat e, and local resources to achieve its housing and community development priorities. One funding source for the City is CBDG. Through this program, a grant is awarded to t he City on a formula basis for housing and community development activities. The City has been not yet been notified by HUD of its CDBG entitlement for FY 2022-23. For planning purposes, the allocation amount awarded in FY 2021-22 is being used. This estimated amount of $648,104, plus the unspent pri or year funds of $99,500 will be available for programs and services during the 2022-23 program year. The City’s goal for the CDBG f unds is to leverage Federal, State, and local funds to maximize the number of households that can be assisted. The City is not a recipient of Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) or Housing Opportunities fo r Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) funds; therefore, those funding sources will not be discussed further in this document. 21 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022 13

Other funding sources available to the City are: program income from the repayment of grant funds derived from the California Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME) and Housing Successor Agency; State CalHome Program gr ant funds derived from a competitive grant application; Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program, funds derived by a formula grant made by the U.S. Department of Energy; and Local Housing funds received from certain loan repayments and affordable unit resale fees. Match requirements for the HOME Program are not applicable to the use of program income.

Budget development activities in r ecent years have required sub stantial expenditure reductions to counteract downward revenue trends at the local, State, and Federal levels. Since redevelopment funds are no longer available for most eligible low- and modera te-income activities outlined in this document, such housing and non-housing activities can no longer be funded through the City’s former Community Development Agency (CDA). Any continuation of these p rograms would be dependent upon the City’s General Fund or other revenue sources. The City is scheduled to receive $150,000 per year for the next 50 years from Waste Management, which will be available for various housing and community development activitie s. These budgetary issues have established a new category of challenges in addition to those already existing that will requ ire difficult decisions regarding expenditures and the continuation of former CDA-funded programs.

The City will provide $175,000 to non-profit organizations for projects to be conducted in FY 2021-22, through funding derived from the Simi Valley Community Projects Grant Program ($150,000) and the Special Event Support Program ($25,000).

If appropriate, describe publicly owned land or property located within the jurisdiction that may be used to address the needs identified in the Action Plan The City does not have any public ly owned land or property that may be used to address the needs identified in the Action Plan.

22 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022 14

Annual Goals and Objectives
AP-20 Annual Goals and Objectives - 91.220(c)(3)&(e)
Goals Summary Information

Table 5 – Goals Summary
Sort
Order Goal Name
Start
Year
End
Year Category
Geographic
Area
Needs
Addressed

Preliminary
Funding
Allocation
Goal Outcome
Indicator
1 Effective
Administration
2022 2023 Planning and
Administration
Citywide Program
Development
and Equal
Housing
Opportunity
CDBG:
$129,620
N/A for Program
Management/
150 Residents Assisted
2 Create Quality
Neighborhoods
2022 2023 Non-Housing
Community
Development
Census
Tracts
7904-5 &
8101-2
Streets and
Streetscapes
CDBG:
$553,094
Public
Facility/Infrastructure
Activities other than
Low/Moderate-Income
Housing Benefit: 2,495
Persons Assisted
3 Work to End
Homelessness
2022 2023 Homeless Citywide Homelessness CDBG:
$45,000
Public Service
Activities for
Homelessness
Prevention: 100
Persons Assisted
4 Increase Social
Services
2022 2023 Non-Homeless
Special Needs
Citywide Social Services CDBG:
$19,890
Public Service
Activities other than
Low/Moderate-Income
Housing Benefit: 100
Persons Assisted

23 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022 15

Goal Descriptions
Table 6 – Goal Descriptions
1 Goal Name Effective Administration
Goal
Description
This goal provides for the administration of the City's CDBG Program, including program development, implementation, monitoring, fiscal responsibilities, and development of HUD mandated reports and documents. This goal also provides for the contracted services of fair housing, education, counseling, enforcement and landlord/tenant dispute resolution.
2 Goal Name Create Quality Neighborhoods
Goal
Description
This goal will improve or construct infrastructure that will benefit low- and moderate-income residents and persons with special needs. 3 Goal Name Work to End Homelessness
Goal
Description
This goal provides supportive services for the homeless and persons at risk of homelessness.
4 Goal Name Increase Social Services
Goal
Description
This goal provides supportive services for low- and moderate-income residents, persons with disabilities, seniors, youth, and other special needs populations.

