Item5--Draft FY 25-29 Consolidated Plan — original pdf

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CITY OF AUSTIN 2024 – 2025 2025 – 2026 2026 – 2027 2027 – 2028 2028 – 2029 FY 25-29 CONSOLIDATED PLAN PREPARED BY Housing Department PO Box 1088 Austin, Texas 78767 City of Austin, Texas Draft (cid:38)(cid:349)(cid:400)(cid:272)(cid:258)(cid:367)(cid:3)(cid:122)(cid:286)(cid:258)(cid:396)(cid:3)(cid:1006)(cid:1004)25(cid:882)20(cid:1006)9(cid:3)Consolidated (cid:87)(cid:367)(cid:258)(cid:374) Prepared by: City of Austin Housing Department P.O. Box 1088 Austin, TX 78767 512-974-3100 www.austintexas.gov/housing Austin City Council Kirk Watson Mayor Paige Ellis, District 8 Mayor, Pro Tempore Council Members Natasha Harper-Madison, District 1 Vanessa Fuentes, District 2 José Velásquez, District 3 José "Chito" Vela, District 4 Ryan Alter, District 5 Mackenzie Kelly, District 6 Leslie Pool, District 7 Zohaib "Zo" Qadri, District 9 Alison Alter, District 10 TABLE OF CONTENTS ES-05 Executive Summary...............................................................................................................................3 PR‐05 Lead & Responsible Agencies .............................................................................................................. 11 PR‐10 Consultation ‐ 91.100, 91.200(b), 91.215(l) ........................................................................................ 13 PR‐15 Citizen Participation ............................................................................................................................ 21 NA‐05 Overview ............................................................................................................................................ 22 NA‐10 Housing Needs Assessment ‐ 24 CFR 91.205 (a,b,c) ........................................................................... 24 NA‐15 Disproportionately Greater Need: Housing Problems – 91.205 (b)(2) ............................................... 37 NA‐20 Disproportionately Greater Need: Severe Housing Problems – 91.205 (b)(2) ................................... 45 NA‐25 Disproportionately Greater Need: Housing Cost Burdens – 91.205 (b)(2) ......................................... 51 NA‐30 Disproportionately Greater Need: Discussion – 91.205(b)(2) ............................................................ 54 NA‐35 Public Housing – 91.205(b) ................................................................................................................. 57 NA‐40 Homeless Needs Assessment – 91.205(c) .......................................................................................... 63 NA‐45 Non‐Homeless Special Needs Assessment ‐ 91.205 (b,d) ................................................................... 69 NA‐50 Non‐Housing Community Development Needs – 91.215 (f) .............................................................. 74 MA‐05 Overview ........................................................................................................................................... 80 MA‐10 Number of Housing Units – 91.210(a)&(b)(2) .................................................................................... 82 MA‐15 Housing Market Analysis: Cost of Housing ‐ 91.210(a) .......................................................................86 MA‐20 Housing Market Analysis: Condition of Housing – 91.210(a) .............................................................92 MA‐25 Public and Assisted Housing – 91.210(b) ............................................................................................96 MA‐30 Homeless Facilities and Services – 91.210(c). ...................................................................................100 MA‐35 Special Needs Facilities and Services – 91.210(d) ............................................................................ 101 MA‐40 Barriers to Affordable Housing‐91.210(e) ....................................................................................... 104 MA‐45 Non‐Housing Community Development Assets – 91.215 (f) ........................................................... 106 MA‐50 Needs and Market Analysis Discussion ........................................................................................... 111 MA‐60 Broadband Needs of Housing Occupied by Low- and Moderate-Income Households.....................123 MA‐65 Hazard Mitigation.........................................................................................................................................125 SP‐05 Overview .............................................................................................................................................127 SP‐10 Geographic Priorities – 91.215 (a)(1) ................................................................................................. 128 SP‐25 Priority Needs ‐ 91.215(a)(2) ...............................................................................................................130 SP‐30 Influence of Market Conditions – 91.215 (b) ......................................................................................134 City of Austin FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan 1 SP‐35 Anticipated Resources ‐ 91.215(a)(4), 91.220(c)(1,2) ........................................................................135 SP‐40 Institutional Delivery Structure – 91.215(k) ......................................................................................138 SP‐45 Goals Summary – 91.215(a)(4) .......................................................................................................... 140 SP‐50 Public Housing Accessibility and Involvement – 91.215(c) ................................................................ 148 SP‐55 Barriers to affordable housing – 91.215(h) ....................................................................................... 151 SP‐60 Homelessness Strategy – 91.215(d) .................................................................................................. 156 SP‐65 lead‐based paint Hazards – 91.215(i) ................................................................................................ 157 SP‐70 Anti‐Poverty Strategy – 91.215(j) ...................................................................................................... 158 SP‐80 Monitoring – 91.230 ......................................................................................................................... 159 AP‐15 Expected Resources – 91.220(c)(1,2) ................................................................................................ 160 AP‐20 Annual Goals and Objectives ............................................................................................................ 165 AP‐35 Projects – 91.220(d) .......................................................................................................................... 171 AP‐38 Project Summary .............................................................................................................................. 174 AP‐50 Geographic Distribution – 91.220(f) ................................................................................................. 189 AP‐55 Affordable Housing – 91.220(g) ........................................................................................................ 190 AP‐60 Public Housing – 91.220(h) ............................................................................................................... 191 AP‐65 Homeless and Other Special Needs Activities – 91.220(i) ................................................................ 194 AP‐70 HOPWA Goals ‐ 91.220 (l)(3) ............................................................................................................ 195 AP‐75 Barriers to affordable housing – 91.220(j) ........................................................................................ 196 AP‐85 Other Actions – 91.220(k) ................................................................................................................. 197 AP‐90 Program Specific Requirements – 91.220(l)(1,2,4) ........................................................................... 198 Attachment I: Citizen Participation A: Citizen Participation Plan B: Community Engagement Summary Attachment II: Grantee Unique Appendices A: Resale and Recapture Policy B: ESG Program Standards C: Monitoring Plan D: HOME Sale Price Information E: Funding & Production Summary Table City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 2 ES-05 Executive Summary - 24 CFR 91.200(c), 91.220(b) 1. Introduction The City of Austin submits this FY 2025‐29 Consolidated Plan and FY 2024‐25 Action Plan as the first of five Action Plans within the Consolidated Plan. The following section provides a summary of the FY 2024‐29 Consolidated Plan and FY 2024‐25 Action Plan. It is anticipated that the Austin City Council (Council) will approve the plan on July 18, 2024. The final document is due to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) no later than August 15, 2024. In addition to federal funding from HUD, the City of Austin (City) appropriates local funds to the Housing Department for affordable housing and community development activities. HUD's guidance regarding the inclusion of non‐federal funding sources in a Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan is that non‐federal sources are to be included. For this reason, the Housing Department has included information about the City of Austin 2022 General Obligation Bond allocation of $350 million in this Plan. This Consolidated Plan and Action Plan are not intended to confer any legal rights or entitlements on any persons, groups, or entities, including those named as intended recipients of funds or as program beneficiaries. The terms of this Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan are subject to amendment and to the effect of applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. Statements of numerical goals or outcomes are for the purpose of measuring the success of programs and policies and do not impose a legal obligation on the City to achieve the intended results. Actual funding of particular programs and projects identified in this plan are subject to completion of various further actions, some of which involve discretionary determinations by the City or others. These include HUD approval of this plan; appropriations by the United States Congress and the Austin City Council; reviews and determinations under environmental and related laws; and results of bidding and contracting processes. 2. Summary of the objectives and outcomes identified in the Plan Needs Assessment Overview The City’s FY 2025‐29 Consolidated Plan establishes funding priorities for the FY 2024‐25 Action Plan in the following high priority need areas: Special Needs Assistance; Homeless Assistance; Renter Assistance; Homebuyer Assistance; Homeowner Assistance; Housing Development Assistance; Other Community Development Assistance. These funding priorities were established based on the housing and community development needs identified through public and stakeholder input, expert staff needs and market analysis, and City Council direction. All the proposed City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 3 funding priorities will serve very‐low, low‐ and moderate‐income households in the City of Austin. See Exhibit 1 for a listing of FY 2025‐29 Consolidated Plan programs and descriptions. In 2017, the Austin City Council adopted the Austin Strategic Housing Blueprint, a ten‐year plan to align resources, ensure a unified strategic direction, and facilitate community partnerships to help reach the City’s affordable housing goals. Through public engagement, the then Department of Neighborhood & Community Development (NHCD), now Housing Department, heard from residents and community leaders who clearly voiced the desire to prevent families from being priced out of the Austin market, to invest in housing for those of greatest need, and to help residents reduce transportation costs and household expenses whenever possible. These recommendations ended up being organized into five categories, each focused on achieving the best outcomes, including: • • • • Prevent households from being priced out of Austin. Support legislation to allow flat dollar‐amount Homestead Exemptions, create a preservation property tax exemption for properties to minimize displacement of low‐income renters, expand the use of shared‐equity ownership and mechanisms to preserve and create ownership options for households at 80‐120% MFI, and invest in preservation strategies to combat gentrification. Foster equitable, integrated, and diverse communities. Promote strategic investments and create protections for low‐income renters by developing a strike fund to preserve multi‐family buildings to retain affordable housing units, implement Austin’s Fair Housing Action Plan, bolster enforcement of Fair Housing requirements, and undertake strategic land banking for affordable housing. Invest in housing for those most in need. Every effort should be made to protect our most vulnerable populations. The City should pursue General Obligation Bonds and General Fund appropriations for affordable housing, leverage low‐income housing tax credits, incentivize the private sector to fund affordable workforce housing, maximize the use public properties for public housing, and expand housing for citizens with disabilities. Create new and affordable housing choices for all Austinites in all parts of town. We can facilitate the streamlining of City codes and permit processes, revise the S.M.A.R.T. Housing Program, relax regulations on affordable housing products (including cooperatives and Accessory Dwelling Units), and create a Multifamily Property Tax Exemption Program. • Help Austinites reduce their household costs. More can be done to help Austinites through projects that connect housing with transportation choices, educate and increase efforts to help households to reduce utility costs through weatherization of current residences, and ensure that future housing developments are in proximity to healthy grocery stores, health care services, and social support agencies. In 2022, voters approved a $350 million affordable housing bond. This substantial increase in resources has enabled the Housing Department to reprioritize and maximize the use of federal funds and further the Department’s mission to provide economic opportunities that enable all Austinites to thrive in our community. The realignment of resources is also reflective of feedback received from the community during the community needs assessment period, which is discussed further in the plan. City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 4 FY 2025‐29 Consolidated Plan Priorities Program Program Description Special Needs Assistance Special Needs Assistance will assist low‐ to moderate‐income Austinites by providing mental health services for at‐risk youth, childcare services and services for seniors. Homeless Assistance Homeless Assistance provides services to the City's most vulnerable populations, including persons experiencing homelessness, persons living with HIV/AIDS, victims of domestic violence, persons experiencing mental illness, unaccompanied youth, persons with chronic substance abuse, and veterans. Renter Assistance Renter Assistance activities will provide assistance that can make rent more affordable, tenants’ rights services, and financial assistance for necessary rehabilitation to make rental units accessible. Homebuyer Assistance Homebuyer Assistance provides counseling to renters wishing to become homebuyers. This category includes the Down Payment Assistance Program, which offers loans to qualifying low‐ and moderate‐ income homebuyers to help them buy their first home. Homeowner Assistance Homeowner Assistance provides services to individuals that own their homes, but need assistance to make the home safe, functional and/or accessible. Housing Development Assistance Housing Development Assistance includes programs that offer assistance to nonprofit and for‐profit developers to build affordable housing for low‐ and moderate‐income households, and to acquire real property for affordable housing purposes. Other Community Development Assistance Other Community Development Assistance includes activities that such as operating grants for Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs), as well as providing support for infrastructure and small business development. Exhibit 1 Consolidated Plan Priorities Table City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 5 3. Evaluation of past performance The City of Austin’s Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Reports (CAPER) indicate a mixed track record of setting and meeting goals throughout the execution of the programming under the FY 19‐24 Consolidated Plan. Highlights of success in meeting goals in recent years include the CDBG and HOME-funded Rental Housing Development Assistance (RHDA) program and the HOME-funded Down Payment Assistance (DPA) program. Area of challenge in meeting goals in recent years include CDBG- funded Architectural Barrier Removal - Renter program and ESG Homeless Person Overnight Shelter. The City will continue to review its goal-setting and program performance and will make adjustments and improvements to planning and programming accordingly. 4. Summary of Citizen Participation Process and Consultation Process Community Needs Assessment Period  The Housing Department developed an extensive community engagement and outreach strategy to promote the Community Needs Assessment period and increase public participation. A dedicated Speak Up Austin webpage hosted a survey as well as background information and the Consolidated Plan process as www.SpeakUpAustin.org/MyCommunityNeeds. As of April 22, the page has received nearly 1400 views and more than 470 survey responses. In addition, 155 participants left additional comments. The needs assessment also included consultations with community groups and 2 public hearings. Representatives from 46 organizations have participated in consultations, including stakeholder groups across the public and private sectors, City Commissions, non‐profit organizations, and others. The City of Austin‘s Citizen Participation Plan (CPP) requires that the City conduct two public hearings during the Community needs assessment period: one before the Community Development Commission (CDC) and one before the Austin City Council. The public hearings were conducted before the CDC on March 12, 2024 and before the Austin City Council on March 7, 2024. 7 community members made comments during the public hearings. All comments received will be displayed in the final version of the FY 25‐29 Consolidated Plan. Follow up letters were received from one commission, one non‐profit organization and one neighborhood organization, all of which participated in the consultations or hearings as well. The survey will remain open and consultations will continue until the Consolidated Plan is finalized. The draft of the plan uses data collected between February 6 and March 15. During that time frame 341 survey responses were received. Paper surveys were available in libraries, and these are included in the total count. Community member could also participate in the survey through text messaging, email and postal mail. A variety of outreach activities were conducted to let community members know how they could participate in the community needs assessment. = Public notices were published in English and Spanish language local newspapers, both in print and online. A press release was distributed to local media. An email was sent to 5,000 community members and amplification kits were distributed to more than 150 organization to promote within their communications as well. In addition, all City departments received the promotional material to share with the communities they serve. Housing Department outreach efforts targeted the general public, as well as diverse racial/minority populations. Surveys, flyers and all promotional content was translated into 7 languages: Spanish, Arabic, French, Hindi, Korean, Vietnamese and Chinese. More details about Community Needs Assessment and provided in this document in the Executive Summary and Process chapters, as well as Attachment I B: Citizen Participation Process.   The top priorities identified by the community in the survey were: availability of affordable housing, services to prevent homelessness, affordable childcare, mental health and counseling and job training City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 6 and/or job opportunities. The results of the survey influenced the selection of the programs and activities outlined in the FY 2025‐29 Consolidated Plan and FY 2024‐25 Action Plan and will inform future policy decisions impacting household affordability and community development initiatives. 5. Summary of Public Comments in the Community Needs Assessment   Comments have been sorted into the following categories and subcategories, which center around the experiences that people shared: • I want to live in an Austin that is for everyone        Preservation of history, culture & long‐term residents Resources to support the unique needs of vulnerable populations A variety of housing options for all income levels and all household types Policies and programs to protect remaining affordability Compassion‐led approaches Support for small businesses Fair Housing • I need immediate help  Homelessness Prevention & Intervention     Rental Assistance Emergency assistance for utilities, food, and other basic needs Emergency repairs Serving those with the greatest need • I need help maintaining stability Access to affordable housing Tenant support    Home repair  Homeless prevention and intervention    Health and wellness issues  Wages & workforce development Reducing housing‐related costs Child care • I want to build long‐term stability  Homeownership    Higher education Financial wellness & security Leveraging property for additional income • I need better access to programs    knowledge of existing programs inaccessible processes support needed to access programs • My neighborhood needs more support infrastructure (sidewalks, sewers, electrical, etc.) Transportation access to resources (grocery stores, medical care, libraries, etc.)   Greenspace    Walkability   neighborhood planning Safety City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 7  quality of life I don’t trust the City •    authentic engagement program evaluation and effectiveness transparent spending Across all categories, there was a consistent plea for more collaboration across departments, agencies and organizations as well as a desire to see more creativity and innovative approaches. 6. Summary of comments or views not accepted and the reasons for not accepting them All comments or views received are accepted. 7. Summary The Consolidated Plan is designed to help participating jurisdictions assess their affordable housing and community development needs and market conditions to make data‐driven, place‐based investment decisions. The consolidated planning process serves as the framework for a community‐wide dialogue to identify both housing and community development priorities that align and focus funding from HUD. The Consolidated Plan is carried out through annual Action Plans, which provide a concise summary of the actions, activities, and the specific resources that will be used each year to address the priority needs and specific goals identified by the Consolidated Plan. Grantees report on accomplishments and progress toward Consolidated Plan goals in the Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER). In FY 2024‐25, the City of Austin will continue to receive funding from HUD through four entitlement grants: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG); HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME); Emergency Solutions Grant Program (ESG); and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA), in addition to reasonably anticipated local resources such as through the 20 22 General Obligation (G.O.) Bonds. As a long‐range planning document, the Consolidated Plan establishes programmatic goals and provides a framework for methodologically identifying priority needs with the community. The FY 25‐29 Consolidated Plan is largely organized into the following chapters: Executive Summary, Process, Needs Assessment, Market Analysis, Strategic Plan & Action Plan. The Strategic Plan chapter exhibits planning for the coming five years, FY 25‐29, whereas the Action Plan chapter provides further detailed planning for FY 24‐25. The document is a product of collaboration between the City of Austin (COA) Housing Department, Austin Public Health (APH), COA Homeless Strategy Office (HSO), the COA Economic Development Department, the Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA), over 45 community and stakeholder groups, as well as individuals and families across the community of the City of Austin, who gave input in various ways and contributed to the plans outlined in this document. The current document is a first draft that is being made available to the public for a 30‐day public comment period from May 7 2024 through June 5, 2024. Following the conclusion of the public comment period, City staff will consider final public input and produce a final draft of the FY 25‐29 Consolidated Plan, which is expected to be City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 8 approved by the Austin City Council on July 18, 2024, and submitted to HUD in early August, before the submission deadline of August 16, 2024. City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 9 HUD and City of Austin Budget Allocation Processes City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 10 PR‐05 Lead & Responsible Agencies Describe agency/entity responsible for preparing the Consolidated Plan and those 1. responsible for administration of each grant program and funding source The following are the agencies/entities responsible for preparing the Consolidated Plan and those responsible for administration of each grant program and funding source. Agency Role Name Department/Agency Lead Agency CDBG Administrator ESG Administrator HOME Administrator HOPWA Administrator AUSTIN AUSTIN AUSTIN AUSTIN AUSTIN Housing Department Austin Public Health Housing Department Austin Public Health Table 1 – Responsible Agencies Narrative LEAD AGENCY AND PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS Housing Department (HD) The Housing Department is designated by the Austin City Council as the single point of contact for HUD and is the lead agency for the administration of CDBG, HOME, HOPWA, and ESG grant programs. HD currently administers the CDBG and HOME programs. HD is directly responsible for developing the five‐ year Consolidated Plan, the Annual Action Plan, and the end‐of‐year Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER). Austin Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) ‐ AHFC was created in 1979 as a public, nonprofit corporation organized pursuant to Chapter 394 of the Texas Local Government Code. The Austin City Council serves as the AHFC’s Board of Directors. The mission of the AHFC is to generate and implement strategic housing solutions for the benefit of low‐ and moderate‐income households of the City of Austin. Housing Department employees manage the funding and operations of AHFC through an annual service agreement executed between the City and AHFC. Austin Public Health (APH) Council designates APH to administer the HOPWA and ESG programs. APH is a nationally‐certified Public Health agency and works in partnership with the community to prevent disease, promote health, and protect the well‐ being of the community with the vision of making Austin/Travis County the healthiest community in the nation. APH is comprised of seven divisions: The Office of the Director, Administrative Services, Community Services, Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Environmental Health Services, Epidemiology and Public Health Preparedness, and Healthy Equity and Community Engagement. City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 11 Economic Development Department (EDD) Economic Development Department (EDD) administers the Family Business Loan Program (FBLP) funded with Section 108 funds. Section 108 is a loan guarantee provision of the CDBG Program. The Family Business Loan Program and related lending programs are designed to provide a low‐cost financing option to Austin‐based small businesses seeking to expand and hire that commit to provide employment opportunities to Austin’s low‐ and moderate‐income communities. Community Development Commission (CDC) The CDC advises Council in the development and implementation of programs designed to serve low‐ and moderate‐income households and the community at large, with an emphasis on federally funded programs. The CDC also oversees the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program managed by Austin Public Health. CSBG regulations require that the CDC consists of 15 members, including representatives from eight geographic target areas: Colony Park, Dove Springs, East Austin, Montopolis, Rosewood‐Zaragosa/Blackland, St. Johns, North Austin, and South Austin. The CDC’s eight neighborhood representatives are elected through a neighborhood‐based process, and all 15 are formally appointed by the Austin City Council. Urban Renewal Board (URB) The URB is comprised of seven members appointed by the Mayor, with consent from Council. The URB oversees the implementation of, and compliance with, Urban Renewal Plans that are adopted by the Austin City Council. An Urban Renewal Plan's primary purpose is to eliminate slum and blighting influence within a designated area of the City. Council adopted Resolution No. 971119‐34 on November 19, 1997, declaring the East 11th and 12th Streets Revitalization Area to be a slum and blighted area and designated this area appropriate for an urban renewal project. Subsequently, Council adopted an Urban Renewal Plan. The City of Austin and the Urban Renewal Agency, in the shared interest of completing the Urban Renewal Project, entered into an agreement that identifies each party’s roles and responsibilities for the completion of the revitalization for these two corridors. The URB has been working to implement a key component of that revitalization through the redevelopment of two blocks on East 11th Street (Blocks 16 and 18). In partnership with the Austin Economic Development Corporation (AEDC), the URB released a solicitation to identify a development partner for these blocks in 2023. The development opportunity is anticipated to be awarded in 2024. Consolidated Plan Public Contact Information Chris Duran Grants Program Manager City of Austin: Housing Department P.O. Box 1088 Austin, Texas 78767 christian.duran@austintexas.gov City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 12 PR‐10 Consultation ‐ 91.100, 91.200(b), 91.215(l) 1. Introduction As part of the Consolidated Plan process, the Housing Department consulted and collaborated with other City departments in its administration of programs and activities, including Austin Public Health (APH), Economic Development Department (EDD), Homeless Strategy Office (HSO), the Office of Civil Rights, the Office of Resilience, the Office of Telecommunications and Regulatory Affairs (TARA) and the Watershed Protection Department (WPD). Additionally, the Housing Department consults with City boards and commissions and external agencies with missions related to affordable housing and community development. The 47 entities consulted during the Community Needs assessment Period included (but not limited to): ADAPT of Texas, African American Resource Advisory Commission, Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Resource Advisory Commission, Austin Area HIV Planning Council, Austin Housing Repair Coalition, Austin/Travis County Reentry Roundtable, Building and Strengthening Tenant Action (BASTA), Colony Park Neighborhood Center, College Student Commission, Commission on Aging, Community Development Commission, Early Childhood Council, Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO), Housing Authority of the City of Austin, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) Quality of Life Advisory Commission and the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities. A full list of meetings that the City conducted as part of its Consolidated Plan Community Needs Assessment process is seen below. A comprehensive Consolidated Plan Community Engagement report on the Community Needs Assessment is found in this document in Attachment I B: Citizen Participation Process. Provide a concise summary of the jurisdiction’s activities to enhance coordination between public and assisted housing providers and private and governmental health, mental health and service agencies (91.215(I)). Describe coordination with the Continuum of Care and efforts to address the needs of homeless persons (particularly chronically homeless individuals and families, families with children, veterans, and unaccompanied youth) and persons at risk of homelessness Describe consultation with the Continuum(s) of Care that serves the jurisdiction's area in determining how to allocate ESG funds, develop performance standards and evaluate outcomes, and develop funding, policies and procedures for the administration of HMIS Pending. Pending. Pending. City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 13 2. Describe Agencies, groups, organizations and others who participated in the process and describe the jurisdictions consultations with housing, social service agencies and other entities. At the time of the publishing of this first draft of the FY 25‐29 Consolidated Plan, the City has consulted with 47 entities as part of its Consolidated Plan Community Needs Assessment process, which are listed below. The City will conduct final consultation meetings during the public comment period of the first draft of the FY 25‐29 Consolidated Plan from May 7, 2024 – June 5, 2024. The final draft of the FY 25‐29 Consolidated Plan will include a final, comprehensive list of groups with which the City consulted, as well as descriptions of those meetings. Organization Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Resource Advisory Commission HRS Leadership Council (Continuum of Care Board) 1 2 Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA) Integral Care LifeWorks LGBTQ+ Quality of Life Advisory Commission Austin Home Repair Coalition Early Childhood Council Commission on Aging 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 One Voice Central Texas 11 Watershed Protection Department 12 Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG) ‐ Area Agency on Aging of the Capital Area (AAACAP) and Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) 13 Catholic Charities of Central Texas 14 Commission On Veteran Affairs 15 Google Fiber 16 College Student Commission 17 Austin Area Urban League 18 Family Eldercare 19 HIV Planning Council 20 Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA) 21 Workforce Solutions Capital Area 22 23 Office of Civil Rights 24 Austin Chamber of Commerce 25 26 Housing Works Advocacy Committee 27 Building and Strengthening Tenant Action (BASTA) Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation (TSAHC) SAFE Alliance City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan Date 1/25/24 2/5/24 2/8/24 2/8/24 2/9/24 2/12/24 2/13/24 2/14/24 2/14/24 2/15/24 2/16/24 2/20/24 2/21/24 2/21/24 2/22/24 2/23/24 2/26/24 2/26/24 2/26/24 2/28/24 2/29/24 2/29/24 3/1/24 3/4/24 3/4/24 3/5/24 3/5/24 14 28 Public Hearing: City Council 29 ADAPT of Central Texas 30 Accessible Housing Austin! 