NewCityLogo-August2008

Council
Communication

Office of the City Manager
 
 

Date

August 24, 2009

 

Agenda Item No.        29

Roll Call No.               09-

Communication No.   09-598

Submitted by: Larry Hulse, Community Development Director

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AGENDA HEADING:

 

Authorizing the Mayor to sign a sub-recipient contract (the Polk County Lead Hazard Control Grant Contract) with Polk County to help implement the Housing and Urban Development 2008 Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control Program.

 

 

SYNOPSIS:

 

Authorizing the Mayor to sign a sub-recipient contract with Polk County to help implement the Polk County Lead Hazard Control Grant Program.  A Letter of Commitment in support of the initial application was authorized by Council on May 18, 2009 (Roll Call # 08-882).  The sub-recipient contract outlines the responsibilities and commitments of the City and Polk County in implementing the program.

 

 

FISCAL IMPACT:

 

Amount: $1,440,000

 

Funding Sources:  U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community

Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) funds:

 

City HOME/CDBG 2009-2011 Funds:  $24,000 per unit (60 total units for a total of $1,440,000)

 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

 

Childhood lead poisoning has adverse effects on nearly all organ systems in the body.  It is especially harmful to the developing mental capabilities and nervous systems of children under the age of six years.  At very high blood lead levels, children have severe brain damage or even die.  At blood lead levels as low as 10 micrograms per deciliter, children’s intelligence, hearing and growth are affected.  According to Polk County Health Services, lead poisoning is one of the top causes of mental retardation of children in Polk County.

 

Lead paint, which was banned from residential use in 1978, is the primary source of lead poisoning in Iowa.  Two-thirds of Des Moines’ housing stock was built before 1978.  The U.S. Department of HUD estimates that 35% of all housing units in the Midwest have “significant lead-based paint hazards”.  In Polk County, that would amount to 63,017 units (based on 2006 U.S. Census data). 

 

Statewide, the prevalence of lead poisoning among children under the age of six years is 7%.  This is more than four times the national average of 1.6%.  In Polk County, the prevalence of lead poisoning among children under the age of six years averages 4%.  However, in some zip codes the rate is up to 13%.

 

Lead poisoning is 100% preventable by addressing the hazards in our housing stock.  Remediating lead hazards is a long-term strategy, which requires the community to prioritize their housing rehab funding streams to target families with children under the age of six years who reside in homes built before 1978.

 

Polk County Health Department was awarded $3 million dollars from HUD’s Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Program Grant.  The principles and goals of the program include the following:

  • Taking a regional approach (Dallas County is in the process of considering joining the effort).
  • Conducting community outreach and marketing to identify eligible homes and families.
  • Partnering with housing rehabilitation agencies to repair lead hazards in 60 units through integration with rehab work.
  • Conducting lead remediation in 100 owner-occupied units.
  • Conducting lead remediation in 53 rental property units.
  • Relocating all families during lead remediation work.

 

The proposed program to be funded by the Lead Grant will continue the existing Neighborhood Conservation Services (NCS) Lead Based Paint program and will be expanded to address the needs identified by this grant.  The lead reduction rental component requires pre-commitment or reservation of funds in order to meet the match requirement.  This will mean that fewer funds will be available for tax credit projects or multi-family redevelopment projects.  This grant application will require the City to reserve HOME funds for the rental portion of the grant application ($672,000 over 3 years).

 

As result of the grant, each of the City’s homeowner projects will be eligible to receive an additional $10,800 for lead remediation costs and each of the rental units will be eligible for $6,000 in lead remediation work. This provides an additional $597,600 of Federal funds for lead remediation costs. Homeowners and renters will also be provided with relocation funds from the Lead Grant program.  Currently, they are required to find replacement housing during the lead work, with no reimbursement from the city.

 

This program is being funded through the HUD 2008 Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control Program and Federal Stimulus funds and is subject to additional requirements other than HUD funds (Davis-Bacon Labor Standards, relocation requirements, etc).  This will require additional administrative oversight by NCS staff than in previous versions of this program.

 

 

PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION(S):

 

Date: May 19, 2008

 

Roll Call Number:  08-882

 

Action:  Support of Polk County Health Department Application to the Housing and Urban Development 2008 Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control Program Grant.  (Council Communication No.  08-295) Moved by Vlassis to adopt.  Motion Carried 7-0.

 

 

BOARD/COMMISSION ACTION(S): NONE

 

 

ANTICIPATED ACTIONS AND FUTURE COMMITMENTS: NONE

 

 

 

For more information on this and other agenda items, please call the City Clerk’s Office at 515-283-4209 or visit the Clerk’s Office on the second floor of City Hall, 400 Robert D. Ray Drive.  Council agendas are available to the public at the City Clerk’s Office on Thursday afternoon preceding Monday’s Council meeting. Citizens can also request to receive meeting notices and agendas by email by calling the Clerk’s Office or sending their request via email to cityclerk@dmgov.org.