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FY 2023 Year 40 CAPER- Draft awaiting public comment CAPER 1 OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021) CR-05 - Goals and Outcomes Progress the jurisdiction has made in carrying out its strategic plan and its action plan. 91.520(a) This could be an overview that includes major initiatives and highlights that were proposed and executed throughout the program year. The City of Northampton's CDBG Program carried out its 40th year of operation from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024. The City is pleased to submit this Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER). Through several subrecipient grantee activities, Northampton residents with low- and moderate-incomes benefited from services that contributed to their health and wellbeing. Since the City purchased the former First Baptist Church to create the Community Resiliency Hub to serve people experiencing acute and chronic stress last year, the City has been working with the archtects to fit out the space. This multi-year project to find an appropriate building, purchase it, and design the inside is nearing completion and the CBDG funding for this should be drawn down during this program year. The Forbes Library Bathroom Wheelchair Access Improvements progressed,but continued to experience design challenges. The orginal building not built for accessibility or to accomodate modern ventilation. While the City did expect this project to be complete during this program year, it has not. Community Action Pioneer Valley (CAPV) successfully rehabilitated two homes with the City’s rehabilitation program. The Home Repairs Coordinator with CAPV also matches clients with their Home Energy department for fuel assistance, heating system repair or replacement, energy efficiency & weatherization audits, and older adult home modifications. e There were seven public service projects continued to do good work in the community, assist people attain English fluency, helping folks look for and get stable jobs, developing youth leadership, preventing homelessness, and providing nutritious fresh food grown locally for people living in affordable-housing complexes. Valley Community Development, who runs the Microenterprise Technical Assistancewas able to assist several people with small businesses in the City. They have also coordinated this program with the International Language Institute for people learning English as a second language and an initative by the City to fill downtown vacant storefronts. Comparison of the proposed versus actual outcomes for each outcome measure submitted with the consolidated plan and explain, if applicable, why progress was not made toward meeting goals and objectives. 91.520(g) Categories, priority levels, funding sources and amounts, outcomes/objectives, goal outcome indicators, units of measure, targets, actual outcomes/outputs, and percentage completed for each of the grantee’s program year goals. CAPER 2 OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021) outcomes/outputs, and percentage completed for each of the grantee’s program year goals. Goal Category Source / Amount Indicator Unit of Measure Expected – Strategic Plan Actual – Strategic Plan Percent Complete Expected – Program Year Actual – Program Year Percent Complete Economic Development & Income Maximization Non-Housing Community Development CDBG: $ Facade treatment/business building rehabilitation Business 0 2 0 2 Economic Development & Income Maximization Non-Housing Community Development CDBG: $ Jobs created/retained Jobs 50 0 0.00% 0 Economic Development & Income Maximization Non-Housing Community Development CDBG: $ Businesses assisted Businesses Assisted 65 69 106.15% 65 69 106.15% Improve Public Facilities & Infrastructure Non-Homeless Special Needs Public Facilities and Infrastructure CDBG: $ Public Facility or Infrastructure Activities other than Low/Moderate Income Housing Benefit Persons Assisted 2753 802 29.13% 2753 802 29.13% Improve Public Facilities & Infrastructure Non-Homeless Special Needs Public Facilities and Infrastructure CDBG: $ Public Facility or Infrastructure Activities for Low/Moderate Income Housing Benefit Households Assisted 48 0 0.00% CAPER 3 OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021) Preserve Affordable Housing, Tenancy Help & Rehab Affordable Housing Non-Homeless Special Needs CDBG: $ Rental units constructed Household Housing Unit 25 0 0.00% Preserve Affordable Housing, Tenancy Help & Rehab Affordable Housing Non-Homeless Special Needs CDBG: $ Rental units rehabilitated Household Housing Unit 35 2 5.71% Preserve Affordable Housing, Tenancy Help & Rehab Affordable Housing Non-Homeless Special Needs CDBG: $ Homeowner Housing Added Household Housing Unit 12 0 0.00% Preserve Affordable Housing, Tenancy Help & Rehab Affordable Housing Non-Homeless Special Needs CDBG: $ Homeowner Housing Rehabilitated Household Housing Unit 5 2 40.00% 4 0 0.00% Preserve Affordable Housing, Tenancy Help & Rehab Affordable Housing Non-Homeless Special Needs CDBG: $ Direct Financial Assistance to Homebuyers Households Assisted 15 0 0.00% Preserve Affordable Housing, Tenancy Help & Rehab Affordable Housing Non-Homeless Special Needs CDBG: $ Housing for Homeless added Household Housing Unit 0 2 CAPER 4 OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021) Preserve Affordable Housing, Tenancy Help & Rehab Affordable Housing Non-Homeless Special Needs CDBG: $ Housing for People with HIV/AIDS added Household Housing Unit 0 0 Preserve Affordable Housing, Tenancy Help & Rehab Affordable Housing Non-Homeless Special Needs CDBG: $ Buildings Demolished Buildings 1 1 100.00% Public Services Affordable Housing Homeless Non-Homeless Special Needs Non-Housing Community Development CDBG: $ Public service activities other than Low/Moderate Income Housing Benefit Persons Assisted 2241 2432 108.52% 1262 3101 245.72% Public Services Affordable Housing Homeless Non-Homeless Special Needs Non-Housing Community Development CDBG: $ Public service activities for Low/Moderate Income Housing Benefit Households Assisted 75 0 0.00% CAPER 5 OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021) Public Services Affordable Housing Homeless Non-Homeless Special Needs Non-Housing Community Development CDBG: $ Homeless Person Overnight Shelter Persons Assisted 185 116 62.70% Public Services Affordable Housing Homeless Non-Homeless Special Needs Non-Housing Community Development CDBG: $ Overnight/Emergency Shelter/Transitional Housing Beds added Beds 0 0 Public Services Affordable Housing Homeless Non-Homeless Special Needs Non-Housing Community Development CDBG: $ Homelessness Prevention Persons Assisted 20 