Community Legal Aid’s Post

Since its inception 26 years ago, Kane County has administered $35.1 million in federal community development block-grants. The grants are funded annually through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and provide “gap" funding for a variety of eligible projects and programs across communities. In Kane County, the funding priorities for the block grants target projects surrounding affordable housing, neighborhood improvements and emergency shelter services to assist the homeless. The County partners with 24 of its municipalities and through an application process, distributes the block grants to eligible programs with the direction of a 15-member appointed commission, who meets yearly. Since 2016, through the money set aside for affordable housing, Kane County has helped financially support a total of 317 housing units. Also in the works are four rental housing developments in Elgin, and six single family redevelopments in Elgin, Elburn, Batavia and St. Charles. This year $1.75 million dollars was awarded to neighborhood infrastructure projects in Carpentersville and Maple Park. Funding was also allocated to support the expansion of housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income individuals. Kane County, along with its partners Aurora and Elgin, also has embarked on a significant collaborative effort to address homelessness. This initiative, known as the Continuum of Care (CoC), brings together a consortium of social service and government agencies to work in a coordinated manner towards alleviating homelessness. The primary objective of the CoC is to pool resources and expertise to better serve the homeless population. This includes facilitating the allocation of federal and state funding, monitoring and evaluating the performance of recipient agencies, conducting annual assessments, and collecting and analyzing data for future planning. According to the annual census conducted on January 25, the number of homeless individuals in Kane County has risen to 540, marking an increase from the previous year. Within Kane County, two key programs have been implemented to tackle homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing. The Homeless Prevention Program aids households earning less than 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) who are at risk of becoming homeless, providing up to 12 months of support for rent and utility arrears. Meanwhile, the Rapid Rehousing Program offers short-term and medium-term rent assistance, along with supportive services, to households experiencing homelessness. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has continued to provide funding to support homeless services. In 2023 alone, HUD allocated over $2.5 million to the Kane County CoC. #whykane #housing #hud  

Major Housing and Community Development Funding Announced by HUD! 🏠 Last week, The White House, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, unveiled a transformative initiative allocating $5.5 billion to bolster affordable housing, economic growth, and community resilience across the United States. This substantial funding will be distributed through over 2,400 grants impacting 1,200 communities—including States, urban counties, DC, Puerto Rico, and insular areas. 🏠 What This Funding Means: Building Affordable Housing: $1.3 billion is earmarked for 668 grantees under the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, which in 2023 helped create over 13,000 housing units and assisted more than 13,000 households with rental assistance. Strengthening Communities: Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) will receive $3.3 billion to enhance community services and infrastructure, benefiting over 62,000 families and creating or retaining 25,500 jobs. Supporting Vulnerable Populations: Programs like the Housing Opportunities for Persons With HIV/AIDS (HOPWA) and Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) will provide $455 million and $290 million respectively, to offer housing and support services to those in need, impacting hundreds of thousands annually. Fostering Recovery: The Recovery Housing Program (RHP) will allocate $30 million to aid individuals recovering from substance use disorders. 🌱 Funding Impact This funding serves as a cornerstone for community-driven development, offering flexible resources to meet local needs. It supports not only housing but also broader economic and community development, including small business investments and infrastructure improvements. 🔍 Looking Ahead: Communities are encouraged to engage in public discussions on the proposed use of these funds, ensuring transparency and responsiveness to local priorities. For more details or to find your local grantee, visit the HUD Exchange website. More information can be found here: https://lnkd.in/gXk-sjpz

