Minutes 06-06-2017 - Laserfiche WebLink

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18 submitted by Empowerment are ready to go immediately, and that is why these two projects were chosen for submission. Commissioner Jacobs asked if there is any opportunity to approach the Towns for funding. Delores Bailey said this can be looked into, but there are no rentals available to put folks in; everything is full. She said she does not know if the Towns have any funding. She said there may be Northside Initiative money, but that funding source would require Empowerment to get a loan and buy a property back from Self Help, or wait for HOME or CDBG funds, which are not expected to happen. Commissioner Price said the people who will live in these properties are Orange County residents and she would hope that the County would provide the funding regardless of the municipalities. She said waiting for CDBG funds is foolish, as these funds are in no way guaranteed. Chair Dorosin said he agrees with Commissioner Price, and he thinks it will be important to evaluate the scoring matrix. He said it is curious to him that a project that has two houses, and is a comparable cost to a project with one house, would score lower. He said he is encouraged that these projects will increase rental properties, and Commissioner Price and Ms. Bailey made some good points. He said there are not leveraged funds from other entities, but noted that Empowerment plays a role in other County collaborations, such as the Family Success Alliance. He said the Board ought to consider all these factors when it makes this decision. He said he would be in favor in funding Empowerment's second project. Chair Dorosin said he is less concerned about who is here with these proposals, because the Board made a commitment to get these bond funds out in the community in an expeditious manner. He said new and innovative ideas are good, but it is important to get these funds into the hands of people who can provide housing as soon as possible, to the neediest population. Commissioner Jacobs said he liked the suggestion to use Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) funds to fund this project, as opposed to taking money from the other projects. Commissioner Jacobs talked about the matrix, and said no one really knew exactly what the Board wanted, and thus the Board was not provided adequate information. He said he would like to understand where all of their funding is coming from for each project, to hear from those who did the scoring; to see each scoring, and he would like to understand how monies can be better leveraged from other entities. He said he would like feedback from the providers regarding the matrix. Commissioner Jacobs said all of these units are in municipalities, and not out in the rural parts of the county, and he would like to see more done with manufactured housing. He said there should be incentives for organizations and developers to address these needs. He said the Board should review this entire process in the fall, and consider how it can be improved. Chair Dorosin agreed, and said there should be a de-briefing process for all stakeholders. Commissioner Rich asked if there is a timeframe on the next$2.5 million, and who is trying to be reached in that second round. Bonnie Hammersley said the next round is 18-19 for RFPs, and the targeted group will depend on whether the BOCC changes the criteria. She said the current matrix gave a higher score to projects that leveraged other monies. Commissioner McKee said he saw this round as a starting point and with some tweaking the process will improve. He said he has some concern about the second Empowerment project, but he will support the Board consensus, as this project will provide immediate housing and helps to support an existing neighborhood. He said he wants the greatest leverage for the dollars, so that the most people possible are served. He would like to see some leveraging from the Towns and/or private enterprise.