82 410.00% 30 59 196.67% CAPER 6 OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021) Public Services Affordable Housing Homeless Non-Homeless Special Needs Non-Housing Community Development CDBG: $ Jobs created/retained Jobs 150 0 0.00% Removal of Slums and Blight Affordable Housing Non-Housing Community Development Public Facilities CDBG: $ Buildings Demolished Buildings 0 0 Table 1 - Accomplishments – Program Year & Strategic Plan to Date CAPER 6 OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021) Assess how the jurisdiction’s use of funds, particularly CDBG, addresses the priorities and specific objectives identified in the plan, giving special attention to the highest priority activities identified. In Table 1, of the 2023 Program Year accomplishments, three of the City's actual accomplishment indicators exceeded or met the expected goal numbers in the Action Plan, while four indicators fell short of the goal numbers. The “Public Facility or Infrastructure Activities other than Low/Moderate Income Housing Benefit” did not meet its goal because the projects cannot report on accomplishments until the projects are fully operational. This often happens when multi-year projects, such as housing, cannot fully report until the units are fully occupied. The “Rental units constructed” did not meet its goal because the project was to acquire the building known as Prospect Place for Valley Community Development which happened during the last program year but the activity cannot be reported until people are living in the building. The Housing Rehab program completed two out of four housing units andhere several housing rehab applicants on the waitlist. There were no shelter beds added during this program year because the City no longer funds the shelter provider. The actual number of jobs created/retained under the Economic Development accomplishments was zero when our expected strategic goal was 50. Due to the City configuring national objectives for Economic Development activities as LMC, which does not ask for jobs retained or created. Last year, we updated the National Objective for microenterprise assistance activity to LMCMC and saw new fields for job creation/retention. The Strategic Plan lists 500 expected for the Homelessness Prevention indicator under the Public Services, but Community Legal Aid helped eight households and 17 individuals with their homelessness prevention program, so there is a mismatch in the goals and the outcome. This is likely because there was a misconfiguration in the activity setup. The expected goal for jobs created/retained in Public Services was set up as 150 in the Consolidated Plan, but it is not an appropriate indicator since public services focus on providing essential needs and helping secure employment, not create new jobs or retain existing jobs. Although we identified some of these miconfigurations last year, we did not change them because doing so would throw off other objectives. CAPER 8 OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021) CR-10 - Racial and Ethnic composition of families assisted Describe the families assisted (including the racial and ethnic status of families assisted). 91.520(a) CDBG White 3,943 Black or African American 538 Asian 107 American Indian or American Native 17 Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 0 Total 4,605 Hispanic 1,326 Not Hispanic 3,279 Table 2 – Table of assistance to racial and ethnic populations by source of funds Narrative Hispanic households (about 20% of Northampton’s total households) benefitted from CDBG. The majority race category in our community is White. The high cost of housing has definitely been identified as one barrier to people choosing to move here. The analysis of impediments to fair housing also examined other factors including local choice at the housing authority, which further excludes people who do not already live in Northampton. CAPER 9 OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021) CR-15 - Resources and Investments 91.520(a) Identify the resources made available Source of Funds Source Resources Made Available Amount Expended During Program Year CDBG public - federal 663,364 344,377 Table 3 - Resources Made Available Narrative The resources made available column includes $636,060.00 in 2023 CDBG allocation and $31,570.13 of funds carried over from 2022, as well as $1,733.77 in CDBG-CV Administrative Funds. The total amount expended during the program year was $344.376.90, which includes the $$342,643.17 in 2023 CDBG and $1,733.77 in CDBG-CV. Per CDBG regulations,prior year resources are given priority on spending before the current CDBG allocation. The City has budgeted $259,560.00 in Community Resilience Hub design and renovation but this project is ongoing, and this money was not expended. The City also has $29,445.00 remaining in the ongoing Forbes Library ADA bathroom redesign and reconstruction. The "other" category for available resources is composed of several other sources, including the Community Preservation Act (CPA) which is used towards affordable housing and Municipal Vulnerability Prepardness grant from the state which is being used to create 30 affordable housing units for the recently homeless. Identify the geographic distribution and location of investments Target Area Planned Percentage of Allocation Actual Percentage of Allocation Narrative Description Table 4 – Identify the geographic distribution and location of investments Narrative The City has not designated any HUD defined target areas. All public service activities, as well as the Housing Rehab program, First Time Homebuyer program and Micro-Enterprise assistance programs are available to all income eligible Northampton residents across the City. The City will target CDBG funds toward LMI households and individuals. CAPER 10 OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021) Leveraging Explain how federal funds leveraged additional resources (private, state and local funds), including a description of how matching requirements were satisfied, as well as how any publicly owned land or property located within the jurisdiction that were used to address the needs identified in the plan. CDBG allocations for public service agencies are very small amounts compared to their overall budgets. The awards range from $11,250 - $15,375. The City’s support with CDBG funds is to leverage other funding awards from grants from the state and private organizations. Over the last few years now, the City asked for public service agencies to request higher minimum amounts so that there would be more benefit to the agencies for applying. The City recognizes the administrative cost of applying and reporting and wants to