College Park Seniors Committee

College Park Seniors Committee Virtual Meeting October 5, 2022 7:00 p.m. Final Minutes Seniors Committee Members: PRESE ABSEN NT T 1. Woei-Nan Bair X 2. Adele Ellis X 3. Carol Gray X 4. Mary Anne Hakes X 5. Janet Hawley X 6. Carissa Janis X 7. Gail Lovelace X 8. Bonnie McClellan X 9. Darlene Nowlin X 10. Arelis Perez X 11. Robert Thurston X Also present : Guest Speaker: John Maneval, Oculus CAS, LLC; Pam Wilson, Chief Housing Development Manager, Prince George’s County Department of Housing and Community Development; Joey Haavik, Graduate Student Government President, UMD Kiaisha Barber, Director of Youth and Family Services; Joi Woods, Contract Secretary Guest Speaker Presentations The meeting began at 7:05 p.m. The formal business meeting was postponed until after the presentations from guest speakers. I. Oculus CAS, LLC and PG County DHCD Pam Wilson provided an overview of Affordable Housing programs funded & operated by the county, some current goals, and trends. A. Goal: To support equitable economic growth in the county by creating and preserving quality homes that all residents can afford. 1. Housing Opportunities for All Workgroup – used to guide legislation and/or changes for consideration by the County 1 B. Affordable Housing Production goals & tools 1. 75% of 26,000 residential units will be committed as affordable housing. Eligible residents include households with incomes that are less than 120% of the Area Median Income (AMI). 2. The county plans to increase the number of multi-family units by 10,400 by the year 2030. 3. Affordable Housing Production Tools a. The HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME)  Annual allocation from HUD $3.7 million o Approximately $3 million for Gap financing towards new construction of affordable housing b. HOME ARP  Funded through the American Rescue Plan (forthcoming) o Approximately $7 million o Planning is in progress to support the production of affordable housing and target extremely low-income affordable housing needs. c. Housing Investment Trust Fund (HITF)  Currently funded at a minimum of $10million/year o Funded through recordation taxes d. Payment in lieu of Taxes (PILOT)  The county will consider developers request to reduce, abate, and/or waive county taxes o Allows developers to reduce operating costs and keep rents affordable C. Programs 1. Pathway to Purchase Program a. Provides first time homebuyers with down payment assistance 2. Home Ownership Possibilities Program – (HOPP) a. Partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Maryland for operation b. Intended for homeowners within Qualified Census Tracts in PG county for up to $50K. Funds are used to address critical needs related to health, safety, energy efficiency, and accessibility repairs. c. The program is currently operating and oversubscribed, the county is in talks with Maryland to identify opportunities to expand funding due to demand. d. The County I set to receive $1 Million over a 2-year period. $500K has been set aside to serve properties in Qualified Census Tracts along the Purple Line Corridor. 2  3. Housing Rehabilitation Assistance Program (HRAP) a. Funding through the Federal Block Grant to address critical needs health, safety, energy efficiency, and accessibility repairs. b. Daily operations are managed by the Housing Initiatve Partnership & the Redevelopment Authority. c. The program is at capacity, the county is exploring ways to attract funding and parnters. d. The program is currently operating, oversubscribed, the county is in talks with Maryland to identify opportunities to expand funding and attract partners. D. Affordable housing programs Q&A 1. Which program models are effective in providing affordable housing? Which models best align with the committee’s goals to establish a livable community? a. The Rehabilitation programs are deemed effective due to the high demand b. Accessibility improvements support residents who aging in place c. The county is currently exploring opportunities for partnership to roll out critical needs programs in College Park 2. How active has College Park been in applying for the grant programs? a. College Park has few Qualified Census Tracts that are eligible b. Pam Wilson will find out and share the information with the committee 3. How can College Park benefit from centralized development in PG County given that College Park has few Qualified Census Tracts? a. The Home Ownership Possibilities Program - HOPP Loan Program servicing The Purple Line Corridor 4. What does affordable housing eligibility look like for renters? a. Rents are restricted to the HUD published rent limits  Ensure families do not pay more than 30% of the total cost of rent and utilities  80% Area Median Income (AMI) depending on family size  Pam Wilson will provide additional information about AMI and HUD rent limits 5. What are some Aging Home assessments options to identify retrofitting needs? a. The Home Ownership Possibilities Program (HOPP) provides funding for Occupational Therapists to assess the residents’ accessibility needs throughout the home and make retrofitting recommendations. E. The Right of First Refusal (ROFR) program John Maneval from Oculus CAS provided an overview of The Right of First Refusal (ROFR) Program. 