TO: Community Development Block Grant Program Committee
THRU: Russell Bunim, Community Development Director
FROM: Jessica Herrera, Housing Manager
1. SUBJECT
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Updates to the eligibility and preference criteria for the Tenant Based Rental Assistance Program.
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2. SUMMARY
Consideration of proposed updates to the eligibility and preference criteria for the Tenant Based Rental Assistance Program
3. RECOMMENDED ACTION
recommendation
1. Recommend the removal of the following eligibility and preference criteria from the Tenant Based Rental Assistance Program:
a. CalAim requirement
b. Eliminating the cash reward incentive
c. Define elderly as 62+ years of age
2. Direct staff to update the eligibility and preference criteria to reflect recommendations by the CDBG Committee, update the policies and procedures, and submit to the City Council for consideration and approval.
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4. DISCUSSION AND BACKGROUND
On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan (ARP) was passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Congress appropriated $5 billion in ARP funds to be administered through the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) and authorized the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to distribute the funds to participating jurisdictions (PJ) that qualified for an allocation of HOME funds in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021, of which Orange was a recipient.
On September 20, 2021, the City was notified that it was allocated $1,655,186 in HOME-ARP funds. In order to access the funds, the City developed a HOME-ARP Allocation Plan (Plan) that described the consultation and public participation process that the City engaged in developing the Plan and outlines how the City will use HOME-ARP funds. The Plan was approved by HUD on May 8, 2023 that committed the funds to the operations of the Hub Resource Center (HRC) for supportive services to the unhoused community.
To meet the housing requirement of the HOME-ARP Allocation Plan and address some of the ho...
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