reward agencies for asking for more money. The City’s only housing projects this year were the housing rehabilitation program which was completely funded through CDBG program. CAPER 11 OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021) CR-20 - Affordable Housing 91.520(b) Evaluation of the jurisdiction's progress in providing affordable housing, including the number and types of families served, the number of extremely low-income, low-income, moderate-income, and middle-income persons served. One-Year Goal Actual Number of Homeless households to be provided affordable housing units 0 0 Number of Non-Homeless households to be provided affordable housing units 60 0 Number of Special-Needs households to be provided affordable housing units 0 0 Total 60 0 Table 5 – Number of Households One-Year Goal Actual Number of households supported through Rental Assistance 0 0 Number of households supported through The Production of New Units 0 0 Number of households supported through Rehab of Existing Units 5 2 Number of households supported through Acquisition of Existing Units 60 0 Total 65 2 Table 6 – Number of Households Supported Discuss the difference between goals and outcomes and problems encountered in meeting these goals. The housing rehabilitation program was successful in helping two homes over the program year. Community Action Pioneer Valley lined up several clients for the housing rehab program, but some of the projects scope of work came in bigger than anticpated. In total, there are three projects that will not be reporting accomplishments. They are either not completed or they are ‘complete’, but they cannot report on accomplishments until the beneficiaries CAPER 12 OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021) are being actualized such as people living in Prospect Place. The projects not reporting accomplishments are: Forbes Library Bathroom ADA Improvements, Community Resilience Hub Improvements, and the Prospect Place Acquisition. Since some people may utilize more than one public service program, they may get counted multiple times across different activities. For example, someone using the tenancy protection program may also be attending the Literacy Project classes. We have seen an increase in safety-net programs such as the emergency food pantry and the soup kitchen. Discuss how these outcomes will impact future annual action plans. The City will consider using more conservative goal outcome indicators for some of its projects in the future as several did not meet its expectations. Some of this may be due partly to the indirect effects such as more funding available from alternate sources. The City will also look into how it configures the Goal Outcome Indicators in IDIS during the next Consolidated Plan as several GOI did not align with how the projects were reported at the activity level. There are also several affordable housing projects in the development pipeline with the affordable housing developers that the City uses. These projects often use multiple sources of money and the City will look toward where it can best utilize CDBG to bring about affordable housing. The property for the Community Resilience Hub has been acquired and the architects are busy designing for its rehabilitation. Include the number of extremely low-income, low-income, and moderate-income persons served by each activity where information on income by family size is required to determine the eligibility of the activity. Number of Households Served CDBG Actual HOME Actual Extremely Low-income 0 0 Low-income 0 0 Moderate-income 2 0 Total 2 0 Table 7 – Number of Households Served Narrative Information In total, two households benefited from CDBG project funding this past year with the housing rehabilitation program. CAPER 13 OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021) CR-25 - Homeless and Other Special Needs 91.220(d, e); 91.320(d, e); 91.520(c) Evaluate the jurisdiction’s progress in meeting its specific objectives for reducing and ending homelessness through: Reaching out to homeless persons (especially unsheltered persons) and assessing their individual needs The Outreach Coordinator and Street Outreach Clinician from Eliot Community Homeless Services attended monthly meetings of the Next Step Collaborative and reported on the needs and numbers of people living outside. MANNA Community Kitchen engaged with people who get community meals, many who are homeless or housing insecure. The City used its homeless encampment notification protocol for addressing encampments, either through cleanup measures or warning people camping in flood zones. The City has been assessing the needs of the unhoused throught the development of the Community Resilience Hub that will house several public service agencies downtown. It is located close to public transportation, This ‘living room’ model may prove exceptionally beneficial to homeless persons and the services have become more essential over the last few years. The encampment protocol was to identify, notify, assess, and take the appropriate action (services, post notice, etc.). The Division of Community Care (DCC), Eliot, CSO, Tapestry Health, and other partners often join the outreach effort as the inhabitants' needs are identified. People are directed towards services where possible. They were also given ample warning if they needed to relocate for safety reasons (e.g., camping in a flood plain) to avoid loss of personal items. Successful models operating in other parts of the country are when outreach workers can immediately house homeless people into houses or apartments. Street outreach is much more successful when units are immediately available. The City will continue to advocate regionally to create a robust homeless shelter network, share best practices, and build suitable housing arrangements for those who are homeless. The DCC will offer person-centered,trauma- informed care to provide emotional support, advocacy, and resource connections for people seeking services. The DCC team will respond to calls to support people in the city of Northampton who are experiencing houselessness, emotional distress, difficulty with meeting basic needs, substance use, navigating conflicts, and other related situations. Addressing the emergency shelter and transitional housing needs of homeless persons The Division of Community Care will divert some of the current emergency calls from the police department and respond in a trauma-informed way. Many of the people who will be using those services are unhoused, and this will keep them out of the crime log for just for having a bad day. The DCC has been a part of the ongoing Community Resilience Hub conversation. CAPER 14 OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021) Relevant service providers throughout the City have met regularly to discuss coordinated entry and periodically identify the most vulnerable of their clients. The providers are working hard to find housing placements for them. The Community Development Planner has observed some of these meetings to understand what role the City plays in the process. The City continued to support public services that help those that are homeless. The Division of Community Care facilitated the Next Step Collaborative, a monthly gathering of human service and housing providers. At these meetings, local leaders and service providers have discussed policies that needed supporting and how to best utilize new sizable federal money available. The Three County Consortium of Care (CoC) is composed of service agencies from Berkshire, Franklin, and Hampshire Counties and is primarily rural in nature. The Three County CoC administers the Coordinated Entry housing system. However, often there is often not enough housing to get people into a unit. The City will continue to investigate creating housing first units, continue its funding for Single Room Occupancy (SRO) support and shelter, fund the building of more affordable rental units, and maintain a healthy housing stock through housing rehab. The CoC is a regional collaboration with people from Clinical Support Options (CSO), Friends of Hampshire Homeless, and Soldier On. Many shelter providers must apply for multiple funding applications, soliciting private donations, and securing volunteer support in order to provide their services. This creates extra overhead for the staff that is not directly helping their clients. Tapestry Health Systems, Eliot Homeless Services, CSO, the Northampton Police Department, Forbes Library, Friends of Hampshire County Homeless, and MANNA Community Kitchen have all worked to identify, engage, and serve those people most at risk in Northampton. Helping low-income individuals and families avoid becoming homeless, especially extremely low-income individuals and families and those who are: likely to become homeless after being discharged from publicly funded institutions and systems of care (such as health care facilities, mental health facilities, foster care and other youth facilities, and corrections programs and institutions); and, receiving assistance from public or private agencies that address housing, health, social services, employment, education, or youth needs Social workers from the local hospital attend Next Step Collaborative meetings to network with housing and shelter providers to avoid discharging patients into homelessness. The Department of Mental Health (DMH) uses the Sergeant Housing SRO on Bridge Street to house some of its clients. Soldier On picks up and transports veterans being discharged from the Hampshire County House of Corrections who chose to go to Soldier On and did not have other housing options. Access to an affordable housing opportunity in Northampton is life changing for those that are afforded the opportunity. Safe, decent, and affordable housing is a health/mental health intervention in and of itself. Individuals who are stably housed have better outcomes over time, i.e. fewer inpatient hospitalizations, reduction in the use of crisis services, and forensics engagements as compared to those experiencing housing instability. Secondly, the affordable housing providers are more sensitive to the CAPER 15 OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021) needs and challenges of DMH’s housing participants which are not often found in the general landlord community. These housing providers are willing to work with service providers around the shared goal of maintaining the housing while at the same time holding people accountable for their behavior and expecting them to abide by the normal tenancy requirements. Since the vast majority of DMH clients cannot afford to own and maintain a car, the proximity to transit, services, shopping, and recreation are important for them so it is a real bonus having these housing units located right in the heart of the downtown corridor. One of the challenges with some DMH clients in Northampton is the use of the Metro Fair Market Rent, which ties vouchers to the Springfield Metropolitan area, which has a lower average rent than Northampton. This means a voucher that cannot fully support leases in Northampton. This causes people to move out of the City and farther from their support services. Helping homeless persons (especially chronically homeless individuals and families, families with children, veterans and their families, and unaccompanied youth) make the transition to permanent housing and independent living, including shortening the period of time that individuals and families experience homelessness, facilitating access for homeless individuals and families to affordable housing units, and preventing individuals and families who were recently homeless from becoming homeless again The Division of Community Care serves as the first responders to people experiencing a non-violent crisis and can help de-escalate the situation, as well as provide support and appropriate referrals. The DCC also, helps people take the next step toward finding housing. Street outreach teams, the Northampton Police Department, and other providers regularly refer people to assistance at the various locations and time in the City that services are provided. With the purchase of the building for the Community Resilience Hub, many of the services that will be provided there are coming into focus. Many residents are still going to MANNA Community Kitchen for showers, laundry, and food. MANNA has dramatically increased its services over the past few years and is acting as a mini “resilience hub”, where the team is learning what works best to serve the homeless. They regularly work with the team at Community Action Pioneer Valley and Clinical and Support Options, who will be running the hub once it is operational in the next two years. Also, the Northampton Housing Authority received a limited number of Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHV), which can be used by non-elderly disabled people, including chronically homeless people. These vouchers will help people leave the emergency shelter system or get off of the streets. Homeless service providers in the region see homelessness as a regional problem and work together on solutions, such as coordinating at the City’s Next Step Collaborative meetings. These monthly meetings are a way for providers to freely share their needs as homelessness service providers and work collaboratively to solve them. Homelessness prevention is a high