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Page 2 of 8 <br />BACKGROUND <br />The City implemented its Housing and Human Services Grant (HHSG) program in 2010. The <br />HHSG program combined funding from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) <br />and the HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) federal grants and two City funding <br />sources, the Lower Income Housing Fund (LIHF) and General Funds allocated for human <br />services, into a single streamlined grant program. <br />HHSG applications for FY 2024/25 funding were solicited from December 1, 2023 through <br />January 19, 2024. This year, applications were again submitted electronically via the <br />ZoomGrants system, a process that was introduced in 2011. Twenty-seven (27) applications <br />were received by the January 19 deadline, with a total funding request of $1,261,561 (or <br />$1,285,364 including the required Section 108 loan payment for 2024/25). This report <br />addresses the Housing Commission’s review of projects that are proposed to be funded with <br />federal HOME funds and/or City Lower Income Housing Funds (LIHF). <br />DISCUSSION <br />As described in the attached Human Services Commission (HSC) agenda report included as <br />Attachment 2, the majority of the 27 grant applications were eligible for funding through the <br />main HHSG sources: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and City General Funds <br />(the human services category of the former City Grant program). <br />Among the 27 total grant applications, there were eight (8) applications for housing programs <br />and services (with a total requested amount of $501,374) that were identified to be eligible for <br />funding through the other two HHSG funding sources: HOME and LIHF. Table 1, below, <br />outlines the eight applications, proposed program and grant amounts requested by each. As <br />described below, each of the eight applications is recommended to be fully funded. <br />Copies of the HHSG applications have been distributed. <br />It is the Housing Commission’s role to make funding recommendations regarding the use of <br />HOME and LIHF funds. This report provides background and a recommendation for the <br />Commission’s consideration. <br />Separately, the Human Services Commission will consider and make a recommendation on <br />grant awards for Human Services grants funded by CDBG and City General Funds. The <br />collective recommendations from both the Human Services Commission and the Housing <br />Commission will be forwarded for review and action by the City Council in April 2024. <br />Summary of Available Funding <br />The City receives an annual allocation of federal HOME funds through its membership in the <br />Alameda County HOME Consortium. The City’s HOME allocation for projects for FY 2024/25 <br />is projected to be $126,134. In addition to HOME funds, in past years, the City has <br />supplemented the CDBG (now HHSG) program funds with Lower Income Housing Fund <br />(LIHF) to enable funding of several important housing-related programs and services that <br />would otherwise be difficult to fund using the limited CDBG “public services” dollars. The use <br />of LIHF funds for the housing services activities is consistent with the policy for use of LIHF <br />that was adopted by the City Council in 1994.