Visalia City Council - File #: 25-0038

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Action Details	Meeting Details	Video
4/7/2025	1	Visalia City Council			Not available	Meeting details	Video

Agenda Item Wording:

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Review Draft 2025/26 - 2029/30 Consolidated Plan and 2025/26 Annual Action Plan - Conduct a Public Hearing and provide comments on the proposed FY 25/26-29/30 Consolidated Plan (ConPlan), Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI), Citizens Participation Plan (CPP), FY 25/26 Annual Action Plan for the use of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) Funds; and FY 24/25 CDBG Action Plan Amendment.

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Deadline for Action: 4/7/2025

Submitting Department: Finance and Technology Services

Contact Name and Phone Number:
Margie Perez, Housing Specialist, margie.perez@visalia.city, (559) 713-4460;
Melody Murch, Assistant Finance Director, melody.murch@visalia.city, (559) 713-4379; Renee Nagel, Finance Director, renee.nagel@visalia.city, (559) 713-4375

Department Recommendation:

Staff recommends that Council provide comments and conduct a public hearing on the following proposed documents:

• FY 2025/26 - FY 2029/30 Consolidated Plan (ConPlan);

• Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI);

• Citizens Participation Plan (CPP);

• FY 2025/26 Annual Action Plan for the use of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) Funds;

FY 2024/25 CDBG Action Plan Amendment.

Background Discussion:

As required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the City must develop a Consolidated Plan (ConPlan) every 5-years to guide the use of federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) funding. The 5-year ConPlan is the framework for the allocation of resources to support projects benefiting low-and moderate-income people by increasing housing and economic opportunities, strengthening low-income neighborhoods, addressing public services, and providing for infrastructure improvements. The ConPlan process for the next 5-year term (FY 2025/26 - FY 2029/30) has been assisted by a consultant, Baker Tilly, Inc. The process to identify high priority needs has included preparing and disseminating public notices, information flyers and surveys, collecting and analyzing surveys, conducting community public meetings and stakeholder interviews, receiving City Council priorities, and collecting the results. Baker Tilly also conducted a Housing Windshield Survey analysis to assess housing conditions, which is a requirement of the Housing Element and provides data that supports affordable housing program needs.

Consolidated Planning Process: The Consolidated Plan (ConPlan) establishes a comprehensive strategy that identifies community needs, prioritizes those needs, and details how they will be addressed. The ConPlan strategy also incorporates the City’s Citizen Participation Plan (CPP), which governs how the City will conduct outreach to the community and encourage their participation in the ConPlan, Action Plan, Amendments, and Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) process for this next 5-year term. Also included in the ConPlan is the preparation of an Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI), which assists in identifying any barriers to affordable housing, as well as examines policies and fair housing practices surrounding housing choices.

Community Surveys, Public Outreach & Stakeholder Meetings: Through public notice of community meetings and surveys, opportunities were provided for the community to give feedback on spending priorities for the next 5-years. This feedback serves as the framework for a community-wide dialogue to identify housing and community development priorities. Staff has engaged citizens and stakeholders to assess community development and housing needs and identify the highest priority needs related to the use of both CDBG and HOME funding over the next 5-years FY 2025/26 - FY 2029/30.

The survey links and public notices were posted on the City’s website, and City social media outlets from July 12, 2024, through August 2, 2024. The survey announcements were also posted on the Kings/Tulare Homeless Alliance listserv, the Tulare County Homeless Task Force email list, and the Community Care Coalition email list distributed to approximately 1,000 stakeholders. Surveys were also provided during community meetings and community stakeholder meetings held in the months of September and October 2024.

The City of Visalia Housing Division also surveyed individuals during two other events - the 2023 Farmworker Women’s Conference and the Citizens Advisory Committee Meeting. Please see below for a brief description of the organization and citizen survey results and attachment F: Citizen Participation Plan for full survey results.