priority for the City. Once a household loses its rental subsidy, it is CAPER 16 OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021) very difficult for them to re-secure housing stability. Communty Legal Aid is a local non-profit that provides free legal assistance to families and individuals with low incomes facing eviction in Housing Court. With mediation efforts, the majority of tenancies are preserved. With more than half of the households presenting in Housing Court already residing in rent assisted units, the issues revolve around life skills, financial literacy, and increasing their wages. Additionally, the City uses both CDBG and non-CDBG funding sources to create affordable housing, either set aside for people experiencing homelessness or for those that are low-income. The more housing that is created, the less pressure there is on the rental and home buying market for people to move into. CAPER 17 OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021) CR-30 - Public Housing 91.220(h); 91.320(j) Actions taken to address the needs of public housing There were no CDBG funded projects at the Northampton Housing Authority (NHA)during this program year. Although a member of the Northampton Housing Partnerships on board of directors for the housing authority, keeping an ear out for projects, no projects were requested this last program year. The NHA receives HUD Mainstream Vouchers and additional Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHV), which can be used by non-elderly disabled people, including chronically homeless people. These vouchers will help people to leave the emergency shelter system or get off of the streets. The NHA will utilize the Coordinated Entry list, and preference will be given to those highest on the list. NHA leadership regularly meets with the Three Country Continuum of Care and other Housing Agencies to discuss the Coordinated Entry list. Actions taken to encourage public housing residents to become more involved in management and participate in homeownership The Northampton Housing Authority's Board of Directors has tenant representation. The NHA has worked hard to involve more of its residents in planning projects and keeping a resident as a member of the board. Two tenants at NHA properties are on the Northampton Housing Partnership, which advocates for affordable and fair housing in the City. One CDBG funded project, Hampshire Heights Playground was a community-inspired project designed to coordinate with the community. Additionally, the NHA has accepted one of its residents' to serve a 3-5 year term on the NHA Board of Directors. A former NHA tenant, who is Hispanic, is now a member of the board. Actions taken to provide assistance to troubled PHAs The Northampton Housing Authority is not designated as troubled. The Analysis of Impediments (AI) to Fair Housing did conclude that the Housing Authority's local preference (for tenant selection) is a deterrent to housing mobility from other parts of the region into Northampton. CAPER 18 OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021) CR-35 - Other Actions 91.220(j)-(k); 91.320(i)-(j) Actions taken to remove or ameliorate the negative effects of public policies that serve as barriers to affordable housing such as land use controls, tax policies affecting land, zoning ordinances, building codes, fees and charges, growth limitations, and policies affecting the return on residential investment. 91.220 (j); 91.320 (i) The Analysis of Impediments (AI) Report from 2019 identified several policies that are affecting the ability of people to find suitable housing in Northampton. One item was the broker fees that are paid by people applying for market-rate rental housing. This is allowed under current regulations, but the Northampton Housing Partnership has advocated with the City Council to make this practice illegal. A home-rule petition to the state was introduced to the state in 2022, and the state legislature debated a measure this year that would require that brokers’ fees be paid by the landlord. Unfortunately, these measures failed to pass this legislative session, but our local legislators are actively pursuing this petition for the next legislative session. While the Housing Partnership had previous conversations with the NHA regarding the Metro Fair Market Rent (FMR), the conversation has not progressed in a meaningful way. This still means that the vouchers that are given out are often not enough to fully support leases in Northampton. People who receive a voucher often move outside of the City if they even end up using it at all. The Community Development Planner did a more extensive analysis of using the Small Area FMR in 2023, interviewing leadership at other housing authorities and looking at the data, but did not see a practical path forward at the time. There are too many administrative burdens to get through. The high cost of housing was also identified as a barrier. While the Housing Partnership does not create affordable housing, they can and have done meaningful advocacy work towards that goal. They have advocated for and done the initial analysis for the City to adopt the real-estate transfer fee law and resurrecting the Municipal Affordable Housing Trust Fund (MAHTF). The transfer fee would generate income from the sale of real-estate for the production of affordable housing. .. Additionally, there are four City-owned parcels that are in the process of being redeveloped for housing and may be sold to developers in the next two years. The City expects at least 28 affordable units from these properties. The report noted that the City is doing everything it should to promote mixed-use, affordable housing, and increase housing choice. The City is encouraging higher density development by promoting infill, permitting small lot residential development, encouraging mixed-use developments by allowing housing in all districts and industrial districts, permitting live/work units. It is working to increase housing diversity and affordability by allowing accessory dwelling units in all zones and providing density incentives for affordability. The City passed a two-family by right zoning amendment that streamlined the process and decreased the cost for creating two-family houses anywhere in the City as well as zoning that more than doubled the allowable density for affordable housing in all residential zoning districts. CAPER 19 OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021) The City had previously established two Smart Growth Overlay districts called Massachusetts Chapter 40R districts, which require an affordability component, and expanded one of those districts last year to include a parcel that we have sold to an affordable housing developer. That site was approved and could potentially have up to 23 affordable units. Following recommendations made in earlier AI reports, the City now permits up to six units by right with the site-plan review, has simple standards for larger multi-family structures, requires no traffic mitigation or parking for residential construction downtown, allows mixed-use housing by right with site plan review and doubled - and in some cases tripled - the density allowed in some zones within the urban core. By reducing lot size throughout the City to better reflect existing development patterns, possibilities for more two to three unit dwellings are increased. Actions taken to address obstacles to meeting underserved needs. 