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Date
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June 22,
2009
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Agenda
Item No. 25 Roll
Call No. 09- Communication No.
09-429 Submitted by: Larry Hulse, Community Development
Director |
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AGENDA
HEADING:
Approving $50,000 grant award from the Polk County
Housing Trust Fund (PCHTF) to be used as gap funding within the Jumpstart
Housing Assistance Program.
SYNOPSIS:
Due to
the restrictions of the State and Federal funding sources being used for the
Jumpstart Housing Assistance programs for flood affected homes, there is
sometimes a gap, typically ranging from $500 to $2,000 that is needed in order
to fund the project. Private funds were
requested (application authorized by Roll Call 09-859 on May 18, 2009) to fill
that gap in order to serve as many applicants as are eligible throughout Des
Moines. PCHTF has approved that funding
application in the amount of $50,000.
FISCAL
IMPACT:
Amount: $50,000
Funding
Sources: Private
donations targeted for flood victims administered by the Polk County Housing Trust
Fund.
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION:
Since
October, 2008, the City of Des Moines Community Development Department—NCS
Division has been administering the Jumpstart Housing Assistance Program. To date, 267 applications have been
received. Of those applicants, 45 did
not meet the eligibility requirements of the program. Of the 222 remaining applicants:
- 74 applicants are under contract or their
projects have been completed. A
total of $1,358,846 has been committed to these projects for an average
project cost of about $18,000.
- 29 applicants have submitted a complete
application (income verification, insurance and FEMA information, etc) and
are in the inspection and bid process.
- 119 applicants are considered pending because
they have not turned in the required paperwork in order for their
application to be complete. The
focus of staff over the next several months will be to work with these
applicants to help them complete the application process.
In order
to serve all that are eligible, supplemental private funds were requested from
the Polk County Housing Trust Fund to serve as gap funding for Jumpstart
projects with special circumstances. Due
to the restrictions of the State and Federal funding sources being used for the
Jumpstart programs, there is sometimes a gap, typically ranging from $500 to
$2,000 that is needed in order to fund the project. Private funds were requested to fill that gap
in order to serve as many applicants as are eligible throughout Des
Moines.
Funding
regulations require that in order to receive Jumpstart home
repair/rehabilitation assistance, a homeowner must document how all of the
funds received from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) were
spent. Due to the length of time that
has elapsed, the use of cash for expenses, the purchase of non-FEMA approved
items and other circumstances, some homeowners are unable to document where all
of their FEMA funds were spent. By
providing private gap funding, more homeowners will be able have their homes
repaired through the Jumpstart Program.
PREVIOUS
COUNCIL ACTION(S):
Date: May 18, 2009
Roll
Call Number: 09-859
Action:
City Manager to sign a letter of
application to Polk County Housing Trust Fund (PCHTF) for private funds to
provide gap funding within the Jumpstart Housing Program. (Council Communication No. 09-347) Moved by Kiernan to
approve. Motion Carried 6-1. Absent:
Cownie.
BOARD/COMMISSION
ACTION(S): NONE