31 Central Health 32 Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management (HSEM) 33 Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities 34 Vivent Health (previously AIDS Services of Austin) 35 Ausitn/Travis County Reentry Roundtable 36 Caritas of Austin 37 Community Development Commission 38 Development Services Department 39 40 Homeless Strategy Office 41 Williamson County Shalom Austin 42 43 Travis County 44 Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) 45 City of Round Rock 46 African American Resource Advisory Commission 47 Urban Renewal Board Economic Development Department 3/7/24 3/6/24 3/6/24 3/7/24 3/8/24 3/8/24 3/11/24 3/11/24 3/12/24 3/12/24 3/14/24 3/14/24 3/14/24 3/14/24 3/15/24 3/18/24 3/18/24 3/19/24 3/19/24 4/15/24 Table 2 – Agencies, groups, organizations who participated Identify any Agency Types not consulted and provide rationale for not consulting The City of Austin contacted a variety of agency types and partnering organizations in preparing the FY 2025‐29 Consolidated Plan. No agencies were intentionally excluded from consultation. City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 15 Other local/regional/state/federal planning efforts considered when preparing the Plan Name of Plan Lead Organization Austin’s Action Plan to End Homelessness Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO) Age Friendly Action Plan City of Austin Commission on Seniors How do the goals of your Strategic Plan overlap with the goals of each plan? Austin’s Action Plan to End Homelessness calls for a systems approach to ending homelessness. The plan specifically outlines implementation of five system elements, that combined together, will work effectively in ending homelessness for individuals and families, while making the community stronger for all. Those system components are 1) outreach services and shelters, 2) addressing disparities, 3) providing housing and support services, 4) strengthening our response system, and 5) building wide community commitment from both the public and private sector. This Action Plan itself seeks to mobilize public and private resources in the right order of magnitude to continue implementing strategies that work, while continuing to think outside the box, testing new and improved practices, policies and programs. The action plan is meant to be a living document updated along the way to reflect learnings. The City of Austin's Age Friendly Action Plan was published in 2017 and ultimately adopted as an amendment to Imagine Austin [http://www.austintexas.gov/imagineaustin]. The Age Friendly Action (AFA) Plan is made up of eight domains of livability including Outdoor Spaces and Buildings, Transportation, Housing, Social Participation, Respect and Social Inclusion, Civic Participation and Employment, Communication and Information, and Community Support and Health. The AFA Plan contains goals and strategies in each domain focused on promoting support, respect, protection, and recognition of the needs of older adults in the Austin community. The plan encourages other City departments to consider the needs of Austin’s aging community when developing plans in their respective departments to ensure that Age‐ Friendly is a natural part of Austin culture. Currently the plan is being updated in response to the 2022 City of Austin Audit Report: City Services for Older Adults. These edits will be finalized by the end of April 2024. City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 16 Imagine Austin City of Austin Planning and Zoning Housing Department Austin Strategic Housing Blueprint Continuum of Care Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO) On June 15, 2012, City Council voted unanimously to adopt Imagine Austin, the City's comprehensive plan for Austin's future. The plan implementation guidelines and the following priority includes programs: 1) a compact, connected Austin with improved transportation options; 2) sustainably managed water resources; 3) invest in Austin's workforce, education systems and entrepreneurs; 4) protect environmentally sensitive areas and integrate nature into the City; 5) invest in Austin's creative economy; 6) develop and maintain household affordability throughout Austin (NHCD is lead in implementing the Household Affordability priority program and will continue to partner with other City departments and community entities to guide implementation of Imagine Austin through its strategic plan); 7) create a 'Healthy Austin' program; and 8) revise Austin's land development regulations and processes. In August 2023, Council approved the funding for an update to the Comprehensive Plan, which initiated in the fall of 2023, and is expected to conclude in early 2026. In the Spring of 2017, the Austin City Council adopted the first ever Austin Strategic Housing Blueprint. The document helps align resources, ensures a unified strategic direction, and facilitates community partnerships to achieve this shared vision. The plan identifies funding mechanisms, potential regulations, and other creative approaches the City of Austin should utilize to achieve housing goals‐‐including the creation of 60,000 affordable units over the coming decade for households earning approximately $60,000 or less per year‐‐in line with Imagine Austin The Blueprint identified five community values to guide the process, including: ● Prevent households from being priced out of Austin; ● Foster equitable, integrated, and diverse communities; ● Invest in housing for those most in need; ● Create new and affordable housing choices for all Austinites in all parts of Austin; and, ● Help Austinites reduce their household costs. The Continuum of Care (CoC) is the collective networks, institutions, and organizations that provide housing and services to people who are at risk of or are experiencing homelessness. The CoC has oversight by our governing body, the Membership Council. The primary goal of the Continuum of Care (CoC) Program is designed to promote community wide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness; Provide funding for efforts by nonprofit providers, and State and local governments to quickly rehouse homeless individuals and families while minimizing the trauma and dislocation caused to homeless individuals, families, and communities by City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 17 among individuals homelessness; Promote access to and effect utilization of mainstream programs by homeless individuals and families; and optimize self‐ sufficiency experiencing homelessness. These goals align with the City of Austin Consolidated Plan which includes two prevention objectives: 1) Assist persons experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of becoming homeless; and 2) Assist persons living with HIV/AIDS to achieve stable housing and increase access to medical care and supportive services. families and The City of Austin Planning and Zoning Department coordinates updates of the Long‐Range Capital Improvement Program Strategic Plan. The Plan is updated on a two‐year cycle in cooperation with the Public Works Department, the City of Austin Budget Office, and capital departments. The plan has a 10‐year planning horizon and provides the basis for identifying both ongoing capital needs and strategic opportunities for CIP investment over the long term, including investments in affordable housing. The plan was created to further align the City's CIP investments with the Imagine Austin 30‐ Year Comprehensive Plan. Project Connect is the vision for Central Texas high‐capacity transit system. Linking activity centers within the fastest growing region in the country, Project Connect aims to connect people, places and opportunities in an easy, efficient way. The vision unites efforts to develop the best solutions for getting around Central Texas and addressing growth challenges. Long Range Capital Improvement Strategic Plan City of Austin Planning and Zoning Department Project Connect City of Austin, Capital Metro, CAMPO, LStar 2024 Community Services Block 2019 Public Housing Authority (PHA) Annual Plan Austin Public Health Austin Public Health conducts a Community Needs Assessment every three years in accordance with the requirements of the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG). The 2024 CSBG Community Needs Assessment is in progress and will be completed by June 2024. Housing Authority City of Austin The 5‐Year and Annual Public Housing Agency (PHA) Plans provide a ready source for interested parties to locate basic PHA policies, rules, and requirements concerning the PHA’s operations, programs, and services. Each PHA plan inform HUD, families served by the PHA, and members of the public, of the PHA’s mission, goals and objectives for serving the needs of low‐income, very low‐income, and extremely low‐income families. City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 18 Watershed Protection Strategic Plan City of Austin Watershed Protection Department Digital Inclusion Strategy City of Austin Telecommunicati ons and Regulatory Affairs Office The Watershed Protection Strategic Plan is the guiding blueprint for the Watershed Protection Department (WPD). The Strategic Plan helps WPD understand and address existing flooding, erosion, and water quality problems. The current plan was originally adopted over 20 years ago and is due for a comprehensive update. This update is called Rain to River: A Strategic Plan to Protect Austin's Creeks and Communities. The community will be at the heart of this update, shaping the vision, goals, and priorities of the new plan. WPD will use this new plan to set goals, prioritize work, and guide decision making to tackle urgent challenges such as climate change and racial inequities. The City of Austin vision includes every Austinite having an opportunity to be fully engaged in digital society, accessing and using digital and communications technology. The purpose of the plan is to address access and adoption of digital technology, and to serve as a guiding document for providing digital inclusion opportunities in affecting the City’s goals to ensure all Austinites are served. This plan is in accordance with HUD’s 2017 Broadband and Resiliency Rule. As more guidance regarding this rule is issued by HUD, the Housing Department will continue to incorporate updates through subsequent Action Plans. Table 3 – Other local / regional / federal planning efforts City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 19 Describe cooperation and coordination with other public entities, including the State and any adjacent units of general local government, in the implementation of the Consolidated Plan (91.215(l)) In preparation for the Consolidated Plan, the City of Austin consulted with nonprofit and for‐profit housing developers, community members, advocacy groups, government and industry representatives to discuss barriers to affordable and accessible housing. In addition, the City consulted with representatives of organizations focused on the needs regarding the elderly, fair housing, childcare and youth services, public housing, transportation, health services, broadband and resiliency. These agencies were specifically invited and encouraged to participate in the public input process and to share with their constituency notices of meetings and hearings; they were also invited to provide written comments from their constituents. Entities that participated in the public input process are listed in section PR‐10 Consultation. Narrative (optional): The City of Austin works to enhance coordination through interdepartmental, interorganizational, and intergovernmental planning. The City of Austin continues to promote awareness that household affordability and community development challenges are regional, and do not respect geopolitical boundaries. Household affordability and unaddressed community development needs can directly or indirectly affect access to public services, education, health and human services, transportation, environmental sustainability, economic development, community vitality, arts and culture. City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 20 PR‐15 Citizen Participation 1. Summary of citizen participation process/Efforts made to broaden citizen participation Summarize citizen participation process and how it impacted goal‐setting The City of Austin's Citizen Participation Plan requires two public hearings during the community needs assessment period, one before the Austin City Council and one before the Community Development Commission. Public hearings were conducted before the Community Development Commission on March 12, 2024 and before the Austin City Council on March 7, 2024. Transcripts of the comments made in the public hearings will attached to the final version of the FY 25‐29 Consolidated Plan. Additionally, the City of Austin’s Citizen Participation Plan requires two public hearings during the draft public comment period for the Consolidated Plan, one before the Austin City Council and one before the Community Development Commission. During the draft FY 25‐29 Consolidated Plan public comment period of May 7, 2024 to June 5, 2024, public hearing will be conducted before the Community Development Commission on May 14, 2024 and before the Austin City Council on May 30, 2024. As of April 22, 2024 the page has received nearly 1400 views and more than 470 survey responses. In addition, 155 participants left additional comments. More information on the Community Needs Assessment period is found in this document in the Executive Summary and in Attachment I B: Citizen Participation Process. All comments were accepted and considered in the development of strategic goals to address needs. The comprehensive community member engagement plan, including a comprehensive listing of all stakeholder groups that participated in the community needs process, is featured PR‐10 Consultation. Citizen Participation Outreach A detailed tabled providing information on all outreach methods that were employed during the FY 25‐29 Consolidted Plan process will be available here in the final version of the FY 25‐29 Consolidated Plan. City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 21 Needs Assessment NA‐05 Overview Needs Assessment Overview The Needs Assessment chapter focuses on key housing problems for households experiencing the greatest need in Austin, and this analysis focuses on low‐ to moderate‐income households. This chapter is also meant to identify groups of people who suffer from housing problems at higher rates than the rest of the population. This chapter relies heavily on the Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) dataset, which the US Census Bureau prepares for HUD. 1 This dataset categorizes households in Austin by variables such as income, family type, overcrowding, housing cost burden, and plumbing/kitchen problems, among others. This chapter also relies on local studies and research to capture information that CHAS data does not include. This chapter contains sections on overall housing needs, disproportionate housing needs according to race/ethnicity, public housing needs, homeless assessment, non‐homeless special needs, and non‐housing community development needs. This chapter finds that cost burden is the most prevalent housing problem for Austin households. Small family, non‐family, and renter households appear to experience the greatest cost burdens. Households with disabilities also experience higher rates of housing problems than others. Renter households face higher rates of housing problems in general than owners. Lastly, this chapter highlights that disproportionately greater housing needs exist for Black/African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Pacific Islander, and Hispanic/Latino households in Austin. For reference, these are definitions for some of the terms in the following sections: • HAMFI: “HUD Area Median Family Income,” which is used interchangeably with the terms “area median income” (AMI) and “median family income” (MFI) in CHAS documentation. Small Family: 2 persons (neither being 62 years or older), 3, or 4 persons. Large Family: 5 or more persons. • • • Not Cost Burdened: Household pays less than or equal to 30% of their income on housing. • Cost Burdened: Household pays greater than 30%, and less than or equal to 50% of their income on housing. Severely Cost Burdened: Household pays greater than 50% of their income on housing. • • Overcrowded: Household has between 1.01 and 1.5 persons per room. • Severely Overcrowded: Household has over 1.5 persons per room. 1 This is a specialized dataset created from custom tabulations that are not widely available through standard Census products. CHAS data from the 5‐year American Community Survey (ACS), and the most recent CHAS update comes from 2016‐2020 ACS. There is more current 5‐year ACS data available, but the CHAS dataset takes extra resources to prepare, and this necessitates more time for its release. City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 22 • Housing Problems: Household experience at least one of the following problems: 1) Lacks • complete kitchen facilities, 2) lacks complete plumbing facilities, 3) overcrowded (>1 and <1.5 persons per room), and 4) cost burdened (>30% and <50% of income spent on housing). Severe Housing Problems: Household experience at least one of the following problems: 1) Lacks complete kitchen facilities, 2) lacks complete plumbing facilities, 3) severely overcrowded (>1.5 persons per room), and 4) severely cost burdened (>50% of income spent on housing). City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 23 NA‐10 Housing Needs Assessment ‐ 24 CFR 91.205 (a,b,c) Summary of Housing Needs This section identifies the most prevalent housing problems faced by Austin households and begins to identify populations with greater needs. Tables 5 and 6 below begin by providing a high‐level summary of housing needs in Austin. HAMFI, defined in section NA‐05 above, is an important means of categorizing households by income in this chapter. Table 5 compares the total population, number of households, and median household income (MHI) between 2012 and 2022 for the City of Austin. The rate of increase in households (+39%) and MHI (+33%) is far greater than the rate increase for the population (+16%). The gap between the population and household growth rates appears to be widening. Between 2009 and 2019 (the year of the previous Consolidate Plan) the City of Austin population increased by 24%, and the number of households increased by 35% (ACS 1‐Year estimates). This widening gap means that the average number of people per household is declining. In 2012 there were 2.54 people per household, and in 2022 there were 2.127. The City of Austin Planning Department also observes that housing unit growth rate between 2010 and 2020 was outpaced by the growth rate in number of households, which puts further pressure on the housing supply (Building the Future 2023). The MHI appears to be increasing at a high rate as well, having increased 26% between 2009 and 2019, and 33% between 2012 and 2022 (ACS 1‐Year estimates, adjusted for 2019 and 2022 dollars respectively). In sum, Austin’s population is increasing, household size (people per household) is decreasing, and the median income is increasing. Table 6 below shows Austin’s total households categorized by income levels. Households are further categorized by size and the presence of elderly members and/or children. This data shows that 210,500 (53%) Austin households earned less than the HAMFI in 2020, and 98,955 (26%) earned less than half of the HAMFI (also see Figure 1 below for clearer illustration). The most recent CHAS data comes from 2020, when the HAMFI for the Austin‐Round Rock Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in 2020 was $97,600. The total number of households in 2020 was 395,280, with 215,383 (54%) being renter and 179,897 (46%) being owner (ACS 2016‐2020). This section finds that cost burden is the most prevalent housing problem for Austin households. Small family, non‐family, and renter households appear to experience the greatest cost burdens. Family households that rent experience the highest rates of overcrowding as well. Households with disabilities experience higher rates of housing problems than others. Renter households face higher rates of housing problems in general than owners. Racial and ethnic disparities are not addressed in this section, but they are in the following (NA‐15, NA‐20, and NA‐25). City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 24 Demographics Base Year: 2012 Most Recent Year: 2022 % Change Population Households Median Household Income (in 2022 dollars) 842,595 330,838 $67,062 975,335 458,505 $89,415 16% 39% 33% Table 5 ‐ Housing Needs Assessment Demographics Default Data Source: ACS 2012 1‐Year; ACS 2022 1‐Year. All income is in 2022 inflation adjusted dollars. 0‐30% HAMFI >30‐50% HAMFI >50‐80% HAMFI >80‐100% HAMFI >100% HAMFI Total Households 53,410 45,545 70,595 40,945 184,780 Small Family Households 13,940 13,700 21,055 13,330 86,785 Large Family Households Household contains at least one person 62‐74 years of age Household contains at least one person aged 75 or older Households with one or more children 6 years old or younger 3,560 8,795 3,680 7,460 4,315 9,915 2,830 10,000 6,970 27,620 4,360 4,180 4,655 1,870 7,945 8,365 8,075 7,665 4,815 26,580 Table 6 ‐ Total Households Table Default Data Source: 2016‐2020 CHAS (Tables 5, 7, and 13). Figure 1 ‐ Total Households by Income Data Source: 2016‐2020 CHAS City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 25 Housing Needs Summary Tables 1. Housing Problems (Households with one of the listed issues) – Deeper red gradient indicates greater prevalence of issue. Note that renters and owners who earn over 100% HAMFI are excluded here and in following tables. Renter >50‐ 80% HAMFI NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS Owner >50‐ 80% HAMFI >30‐ 50% HAMFI >30‐ 50% HAMFI 0‐ 30% HAMFI >80‐ 100% HAMFI >80‐ 100% HAMFI 0‐30% HAMFI Total Total 825 670 580 230 2,305 110 35 35 30 210 Substandard Housing ‐‐ Lacking complete plumbing or kitchen facilities Severely Overcrowded ‐‐ With >1.51 people per room (and complete kitchen and plumbing) Overcrowded ‐‐ With 1.01‐1.5 people per room (and none of the above problems) Housing cost burden greater than 50% of income (and none of the above problems) Housing cost burden greater than 30% of income, but less than 50% (and none of the above problems) Households with zero income (and none of the above problems) 1,675 1,030 925 500 4,130 75 140 100 180 495 2,575 1,625 1,625 715 6,540 160 365 615 455 1,595 26,580 10,310 2,225 210 39,325 7,255 4,145 2,560 415 14,375 2,795 15,140 20,005 4,465 42,405 1,720 4,235 6,470 3,470 15,895 4,145 ‐ ‐ ‐ 4,145 1,290 ‐ ‐ ‐ 1,290 Table 7 – Housing Problems Table Default Data Source: 2016‐2020 CHAS Table 3 City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 26 Figure 2 ‐ Chart of Housing Problems Data Data Source: 2016‐2020 CHAS Table 3 2. Severe Housing Problems (Households with at least one of four Severe Housing Problems: Lacks kitchen, lacks complete plumbing, severe overcrowding, severe cost burden) Owner Renter 0‐30% HAMFI >30‐50% HAMFI >50‐80% HAMFI >80‐100% HAMFI Total 0‐30% HAMFI >30‐50% HAMFI >50‐80% HAMFI >80‐100% HAMFI Total NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS 31,655 13,635 5,355 1,655 52,300 7,595 4,685 3,310 1,075 16,665 10,100 18,810 42,270 23,120 94,300 4,055 8,415 19,665 15,095 47,230 4,145 ‐ ‐ ‐ 4,145 1,290 ‐ ‐ ‐ 1,290 Table 8 – Severe Housing Problems Table Default Data Source: 2016‐2020 CHAS Table 3 City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 27 Having 1 or more of 4 severe housing problems Having none of four housing problems Households with zero income (and none of the above problems) 3. Cost Burden Between 30%‐50% of Income Renter Owner Household Type 0‐30% HAMFI >30‐50% HAMFI >50‐80% HAMFI Total 0‐30% HAMFI >30‐50% HAMFI >50‐80% HAMFI Total Small Family Large Family Elderly (both family and non‐ family) Other Households (non‐family and non‐elderly) Total need by income NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS 1,370 5,395 5,260 12,025 350 1,340 2,355 4,045 575 1,540 605 2,720 110 465 320 895 525 1,815 1,505 3,845 1,115 2,030 1,855 5,000 1,025 8,405 13,055 22,485 185 660 2,070 2,915 3,495 17,155 20,425 41,075 1,760 4,495 6,600 12,855 Table 9 ‐‐ Cost Burden Between 30‐50% Default Data Source: 2016‐2020 CHAS Table 7 City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 28 4. Cost Burden > 50% Renter Owner Household Type 0‐30% HAMFI >30‐50% HAMFI >50‐80% HAMFI Total 0‐30% HAMFI >30‐50% HAMFI >50‐80% HAMFI Total Small Family Large Family Elderly (both family and non‐ family) Other Households (non‐ family and non‐ elderly) Total need by income NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS 8,265 2,915 420 11,600 1,460 1,255 745 3,460 2,355 420 10 2,785 315 185 4,000 1,995 765 6,760 3,430 1,695 105 850 605 5,975 15,830 5,590 1,165 22,585 2,255 1,070 870 4,195 30,450 10,920 2,360 43,730 7,460 4,205 2,570 14,235 Table 10 – Cost Burden Over 50% Default Data Source: 2016‐2020 CHAS Table 7 Figure 3 ‐ Chart of Cost Burden Over 50% by Household Type Data Source: Table 10 City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 29 5. Crowding (More than one person per room) Renter Owner Family Type 0‐30% HAMFI >30‐50% HAMFI >50‐80% HAMFI >80‐100% HAMFI Total 0‐30% HAMFI >30‐50% HAMFI >50‐80% HAMFI >80‐100% HAMFI Total NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS 3,465 2,195 1,800 1,000 8,460 170 355 430 345 1300 340 425 505 100 1,370 60 150 265 250 725 465 130 360 135 1,090 4 10 30 45 89 4,270 2,750 2,665 1,235 10,920 234 515 725 640 2,114 Table 11 – Crowding Information 1/2 Default Data Source: 2016‐2020 CHAS Table 10 Renter Owner 0‐30% HAMFI >30‐50% HAMFI >50‐80% HAMFI Total 0‐30% HAMFI >30‐50% HAMFI >50‐80% HAMFI Total N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Table 12 – Crowding Information 2/2 Data Source: No Data Sources Household is one family, no subfamilies Household is one family, with at least one other family or subfamily Non‐Family Household Total need by income Households with Children Age 6 or Under City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 30 Describe the number and type of single person households in need of housing assistance. In 2022 there were 458,505 total occupied housing units in Austin, Texas. 172,936 (37.7%) of these are single person households 2 (ACS 2022 1‐Year). 119,071 (68.9%) of these single person households are renter and 53,865 (31.1%) are owner. 3 The survey conducted for Austin’s 2019 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing showed that single person households are a mix of young adults, middle aged adults, and elderly persons. The median age is in the 45 to 54 range and 20% of householders are over age 65. Roughly 20% of single person household incomes were less than $25,000. Needs identified in this survey include: ● 78% of single person renter households worry about their rent increasing more than they can afford. ● 57% of single person renter households want to buy a home but cannot afford the down payment. ● Among homeowners: • ~25% “can’t pay their property taxes.” • The share experiencing this housing challenge is lower among those over age 65 (15%) than those under age 65 (26%). This may reflect the ability of low‐income seniors to reduce their property tax burden through the homestead exemption. ● Among elderly single person households: ● Among single person householders under age 65: • • • • • • • • • 8% experienced displacement (having to move when they did not want to move) within the previous five years. ~20% have trouble with “inadequate sidewalks, streetlights, drainage, or other infrastructure in my neighborhood.” 14% can’t get to public transit easily or safely. 11% “need help taking care of myself/my home and can’t find or afford to hire someone.” 20% experienced displacement (having to move when they did not want to move) within the previous five years. ~25% experience challenges with “inadequate sidewalks, streetlights, drainage, or other infrastructure in my neighborhood.” 16% identify high crime in their neighborhood. 13% live in a home they consider to be in poor condition. 18% of single person renters under age 65 worry that if they request a repair, they will face a rent increase or eviction. 2 Referred to as “nonfamily, householder living alone” by the Census Bureau. 3 The City of Austin appears to have shifted sometime during 2020 or 2021 to the majority of households being nonfamily (including all single person and multiple person households); 53.5% of households were nonfamily in 2022 (ACS 2022 1‐Year). City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Co nsolidated Plan 31 Estimate the number and type of families in need of housing assistance who are disabled or victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. In 2020 there were an estimated 62,920 households in Austin with at least one member with a disability, which is 16% of total households in the city (2016‐2020 CHAS, Table 6). The CHAS dataset categorizes household member disabilities into four types: • Hearing or vision impairment: • • • o 27,295 households in Austin. Ambulatory limitation: o 29,420 households in Austin. Cognitive limitation: o 28,320 households in Austin. Self‐care or independent living limitation: o 24,730 households in Austin. Note that households can have multiple members with disabilities, and any individual may also have multiple disabilities. 27,215 households in Austin have both a disability and at least one housing problem, which is 43.2% of the total households with a disability. The table below details these households by the type of disability. Hearing/Vision Ambulatory Cognitive Self‐Care 0‐30% HAMFI >30‐50% HAMFI >50‐80% HAMFI >80% HAMFI Total 4,015 2,895 2,155 1,640 6,695 3,450 2,275 1,235 5,750 3,900 2,580 1,265 10,705 13,655 13,495 11,370 Table 13 – Households with a Disability and at Least 1 Housing Problem Source: 2016‐2020 CHAS Table 6 This table shows that the most housing problems for households with a disability occur in lower income categories. Among total households with a disability: 5,230 3,250 1,895 995 32 City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co • • • • 17% have a hearing or vision disability and at least one housing problem. 21.7% have an ambulatory disability and at least one housing problem. 21.4% have a cognitive disability and at least one housing problem. 18.1% have a self‐care disability and at least one housing problem. There are fewer local data for the housing needs of victims of domestic violence, dating violence sexual assault, and stalking. According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) 2016/2017 Report on Intimate Partner Violence, victims of domestic violence sometimes need to access housing services. Roughly 5.5% of US women experience intimate partner violence (IPV) in their lifetime and require housing services as a result. The same is true for 1.4% of men nationally. Applying these percentages directly to the City of Austin population (2022 ACS estimates) would mean that roughly 26,000 women and 7,000 men in the city could require housing services as a result of domestic violence in their lifetime. These numbers are a very rough estimate, though Texans do experience similar rates of domestic violence to the national average according to the NISVS 2016/2017 State Report. What are the most common housing problems? The most prominent housing issue is housing cost burden (see Table 7 above). 54% of the households earning less than the median income in Austin were cost burdened in 2020 (paying over 30% of their earnings on housing); 26% of the households earning less than the median income in Austin were severely cost burdened (paying over 50% of their earnings on housing). Renters experienced higher rates of cost burden than owners. Overall, 31% of total households in Austin were paying over 30% of their income on housing in 2020; 14% overall were severely cost burdened, paying over 50% of their income. Housing cost burden has continued to increase in recent years. Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies estimates that 47.7% of renter households paid over 30% of their income on housing in the Austin‐Round Rock‐Georgetown Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in 2022; 23.1% paid over 50% of their income on housing (severe cost burden). Are any populations/household types more affected than others by these problems? Renters face higher rates of cost burden than owners, though it is a significant issue for both. The data in Tables 7 shows that roughly 81,730 (56%) of the renter households earning less than the median income paid over 30% of their income on housing in 2020, versus 30,270 (47%) of the owner households earning less than the median income. Renters experience higher rates of housing problems in general, including overcrowding and kitchen/plumbing issues, though these other problems are not nearly as prevalent as cost burden. Table 8 above reinforces the difference between renters and owners, showing that 52,300 (36%) of Austin’s renter households earning less than the median income faced severe housing problems in 2020, versus 16,665 (26%) of owner households earning less than the median income. Table 9 shows how cost burden (paying 30‐50% of income on housing) compares between different types of City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 33 households. Renter households again appear to suffer greater cost burden than owner households. Small families and non‐family, non‐elderly households seem to have the greatest burden overall. Among homeowners there also appears to be a disproportionate cost burden for elderly households. Table 10 shows how severe cost burden (paying over 50% of income on housing) compares between types of households. There are similar trends to Table 9, but it is also clear that the lowest income households (0‐30% HAMFI) are a much greater share of those severely cost burdened. The data from Table 11 above shows that 3% of households had more than one person per room in 2020, which is considered overcrowded. However, 5% of renter households were overcrowded, compared with just 1% of owner households. Family households that rent appear to represent the most overcrowding cases. Among renter households, the 0‐30% AMI category had by far the most overcrowding. Among owner households, the most overcrowding was in the 50‐80% AMI category. 