24 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022 16

AP-35 Projects - 91.220(d)
Introduction
This plan outlines the actions the City of Simi Valley proposes to take to address housing and community development needs in the City. The plan includes a list of activities the City will undertake during FY 2022-23 utilizing CDBG funding.

Table 7 – Project Information
# Project Name
1 CDBG Program Administration (City of Simi Valley)
2 Fair Housing Program (County of Ventura - Housing Rights Cent er) 3 Annual Minor Streets Rehabilitat ion Program (City of Simi Valley - Public Works Dept.) 4 Case Management (The Samaritan Center)
5 Senior Advocacy Services/Geriatric Care (Conejo Valley Senior Concerns)

Describe the reasons for allocation priorities and any obstacles to addressing underserved needs
For FY 2022-23, the City of Simi Valley will have an estimated total CDBG budget of $747,604. The City anticipates allocating 20 percent of its entitlement funds to program administration and approximately 15 percent to public service p rograms. The remaining funds will go to capital improvem ent projects that assist low- and moderate-income persons.

Meeting the needs of underserved lo w- and moderate-income perso ns is challenging when faced with limited financial resources. The City will continue to use CDBG funds to support public service programs that assist the homeless, senio rs, youth, and the disabled populations. To better meet the needs of the underserv ed, the City proactively seeks additional and alternative resources.

25 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022 17

AP-38 Project Summary
Project Summary Information

Table 8 – Project Summary
1 Project Name CDBG Program Administration (The City of Simi Valley) Target Area N/A
Goals Supported Effective Administration
Needs Addressed Program Development and Equal Housing Opportunity Funding $115,620
Description This funding is for the direct administration of the City's CDBG Program, including: program development,
implementation, monitoring, and fiscal responsibilities.

Target Date 6/30/2023
Estimate the number
and type of families
that will benefit from
the proposed
activities
N/A
Location Description N/A
Planned Activities  Program development;
 Implementation;
 Monitoring; and
 Fiscal oversight
2 Project Name Fair Housing Program (County of Ventura-Housing Rights Center)
Target Area N/A
Goals Supported Effective Administration
Needs Addressed Program Development and Equal Housing Opportunity Funding $14,000
Description This funding will provide for the contracted services of a fair housing program consultant for City staff and residents.

Target Date 6/30/2023

26 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022 18

2 Cont.

Estimate the number
and type of families
that will benefit from
the proposed
activities
This program will benefit approximately 150 City residents.

Location Description Citywide
Planned Activities  Counseling;
 Enforcement; and
 Landlord/tenant dispute resolution
3 Project Name City of Simi Valley Annual Minor Streets Rehabilitation Program
Target Area N/A
Goals Supported Create Quality Neighborhoods
Needs Addressed Streets and Streetscapes
Funding $533,094
Description This project will improve minor streets in low- and moderate-income census tract areas.

Target Date 6/30/2023
Estimate the number
and type of families
that will benefit from
the proposed
activities
Approximately 2,285 persons are expected to benefit from this project (995 of whom are Low-/Moderate-Income)
Location Description This project will take place in low- to moderate-income Census Tracts 7904-5 & 8101-2
Planned Activities Rehabilitation of minor streets in specified areas. 4 Project Name Case Management (The Samaritan Center)
Target Area N/A
Goals Supported Work to End Homelessness
Needs Addressed Homelessness
Funding $45,000
Description This program will provide case management to assist homeless persons in becoming self-sustainable and move
into housing.