91.220(k); 91.320(j) Housing First units, or units that are meant for people coming directly from homelessness were created during the last program year. A former nursing home on Franklin Street was transformed into a 16-unit home for people who are homeless and have critical medical needs. The project has been called transformative. It took collaboration between the neighbors, the funders, medical staff, the City, and even the state government to create this project. The Analyis of Impediments Report has provided the City with several years of work, such as policies that need to change and new projects. The Community Development Planner has monthly meetings with the Housing Partnership, where they have prioritized the AI Report's action steps and have begun to take steps towards meeting those needs. For instance, addressing the Small Area FMR that the NHA uses and investigating broker fees by private rental agencies. This is a barrier keeping people out of the City with its heavy upfront costs of moving, so a Housing Partnership subcommittee has been meeting to make recommendations to address it. Another act of legislation that is being moved through the state is a ‘real-estate transfer fee’, which would be levied on the sellers/buyer of residential real estate transactions over a certain amount. The details, such as who pays, at what percentage of the sale price, and what home price is eligible is still being investigated by the Housing Partnership. Each city would be able to set their own terms if this policy passes. The Community Development Planner continued with the City’s involvement in the Western Massachusetts Network to End Homelessness andstaffs the Northampton Housing Partnership.. All of these meetings work towards meeting the needs of underrepresented and underserved people in our community. Additionally, the ADA Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan identified several barriers to people with disabilities in their access to City buildings, sidewalks, and programs. The ADA/Section 504 Coordinator also serves as the staff person for the Disability Commission and have together identified action steps towards addressing issues from the report. CAPER 20 OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021) Actions taken to reduce lead-based paint hazards. 91.220(k); 91.320(j) The City has housing rehabilitation resources available and will prioritize the remediation of lead if it is found in a home. The rates of lead paint poisoning among children remain low locally, but this can be deceiving. The presence of lead paint is a silent discriminator when landlords refuse to rent to families with young children because they are unwilling to certify that there is no lead paint or are unable to abate their units in compliance with the Massachusetts Lead Paint Notification law. The presence of lead paint can be assumed for every home built before the lead paint ban in 1978, which for Northampton is about 50% of the total housing stock. Once again, this was identified in the AI Report and is considered a barrier to family housing in Northampton. The City's Housing Rehabilitation Program conducted lead paint testing at all homes that had children under six years old. A single-family homeowner can participate in a 15-year deferred payment with 0% interest loan program in which lead paint can be abated if necessary. The upper limit for a project cost was set $60,000 to allow for lead-based paint abatement activities if needed. The Northampton Board of Health continued to keep up the database of units that have been abated and so certified as such. When funds are available, the Valley CDC's Homeownership Center continued to refer people to the State's “Get the Lead Out Program.” Actions taken to reduce the number of poverty-level families. 91.220(k); 91.320(j) The City funds several public services that can help reduce poverty, such as the Community Resources and Advocacy project from Community Action, the Literacy Project and the Center for New Americans. All of these programs teach valuable information and increase the skill level of their students, giving them the confidence to secure better employment. Additionally, Community Action's Youth Employment Readiness Program helps young individuals and families gain education and employment skills to increase economic empowerment and self-sufficiency. These programs have all been CDBG subrecipients. CDBG funds continued to support local small businesses that employ low-income people through micro-enterprise grants. The Northampton Housing Partnership had a few conversations internally about the Northampton Housing Authority and its participation in HUD's Small Area Fair Market Rent (SAFMR). The NHA participating in the SAFMR would likely increase the ability of people with low incomes to use HUD Housing Choice Vouchers in Northampton. Because Northampton is included in the Springfield MSA, fair market rents have been much lower than market-rate rents for decades. Actions taken to develop institutional structure. 