19% of Austinites living with a disability earn an income below the poverty level, while the rate is 11% for the whole city (ACS 2022, 1‐Year). Households with disabilities in Austin experience housing problems in general at higher rates than households without disabilities – 43% compared to 35% (2016‐2020 CHAS, Table 6). There are also racial and ethnic disparities in housing problems, which will be analyzed in the following sections (NA‐15, NA‐20, and NA‐25). Describe the characteristics and needs of Low‐income individuals and families with children (especially extremely low‐income) who are currently housed but are at imminent risk of either residing in shelters or becoming unsheltered 91.205(c)/91.305(c)). Also discuss the needs of formerly homeless families and individuals who are receiving rapid re‐housing assistance and are nearing the termination of that assistance According to the Austin Community Foundation Housing Report published in 2022, more than 44,000 families in Austin earned less than $26,200 per year, meaning most of those families are likely precariously housed—couch‐ surfing or otherwise not included on a lease, staying in emergency shelters or living in transitional housing programs. Housing challenges among the precariously housed include: bad credit/history of eviction/foreclosure and can’t find a place to rent, an inability to pay utilities, inadequate job opportunities, and criminal backgrounds that disqualify them from many residences. Formerly homeless families and individuals receiving rapid rehousing assistance or nearing the termination of temporary assistance may have difficulty transitioning to self‐sufficiency and providing for their families. It is important to maintain processes that help the family or individual identify their needs and prepare a short‐ and long‐term plan of action. Rapid rehousing service providers (funded by ARPA, CoC, and the City) meet regularly to discuss strategies to address the needs of families and individuals they serve. The problem of families struggling after financial assistance is no longer available is addressed by working with City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 34 clients to develop a plan for the time period that they are receiving assistance until after the assistance is no longer available. All programs utilize progressive engagement to continually assess and work with clients to determine the continuing needs for financial assistance and case management. Most agencies are able to continue providing case management post‐housing placement with financial assistance available, if it is determined that they need it. Rapid rehousing providers and funders continue to develop standardized procedures across the community to create best practices. To that end, the City worked with a private consulting firm, Social Finance, to develop and pilot a rapid rehousing scorecard, which recently completed its first year of implementation. The scorecard program and process allowed for regular conversations to be had around issues such as data quality, programming difficulties, and creation and implementation of best practices. The scorecard was also refined during the earlier stages of the pilot, allowing for providers to see how their input could shape the way that RRH is implemented in the community. Now that the pilot is completed, the CoC will be adopting the scorecard for community‐wide use. In addition to Rapid Rehousing, the City has contracted with two social service providers to offer targeted homelessness prevention to households at risk of experiencing homelessness. These programs offer short‐ term financial assistance, wraparound case management support, and linkages to community resources such as employment readiness or childcare resources. These programs are funded with federal ARPA funds at this time and, due to the one‐time nature of the funding source, will only operate until the funding is exhausted. If a jurisdiction provides estimates of the at‐risk population(s), it should also include a description of the operational definition of the at‐risk group and the methodology used to generate the estimates: “At‐risk of homelessness” is defined using the federal definition found in 24 CFR § 91.5. Prior work in the community has defined “precariously housed” based on a number of factors, including those with a prior history of eviction or foreclosure, difficulty paying utilities or property taxes, poor credit history, criminal history, mental illness, prior episodes of homelessness, domestic assault, LGBTQ youth, and extremely low‐ income households. Specify particular housing characteristics that have been linked with instability and an increased risk of homelessness The most fundamental characteristic shared by persons who experience homelessness and populations viewed as at‐risk is their extreme poverty and prior histories of homelessness and/or use of the homeless response system. Discussion City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 35 The data presented in this section indicate that cost burden is the most important housing problem in Austin for both renters and homeowners. Lower‐income renter households (especially small family and non‐family) experience greater cost burden and other housing problems overall. Housing cost is the primary driver of displacement in Austin (Uprooted 2018). The increasing population, decreasing average household size (people per household), and increasing median household income between 2012 and 2022 may indicate that more affluent individuals are migrating to Austin. Housing cost burden on low‐income Austinites is inevitably related to the housing market conditions. The City of Austin adopted the Austin Strategic Housing Blueprint (ASHB) in 2017, a 10‐year plan for addressing the city’s housing needs. The ASHB set an ambitious goal of creating 135,000 units of housing by 2027; 60,000 of these units are supposed to be affordable to households earning less than 80% MFI, and 75,000 can be priced for households above 80% MFI. The AHSB also sets a goal of 1,000 permanent supportive housing units over 10 years to reduce homelessness. The 5‐year progress update (2022) showed that Austin is well behind pace for its goal for the 60,000 units of affordable housing. The underperformance is particularly evident for deeply affordable units, as only 363 units affordable at 30% MFI and under were created between 2017 and 2022. Only 47 units of permanent supportive housing were created over the same period. In addition, the City of Austin’s western council districts (traditionally the wealthiest and having the highest concentrations of white residents) continue to lag the furthest in affordable housing production. The following chapter, Market Analysis, will explore Austin’s housing market in more detail. City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 36 NA‐15 Disproportionately Greater Need: Housing Problems – 91.205 (b)(2) Assess the need of any racial or ethnic group that has disproportionately greater need in comparison to the needs of that category of need as a whole. Introduction This section focuses housing problem disparities between racial and ethnic groups. There are four possible “housing problems” in this analysis: 1) Lacks complete kitchen facilities, 2) lacks complete plumbing facilities, 3) has more than 1 person per room, and 4) cost burden is greater than 30% of household income. According to HUD and federal code for consolidated plan reporting, “disproportionately greater need exists when the percentage of persons in a category of need who are members of a particular racial or ethnic group is at least 10 percentage points higher than the percent of persons in the category as a whole” (24 CFR 91.305). Following these parameters, the data in this section reveal that the following groups experience disproportionately greater housing needs: • • • American Indian/Alaska Native households in the 0‐30% HAMFI category. Pacific Islander households in the 0‐30% HAMFI category. Pacific Islander households in the 30‐50% HAMFI category. Beyond the HUD definition above, income disparities between racial and ethnic groups are an additional key indication of whether there are disproportionately greater needs. There are large income and wealth gaps along racial/ethnic lines in Austin. Black/African American (non‐Hispanic) and Hispanic/Latino households comprise disproportionately large shares of lower‐income households, and these are the income categories experiencing significantly greater rates of housing problems. City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 37 0%‐30% of HAMFI Housing Problems Has one or more of four housing problems Has none of the four housing problems, OR no/negative income Jurisdiction as a whole 4 Black / African American White Asian American Indian, Alaska Native Pacific Islander Hispanic 43,765 17,035 5,590 3,445 50 20 16,535 9,640 3,295 1,275 1,130 0 0 3,400 Table 14 ‐ Housing Problems by Race/Ethnicity, 0‐30% HAMFI Default Data Source: 2016‐2020 CHAS Figure 4 – Percent of Households with 1‐4 Housing Problems by Race/Ethnicity, 0‐30% HAMFI Data Source: Table 14 4 Note that the totals for the jurisdiction in the following tables are not equal to the sum of the totals for each individual race/ethnicity. This is because HUD uses rounding in the CHAS dataset (0 remains 0; 1‐7 rounds to 4; and 8 or above rounds to the nearest multiple of 5). The totals for the jurisdiction as a whole are closest to the actual amount. City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 38 30%‐50% of HAMFI Housing Problems Has one or more of four housing problems Has none of the four housing problems Jurisdiction as a whole Black / African American White Asian American Indian, Alaska Native Pacific Islander Hispanic 37,695 17,395 3,450 2,005 30 50 13,470 7,850 3,010 880 360 10 0 3,390 Table 15 ‐ Housing Problems by Race/Ethnicity, 30‐50% HAMFI Default Data Source: 2016‐2020 CHAS Figure 5 – Percent of Households with 1‐4 Housing Problems by Race/Ethnicity, 30‐50% HAMFI Data Source: Table 15 City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 39 50%‐80% of HAMFI Housing Problems Has one or more of four housing problems Has none of the four housing problems Jurisdiction as a whole Black / African American White Asian American Indian, Alaska Native Pacific Islander Hispanic 35,140 19,305 3,395 1,255 64 0 35,460 16,935 3,565 1,465 94 0 10,015 12,630 Table 16 ‐ Housing Problems by Race/Ethnicity, 50‐80% HAMFI Default Data Source: 2016‐2020 CHAS Figure 6 ‐ Percent of Households with 1‐4 Housing Problems by Race/Ethnicity, 50‐80% HAMFI Data Source: Table 16 City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 40 80%‐100% of HAMFI Housing Problems Has one or more of four housing problems Has none of the four housing problems Jurisdiction as a whole White Asian Black / African American American Indian, Alaska Native Pacific Islander Hispanic 10,670 6,450 550 595 0 0 2,745 30,280 16,140 2,215 1,795 105 0 9,085 Table 17 ‐ Housing Problems by Race/Ethnicity, 80‐100% HAMFI Default Data Source: 2011‐2015 CHAS 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% All Households White, non‐Hispanic 26% 29% Black/African American, non‐Hispanic 20% Asian, non‐Hispanic 25% American Indian/Alaska Native, non‐ Hispanic 0% Pacific Islander, non‐Hispanic N/A Hispanic, any race 23% Figure 7 ‐ Percent of Households with 1‐4 Housing Problems by Race/Ethnicity, 80‐100% HAMFI Data Source: Table 17 City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 41 Discussion This section shows that there are very high levels of housing problems for Austin households earning below the median family income. Housing problems are particularly acute in the lowest income households (those earning below 50% HAMFI). In sum, ~80% of households that earn under 50% HAMFI, ~50% of households earning between 50‐80% HAMFI, and ~25% of households earning between 80‐100% HAMFI have housing problems. The following racial/ethnic groups suffer disproportionately greater need according to the HUD parameters (albeit with small sample sizes): • • • American Indian/Alaska Native households in the 0‐30% HAMFI category. Pacific Islander households in the 0‐30% HAMFI category. Pacific Islander households in the 30‐50% HAMFI category. Beyond the HUD parameters, it is critical to highlight the impact of the core income disparities between racial and ethnic groups. Black/African American (non‐Hispanic) and Hispanic/Latino households comprise significantly larger shares of lower income households. This indicates that these households bear a disproportionate burden of household problems overall. Figure and Figure illustrate these disparities. For example, White (non‐Hispanic) households comprise 56% of the total in Austin, but only 38% of those earning less than 30% HAMFI; Black/African American (non‐Hispanic) households comprise 7% of the total households, but 13% of those under 30% HAMFI; and Hispanic/Latino households comprise 26% of total households, but 37% of those under 30% HAMFI. The racial/ethnic disparities steadily narrow as incomes rise until relative parity (relative to households overall) in the 80‐100% HAMFI range. Above 100% HAMFI, however, disparities appear again. Households earning above 100% HAMFI are much more likely to be White (non‐Hispanic) and much less likely to be Black (non‐Hispanic) or Hispanic. Lastly, Figure illustrates the level of disproportionately greater needs between race and income groups by comparing the 0‐30% HAMFI households alongside those earning over 100% HAMFI (that is, more than the median income). Higher income households, which are much more likely to be White (non‐Hispanic), have very low rates of housing issues. Low‐income households, which are much more likely to be Black (non‐ Hispanic) and Hispanic, suffer much higher rates of housing issues. Figure 8 ‐ Race/Ethnicity of All Austin Households Data Source: CHAS 2016‐2020 City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 42 Figure 9 ‐ Race/Ethnicity of Households by Income Category Data Source: 2016‐2020 CHAS City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 43 Figure 10 ‐ Comparing Rates of Housing Problems Between Highest and Lowest Incomes by Race/Ethnicity Data Source: 2016‐2020 CHAS Table 1 Further categorization of households earning over 100% HAMFI may reveal further racial/ethnic disparity between households. It would be useful to categorize the top 20%, 10%, and 1% of income earning households by race/ethnicity. The trends observed in this section indicate that the share of White (non‐ Hispanic) households would continue to increase for the top income households. City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 44 NA‐20 Disproportionately Greater Need: Severe Housing Problems – 91.205 (b)(2) Assess the need of any racial or ethnic group that has disproportionately greater need in comparison to the needs of that category of need as a whole. Introduction This section focuses on severe housing problem disparities between racial and ethnic groups. The four “severe housing problems” in this analysis include: 1) Lacks complete kitchen facilities, 2) lacks complete plumbing facilities, 3) has more than 1.5 people per room, and 4) cost burden is greater than 50% of household income. According to HUD and federal code for consolidated plan reporting, “disproportionately greater need exists when the percentage of persons in a category of need who are members of a particular racial or ethnic group is at least 10 percentage points higher than the percent of persons in the category as a whole” (24 CFR 91.305). Following these parameters, the data in this section reveal that the following groups experience disproportionately greater housing needs (albeit with small sample sizes): • • Pacific Islander households in the 0‐30% HAMFI category. American Indian/Alaska Native households in the 30‐50% HAMFI category. Beyond the HUD definition above, and as emphasized in the previous section (NA‐15), income disparities between racial and ethnic groups are a key indication of whether there are disproportionately greater needs. There are large income and wealth gaps along racial/ethnic lines in Austin. Black/African American (non‐Hispanic) and Hispanic/Latino households comprise disproportionately large shares of lower‐income households, and these are the income categories experiencing significantly greater rates of housing problems. As in the previous section examining housing problems, racial/ethnic disparities become evident for severe housing problems when accounting for the composition of each income category. City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 45 0%‐30% of HAMFI Severe Housing Problems Has one or more of four housing problems Has none of the four housing problems, OR no/negative income Jurisdiction as a whole Black / African American White Asian American Indian, Alaska Native Pacific Islander Hispanic 39,250 15,440 4,925 3,310 40 20 14,155 4,890 1,945 1,260 15 0 Table 18 – Severe Housing Problems by Race/Ethnicity, 0‐30% HAMFI Default Data Source: 2016‐2020 CHAS Table 2 14,540 5,395 Figure 11 ‐ Percent of Households with 1‐4 Severe Housing Problems by Race/Ethnicity, 0‐30% HAMFI Data Source: Table 18 City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 46 30%‐50% of HAMFI Severe Housing Problems Has one or more of four housing problems Has none of the four housing problems Jurisdiction as a whole White Asian Black / African American American Indian, Alaska Native Pacific Islander Hispanic 18,320 8,690 1,595 975 30 0 6,560 27,225 11,720 2,735 1,390 10 50 10,295 Table 19 – Severe Housing Problems by Race/Ethnicity, 30‐50% HAMFI Default Data Source: 2016‐2020 CHAS Table 2 Figure 12 ‐ Percent of Households with 1‐4 Severe Housing Problems by Race/Ethnicity, 30‐50% HAMFI Data Source: Table 19 City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 47 50%‐80% of HAMFI Severe Housing Problems Has one or more of four housing problems Has none of the four housing problems Jurisdiction as a whole White Asian Black / African American American Indian, Alaska Native Pacific Islander Hispanic 8,665 4,235 640 385 4 0 3,180 61,935 32,010 6,315 2,335 149 0 19,465 Table 20 – Severe Housing Problems by Race/Ethnicity, 50‐80% HAMFI Default Data Source: 2016‐2020 CHAS Table 2 Figure 13 ‐ Percent of Households with 1‐4 Severe Housing Problems by Race/Ethnicity, 50‐80% HAMFI Data Source: Table 20 City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 48 80%‐100% of HAMFI Severe Housing Problems Has one or more of four housing problems Has none of the four housing problems Jurisdiction as a whole 2,730 White Asian Black / African American American Indian, Alaska Native Pacific Islander Hispanic 990 155 255 0 0 1,325 38,215 21,590 2,615 2,135 105 0 10,505 Table 21 – Severe Housing Problems by Race/Ethnicity, 80‐100% HAMFI Default Data Source: 2016‐2020 CHAS Table 2 Figure 14 ‐ Percent of Households with 1‐4 Severe Housing Problems by Race/Ethnicity, 80‐100% HAMFI Data Source: Table 21 City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 49 Discussion Severe housing problems show similar disparities to the previously discussed housing problems in section NA‐15. Lower income households experience much higher rates of severe housing problems than higher income households. The following groups experience disproportionately greater need according to the HUD parameters (albeit with small sample sizes): • • Pacific Islander households in the 0‐30% HAMFI category. American Indian/Alaska Native households in the 30‐50% HAMFI category. Additional analysis reveals that there is also disproportionately greater need for American Indian/Alaska Native households in the >100% HAMFI category (Figure 15 below). Beyond the HUD parameters, racial/ethnic disparities are pronounced for Black or Hispanic households because they comprise disproportionately larger shares of lower‐income households and lower shares of upper‐income households (refer to Figure and Figure in previous section for reference). These income disparities apply to severe housing issues in the same way that they apply to housing issues discussed in section NA‐15. 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% All Households 3% White, non‐Hispanic 2% Black/African American, non‐Hispanic Asian, non‐Hispanic 5% 5% American Indian/Alaska Native, non‐ Hispanic 16% Pacific Islander, non‐Hispanic <1% Hispanic, any race 4% Figure 15 – Percent of Households with 1‐4 Severe Housing Problems by Race/Ethnicity, Income >100% HAMFI Data Source: 2016‐2020 CHAS Table 2 City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 50 NA‐25 Disproportionately Greater Need: Housing Cost Burdens – 91.205 (b)(2) Assess the need of any racial or ethnic group that has disproportionately greater need in comparison to the needs of that category of need as a whole. Introduction: According to HUD and federal code for consolidated plan reporting, “disproportionately greater need exists when the percentage of persons in a category of need who are members of a particular racial or ethnic group is at least 10 percentage points higher than the percent of persons in the category as a whole” (24 CFR 91.305). Following these parameters, the data in this section reveal that the following groups experience disproportionately greater housing needs (albeit with small sample sizes): • • Black/African American (non‐Hispanic) households Pacific Islander (non‐Hispanic) households Table 22 and Figure 16 illustrate the levels of cost burden between race and ethnic categories. Housing Cost Burden Jurisdiction as a whole White Asian Black / African American American Indian, Alaska Native Pacific Islander Hispanic Other (multiple races) <30% 30‐50% >50% No / Negative Income (not computed) 258,849 154,420 14,550 19,625 735 59 61,900 7,560 71,135 38,055 6,265 3,085 85 50 21,310 2,285 59,540 28,395 6,455 4,390 75 20 18,630 1,575 Table 22 – Greater Need: Housing Cost Burdens Default Data Source: 2016‐2020 CHAS City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 5,740 2,095 570 800 0 0 2,035 240 51 Figure 16 ‐ Housing Cost Burden by HAMFI and Racial/Ethnic Group Default Data Source: 2016‐2020 CHAS Discussion Using the HUD definition, Black/African American (non‐Hispanic) and Pacific Islander (non‐Hispanic) households experience a disproportionate need from housing cost burden. Roughly 35% of households in the City of Austin spend over 30% of their income on housing, but the estimate is 48% for Black households and 55% for Pacific Islander households 5 (calculated by adding the 30‐50% and the >50% columns in Figure above). Beyond the HUD definition of disproportionate need, additional indications of disparities are evident. Figure below shows the racial and ethnic makeup for households that are cost burdened, severely cost burdened, and not cost burdened. People of color, particularly Black and Hispanic households, are more likely to be cost burdened and severely cost‐burdened than White (non‐Hispanic) households. Black (non‐ Hispanic) households are nearly twice as prevalent among those severely cost burdened as opposed to those not cost burdened (11% vs. 6%). Meanwhile, 60% of households that are not cost burdened are White (non‐Hispanic), but they constitute only 48% of severely cost burdened households (a 12% difference). Refer to Figure below for more detail. 5 Once again, sample size is small for Pacific Islander and American Indian/Alaska Native households. City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 52 Figure 17 ‐ Cost Burden Comparison by Race/Ethnicity Data Source: 2016‐2020 CHAS City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 53 NA‐30 Disproportionately Greater Need: Discussion – 91.205(b)(2) Are there any Income categories in which a racial or ethnic group has disproportionately greater need than the needs of that income category as a whole? To review, a disproportionate need according to HUD exists when a resident group has a rate of housing problems that is 10 percentage points higher than the jurisdiction overall. The following groups demonstrate disproportionately greater need according to the HUD parameters: • Housing Problems: o American Indian/Alaska Native households in the 0‐30% HAMFI category. o Pacific Islander households in the 0‐30% HAMFI category. o Pacific Islander households in the 30‐50% HAMFI category. Severe Housing Problems: • • Cost Burden: o Pacific Islander households in the 0‐30% HAMFI category. o American Indian/Alaska Native households in the 30‐50% HAMFI category. o Black/African American (non‐Hispanic) households o Pacific Islander (non‐Hispanic) households However, as discussed in the above sections, it is important to also account for the disproportionately higher share of lower‐income households that are Black and Hispanic. Households with lower incomes experience high rates of housing problems and severe housing problems (summarized in Table 23 below). Black and Hispanic households are more prevalent in lower income categories, and therefore are more likely to experience housing problems. Income 0‐30% HAMFI 30‐50% HAMFI 50‐80% HAMFI 80‐100% HAMFI >100% HAMFI % of Households with at Least 1 of 4 Housing Problems % of households with at Least 1 of 4 Severe Housing Problems 82% 83% 50% 26% 8% 73% 40% 12% 7% 3% Table 23 – Rates of Housing Problems and Severe Housing Problems by Income Data Source: 2016‐2020 CHAS City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 54 If they have needs not identified above, what are those needs? Section NA‐10 highlights that renter households experience higher rates of cost burden and housing problems overall. There is a significant gap in homeownership rates between Non‐Hispanic White versus Non‐Hispanic Black and Hispanic/Latino households. % of owner households % of renter households White Black Hispanic 57% 49% 4% 9% 21% 31% Table 24 – Owner and Renter Households by Race/Ethnicity Data Source: 2016‐2020 CHAS Table 1 The following Market Analysis chapter highlights that there is a lack of housing supply in Austin that is affordable to lower‐income households, a problem which disproportionately burdens people of color in the City of Austin. Are any of those racial or ethnic groups located in specific areas or neighborhoods in your community? The City of Austin exhibits patterns of racial and economic segregation that are rooted in the city’s first comprehensive plan, which was adopted in 1928 (Koch and Fowler 1928). This plan institutionalized segregation in the city by drawing Black and Hispanic Austinites to the east of the city, an area that would also see industrialization. Racist zoning policies and disinvestment institutionalized through practices such as redlining depressed property values in these eastern neighborhoods for decades. Gentrification in more recent decades has displaced low‐income communities of color from the central east side, while large areas of west Austin have exclusionary land use patterns, contributing to what is known as the Eastern Crescent today (Figure ). City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 55 Figure 18 ‐ Map of Concentrated Racial or Ethnic Groups by Census Tract Data Source: ACS 2016‐2020 City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 56 NA‐35 Public Housing – 91.205(b) Introduction The Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA) serves the community by providing Austinites with an affordable home and avenues to self‐sufficiency. Today, HACA either owns, manages, and/or maintains 18 low‐income subsidized housing developments, formerly public housing, with 2,149 affordable units. Sixteen of those properties are directly managed by HACA. Starting in 2013, HACA began converting its public housing units through the RAD Program (Rental Assistance Demonstration Program), in order to improve, modernize and/or redevelop aging housing stock. Although no longer called “public housing”, these assets, funded under the Project‐Based Rental Assistance Program (PBRA), still serve the same population as under public housing. The agency also administers the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program which provides housing for more than 5, 900 low‐income individuals and families. The tables below feature total units and vouchers, by type, and are populated with the most recent data from HACA. Clients of HACA are more likely to represent African American households, families with children, and persons with disabilities than households in the region overall. Specifically: ● Of households occupying P B R A units, 22% are Non‐Hispanic White, 34% African American, 43% Hispanic, 42% families with children, and 54% of households have persons with disabilities. ● Of voucher holders, 10% are Non‐Hispanic White, 56% African American, 32% Hispanic, 47% families with children, 28% persons with disabilities. ● Clients living in racially and ethnically concentrated areas (R/ECAPS) are more likely to be families with children than clients not living in R/ECAPs. City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 57 Totals in Use # of units vouchers in use Average Annual Income Average length of stay Average Household size # Homeless at admission # of Elderly Program Participants (>62) # of Disabled Families Program Type Certificate Mod‐ Rehab Public Housing Total Project ‐ based Tenant ‐ based Special Purpose Voucher Disabled* Vouchers Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Family Unification Program 0 0 2,149 5,907 156 5,751 442 75 387 *includes Non‐Elderly Disabled, Mainstream One‐Year, Mainstream Five‐year, and Nursing Home Transition Alternate Data Source: Data provided by HACA Table 22 ‐ Public Housing by Program Type Characteristics of Residents Program Type Certificate Mod‐ Rehab Public Housing Total Project ‐based Tenant ‐based Vouchers Special Purpose Voucher Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Family Unification Program 0 15,080 18,082 11,582 18,317 17,617 16,869 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 785 0 6.1 years 6.3 years 3.3 years 6.5 years 5.8 years 6.4 years 2.2 2 1 2 3 1 108 305 N/A N/A N/A N/A 1,507 527 1,252 39 215 3,633 97 3,200 310 City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 1 31 58 # of Families requesting accessibility features # of HIV/AIDS program participants # of DV victims Race White Black/ African American Asian American Indian/ Alaska Native Pacific Islander Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1,146 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 0 0 N/A N/A 0 0 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Table 24 – Characteristics of Public Housing Residents by Program Type Alternate Data Source: Data provided by HACA Race of Residents Program Type Certificate Mod‐ Public Housing Rehab Total Project ‐based Tenant ‐based Vouchers Special Purpose Voucher Family Unification Program Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Disabled* 307 197 129 124 3 1 0 0 266 263 6 5 0 0 3 0 0 3 59 5,441 153 4,586 7,314 100 673 492 6,630 76 32 89 4 65 2 54 30 2 22 169 0 2 0 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co Table 25 – Race of Public Housing Residents by Program Type *includes Non‐Elderly Disabled, Mainstream One‐Year, Mainstream Five‐year, and Nursing Home Transition Alternate Data Source: Data provided by HACA Ethnicity of Residents Ethnicity Certificate Mod‐ Rehab Public Housing Program Type Total Project ‐based Tenant ‐based Vouchers Special Purpose Voucher Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Family Unification Program Disabled* Hispanic Not Hispanic 84 3,765 80 108 395 0 0 0 0 627 4,185 177 713 8,746 7,589 428 148 148 Table 26 – Ethnicity of Public Housing Residents by Program Type *includes Non‐Elderly Disabled, Mainstream One‐Year, Mainstream Five‐year, and Nursing Home Transition Alternate Data Source: Data provided by HACA Section 504 Needs Assessment: Describe the needs of public housing tenants and applicants on the waiting list for accessible units: The majority of the families drawn off the waiting are families with either an elderly or disabled head of household, co‐head or spouse. Of those, about 40% express a need for some type of special accommodation. Current low‐income Subsidized Housing tenants and applicants have a wide range of accessibility needs. The following are the most common requested needs: 1. Apartments without stairs. This need includes both internal and external stairs. Many families have a family member for whom it is very difficult or impossible to navigate stairs on a regular basis. 2. Wheelchair accessible. This accessibility goes beyond simply no stairs in the apartment. This includes the need for ramps to the front door and lowered curbs to allow them to cross the street or access the management office. Doors need to be wide enough to allow for a wheelchair. Light switches, sinks and appliances need to be located at a height that would allow a wheelchair occupant to reach them. Roll‐in showers or transfer showers with grab bars may also be necessary. 3. Specific bathtub / shower types and bathroom grab bars. The specifics of each case will vary. Some will need a walk‐in or roll‐in shower. Others will need a tub shower. Many need grab bars at the toilet or the bathtub /shower or both. City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 60 4. Flashing doorbell and flashing smoke detector. Family members may be hearing impaired and 5. require these items as safety measures. Live‐in aide or caregiver. A family member may require the continual assistance of a caregiver to live independently. What are the number and type of families on the waiting lists for public housing and section 8 tenant‐based rental assistance? Based on the information above, and any other information available to the jurisdiction, what are the most immediate needs of residents of Public Housing and Housing Choice voucher holders HACA manages 16 properties that provide subsidized housing through the Project Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) program. There are currently 13,943 families on one or more waiting lists across the 16 properties, with an average of 2.2 members per household. Fifty‐eight percent of the heads of household are female, and 41% of the household members are children. Four out of the 16 properties HACA manages provide a preference for elderly and disabled residents. At these properties, apartment units do not have any stairs; there is elevator access to each floor and wheelchair accessibility throughout the building. However, these four sites only have 1‐ and 2‐bedroom apartments. For larger families that require 3‐ 4‐ or 5‐bedroom units, HACA has very limited availability. The Housing Choice Voucher waiting list has a total of 575 families, with an average of 2.4 members per household. Fifty‐nine percent of the heads of household are female, and 49% of the household members are children. Households in the Housing Choice Voucher program have the advantage of more options throughout the City. However, with an historically high occupancy rate in Austin, first floor apartments, apartments without stairs and wheelchair accessible apartments are limited. Among accessible apartments, many are 1‐ or 2‐bedrooms. How do these needs compare to the housing needs of the population at large As discussed above, HACA clients are more likely to be families with children, African Americans, and persons with disabilities than individuals in the City overall. These household types have greater needs for larger unit sizes, housing in close proximity to schools, housing in close proximity to services, and good access to public transit. These housing qualities‐‐particularly the locational qualities‐‐are also in demand by other, higher‐income persons, making affordable units for lower income households increasingly challenging to find. The data analysis conducted for the AI found very few areas of the region that are affordable to voucher holders except for southeast Austin and southeast Travis County. An analysis of the needs of voucher holders conducted for the regional AI found that, compared to all households, voucher holders are much more likely to worry about being displaced from their current unit because their landlords may refuse to accept Section 8. City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 61 Discussion Moreover, reporting from HACA staff and clients, Housing Department survey respondents, community stakeholders and City leaders all serves to underscore the urgent need for affordable and safe, multi‐ bedroom housing designed to accommodate low‐income families with children. City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 62 NA‐40 Homeless Needs Assessment – 91.205(c) Introduction: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s defines homelessness as: An individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, meaning they: ● Have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings, including a car, park, abandoned building, bus or train station, airport, or camping ground; ● Are living in a supervised publicly or privately‐operated shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangements (including hotels and motels paid for by Federal, State or local government programs for low‐income individuals or by charitable organizations, congregate shelters, and transitional housing); ● Exiting an institution (where they resided for 90 days or less AND were residing in emergency shelter or place not meant for human habitation immediately before entering institution); ● Will imminently lose their housing [as evidenced by a court order resulting from an eviction action that notifies the individual or family that they must leave within 14 days, having a primary nighttime residence that is a room in a hotel or motel and where they lack the resources necessary to reside there for more than 14 days, or credible evidence indicating that the owner or renter of the housing will not allow the individual or family to stay for more than 14 days, and any oral statement from an individual or family seeking homeless assistance that is found to be credible shall be considered credible evidence for purposes of this clause]; has no subsequent residence identified; and lacks the resources or support networks needed to obtain other permanent housing; ● Unaccompanied youth and homeless families with children and youth defined as homeless under other Federal statutes and have not had lease, ownership interest, or occupancy agreement in permanent housing at any time during last 60 days; have experienced two or more moves during last 60 days; can be expected to continue in such status for an extended period of time because of chronic disabilities, chronic physical health or mental health conditions, substance addiction, histories of domestic violence or childhood abuse, the presence of a child or youth with a disability, or multiple barriers to employment; and ● Individuals/families fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence, dating violence, violence, sexual assault, stalking, or other dangerous or life‐threatening conditions that relate to violence against the individual or family member and have no identified residence, resources or support networks; lack the resources and support networks needed to obtain other permanent housing. There are a variety of contributing factors that can lead to homelessness. Often it is the breakdown of multiple systems and supports. Below is a list of the potential factors: City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 63 ● Nationally, between 2020 and 2022, there was a dramatic 30 percent increase in the number of people entering homelessness for the first time. An expiring federal eviction moratorium (in 2021) and the phasing out of federal COVID relief likely contributed to rising hardships. While more people exited homelessness into permanent housing (8% increase between 2021‐2022), there was a 26 percent increase in the number of people newly becoming homeless. 6 ● Lack of affordable housing: The cost of living is rising and rent in Austin has only continued to increase. Average rent in Austin has grown from approximately $1,300 in 2020 to $1,600 in 2023. 