In addition to receiving community priorities, staff received City Council priorities and direction on September 3, 2024 and December 3, 2024 for the 5-year (FY 2025/26 - FY 2029/30) ConPlan.

Survey Results: Organizations that completed the organizational survey serve the following populations: low-income, homeless, youth, elderly, victims of domestic violence, disabled, protected class members, and individuals with HIV/AIDS. The top 5 gaps (needs) identified by various organizations include:

1) Shortage of affordable housing

2) Homelessness prevention programs

3) Mental health services

4) Substance abuse treatment programs

5) Job training programs

Citizen survey results below include results from the online citizen survey, the Farmworker Women’s Conference survey, the Citizen Advisory community meeting survey, and virtual community meetings. The top 5 gaps (needs) identified by citizens include:

1) Affordable rental housing (including senior, farmworker housing)

2) Emergency drop-in shelter

3) Homeless/homeless prevention services (including mental health services)

4) Permanent supportive housing

5) Home repair assistance

Funding Sources and Use of Funds

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG): The purpose of the CDBG program is to enhance and maintain viable urban communities through the provision of decent affordable housing, a suitable living environment, and the expansion of economic opportunities for low-and moderate-income individuals and households. HUD allows up to 20% of a CDBG award to be used towards general program administration and planning and permits up to 15% to support Public Service activities. The remaining 65% is available for other projects vital to community development such as public facilities and improvements, economic development, and housing.

CDBG National Objectives

To be eligible for CDBG funding, each activity must meet one of HUD’s three National Objectives. The National objectives are:

1. Benefit low- and moderate-income individuals.

2. Aid in the prevention or elimination of slum and blight.

3. Meeting other community development needs having a particular urgency because existing conditions pose a serious and immediate threat to the health or welfare of the community and other financial resources are not available.

CDBG eligible activities include but are not limited to (*indicates activities limited to the 15% public services cap):

1. Public services* (limited to 15%)

a. Homeless, rental/mortgage assistance, domestic violence, housing counseling, job training, senior disabled, youth, health/mental health, substance abuse, crime awareness, childcare, legal, and fair housing.

2. Acquisition & Disposition

a. Acquisition & disposition of real property, cleanup of contaminated sites, relocation.

3. Public Facilities & Improvements

a. Homeless facilities (emergency shelter or navigation center), senior centers, youth centers, and infrastructure including water, sewer, street, sidewalk, parks/recreation, and ADA accessibility improvements.

4. Economic Development

a. Acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, small business assistance, job creation/retention, technical assistance, and job training*.

5. Housing

a. Homeowner assistance, housing counseling*, rehabilitation of single/multi-family, emergency repairs, code enforcement, lead-based paint testing/abatement, and historical preservation.

HUD Encouraged Funding:

• Continuum of Care* - HUD strongly encourages local jurisdictions to support the local Continuum of Care (CoC), as they oversee the HUD mandated Point-In-Time (PIT) count, Coordinated Entry Systems (CES), Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS), and Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) rental subsidy vouchers for our region. The local CoC ensures CES and HMIS grant compliance that allows for continued and additional grant funding opportunities.

• Fair Housing Services* - The Fair Housing Act of 1968 requires HUD grantees to promote fair housing choice, eliminate disparities, and foster inclusive communities. As a result, HUD strongly encourages local jurisdiction support of fair housing services to affirmatively further the purposes of the Fair Housing Act.

(*indicates activities limited to the 15% public services cap.)

HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME): The purpose of HOME funding is to create and/or retain affordable housing. HUD defines affordable housing as housing where a household pays no more than 30% of their gross income for housing costs, including utilities. Most HOME affordability housing developments are built for households with incomes at 60% or less than the area median income (AMI) level. For example, a qualifying family of four at 60% AMI in FY 2024/25 has an income of $52,740 or lower and should not be spending more than $15,822 per year on housing.

To assist with this need, HOME funding requires that at least 15% of the annual HOME grant amount be provided to a certified Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) (501C non-profit) for the development of affordable housing (rental and/or ownership). Self Help Enterprises (SHE) is currently the only local organization which meets the HOME CHDO certification requirements, and the City works with them to provide funding for their qualifying housing projects.

HOME funds can be used for housing within four basic programs:

1. Development of Housing

a. Types: Affordable rental or owner-occupied housing, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing (PSH).

b. Special populations can include senior and/or homeless.

2. Homebuyer assistance

3. Rehabilitation for owner-occupants

4. Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA)

Staff Recommended Strategies: As part of the ConPlan analysis, staff reviews current high priority needs, required programs, and existing successful activities. Below are staff recommended strategies for the use of CDBG and HOME funds, based upon the data collected.

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG):

HUD allows up to 20% of CDBG to be spent on administration. HUD also allows up to 15% of the annual CDBG grant to be spent toward public service activities. HUD encourages the use of these funds to include fair housing and partnering with the Continuum of Care, both of which are funded as part of the 15% public service funding activities. Staff recommend the maximum amounts to be programmed for administration and public services, with public service activities to be determined on an annual basis by the Annual Action Plan process, based upon an annual Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA).

Based upon the community needs assessment and Council’s priorities, staff recommends CDBG funding for the development of a year-round overnight emergency shelter for people experiencing homelessness. A year-round overnight emergency shelter is a vital part of the process to bring individuals out of homelessness and will support the Police Department in providing immediate shelter for those in need, including those residing in City parks, commercial, and residential areas.

Staff also recommends beginning a Senior Single-Family Home Repair Program for senior/disabled low-to-moderate-income owner occupants of single-family homes to assist with essential home repairs such as roof repairs/replacement, plumping repairs, ADA improvements, and efficiency improvements etc. to assist seniors/disabled residents to remain in their homes.

Staff recommends continued funding for:

• Code Enforcement in low-income areas,

• Senior Mobile Home Repair Program,

• Park improvements for low-income areas, and

• Public improvements to address the continued need for ADA accessible sidewalks.

A summary of the proposed CDBG funded activities for the next 5-year Consolidated Plan is shown below in Table 1: FY 2025/26 - FY 2029/30 Proposed CDBG Activities.

HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME): HOME funding requires that 15% of the annual grant be provided to a certified Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) (501C non-profit) for the development of affordable housing (both rental and ownership). Self Help Enterprises (SHE) is the only local organization which meets the HOME CHDO certification requirements and continues to be successful with the use of HOME funds. In addition, there is a shortage of rental subsidies in our region to support permanent supportive housing (PSH) units for people experiencing homelessness. HOME Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) can assist in providing much needed rental subsidies for PSH units within the City of Visalia.

Based on the community needs assessment and Council priorities, staff recommends utilizing HOME funds for:

• Development of a senior affordable housing,

• Affordable housing for low-income families, and

• Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) to support PSH units for people experiencing homelessness.

A summary of the proposed HOME funded activities for the next 5-year Consolidated Plan is shown below in Table 2: FY 2025/26 - FY 2029/30 Proposed HOME Activities.

The proposed CDBG and HOME funded activities for the next 5-year Consolidated Plan are also included as Attachment “B”.

Proposed FY 2025/26 Annual Action Plan (see Attachment “A”):

The Program Year (PY) 2025 (Fiscal Year 2025/26) Annual Action Plan is the first year of the next 5-year ConPlan, and the plan objectives are based upon the City’s 5-year Strategic Plan.

The proposed programs for the draft 2025 Annual Action Plan were formulated based upon applications received in response to a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) released by the City to seek applications for the available funding. At this time, Council can change the draft 2025 Annual Action Plan; however, significant changes would also require changes to the FY 2025/26 - FY 2029/30 Consolidated Plan.

Proposed PY 2025 Annual Action Plan: The proposed PY 2025 Annual Action Plan consists of an estimated $1.7 million in CDBG projected resources and $0.64 million in HOME projected resources. The 2025 Program Year proposed CDBG and HOME resources, activities, and funding allocations are explained in further detail below.