91.220(k); 91.320(j) The City has several meetings to develop institutional structure that are led by residents, such as the Housing Partnership, the Disability Commission, the Human Rights Commission, and the Northampton Reparations Study Commission. These have helped create that institutional framework of collaboration, but also help implement the action items from the AI and support CDBG funded efforts. CAPER 21 OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021) Other non-City meetings, such as the Coordinated Entry meetings for the Three County Continuum of Care and the Western Mass Network to End Homelessness have helped the Community Development Planner stay current on issues. The action steps and directives from recent studies like the Mayor's Work Group on Panhandling (2019), the Analysis of Impediments (2019) and the ADA Self-Evaluation/Transition Plan (2020) have kept the City busy with identified tasks to ameliorate some of the issues that residents are facing. Available training for federal grants such as CDBG and state specific planning were taken regularly by members of the Office of Planning & Sustainability. Feedback on the operations and gaps in the system were discussed at various meetings throughout the year by the Community Development Planner, the Community Preservation Committee, the Office of Planning and Sustainability, the Human Rights Commission, the Disability Commission, the Police Department, the Health Department, the Building Department, the Public Works Department, all of whom work together to identify and address community issues. The Mayor, the Mayor's Chief of Staff, Director of Planning & Sustainability, and other departments had met monthly to ensure a coordinated community development strategy. The municipal structure that exists is quite collaborative. The Action Plans formulated by the Analysis of Impediments Update and the Mayor's Work Group on Panhandling call for collaboration between the various entities responsible for implementing a myriad of recommendations to ensure our community is welcoming and accessible to all. The Northampton Housing Partnership has worked strategically with members of the City Council, the Human Rights Commission, and the Northampton Housing Authority to work on the issues identified in the recent studies mentioned. Actions taken to enhance coordination between public and private housing and social service agencies. 91.220(k); 91.320(j) The City has hired an architect to design the inside of the building for the Community Resilience Hub, which was gutted by the previous owner but remains structurally intact and ready to be fitted out. Community Action Pioneer Valley will be sponsoring the hub and have continued monthly meetings to design the programing. Many of the same organizations that attend that meeting have worked alongside each other because of their work providing social services or their involvement with the Next Step Collaborative. The Next Step Collaborative meetings are monthly gatherings of local housing and homeless service providers started in 1994, which is now hosted by the Dept. of Community Care. Guests are those who have lived experience, advocates for the homeless, people serving Veterans, people living with HIV/AIDS, people in recovery, people living in subsidized housing, people managing subsidized housing, and people providing housing stabilization support services. This group has continued to advocate for getting Housing First units, expanded shelter capacity, and the Community Resilience Hub to get out of the elements and provide services such as storage lockers or consultations with service agencies. CAPER 22 OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021) Identify actions taken to overcome the effects of any impediments identified in the jurisdictions analysis of impediments to fair housing choice. 91.520(a) The Housing Partnership and Disability Commission has worked with the Community Development Planner on the action steps, prioritizing the issues and choosing the most implementable steps. The Housing Partnership and the Disability Commission works as an advisory board to the Mayor. Still, they are also instrumental in influencing public opinion on issues and starting conversations with stakeholders. The Housing Partnership has continued their advocacy for the real estate transfer fees, banning rental fees, and resurrecting the Municipal Affordable Housing Trust Fund. CAPER 23 OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021) CR-40 - Monitoring 91.220 and 91.230 Describe the standards and procedures used to monitor activities carried out in furtherance of the plan and used to ensure long-term compliance with requirements of the programs involved, including minority business outreach and the comprehensive planning requirements Quarterly reports are required from all subrecipients and are submitted online. The data in those reports is used for IDIS accomplishment reports and is closely reviewed for progress and compliance with all applicable laws and regulations by both the Grants Administrator and the Community Development Planner. Performance outcomes are outlined in the Scope of Services at the beginning of each program year in the CDBG Agreement t before the issuance of funds. When applicable, contracts also include requirements for submissions of other HUD reports such as Section 3, FFATA information, Department of Labor MBE/WBE reports, and Davis Bacon wage rate compliance certifications, payroll records, and on-site monitoring interviews conducted by the Community Development Planner and the Grants Administrator. CDBG staff used a risk based assessment tool to understand the need for monitioring prior to the program year. This created a more data-focused monitoring schedule and has informed the City’s pre- award orientation meetings with the grantees. Site Monitoring was carried out throughout this program year by the Community Development Planner and the Grants Administrator for all of the public service agencies and the micro-enterprise administrator . During these monitoring visits, the City staff viewed the day-to-day operations of the programs to ensure that they align with national objectives and eligibility requirements, as well as the description provided in the original application. Project directors and financial staff were asked to be present during the meetings to provide information pertinent to CDBG funds and associated activities. If an audit was conducted since the last monitoring visit, that was also reviewed for issues. The City’ CDBG program was also monitored by the HUD field office in Boston in April 2024. The review focused on the City’s management of the CDBG-CV funds (COVID-19 disbursement). The FY 2024 Monitoring Report from the HUD field office applauded the City of Northampton's CDBG-CV program for its strong performance and compliance with federal requirements. The review, which covered multiple aspects of the CDBG-CV grant management, found no deficiencies and highlighted the City's effective use of funds to address the impacts of COVID-19. The report also praised the City for its meticulous documentation practices, robust public filing system, and significant updates to key policies, ensuring transparency and adherence to regulations. Additionally, the City was recognized for its exemplary practices, particularly the proactive efforts of the CAPER 24 OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021) Community Development Planner and Grants Administrator. Their updates to the Community Development Block Grant Policy Manual, Record Retention Policy, and other critical documents