3A Public Hearing 2008 0915 - Laserfiche WebLink

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FY2007-2008 CAPER -3- September 15, 2008 Priority # 3. Assist low- and moderate -income first-time homebuyers. ♦ After transitioning administration of the First Time Homebuyer Program, as well as the Inclusionary Housing Ownership Program (IHOP), to the non-profit Bay Area Homebuyer Agency (BARBA) due to limited City staffing capacity and streamlining of the City's homebuyer programs, the City approved fifteen (15) loans totaling $450,000 under the FTHB down payment/closing cost assistance program which were a notable increase over the past few years, whereby the City had been approving an annual average of two (2) loans. Eight (8) of the total loans were for low-income and seven (7) for moderate -income first-time homebuyers. ♦ The City sponsored three (3) homebuyer education seminars for potential first-time buyers. Overall, there were 149 certificates of completion awarded to households completing the seminars. Through BARBA, the City provided free one-on-one homebuyer counseling to forty-nine (49) households [of which thirty-seven (37) were low- to moderate -income] who were San Leandro residents and/or employed in the City. ♦ Inclusionary Housing Program One (1) development project (Arbor Place at 1537 Hays Street) entered into an Inclusionary Housing Agreement (IHA) with the City. The City approved Arbor Place's request to transfer its one (1) moderate income unit obligation to another previously completed for -sale development called Toscani Place (at Davis Street and Pacific Avenue) by the same developer. The developer successfully sold the transferred inclusionary housing unit to a qualified moderate -income household. Overall, eleven (11) households purchased inclusionary ownership units from previous building projects: four (4) moderate -income and seven (7) low-income. In addition, two (2) existing inclusionary homeowners in the Cherrywood subdivision decided to sell their homes, and the City assisted them in finding income eligible buyers. National Obiective: Create Suitable Living Environment Priority # 4. Reduce housing discrimination. ♦ Eden Council for Hope and Opportunity Housing (ECHO) The City continued to contract with ECHO Housing, a regional non profit fair housing agency, to provide fair housing services through CDBG funds. ECHO received twenty (20) fair housing inquiries. ECHO educates people about fair housing laws, rights, and responsibilities using various methods. • ECHO investigated twenty (20) complaints of alleged housing discrimination involving thirty-five (35) prospective tenants. ECHO provided counseling services to all households. With some cases reporting more than one type of discrimination, the allegations accounted for the following: fifteen (15) cases involved race, three (3) involved disability, one (1) involved familial status (children in the family), three (3) involved age, one (1) involved sex discrimination, and one (1) involved national origin. Below were the outcomes: