RECOMMENDATION(S): (CONT'D)
2. AUTHORIZE the Housing Fund Staff Team to proceed with Notices of Funding Availability (NOFAs) and Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for various affordable housing and homelessness prevention and crisis response projects, consistent with the approach outlined in the presentation and reflecting any further direction provided by the Board.
3. DIRECT the Housing Fund Staff Team to provide a progress update to the Board in December of 2022.
FISCAL IMPACT:
100% Measure X funds. This report addresses the proposed process for allocating only the $10 million approved by the Board for the Measure X Housing Fund in Year 1.
BACKGROUND:
Following November 2020 voter approval of the Measure X half-cent sales tax, in June 2021, the Department of Conservation and Development (DCD); Contra Costa Health Services: Health, Housing and Homeless Services (H3); and the Housing Authority of Contra Costa County (Housing Authority) submitted a joint proposal to the Measure X Community Advisory Board (MXCAB) to dedicate Measure X receipts to a new Housing Fund that would fund affordable housing and a broad list of housing-related services.. On November 16, the Board considered recommendations from MXCAB, approved the Housing Fund proposal, and committed $10 million for Year one and $12 million on an annual basis thereafter. Attachment 1 to this item is the description of the Measure X Housing Fund provided to the Board on November 16, 2021.
Since creation of the Measure X Housing Fund, staff from DCD, H3, and the Housing Authority have formed a Housing Fund Staff Team and are working collaboratively to plan for the distribution of the Year 1 Housing Fund dollars to best respond to Contra Costa County resident needs.
On August 11, 2022, the Housing Fund Staff Team convened a Stakeholder meeting, inviting more than 350 developers, service providers, and public agency staff to receive an update on the Housing Fund Staff Team’s initial ideas for the program and inviting comments and questions. A meeting summary, accompanied by a record of original comments made in the meeting and submitted in follow-up emails is included as Attachment 2 to this item. A list of questions received in the Stakeholder meeting and immediately following, along with responses from the Housing Fund Staff Team, is included as Attachment 3 to this item.
Based on feedback received by the 80 stakeholder attendees in the meeting and in follow up emails, the Housing Fund Staff Team has refined the ideas for the overall process of funding distribution and key components of program guidelines for Board review and approval. These ideas are outlined in the presentation slides (Attachment 4 to this item). This approach would apply to Year 1 funding only. The Housing Fund Staff Team anticipates additional planning and outreach to inform the approach to distributing Year 2 funding and continual refinements, as needed, throughout the life of the program to enable the Housing Fund to respond to the County’s housing needs as they evolve over time.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If the initiation of the RFP process is not authorized, then the process for distributing the Measure X Housing Fund will not be commenced and an opportunity to coordinate solicitation of proposals to produce or preserve affordable housing across multiple funding sources will be missed.
CLERK'S ADDENDUM
Speakers: Logan Campbell, Recovery community; Chi Chi; Caller 6770;; Noah; Todd; Max Henninger, Eden Housing; Kristi, Raise the Roof Coalition, East Bay Alliance for an Affordable Economy; Sara; Ellen; Jackie, Antioch; James Daniels, Pinole. Written commentary provided by Rachel Rosekind (attached)