Target Date 6/30/2023
27 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022 19

4 Cont.

Estimate the number
and type of families
that will benefit from
the proposed
activities
A total of 100 homeless individuals are expected to be
served by this project.

Location Description 280 Royal Avenue, Simi Valley, CA 93065 Planned Activities The project will include street outreach, support for appointments, following clients through recovery programs, job searches, benefits, etc.
5 Project Name Senior Advocacy Services/Geriatric Care Management (Conejo Valley Senior Concerns)
Target Area N/A
Goals Supported Increase Social Services
Needs Addressed Social Services
Funding $19,890
Description This program will offer supportive and educational services to elderly persons and their families, including one-on-one advocacy and referrals.

Target Date 6/30/2023
Estimate the number
and type of families
that will benefit from
the proposed
activities
A total of 100 individuals are expected to be served by this project.

Location Description Citywide
Planned Activities  One-on-one counseling;
 Support meetings; and
 Classes and workshops
Description This project will make energy efficiency improvements at an apartment complex that provides affordable housing to formerly homeless and disabled individuals who are low- income.

Target Date 6/30/2023
28 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022 20

AP-50 Geographic Distribution - 91.220(f)
Description of the geographic areas of the entitlement (includi ng areas of low- income and minority concentration) where assistance will be directed Geographic distribution of funding is predicated somewhat on the nature of the activity to be funded. It is the City’s intent to fund activities in areas most directly impacted by the needs of low- and moderate-income residents and those with special needs. Individual project locations may be found in the List of Proposed Projects (Appendix C) and illustrated in the Map of Propos ed Projects (Appendix D). A map illustrating the location of low- and moderate-income areas will also be included in Appe ndix D. CDBG-funded supportive services are provided to low- and moderate-income residents throughout the community. Fair housing services are available on a citywide basis.

Rationale for the priorities for allocating investments geographically The priority needs identified in the RCP form the basis for all ocating resources geographically during FY 2022-23 within the City of Simi Valley.

29 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022 21

Affordable Housing
AP-55 Affordable Housing - 91.220(g)
Introduction
The City’s Home Rehabilitation Pr ogram offers low-interest deferred loans to low- and moderate-income homeowners. Qua lified owners of detached single -family residences are eligible for a deferred tw o-percent loan of up to $50,000 w ith no monthly payments.

This ensures that income-qualifying homeowners can bring their homes into compliance with current building codes, as well as perform maintenance and security upgrades, thus helping preserve the affordable housing stock in Simi Valley. CDBG funds will not be used in service deliverance of this program to support households, therefore, the goals nor accomplishments will be discussed in this section.

This Program utilizes CalHome, HOME award, and Energy Efficiency Community Block Grant (EECBG) funds.

One Year Goals for the Number of Households to be
Supported
Homeless 0
Non-Homeless 0
Special-Needs 0
Total 0
Table 9 - One Year Goals for Affordable Housing by Support Requirement

One Year Goals for the Number of Households
Supported Through
Rental Assistance 0
The Production of New Units 0
Rehab of Existing Units 0
Acquisition of Existing Units 0
Total 0
Table 10 - One Year Goals for Affordable Housing by Support Type

30 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022 22

AP-60 Public Housing - 91.220(h)
Introduction
The City of Simi Valley current ly does not have any public hous ing developments within its corporate limits. The City will continue to support Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers to low-income households.

Actions planned during the next year to address the needs to public housing The City will continue to work wit h the Area Housing Authority of the County of Ventura to assist Simi Valley's low-income households. Section 8 requir e s a v e r y l o w - i n c o m e renter to pay up to 40 percent of their gross monthly income towards rent and subsidizes the balance on the renter’s behalf, up to published Payment Standards.