Justin Bibb Launches “A Home for Every Neighbor” – A Momentous Initiative to Support Cleveland’s Unsheltered Community Mayor Justin Bibb Launches “A Home for Every Neighbor” – A Momentous Initiative to Support Cleveland’s Unsheltered Community Friday, Feb 23, 2024 The City Will Take on a New Co-Lead Role to Increase Resources and Accelerate Housing Process for Unsheltered Residents Friday, February 24, 2024 — Cleveland — Mayor Justin M. Bibb announced the launch of “A Home for Every Neighbor” – a brand-new City of Cleveland-led initiative that will provide more resources, increase options, and expedite the housing process for unsheltered residents. Previously, the City assumed a secondary role acting as a financial intermediary and heavily relied on other agencies to address issues facing the local unsheltered community. Now, the City is taking on a more active, co-lead role – in partnership with Cuyahoga County and the Office of Homeless Services (OHS) – to tackle unsheltered homelessness head-on. This direct city-level involvement – based on best practices from other cities around the country – will be a first for Cleveland and underscores the Bibb Administration’s commitment to improving conditions for the unsheltered community. “Every member of our community deserves a safe place they can call home. We are at a pivotal time with our unsheltered population numbers increasing, which is why we are acting with such a great sense of urgency by launching this initiative,” said Mayor Bibb. “If we want to see the success that other cities are having like Houston – who has successfully housed more than 30,000 people and reduced overall homelessness by over 60% in the last decade – then we need a concerted commitment to this Whole-Of-Community approach. That includes not just from government agencies, but nonprofit, hospital, business, faith, and other community leaders too. The time to take action is now. We will only achieve our shared goals with everyone fully on board starting today.” A New Strategy “A Home for Every Neighbor” is an all-encompassing strategy designed to address the root causes of the homelessness cycle and improve all aspects of the housing process. The City’s strategy consists of four key components: Engage – Adopting and implementing an intensive, tailored engagement strategy that will consist of deploying various street outreach teams to targeted areas to connect unsheltered residents with resources and emergency, temporary, or other short-term housing options. Collaborate – Working with the County’s OHS, and other providers in the Continuum of Care, to facilitate information-sharing, jointly evaluate programs, and make improvements to services based on data-driven results. The City will also leverage public-private partnerships to obtain additional funding, build up programming, and improve workforce and educational opportunities.

NEWS RELEASE 📰 "Housing & Community Development Network Lauds Advancement of Affordable Housing Reform Legislation" The Assembly Housing Committee voted to advance legislation that would reform fair housing obligations in New Jersey. The following is a statement based on testimony delivered during the hearing by Staci Berger, president and chief executive officer of the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey (the Network): “We strongly support the reforms to fair housing obligations currently under consideration in the Legislature and applaud the Committee's actions today. Our organization is the statewide association of over 270 non-profit, community development organizations, private sector lenders and housing champions who have been working together for 35 years to make sure everyone can afford to call NJ home. This bill will allow us to continue doing what we do best – building affordable homes to address the critical housing shortage facing NJ’s families, because we believe housing is a human right. “One contributing factor to our severe shortage of affordable homes has been the delay tactics employed by recalcitrant public officials to prevent the creation of homes people need to keep their communities exclusive. Yet, it is our moral and legal obligation to do exactly that, to build homes in every community because people in NJ, whether they are from here or come here, deserve to live in a safe, stable and affordable home. “Research shows that housing stability and security leads to prosperity and generational wealth. Over 270 Network members choose to work together across the state to deliver this kind of generational success and stability to tens of thousands of families. We know what it takes to solve the housing crisis, and we know that this bill will help move us forward to do just that. We look forward to the Legislature passing this bill and the governor signing it, so that we can quickly move ahead to create these affordable homes. Together, we can, we must and we will #HouseNJ.” https://lnkd.in/edEnUn7q

