BusHsgDev Highlights 2011 0414 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The San Leandro Redevelopment Agency was one of only two cities, of the twelve total agencies surveyed, that fared well in the State Senate Office of Oversight and Committee's report published in September 2010 which addressed the lack of accountability for many agencies in spending their Housing Set -Aside funds for administration/planning expenses. • CDBG Funding Recipient Spotlight: ECHO Housing City staff refer San Leandro tenants and Landlords with housing disputes, housing crises due to move -in costs and delinquent rents, and housing discrimination complaints to ECHO Housing and its counselors. Founded in 1964, Eden Council for Hope and Opportunity (ECHO Housing) is dedicated to promoting equal access in housing and providing support services to aid the prevention of homelessness and promote permanent housing conditions. Established as a fair housing agency, ECHO Housing has since expanded to a full service housing counseling' organization providing services to very low- and moderate - income clients. Annually, the City provides ECHO Housing with CDBG public services funds to support three different critical programs that significantly benefit San Leandro residents. Its Tenant/Landlord Counseling program educates San Leandro tenants and landlords on their housing rights and responsibilities and assists in resolving housing disputes through conciliation and mediation. Its Rental Assistance Program assists San Leandrans with move - in costs or delinquent rent-due to a temporary financial setback. Its Fair Housing Counseling program conducts site investigations and enforcement in response to reports of housing discrimination complaints, performs audit -based investigations to determine degrees of housing discrimination existing in designated areas, and provides fair housing education for managers, owners, and realtors in San Leandro. ECHO Housing counselors have assisted an annual average of 575 San Leandro residents through these programs. .y a. ;Eco l nomic :Tre iil 1 nds t VaF�l 1-- • 1'1` . ; • Through the first three quarters of the 2010 -11 fiscal year, the Division of Building and Safety issued 1,815 permits, with a total project valuation of $26.1 million. The number of permits issued was down 4.4% from the same period of the prior year. The valuation of the projects was down by 20.1 %. The first three months of the 2011 calendar year brought increased activity, however, and both permit activity and project valuations are moving closer to the prior year's levels. • The unemployment rate in San Leandro was 10.5% in February 2011, representing 4,300 unemployed persons. This is down from the previous quarter and represents a decrease of l% from the same period a year ago. Based on those figures, the number of unemployed persons in San Leandro is down by 400 over the past year. The current rate for California is 12.3% and the current rate for Alameda County is 10.7 %. Based on this data, the economic recovery in San Leandro, and Alameda County as a whole, is slightly outpacing that of the State. • 5I