Actions to encourage public housing residents to become more in volved in management and participate in homeownership
The City offers assistance thr ough the Ventura County Mortgage Credit Certification (MCC) Program to low- and moderate-income first-time homebuyers who wish to purchase a home in Simi Valley. The property may be an attache d or detached single- family home, a condominium, or a townhome. The MCC Program is available to those who have not owned a home in the last three years.

The Ventura County Community Development Corporation (VCCDC), located in the west end of Ventura County, offers homebuyer readiness workshops and financing/lending products for first-time homebuy ers, assisting qualifying househ olds with gap financing and grants to increase lender confidence and encourage approval of loans. Recently, the City, in partnership with VCC DC, is attempting to enhance outreach to encourage homeownership by facilitating the Homebuyer's Education Workshop at the east end of Ventura County, covering the Cities of Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, and parts of west San Fernando Valley.

VCCDC also offers Home Preservation Counseling, which is their foreclosure prevention assistance to homeowners thro ughout the County. VCCDC counselor s assist local homeowners with counseling, leading to action plans to avoid fo reclosure or offering alternatives to foreclosure if homeownership cannot be maintained.

Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation is a local organization involved in Hope Now through the NeighborWorks Home Ownership Center and offers fore closure counseling, homeowners’ assistance and refers clients to the district attor ney's office for abuses by lenders that used deceptive marketing methods to secure questionable loans.

31 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022 23

The Area Housing Authority is an independent, non-profit agency serving the Ventura County region. It sponsors educational home buying workshops throughout the year. The workshops are provided through a mutual agreement with experts in local, State and Federal funding resources. The workshops cover tax benefits, raising FICO scores, and various loan options for first-time buyers available through the state of California.

SurePath Financial Solutions is approved by HUD and provides fo reclosure, debt, and bankruptcy counseling.

Hope Now is an alliance between counselors, servicers, investor s, and other mortgage market participants to prevent foreclosures by providing outrea ch, counseling, and assistance to homeowners. It also provides a toll-free hotline.

California Department of Real Est ate is the state department in charge of real estate broker licensing and consumer complaints with respect to real estate transactions. It offers license checks of mortgage brokers and lenders and a con sumer complaint form.

It also provides additional links for foreclosure prevention in formation and avoiding mortgage foreclosure scams.

If the PHA is designated as troubled, describe the manner in wh ich financial assistance will be provided or other assistance
The Area Housing Authority of t he County of Ventura routinely i nspects, repairs, and maintains units under its control on a regular basis.
32 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022 24

AP-65 Homeless and Other Special Needs Activities - 91.220(i) Introduction
The Task Force on Homelessness will continue to work with a coalition of individuals, the public, and private organizations t o educate, advocate, and imp lement short- and long- term solutions for the homeless of Simi Valley.

Describe the jurisdictions one-year goals and actions for reduc ing and ending homelessness, including:

Reaching out to homeless persons (especially unsheltered persons) and assessing their individual needs
The City uses CDBG funds to support programs that assist at-risk populations, including the homeless. For FY 2022-23, the City anticipates allocating $45,000 to an organization that administers programs that address homeless needs within the City:

The Samaritan Center - Case M anagement: This program provides c ase management to assist homeless individuals in becoming self-sust ainable and move into housing. It provides access to the services, life skills, and resources they need to secure and retain housing.

Addressing the emergency shelter and transitional housing needs of homeless persons
The City Council adopted a prioritized list of strategies recom mended by the City’s Task Force on Homelessness to address the needs of homeless persons. Those priorities include: 1) finance homeless serv ice programs; 2) achieve a coordination of services through the support of a one-stop services facility; 3) encourage and support the development of shelters and transitional housing; and 4) develo p strategies to create more affordable housing units and maximize the use of existing housing stock.