7 ● Employment factors: Unemployment, low wages, and limited job skills can all contribute to an individual experiencing homelessness. ● Poverty: 59% of single adults experiencing homelessness reported they do not have any income. 8 ● Lack of access to services for mental health, substance abuse, and/or healthcare: 52% of heads of households who accessed a homeless response program in 2022 suffer from mental illness and 71% of those individuals reported having a disabling condition. Lacking access to basic healthcare can lead to individuals or families only seeking help in emergencies, resulting in even larger medical bills. 9 ● Domestic violence: Approximately 40% of heads of households who accessed homeless response programs in 2022 were fleeing domestic or interpartner violence. 10 ● Racial inequality: African Americans are incarcerated and experience poverty at significantly higher rates compared to the general population. This disproportionate rate is also found in the homeless population. While African Americans comprise 9% of the overall Travis County population as per the 2022 Census estimates, they comprise 32% of the population enrolled in homeless services. 11 Data Source: Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). Categories are not mutually exclusive. 6 Source: “HUD Releases 2023 AHAR data: 12 key data points to understand the current state of homelessness in America”, National Alliance to End Homelessness, https://endhomelessness.org/blog/hud‐releases‐2023‐ahar‐data‐12‐key‐data‐points‐to‐understand‐the‐ current‐state‐of‐homelessness‐in‐america/ 7 Source: “Construction boomed in Austin and rents went down. Now some builders are dismantling the cranes.” KUT. https://www.kut.org/austin/2024‐02‐29/construction‐boomed‐in‐austin‐and‐rents‐went‐down‐now‐some‐builders‐are‐dismantling‐ the‐cranes 8 Source: “TX‐503 Needs and Gaps 2023”, page 20, Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, TX‐503 CoC Needs and Gaps Report (austinecho.org) 9 Source: “TX‐503 Needs and Gaps Report” Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO). https://www.austinecho.org/wp‐ content/uploads/2021/12/TX‐503_Needs‐and‐Gaps_2023.pdf 10 Source: “TX‐503 Needs and Gaps Report” Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO). https://www.austinecho.org/wp‐ content/uploads/2021/12/TX‐503_Needs‐and‐Gaps_2023.pdf 11 Source: “Austin/Travis County Continuum of Care Racial Disparities”, page 6, August 21, 2023, Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, Published_RD_Report_08.21.23.pdf (austinecho.org) City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 64 Homeless Needs Assessment Population Estimate the # of persons experiencing homelessness on a given night Estimate the # experiencing homelessness each year Estimate the # becoming homeless each year Estimate the # exiting homelessness each year Estimate the # of days persons experience homelessness Sheltered Unsheltered 2526 397 284 174 22 16 20 43 Persons in Households with Adult(s) and Child(ren) Persons in Households with Only Children Persons in Households with Only Adults Chronically Homeless Individuals Chronically Homeless Families Veterans Unaccompanied Child Persons with HIV 173 1 1 157 50 155 2 1 18 68 35 12 503 1113 4097 1749 1233 198 667 238 1596 78 281 187 87 1087 280 126 3 185 172 6 9 145 141 25 98 282 113 289 Alternate Data Source: Homeless Management Information System (HMIS); HUD Stella tool Table 27 ‐ Homeless Needs Assessment City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 65 Indicate if the homeless population is rural: Has no rural homeless population If data is not available for the categories "number of persons becoming and exiting homelessness each year," and "number of days that persons experience homelessness," describe these categories for each homeless population type (including chronically homeless individuals and families, families with children, veterans and their families, and unaccompanied youth): See tables above Nature and Extent of Homelessness: (Optional) Race: Sheltered: Unsheltered (optional) White Black or African American Asian American Indian or Alaska Native Pacific Islander Ethnicity: Hispanic Not Hispanic 623 410 23 5 6 491 617 794 368 9 43 3 317 949 Alternate Data Source: 2023 Housing Inventory Chart and Point‐in‐Time Count Estimate the number and type of families in need of housing assistance for families with children and the families of veterans. Pending. Describe the Nature and Extent of Homelessness by Racial and Ethnic Group The following graphs summarize local data compiled by ECHO. The bars in each category on the graphs below represent the percentage of the specific population each group represents. Black/African American individuals account for 8.5% of Travis County’s total population, but 31.5% of the population experiencing homelessness are Black/African American. This is a dramatic over-representation and a key challenge facing our homelessness response system and the Austin/ Travis County community generally. City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 66 The following chart displays program entry information for permanent housing programs in 2022. Rapid rehousing entry rates are roughly aligned with HMIS enrollment rates, however permanent supportive housing rates differ, particularly for Hispanic/Latino and White populations. Information is provided for head of household (HoH) members only. This data is from Austin/Travis County’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). Data reflect data from 2022. City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 67 Describe the Nature and Extent of Unsheltered and Sheltered Homelessness. Pending. Discussion: The City of Austin, in partnership with local, state, and federal governmental and nongovernmental partners, committed significant resources towards using best practices that aid in ending chronic homelessness for individuals and families. Austin City Council advanced a strategy to increase access to supportive services funding that has been tied to the local public housing authority’s rental assistance voucher programs. Additionally, the City and its partners convened the Summit to End Unsheltered Homelessness in early 2021, which resulted in bold goals to develop 1,000 units of site‐based permanent supportive housing as well as increasing local service provider capacity, securing more than 2,000 units compassionately in decommissioning encampments across the city. The American Rescue Plan Act funds granted to the City of Austin were prioritized for in local rapid rehousing, emergency shelter, street outreach, permanent supportive investments housing, and other areas of need. The current pipeline of site‐based PSH estimates nearly 1,000 units opening to persons experiencing chronic homelessness within the next 3 years. initiatives focused on homelessness and have resulted private market homelessness, persons exiting and the for in City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 68 NA‐45 Non‐Homeless Special Needs Assessment ‐ 91.205 (b,d) Introduction: Due to lower incomes and the need for supportive services, special needs groups are more likely than the general population to encounter difficulties finding and paying for adequate housing, and often require enhanced community services. The groups discussed in this section include: ● The Elderly and Frail Elderly ● Persons with Physical Disabilities ● Persons with Developmental Disabilities ● Persons with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness (SMI) ● Persons with Substance Abuse Disorders ● Persons living with HIV/AIDS ● At‐Risk Children and Youth ● Victims of Domestic Violence ● Persons Experiencing Homelessness and at Risk of Homelessness ● Housing Authority Residents HOPWA 2022 AIDS Surveillance data for Austin TGA: Number of Cumulative People Living with AIDS (PLWA) Prevalence Rate of Cumulative People Living with AIDS per 100,000 Number of New HIV Cases in the Austin TGA for 2020 - 2022 2022 HIV Surveillance Data for the Austin TGA: Number of Persons Living with HIV (PLWH) PLWHA Prevalence Rate per 100,000 Number of New HIV Cases Reported Incidence Rate of New HIV Cases per 100,000 Table 29 – HOPWA Data City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co HIV/AIDS Surveillance Data Source: Texas Department of State Health Services Population Data Source: United States Census Bureau: County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020 - 2023. Population Estimate for 2022 for Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop, and Caldwell Counties. 3,277 135.4 850 7,758 312.3 337 13.9 69 HIV Housing Need (HOPWA Grantees Only) Type of HOPWA Assistance Estimates of Unmet Need Tenant Based Rental Assistance Short‐term Rent, Mortgage, and Utility Permanent Housing Placement Default Data Source: FY 2017‐18 HOPWA CAPER Table 30 – HIV Housing Need 80 85 120 Describe the characteristics of special needs populations in your community: Senior Citizens Nearly 9 out of 10 Travis County seniors live independently, but still require some assistance with daily activities or home modifications (source: 2017 Age‐friendly Action Plan). The elderly often have needs relating to: Substandard Housing, Physical Disabilities, Income Constraints, Transportation and Obtaining Resources. The migration toward digital services is particularly challenging for elderly who may not have access to wireless services and/or do not understand how the processes work. An estimated 22,725 seniors have housing needs in the City (2011‐15 CHAS data Table 5); this is expected to increase to 25,180 during the five‐year period covered by this Consolidated Plan. Persons with physical disabilities experience difficulties locating accessible and affordable rental housing. Transportation is also a challenge, and connections to high‐quality public transportation that provides access to basic needs and services are critical. Persons with developmental disabilities experience a wide range of difficulties. A combination of special, interdisciplinary, or generic services, individualized supports, or other forms of assistance that are of lifelong or extended duration should be individually planned and coordinated. Opportunities for employment can also be a challenge for persons with disabilities. In general, individuals with disabilities between the ages of 18 and 64 are twice as likely to live in poverty as their 18 to 64‐year‐ old neighbors without disabilities. (source: Central Texas AI) City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 70 An estimated 58,255 individuals in the City have a disability, with 40% having some type of housing need. By disability type, housing needs include: No. of Residents With Housing Needs % with Housing Needs 5 Year Needs Estimate Residents with hearing or vision impairment 25,610 11,085 43% 12,282 Ambulatory limitation 29,215 13,505 46% 14,964 Cognitive limitation 23,980 12,070 50% 13,374 Self‐care or independent living limitation 21,995 10,075 46% 11,163 Alternate Data Source: Root Policy Research Housing Model Analysis According to the housing survey conducted for the 2019 AI, one in five households that include a member with a disability live in a home that does not meet the needs of the person with a disability. Mental health continues to be raised as a very pressing challenge within the community. According to the Community Health Improvement Plan, there is an overwhelming lack of resources for people with mental illnesses, including a shortage of psychiatrists and facilities to serve the community needs. Substance abuse disorders and mental health issues can often be intricately intertwined. Resources and treatment facilities are available; however, they need to be improved to meet demand. Preventative efforts such as successful tobacco cessation campaigns in the area indicate that more work needs to be done to reach youth. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, an estimated 46,500 Austinites have substance abuse challenges. Persons living with HIV/AIDS may have limited access to medical care and may be prone to homelessness due to income instability. By increasing access to supportive services, and temporary/emergency housing assistance, this vulnerable population can obtain a more stable living situation and reduce the risk of homelessness. Persons under age 18 have high rates of poverty according to the 2021 Community Services Block Grant Community Needs Assessment Report. awareness that efforts need to be rates of poverty with more than 36% living under 200% of the poverty threshold. FY 2025‐2029 Co nsolidated Plan City of Austin 71 There is increasing In 2015-2019, persons under 18 years of age experienced high coordinated to intervene in reducing childhood poverty. To reduce the likelihood of childhood obesity, poor nutrition and early onset diabetes, as well as limited educational and employment opportunities. Victims of domestic violence require specialized housing, counseling and legal services. Given the hidden nature of domestic violence and the problems associated with self‐reporting of such sensitive information, reliable statistics on the number of persons in violent domestic situations are not available. Data from the Centers for Disease Control is used to estimate the number of people who have been affected by Intimate Partner Violence, or IPV. This number totals 40,500, with about 6,900 having lifetime housing needs. Homelessness services. As housing costs continue to rise, resources will need to be directed to ensure households that are precariously housed (e.g., doubled up, car sleeping, etc.) are able to avoid homelessness through sustainable means. Housing Authority Residents have access to several programs that promote pathways to achieve greater self‐sufficiency. Service coordination and community partnerships help coordinate life skills training; adult basic education; workforce development/job training; job placement; financial literacy; housing counseling; parenting classes; health and wellness; childcare; and transportation. What are the housing and supportive service needs of these populations and how are these needs determined? Housing and supportive service needs of these vulnerable populations are evaluated through the short‐ and long‐term planning process by analyzing program data over time and collecting community and service provider input. Trends are identified to anticipate future community needs that may evolve or arise. By developing a structure for effective coordination between staff and service providers, the capacity to address housing and supportive service needs has been enhanced, thereby increasing positive outcomes. A focus group comprised of stakeholders who work with special needs populations was convened in support of identifying the community needs for this plan. According to these stakeholders, the greatest housing and supportive service needs of special populations include: ● Lack of tenant‐based rental assistance and emergency assistance; ● Challenges finding communities of support; ● Systemic barriers associated with the intake process and licensing; ● Improved coordination among service providers; ● Better transportation; and ● Investments in central points of contact in rural areas that are increasingly providing affordable housing. City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 72 Discuss the size and characteristics of the population with HIV/AIDS and their families within the Eligible Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA): For calendar year 2017, there were 6,217 persons diagnosed with HIV living in the five‐county Metropolitan Statistical Area (Austin‐Round Rock), including 288 new HIV diagnoses. An additional 1,459 HIV cases are estimated to be undiagnosed in the MSA, making the estimated HIV/AIDS prevalence to be 7,964. Most (86%) people living with HIV (PLWH) were males. Whites comprised 41% of PLWH, followed by Hispanics (33%). Over half (55%) of PLWH were 45 years of age or older. Incidence rates and annual numbers of new diagnoses have stayed approximately the same over the past 5 years. However there has been a steady increase in the total number of PLWH in the MSA over the last five years. Source: Texas Department of State Health Services Discussion Opioid Epidemic Austin Public Health (APH) is part of a steering committee assessing the type of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and services available in the community. APH has analyzed mortality and hospital discharge data to determine the impact of SUD within our community. APH has also led the effort to address Council Resolution. 20180524‐038 on the opioid issue, with the purpose of assessing the variety of data collected on opioid and other substances and evaluating a variety of initiatives from several city departments and stakeholders. APH will continue to monitor the opioid epidemic and evaluate how best to allocate resources to this community need. City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 73 NA-50 Non-Housing Community Development Needs – 91.215 (f) Describe the jurisdiction’s need for Public Facilities: The City of Austin provides a wide range of services to its community members, including emergency response, recreational activities, and health services, all of which are housed in public facilities throughout the City. Additionally, the administrative and governing functions of the City are also housed in public buildings of varying age across the City. Many City departments have identified the need for budget and capital projects to address building reliability and safety issues resulting from aging facilities and deferred maintenance. In addition to the need for the City’s existing public facilities, there continues to exist a demand for many new and/or expanded City facilities, driven in large part by the rapid population and economic growth the City has experienced over the past few decades, and applied equitably to communities that have historically not received such benefits from the community. How were these needs determined? The primary driver to identifying public facility needs (including rehabilitation and new facilities) are the various City departments that occupy these facilities. As with all infrastructure categories within the City, need is determined and guided generally by technical assessments of condition, acceptable levels of service, public input received through departments’ planning efforts, cost effective and coordinated capital project planning and project delivery, a balance of community priorities, the support of investments that reflect the Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan. Different from other infrastructure categories that make up the Capital Improvement Program (CIP), the City of Austin has Information Technology Governance and Facilities Governance teams that provide an additional assessment beyond the departmental-level assessment of need for information technology and facilities. For facility needs outside of a general rehabilitation, such as the expansion of a recreational center or the building of a new health facility, there is a substantial community engagement process as well in order to determine what best fits in the area of the investment. Finally, the City’s comprehensive plan, the City’s guide for long-term growth, development, and land use decisions, is currently undergoing an update initiated in the fall of 2023. Imagine Austin is a 30-year outlook on Austin’s future initially adopted in 2012. In part, Imagine Austin is being reviewed through a few different lenses that the City has stated commitment to: equity, sustainability, resilience, and access to opportunity. Through the Comprehensive Plan update process, community, city departments, and other partners will re-examine long-term growth priorities in the City through those lenses among other considerations, and as a result may identify additional needs to meet public facility needs. Describe the jurisdiction’s need for Public Improvements: A well-functioning public infrastructure system is essential to the City of Austin’s quality of life and economy. Approximately $4 billion in public improvement needs, including sidewalks, stormwater infrastructure, energy, water and sanity sewer, parks improvements, and mobility improvements were City of Austin FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan 74 identified as part of the most recent CIP 5-year Spend Plan. As is regularly true, much of the need within the CIP is for capital renewal of existing City facilities and infrastructure, and many departments’ ongoing capital programs will need significant funding installments to maintain acceptable levels of service for the City’s basic infrastructure responsibilities and to meet growth demands of the City. How were these needs determined? Capital improvement projects can include any major improvement or expansion of City facilities or infrastructure. CIP projects vary in scope. While some require years of planning and construction, while others may be completed in a shorter timeframe. Annually with the City’s budget, the City of Austin establishes a Five-Year CIP Spend Plan. The Spend Plan is based on an assessment of need as shown in the diagram below. Each department’s project identification and prioritization process is different based on its specific service responsibilities. Generally speaking, all capital projects address one or more of the following priorities: - - - - - Asset management Planning priori�es Council policy direc�ves Departmental business priori�es Sustainability and cost The City’s CIP includes many recurring capital programs aimed at existing infrastructure networks, City facilities, and services. Capital planning and prioritization therefore occurs on an ongoing basis throughout the year. As with the public facility needs, through the current Comprehensive Plan update process, community, city departments, and other partners will re-examine long-term growth priorities in the City through those lenses among other considerations, and as a result may identify additional needs to meet public improvement needs. City of Austin FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan 75 Describe the jurisdiction’s need for Public Services: In 2022 Austin Public Health (APH) implemented the second iteration of their Community Health Assessment (CHA) and the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) process. APH partnered with many agencies to lead a comprehensive community health planning initiative. Core agencies included Travis County Health and Human Services, Capital Metro, Central Health, Integral Care, St. David’s Foundation, Ascension Seton, Baylor Scott & White Health, the University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health Austin Regional Campus. The CHA process included examination of local health data and qualitative input from the community. The qualitative input in gather through conducting community meetings, key informational interviews, and focus groups. This input allows us to develop to gather a picture of the community’s health and what is required to effectively address identified issues. Key Findings/Themes of the CHA: ● Social determinants of health, such as access to healthy food and financial security required to be healthy, were viewed as more pressing concerns than health outcomes themselves. While some chronic health issues were discussed and are of concern, assessment participants focused on upstream issues of daily life. ● Housing affordability continues to be concerns in Austin/Travis County. Due in large part to significant population growth, a key theme was the high and rising cost of housing that disproportionately affects low‐income residents, residents of color, older adults, and persons with disabilities, and displaced residents from urban areas to rural areas. While median income has steadily increased in recent years, cost of living in the area is high and increasing as well. ● The COVID-19 pandemic has had substantial impact on the lives and the physical and mental health of residents in Austin/Travis County. The COVID‐19 pandemic has exacerbated many of the issues that existed as well as highlighted new issues. COVID‐19 pandemic has worsened food security, economic suffering, increased social isolation, exacerbated mental health issues, and highlighted barriers to accessing information and health care resources for lower‐income residents, residents for whom English is not their primary language, and communities of color. ● Emergency preparedness is an emerging public health issue in the region. Given the COVID‐19 pandemic, heat waves and Winter Storm Uri, emergency preparedness was top of mind for many assessment participants. Most residents reported experiencing a natural disaster emergency in the past decade and many described the immediate an ongoing personal and community challenges these emergencies have caused. ● Mental health was identified as an important community health concern. Significant mental health needs, stigma around mental health, and limited access to mental health care were common themes among community members and leaders. Some residents perceived an increase in mental health issues during the COVID‐19 pandemic, which they linked with the stress and trauma of the COVID‐19 pandemic, social isolation, and economic suffering. ● Healthcare access – specifically high cost of healthcare and insurance – is a significant concern in Austin/Travis County, especially among people of color. When discussing access to health care, common City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 76 themes were gaps in health insurance coverage for low‐income residents, including lapses of health insurance coverage, few providers who accept Medicare, and difficulty accessing preventive care (e.g., primary, vision, dental), emergency services, specialists, and providers who care for older adults. The CHIP process provides a 3‐5‐year community lead plan to address health issues related to these key findings of the CHA. The plan’s priority areas include vision focuses on improving access to healthcare for community members; reducing chronic disease through physical activity; preventing teenage pregnancies through sexual and reproductive health education and addressing mental health and substance abuse disorders. Austin Public Health utilizes ESG and HOPWA funds primarily to prevent homelessness and to provide shelter and rapid rehousing for individuals and families, as well as persons living with HIV/AIDS, currently experiencing homelessness. The need for these programs is identified in Austin’s Action Plan to End Homelessness. City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 77 This plan specifically outlines implementation of five elements that work together to end homelessness for individuals and families and make the community stronger for all. These components are 1) outreach services and shelters, 2) addressing disparities, 3) providing housing and support services, 4) strengthening our response system, and 5) building community commitment from both the public and private sectors. Ending homelessness does not mean that no individuals and families will ever again experience homelessness. Instead, it means that we as a community have a systematic response that can address immediate needs, quickly connect people to housing and provide services to ensure long‐term stability. This Action Plan seeks to build on our success and mobilize public and private resources in the right order of magnitude overtime to address large unmet needs, to continue to implement strategies that work, think creatively, test new practices, and improve policies and programs. How were these needs determined? In February 2017, Mayor Steve Adler and Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo partnered with ECHO to convene stakeholders to come up with concrete strategies to end homelessness. ECHO convened several meetings in the spring of 2017 where over 50 different organizations ‐ including the City of Austin and Travis County departments ‐ participated in sharing their ideas. In addition to these meetings, ECHO sought and received feedback from the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH), and the United States Inter‐ Agency Council on Homelessness (USICH). The result was the development of Austin’s Action Plan to End Community Homelessness. Focus groups conducted to gather information on disproportionate needs for the Central Texas Regional Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI) noted a need to expand critical services to growing neighborhoods, especially those with more affordable housing. As the distance to affordability grows, individuals who rely on programs or services to maintain their stability and independence are having to choose between affordability and accessing those critical supportive services. Affordable and reliable transportation was another top need, especially in low income and minority‐concentrated neighborhoods that Austinites feel were disproportionately impacted by CapMetro’s changes in services. Focus groups were also conducted with community members recruited through trusted social service providers to discuss needs for services. These groups included: ● Spanish language focus group hosted by El Buen; ● Refugee focus group hosted by Caritas; ● Refugee focus group hosted by Refugee Services of Texas; ● Asian Indian focus group convened by SAAIVA and hosted at the Asian American Resource Center; ● Individuals with disabilities hosted by Disability Rights of Texas; ● Individuals with disabilities hosted by the ADAPT Access Club; and ● English and Spanish focus group with domestic violence survivors hosted by SAFE. As part of the 2022 CHA, seven focus groups were also conducted by Austin Public Health in‐person and virtually City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 78 with individual community members from the following groups: Latino individuals (English and Spanish sessions); • • Older adults; • • • Subsidized‐housing residents; Parent support specialists, and; Pflugerville representatives. IBM Watson and Community Coalition for Health (C2H) also provided focus group findings from community health leaders and the African American male population respectively. A virtual community forum was also organized to allow community members to provide their insight with regards to 1) barriers, 2) available resources, and 3) solutions for healthy living. The 2024 CHIP is currently being completed and will be available by May 2024. City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 79 MA‐05 Overview Housing Market Analysis Overview: The City of Austin’s new five The City of Austin’s 2024‐2029 Consolidated Plan was informed by the 2022 ACS 1‐Year Estimates, the previous 2019‐2024 Consolidated plan, a Housing Market Analysis conducted in 2019, an update to the City’s 2014 housing study, and a regional Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI) conducted in 2018‐19. This section discusses the primary findings from those needs assessments and research. The City of Austin has made progress in addressing many unmet housing needs in the past five years. According to the City of Austin’s Affordable Housing Inventory database, more than 4,900 affordable units have been created or preserved since 2019. Many of the new units created or preserved are targeted at individuals with special needs, who face some of the greatest obstacles in finding housing. The greatest challenge to addressing needs is filling the gap between what households can afford and the current housing market prices. From 2012 to 2022, home values in Austin increased by 108% and rental costs have increased by 33%. By comparison, in that same period the median family income for all Austinites increased 32%; after disaggregating the data for race it results in 22% increase for Non‐Hispanic White Austinites, 45% for Black/African Americans, 17% for Asians, and 40% for Hispanic/Latino Austinites. Despite the significant increases, especially for African American and Hispanic/Latino Austin households, there are still underlying disparities by race and ethnicity. Figure 1 below illustrates a persistent gap between White and Asian residents and Black and Hispanic residents in Austin over the past decade. Over the last 10 years, rental costs and incomes have risen proportionately, while homeownership has seen a significant surge. And even with the overall increases in median family income, Austin households continue to devote a greater portion of their income to housing costs. City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 80 Figure 19 Median Family Income (MFI) by Race and Ethnicity, 2012‐2022 Data Source: 2012‐2022 ACS 1‐Year Estimates (Due to data quality issues, 2020 is excluded) Ten years ago, an estimated 37,600 renters earned less than $20,000 per year and could not find affordable rentals. As of the FY 2019‐2024 Consolidated Plan, that shortage was estimated at 36,000 rental units, including households earning up to $29,280 per year. Using the latest data from HUD’s 2016‐2020 Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) Dataset, currently this gap is estimated at 39,865 rental units for households earning less than $29,280 per year. City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 81 MA‐10 Number of Housing Units – 91.210(a)&(b)(2) Introduction The largest share of housing units in the City of Austin is single‐family detached homes (45%). This statistic has not changed much since the last Consolidated Plan (2017), when the single family detached share was 46% of all housing units. Approximately 43% of housing units are mid‐ to large‐sized multifamily complexes—a 4% increase from 2017, when the share was 39%. Overall, there has been an increase in multifamily structures, however the housing stock remains predominantly single family detached homes. Property Type Number 1‐unit detached structure 215,759 1‐unit, attached structure 2‐4 units 5‐19 units 24,065 31,507 83,999 20 or more units 123,704 Mobile Home, boat, RV, van, etc. 3,377 % 45% 5% 7% 17% 26% 1% Total 482,411 100% Table 31 – Residential Properties by Unit Number Data Source: ACS 2022 1‐Year Estimates: Table DP04, Total Housing Units, Units in Structure City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 82 Unit Size by Tenure No bedroom 1 bedroom 2 bedrooms 3 bedrooms 4 bedrooms 5 bedrooms or more Total Owners Renters Number % Number % 1619 7544 26025 98533 57120 11855 1% 4% 13% 49% 28% 6% 26935 97758 86777 32153 11336 850 11% 38% 34% 13% 4% 0% 202696 100% 255809 100% Table 32 – Unit Size by Tenure Alternate Data Source: ACS 2022 1‐Year Estimates: Table B25042, Tenure by Bedroom Describe the number and targeting (income level/type of family served) of units assisted with federal, state, and local programs. The City of Austin is working together with the Housing Authority of Austin, Housing Authority Travis County, and the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs to realize community goals set forth in the Austin Strategic Housing Blueprint. This includes the creation or preservation of 60,000 income‐ restricted affordable housing units that are affordable to households at or below 80% median family income, over the next 10 years. In the Strategic Housing Blueprint's ten‐year timeframe, Austin has made progress towards achieving its goals set in 2017. As Figure 2 illustrates, Austin is on track to meet or exceed its targets for housing affordable to households earning above 80% Median Family Income (MFI). Austin is also on track to meet goals related to affordable housing preservation, and new housing in areas designated for growth in the Imagine Austin Plan. However, the production of housing units affordable to households with incomes at or below 80% of the MFI is lagging, including units dedicated to permanent supportive housing for the unhoused. Currently, only Council District 4 is meeting its specific goals for affordable housing development citywide. To achieve the ten‐year goals for affordable housing units, especially for those with incomes at or below 80% MFI, Austin needs a significant increase in the development rate of affordable homes. City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025-2029 Co 83 Figure 20 Strategic Housing Blueprint Scorecard 2022: Progress to‐date Data Source: Housing Works Provide an assessment of units expected to be lost from the affordable housing inventory for any reason, such as expiration of Section 8 contracts. According to the City of Austin’s Affordable Housing Inventory, around 2,400 income‐restricted units, supported or incentivized by the City of Austin, are slated to lose their affordability status between 2024 and 2029. This is primarily due to the expiring affordability periods of low‐income tax credit