Organizational Background: Coincidence will be managed by Coincidence LLC, a socially responsible organization committed to addressing homelessness through innovative and sustainable solutions. Our team has decades of experience in social work, community development, and employment training, ensuring that our approach is both compassionate and effective. Project Goals and Objectives: 1. Provide Immediate Shelter and Support: Establish a safe and welcoming shelter/drop-in center for up to 100+ individuals per night. Offer basic necessities such as meals, hygiene facilities, and clothing. Connect residents to medical, mental health, and addiction services. 2. Facilitate Long-Term Stability: Develop a transitional housing program with tiny homes on trailers. Secure federal land for the establishment of special camps and housing parks. Provide job training and employment opportunities through Coincidence LLC, & EcoDock Innovations. Enhance Community Integration: Establish partnerships with local and national resources, including health services, educational institutions, and employment agencies. Create a supportive community environment that fosters social connections and personal growth. Project Implementation: 1. Shelter and Drop-In Center: Location and Facilities: Identify and lease or purchase a centrally located building with adequate space for shelter beds, kitchen facilities, hygiene areas, and counseling rooms. Staffing: Hire experienced social workers, counselors, and support staff to provide comprehensive services to residents. Services: Implement a robust program of daily activities, including life skills workshops, job readiness training, and recreational activities. 2. Tiny Homes and Federal Land: Land Acquisition: Apply for access to federal land suitable for establishing special camps and affordable housing parks. Tiny Homes: Partner with manufacturers to produce high-quality, portable tiny homes. Establish financing options that allow residents to work off payments through employment with Coincidence LLC, & EcoDock Innovations. Infrastructure: Develop necessary infrastructure on the land, including utilities, roads, and community facilities. 3. Partnerships and Resources: Local Partnerships: Collaborate with local healthcare providers, educational institutions, and nonprofits to offer a wide range of services. National Resources: Connect with national organizations such as the National Alliance to End Homelessness and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to access additional funding and support.

The Other Side Village has garnered significant local and national media attention for our "tiny home" village project located at 1880 West Indiana Ave. The Village was founded on the conviction that housing alone will never solve homelessness, but community will. Here are a few key updates: 1. The project has been delayed by a combination of regulatory issues and site challenges, not because of a lack of urgency. The media often portrays these as problematic, but they are simply part of challenging development projects. - As part of our agreement with the State of Utah's DEQ to ensure we have a clean site for residential use, we have had to go through many extra steps that most developments don't have to go through, such as extensive testing and approvals, including removing over 80,000 cubic yards of unsuitable structural fill material (the equivalent of 12.5 football fields). - Lew Swain, who developed properties for 4 decades across Utah for Boyer company, said this is the most challenging site he has ever worked on. 2. We have been providing interim supportive housing for the last year at our Village Prep School for people experiencing chronic homelessness coming off the streets or out of shelters. This critical stage helps stabilize and prepare individuals for Village life. - We provide immediate housing while people work on their physical and mental health, job training, social skills, and stability. We also teach a peer accountability model that keeps the community drug-free, crime-free, safe, and beautiful. - We are in the final permitting stage of building our new future Prep School at 630 E 100 S. We purchased a former LDS chapel, which is now being remodeled and expanded to provide interim housing and programming space for people coming off the streets or out of shelters. 3. 30+ homes will be built and ready to install as soon as foundations are in place. Over 400 homes will be built for phases 1 through 3. 4. The site is NOT on a landfill. We have done extensive environmental remediation and testing and it is a very clean site. The dirt we are bringing on-site is exceptionally clean, exceeding requirements for other construction projects in the valley. 5. It is correct to say the project is delayed and we have not met our projections. - We underestimated the regulatory and permitting process timeline with the City and the State. - We underestimated the site complexities, which were compounded by the very wet winter. 6. We feel that all the major unknowns are behind us and have more confidence in our forecasts. - There will be a lot of activity over the next 6 months, with lots of visible progress happening. - Sewer lines are all installed, water and storm water lines are currently being put in place. We should start on roads and foundations at the beginning of fall. - We are doing everything we can to have people in their own homes before the end of the year. https://lnkd.in/g_vg-qHK https://lnkd.in/gvSi6nTZ