Proposed PY 2025 CDBG Resources and Expenses:

The 2025 CDBG resources consists of $1.2 million in estimated annual grant allocation, $0.05 million in estimated program income, and $0.45 million in estimated prior year resources for a total of $1.7 million in 2025 estimated CDBG resources as identified in Table 3: 2025 CDBG Projected Resources. CDBG program income is generated from repayments of CDBG funded first-time homebuyer and owner-occupied rehabilitation loans.

The proposed programs for the 2025 Annual Action Plan were formulated based upon applications received in response to a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA). A NOFA was released to allow all interested parties to apply for available funding to administer programs in accordance with the City’s 5-year ConPlan goals and priorities. The City released a NOFA from January 13, 2025, through February 13, 2025, to solicit applications for the administration of the City’s 2025 CDBG public services, single home repair program, senior/disabled mobile home repair program, and code enforcement services. The NOFA was published in the Visalia Times Delta on 1/3/25 and 1/10/25. The NOFA was posted on the City’s purchasing website, on the Central Valley Purchasing System “BidNet”, and on the Kings/Tulare Homeless Alliance listserv on 1/08/25 and 1/30/25, which has over 400 recipients.

CDBG NOFA Committee Recommended 2025 Annual Action Plan Activities:

The proposed PY 2025 Annual Action Plan activities and their respective funding are summarized in Attachment B. Staff requests that Council comment, discuss, and direct any requested changes to the proposed project and program allocations.

CDBG Admin & Planning:

The 2025 CDBG administration and planning budget is $250,000, which is 20% of the 2025 grant allocation and program income. The administration budget will pay for staff, and operations to oversee the CDBG program.

CDBG Public Services:

CDBG federal regulations restrict public services to 15%. This means that $180,000 is available from the 2025 grant allocation and prior year program income. The City received $190,000 in request. All requests were reviewed by a committee that consisted of three City employees. The Committee funding recommendations are based upon the priorities set by the current ConPlan and intended to provide funding where it will be most impactful. The NOFA also imposed the limitation of program administration (staffing, operating, etc.) to 25% of total program budgets. The PY 2025 Proposed CDBG Public Services are listed below and included in Table 4: PY 2025 CDBG Proposed Public Services.

As a result of the release of the PY 2025 CDBG NOFA, the City received the following public service applications:

• Kings/Tulare Homeless Alliance (KTHA): Requested $20,000 and the NOFA committee recommends $20,000.

o KTHA is the designated Continuum of Care (CoC) for our region. The CoC is recommended by HUD as a comprehensive approach and to promote communitywide cooperation to end homelessness. As the designated CoC, KTHA oversees the Point in Time (PIT) Count. KTHA oversees the administration of HUD funded Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) and Rapid Rehousing (RRH) programs, as well as the Coordinated Entry System (CES) which begins the process of housing placement. KTHA also operates the Visalia weekly Local Initiatives Navigation Center (LINC) at the Visalia Rescue Mission to promote services including mental health assessments/enrollments, document readiness, mainstream benefit enrollment, social security advocacy, substance abuse program enrollments, veteran services, clothing assistance, and food assistance.

• Family Services of Tulare County (FSTC): Requested $50,000 and the NOFA committee recommends $50,000.

o FSTC administers a HUD CoC Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) rental voucher program that requires a 25% match to secure funding. These CDBG funds will be used as a required match to secure PSH rental vouchers for chronically homeless individuals residing in Visalia. FSTC also provides ongoing case management and support services to chronically homeless persons already housed in Visalia who are currently receiving a PSH voucher. If PSH match is not secured, these currently housed chronically homeless individuals could return to living on the streets in Visalia.