since joining the Office of Planning & Sustainability have significantly improved the program's administration and effectiveness. The monitoring report identified only one minor concern, related to documentation of a specific activity, with recommended corrective actions to further enhance the program's already commendable performance. Citizen Participation Plan 91.105(d); 91.115(d) Describe the efforts to provide citizens with reasonable notice and an opportunity to comment on performance reports. For the 2023-2024 program year, legal ads were published in the local newspaper for all public hearings and publication of the Draft Plan and Action Plan giving the dates of meetings and times available for review in the office. All documents were also uploaded to the City's website. Residents were encouraged to call or email with comments. Hybrid public participation, where particiants can either meet in-person or online were available for all meetings. For this CAPER, the City published an ad in the Daily Hampshire Gazette on September 14, 2024, with a link to the draft CAPER and instructions on how to comment online or comment in written form. The public comment period will remain open until September 30, 2024 and comments will be added to the final copy of this CAPER. CR-45 - CDBG 91.520(c) Specify the nature of, and reasons for, any changes in the jurisdiction’s program objectives and indications of how the jurisdiction would change its programs as a result of its experiences. All of activities identified in the Action Plan for the current program year are proceeding without any issues, and the City has not changed any of its objectives. The City has updated some of the timing of the completion of some projects, such as the rehabilitation of the Community Resilience Hub. The design of the spaces is progressing quite well and we expect construction to begin next year. All of the public services and the micro-enterprise assistance proceeded without any issues. The City does not expect to amend its Consolidated Plan or its other goals as this was the last year of the Consolidated Plan. For the next Consolidated Plan the City will adjust the goals and outcome indicators to ensure that they are reflective of actual activities for the next 5 years of CDBG activities. There were a few instances during this CAPER where the goals and outcome indicators did not pull through the system properly and they had to be manually adjusted Does this Jurisdiction have any open Brownfields Economic Development Initiative (BEDI) grants? CAPER 25 OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021) No [BEDI grantees] Describe accomplishments and program outcomes during the last year. CAPER 26 OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021) CR-45 - CDBG 91.520(c) Specify the nature of, and reasons for, any changes in the jurisdiction’s program objectives and indications of how the jurisdiction would change its programs as a result of its experiences. All of activities identified in the Action Plan for the current program year are proceeding without any issues, and the City has not changed any of its objectives. The City has updated some of the timing of the completion of some projects, such as the rehabilitation of the Community Resilience Hub. The design of the spaces is progressing quite well and we expect construction to begin next year. All of the public services and the micro-enterprise assistance proceeded without any issues. The City does not expect to amend its Consolidated Plan or its other goals as this was the last year of the Consolidated Plan. For the next Consolidated Plan the City will adjust the goals and outcome indicators to ensure that they are reflective of actual activities for the next 5 years of CDBG activities. There were a few instances during this CAPER where the goals and outcome indicators did not pull through the system properly and they had to be manually adjusted Does this Jurisdiction have any open Brownfields Economic Development Initiative (BEDI) grants? No [BEDI grantees] Describe accomplishments and program outcomes during the last year. CAPER 27 OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021) CR-58 – Section 3 Identify the number of individuals assisted and the types of assistance provided Total Labor Hours CDBG HOME ESG HOPWA HTF Total Number of Activities 0 0 0 0 0 Total Labor Hours Total Section 3 Worker Hours Total Targeted Section 3 Worker Hours Table 8 – Total Labor Hours Qualitative Efforts - Number of Activities by Program CDBG HOME ESG HOPWA HTF Outreach efforts to generate job applicants who are Public Housing Targeted Workers Outreach efforts to generate job applicants who are Other Funding Targeted Workers. Direct, on-the job training (including apprenticeships). Indirect training such as arranging for, contracting for, or paying tuition for, off-site training. Technical assistance to help Section 3 workers compete for jobs (e.g., resume assistance, coaching). Outreach efforts to identify and secure bids from Section 3 business concerns. Technical assistance to help Section 3 business concerns understand and bid on contracts. Division of contracts into smaller jobs to facilitate participation by Section 3 business concerns. Provided or connected residents with assistance in seeking employment including: drafting resumes,preparing for interviews, finding job opportunities, connecting residents to job placement services. Held one or more job fairs. Provided or connected residents with supportive services that can provide direct services or referrals. Provided or connected residents with supportive services that provide one or more of the following: work readiness health screenings, interview clothing, uniforms, test fees, transportation. Assisted residents with finding child care. Assisted residents to apply for, or attend community college or a four year educational institution. Assisted residents to apply for, or attend vocational/technical training. Assisted residents to obtain financial literacy training and/or coaching. Bonding assistance, guaranties, or other efforts to support viable bids from Section 3 business concerns. Provided or connected residents with training on computer use or online technologies. Promoting the use of a business registry designed to create opportunities for disadvantaged and small businesses. Outreach, engagement, or referrals with the state one-stop system, as designed in Section 121(e)(2) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. CAPER 28 OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021) Other. Table 9 – Qualitative Efforts - Number of Activities by Program Narrative For the 2023-2024 program year, there were no Section 3 activities.