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County Administrator's Report 11. 17.
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| BCC Regular Meeting |
Budget & Finance Consent |
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| RECOMMENDATION: |
Recommendation Concerning the Escambia County Residential Rehab Disaster Assistance Grant Program - Keith Wilkins, Community & Environment Department Director
That the Board take the following action regarding the Escambia County Residential Rehab Disaster Assistance Grant Program:
A. Approve the Escambia County Residential Rehab Disaster Assistance Grant Program, including specified eligibility requirements, levels of Program assistance, and administrative provisions, as required to implement the Program for the benefit of eligible Escambia County homeowners impacted by the April 30, 2014, flood (FEMA 4177-CR); and
B. Authorize the County Administrator or his designee to execute all Program-related documents as necessary to promptly implement the Program for the benefit of flood survivors.
[Funding: Fund 129/CDBG: 220403 & 220452; Fund 151/CRA: 220515, 220516, 220517, 220519, & 220520] |
| BACKGROUND: |
On April 30, 2014 Escambia County was impacted by severe flooding which resulted in a State and Presidential Disaster Declaration, now formally known as FEMA 4177-DR. Over 2,100 residential properties were impacted by the flooding, many with in excess of 12 inches of water in the unit. Due to the unique nature of the flooding event and the locations impacted many homeowners were inadequately insured for damages and/or did not have flood insurance. Though Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Individual Assistance (IA) was an option for many of the impacted homeowners, cases remain where the assistance provided was is inadequate to allow the owner to make all necessary repairs to the home. Given this scenario, the Escambia County Commission directed staff to devise a plan to assist homeowners with necessary repairs that will enable them to safely return to their homes. The intent is to target health and safety issues as a priority over cosmetic improvements. The Escambia County Residential Rehab Disaster Assistance Grant Program will address this issue by providing assistance to eligible homeowners (survivors) as follows:
Basic Requirements for Eligibility:
Residential Rehab grant funding for property improvements shall apply to the following:
Location: Properties in Escambia County are eligible. To receive assistance through the CRA, properties must be located within one of the following County designated redevelopment areas: Barrancas, Brownsville, Englewood, Palafox, Warrington or Cantonment. For properties lying outside CRA areas, all matching funds will be provided through the Neighborhood Enterprise Division (NED).
Ownership: Property owner(s), as evidenced by a warranty deed or similar legal proof of ownership, must sign the Grant Program application and any other related documents.
Income: There are no income limits for applicants within the CRA. For applicants in areas outside the CRA, household income cannot exceed 80% of median under any circumstance. However those applicants with household incomes below 80% of median who desire the lower owner match requirements cited below must fully verify all sources of income and must meet applicable U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) income limits provided in Exhibit 1(limits are revised annually) regardless of location.
Application: Applications are accepted on a first come, first serve basis. However, preference will be given to first-time applicants (until funds are exhausted).
Homeowner Match (based on household income):
Household Income greater than 80% of Pensacola Area Median:
50 Percent: Residential Rehab Disaster Assistance Program funding may not exceed 50% of the total cost of the project or $10,000; whichever is less. The property owner must expend one dollar into the project for every CRA dollar committed to the project.
(Example: $20,000 total project cost = $10,000 property owner contribution + $10,000 CRA grant)
Household Income between 51% and 80% of Pensacola Area Median:
25 Percent: Residential Rehab Disaster Assistance Program funding may not exceed 75% of the total cost of the project or $15,000; whichever is less. The property owner must expend one dollar into the project for every three CRA/NED dollars committed to the project. (Example: $20,000 total project cost = $5,000 property owner contribution + $15,000 CRA/NED grant)
Household Income below 50% of Pensacola Area Median:
0 Percent: Residential Rehab Disaster Assistance Program funding provides 100% of the total cost of the project or $20,000; whichever is less. No owner contribution is required for this income category, however the owner shall be responsible for maintaining the improvements upon completion. (Example: $20,000 total project cost = $0 property owner contribution + $20,000 CRA/NED grant)
CDBG funding in the amount of $200,000 is available to support costs associated with this Program, however CRA Tax increment Financing (TIF) funds are required to effectively match the CDBG resources. The current reduced CRA/TIF percentage at 34% of total CRA/TIF revenues will not provide adequate funding to support this initiative if the demand for assistance is significant. Therefore, the Board should consider increasing the percentage of TIF revenues allocable to the CRA from the current 34% to at least 50%. This will enable the CRA to meet the matching requirements for this initiative.
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| BUDGETARY IMPACT: |
| CDBG funds for this Program are currently budgeted in Fund 129/2012 & 2013 CDBG Cost Centers 220403 & 220452 in the amount of $200,000. Limited CRA funds for this Program are budgeted in Cost Centers 220515, 220516, 220517, 220519, & 220520 as limited by existing Tax Increment Fund (TIF) balances. No County general fund revenue is allocated for this Program. |
| LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS/SIGN-OFF: |
| N/A |
| PERSONNEL: |
| N/A |
| POLICY/REQUIREMENT FOR BOARD ACTION: |
| The Program must be approved by the Board prior to awarding assistance to eligible survivors. |
| IMPLEMENTATION/COORDINATION: |
| With Board approval of the Program, implementation will be jointly managed by the Community Redevelopment Agency and Neighborhood Enterprise Division, including verification of eligibility for assistance. Homeowners applying for and benefiting from this initiative must be the owner, occupant of a residential home in Escambia County damaged as a result of the April 30, 2014 and must meet the applicable income restrictions stipulated in the Program Plan. The Program intent is to provide gap funding to cover the cost of uninsured or under-insured repairs that are not eligible for FEMA assistance within the established funding limitations. |
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