projects and development incentive programs. The University Neighborhood Overlay (UNO) development incentive program is set to have 255 units with expiring affordability periods, as the program had a 15‐year affordability period from 2004 to 2014. The City of Austin also maintains a Comprehensive Affordable Housing Directory (CAHD) which includes all affordable housing in the City, including units subsidized by the County and the Housing Authority, in addition to the affordable units subsidized by the City of Austin. According to the CAHD, 7,950 units will expire between 2024 and 2029. Does the availability of housing units meet the needs of the population? The availability of housing units in Austin does not meet the needs of very low‐income households earning less than 30% of the median family income. According to the CHAS dataset, there is a shortage of 39,865 housing units for this group, which represents 14% of households in the city. City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 84 Describe the need for specific types of housing: The primary housing types needed in Austin are 1) permanently affordable, quality rentals for households earning less than $30,000 per year, 2) affordable homeownership options for households earning between 80% and 120% median family income, 3) preservation and improvement of existing affordable rentals and homes in gentrifying neighborhoods, and 4) housing to serve the variety of housing needs and preferences of special needs populations, including a wide range of housing that accommodates the needs of persons with disabilities (e.g., homes accessible to hearing‐impaired and homes that are wheelchair accessible). Discussion City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025-2029 Co 85 MA‐15 Housing Market Analysis: Cost of Housing ‐ 91.210(a) This section provides information on the cost of housing in Austin, including changes in housing costs since 2012. Base Year: 2012 Most Recent Year: 2022 % Change Median Home Value Median Contract Rent $285,355 $1,077 Table 33 – Cost of Housing $593,000 $1,437 107.8% 33.4% Default Data Source: 2005‐2009 ACS (Base Year); Alternate Data Source: ACS 2012 and 2022 1‐Year Estimates: DP04: Median Home Value, B25058 Median Contract Rent, Inflation Adjusted Rent Paid Number % 5,999 16,284 91,489 75,408 62,912 252,092 2% 6% 36% 30% 25% 100% Table 34 ‐ Gross Rent Paid Data Source: 2022 ACS 1‐Year Estimates: DP04: Gross Rent: Occupied Unit Rent Paid Introduction Cost of Housing Less than $500 $500‐999 $1,000‐1,499 $1,500‐1,999 $2,000 or more Total City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 86 Renter‐Occupied Units Owner‐Occupied Units Housing Affordability Number of Units affordable to Households earning 0%‐30% HAMFI 30‐50% HAMFI 50‐80% HAMFI 80‐100% HAMFI 13,545 34,500 133,940 Greater than 100% HAMFI 43,840 (>80% HAMFI) Total 225,825 Table 35 – Housing Affordability Data Source: 2016‐2020 CHAS, Tables 14A, 15A, 14B, 15C 19,935 (<50% HAMFI) 44,200 31,970 83,320 179,425 City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025-2029 Co 87 Monthly Rent Monthly Rent ($) 1 Bedroom 2 Bedroom 3 Bedroom 4 Bedroom Efficiency (no bedroom) Fair Market Rent High HOME Rent Low HOME Rent $1,253 $1,253 $1,022 $1,386 $1,386 $1,095 $1,626 $1,626 $1,315 $2,088 $1,940 $1,518 $2,416 $2,114 $1,693 Table 36 – Monthly Rent Alternate Data Source: 2023 HUD FMR and HOME Rents Is there sufficient housing for households at all income levels? Table 7 below compares the total households and cumulative housing units that are affordable at different income levels, based on data from the Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) dataset for the years 2016‐2020. According to the CHAS data, there are a total of 395,275 households and 405,425 housing units. The dataset categorizes units based on renter and owner affordability for income brackets (0‐30%, 30‐50%, 50‐80%, 80‐100%, and above 100% HAMFI). By deducting the number of households from the cumulative number of units in each category, we can identify the potential shortfall. From this analysis, a significant deficit is observed in units catering to the 0‐30% HAMFI range, indicating a shortage of 39,865 units for this group, which represents 14% of households. Households (Deficit) /Surplus 0%‐30% HAMFI 30‐50% HAMFI 50‐80% HAMFI 80‐100% HAMFI Greater than 100% HAMFI Total (39,865) 22,435 175,525 280,985 220,470 9,975 Table 7 ‐ Comparison of Household Incomes with Units Affordable at Each Income Level Data Source: 2016‐2020 CHAS, Tables 5, 14A, 15A, 14B, 15C 53,410 45,545 70,595 40,945 184,780 395,275 Housing Units Available at Income Level (Cumulative) 13,545 67,980 246,120 321,930 405,250 405,250 City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025-2029 Co 88 Rental Housing: Affordable & Available Units The analysis of affordability and availability compares the number of renters below a specific income threshold with the number of housing units that are both affordable and accessible to them. This analysis establishes a baseline disparity in rental housing units. An "affordable" unit refers to any market rate, subsidized, or public housing unit for which a household at a given income limit, expressed as a percentage of the Area Median Income (AMI), would pay no more than 30 percent of their income for rent. However, some affordable units may be unavailable to households within that income range because they are occupied by households with higher incomes. Hence, an "available" unit is one that is either unoccupied or occupied by a household below the top income limit. This assessment is based on HUD’s 2016‐2020 CHAS dataset, the most recent data available. The CHAS dataset utilizes HUD’s AMI levels to categorize households by income as a percentage of AMI. As HUD income limits are based on Fair Market Rents in high‐cost areas, these income limits as a percentage of AMI are higher than those calculated solely from Census‐derived median incomes. These adjustments also affect the rent limits for units deemed "affordable" at different income levels. Figure 19 illustrates the disparity between renters and affordable/available units at various percentages of AMI: 0‐30, 0‐50, 0‐80, and 0‐100. The red squares indicate the number of renters with incomes up to the AMI limit. The full bars represent the number of affordable units at or below the income limit. The dark blue segments of the bars depict the number of affordable units available to renters below the income limit, while the light blue segments represent units occupied by households with incomes above the specified AMI limit. As depicted in Figure 19, the number of renters significantly exceeds the number of affordable units at the 0‐30 percent and 0‐50 percent of AMI levels. At the 0‐80 percent of AMI level, there is a gap of 11,730 units, and at 100 percent AMI, the number of affordable units roughly matches the number of renters at 0‐100 percent of AMI. However, 68,265 of these units are occupied by households with incomes above 100 percent of AMI. The number of affordable/available units (dark blue portion of the bar) falls far short of the demand. City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025-2029 Co 89 Figure 21 Rental Units by Affordable/Available Status and Income Level Data Source: 2016‐2020 CHAS, Table 15A, 14B, 15C How is affordability of housing likely to change considering changes to home values and/or rents? Austin continues to experience substantial growth year after year due to a strong employment base, recreational opportunities, and cultural and social amenities that continue to draw people from within the state, across the country and throughout the world. Table 3 indicates a 33% increase in contract rent from 2012 to 2022. This increase has stayed constant from the 2019‐2024 Consolidated Plan, which noted a 33% increase from 2009 to 2017. While rent has continued to increase, the rate of increase may have stayed constant, because the City has also continued to add housing supply. According to the City of Austin Demographer, Austin added over 90,000 owner and rental units between 2010 and 2020. The Demographer also noted that as Austin adds new units, the housing stock increasingly consists of more rental units rather than ownership units. The lack of new ownership units could contribute to the 108% surge in median home values from 2012 to 2022. The lack of supply of ownership units may also contribute to the deficit of housing options for households earning greater than 100%HAMFI, and the growth of suburbs surrounding Austin. Increasing prices for ownership units will further narrow the areas in the City where renters can afford to buy a starter home or where current owners can find homes to which they can downsize. As affordable alternatives in Austin decline, surrounding communities will continue to see increased demand for affordable homeownership. City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 90 How do HOME rents / Fair Market Rent compare to Area Median Rent? How might this impact your strategy to produce or preserve affordable housing? Fair Market Rents (FMR) and HOME rents are intended to reflect the average cost of renting a standard‐ quality housing unit in a specific area. HUD calculates and publishes these values annually for different regions, influencing payment standards and rent limits in U.S. housing programs. The FMR and HOME rents listed in Table 6 are consistent with rents reported in the American Community Survey (ACS) and lower than market rents, which is typical as HUD rent surveys lag market increases. The discrepancy between FMR and market rents does not change the City’s existing strategies to address the needs for affordable rentals. The current strategy and investments have made preservation of existing affordable rentals a priority. Research conducted for the 2019 Housing Market Analysis provided information about the geographic areas in the City that are at risk of losing market affordable units, which informed preservation activities. According to the 2022 Austin Strategic Housing Blueprint Scorecard, the City of Austin is on‐track to meet its goal to preserve 10,000 affordable housing units over ten years. Since 2018, 5,725 units of affordable housing have been preserved, ensuring that they would remain affordable for residents over the coming decades. City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025-2029 Co 91 MA‐20 Housing Market Analysis: Condition of Housing – 91.210(a) Introduction This section provides information about the condition of housing units in Austin. It is important to note that secondary data on housing condition is limited; much of the data in the MA‐20 tables are based on Census data that only report units in the most severe condition (e.g., lacking complete plumbing). This section provides information about the condition of housing units in Austin. It is important to note that secondary data on housing condition is limited; much of the data in the MA‐20 tables are based on Census data that only report units in the most severe condition (e.g., lacking complete plumbing). City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 92 Describe the Jurisdictions definition for “substandard condition” and “substandard condition but suitable for rehabilitation”. Definitions Definition of Substandard and Standard Housing Chapter 25‐12 of the Austin City Code establishes the following regulations for "standard" and "substandard" housing: 1. All new multi‐family and commercial buildings must meet the requirements of Article 1, Division 1 (International Building Code and local amendments); Article 4 (Electrical Code); Article 5 (Mechanical Code); Article 6 (Plumbing Code); Article 7 (Fire Code); and Article 12 (Energy Code). 2. All existing multi‐family and commercial buildings must be maintained in accordance with the requirements of Article 1, Division 1 (International Building Code and local amendments); Article 4 (Electrical Code); Article 5 (Mechanical Code); Article 6 (Plumbing Code); Article 7 (Fire Code); Article 9 (Housing Code); Article 10 (Dangerous Buildings Code); and Article 12 (Energy Code). 3. All new one‐ and two‐family dwellings must meet the requirements of Article 11 (Residential Code); Article 4 (Electrical Code); Article 6 (Plumbing Code); and Article 12 (Energy Code). 4. All existing one‐ and two‐family dwellings must be maintained in accordance with the requirements of Article 11 (Residential Codes); Article 4 (Electrical Code); Article 6 (Plumbing Code); Article 9 (Housing Code); Article 10 (Dangerous Buildings Code); and Article 12 (Energy Code). 5. Any single‐family, two‐family or multi‐family dwelling not maintained in accordance with Article 9 (Housing Code) and Article 10 (Dangerous Buildings Code) is a "substandard building" as defined in Chapter 10 of the 1994 Uniform Housing Code published by the International Conference of Building Officials and adopted by the Austin City Council. 6. Any single‐family, two‐family, multi‐family or commercial building not maintained in accordance with Article 10 (Dangerous Buildings Code) is a "dangerous building" as defined in Chapter 3 of the 1994 Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings published by the International Conference of Building Officials and adopted by the Austin City Council. In addition, for properties receiving U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds provided through the City of Austin, the following clarification for definitions is provided: Substandard Housing: Housing which does not meet the minimum standards contained in the City of Austin’s Housing Code (i.e. does not provide shelter, endangers the health, safety or well‐being of occupants). Jurisdictions may adopt more stringent local definitions of substandard housing. City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 93 Substandard Suitable for Rehabilitation: Substandard units which are structurally sound and for which the cost of rehabilitation is considered economically warranted. Substandard Needs Replacement: Substandard units which are structurally unsound and for which the cost of rehabilitation is considered infeasible, such as instances where the majority of a unit has been damaged by fire. Condition of Units Condition of Units Owner‐Occupied Renter‐Occupied Number % Number % With one selected Condition 46,173 23% 111,644 With two selected Conditions With three selected Conditions With four selected Conditions No selected Conditions Total 408 101 0 156,014 202,696 0% 0% 0% 77% 100% 7,940 163 300 135,762 255,809 Table 37 ‐ Condition of Units Alternate Data Source: 2022 ACS 1‐Year 44% 3% 0% 0% 53% 100% Year Unit Built 2020 or later 2010 to 2019 2000 to 2009 1980 to 1999 1960 to 1979 Before 1960 Total Year Unit Built Owner‐Occupied Renter‐Occupied Number % Number % 6,453 35,119 35,400 53,711 46,698 25,315 3% 17% 18% 27% 23% 12% 8,475 70,322 45,477 74,639 44,425 12,471 3% 28% 18% 29% 17% 5% 202,696 100% 255,809 100% Table 38 – Year Unit Built Alternate Data Source: 2022 ACS 1‐Year City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 94 Risk of Lead‐Based Paint Hazard Risk of Lead‐Based Paint Hazard Total Number of Units Built Before 1980 Housing Units built before 1980 with children present Table 39 – Risk of Lead‐Based Paint Default Data Source: CHAS 2016‐2020 Owner‐Occupied Number % Renter‐Occupied Number % 67,355 8,970 37% 13% 63,800 7,765 30% 12% Vacant Units Vacant Units Total Units Vacancy Rate 23,906 482,411 5% Table 40 ‐ Vacant Units Data Source: 2022 ACS 1‐Year Estimates Describe the need for owner and rental rehabilitation based on the condition of the jurisdiction's housing. The City does not currently maintain an inventory of units suitable for rehabilitation. Most of Austin’s owners‐occupied and renter‐occupied housing units were built after 1980 and the vacancy rate in Austin is consistently low. According to the ACS 2022 estimates the current vacancy rate for ownership and rental units in Austin is 5%. Estimated Number of Housing Units Occupied by Low or Moderate Income Families with LBP Hazards According to the HUD table above, as many as 8,950 units that are owner‐occupied with children under six and 17,050 units that are renter‐occupied with children under six that were built before 1980 and are believed to be at‐risk of lead‐based paint hazards. These comprise 21% of owner‐occupied housing and 8% of renter‐occupied housing stock in the City. Discussion City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 95 MA‐25 Public and Assisted Housing – 91.210(b) Introduction Created in 1937, the Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA) is a major provider of affordable housing for low‐income families, persons with disabilities and seniors in the Austin area. HACA owns, operates and/or maintains more than 2,149 affordable or low‐income subsidized housing units at 18 properties throughout Austin and administers more than 5,900 Housing Choice Vouchers for rental subsidies in the private rental market, providing housing to over 17,000 individuals each day. The characteristics of residents assisted include: Public Housing Authority (PHA) Units: 22% Non‐Hispanic White; 34% African American; 43% Hispanic; 42% Families with Children; 56% of households include a person with disabilities Vouchers: 10% Non‐Hispanic White; 56% African American; 32% Hispanic; 47% Families with Children; 28% persons with disabilities Total Number of Units Program Type Certificate Mod‐ Rehab Public Housing Total Vouchers Project ‐based Tenant ‐based Special Purpose Voucher Disabled* Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Family Unification Program 5,907 5,751 387 0 2,149 156 442 75 N/A N/A Table 41 – Total Number of Units by Program Type N/A N/A N/A 75 N/A N/A N/A *includes Non‐Elderly Disabled, Mainstream One‐Year, Mainstream Five‐year, and Nursing Home Transition Alternate Data Source: Data from HACA Describe the supply of low‐income subsidized housing developments: HACA was one of the first three public housing authorities created in the United States as a result of the Housing Act of 1937. HACA’s Low‐Income Subsidized Housing portfolio is comprised of 18 housing developments with 2,149 units serving more than 4,000 low‐income Austinites. These units were previously public housing developments prior to HACA’s Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) Program, which converted the public housing to Project Based Rental Assistance housing. This will ensure that the housing stock will have future funding to continue to serve low‐income families. City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025-2029 Co 96 # of units vouchers available # of accessible units Describe the number and physical condition of low‐income subsidized housing units in the jurisdiction, including those that are participating in an approved Public Housing Agency Plan: Low‐Income Subsidized Housing Condition (Project‐Based Rental Assistance) Public Housing Development Average Inspection Score Pathways at Booker T. Washington Pathways at Bouldin Oaks Pathways at Chalmers Courts Pathways at Coronado Hills Pathways at Gaston Place Pathways at Georgian Manor Pathways at Goodrich Place Pathways at Lakeside Pathways at Manchaca II Pathways at Manchaca Village Pathways at Meadowbrook Pathways at North Loop Pathways at Northgate Pathways at Rosewood Pathways at Salina Pathways at Santa Rita Pathways at Shadowbend Pathways at Thurmond Heights 91b 98c N/A 94b 95c 97b N/A 80c 97c 98c 97c 99a 98a N/A ‐ under redevelopment 90b 82c 90b 97c Table 42 ‐ Public Housing Condition Describe the restoration and revitalization needs of public housing units in the jurisdiction: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) conducted physical inspections for each of HACA’s public housing properties. Inspection scores are calculated utilizing Uniform Physical Condition Standards (UPCS) with a 100‐point scale. HACA received high scores above 90%, indicating “high performer” status, thus reducing the frequency of the HUD required property inspections to every three years. HUD recently implemented a new inspection protocol, NSPIRE (National Standard for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate) that transitions away from the REAC inspection protocol. This new standard shifts the focus away from curb appeal, exterior appearance and building systems to resident health and safety. The scoring focuses on areas residents are in most – their units and common areas (community buildings). Describe the public housing agency's strategy for improving the living environment of low‐ and moderate‐income families residing in public housing: Through the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) Program, HACA completed a full conversion of all 18 City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 97 properties in the Public Housing program and Project Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) Program which is administered through HUD’s Office of Multifamily Housing. This program continues to offer HUD subsidized housing to low‐income families below 80% of the area median family income. This funding platform provides a more stable and predictable source of subsidy, having locked in the level of operating City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 98 funds, capital funds and energy improvement funds, and thus making them no longer subject to the fluctuations in the federal budgeting process. In addition, it allows HACA to find additional sources of financing to fund the improvements needed at each property. Housing assistance payments are locked in through 20‐year contracts and mandatory 20‐year renewal periods with HUD. HACA began this conversion of properties through RAD in December 2016, wrapping up all conversions in 2020. HACA has leveraged this opportunity to make significant improvements at numerous properties, including the complete redevelopment of Goodrich Place and Chalmers Courts, and major rehabilitation work at Shadowbend, Manchaca Village, North Loop, Georgian Manor, Northgate and Gaston Place. The redevelopments and substantial rehabilitations were made feasible by layering the HUD subsidy with investment through the Low‐Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. Depending upon the needs identified at each property, improvements included new flooring, new appliances, the addition of washers/dryers, dishwashers and microwaves, new lighting, increased property security, playground covers and more. HACA has continued to make improvements since the RAD conversion, including the complete redevelopment of Rosewood Courts. Each of these items had a significant impact on improving the quality of life for residents. Through RAD conversion, HACA established a 20‐year plan for replacement and improvements to ensure the property is kept in good condition for years to come. Additionally, during conversion, HACA placed funds into a replacement reserve account to fund the 20‐year plans. Each year, the property continues to add to that account while also using those funds to make repairs, improvements, and replacements as necessary. This process allows HACA to strategically plan and implement capital projects that will provide modern necessities for low‐and moderate‐income families. Discussion: In order to protect HUD and PHA investments and respond to the affordable rental housing demand, PHAs must address standard inventory improvements, modernize or replace obsolete units, and curtail the loss of stock from private sector partners choosing to opt‐out of affordable housing programs. RAD is designed to preserve public and assisted housing by increasing access to private debt, equity capital and management techniques. Funding is used for the incremental cost of converting public and other assisted housing programs to an improved form of long‐term, project‐based Section 8 contracts called Project Based Rental Assistance (PBRA). The process helps to assure the physical and financial sustainability of properties, and enable owners to leverage private financing, address immediate and long‐term capital needs, improve operations, and implement energy efficiency improvements. To further meet the need for affordable housing, HACA’s subsidiary, Austin Affordable Housing Corporation (AAHC), currently operates 19,589 affordable multifamily units at 76 properties in Austin, which are not federally subsidized. Of the 19,589 units, 3,473 are in various stages of construction. AAHC is working on new partnerships that could potentially increase units by more than 2,085 in the next year. City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025-2029 Co 199 MA‐30 Homeless Facilities and Services – 91.210(c) Introduction The following chart is based on the 2023 Housing Inventory Chart (HIC) count of the number of beds as of the date of the Point in Time Count (PIT) on January 26, 2023. Facilities and Housing Targeted to Homeless Households Pending. Pending. Pending. Describe mainstream services, such as health, mental health, and employment services to the extent those services are used to complement services targeted to homeless persons List and describe services and facilities that meet the needs of homeless persons, particularly chronically homeless individuals and families, families with children, veterans and their families, and unaccompanied youth. If the services and facilities are listed on screen SP-40 Institutional Delivery Structure or screen MA-35 Special Needs Facilities and Services, describe how these facilities and services specifically address the needs of these populations. City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 100 MA‐35 Special Needs Facilities and Services – 91.210(d) Introduction The City of Austin continues to work with the Continuum of Care (CoC), Austin Public Health, Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA), Community Advancement Network (CAN), United Way and other community partners to identify gaps and needs for both special needs facilities and services. HOPWA Assistance Baseline Table Type of HOPWA Assistance Number of Units Designated or Available for People with HIV/AIDS and their families TBRA PH in facilities STRMU ST or TH facilities PH placement 60 0 90 40 30 Table 44– HOPWA Assistance Baseline Default Data Source: FY 2017‐18 HOPWA CAPER Describe the supportive housing needs for special needs populations, including the elderly, frail elderly, persons with disabilities (mental, physical, developmental), persons with alcohol or other drug addictions, persons with HIV/AIDS and their families, public housing residents and any other categories the jurisdiction may specify. The table below provides the estimates of total Austin households in certain special needs categories, as well as the portion of these households that face housing problems. City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025-2029 Co 101 Current and Five‐Year Needs Projections Extremely low‐income families low‐income families Moderate income families Middle income families Renters Owners Elderly Households (HH contains at least one person 62+) Limited English Proficiency (LEP) households Residents with hearing or vision impairment Residents with ambulatory limitation Residents with cognitive limitation Residents with self‐care or independent living limitation Victims of domestic violence (includes rape, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner) Alternate Data source: 2016‐2020 ACS, HUD CHAS Tables 4‐6 Current Total Households With Housing Needs % Need Future Housing Need in 5 years 53,410 45,545 70,595 40,945 179,895 83,770 43,765 37,695 35,140 10,670 42,025 29,155 82% 83% 50% 26% 46% 23% 35% 215,385 100,100 27,295 10,705 39% 29,420 28,320 24,730 13,655 13,495 11,370 46% 48% 46% Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Single person households 134,069 Unknown Unknown Unknown Large families 26,755 13,685 51% City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 102 Describe programs for ensuring that persons returning from mental and physical health institutions receive appropriate supportive housing Austin Public Health and the Homeless Strategy Office works with the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO) and Continuum of Care (CoC) leadership to develop strategies that align customized support services with PSH to optimize services for the chronically homeless and persons with mental and physical disabilities. The Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO) coordinates the projects funded with Continuum of Care (CoC) dollars and prepares the annual CoC application required by HUD. ECHO works with the Austin/Travis County Reentry Roundtable, Travis County Criminal Justice Center, Central Health's Psychiatric Stakeholders, Integral Care leadership, the PSH Healthcare Collaborative, and other community planning organizations. ECHO also convenes ongoing conversations that address discharge planning from hospitals, treatment facilities, and jails in order to connect persons leaving mental/physical health facilities with support services and housing, and persons with mental/physical health challenges leaving other institutions to do the same. Central Health, the local healthcare taxing agency, has identified Permanent Supportive Housing as a top 10 strategy for improving mental health in Travis County. Specify the activities that the jurisdiction plans to undertake during the next year to address the housing and supportive services needs identified in accordance with 91.215(e) with respect to persons who are not homeless but have other special needs. Link to one year goals. 91.315(e) Please see SP‐25 for information on projects the City of Austin plans to undertake to address the service needs of persons who are not homeless but have other special needs. For entitlement/consortia grantees: Specify the activities that the jurisdiction plans to undertake during the next year to address the housing and supportive services needs identified in accordance with 91.215(e) with respect to persons who are not homeless but have other special needs. Link to one year goals. (91.220(2)) Please see SP‐25 for information on activities the City of Austin plans to undertake during the next year to address the housing and supportive needs of community members. City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 103 MA‐40 Barriers to Affordable Housing‐91.210(e) Negative Effects of Public Policies on Affordable Housing and Residential Investment An analysis of barriers to the development of affordable housing and residential investment was conducted for the regional Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI). This review was based on guidance from HUD’s Fair Housing Planning Guide, Chapter 5, and focused on the types of regulations and policies in land development codes that are indicators of impediments. Building codes were reviewed to determine nationally recognized building codes that have been adopted, and the relationship of those codes to HUD-accepted codes (called “safe harbor” codes). This review found the following potential barriers to affordable development in Austin: 1. In multifamily districts, the required site area is based on the number of bedrooms in each dwelling unit. This may limit the production of family-friendly dwelling units with two or more bedrooms. 2. Condominium residential is allowed in SF-5 and SF-6 but multifamily is not, prohibiting 3- and 4- unit buildings from these two zones. 3. Compatibility regulations that establish the distance between single-family homes and tall buildings impact the amount and location of apartments in Austin. 4. The code has no definition of manufactured, modular, or industrial housing. Clarification is needed in the code to establish where manufactured and modular homes are allowed. 5. The code could be more flexible in accommodating emerging uses that facilitate affordable living environments, such as tiny home communities. Nonetheless, the code is very progressive in its definitions of family: dwelling unit occupancy limits range from three to six unrelated adults based on housing type, zone district, and date that use is established or building permit is issued. Ten (10) unrelated adults are allowed if the majority of them are 60 years of age or older, self- sufficient, and live as a single, nonprofit housekeeping unit. In December 2023, the City Council passed the HOME amendments which addressed several previously identified barriers to affordable housing: removing restrictions on occupancy limits, increasing the number of units allowed in single-family districts, and allowing the construction of tiny homes on single- family zoned parcels. While this policy only went into effect in February 2023, it does address several previously identified barriers to affordable development in Austin. AP-75 also contains a detailed discussion of additional actions the city is taking to ameliorate the negative effects of public policies like land use controls that serve as barriers to affordable housing. Community members report that one of the most significant barriers is the requirement by landlords for renters to demonstrate they earn three times the rent in monthly income. Many landlords reportedly do not count unearned income, such as child support or federal disability payments, toward this threshold, creating barriers for renters who rely on such income (often single mothers and persons with disabilities) to assist with their rent. City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025-2029 Co 104 The most critical barriers noted in the AI were related to state regulations that prohibit local solutions that have been shown to be effective in other high-cost communities, such as inclusionary zoning and source of income protections. The following are some funding factors that impact affordable housing development in Austin: ● The State of Texas Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Program is one of the community’s largest affordable housing funding tools for non-profit and for-profit developers, creating reliance on a program with strong competition. ● Compared to its peer cities Austin lacks sophisticated private lenders and philanthropic foundations that fund affordable housing. The City plans to continue to work with the lending community to educate and encourage funding of affordable housing. ● As the Housing Market Study highlights, land values in the City of Austin have rapidly appreciated particularly in the inner city, making geographic dispersion of affordable housing a challenge. ● Due to rising land and construction costs, more gap financing is required to make a project financially viable. City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 105 Business by Sector Number of Workers Number of Jobs Share of Workers % Share of Jobs % Jobs less workers % MA-45 Non-Housing Community Development Assets – 91.215 (f) Economic Development Market Analysis Introduction Business Activity Accommodation and Food Services Administration & Support, Waste Management and Remediation Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation Construction Educational Services Finance and Insurance Health Care and Social Assistance Information Management of Companies and Enterprises Manufacturing Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction Other Services (excluding Public Administration) Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Public Administration Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Retail Trade Transportation and Warehousing Utilities Wholesale Trade Total 36,809 31,866 713 5,822 21,479 41,927 21,592 50,206 20,108 6,800 22,713 1,194 13,875 63,861 22,992 10,076 39,131 9,858 2,380 19,728 443,130 55,466 55,250 340 9,300 35,570 56,885 35,671 86,689 37,958 13,729 38,459 1,091 22,112 117,612 62,073 15,709 62,706 13,618 4,643 26,874 751,755 8% 7% 0% 1% 5% 9% 5% 11% 5% 2% 5% 0% 3% 14% 5% 2% 9% 2% 1% 4% -1% 0% 0% 0% 0% -2% 0% 0% 1% 0% 0% 0% 0% 1% 3% 0% 0% 0% 0% -1% 7% 7% 0% 1% 5% 8% 5% 12% 5% 2% 5% 0% 3% 16% 8% 2% 8% 2% 1% 4% 106 Table 1 - Business Activity Data Source: 2021 Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics City of Austin FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan Labor Force Total Population in the Civilian Labor Force Civilian Employed Population 16 years and over Unemployment Rate 621,332 621,332 3% Table 2 - Labor Force Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau. "Selected Economic Characteristics." American Community Survey, ACS 1-Year Estimates Data Profiles, Table DP03, 2022, https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDP1Y2022.DP03?t=Employment and Labor Force Status&g=160XX00US4805000. Accessed on March 28, 2024. Occupations by Sector Number of People Management, business and financial Service Sales and office Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations Production, transportation and material moving 349,949 73,563 113,356 29,589 35,952 Table 3 - Occupations by Sector Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau. "Selected Economic Characteristics." American Community Survey, ACS 1-Year Estimates Data Profiles, Table DP03, 2022, https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDP1Y2022.DP03?t=Employment and Labor Force Status&g=160XX00US4805000. Accessed on March 28, 2024. Travel Time Travel Time < 30 Minutes 30-59 Minutes 60 or More Minutes Total Education: Number 289,777 104,926 15,985 409,868 Table 4 - Travel Time Percentage 71% 25% 4% 100% Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau. "Commuting Characteristics by Sex." American Community Survey, ACS 1-Year Estimates Subject Tables, Table S0801, 2022, https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST1Y2022.S0801?t=Commuting&g=160XX00US4805000. Accessed on March 28, 2024. Educational Attainment by Employment Status (Population 25 to 64) Educational Attainment In Labor Force Employed Unemployed Less than high school graduate High school graduate (includes equivalency) Some college or Associate's degree 20,531 42,097 76,835 1,363 2,546 3,253 City of Austin FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan Not in Labor Force 11,125 15,773 19,321 107 Educational Attainment In Labor Force Employed Unemployed Bachelor's degree or higher 295,481 Table 5 - Educational Attainment by Employment Status Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau. "Employment Status." American Community Survey, ACS 1-Year Estimates Subject Tables, Table S2301, 2022, https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST1Y2022.S2301?t=Employment and Labor Force Status&g=160XX00US4805000. Accessed on March 28, 2024. 