Laserfiche WebLink
THE CITY OF <br />3:1�� iso <br />i�i1(1Uu ..1..i <br />PLEASANTON,"., <br />Housing Commission <br />Agenda Report <br />September 19, 2019 <br />Item 7 <br />SUBJECT Review and Approve Proposed Changes to the Pleasanton's Housing <br />Rehabilitation Program <br />RECOMMENDATION <br />Staff recommends the Housing Commission review the proposed changes to the Pleasanton's <br />Housing Rehabilitation Program and forward them to the City Council with a recommendation <br />for approval. <br />BACKGROUND <br />Pleasanton has offered financial and technical assistance to lower income homeowner <br />households through its Housing Rehabilitation Program ("Housing Rehab Program") since <br />1993. The Program goals are to maintain safe homes and attractive neighborhoods, to <br />preserve affordable housing, to improve the quality of Pleasanton's housing stock, and to <br />ensure compliance with City building and zoning codes. <br />Rehabilitation efforts are part of the City's affordable housing strategy, and the assistance <br />provided by the Program is in concert with the General Plan's Housing Element policies and <br />the Consolidated Plan. <br />Two kinds of assistance are currently available: a grant or a loan. Homeowners are eligible to <br />receive a maximum grant amount of $10,000. A maximum $35,000 rehab loan has a 3 <br />percent simple annualized interest for a 30 -year term. <br />DISCUSSION <br />Since October 2016, the City has been contracting with Habitat for Humanity ("Habitat"), to <br />administer the Housing Rehab Program. While Habitat has processed 37 homeowner's <br />applications as of June 2019, only 6 projects have been completed. The reasons for the <br />delays, and consequent necessity for Habitat to request to carry-over funds for the last three <br />fiscal years, were explained to the Housing Commission at its June 20, 2019 meeting; and <br />they are again listed below. <br />1. It is challenging to find qualified applicants. Of the 37 applicants, 7 have been denied <br />for being over -income (nearly 1 out of 5 applicants) while 5 other applicants have been <br />denied for various reasons such as they already have an existing Housing Rehab loan <br />or they are not the homeowner but renting out the home. <br />2. The City/Habitat is unable to assess the eligibility of applicants who have expressed <br />interest in the Housing Rehab Program. Habitat either have not received the full <br />Page - 1 - <br />