Housing Commission

MINUTES HOUSING COMMISSION City of Falls Church PURPOSE OF MEETING: The five-member Commission is appointed by the City Council for three-year terms. The Housing Commission maintains awareness of housing needs and opportunities, including affordable housing; proposes housing policy initiatives and changes; investigates fair housing complaints and conciliates these complaints; mediates conflicts relating to the Virginia Residential Landlord & Tenant Act and offers reconciliatory services in conflicts relating to other housing laws. DATE OF MEETING: October 9, 2018 PLACE OF MEETING: Winter Hill Apartments – Board Room MEETING CALLED TO ORDER BY: Chair Brenda Heffernan at 6:33pm THOSE PRESENT: Commission Members Staff Brenda Heffernan, Chair _ X__ Dana Lewis _X_ Tori McKinney, Vice Chair _X_ Nancy Vincent __ M.T. Gutmanis _X_ Alex McMillen _X_ Jordan Hicks _X__ Sue Richter _X_ FCHC Liaison Planning Commission Liaison Thom Vaccaro____ Lindy Hockenberry _X_ Visitors Student Liaison Peter Davis _X_ Katherine O’Neil _X__ Council Liaison Kaylee Stillwagoner _X_ Letty Hardi X__ Call to order at 6:32 by Chair Brenda Heffernan Approval of Minutes for both July and September Affordable Living Policy: • Out to Boards and Commissions right now. Staff is going to Economic Development Authority, Environmental Sustainability Council, and the Planning Commission to present policy and for comments and questions. The Housing Commission should also formally submit comments or questions on the Affordable Living Policy. Comprehensive Plan Update: • HHS staff is working with the Planning Division to continue to create a full draft of the Comprehensive Plan. However, the Plan has been held up due to City demographics information that is coming out in a few months. A contractor has been hired to do this work and it is vital to add to the Housing Chapter. Affordable Dwelling Unit Policy Change: • Staff presented the Commission with the ADU waitlist process, which will be replacing the ADU lottery system.  • The Commission voted unanimously to give waitlist members an additional point for each year on the waitlist. • The Commission voted to replace the lottery completely, even for ADU openings in new developments, but requested staff talk with the City Attorney regarding doing away with the lottery on new development, first. Sprague Housing Champion Award: • Commissioners should start thinking about potential candidates for the award. Discussion of CDBG/HOME Funding Amounts • A discussion was held explaining the CDBG/HOME process and the estimated funding that is available to the City. Public Hearing; There were three presentations for CDBG/HOME funds. They presented their cases for funding programs and projects that will enhance the City of Falls Church. 1. Falls Church Community Services Council (FCCSC) – Request $5,000 CDBG (public service) Presenter: Linda Rice Johnson The goal of the program is to keep families from becoming homeless. FCCSC provides emergency one time assistance; this is not for ongoing assistance. They take referrals only from social workers for the assistance. The workers have already screened and provided an assessment of the clients so staff does not have to do this. They can only provide a total of $500 in a calendar year for assistance per person. Questions from Commissioners: So you show the funds would assist 7 residents, is this typical? Yes, this is normally what we are able to assist. How is eligibility determined? The request comes to use through Human Service workers or social service workers and they screen the person to determine if they are eligibility to receive assistance. The social worker develops a plan and the amount of assistance that will be provided. The worker then contacts FCCSC with the assistance amount. Financial assistance is provided once a year to the same person and we have a $500 limit. The check is only mailed to the vendor and never to the person who is receiving the assistance. Do you have repeat applicants? Yes, sometimes a year later we may. The same person may have a need for food during the year and we will provide that. We don’t have a limit on the number of times this is provided. Also all referrals for food come to use from the social workers. What data is reported to us? We submit quarterly reports that indicated the race and income of the participants. This is required by the City since this is HUD funding and is required by HUD. 2. Mt Daniel Elementary School – Request $6,170 CDBG (public service) Presenter: Tim Kasik, Principal Mt. Daniel will provide LIEP Adult Literacy Program and, a HUGS club (former Homework Club) for their English language learners to support their language acquisition and progress at school. HUGS provides language based literacy and other activities after school and in the evenings. The goal of HUGS is to give the children enrichments in the core areas of reading, writing and math and to provide parents and other family members with the opportunity to learn more about the culture of the school and help their children. The Adult English Learning program focuses on the learning needs of the whole family by developing the foundations for learning basic skills and English language. They also provide support to families as they access services and learn more about school programs. Questions from Commissioners: Given the parental involvement it sounds like more enhancement than before. Yes the programs have been enhanced from the past with clearer outcomes. HUGS program mentioned different format. We are bringing the parents in more and providing enhanced activities, like working with the families to learn more about the culture of the school and to help their children. Comment – it is interesting to hear the kids have no experience in board games. What is the number of staff that work with the program? Same as before it is four staff members. (two LIEP teachers, paraprofessional and day care counselor to support the Family Outreach Program. Is this program being considered at other schools or just at Mt. Daniel? They would like to one day provide this type of program in the other schools. 3. FCHC Virginia Community Development Corporation – Request $95,000 (non- public service) Presenter: Joshua Shokoor In the past the City has funded the replacement of a boiler to make a heating and cooling center for the City and a waterproofing and wall retaining project and pavement was replaced in the parking areas. The current year the project just completed is deck replacements for twelve units on James Street. The proposal is seeking funds to complete the deck replacement at forty units on the property. This would include wood repairs and power washing among other items. We will replace with composite wood which does not require as much maintenance and will save money for the property. The goal of the program is to keep seniors and the disabled housed in affordable housing with resident services. Questions from Commissioners: In the first group that were done, where any lesson learned that will assist in replacing the other desk? The process went smoothly and they had no issues Are the decks on the first and second levels? The replacement of the decks is on the  second level only. Are they being repaired or replaced? They will be replacing the actual deck and rails with composite material. What is the life expectancy for the composite material? The installation price for composite is more costly than wood, the actual cost saving is over the life expectancy of the material. Wood decks only last about seven years and required a lot of maintenance. Last year you did twelve decks what was the cost? About $33,000. If you didn’t get the full amount request how would you fund the balance? They would find other means to pay for the difference. End of Public Hearing Staff Report: • At the next meeting on Tuesday, October 16th a second public hearing will be held for the last grant request. The meeting will begin at 6:30 pm and the public hearing will begin at 7:00 pm. After this is completed the Commission will discuss the funding amounts for each organization requesting funds. Meeting adjourned by Chair Brenda Heffernan at 7:55pm Signature of Recorder(s): Alex McMillen Susan Richter The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This document will be made available in an alternate format upon request. Call 703-248- 5005 (TTY 711).