4,980 Not in Labor Force 35,257 Educational Attainment by Age Less than high school graduate High school graduate, GED, or alternative Some college or associate's degree Bachelor's degree or higher 18-24 yrs 9,564 26,169 45,378 24,656 Age 25+ 51,454 89,806 139,865 419,713 High school graduate or higher Bachelor's degree or higher 18–24 yrs 96,203 24,656 25-34 213,212 150,926 Age 35–44 yrs 159,817 105,433 45–64 yrs 181,590 110,899 65+ yrs 94,765 52,455 Table 6 - Educational Attainment by Age Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau. "Educational Attainment." American Community Survey, ACS 1-Year Estimates Subject Tables, Table S1501, 2022, https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST1Y2022.S1501?q=educational attainment&g=160XX00US4805000. Accessed on March 28, 2024. Educational Attainment – Median Earnings in the Past 12 Months Educational Attainment Less than high school graduate High school graduate (includes equivalency) Some college or Associate's degree Bachelor's degree Graduate or professional degree Median Earnings in the Past 12 Months 30,251 34,647 48,092 76,140 89,714 Table 7 – Median Earnings in the Past 12 Months Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau. "Educational Attainment." American Community Survey, ACS 1-Year Estimates Subject Tables, Table S1501, 2022, https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST1Y2022.S1501?q=educational attainment&g=160XX00US4805000. Accessed on March 28, 2024 Based on the Business Activity table above, what are the major employment sectors within your jurisdiction? City of Austin FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan 108 The five largest employment sectors, in descending order of total employment (and reflected in total jobs), are as follows: 1. Professional, Scien�fic, and Technical Services 2. Health Care and Social Assistance 3. Educa�onal Services 4. Retail Trade 5. Accommoda�on and Food Services These are somewhat misleading from an economic development perspective as they are heavily skewed by the location of public services tied to the State of Texas and the University of Texas in Austin. State employment consumes a large portion of the top three employment categories. Industries related to computer hardware, software, and semiconductor design, development, and sales are also major employers, and likely contribute heavily to the largest employment category of professional, scientific, and technical services. Describe the workforce and infrastructure needs of the business community: Primary workforce needs are related to core private sector industries in computer, semiconductor, and software development, as well as core skilled trades like skilled construction and nursing/medical professions. Major infrastructure needs include planned transportation projects around the reconstruction of I-35, construction of a new light rail system, expansion of the municipal airport, and reconstruction and expansion of the City Convention Center. Long-term infrastructure needs include improved electric and water utility resilience and sustainability in the face of growing demands and increasing climate-related disruptions. How do the skills and education of the current workforce correspond to employment opportunities in the jurisdiction? Basic indicators suggest a highly educated workforce well-suited to Austin’s economic strengths in advanced technologies and education services. However, local needs for skilled construction and medical services retain significant gaps that suggest a need for proactive apprenticeship and skills development. Describe any current workforce training initiatives, including those supported by Workforce Investment Boards, community colleges and other organizations. Describe how these efforts will support the jurisdiction's Consolidated Plan. The City of Austin is supporting a major initiative with regional workforce development agencies to investment additional funding for skilled trades related to infrastructure, to help meet the skills and jobs gaps for ongoing infrastructure projects. Additional programs have been developed to support workforce training for key local large employers in semiconductor and electric vehicle manufacturing. City of Austin FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan 109 Does your jurisdiction participate in a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS)? Yes. If so, what economic development initiatives are you undertaking that may be coordinated with the Consolidated Plan? If not, describe other local/regional plans or initiatives that impact economic growth. Major economic development initiatives include the following: • • • Infrastructure Academy: Effort to reserve substan�al funding from CIP ini�a�ves to support skilled trades training and appren�ceships Chapter 380 Revision: Revising and upda�ng our primary economic tax incen�ve program to support more effec�ve u�liza�on by target industries and implement programs around affordable commercial real estate Target Industry Iden�fica�on: Review and upda�ng of City of Aus�n target industries, to priori�ze for programming and engagement • Major investments in Music and Cultural Arts Sectors: Con�nued support for local crea�ve sector businesses, nonprofits, and workers, including use of Hotel Occupancy Tax funds, and regulatory and financial incen�ves. Comprehensive District Framework: Development of a framework and process for suppor�ng economic and cultural districts to self-organize and provide more holis�c “main street” type services • Discussion City of Austin FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan 110 MA‐50 Needs and Market Analysis Discussion Are there areas where households with multiple housing problems are concentrated? (include a definition of "concentration") Multiple housing problems are often concentrated where protected classes reside. below shows the percentage households in each census tract that experience more than one housing problem including: • • • Overcrowding (more than one person per room) • Cost burden greater than 30% Lack of complete plumbing facilities Lack‐of complete kitchen facilities Map 1: Households with Housing Problems Data Source: 2016‐2020 CHAS, Table 1 City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 111 The darkest purple areas indicate census tracts where 60 to 100 percent of households experience more than one housing problem. According to the CHAS dataset, the census tracts with the most households are facing one or more housing issues are: • • • • • Census Tract 22.20 in Northeast Austin (Daffan Park) Census Tract 24.12, Census Tract 24.19 in Southeast Austin (Dove Springs) Census Tract 23.24 just southeast of Ladybird Lake (Riverside) Census Tract 433, in Central Northeast Austin (St. Johns) Census Tract 407, in North Austin (Rundberg) Census Tracts 6.01, 6.05, 6.06, 6.07, 6.08, just west of the University of Texas (West Campus) Census Tract 323, just west of MoPac (Far West) • • The highest concentration of housing problems are in areas with majority Hispanic/Latino populations, and an over representation of Black residents. Census Tract 22.20 has a Black population greater than 20%, Census Tract 24.12 and 24.19 have Hispanic/Latino populations between of 60‐85%, Census Tract 23.24 has a Hispanic/Latino population of 58% and Census Tract 433 has a Hispanic population of 67%. Census Tracts 6.01, 6.05, 6.06, 6.07, 6.08, and 323 are largely populated by students. It's important to acknowledge that data for these tracts might show some distortion because a considerable number of college and graduate students are officially classified as living in poverty or encountering financial challenges, despite potentially having access to other resources and opportunities. City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 112 Are there any areas in the jurisdiction where racial or ethnic minorities or low‐income families are concentrated? (include a definition of "concentration") The City of Austin contains census tracts where specific racial or ethnic groups dominate or are concentrated. In Austin, the predominant groups are Hispanic/Latino and Non‐Hispanic White. Map 2 delineates areas where either Hispanic/Latino or Non‐Hispanic White populations constitute over 50% of the residents. Asian and Black populations each represent roughly 7% of Austin's total population. Areas where these groups exceed 20% are highlighted in Map 2 because they contain more than double the citywide percentage. This delineation aids in identifying concentrations of these populations and provides insights into potential impacts on protected classes. Map 2: Concentrated Racial or Ethnic Group Data Source: 2022 ACS 5‐year Estimates City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 113 Racially or Ethnically Concentrated Area of Poverty (R/ECAP) HUD defines a Racially or Ethnically Concentrated Area of Poverty (R/ECAP) as a census tract where the Non‐Hispanic White population is below 50% and the poverty rate exceeds either 40% or three times the metropolitan average, whichever is lower. Using 2022 5‐year census data there are 9 R/ECAPs that fall within the City of Austin boundary. There were 7 census tracts that met the definition above but were removed due to unique circumstances such as the University of Texas and surrounding student housing, the state prison and a state supported living center. The R/ECAPs are primarily situated east of I‐35 and north of Highway 183. Map 3: Racially or Ethnically Concentrated Areas of Poverty (R/ECAP) 2022 Data Source: 2022 ACS 5‐year Estimates City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 114 One observation regarding the R/ECAPs is their distribution over time. Map 4 illustrates the 2022 R/ECAPs compared to those identified in 2012. In 2012, there were 12 R/ECAPs identified using the same definition above. Though this only amounts to three additional census tracts, the geography of the census tracts were much larger and made up a good portion of far East Austin. When comparing the 2012 and 2022 data, it is evident that the percentage of non‐Hispanic White populations has increased, and poverty rates have decreased in several tracts previously identified as R/ECAPs in 2012. The exact cause of this shift is not determinable, but various indicators suggest rising housing costs may lead to the displacement of vulnerable residents. Map 4: R/ECAP 2012 and 2022 Data Source: 2012 and 2022 ACS 5‐year Estimates City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 115 The following map 5 overlays the 2022 RECAPS and the 2012 RECAP on the Displacement Risk Maps maintained by the City of Austin. To determine displacement risk, researchers at the University of Texas conducted a three‐part analysis: the presence of vulnerable populations, residential market appreciation, and demographic change. To determine vulnerable populations, the authors used indicators to identify residents who, according to academic research, are least able to absorb housing costs, which includes communities of color, low‐income households, heads of households without a bachelor's degree or higher, families with children in poverty, and renters. The City of Austin’s Displacement Risk Index defines four categories of displacement risk: Active, Vulnerable, Chronic, and Historic. Active and Vulnerable areas have the highest displacement risk, with Chronic and Historic represent areas that have already undergone significant displacement and neighborhood change. Map 5: RECAPs and Displacement Risk Data Source: 2012 and 2022 ACS 5‐year Estimates City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 116 Racially or Ethnically Concentrated Area of Affluence (RECAA) HUD officially recognizes RECAPs as a key focus in policy, as outlined in the 2015 rule addressing local governments' responsibilities to Affirmatively Further Fair Housing. Academics Goetz, Damiano, and Williams advocate for equal attention to affluent White neighborhoods, termed Racially (or Ethnically) Concentrated Areas of Affluence (RECAAs). They argue that policy focus should extend to RECAAs, citing the historical and current public policies that have fostered these pockets of privilege and the ways in which they have been subsidized. For this analysis, RECAAs are defined as tracts with over 70% non‐Hispanic White population and median household incomes (MHI) exceeding $129,988, or twice the national MHI average. Using 2022 5‐year census tract data, Austin has 16 such RECAAs, all located west of I‐35, and many spilling over into the suburbs west of Austin. Map 6: Racially Concentrated Areas of Affluence (RCAA) Data Source: 2022 ACS 5‐year Estimates City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025-2029 Co 117 What are the characteristics of the market in these areas/neighborhoods? There are 9 RECAPs and 16 RECAAs within the full purpose jurisdiction of the City of Austin. 12 Tables 8 and 9 indicate the 2022 market characteristics for RECAP and RECAAs in Austin. Below are key points comparing these market characteristics: • • The poverty rate in RECAAs is 8 times lower than the median poverty rate in RECAPs. • Median household income in RECAAs is nearly 4 times higher than in RECAPs. • Despite the significantly higher income in RECAAs, the median contract rent is only 1.88 times higher, indicating a substantial cost burden on residents in RECAPs. Residents in RECAPs are 5.75 times more likely to be renters compared to those in RECAAs. • Homeownership rates are 7 times higher in RECAAs than in RECAPs, with median home values in RECAPs being approximately 4 times lower than those in RECAAs. This comparison illustrates the considerable disparities in socioeconomic indicators and housing market characteristics between the census tracts represented in RECAPs and RECAAs, with RECAAs generally indicating higher values across various metrics. 2022 RECAP Census Tracts Census Tract 8.02 Census Tract 8.04 Census Tract 23.25 Census Tract 23.27 Census Tract 24.13 Census Tract 401 Census Tract 403 Census Tract 407 Census Tract 449 Median Percent Poverty Median Househol d Income Median Value (Dollars) Median Contract Rent Total House holds Percent Owner Occupied Percent Renter Occupied Percent Occupied Percent Vacant 36% $69,904 $639,800 $324 1586 33% $64,554 $530,500 $1,053 1181 31% $65,179 $278,300 $1,057 1571 50% $25,900 $135,800 $1,012 2317 33% $45,733 $225,000 $1,281 1157 34% $43,438 $317,200 $1,052 1954 32% $44,853 $261,000 $1,014 2491 51% $29,253 $298,700 $1,005 3374 31% 33% $65,290 $258,800 $1,248 3755 $ 45,733 $278,300 $ 1,052 1954 37% 44% 52% 9% 25% 31% 28% 19% 75% 31% 63% 56% 48% 91% 75% 69% 72% 81% 25% 69% 92% 91% 91% 91% 96% 94% 96% 88% 99% 92% 8% 9% 9% 9% 4% 6% 4% 12% 1% 8% Table 1 ‐ RECAP Market Characteristics Data Source: 2022 ACS 5‐Year Estimates 12 This tally excludes census tracts where there is City of Austin land, but no housing units appear to exist within the full purpose jurisdiction. City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 118 2022 RECAA Census Tracts Census Tract 1.02 Census Tract 11.02 Census Tract 16.03 Census Tract 16.04 Census Tract 19.10 Census Tract 19.12 Census Tract 19.13 Census Tract 19.17 Census Tract 19.19 Census Tract 19.21 Census Tract 109.12 Census Tract 300 Census Tract 307 Census Tract 322 Census Tract 339 Census Tract 368 Median 5% 5% 4% 2% 3% 6% 4% 6% 5% 4% 4% 1% 7% 2% 1% 3% 4% Percent Poverty Median Household Income Median Value (Dollars) Median Contract Rent Total Households Percent Owner Occupied Percent Renter Occupied Percent Occupied Percent Vacant $211,042 $967,400 $2754 1559 100% $224,688 $1,158,800 $1286 1122 $167,866 - $2921 2695 $194,500 $1,279,400 $1690 1946 $233,875 $1,390,000 $1804 1867 $150,363 $1,088,100 $1829 2038 $192,569 $1,472,700 $1931 1738 $250,000 $1,382,100 $3380 1834 $240,368 $1,420,900 $2924 1306 $231,500 $1,425,700 $1984 1812 $154,560 $632,100 - 2701 $155,608 $887,700 $1664 2200 $157,500 $803,300 $3501 1849 $187,500 $802,300 $1622 934 $165,434 $736,800 $2125 2278 $175,577 $568,600 $2750 1414 $ 190,035 $1,088,100 $1,984 1,842 96% 48% 84% 88% 54% 66% 94% 89% 89% 82% 94% 70% 92% 88% 89% 97% 88% 4% 52% 16% 12% 46% 34% 6% 11% 11% 18% 6% 30% 8% 12% 11% 3% 12% Table 9 – RECAA Market Characteristics Data Source: 2022 ACS 5‐Year Estimates 87% 88% 87% 90% 90% 92% 95% 97% 91% 97% 87% 96% 96% 89% 99% 92% 13% 12% 13% 10% 10% 8% 5% 0% 3% 9% 3% 13% 4% 4% 11% 1% 8% City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 119 Are there any community assets in these areas/neighborhoods? There are generally far fewer individual community assets in the RECAAs than in the RECAPs. The average community asset count in a RECAA is 2. There are two RECAAs with zero community assets, three with 1 asset, and three with 2 assets. The average community asset count in a RECAP is 5. RECAAs in Austin have significantly fewer supermarkets, schools, community gardens, park recreation centers, current affordable housing developments, and future affordable housing developments. This analysis primarily focused on public amenities, but it could be that areas of affluence have more private amenities such as private schools and recreation facilities. While adding affordable housing to areas of concentrated affluence is critical to affirmatively further fair housing, it is equally important to ensure that there are accessible community amenities nearby. 2022 RECAP Census Tracts Census Tract 8.04 Census Tract 8.02 Census Tract 23.25 Census Tract 23.27 Census Tract 24.13 Census Tract 401 Census Tract 403 Census Tract 407 Census Tract 449 Total Average 2 2 3 2 4 2 Daycare Super market Public School Public Recreatio n Center Library Affordable Housing Development s (Existing) Affordable Housing Development s (Planned) Parks Parkland (Acres) 2 1 1 2 1 2 1 3 2 4 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 15 11 7 1 1 2 4 1 1 3 1 1 1 5 6 2 4 1 3 2 1 1 266 18 87 10 50 5 5 9 3 15 1.5 12 1.2 9 0.9 5 0.5 2 0.2 37 3.7 12 1.2 25 2.5 454 45.4 Table 10 – RECAP Community Assets Data Source: 2022 ACS 5‐Year Estimates City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025-2029 Co 120 Daycare Super market Public School Public Recreation Center Library Affordable Housing Development s (Existing) Affordable Housing Developments (Planned) Parks Parkland (Acres) 1 1 1 3 1 2 1 2022 RECAA Census Tracts Census Tract 1.02 Census Tract 11.02 Census Tract 16.03 Census Tract 16.04 Census Tract 19.10 Census Tract 19.12 Census Tract 19.13 Census Tract 19.17 Census Tract 19.19 Census Tract 19.21 Census Tract 109.12 Census Tract 300 Census Tract 307 Census Tract 322 Census Tract 339 Census Tract 368 Total Average 3 5 2 2 3 1 4 1 4 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 7 0.4 2 5 5 3 4 1 3 1 5 1 1 1 7 12 29 33 111 210 645 0 200 3 90 271 1611 126.6 25 1.6 6 0.4 1 0.1 1 0.1 1 0.1 7 0.4 32 5.3 Table 11 – RECAA Community Assets Data Source: 2022 ACS 5‐Year Estimates City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 121 Are there other strategic opportunities in any of these areas? Increasing income‐restricted housing that is deeply affordable in RECAA tracts while increasing other publicly accessible community assets in these areas could significantly further fair housing in Austin. Analysis of Austin’s RECAAs and RECAPs affirms that there is stark racial and economic segregation between the city’s west and east. Affordability is key to alleviating Austin’s segregated housing options. Segregation aside, the top housing problem is Austin is cost burden for very and extremely low‐income renter households. Providing more housing options for households earning 0‐30% HAMFI is critical, and it is also important to increase housing options for households earning above 100% HAMFI to reduce downward pressure on the market from upper income households competing for units that are more affordable. City of Austin FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan 122 MA-60 Broadband Needs of Housing Occupied by Low- and Moderate-Income Households - 91.210(a)(4), 91.310(a)(2) Describe the need for broadband wiring and connections for households, including low- and moderate-income households and neighborhoods. Since the 1990’s, the Austin/Travis County area in Texas has been commonly nicknamed “Silicon Hills,” a fast-growing tech hub at the top of lists for business and employment growth. Compared to national and state percentages, Travis County has higher internet subscription and computer ownership rates (REF ACS S2801 5YR 2022). However, even in our well-connected area, not everyone is able to fully participate in the digital world to access the essential services and resources they need. When looking at different demographics and geographies across Travis County, there are large gaps between those that do and do not have internet access. The map of Travis County to the right1 shows the percent of households without an internet subscription with darker blues representing higher percentages of the population that do not have a subscription. The portions of the community that do not have an internet connection tend to be on the east side of I-35 and the outlying, more rural areas. There are an estimated 39,820 Travis County households without internet subscriptions. According to the American Community Survey (data shown below), lower-income households tend to have lower internet subscription rates in Travis County (20.6% for households earning less than $10,000 annually vs. 3.3% for those earning more than $75,000 annually). 1 Source: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2018-2022 5-year estimates, Table(s) B28004. City of Austin FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan 123 Percent of Travis County households without internet subscriptions, by income2 Describe the need for increased competition by having more than one broadband Internet service provider serve the jurisdiction. Competition is a key driver of affordability and affordability is one of the primary barriers to internet connectivity in Travis County. Travis County and the City of Austin recently hosted focus groups to learn about challenges the community is having in connecting to the internet (results shown to the right), and Affordability was the primary cause given. Enhancing competition among internet service providers could help in providing more affordable internet plan options. 2 Source: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2022 5-year estimates, Table(s) B28004 City of Austin FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan 124 MA-65 Hazard Mitigation - 91.210(a)(5), 91.310(a)(3) Describe the jurisdiction’s increased natural hazard risks associated with climate change. Summary of climate projections: In Austin should continue to expect hotter summers with more frequent heatwaves and fewer but longer cold spells. Austin is also projected to experience fewer calm days and more wet days as well as windy days are to be expected. HEAT: Average, minimum, and maximum daily temperatures, and heat waves are projected to rise. Summers are expected to be hotter. Historically, temperatures above 110°F were rare, but such temperatures are expected to become more frequent in the future. Also, fewer nights with temperatures below 32°F are projected. The number of frost days per year is also expected to decrease. COLD: Fewer cold spells are expected, but they are projected to last longer when they do occur. Austin’s cold spells are expected to decrease – however, when they do occur, it is projected to last longer. That is, increase from one day in the past to three days. Overall, the number of cold spells per year are expected to decrease from 0–2 at present to even rarer by the end of the century. Additionally, the number of consecutive cold, dry days and cold, wet days considered “extreme” are projected to decrease from 0–2 per year at present to 0 by the end of the century. The exception being, when the cold spell does occur, a longer duration is projected. PRECIPITATION: Because of the uncertainty and nature of rainfall across Austin, it is recommended that precipitation projections for Austin be interpreted based off the projections for the larger region and the state, which indicate a general increase in the rainfall and the extremes. The statewide historical climate trend indicates increasing rainfall for eastern Texas and no trend or some reduction for the western part of the state. Historically extreme precipitation has increased by 7% from 1960- 2020 and is expected to increase by 6-10% in the future relative to 1950-1999 and 2%-3% relative to 2001-2020. Key climate hazards emerge as the most critical for both short- and long-term planning efforts: (1) Extreme Heat, (2) Drought, (3) Flooding, (4) Wildfire, (5) winter storms, (6) wind/tornados. Describe the vulnerability to these risks of housing occupied by low- and moderate-income households based on an analysis of data, findings, and methods. A changing climate can negatively impact where and how we live, work, play, and learn. Climate hazards do not impact everyone equally, but disproportionally affect Austin’s most vulnerable communities. Typically residing in the northeast, east and southeast portions of Austin, these Consolidated Plan OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021) City of Austin FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan 125 communities are already stressed by limited resources, growth pressures, and higher rates of chronic disease. Acute weather events will exacerbate existing stressors, making communities more sensitive to future climate impacts. Low-income communities and communities of color are disproportionately burdened. Here are just a few examples of climate change impacts: Floodplain Maps: The City of Austin, Travis County and other Central Texas communities are updating floodplain maps in the region based on the Atlas 14 study. Our current floodplain maps show where flooding is likely to occur with 10.2 inches of rainfall in 24 hours. The updated maps will reflect flooding from almost 13 inches of rain in some areas. This will impact housing in low-income communities in several ways. First, property values are lower inside floodplains than outside floodplains; second, many floodplain areas have been developed for multi-family housings, mobile homes, and single family housings in the very low-income neighborhoods between 1990 and 2000; third, low-income people are more likely to live in floodplains, compared to higher-income people and the number has grown in floodplains; fourth, people with the lower income are more likely to live in the areas including more floodplain. The more serious exposure and the increase of low-income people in the floodplains could give a rationale for policy intervention in floodplain management and regulation. This study proposes several policies for Austin to reduce property damage in floodplains, where low- income people tend to live. Heat Mapping: Satellite data show temperatures trend higher downtown and throughout much of Austin’s Eastern Crescent, a curved-shaped region that spans the southern and northern reaches of East Austin. Lack of shade, as well as asphalt roads and dark building materials that retain heat, create “heat islands'' in this area, which is where much of Austin's low-income housing is located. Housing stress: Since the late 1990s, Austin has seen a dramatic rise in housing costs, shifting the city from among the most affordable in the country to one where a growing share of residents can no longer afford to live. As in many cities around the county, there has been an inversion of previous demographic trends, as affluent residents increasingly move into central neighborhoods and low-income residents are pushed to the outskirts or out of the city altogether. The impacts of Austin’s rising housing costs have been particularly dramatic in the city’s “eastern crescent,” where historically low housing costs, produced in part through the city’s history of publicly-supported racial and ethnic segregation, now combine with broader social and economic trends to make these neighborhoods more desirable to higher-income households. Over the past two decades, numerous city and citizen task forces have formed to study and address the impacts of these changes on Austin’s communities of color and vulnerable households. Consolidated Plan OMB Control No: 2506-0117 (exp. 09/30/2021) City of Austin FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan 126 Strategic Plan SP‐05 Overview Strategic Plan Overview Austin's strategic plan is based on the City’s assessment of community needs as identified in this Consolidated Plan, and in related plans and policy documents. Successful implementation depends upon the ability to leverage funds identified in the Consolidated Plan, or to combine funding sources to meet the identified needs. To the greatest extent possible, targeted funds will be utilized for their intended purpose, while discretionary resources will be used to address other needs. For instance, while the development of affordable housing is a critical issue for Austin, not all Consolidated Plan funds will be used for the creation or preservation of affordable housing. City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 127 Throughout the City of Austin Other Citywide SP‐10 Geographic Priorities – 91.215 (a)(1) Geographic Area Area Name: 1 Area Type: Other Target Area Description: Revital Type: Other Revital Description: Identify the neighborhood boundaries for this target area. Include specific housing and commercial characteristics of this target area. How did your consultation and community member participation process help you to identify this neighborhood as a target area? Identify the needs in this target area. What are the opportunities for improvement in this target area? Are there barriers to improvement in this target area? Table 52 ‐ Geographic Priority Areas N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A General Allocation Priorities Describe the basis for allocating investments geographically within the jurisdiction (or within the EMSA for HOPWA) The City of Austin encourages production and preservation of affordable housing throughout the City to maximize choice for low‐income households. The Housing Department promotes the development of project locations that afford low‐income households the greatest access to opportunities such as jobs, quality education, parks and open space, and services. The Housing Department encourages housing developments that support community development designed to improve the quality of life in low‐income communities, and developments in locations where revitalization trends are leading to the displacement of low‐income households. The goal is to enable Austinites to stay in their neighborhoods. Access to transit is also an urgent priority, as transportation costs are second only to housing costs for a majority of low‐income households, and many low‐income households do not own a car. The City of Austin offers a range of development incentives, including density bonus programs which provide modifications and waivers to site development regulations in exchange for providing affordable housing. The majority of these policies apply to specific geographic areas throughout the City, including high opportunity areas which refer to neighborhoods with access to amenities or community attributes City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 128 that can increase economic mobility for their residents. City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 129 SP‐25 Priority Needs ‐ 91.215(a)(2) Priority Needs 1 Priority Need Name Homeless Assistance Priority Level High Population Extremely Low‐Income Low‐Income Chronic Homelessness Individuals Chronic Substance Abuse Families with Children Veterans Victims of Domestic Violence Unaccompanied Youth Persons with HIV/AIDS Citywide Geographic Areas Affected Associated Goals Homeless Assistance Description Basis for Relative Priority Homeless Assistance provides services to the City's most vulnerable populations, including persons experiencing homelessness, persons living with HIV/AIDS, victims of domestic violence, persons experiencing mental illness, unaccompanied youth, persons with chronic substance abuse, and veterans. Persons experiencing homelessness are Austin’s most vulnerable populations and therefore are a high priority for the Consolidated Plan. This decision was made based on feedback from the public engagement process, including stakeholder meetings comprised of homeless needs providers, public hearings, and the Consolidated Plan survey. Priority Need Name Special Needs Assistance 2 Priority Level High Population Extremely Low‐Income Low‐Income Moderate‐Income Elderly Individuals with HIV/AIDS Families with Children At‐Risk Youth Citywide Geographic Areas Affected City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 130 Associated Goals Special Needs Assistance Description Basis for Relative Priority Special Needs activities will assist low‐ to moderate‐income Austinites by providing housing and support services for individuals with HIV/AIDS, mental health services for at‐risk youth, childcare services, and services for seniors. Persons with special needs are among Austin’s most vulnerable populations and therefore are a high priority for the Consolidated Plan. This decision was made based on feedback from the public process, including stakeholder meetings comprised of special needs providers, public hearings, and a Consolidated Plan survey. 3 Priority Need Name Renter Assistance Priority Level High Population Extremely Low‐Income Low‐Income Families with Children Victims of Domestic Violence Unaccompanied Youth Persons with Mental Disabilities Persons with Physical Disabilities Citywide Geographic Areas Affected Associated Goals Renter Assistance Description Renter Assistance activities will provide assistance that can make rent more affordable, tenants’ rights services, and financial assistance for necessary rehabilitation to make homes accessible. Basis for Relative Priority Pending. 4 Priority Need Name Homebuyer Assistance Priority Level High Population Low‐income Moderate‐income Geographic Areas Affected Citywide Associated Goals Homebuyer Assistance City of Austin nsolidated Plan FY 2025‐2029 Co 131 Description Homebuyer Assistance provides counseling to renters wishing to become homebuyers and existing homebuyers to help them stay in their homes. This category includes the Down Payment Assistance Program, which offers loans to qualifying low‐ and moderate‐income homebuyers to help them buy their first home. Basis for Relative Priority Pending. 