The City of Cumberland announces the availability for public review and comments, its Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER) for the 2023 fiscal year. The CAPER is the official report submitted to HUD that evaluates accomplishments against City 5-year Consolidated Plan goals and objectives. The CAPER specifically describes accomplishments for projects funded using Community Development Block Grant funds during the year as described in the City’s 2023 Annual Action Plan. The Public Hearing to receive comments on the CAPER will be held on October 1, 2024 at 6:15 p.m. during the Mayor & City Council meeting at City Hall in the accessible 3rd floor Council Chambers. The CAPER covers accomplishments realized from July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024.The report evaluates progress towards meeting goals and objectives for the categories of housing, homelessness, public services, public facilities, infrastructure, economic development, and planning; while addressing fair housing and the needs of special populations. Twelve percent of funds were expended for administration and planning in 2023. The City received an annual allocation of $799,982 and $55.04 program income in Community Development Block Grant funds. Projects funded by prior year awards continued. A total of $1,013,124 ($925,841 regular funds and $87,283 of CARES Act funds) was expended on housing, public facility & infrastructure improvements, public services, and administration/planning activities. Over 559 low-moderate-income residents of Cumberland were directly affected by CDBG funded activities while 20,000 people benefited indirectly from “area” wide activities. Sub recipient and City matching funds totaled $182,430. The 2023 CAPER report will be submitted to HUD on or before Wednesday, October 2, 2024. The 15-day public comment period will run from Friday, September 13, 2024 through Monday, September 30, 2024. Anyone wishing to review and provide comments related to the year-end report or to request additional meeting room accommodations should contact Lee Borror, Senior Community Development Specialist, City of Cumberland, Department of Community Development, 57 North Liberty Street, Cumberland, Maryland 21502 at (301) 759-6437 or TDD # 1-800-735-2258 or e-mail to lee.borror@cumberlandmd.gov; at least 3 days before October 1, 2024. All comments received will be included in the report for review by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Find details on the whole report on our website at: https://lnkd.in/gSzBZpz3

NEWS RELEASE 🗞️🗞️🗞️ Housing and Community Development Network Criticizes SCOTUS Decision Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson that cities can make it illegal to sleep outside, allowing police to arrest and ticket people experiencing homelessness, even in areas with no shelter available. Staci Berger, president and chief executive officer of the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey (the Network), made the following statement: “The Supreme Court’s decision this morning is beyond disappointing. It is a policy choice that will harm our most vulnerable neighbors, a disproportionate share of whom are Black and brown as a direct result of systemic and institutional racism, for the ‘crime’ of being victims of poverty in America. As scores of housing advocates across the United States – including the Network’s 270+ member organizations in New Jersey –work to help people sleeping on the street find a safe, stable places to go, this decision attempts to undo their efforts. “Research shows that arrests and fines are not solutions to the homelessness crisis that we face in the United States. We already know what will really end homelessness. Only proven solutions, like funding housing security, stability, and affordability programs to build healthy, affordable homes, will keep people stably housed in the long-term. We must hold elected officials accountable and demand that they work to address homelessness with investments in affordability and other supportive measures, not criminalization. “According to the Network’s national partner, the National Low Income Housing Coalition, affordable rents have never been more out of reach for renter households in the Garden State, who must earn nearly $80K a year to afford Fair Market Rent for a modest two-bedroom apartment. Criminalizing homelessness will not change that fact. All of us at the Network urge elected officials across the Garden State to reject the counterproductive policies sanctioned today by the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, and encourage New Jerseyans to contact their representatives to share why our state and local governments must use all the tools available to address the affordability crisis that contributes to homelessness. Regardless of this ruling, together, we can #HouseNJ!” Read the statement issued by the Network's national partner, the National Low Income Housing Coalition at https://lnkd.in/g7b4mR6r.

