Agenda Item Wording:
title
Authorize the City Manager or their designee to execute a letter of support for Self-Help Enterprises development of affordable housing within the City of Visalia.
body
Deadline for Action: 9/7/2021
Submitting Department: Finance and Technology Services
Contact Name and Phone Number: Margie Perez, Housing Specialist, 713-4460; margie.perez@visalia.city <mailto:margie.perez@visalia.city>. Melody Murch, Assistant Finance Director, 713-4379; melody.murch@visalia.city <mailto:melody.murch@visalia.city>. Renee Nagel, Finance Director, 713-4375; renee.nagel@visalia.city <mailto:renee.nagel@visalia.city>.
Department Recommendation: That Council would authorize the City Manager or their designee to execute a letter of support for Self-Help Enterprises (SHE) development of affordable housing units within the City of Visalia.
Background Discussion:
SHE’s mission is to work together with low-income families to build and sustain healthy homes and communities. Since 1965, SHE has assisted over 55,000 families throughout the San Joaquin Valley with decent affordable housing. They have requested that the City provide a letter expressing support for SHE’s development of low-income affordable housing in the City of Visalia, included herein as Attachment “A” - SHE Letter of Support Request. A letter of support is not a commitment of funding to SHE. The purpose of such a letter is to express the City of Visalia’s support for the work SHE does in the development of affordable housing units within the City of Visalia. This letter will assist SHE in pursuing a variety of project grant funding for various projects because grant applications receive higher scores and are more likely to receive funding when the proposed project has the support of the surrounding community. The requested letter would be one of many letters of support held by SHE from local agencies and non-profits to be used for this purpose.
SHE has been the City’s Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) since 2012. A CHDO is a private non-profit, community-based organization that has staff with the capacity to develop affordable housing for the community it serves. To qualify for designation as a CHDO, the organization must meet certain requirements pertaining to their organizational structure, capacity, and experience. To-date, SHE is the only organization that has qualified for CHDO status in the City of Visalia.
As the City’s CHDO, SHE has proven their capacity and experience through prior projects within the City of Visalia, which include:
• Highlands Gardens - Construction of a 42-unit, multi-family two- and three-bedroom rental development. Amenities include a community center, community garden, family picnic area, and children’s playground.
• Strawberry Apartments - Acquisition and rehabilitation of a five-unit property, which consists of one- and two-bedroom rentals.
• Encina Apartments - Acquisition and rehabilitation of a six-unit, 1-bedroom rental complex. Amenities include a laundry area and picnic area.
• Eden House - Acquisition and rehabilitation of a 22-bed transitional bridge housing project currently operated through a contract with Mental Health Systems.
SHE is a large organization and projects completed in partnership with the City are only a portion of the work they have done to create and preserve low-income housing for the citizens of Visalia and throughout the Central Valley. As detailed in Attachment “C” - SHE’s Annual Report 2020, SHE has recently completed affordable housing projects including:
• Construction of new self-help homes for 44 families, and
• Construction of 196 new rental units, and
• Funding of 27 homebuyer assistance loans, and
• Preservation of 48 rental units, and
• Rehabilitation of 22 single-family homes.
As previously mentioned, the letter of support will not provide any financial commitment of funding to SHE. The letter of support will simply express the City of Visalia’s support for their development of additional affordable housing units within the City of Visalia for low-income families. The draft City of Visalia letter of support for SHE is included herein as Attachment “B”- Draft Letter of Support.
Fiscal Impact:
A letter of support will only express the City of Visalia’s support for Self-Help Enterprises development of affordable housing in Visalia and will not have any fiscal impact.
Prior Council Action: None
Other: None.
Alternatives: None recommended.
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
Staff recommends that the Council directs the City Manager or their designee to execute a letter of support for Self-Help Enterprises development of low-income affordable housing units within the City of Visalia.
end
Attachments: Attachment “A” - SHE’s Letter of Support Request, Attachment “B” - Draft Letter of Support, and Attachment “C” - SHE’s Annual Report 2020.