1. The program does not rely on directly funding appropriations from the County. The county’s regulatory power is used to achieve affordable housing. a. One of the primary goals of the program is to preserve long term affordability of rental housing. b. The program relies on the county’s use of its authorization to exercise the right to purchase any multi-family rental property with 20 or more units that is up for sale. 3  c. Sellers are required to notify the county and provide specific information. d. A determination is made using scoring system to evaluate opportunities for The Right of First Refusal (ROFR) 2. Primary paths for the Right of First Refusal (ROFR) 1) ROFR accepted – The county exercise the Right of First Refusal (ROFR); DHCD seeks to assign rights to an ROFR developer. 2) ROFR declined/waived – The property does not serve the county’s housing needs; DHCD notifies seller and buyer to proceed with sale. 3) Exception of the ROFR – The seller and buyer secure a waiver from the ROFR process. F. Right of First Refusal (ROFR) Q&A 1. Does the program attract developers? a. Developers are enthusiastic about the programs because it presents lucrative income opportunities through fees and residuals. 2. Is the Right of First Refusal (ROFR) program applicable to student housing? a. Yes, for privately owned property, the program does not apply to Dormitory Housing. 3. How long are restrictions to raise rent in place If a property is subject to Right of First Refusal (ROFR) and is purchased by an Afford Affordable Housing Developer or if an exception is granted? a. 15 years 4. Are there tools to identify opportunities for affordable multi-unit housing structures that are becoming available? a. The county has specific reporting and notification timeline for sellers. There are theoretical opportunities to develop a city Right of First Refusal (ROFR) program. 5. What developers are participating in The Right of First Refusal (ROFR) program? a. There are approximately 30 developers, Pam Wilson will forward a list. II. Guest Speaker -Cross-Generation Co-housing , Joey Haavik, UMD President of the Graduate Student Government The committee discussed opportunities to include Cross-Generation Co-housing as a part of the AARP Livability initiative. Highlighted points included. A. Interest from Graduate Students in living with Senior residents B. Potential interest from the Senior community in College Park, benefits, and considerations. Some noted points include: 1. Assessing interest among students and senior residents a. Roommate referral program 2. Benefits of Cross-Generation Co-housing a. reducing loneliness 4  b. providing support for senior residents (errands, helping around the house, etc.) 3. Other universities with Cross-Generation Co-housing models 4. Establishing a written understanding for all tenants 5. Property inspections & regulatory codes 6. Securing a Business Rental License Formal Business Meeting I. Call to Order Mary Anne Hakes called the meeting to order at 8:15 p.m. II. Approval of Agenda Arelis Perez motioned to approve the agenda for October 5, 2022. Robert Thurston seconded the motion. All were in favor, none opposed. The motion passed. III. Approval of Minutes- May 5, 2022 Arelis Perez motioned to approve the minutes from September 6, 2022 , as amended . Carissa Janis seconded the motion. All were in favor, none opposed. The motion passed. III. Clearinghouse & Brainstorming session A. The committee briefly discussed efforts to establish a clearinghouse to identify vendors and services for senior residents and residents with disabilities. B. Brainstorming session- Youth and Family Services Friday, October 14, 2022 A brainstorming session is being sponsored by Neighbors Helping Neighbors College Park (NHN-CP). All members are invited to attend. The committee discussed potential topics, highlighted points included: 1. Community outreach activities throughout College Park districts 2. Conducting an assessment of activities and signature events hosted throughout College Park districts to cross-promote events and establishing a calendar to disseminate the information. 3. The potential need for transportation and assistance that will allow for all senior residents to attend events in different districts 4. Hosting senior activities in neighborhoods to take the events into the community. 5. Promoting activities IV. Neighbors Helping Neighbors College Park (NHN-CP) Update Carissa Janis provided a brief update about efforts to recruit volunteers. A. NHN-CP has been included on the Student Service 24/7 affiliate list to recruit student volunteers 5  B. Additional efforts are in progress to explore Student Live -in communities and to Connect with College Park Scholars. VI. Suggested Guest s for the November Meeting The committee discussed Guest Speakers for future meeting A. Lisa Walker, Hyattsville Aging in Place; B. Christal Batey, GAIL Resource Advocate for Greenbelt Senior Center Assistance Living program C. Mark Goodson, The Here & Now D. Lynn Butler Senior Programs, PG County E. Kathleen Rearden, College Park Community Center VII. Other discussion A. ARPA Funds -the city is seeking an allocation of funds; some funds can potentially support the AARP Livability efforts and SAC initiatives. B. The city is partnering with a consultant to maximize allocations of ARPA funding. Funds are earmarked for the city’s senior population. VIII. Next Meeting & Adjournment A. Next Meeting -Novem ber 2, 2022 B. Adjournment Arelis Perez motioned to adjourn the meeting . Janet Hawley seconded the motion. All were in favor, none opposed. The motion passed. The meeting was adjourned at 8:50 p.m. 6