#Can #a #Big #Village #Full #of #Tiny #Homes #Ease #Homelessness #in #Austin? #NYTimes #January8 "#One #of the #nation’s #largest #experiments #in #affordable #housing #to #address #chronic #homelessness is taking shape #outside the #city #limits." "On the outskirts of Austin, Texas, what began as a fringe experiment has quickly become central to the city’s efforts to reduce homelessness." "In the next few years, Community First is poised to grow to nearly 2,000 homes across three locations, which would make it by far the nation’s largest project of this kind, big enough to permanently house about half of Austin’s chronically homeless population." "Mandy Chapman Semple, a consultant who has helped cities like Houston transform their homelessness systems, said the growth of these villages reflects a need to replace inexpensive housing that was once widely available in the form of mobile home parks and single room occupancy units, and is rapidly being lost." "While most of its homes lack bathrooms and kitchens, its leaders see that as a necessary trade-off to be able to creatively and affordably house the growing number of people living on Austin’s streets." "No other tiny home village has attempted to permanently house as many people." "The village has now drawn hundreds of millions of dollars from public and private sources and given rise to similar initiatives across the country." "[S]ome question whether a community on the outskirts of town with relaxed housing standards is a suitable way to meet the needs of people coming out of chronic homelessness. The next few years will be a test of whether these issues will be addressed or amplified as the village expands to five times its current size." "[A]bout four out of five residents live on government benefits like disability or Social Security. Their incomes average $900 a month, making even tiny homes impossible to afford without help, Mr. Graham said." “Essentially 100 percent of the people that move into this village will have to be subsidized for the rest of their lives,” he said." "For about $25,000 a year, Mr. Graham’s organization subsidizes one person’s housing at the village." "This would not be possible, Mr. Graham said, without a highly successful fund-raising operation that taps big Austin philanthropists." "Despite these concerns, the organization, which had been run entirely on private money, has recently drawn public support. In January 2023, Travis County gave Mobile Loaves and Fishes $35 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to build 640 units as part of its expansion. "[F]our months later came a significant surprise: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development approved the use of federal housing vouchers, which subsidize part or all of a low-income resident’s rent, for the village’s tiny homes. This will make running the village much more financially sustainable, Mr. Graham said, and may make it a more replicable blueprint for other places." (con't)

RSG's Director Dominique Clark is moderating the workshop panel ✨Small But Mighty: Making Room for Local Small-Scale Affordable Housing Developers in Communities of Color✨ at the San Diego Housing Federation annual conference next Tues, 9/10. Details and description below! WHEN: 3:45 – 5pm WHERE: Grand Ballroom 8 SPEAKERS -- Kailin Scott , MBA, Neighborhood Housing Services of the Inland Empire (NHSIE), CEO -- Cody Ruedaflores, Kaiser Permanente, Community Health Consultant -- Ruben Mendoza, Uplift San Bernardino, Housing Associate DESCRIPTION In communities of color, small-scale community-based organizations such as community development corporations and churches are uniquely positioned to develop the affordable housing so desperately needed in their communities. These organizations are passionately invested in their communities, are intimately familiar with the most pressing local needs, and tend to have a long-standing trusted relationship with community members. But how can these small-scale organizations cobble together the massive amount of funding needed to take an affordable housing project to the finish line? In San Bernardino, several agencies are working to overcome this financing gap. With the generous financial support of Kaiser Permanente, local non-profit Uplift San Bernardino recently invited local organizations looking to develop sustainable transitional, emergency, permanent supportive, co-op, and other housing projects in San Bernardino to apply for grants to be used for pre-development or construction costs. Ultimately, six community-led organizations were awarded grants to catapult their projects forward. The objective of the proposed session is to share an innovative case study of overcoming barriers to small-scale community-based organizations participating in affordable housing development. The panelists include a representative of Kaiser Permanente to provide the funder’s perspective; a representative of the Neighborhood Housing Services of the Inland Empire (NHSIE) to provide a grantee’s perspective; and a representative of Uplift San Bernardino, the non-profit organization who received the funding from Kaiser Permanente and coordinated the distribution of the grants to the local organizations. Topics discussed will include the following: 1. The purpose and scope of the Kaiser Permanente Healthy Homes-Wellness Fund, which is an example of investment in housing as a health care initiative; 2. How Uplift San Bernardino developed an application and selection process for the grants, which included gathering input from the local community in the grantee selection; 3. How the process resulted in funding diverse, innovative, community-based organizations, many of which are excluded from traditional competitive affordable housing funding programs; and 4. How NHSIE and other small-scale community-based organizations overcome the barriers to entry to affordable housing development.