5 Priority Need Name Homeowner Assistance Priority Level High Population Extremely Low‐income Low‐income Moderate‐income Families with Children Elderly Geographic Areas Affected Citywide Associated Goals Homeowner Assistance Description Basis for Relative Priority Homeowner Assistance provides services for low‐ and moderate‐ income individuals who own their homes, but need assistance to make them safe, functional, and/or accessible. Preserving the safety and livability of the housing of low‐income homeowners, allowing owners to stay in their homes, improving the City’s aging housing stock, and repairing the lives of existing homeowners were highlighted by stakeholders and community members as high priority needs. Homeowner assistance is a high priority in the Consolidated Plan. 6 Priority Need Name Housing Development Assistance Priority Level High Population Extremely Low‐income Low‐income Moderate‐income Chronic Homelessness Citywide Geographic Areas Affected Associated Goals Housing Development Assistance Description Housing Development Assistance includes Housing Department programs that offer assistance to nonprofit and for‐profit City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 132 developers to build affordable housing for low‐ and moderate‐income households. Basis for Relative Priority Pending. Table 53 – Priority Needs Summary 7 Priority Need Name Other Community Development Assistance Priority Level High Population Geographic Areas Affected Citywide Extremely Low‐Income Low‐Income Moderate Income Non‐Housing Community Development Associated Goals Infrastructure Development Small Business Assistance CHDO Operating Expense Grants Description Pending. Basis for Relative Priority Pending City of Austin FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan 133 Narrative (Optional) The federal programs that comprise the City of Austin’s FY 2019‐24 community development and housing portfolio offers an array of affordable housing and public services through seven priority categories which serve very low‐, low‐, and moderate‐income households‐ all of which meet the definition of addressing obstacles to meet underserved needs. These programs are: ● Homeless Assistance ● Special Needs Assistance ● Renter Assistance ● Homebuyer Assistance ● Homeowner Assistance ● Housing Development Assistance ● Other Community Development Assistance SP-30 Influence of Market Conditions - 91.215(b) Influence of Market Conditions Pending. City of Austin FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan 134 SP‐35 Anticipated Resources ‐ 91.215(a)(4), 91.220(c)(1,2) Introduction In addition to HUD funding, the City of Austin allocates revenue to the Housing Department for affordable housing and community development activities. HUD's guidance regarding the inclusion of non‐federal funding sources in the Consolidated Plan is that non‐federal sources are to be included if they are reasonably expected to be made available to address the needs outlined in the plan. The FY 2024‐25 City of Austin budget is expected to be approved by City Council in September 2024. See Exhibit 1 in ES‐05, Executive Summary for a visual depiction of the federal and local allocation process. This plan is not intended to confer any legal rights or entitlements on any persons, groups, or entities, including those named as intended recipients of funds or as program beneficiaries. The terms of this plan are subject to amendment, and to the effects of applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances. Statements of numerical goals or outcomes are for the purpose of measuring the success of programs and policies, and do not impose a legal obligation on the City to achieve the intended results. Actual funding of particular programs and projects identified in this plan are subject to completion of various further actions, some of which involve discretionary determinations by the City or others. These include HUD approval of this plan; appropriations by the United States Congress and Austin City Council; reviews and determinations under environmental and related laws; and results of bidding and contracting processes. Program Uses of Funds Expected Amount Available Year 1 Narrative Description Annual Allocation $ Program Income $ Prior Year Resources $ Total $ Expected Amount Available Remainder of ConPlan $ HOME Federal Acquisition $3,601,868 $800,000 $0 $4,401,868 $17,607,472 Anticipated Resources Source of Funds Homebuyer Assistance The three objectives of the HOME Program are: Expand the supply of decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable housing to very low and low‐ City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 135 Homeowner Rehabilitation Multifamily Rental New Construction Multifamily Rental Rehabilitaiton New Construction for Ownership Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) Administration and Planning Housing Economic Development Housing Public Improvement Public Services Permanent Housing Placement Hotel/Motel CDBG Federal Acquisition $7,362,354 $95,000 $0 $7,457,354 $29,829,416 HOPWA Federal $2,670,278 0 0 $10,681,112 City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 136 income individuals; Mobilize and strengthen the ability of state and local governments to provide decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable housing to very low‐ and low‐income individuals; Leverage private sector participation and expand the capacity of nonprofit housing providers. The primary objective of CDBG is the development of viable communities by: Providing decent housing; Providing a suitable living environment; Expanding economic opportunities. Any activity funded with CDBG must meet one of three national objectives: Benefit low‐ and moderate‐income persons; Aid in the prevention of slums or blight; Meet a particular urgent need. The Housing Opportunity for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Program was established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to address the specific needs of low‐ income persons living with HIV/AIDS and their families. HOPWA makes grants to local communities, states, and nonprofit organizations. HOPWA funds provide housing assistance and related supportive services in partnership with communities and neighborhood. Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) program is designed to be the first step in a continuum of assistance to help clients quickly regain stability in permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis and/or homelessness. Short Term or Transitional Housing Facilities Federal Overnight Shelter Short Term Rent, Mortgage, Utility Assistance (STRMU) Supportive Services Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) Permanent Housing in Facilities Rapid Rehousing (with Rental Assistance) Financial Assistance Rental Assistance Essential Services, including Street Outreach ESG $658,196 0 0 $658,196 $2,632,784 Table 55- Anticipated Resources City of Austin FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan 137 Explain how federal funds will leverage those additional resources (private, state and local funds), including a description of how matching requirements will be satisfied The City of Austin will satisfy its matching requirements for HOME and CDBG funding through General Obligation (G.O.) Bond Funding and Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Funds. Austin Public Health matches the ESG grant dollar‐for‐dollar with general fund dollars that are allocated to homeless services provided to subrecipients. If appropriate, describe publicly owned land or property located within the jurisdiction that may be used to address the needs identified in the plan. Pending. Discussion Pending. Pending. SP-40 Institutional Delivery Assessment of Strengths and Gaps in Institutional Delivery System Explain the institutional structure through which the jurisdiction will carry out its Consolidated Plan including private industry, non-profit organizations, and public institutions City of Austin FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan 138 Assessment of Strengths and Gaps in Institutional Delivery System Availability of services targeted to homeless persons and persons with HIV and mainstream services. Describe how the service delivery system including, but not limited to, the services listed above meet the needs of homeless persons (particularly chronically homeless individuals and families, families with children, veterans and their families, and unaccompanied youth). Describe the strengths and gaps of the service delivery system for special needs population and persons experiencing homelessness, including, but not limited to, the services listed above Provide a summary of the strategy for overcoming gaps in the institutional structure and service delivery system for carrying out a strategy to address priority needs Pending. Pending. Pending, Pending. Pending. City of Austin FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan 139 SP‐45 Goals Summary – 91.215(a)(4) Goals Summary Information # Goal Name 1 Homeless Assistance Start Year 2025 Category End Year 2029 Homeless Geographic Area Throughout the City of Austin Needs Addressed Homeless Assistance Funding Goal Outcome Indicator HOME: $7,500,00 Homeless Person Overnight Shelter: 1,370 Persons Assisted ESG: $3,290,980 TBRA/Rapid Rehousing: 860 (600 TBRA; 260 Rapid Rehousing) 2 Special Needs Assistance 2025 2029 Non‐ Throughout the City of Austin Special Needs Assistance Homeless Special Needs CDBG: $5,521,765 Child Care Services: 1,445 HOPWA: Senior Services: 800 $13,351,390 Mental Health Services: 795 Homelessness Prevention (STRMU): 495 Tenant Based Rental Assistance/Rapid Rehousing: 400 Persons Assisted HIV/AIDS Housing Operations: 437 City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 140 Public service activities other than Low/Moderate Income Housing Benefit (including HOPWA Supportive Services, Permanent Housing Placement, Housing City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 141 3 Renter Assistance 2025 2029 Affordable Housing Throughout the City of Austin Renter Assistance $0 None. Case Management): 3,832 Other (Hotel/Motel, Master Leasing): 432 4 Homebuyer Assistance 2025 2029 Affordable Housing Throughout the City of Austin Homebuyer Assistance Direct Financial Assistance to Homebuyers: 125 Households Assisted 5 Homeowner Assistance 2025 2029 Affordable Housing Throughout the City of Austin Homeowner Assistance HOME: $5,107,010 HOME Program Income (projected): $400,000 CDBG: $11,427,650 CDBG Revolving Loan: $200,000 HOME Program Income (projection): $350,000 Minor Home Repair: 425 Households Assisted Homeowner Rehabilitation Loan Program: 40 Households Assisted Architectural Barrier Removal‐ Owner: 315 City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 142 6 Housing 2025 2029 Affordable Housing Homeless Throughout the City of Austin Housing Development Assistance Development Assistance CDBG Revolving Loan: $275,000 Rental Housing Development Assistance (CHDO): Pending Ownership Housing Development Assistance (CHDO): Pending HOME Program Income (projected): $1,000,000 HOME Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO): $2,701,400 City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 143 7 Other 2025 2029 CDBG: $12,500,000 Pending Community Development Non‐Housing Community Development Throughout the City of Austin Infrastructure Development Table 58 – Goals Summary City of Austin FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan 144 1 Goal Name Homeless Assistance Goal Descriptions Goal Description Persons experiencing homelessness are Austin’s most vulnerable population and therefore are a high priority for the Consolidated Plan. This decision was made based on feedback from the public process, including stakeholder meetings that included homeless needs providers, public hearings, and the Consolidated Plan survey. Homeless Assistance provides services to persons living with HIV/AIDS, victims of experiencing homelessness, persons domestic violence, persons experiencing mental illness, unaccompanied youth, persons with chronic substance abuse, and veterans. 2 Goal Name Special Needs Assistance Goal Description Special Needs activities will assist low‐ to moderate‐income Austinites by providing mental health services for at‐risk youth, childcare services, and services for seniors. This decision was made based on feedback from the public process, including stakeholder meetings that included homeless and special needs providers, public hearings, and the Consolidated Plan survey. 3 Goal Name Renter Assistance Goal Description Pending. 4 Goal Name Homebuyer Assistance City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 145 Goal Description Pending. 5 Goal Name Homeowner Assistance Goal Description livability of the housing of Preserving the safety and low‐income homeowners, allowing owners to stay in their homes, improving the City’s aging housing stock, and repairing homes for existing homeowners were highlighted as high priority needs by stakeholders and community members. Homeowner assistance is a high priority in the Consolidated Plan. 6 Goal Name Housing Development Assistance Goal Description Pending. Goal Name Other Community Development Goal Description Other Community Development Assistance includes activities that provide capacity building for nonprofit organizations that are focused on affordable housing development and workforce development, as well as support for small business and infrastructure development. City of Austin FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan 146 Estimate the number of extremely low‐income, low‐income, and moderate‐income families to whom the jurisdiction will provide affordable housing as defined by HOME 91.315(b)(2). Pending. City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 147 SP‐50 Public Housing Accessibility and Involvement – 91.215(c) Need to Increase the Number of Accessible Units (if Required by a Section 504 Voluntary Compliance Agreement) HACA is not required to increase the number of accessible units under a Section 504 Voluntary Compliance Agreement. Currently HACA has 128 fully accessible low‐income subsidized housing units under Section 504, with many more units having some accessibility features. Additionally, HACA provides reasonable accommodations for households upon request. Low‐Income subsidized housing individuals with disabilities may request that accessibility modifications be made to their assigned unit, should those accommodations be deemed necessary and reasonable. For individuals with disabilities, HACA provides grab bars, builds entry ramps, lowers cabinets, modifies doors and handles, and installs flashing doorbells and smoke detectors. In addition, HACA approves assistance animals, and makes provisions to conduct annual eligibility and in‐ home re‐examination appointments under extenuating circumstances. Individuals with disabilities are now able to mail in required documents should someone not have access to Special Transportation Services through Capital Metro. Individuals with disabilities may also be eligible for upgrades in unit size based on specific medical and accessibility needs. Finally, all of HACA’s low‐ income subsidized housing Property Managers and Housing Choice Voucher Inspectors maintain specific information on accessible units and their unique accommodations. Activities to Increase Resident Involvements Each of HACA’s housing properties have a Resident Council representing households at that development. Most Councils organize social events, participate in property safety programs including Apartment Residents on Watch (AROW) with the Austin Police Department, and assist with senior and youth activities. The President and Vice‐President of each Resident Council comprise the City‐Wide Advisory Board (CWAB), an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. The purpose of the CWAB is to: ● Improve the economic, educational, social, and cultural life of residents ● Foster and develop leadership skills among residents ● Promote the safety and security of all residents ● Promote a better understanding of working together toward building a healthy community ● Encourage and assist households to become civically engaged and utilize available resources ● Promote programming to assist with resident employment and education ● Provide a forum for the consideration of issues that affect HACA communities ● Serve as a liaison between public housing communities and HACA administration HACA has programs designed to assist households with achieving self‐sufficiency. The Family Self‐ Sufficiency (FSS) program provides service coordination to households and fosters community City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 148 partnerships. This program serves both Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) and Project Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) residents. Services coordinated include: life skills training, adult basic education, workforce development/job training, job placement, financial literacy, housing counseling, parenting classes, health and wellness, childcare, and transportation. Households in the FSS program maintain an escrow account that accrues funds when the individual has an increase in earned income. Upon successful completion of the FSS participant’s five‐year contract of participation, the funds are disbursed to the graduate and can be used toward education, homeownership, debt repayment or other self‐sufficiency goals. HACA’s Resident Opportunity and Self‐Sufficiency (ROSS) program is a stepping stone for the FSS program that provides connection to similar services and allows participants to complete individual goals through modules that build upon one another. HACA remains committed to providing high quality services at each property. HACA recognizes the need for all families, particularly low‐income families, to have access to information and resources through access to the internet and technology. HACA’s Digital Inclusion Program is an industry‐leading initiative that works to bridge the digital divide. Through this program, HACA helps connect residents to the internet with free or low‐cost technology solutions, bringing high speed internet, computer skills training and electronic devices (computers, tablets, laptops, etc.) to households to help them connect with various resources in the community. The Involved Dad Achieving Developing and Succeeding (iDADS) program is a fatherhood program serving fathers and father figures of HACA youth. Dads are supported, encouraged, and trained with the evidence‐ based 24/7 Dads curriculum. iDADS who complete the program become better equipped to be great men, responsible dads, and community members. The iDADS program inspired a resident‐ed project called iMOMS (Involved Moms of Many Strengths). Established in 2023, this program’s growth and involvement in the HACA community proves to be a program with great potential. HACA’s Youth Educational Success (YES) Program is an umbrella of programs to keep children in school and help develop social skills and support networks. Programming includes on‐site tutoring at HACA communities, in‐school case management, and quality after‐school programs. HACA also offers an academic incentive program to reward students who have made the A/B honor roll and/or have perfect attendance during the school year. HACA’s award‐winning Bringing Health HOME (BHH) program trains HACA residents as certified Community Health Workers (VHWs) to improve health outcomes at Pathways at Chalmers Courts East through health assessments, nutrition education, and facilitating medical visits. A Workforce Development Program rounds out the offerings and connects residents with new and expanded career opportunities through a broad range of community partnerships including welding and automotive certification programs. Finally, HACA’s Board established the HACA Resident Scholarship Fund (now dba Austin Pathways) in 2001 to help HACA households achieve their dreams of self‐sufficiency through education. Austin Pathways has awarded more than 755 HACA scholarships, totaling over $1.5 million to HACA households. City of Austin FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan 149 Is the public housing agency designated as troubled under 24 CFR part 902? No. N/A. Plan to remove the ‘troubled’ designation City of Austin FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan 150 SP‐55 Barriers to affordable housing – 91.215(h) The City of Austin conducts a regular analysis of regulatory and other barriers to affordable housing in its Consolidated Planning process. The 2019-2024 Consolidated Plan identified barriers to the development of affordable housing in Austin in some the following areas: land use and zoning, housing screening, state legislative barriers (e.g., prohibition of certain affordable housing tools such as inclusionary zoning and source of income protection), an over-reliance on the state housing tax credit program and lack of private lenders and philanthropic funding focused on affordable housing, and barriers related to Austin’s strong housing market (rising land and construction costs). Considering the previous Consolidated Plan analysis and subsequent research, some of the most critical current barriers that currently exist to producing and preserving more affordable housing are outlined below. These barriers pertain to housing affordability at large, including affordable housing development that seeks to produce income-restricted units (sometimes referred to as “capital A affordable housing”) and the affordability of housing more generally in the city. 1. Historical and structural disparities hinder wealth and resources for certain protected classes. There are continuing racial wealth disparities that stem from racist denial of wealth building opportunities to people of color in the US. The legacies of practices such as slavery, Jim Crow segregation, and redlining have impact on this. Black and Hispanic households were excluded from much of the wealth created during the economic expansion of the mid-20th century in the US, not least because of being denied investment opportunities in real estate. Mortgage loan denial rates today for Black/African American applicants, Hispanic applicants, and other non-Asian minorities are significantly higher than for Non-Hispanic White applicants and Asian applicants. Today there are large racial wealth gaps, as well as a large gap between the richest and poorest households. The City of Austin Gini Index of Income Inequality coefficient in 2022 was 0.48, which is similar to that of Costa Rica in the same year (World Bank; ACS 5-Year Estimates). This is higher than the US coefficient of 0.40 (2021). For reference, Finland has a Gini Coefficient of .28 (2021). Austin’s Gini Coefficient value has remained steady between 2012 and 2022 (ACS 5-Year Estimates). Between 2012 and 2022, home values in Austin increased by 108% and rental costs have increased by 33%. The median family income (MFI) for all Austinites increased by 32% over the same period; the MFI increased by 22% for Non-Hispanic Whites, 45% for Black/African Americans, 17% for Asians, and 40% for Hispanic/ Latinos. Despite the significant increases, especially for African American and Hispanic/Latino Austin households, there are still significant disparities by race and ethnicity. Figure 1 of the Market Analysis chapter illustrates a persistent gap between White and Asian residents and Black and Hispanic residents in Austin over the past decade. Large disparities interact with other barriers listed below, such as high land values and inequitable distribution of affordable housing options, to hinder housing affordability as well as access to opportunity. A February 2023 report by Austin’s Vision Zero team found that Black Austinites make up nearly 16% of people killed or seriously injured in crashes despite making up less than 7% of the Austin population. Black and Hispanic families in historically disadvantaged and marginalized areas have poverty rates averaging 17% greater than Non-Hispanic White and Asian families. The homeownership gap between Black and Non- Hispanic White households is close to 20% in many jurisdictions. There is also a significant over- representation of Black and Hispanic families within the population experiencing homelessness, compared to the Austin general population. City of Austin FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan 151 Strict rental policies further limit options for groups that have suffered disparate impacts. The requirement to have income 3x the rent for rental units has a disproportionate effect on persons with disabilities whose incomes are primarily Social Security and Disability Insurance, as well as renters who receive income from unearned sources such as child support. Criminal look-back periods that do not consider the severity of a crime or the time period in which it was committed disproportionately impact persons of color and persons in recovery. State law does not allow renters to claim legal unearned income as eligible for the 3x rent income threshold. 2.) Affordable housing is not equitably distributed throughout the city. Many of the barriers discussed in this section, including land values, property taxes, restrictive land use regulations, and wealth disparities compound to create a segregated housing affordability landscape in Austin. Austin’s defacto segregation and inequitable distribution of housing that is affordable to lower-income residents create problematic social and economic barriers that contribute to housing affordability barriers. Harm caused by segregation is manifested in disproportionate housing needs and differences in economic opportunity. According to Austin’s City Demographer, 2020 census data showed continued racial segregation over the past decade. The Black population expanded towards the city's outskirts, including areas like Northeast Austin, the periphery of the surrounding city of Pflugerville, and far East Austin. Meanwhile, white residents are progressively residing in traditionally Black and Hispanic neighborhoods, such as East Austin, while still maintaining a significant presence in West Austin. The Market Analysis chapter of this Consolidated Plan reinforces these observations by showing the distribution of Racially and Ethnically Concentrated Areas of Poverty (RECAPs) and Racially and Ethnically Concentrated Areas of Affluence (RECAAs) in Austin. and values are highest and land use is most exclusionary in West Austin. West Austin census tracts also tend to have the highest opportunity index levels and most stringent environmental protections. Downtown Austin demonstrates that even an area with the most permissive land use regulations in the city can remain exclusionary to affordable housing due to extremely high land values. For Housing Choice Voucher holders, state law prohibits jurisdictions from including source of income as a protected class. Voucher holders have fewer options for using their vouchers than they did 5 years ago, and landlords have no requirement or incentive to accept voucher holders. Housing choice is increasingly limited for voucher holders, many of whom are persons of color. Even fewer options exist for households that are dependent on public transportation or need housing in specific areas to access jobs, schools, and services. These households often include very low-income households, refugees, and individuals with disabilities. Transportation costs are higher for households that rely on further commutes. Health costs are higher for households in closer proximity to pollution. The areas of Austin with the highest opportunity index values often have the least affordable housing. Such consequences of Austin’s current distribution of affordable housing reinforce ongoing societal inequities. 3.) Incomes do not match housing costs. The median home price in Austin rose by 108% between 2012 and 2022, while the median household income (MHI) rose by just 33% (ACS 1-Year Estimates). Housing cost burden is the biggest housing problem in the city by far, as the Needs Assessment chapter reveals. The home price-to-income ratio for the Austin-Round Rock MSA reached a record high in 2022 according to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. City of Austin FY 2025-2025 Consolidated Plan 152 In 2020, roughly 33% of all City of Austin households paid over 30% of their income on housing. Rates of cost burden are much higher for the lowest income households in Austin, as roughly 55% of households that earn less than 50% MFI pay over 30% of their income on housing (CHAS 2016-2020). Mortgage loan interest rates are currently the highest that they have been in 20 years, which creates an added barrier to home ownership. 4.) Land is expensive in the current market. Land and property value appreciation has historically been one of the primary wealth builders for individuals and households in the US. Government budgets also depend heavily on property taxes, which are based on land and property value. However, this wealth building and tax revenue mechanism is also a significant barrier to housing affordability within the current context of wealth inequity. High land values contribute to making the most desirable areas of Austin the least affordable to live in, which directly contributes to the racial and economic segregation in the city. Land value appreciation is also a primary force of displacement in gentrifying areas. Most housing in Austin is exposed to speculative investment and appreciation pressures. Municipalities in Texas currently appear to have no other reliable revenue sources to decrease reliance on property taxes. 5.) Construction is expensive in the current market. The costs of construction materials and labor also spiked significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic and remain high. According to the National Association of Homebuilders, construction costs account for roughly 60% of the sales price of a typical single-family home in the US (as of 2020). 6.) There is high demand for housing in Austin, with supply often lacking. The City of Austin’s population grew by 16% between 2012 and 2022, and its total number of households grew by 39% (ACS 1-year Estimates). This translates to an increase of roughly 132,740 people and 127,667 households. This nearly 1:1 ratio between the absolute increase in population and households is causing a significant decrease in the average number of people per household. Austin had an increase of over 90,000 housing units between 2010 and 2020 according to the City of Austin Demographer, showing that the housing supply appears to lag behind the demand. 7.) Regulatory processes are time consuming and cumbersome. A recent study conducted by a consultant showed that customers and staff are dissatisfied with the current site plan review process. The current code includes 1,800 regulations, eight technical criteria manuals and 12 building technical codes with 1,470 steps from start to finish for a site plan review. Eleven departments operate in a siloed manner with different visions and priorities. Across the 11 departments 250-plus staff participate in the process with varying levels of involvement. Staff administer the site plan review process prescribed by the Land Development Code through inconsistent processes, multiple and sometimes outdated technologies, and ad-hoc cross-departmental coordination. The average site plan review takes nearly 1 year to complete, and this lag time can significantly increase the cost of development. Carrying costs for single-family re-development are approximately $9,700 per month and $546,000 for multifamily redevelopment. The carrying costs for development in previously undeveloped areas – also called greenfield developments – are about $37,000 per month. City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 153 Moreover, overly complicated and difficult regulatory environments tend to benefit large developers because they have more resources to absorb high carrying costs, and these high costs reduce competition from smaller developers. 8.) Public and private land use regulations and restrictions often prevent more affordable housing typologies. Public land use regulations in the form of zoning and the land development code sometimes restrict the construction of more affordable housing typologies and the location of such housing. Environmental land use regulations in the form of overlays and ordinances can also severely restrict the construction of more affordable housing typologies, particularly in West Austin. Even when public land use regulations are made more flexible to allow for more affordable housing typologies, private restrictive covenants can still maintain exclusionary conditions. There is some state level preemption that prevents certain inclusionary zoning strategies. The State of Texas does not allow municipalities to adopt any regulation that “establishes a maximum sales price for a privately produced housing unit or residential building lot,” though there are some exceptions for density bonus programs, homestead preservation districts, and land banking programs (Texas Local Government Code). 9.) There is a lack of alignment between Austin’s affordable housing incentive programs. In addition, the city currently has 13 individual affordable housing incentive programs established by city ordinances. Many of these programs include multiple tiers for participation or multiple available bonuses, which results in 20 different incentives available for affordable housing development. The complexity of this approach reduces participation, adds administrative burden, and creates barriers to full compliance for units in service. These challenges make it more difficult to produce and preserve affordable housing. Moreover, the varied approach makes it difficult to properly calibrate the incentive programs, further decreasing participation as market conditions change continuously. The City of Austin’s numerous, complex incentive programs have disincentivized participation, led to administrative and compliance challenges, and made it impossible to recalibrate programs to changing market conditions. 10.) Affordable housing developers struggle to secure financing for deeper affordability. Developers who focus on constructing income-restricted housing need more resources to achieve deeper levels of affordability. It can be difficult to find enough gap financing to make projects feasible. Austin has a relative lack of private lenders and philanthropic foundations that are deeply invested in affordable housing. The Low Income Housing Tax Credit program is one of the primary funding tools for non-profit and for-profit affordable housing developers, but the award process is highly competitive. 11.) Community-based affordable housing developers from historically marginalized communities lack financing, subsidies, mentorship, training, and networking opportunities. Small-scale real estate developers in Austin, particularly those who are women or people of color, have been historically excluded or overlooked, and they often lack the tools needed to grow their businesses due to systemic racism and disinvestment. Less than five percent of housing developers in the United States are people of color, and only one-third of housing developers in this country are women. Training and access to capital are needed to help these would-be developers be more involved in the region’s booming real estate market and, in turn, create more affordable housing and job opportunities locally. City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 154 For real estate developers of color to fully participate in growth and revitalization efforts, training, mentorship, and financing are all needed. Diversifying developers and incubating smaller scale local ones can benefit affordability by distributing wealth and benefits of development in the community more equitably. Local and diverse developers may also be more personally invested in housing affordability for their community. 