4A Public Hearing 2015 0908 - Laserfiche WebLink

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DRAFT City of San Leandro FY 2014‐2015 CAPER 17 OMB Control No: 2506‐0117 (exp. 07/31/2015) Actions taken to reduce lead‐based paint hazards. 91.220(k); 91.320(j) As required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the City Building & Safety Services Division requires contractors to be EPA‐lead certified before they can obtain necessary City building permits and before they can work on homes built prior to 1979. The City's Housing Rehabilitation Program provides lead‐based paint awareness and information literature in each application packet requesting for housing rehabilitation grants. Testing is always performed on homes when there are children ages 7 years old and under living in them. The City utilizes lead abatement contractors in addition to general contractors when appropriate to perform the necessary repairs. Similarly, the program requires EPA certificates from its general contractors certifying their training with regard to lead‐ based paint. The City informs tenants of lead‐based paint and complies with both new EPA law on lead and renovation as well as with applicable HUD lead‐based paint hazard reduction guidelines and regulations when it uses federal funds, such as HOME funds, for acquisition and rehabilitation of apartments for preservation or maintenance of affordable housing. Actions taken to reduce the number of poverty‐level families. 91.220(k); 91.320(j) 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 building affordable housing. With CDBG funds, the City funded six (6) social service agencies that administer programs that provide support services to help thousands of individuals reach personal and economic sustainability. Among these grant recipients is 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‐on‐one with working poor families to define their employment goals, training needs, and housing goals. DSFRC's Employment Counseling program, moreover, 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 onsite computer lab provides clients with computers and free Internet access, which clients can use to search for employment opportunities and prepare their cover letters and resumes. The City also funded with its own General Funds the non‐profit agency Building Futures with Women & Children (BFWC) which provides pre‐employment, life skills and housing assistance, as well as benefits advocacy to move clients into self‐sufficiency. In FY 2014‐2015, BFWC staff provided referrals for health care services and held support groups that addressed various topics such as domestic violence, parenting skills, barriers to housing, and basic life skills. BFWC also provided case management 160 women. Forty‐five (45) of the 160 women, 28%, who exited after staying 30 days or more, excited to safe, stable, and permanent housing. Furthermore, ongoing preservation and monitoring of 620 below‐market rate rental units is also an anti‐ poverty strategy because the City maintains HUD rent limits for extremely low‐, very low‐, low‐, and moderate‐ income people and for special populations like seniors and the disabled. DSFRC continues to help place prospective and income‐qualified tenants into available BMR rental units and provide affordable housing search assistance to prevent homelessness.