Title
Public Hearing to Consider a Substantial Amendment to the Program Year 2021 Community Development Block Grant Annual Action Plan
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Hold public hearing for a proposal to amend the program year 2021 (PY21) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to reallocate existing CDBG Funds from program year 2015 (PY 2015) and program year 2016 (PY 2016) to a program year PY 2021 activity.
Report
Issue:
Whether to hold public hearing to consider an amendment to the CDBG PY2021 Annual Action Plan.
Staff Contact:
Darian Lightfoot, CDBG Program Manager 360.280.8951
Presenter(s):
Darian Lightfoot, CDBG Program Manager 360.280.8951
Background and Analysis:
CDBG funds will be awarded to Olympia Community Solar to install a 73-kW rooftop solar energy system at Quixote Village. The systems, engineered and installed by South Sound Solar, include SilFab modules, SolarEdge inverters and monitoring, and South Sound Solar has included a year’s panel cleaning and inspection. The project will provide Quixote Village with long term stability from an estimated $551,330 in energy savings over 40 years.
One hundred sixteen solar modules will be installed on the Villages’ community building. The building houses the villages’ kitchen, showers, and staff offices. Four solar modules will be installed on each of the thirty tiny homes, totaling 120 modules. The total cost of the project is $159,000. All other funding is secured by outside funding. The installation is set to begin in spring 2022.
Quixote Communities’ mission is to provide permanent supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness. They create and manage tiny home villages that foster community, encourage personal growth, and promote access to the care and services residents need. Quixote Communities’ first village, Quixote Village in Olympia, houses 30 previously homeless adults whose income is at or below 30% AMI (area median income). Supportive staff at Quixote Village work one-on-one with residents to help them gain access to basic needs including care coordination for mental and physical health, substance use disorder, and education and employment. Residents live in individual tiny homes and are also part of a built-in self-supporting community of peers.
At Quixote Village, 30 adult men and women, previously homeless, are individually housed in a self-supporting residential community; 23% of the 30 residents are 62 years old or older. All of the residents of Quixote Village are chronically homeless. All 30 residents have incomes below 30% Area Median Income according to the Thurston County definition. Six residents (30%) have zero income and the other 24 (70%) make less than $1,500 per month. Over 50% of the residents have some sort of disability (physical and/or mental) and 37% have a chronic health condition. 40% of residents are victims of domestic violence. 41% of residents have self-described as having an alcohol and/or substance abuse problem with the other 59% are maintaining sobriety and recovery.
Amendments to the CDBG Annual Action Plan require at least a 30-day process. The public comment period began on October 22 and will end on November 22 at 12:00pm. The amendment will be brought to the City Council for approval on November 23 with the new activity starting shortly after.
The public will be able to submit comments on amendments via the following methods:
Email: cdbg@ci.olympia.wa.us
Mail: Olympia CDBG Program, P.O. Box 1967, Olympia, WA 98507
Public Hearing: City Council Meeting via Zoom - 7:00 p.m., November 9, 2021
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
CDBG funds can be spent to meet the needs of low to moderate income individuals throughout the community.
Options:
1. Hold public hearing to consider a substantial amendment to the PY21 CDBG Annual Action Plan to reallocate funds from program year 2015 and program year 2016 to a program year 2021 activity.
2. Do not hold a public hearing (which will risk compliance consequences from HUD for our CDBG program and may also prevent these funds from going to this project).
3. Direct staff to take other action.
Financial Impact:
There is approximately $78,269.75 dollars available in PY15 and PY16 for reallocation. If these funds are not drawn down by the end of the program year, they are subject to being returned to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This project is proposing to spend the remaining amount in its entirety towards an eligible CDBG activity. The program year budget can be found in the attached Draft PY21 Substantial Amendment.
Attachments:
Draft PY21 Amendment