Helping homeless persons (especial ly chronically homeless indiv iduals 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 th at individuals and families experience homelessness, facilitating access for homeless individuals and families to affordable housing units, and preventing individuals and famili es who were recently homeless from becoming homeless again
The City will consider allocating a portion of its annual CDBG funds toward the provision of services for the homeless. In FY 2022-23, the City anticipates funding an organization that assists the chronically homeless and at-risk of homelessne ss populations (The Samaritan Center). The Samaritan Center offers a wrap-around ap proach of services to house and support individuals transitioning from living on the street or in their vehicles to permanent housing.
33 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022 25

Helping low-income individuals and families avoid becoming homeless, especially extremely low-income individuals and families and those who are : being discharged from publicly funded i nstitutions and systems of care (such as health care facilities, mental health facilities, foster care and othe r youth facilities, and corrections programs and instit utions); or, receiving assistanc e from public or private agencies that address housing, health, social services, e m p l o y m e n t , education, or youth needs
The following program addresses homelessness prevention:
 The Samaritan Center provides support services to persons who are at risk of becoming homeless and helps fund transportation costs to reunit e these persons with their families.

The City of Simi Valley does not have a formalized Discharge Coordination Policy in place at this time. However, for those persons released from corrections facilities, the City has a Post Release Offender Supervisi on (PROS) Officer that is fund ed by the State's Realignment Initiative. In addition, the City's Community Liaison Officers are tasked with assisting homeless persons in order to connect them with appropriate social services.

34 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022 26

AP-75 Action Plan Barriers to Affordable Housing - 91.220(j) Introduction
During the next fiscal year, the City of Simi Valley proposes t o address the following obstacles to affordable housing:

Lack of Affordable Housing Funds : The City currently does not use CDBG funds for the development of affordable hous ing. However, the City uses o ther tools such as density bonuses, zoning concessions, and local housing fund ass istance. The City will continue to seek new financial resources to enhance existing re sources for addressing the affordable housing needs of local residents. An impediment to providing affordable housing programs is the recent e limination of redevelopment fun ds. The City uses CalHome, HOME, and EECBG funds to support its Home Rehabilitation Program.

Planning and Development Fees: The City periodically evaluates its development fees, zoning regulations, and permit processing procedures to ensure that they are consistent with other communities in the area and with applicable State and Federal regulations. The Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District’s fees are substantial ly lower for affordable housing units compared to units that are not income restricted, which serves as an incentive for the development of new affordable housing units. In addition, the City’s Sanitation District and Simi Valley Unified School District fees are reduced for senior housing projects. The City will c ontinue to actively encourage new affordable housing opportunities through density bonuses, incentives, and zoning c oncessions for developers who include affordable housing units as part of thei r housing development.

Incentives/concessions include reduced building setbacks, incre ase in allowed building height, and reduced minimum lot sizes, all of which could allow for greater economic return on the property. The more affordable units provided, the higher the number of incentives offered. The City will also consider deferring the payment of development fees to later in the construction process in order to reduce the fin ancial impact from the production of new affordable hous ing units, and will continue t o evaluate methods to remove financial barriers to the production of new affordable h ousing units in the community.

State Prevailing Wage Requirements: The State Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) expanded the types of projects that require the payment o f prevailing wages.

Prevailing wage compliance adds to the overall cost of housing construction.

Davis-Bacon Prevailing Wages: A prevailing wage must be paid to laborers when Federal funds are used to pay labor costs for any project over $2,000 or on any multi- family project over eight units. The prevailing wage is usually higher than competitive wages, raising the cost of housing production and rehabilitatio n activities. Davis-Bacon also adds to housing costs by requiring documentation of prevailing wage compliance.

