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allocating the CDBG funds and selecting the agencies to received CAP funding, Housing staff educate agency applicants and the Human Services Commission (HSC) about the CDBG program requirements. The CDBG requirements guide the HSC as they allocate the CDBG funds among the agencies selected to receive CAP funding. Fiscal year 2011 -2012 represented the 2 nd year of the City's two -year funding cycle for its CAP program, and the CAP- funded agencies were funded, although each agency experienced a 17% funding reduction due to the significant reduction in the City's 2011 CDBG allocation. Staff also make educational presentations to the City Council for approval of the annual Action Plan and CAPER. These City meetings are public, and RFP applicants and the general public are welcome to attend to ask questions about the CDBG Program and RIP process. The CDBG/Housing Manager oversees the CDBG and HOME Programs, while the Housing Specialist administers them to ensure program compliance with HUD rules and regulations. To ensure eligible CDBG activities, the Housing Specialist discusses proposed activities with CDBG- funded agencies about their scope of services and requests proposed scopes of work and budgets prior to a services agreement being approved. Staff monitors and reconciles with the City's Finance Department and IDIS data monthly for accurate CDBG /HOME funding revenue /expenditures, timely expenditures of CDBG funds, and inputs data into IDIS. Desk monitoring includes reviews of progress reports, invoices, back -up documentation of expenses, and regular communications with subrecipients, including the provision of technical assistance about pertinent queries. Staff also conduct on -site monitoring visits of the City's subrecipients to assess the subrecipients' compliance with the CDBG program. Actions Taken to Reduce the Number of Persons Living Below the Poverty Level The City's strategy to reduce the number of households with incomes below the poverty line is to fund programs that assist people to achieve economic independence and to preserve and build affordable rental housing. With CDBG funds, the City funded six (6) social service agencies that administered eight (8) programs that provide support services to help thousands of individuals reach personal and economic sustainability. Among these grant recipients was Davis Street Family Resource Center ( DSFRC), which has an Employment and Housing Assistance Program designed to assist clients to become job ready and /or secure employment and housing. DSFRC employment and housing specialists meet one - one -one with working poor families to define their employment goals, training needs, and housing goals. Moreover, as described in the HPRP program under Priority 6 on page 10, DSFRC staff partner with Building Futures for Women & Children staff to provide short and long term financial assistance to HPRP- eligible families with ARRA stimulus funds to prevent homelessness and /or stabilize housing. DSFRC's Employment Counseling program, furthermore, is designed to assist clients in securing employment and empowering clients to obtain further training and education to improve their job marketability. Lastly, DSFRC's on- site computer lab provides clients with computers and free internet access. Clients can use the computers to search for employment opportunities and prepare their cover letters and resumes. With CDBG funds, Building Futures with Women and Children (BFWC) also provided pre- employment, life skills and housing assistance, as well as benefits advocacy to move clients into DRAFT Consolidated Annual Perfonnance and Evaluation Report: FY 2011 -2012 City of San Leandro Page 27