• Kings View - Housing Flex Funds: Requested $50,000 and the NOFA committee recommends $45,000.

o Kings View will provide Housing Flex Funds as direct client assistance which includes security deposits, rental application fees, utility deposits, motel vouchers, legal document fees, and emergency rental assistance to prevent evictions. Direct outreach services also include case management, transportation assistance, legal document assistance, linkage to employment services, and completion of the VI-SPDAT (Vulnerability Index-Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool) assessment to begin permanent housing placement. In addition, 75% of Kings View PATH CDBG funds go directly to client assistance. Kings View does an excellent job in leveraging other funding sources to cover salaries and administrative costs.

• Kings View - Eden House: Requested $50,000 and the NOFA committee recommends $45,000.

o Kings View is requesting operational funding for Eden House, a transitional - bridge housing project for people experiencing homelessness awaiting a permanent housing unit. CDBG Operational expenses include client meal assistance for 15 Visalia-designated beds Eden House as a transitional bridge housing project is unable to charge rents to collect ongoing revenue, such as permanent housing projects. As a result, Eden House is dependent on grant funding for ongoing operating costs. If insufficient grant funding is secured each year, the project is at risk of closing. Eden House also serves as an additional level of support in transitioning from homelessness to independent permanent housing. Eden House provides 24/7 on-site staffing and provides three meals a day. Eden House will also serve as a next level of housing for those exiting the Navigation Center that require additional services prior to entering permanent housing.

CDBG Affordable Housing Projects:

The PY 2025 CDBG Proposed Affordable Housing Projects are listed below and included in Table 5: PY 2025 CDBG Projected Affordable Housing Projects. The City received $375,000 in requests and is recommending to fund $370,000 based on available funding.

• Self-Help Enterprises (SHE) - Single-Family Home Repair Program: Requested $100,000 and the NOFA committee recommends $100,000.

o SHE applied to administer a Single-Family Home Repair Program (SFHRP) to provide at least 3 low-income senior and/or disabled owner-occupied homeowners with necessary repairs including roof repair/replacement, accessibility improvements, floor repair/replacement, and energy efficient improvements.

o The SFHRP will provide up to $25,000 in assistance per household to allow for additional home repairs including roof repairs. The most sought-after repairs are roof repairs ranging from $20,000 to $25,000 per home.

• Self-Help Enterprises (SHE) - Senior Mobile Home Repair Program: Requested $100,000 and the NOFA committee recommends $100,000.

o SHE applied to administer a Senior Mobile Home Repair Program (SMHRP) to provide at least 3 low-income senior and/or disabled owner-occupied mobile homeowners with necessary repairs including roof repair/replacement, accessibility improvements, floor repair/replacement, and energy efficient improvements.

o The SMHRP will provide up to $25,000 in assistance per mobile home, to allow for additional mobile home repairs including roof repairs. The most sought-after senior repairs are roof repairs ranging from $20,000 to $25,000 per mobile home.

• Code-Enforcement: Requested $175,000 and the NOFA committee recommends $170,000.

o The NOFA committee recommends $170,000 to provide code enforcement inspections in CDBG eligible low-moderate income target areas to address substandard housing. This funding pays the full cost of one staff position which is responsible for code enforcement in CDBG Target Areas. Code Enforcement activities were identified as an objective during the development of the 5-year Consolidated Plan. HUD requires consistent CDBG drawdowns to prevent becoming an at-risk grantee. Code Enforcement allows for consistent monthly CDBG drawdowns to remain in compliance with CDBG regulations. Code enforcement also generates CDBG program income that is returned to the program.

CDBG Facility Improvement Projects:

The PY 2025 CDBG proposed facility improvement projects are listed below and included in Table 6: PY 2025 CDBG Projected Facility Improvement Projects.

• Emergency Shelter Development: Staff is recommending $900,000 for the development of a drop-in emergency shelter. During the development of the Consolidated Plan Community Needs Assessment, the need for an overnight drop-in emergency shelter was identified as a high priority need. Council also requested that the development of a drop-in emergency shelter be included in the next 5-year ConPlan during the September 3, 2024, City Council Public Hearing meeting. The location of the emergency shelter is unknown at this time. If approved by Council, an RFP process will be conducted to determine a developer, administrator, and project site. *Any increase or decrease of PY 2025 CDBG annual allocation, program income, and/or prior year resources will be an adjustment to the Emergency Shelter Development Project.

Proposed PY 2025 HOME Investment Partnership Program Resources and Expenses:

The PY 2025 HOME projected resources include $500,000 in HOME estimated annual grant allocation, $100,000* in estimated program income, and $40,000 in prior year resources for a total of $640,000 as identified in Table 7: PY 2025 HOME Projected Resources. *HOME program income is normally generated from repayment of HOME funded first-time homebuyer or owner-occupied rehabilitation loans.

The PY 2025 Proposed HOME funding is listed below and included in Table 8: PY 2025 HOME Proposed Funding.

• HOME Administration: $50,000 for PY 2025 HOME Admin and Planning. This amount is within the 10% allowed for administration of the HOME program by HUD.

• HOME CHDO Multi-Family Project Rancho Colegio: $290,000 towards construction of Rancho Colegio the current HOME CHDO Multi-Family development project, an 80-unit affordable rental housing complex for low-income working households. This final piece of funding will complete the City’s HOME commitment of $1.29 million to the Rancho Colegio Project, which was approved by Council on 8/7/2023. As a HOME Participating Jurisdiction, the City is required to provide at least 15% of the annual HOME funds awarded to a Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) to develop affordable housing. Self-Help Enterprises (SHE) is currently the only certified CHDO for the City of Visalia. The 15% CHDO set-aside has been combined with additional available HOME funds from FY 2023/24 and 2024/25 to provide for a CHDO multi-family project as specified in the current 5-year ConPlan.

• HOME Senior Affordable Housing Project: $300,000 to a Senior Affordable Housing project within the City of Visalia for low-income seniors aged 62 years and over in conjunction with the next 5-year ConPlan. Staff will return at a later date with a HOME Senior Affordable Housing Project proposal for Council’s review and approval. *Any increase or decrease of PY 2025 HOME annual allocation, program income, and/or prior year resources will be an adjustment to the HOME Senior Affordable Housing project amount.

Proposed FY 2024/25 Annual Action Plan Amendment (see Attachment “C”):

The Program Year (PY) 2024 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Annual Action Plan (AAP) Amendment includes reappropriating $450,000 of unspent ADA tree well funds (CP0624). The project was delayed to allow an application for additional grant funds to complete the downtown ADA improvements. Funding for the ADA tree well project will now be provided in the next 5-year ConPlan in years two and three. As a result, the PY 2025 unspent $450,000 from the ADA tree well funds (CP0618) will be reprogrammed into the next PY 2025 Annual Action Plan, as shown below in Table 9: Proposed PY 2024 Annual Action Plan Amendment. These funds are now reflected in the 2025 CDBG resources shown above in Table 3: 2025 CDBG Projected Resources.

Additional Information on Housing Conditions and Fair Housing:

Housing Windshield Survey (Attachment “D”):

Included with the consulting services from Baker Tilly was a Housing Windshield Survey which gives insight to real-time existing conditions of single-family and multi-family dwellings within the City. City staff identified areas of Visalia to be included in the windshield survey as part of the ConPlan analysis. Baker Tilly and City staff conducted these surveys on September 18th, 2024. Baker Tilly and City staff drove through the identified neighborhoods and randomly selected homes to profile to ensure impartiality and provide a better reflection of the neighborhood being surveyed. These homes were considered a representative sample of conditions within the neighborhood. A Copy of the Housing Windshield Survey can be found as Attachment “D”.

Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (Attachment “E”):

As noted above, the ConPlan includes the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI), which assesses the extent of housing needs among specific income groups, evaluates housing choices, and analyzes conditions in the private and public sector that could impede a person’s access to such housing. The AI highlights meaningful actions that the City will implement to address patterns of segregation, promote fair housing choice, reduce disparities in opportunities, and foster inclusive communities free from discrimination. AI information reflects barriers related to:

• Lending practices

• Land Use Policies & Practices

• Regional Collaboration related to services

• Opportunity Indicators

• Housing Discrimination

Through the completion of the analysis, the goals below were developed to address fair housing choice barriers within the City of Visalia. A Copy of the Draft Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice can be found in Attachment “E”.

• Goal #1 - Development of Affordable Housing

o Development of Permanent Supportive Housing for Homeless Persons

o Development of Affordable Senior Housing

o Development of Farmworker Housing

o Development of Affordable Housing for Veterans

• Goal #2 - Development of an Emergency Shelter

• Goal #3 - Tenant Based Rental Assistance

• Goal #4 - Fair Housing Services

Citizen Participation Plan (Attachment “F”):

As a recipient of HUD funding, the City of Visalia is also required to prepare a Citizen Participation Plan (CPP) every five years, in conjunction with the 5-Year Consolidated Plan. The primary goal of the CPP is to encourage the involvement of citizens, especially low- and moderate-income citizens of the community where CDBG and HOME funded activities will take place. It is an opportunity to participate and provide comments on the planning, implementation and assessment of the programs and project activities through the ConPlan, Annual Action Plan, and Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) public hearings. The CPP includes guidelines for how public hearings will be conducted, since public hearings are the method to share information and to collect public comments. A copy of the Draft FY 2025/26 - FY 2029/30 Citizen Participation Plan can be found in Attachment “F”.

Next Steps in Process - Public Hearing for Adoption: Staff will return to Council with the final drafts of the FY 2025/26 - FY 2029/30 Consolidated Plan, FY 2025/26 Action Plan, FY 2024/26 Action Plan Amendment, Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI), and Citizen Participation Plan (CPP) on April 21, 2025, to hold a final public hearing for adoption. This will include the comments provided by Council today, those received at the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting on April 2, 2025, and all public comments received during the 30-day public review period which began on March 21, 2025, and will end on April 21, 2025. The adopted FY 2025/26 - FY 2029/30 Consolidated Plan, FY 2025/26 Action Plan, and FY 2024/26 Action Plan Amendment must be submitted to HUD no later than May 15, 2025.

Fiscal Impact:

All expenditures proposed in this item will be funded with CDBG and HOME grant funds and no General Fund money is requested or included. The final budgets for CDBG and HOME, as approved in the 2025 Annual Action Plan and the accompanying amendment will be appropriated at the April 21, 2025 meeting.

Prior Council Action:

● April 20, 2020 - Adoption of the current 5-year FY 2020/21 - FY 2024/25 Consolidated Plan (ConPlan).

●September 3, 2024 - Public Hearing to allow City Council and citizens to provide input on identifying high priority needs for the City’s next 5-year FY 2025/26 - FY 2029/30 ConPlan for the use of CDBG and HOME funds.

● December 3, 2024 - Work session to receive an update and have Council provide direction on the development of the next 5-year FY 2025/26 - FY 2029/30 ConPlan. Review of draft Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI).

Other: None.

Alternatives: None recommended.

Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):

recommendation

I move that Council accepts the draft documents and continue to receive public comments.

Or

I move for staff to make changes as motioned by Council and continue to receive public comments.

end

Environmental Assessment Status: N/A

CEQA Review: N/A

Attachments:

● Attachment A: Draft FY 2025/26 - 2029/30 ConPlan & FY 2025/26 Action Plan

● Attachment B: Draft FY 2025/26 - 2029/30 ConPlan & FY 2025/26 Action Plan Tables

● Attachment C: Draft FY 2024/25 Annual Action Plan Amendment

● Attachment D: Draft Windshield Survey

● Attachment E: Draft Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI)

● Attachment F: Draft Citizen Participation Plan (CPP)

● Attachment G: FY 2025/26 - 2029/30 ConPlan PowerPoint