Actions planned to remove or ameliorate the negative effects of public policies that serve as barriers to affordable housing such as land use contro ls, tax policies affecting land, zoning ordinances, building codes, fees and charges, growth limitations, and policies affecting the return on residential investment

The City of Simi Valley works with both non-profit and for-prof it developers to produce quality affordable housing. Through the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI), the City establishes a Fair Housing Action Plan that outlines steps the City will take to overcome these impediments.
35 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022 27

AP-85 Other Actions - 91.220(k)
Introduction
The Priority Needs established in the RCP, which form the basis for establishing objectives and outcomes in the Action Plan, are as follows:

Consolidated Plan Priorities
 New Rental Housing – Create new affordable rental units  Housing Support and Stability – Create supportive housing unit s and tenant-based rental assistance
 Homeownership Opportunities – C reate affordable homeowner hous ing units
 Rehabilitation and Preservation of Existing Housing Units – Create/preserve stable, safe, affordable housing opportunities  Assistance for Senior Residents – Make public facilities/infra structure ADA-accessible, and provide housing with direct care, health, and social services for seniors
 Increase Job Skills – Provide low- and moderate-income adults with job skills training directly tied to obtaining employment
 Façade Improvements – Assist bus inesses in low- and moderate-i ncome areas with commercial façade treatments
 Local Entrepreneurship – Assist for-profit small businesses wi th technical and financial assistance to creat e jobs or to create a microent erprise startup
 Social Services – Provide low- to moderate-income population w ith medical, disability, education, and legal/advocacy services  Youth Activities and Services – Provide services/activities for youth from low- and moderate-income households
 Homelessness – Facilities/ser vices for homeless population or those at risk of homelessness
 Streets and Streetscapes – Recons truct streets/sidewalks, add/ replace street trees, and improve ADA accessibility on public walkways in low- and moderate-income areas
 Parks and Community Spaces – Construct or improve public parks/community buildings in low- and moderate-income areas  Disaster Planning and Recovery – Disaster planning/recovery ac tivities after severe weather, fire, or earthquakes
 Utilities and Public Infrastru cture – Improve public and publi cly-regulated utilities and infrastructure for residents in low- and moderate-income areas

36 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022 28

Actions planned to address obstacles to meeting underserved needs One of the greatest challenges i n meeting the needs of underser ved persons is having limited financial resources. T he City will continue to encourag e the development of affordable apartment projects for extremely low- and low-income households. Such developments would provide permanent housing opportunities for homeless persons and increase the availability of low-cost rental units to assist those who are rent burdened or severely rent burdened. The City will also consider allocating a portion of its annual CDBG funds to support public service agencies that address the speci al needs of the underserved, including the homele ss, those at risk of homelessn ess, youth, seniors, female-headed households, victims of domestic violence, and the disabled.

Actions planned to foster and maintain affordable housing Increasing and improving affor dable housing is identified as a Priority in the RCP. The City will work toward the preservation of the existing affordab le housing stock. For FY 2022-23, CalHome, HOME and EECBG funds will be used for the Cit y’s Home Rehabilitation Program. The City last updated the Housing Element of its General Plan in 2012, incorporating fair housing goals, policies, and programs into the Element to affirm the City’s position on furthering fair housing choice. An additional update to the Element was completed in 2013 and ad opted in January of 2014. In 2020, the City initiated a Housing Element update that was completed in October 2021.

Actions planned to reduce lead-based paint hazards
The City proposes to take the following actions during FY 2022-23 in an effort to identify and reduce potential lead-based paint hazards in the community:
 Continue to incorporate lead-bas ed paint hazard information in the City’s Home Rehabilitation Program information flyer.
 Continue to make printed information (HUD information pamphlet from the Office of Lead-Based Paint Abatement and Poisoning Prevention) available to the public at several locations, including City Hall, the Chamber of Comme rce, and the Conejo Simi Moorpark Association of Realtors office.
 Continue to inform prospective home rehabilitation loan applic ants during their initial interview about the potential hazards of lead-based paint and any abatement measures necessary to eliminate the hazard. If the applicant’s home was built prior to 1978, City staff will inspect the dwelling to see if potential hazards may exist as a result of the deterioration of lead-based paint. If children age seven or younger are present in the home, and if a potential hazard from lead-ba sed paint is identified, City staff will adv ise the parents about screening their children for elevated levels of lead in the blood and follow any prescribed abatement requirements resulting from the screening.
 Continue testing for the presence of lead-based paint in homes that were built prior to 1978 and are subject to the City’s Home Rehabilitation Program.  Continue the lead-based paint risk assessment and abatement pr ogram when lead-based paint tests indicate a hazardous concentration of le ad (equal to or higher than 1 mg/cm2) for homes that are involved in the City’s Home Rehabilitation Program.

37 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022 29

Actions planned to reduce the number of poverty-level families The City has established goals and policies designed to improve the local economy and reduce the level of poverty within the community. The City will continue to pursue the following programs and activities during FY 2022-23, which are expected to help reduce the number of families at the poverty level:
 Actively encourage commercial and industrial development in or der to increase local employment opportunities f or its residents and to better serve the business community.
 Recruit and retain an industr y based upon its environmental impact, the number of jobs per acre provided, the percentage of jobs from entry level to executive level, and its ability to utilize the skills of the City’s residents.  Cooperate with the State Employm ent and Development Department and research the job skills in the community, giving special attention to attracting industries that utilize these skills.
 Promote Affordable Housing Programs designed to provide assistance primarily to extremely low-, low-, and moderat e-income households within the community. A variety of housing assistance programs throughout the County are available to help various low- and moderate-income groups in need of assistance, including renters, first-time homebuyers, existing homeowners, homeless persons, and persons at risk of homelessness.
 Actively encourage new affordable housing opportunities throug h density bonuses and zoning concessions.

City staff will continue to integrate existing social service a nd housing activities for extremely low- and low-income households by working with and pr oviding referrals to local social service agencies.

Actions planned to develop institutional structure
The City will endeavor to improve communications with other loc al governmental agencies, as well as area non-profit organizations, in order to meet and address the needs of the community. For FY 2022-23, City staff will continue to collaborate internally, as well as with local advocacy groups and other County, State, and Federal organizations.

38 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022 30

Actions planned to enhance coordination between public and private housing and social service agencies
The City will work to enhance coordination between public and private housing and social service agencies through the following:
 Improving communications (network) with private housing develo pers, non-profit organizations, and public agencies. Priority will be given to s trengthening coordination efforts between the City and those agencies and groups that provide assistance to the homeless, persons threatened with homelessness, and persons with special needs in order to improve the delivery of services to those households.

 The City’s Task Force on Homelessness will continue to meet du ring FY 2022-23 to implement the City Council-adopted strategies to address homelessness in Simi Valley. The Task Force, comprised of representatives from non-p rofit service providers, public agencies, and the homeless, has been instrumental in improving and expanding the number of resour ces and delivery of services to homeless persons in Simi Valley and moving previously homeless individua ls and families into permanent housing.

39 Annual Action Plan ‐ 2022 31

AP-90 Program Specific Requirements - 91.220(l) (1,2,4) Introduction
The following describes other program-specific requirements:

Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG)
Reference 24 CFR 91.220(l)(1)

Projects planned with all CDBG funds available during the year are identified in the Projects Table. The following identifies potential program inco me that may become available to assist with funding in projects to be carried out:

1. The total amount of program income that will have been received before the start of the next program year and that has not yet been reprogrammed 0

2. The amount of proceeds from section 108 loan guarantees that will be used during the year to address the priority needs and specific objectives identified in the grantee's strategic plan. 0

3. The amount of surplus funds from urban renewal settlements 0

4. The amount of any grant funds returned to the line of credit for which the planned use has not been included in a prior statement or plan 0

5. The amount of income from float-funded activities 0
Total Program Income: 0

Discussion: The City does not anticipate generating significant amounts of program income during the RCP period. S hould program income funds beco me available, they will be added to the expected entitlement amount, along with prior year unspent funds, to calculate the total anticipated available funding.

Simi Valley City CouncilApril 25, 2022

Simi Valley City Council
April 25, 2022