12.) The community is unable to access clear, consolidated, updated information about available income-restricted housing. The City of Austin is making progress in creating income-restricted housing, but there are barriers to residents locating and applying for it due to the lack of an easily updatable and central location for users, property managers, and developers to list, market, and apply for available housing units in real time. The current Affordable Housing Online Search Tool (AHOST) is a static tool that provides a list of all the city’s affordable housing properties, similar to a directory, and is unable to list real time active vacancies and connect people to waitlists. It also often contains outdated property information. These challenges inhibit the ease of use of the platform across stakeholders. Additionally, AHOST is currently available in English and Spanish, but additional language support is not currently provided. This is a barrier to some recently arrived immigrants searching for affordable housing. Since users are unable to apply for affordable housing directly on AHOST, it is often their responsibility to individually contact each property listed in AHOST’s directory to ask if there are units available, discover if there is an open or closed waitlist, and be connected to application forms. Improvements are needed to ensure that affordable housing providers can update information on the portal and upload accessible application forms, and that housing seekers are able to access the information seamlessly in a more centralized manner. Additional challenges to the limited software functionality include the inability to capture data that could better inform policy through downloadable reports, as well as more frequent platform updates that can highlight real-time supply and demand for affordable housing units. Strategy to Remove or Ameliorate the Barriers to Affordable Housing The City of Austin’s strategy to remove and ameliorate barriers to affordable housing production and preservation can be classified into five overarching categories: (1) Affordable Housing Data, Research & Planning Initiatives; (2) Land Use & Zoning Changes to Support Affordable Housing; (3) Funding for Affordable Housing Preservation & Development; (4) Anti-Displacement Initiatives; and (5) Capacity Building. As with the barriers discussed above, the strategies pertain to housing affordability at large, including affordable housing development that seeks to produce income-restricted units (sometimes referred to as “capital A affordable housing”) and the affordability of housing more generally in the city. City of Austin FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan 155 SP‐60 Homelessness Strategy – 91.215(d) Reaching out to homeless persons (especially unsheltered persons) and assessing their individual needs Please see AP‐65 for information on the Homelessness Strategy Addressing the emergency and transitional housing needs of homeless persons Please see AP‐65 for information on the Homelessness Strategy 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. Please see AP‐65 for information on the Homelessness Strategy Help low‐income individuals and families avoid becoming homeless, especially extremely low‐ income individuals and families who are likely to become homeless after being discharged from a publicly funded institution or system of care, or who are receiving assistance from public and private agencies that address housing, health, social services, employment, education or youth needs Please see AP‐65 for information on the Homelessness Strategy City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 156 SP‐65 lead‐based paint Hazards – 91.215(i) Actions to address LBP hazards and increase access to housing without LBP hazards The City of Austin does not have a lead‐based paint program. However, the City addresses lead abatement through multiple programs and funding sources, including the Housing Department’s home repair programs and rehabilitations funded through the Housing Department’s Rental Housing Development Assistance program. Eligible Austinites that reside in a home built prior to 1978 will have their homes tested for the presence of lead‐ based paint and remediated, if necessary, as part of the scope of work for each program. How are the actions listed above related to the extent of lead poisoning and hazards? The City of Austin will remediate lead‐based hazards in low‐ to moderate‐income homes and address other household health and safety hazards such as mold, carbon monoxide, fire, tripping hazards and pest management. This more holistic approach to remediating household hazards allows community members to remain in their homes and benefit from a healthier environment. The City will continue testing properties built before 1978 for lead‐based paint. How are the actions listed above integrated into housing policies and procedures? The City of Austin’s housing policies and procedures are program specific. Monitoring is completed per the City of Austin’s Monitoring Plan, see Appendix III. The City’s housing programs procedurally operate as a “one‐stop shop;” if an applicant qualifies for one program, their housing will be evaluated to ensure other risk factors are addressed, such as the presence of lead‐based paint. City of Austin FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan 157 SP‐70 Anti‐Poverty Strategy – 91.215(j) Jurisdiction Goals, Programs and Policies for reducing the number of Poverty‐Level Families Pending. City of Austin FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan 158 SP‐80 Monitoring – 91.230 Describe the standards and procedures that the jurisdiction will use to monitor activities carried out in furtherance of the plan and will use to ensure long‐term compliance with requirements of the programs involved, including minority business outreach and the comprehensive planning requirements . The goal of the City of Austin’s monitoring process is to assess subrecipient/contractor performance in the areas of program, financial and administrative compliance with applicable federal, state and municipal regulations, as well as current program guidelines such as affordability periods. The City of Austin’s monitoring plan consists of active contract monitoring and long-term monitoring for closed projects. For more information including a copy of the City of Austin's Monitoring Plan, please see Appendix III. The Housing Department’s procurement process aligns with the City’s Small and Minority Business Resources (SMBR) Department’s mission to promote and encourage minority, women, and disadvantaged business owners to participate in business opportunities with the City. The SMBR Department administers the Minority-Owned, Women-Owned, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Procurement Programs for the City of Austin. SMBR also provides developmental opportunities and resources for small (for-profit) businesses so that they can have affirmative access to City procurement opportunities and show productive growth. SMBR revised their rules effective March 4, 2019, including program exemptions for City of Austin contracts. The Housing Department uses these exemptions, where applicable, for certain contracts. City of Austin FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan 159 Expected Resources AP‐15 Expected Resources – 91.220(c)(1,2) Introduction In addition to HUD funding, the City of Austin allocates revenue to the Housing Department for affordable housing and community development activities. HUD's guidance regarding the inclusion of non‐federal funding sources in an Annual Action Plan is that non‐federal sources are to be included if they are reasonably expected to be made available to address the needs outlined in the plan. The FY 2024‐25 City of Austin budget is expected to be approved by the Austin City Council in July 2024. See Exhibit 1 for a visual depiction of the federal and local allocation process. This plan is not intended to confer any legal rights or entitlements on any persons, groups, or entities, including those named as intended recipients of funds or as program beneficiaries. The terms of this Annual Action Plan are subject to amendment, and to the effects of applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances. Statements of numerical goals or outcomes are for the purpose of measuring the success of programs and policies, and do not impose a legal obligation on the City to achieve the intended results. Actual funding of particular programs and projects identified in this Plan are subject to completion of various further actions, some of which involve discretionary determinations by the City or others. These include HUD approval of this Plan; appropriations by the United States Congress and Austin City Council; reviews and determinations under environmental and related laws; and results of bidding and contracting processes. Program Uses of Funds Expected Amount Available Year 1 Narrative Description Anticipated Resources Source of Funds Annual Allocation$ Program Income $ Prior Year Resources $ Total $ Expected Amount Available Remainder of ConPlan $ $17,607,472 HOME Federal Acquisition $3,601,868 $800,000 $0 $4,401,868 The three objectives of the HOME Program are: Expand the supply of City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 160 Homebuyer Assistance Homeowner Rehabilitation Multifamily Rental New Construction New Construction for Ownership Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) Administration and Planning Housing Economic Development Housing CDBG Federal Acquisition $7,362,354 95,000 $0 $7,457,354 $29,829,416 City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 161 decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable housing to very low and low‐income individuals; Mobilize and strengthen the ability of state and local governments to provide decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable housing to very low‐ and low‐income individuals; Leverage private sector participation and expand the capacity of nonprofit housing providers. The primary objective of CDBG is the development of viable communities by: Providing decent housing; Providing a suitable living environment; Expanding economic opportunities. Any activity funded with CDBG must meet one of three national objectives: Benefit low‐ and moderate‐income persons; Aid in the prevention of slums or blight; Meet a particular urgent need. CDBG Federal $1,104,353 $0 $0 $1,104,353 HOPWA Federal Permanent $2,670,278 $0 $0 $10,681,112 Public Service activities include child care, mental health services for youth, and senior services. The Housing Opportunity for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) Program was established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to address the specific needs of low‐income persons living with HIV/AIDS and their families. HOPWA makes grants to local communities, states, and nonprofit organizations. HOPWA funds provide housing assistance and related supportive services in partnership with communities and neighborhood. ESG Federal Overnight $658,196 $0 $0 $669,980 $2,632,784 Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) program is designed to be the first step in a continuum of assistance to help clients quickly regain stability in City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 162 Public Improvement Public Services Housing Placement Short Term Rent, Mortgage, Utility Assistance (STRMU) Supportive Services Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) Permanent Housing in Facilities Short Term or Transitional Housing Facilities Shelter Rapid Rehousing permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis and/or homelessness. Table 59 ‐ Expected Resources – Priority Table City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 163 Explain how federal funds will leverage those additional resources (private, state and local funds), including a description of how matching requirements will be satisfied The City will satisfy its matching requirements for HOME and CDBG funding through General Obligation (G.O.) Bond Funding and Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Funds. Austin Public Health matches the ESG funding dollar for dollar, with general fund dollars that are allocated to homeless services provided to subrecipients. If appropriate, describe publicly owned land or property located within the jurisdiction that may be used to address the needs identified in the plan Pending Discussion Pending City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 164 Annual Goals and Objectives AP‐20 Annual Goals and Objectives Goals Summary Information # Goal Name 1 Homeless Assistance Start Year 2024 Category End Year 2025 Homeless Geographic Area Needs Addressed Throughout Homeless the City of Austin Funding ESG: $658,196 HOME: $1,500,000 Goal Outcome Indicator Homeless Person Overnight Shelter: 274 Persons Assisted TBRA/Rapid Rehousing: 172 (120 TBRA; 52 Rapid Rehousing) 2 Special Needs 2024 2025 Special Needs Throughout Assistance Assistance Special Needs HOPWA: HOPWA: the City of Austin $2,670,278 CDBG: $1,104,353 Homelessness Prevention (Short Term Rent, Mortgage, and Utility Assistance: 153 Households 165 City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan  Public Service Activities Other Than Low/ Moderate Income Housing Benefit: - Housing Placement: 5 Households - Short Term Supportive Housing: 24 Households - Supportive Services: 44 Households - Housing Case Management: 35 Households - Tenant-Based Rental Assistance: 35 Households - Facility-Based Housing: 44 Households CDBG PUBLIC SERVICES: Childcare: 289 Senior Services: 170 Mental Health Services: 159 None. 3 Renter Assistance 2024 2025 Affordable Housing Throughout the City of Austin Renter Assistance $0 City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 166 4 Homebuyer Assistance 2024 2025 Affordable Housing Homebuyer Assistance HOME: $1,021,402 5 Homeowner Assistance 2024 2025 Affordable Housing Homeowner Assistance CDBG: $2,285,530 Minor Home Repair: 85 Throughout the City of Austin Throughout the City of Austin 6 Housing Development Assistance 2024 2025 Affordable Housing Homeless Throughout the City of Austin Housing Development Assistance CDBG Revolving Loan: $55,000 Rental Housing Development Assistance: Pending City of Austin FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan Direct Financial Assistance to Homebuyers: 25 Households Assisted Homeowner Rehabilitation Loan Program (HRLP): 8 Architectural Barrier Removal‐ Owner: 63 HOME Program Income: $400,000 HOME Program Income (projected): $200,000 CDBG Revolving Loan: $40,000 HOME Program Income (projected): $200,000 HOME – Ownership Housing Development Assistance: Pending 167 7 Other Community Development 2024 2025 Non‐Housing Community Development Throughout the City of Austin Infrastructure Development CDBG: $2,500,000 Pending Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO): $540,280 HOME Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) Expense Grants: $180,000 Table 60 – Goals Summary City of Austin FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan 168 1 Goal Name Homeless Assistance Goal Descriptions Goal Description Persons experiencing homelessness are Austin’s most vulnerable population, and therefore are a high priority for the Consolidated Plan. This decision was made based on feedback from the public process, including stakeholder input from homeless needs providers, public hearings, and the Consolidated Plan survey. Homeless Assistance provides services to persons experiencing homelessness, persons living with HIV/AIDS, victims of domestic violence, persons experiencing mental illness, unaccompanied youth, persons with chronic substance abuse, and veterans. 2 Goal Name Special Needs Assistance Goal Description Special Needs activities will assist low‐ to moderate‐income Austinites by providing mental health services for at‐risk youth, childcare services and services for seniors. This decision was made based on feedback from the public process, including stakeholder input from homeless and special needs providers, public hearings, and the Consolidated Plan survey. 3 Goal Name Renter Assistance Goal Description Pending. 4 Goal Name Homebuyer Assistance Goal Description Pending. 5 Goal Name Homeowner Assistance City of Austin FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan 169 Goal Description Homeowner Assistance is designed to: preserve the safety and livability of the housing of low‐income homeowners, allowing owners to stay in their homes; improve the City’s aging housing stock; and repair homes for existing homeowners. These activities were identified as high priorities by stakeholders and community members. Overall, Homeowner Assistance is a high priority in the Consolidated Plan. 6 Goal Name Housing Development Assistance Goal Description Pending. 7 Goal Name Other Community Development Assistance Goal Description Other Community Development Assistance includes capacity‐building activities for nonprofit organizations that are focused on affordable housing development and workforce development, as well as support for small business development and infrastructure development. City of Austin FY 2025‐2024 Consolidated Plan 170 Projects Introduction AP‐35 Projects – 91.220(d) The City of Austin's planned projects are based on the City’s assessment of community needs as identified in this Consolidated Plan, in related plans and policy documents, and on the ability of funds identified in the Consolidated Plan to be leveraged or combined with other funds to meet the identified needs. To the greatest extent possible, targeted funds will be used while resources with more discretionary latitude will be used to address needs and activities that lack their own targeted funding source. For instance, while the development of affordable housing is a critical issue for Austin, not all Consolidated Plan funds will be used for the creation or preservation of affordable housing. In accordance with the Federal Register Notice dated March 7, 2006, outcome measures are established for each activity as follows: Objectives 1. Create Suitable Living Environment 2. Provide Decent Affordable Housing 3. Create Economic Opportunities Outcomes 1. Availability/Accessibility 2. Affordability 3. Sustainability City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 171 The City of Austin plans to undertake the following projects throughout FY 2024‐25: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 ESG: Shelter, Rapid Re‐housing, HMIS and Administration # Project Name Child Care Services Senior Services Mental Health Services HOPWA: AIDS Services of Austin HOPWA: Project Transitions HOPWA: Integral Care HOPWA: ASHwell HOPWA: Administration Tenant‐Based Rental Assistance Down Payment Assistance (DPA) Architectural Barrier Removal (ABR) ‐ Owner 13 Minor Home Repair Program Homeowner Rehabilitation Loan Program (HRLP) Rental Housing Development Assistance (RHDA) Ownership Housing Development Assistance (OHDA) Infrastructure Development CHDO Operating Expense Grants Family Business Loan Program (FBLP) Debt Service CDBG Administration HOME Administration Table 61 – Project Information City of Austin FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan 172 Describe the reasons for allocation priorities and any obstacles to addressing underserved needs Allocation priorities are based on the feedback received during the Community Needs Assessment period, staff needs and markets analysis, and guidance from other local planning efforts. The top priorities identified by the community in the survey were: availability of affordable housing, services to prevent homelessness, affordable childcare, mental health and counseling and job training and/or job opportunities. The results of the survey influenced the selection of the programs and activities outlined in the FY 2025‐29 Consolidated Plan and FY 2024‐25 Action Plan and will inform future policy decisions impacting household affordability and community development initiatives. City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 173 AP‐38 Project Summary 1 Project Name Target Area Goals Supported Needs Addressed Funding Description Child Care Services Throughout the City of Austin Special Needs Special Needs CDBG: $779,122 The City of Austin contracts with childcare providers for services that increase the supply of quality childcare. The programs provide services to children (ages: 0‐5 years) from low‐income families with gross incomes at or below 80% of Median Family Income limits who reside within the Austin City limits. 9/30/2025 289 Persons Assisted. Target Date Estimate the number and type of families that will benefit from the proposed activities Location Description Planned Activities Throughout the City of Austin Child Care Services will increase the supply of childcare for low‐income families. Social service contracts through APH will provide: 1) direct childcare services for teen parents who are attending school; and 2) direct childcare services through the Early Head Start child development program. 2 Project Name Target Area Goals Supported Needs Addressed Senior Services Throughout the City of Austin Special Needs Special Needs Funding Description CDBG: $129,052 The City of Austin contracts with a sub‐recipient to provide services that help prevent and protect seniors from becoming victims of abuse, neglect, or include case management; money financial exploitation. Services management services such as bill payer; general public benefits enrollment assistance or specialized assistance for SSI/SSDI income; and housing stabilization services including, homelessness prevention, and housing retention. Persons must meet income, age, and residential eligibility requirements. City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 174 Target Date 9/30/2025 170 Persons Assisted. Estimate the number and type of families that will benefit from the proposed activities Location Description Planned Activities 3 Project Name Target Area Goals Supported Needs Addressed Funding Description Target Date Estimate the number and type of families that will benefit from the proposed activities Location Description Planned Activities Throughout the City of Austin Senior Services provides legal protection for low‐income seniors at risk of abusive, neglectful, or financially exploitative situations. Mental Health Services Throughout the City of Austin Special Needs Special Needs CDBG: $196,179 The Mental Health Services program provides access to holistic, wraparound services and support to youth designated as at‐risk, and their families. The program's three components provide different levels of intervention: community‐ based school‐based wraparound services, and summer camps. The program, in partnership with the youth and their families, addresses the needs and challenges of each youth's situation to improve his or her functioning in school, the community, and at home. 9/30/2025 159 Persons Assisted. intensive wraparound services, Throughout the City of Austin Mental Health Services will serve at‐risk youth and their families. The services and support are customized to the needs of the youth and family and are delivered utilizing the wraparound model. The interventions focus on areas of basic needs, mental health services, educational support and social enrichment. Services will continue to be accessed through designated schools and community centers. ESG: 1) Rapid Rehousing Relocation & Stabilization Services; 2) Shelter Operations & Maintenance; 3) HMIS; and 4) ESG Administration City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 175 4 Project Name Target Area Goals Supported Needs Addressed Throughout the City of Austin Homeless Homeless Funding Description Emergency Solutions Grant: $658,196 Shelter Operations and Maintenance: APH contracts with a private nonprofit organization to operate the Women and Children’s Shelter. All clients served in the shelter have low‐ to moderate‐income and are at or below 50% of MFI. Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funds are used to provide maintenance and operations for this program. Rapid Rehousing programs: There are two ESG‐funded rapid rehousing programs connecting homeless individuals referred through Coordinated Entry system with safe and stable housing: 1) Communicable Disease Unit of Austin Public Health (targeted to homeless persons with HIV/AIDS); and 2) Downtown Austin Community Court. Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS) f u n d i n g w i l l s u p p o r t H M I S l i c e n s e s for the ESG S h e l t e r program. This project also includes funding for Administration of the ESG program. Target Date Estimate the number and type of families that will benefit from the proposed activities Location Description Planned Activities 9/30/2025 Homeless Person Overnight Shelter: 375 Persons Assisted Tenant‐Based Rental Assistance/Rapid Re‐housing: 52 Households Assisted Throughout the City of Austin Shelter Operations and Maintenance: The Women and Children’s Shelter will serve women with children and single women experiencing homelessness. All clients will be entered into the HMIS database. The Rapid Re‐Housing program provides housing location, housing stability case management and direct financial assistance to rapidly rehouse homeless persons who are receiving services from ESG‐funded programs at the Communicable Disease Unit of Austin Public Health and the Downtown Austin Community Court. HMIS funding will support the costs of contributing data to the HMIS system, including the purchase/lease of computer hardware at the Women and Children’s Shelter. Administration all of the above. City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 176 5 Project Name Target Area Goals Supported Needs Addressed Funding HOPWA: AIDS Services of Austin Throughout the City of Austin Special Needs Special Needs HOPWA: $1,018,881 Description Target Date Estimate the number and type of families that will benefit from the proposed activities Location Description Planned Activities 6 Project Name Target Area Goals Supported Needs Addressed Funding Description The City of Austin contracts with AIDS Services of Austin to deliver services for the HOPWA program. The goal of the HOPWA program is to prevent homelessness and to support independent living of persons living with HIV/AIDS. AIDS Services of Austin works with a collaborative of housing and HIV/AIDS service providers to achieve this goal. 9/30/2025 Public Service Activities other than Low/Moderate Income Housing Benefit (Housing Case Management): 35 Persons Assisted Tenant Based Rental Assistance/Rapid Rehousing: 35 Households Assisted Homelessness Prevention (Short‐term Rent, Mortgage, and Utility Assistance): 116 Persons Assisted Throughout the City of Austin AIDS Services of Austin will provide Housing Case Management, Tenant Based Rental Assistance, Permanent Housing Placement Services, Hotel/Motel, and Short‐Term Rent, Mortgage and Utility Assistance. HOPWA: Project Transitions Throughout the City of Austin Special Needs Special Needs HOPWA: $1,358,508 The City of Austin contracts with Project Transitions to deliver services for the HOPWA program. The goal of the HOPWA program is to prevent homelessness and to support independent living of persons living with HIV/AIDS. Project Transitions has 30 apartments located in two agency‐ owned facilities and other apartments are leased throughout the community. Project Transitions will begin construction on one of their facilities during this grant period. Construction will utilize local funds and no HOPWA funding. Clients currently housed at the facility will continue to receive HOPWA assistance during construction through Master Leasing. Target Date 9/30/2025 City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 177 Estimate the number and type of families that will benefit from the proposed activities Location Description Planned Activities Facility Based Housing: 44 Households Assisted Public Service Activities other than Low/Moderate Income Housing Benefit (Supportive Services): 44 Persons Assisted Throughout the City of Austin Project Transitions will provide Tenant Based Rental Assistance, Facility‐ Based Housing, Master Leasing, and Supportive Services. 7 Project Name Target Area Goals Supported Needs Addressed Funding Description HOPWA Integral CARE ATCIC Throughout the City of Austin Special Needs Special Needs HOPWA: $153,203 The City of Austin will contract with Integral Care to deliver services for the HOPWA program. The goal of the HOPWA program is to prevent homelessness and to support independent living of persons living with HIV/AIDS. Target Date Estimate the number and type of families that will benefit from the proposed activities 09/30/2025 Public Service Activities other than Low/Moderate Income Housing Benefit (Permanent Housing Placement): 5 Public Service Activities other than Low/Moderate Income Housing Benefit (Short Term Supportive Housing): 24 Homelessness Prevention (Short‐term Rent, Mortgage, and Utility Assistance): 22 Location Description Planned Activities Throughout the City of Austin Integral Care will provide Permanent Housing Placement, Short Term Supportive Housing, and Short‐term Rent, Mortgage, and Utility Assistance. 8 Project Name Target Area Goals Supported Needs Addressed Funding Description HOPWA ASHwell Throughout the City of Austin Special Needs Special Needs HOPWA: $59,578 The City of Austin will contract with ASHwell to deliver services for the HOPWA program. The goal of the HOPWA program is to prevent homelessness and to support independent living of persons living with HIV/AIDS. Target Date 09/30/2025 City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 178 Homelessness Prevention (Short‐term Rent, Mortgage, and Utility Assistance): 15 Throughout the City of Austin ASHwell will provide Short‐Term Rent, Mortgage, and Utility Assistance. HOPWA Administration Throughout the City of Austin Special Needs Special Needs HOPWA: $80,106 Funds provide administrative costs for program 9/30/2025 N/A‐ Funds provide administrative costs for programs. 9 Estimate the number and type of families that will benefit from the proposed activities Location Description Planned Activities Project Name Target Area Goals Supported Needs Addressed Funding Description Target Date Estimate the number and type of families that will benefit from the proposed activities Location Description Planned Activities 10 Project Name Target Area Goals Supported Needs Addressed Funding Description Throughout the City of Austin Administration of federal programs Tenant‐Based Rental Assistance Throughout the City of Austin Homeless Assistance Homeless Assistance HOME: $1,500,000 Pending. Target Date 9/30/2025 City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 179 Estimate the number and type of families that will benefit from the proposed activities Location Description Planned Activities Tenant‐based rental assistance/Rapid Rehousing: Pending. Throughout the City of Austin The Austin Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) will oversee the TBRA program and will contract with The Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA) to administer the program. 11 Project Name Target Area Goals Supported Needs Addressed Funding Description Down Payment Assistance (DPA) Throughout the City of Austin Homebuyer Assistance Homebuyer Assistance HOME: $1,021,402 HOME PI: $400,000 Pending. 09/30/2025 Direct Financial Assistance to Homebuyers: 25 Households Assisted Target Date Estimate the number and type of families that will benefit from the proposed activities Location Description Planned Activities Throughout the City of Austin Pending. City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 180 12 Project Name Target Area Goals Supported Needs Addressed Funding Description Architectural Barrier Removal (ABR) ‐ Owner Throughout the City of Austin Homeowner Assistance Homeowner Assistance CDBG: $1,260,332 Pending 9/30/2025 Homeowner Housing Rehabilitated: 63 Household Housing Units Target Date Estimate the number and type of families that will benefit from the proposed activities Location Description Planned Activities Throughout the City of Austin Pending. 13 Project Name Target Area Goals Supported Needs Addressed Funding Description Minor Home Repair Throughout the City of Austin Homeowner Assistance Homeowner Assistance CDBG: $644,853 Pending. Target Date 9/30/2025 City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 181 Homeowner Housing Rehabilitated: 230 Household Housing Units Estimate the number and type of families that will benefit from the proposed activities Location Description Planned Activities Throughout the City of Austin Pending. 14 Project Name Target Area Goals Supported Needs Addressed Funding Description Homeowner Rehabilitation Loan Program (HRLP) Throughout the City of Austin Homeowner Assistance Homeowner Assistance CDBG: $380,345 CDBG RL: $40,000 HOME PI: $200,000 Pending. 9/30/2025 Homeowner Housing Rehabilitated: 8 Household Housing Units Target Date Estimate the number and type of families that will benefit from the proposed activities Location Description Planned Activities Throughout the City of Austin Pending. City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 182 15 Project Name Target Area Goals Supported Needs Addressed Funding Rental Housing Development Assistance (RHDA) Throughout the City of Austin Housing Development Assistance Housing Development Assistance HOME PI: $200,000 HOME CHDO: $270,140 Description Pending. 9/30/2025 Pending. Target Date Estimate the number and type of families that will benefit from the proposed activities Location Description Planned Activities Pending. Throughout the City of Austin 16 Project Name Target Area Ownership Housing Development Assistance (OHDA) Throughout the City of Austin City of Austin FY 2024‐2029 Consolidated Plan 183 Goals Supported Needs Addressed Housing Development Assistance Housing Development Assistance Funding CDBG RL: $55,000 HOME CHDO: $270,140 Description Pending. 9/30/2025 Pending. Target Date Estimate the number and type of families that will benefit from the proposed activities Location Description Planned Activities Throughout the City of Austin Pending. 17 Project Name Target Area Goals Supported Needs Addressed Funding Description Target Date Infrastructure Development Pending. Pending. Pending. $2,500,000 Pending. 09/30/2025 City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 184 Pending. Estimate the number and type of families that will benefit from the proposed activities Location Description Planned Activities 18 Project Name Target Area Goals Supported Needs Addressed Funding Description Pending. Pending. CHDO Operating Expense Grants Throughout the City of Austin Housing Development Assistance Housing Development Assistance HOME: $180,000 Pending. Target Date Estimate the number and type of families that will benefit from the proposed activities Location Description Planned Activities 9/30/2025 2 Households Assisted. Throughout the City of Austin Pending. 19 Project Name Family Business Loan Program (FBLP) Target Area Goals Supported Needs Addressed Funding Description Throughout the City of Austin Other Community Development Other Community Development The FBLP is a public‐private partnership between the City of Austin, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) certified community lenders, and private banks. Target Date 9/30/2025 City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 185 Jobs created/retained: 50 Businesses assisted: 3 Estimate the number and type of families that will benefit from the proposed activities Location Description Planned Activities Throughout the City of Austin The Family Business Loan Program (FBLP) makes low‐interest loans to qualified Austin small business owners who are ready to expand their businesses and create jobs. 20 Project Name Debt Service Target Area Goals Supported Needs Addressed Funding Description Throughout the City of Austin Other Community Development Other Community Development Section 108 Program Income: $300,000 Pending. Target Date Estimate the number and type of families that will benefit from the proposed activities Location Description Planned Activities 21 Project Name Goals Supported 9/30/2025 N/A‐ Funding reflects estimated program income Throughout the City of Austin Debt Servicing for Revitalization CDBG Administration Special Needs Renter Assistance Homebuyer Assistance Homeowner Assistance Housing Development Assistance Other Community Development City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 186 Special Needs Renter Assistance Homebuyer Assistance Homeowner Assistance Housing Development Assistance Other Community Development CDBG: $1,472,471 Funds provide administrative costs for programs 9/30/2025 N/A‐Funds provide administrative costs for programs Needs Addressed Funding Description Target Date Estimate the number and type of families that will benefit from the proposed activities Location Description Throughout the City of Austin Planned Activities Administration of Federal Programs HOME Administration Throughout the City of Austin Homebuyer Assistance Homeowner Assistance Housing Development Assistance Homebuyer Assistance Homeowner Assistance Housing Development Assistance HOME: $360,187 Funds provide administrative costs for programs 9/30/2025 N/A‐Funds provide administrative costs for programs 22 Project Name Target Area Goals Supported Needs Addressed Funding Description Target Date Estimate the number and type of families that will benefit from the proposed activities Location Description Throughout the City of Austin City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 187 Planned Activities Funds provide administrative costs for programs City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 188 AP‐50 Geographic Distribution – 91.220(f) Description of the geographic areas of the entitlement (including areas of low‐income and minority concentration) where assistance will be directed The City of Austin does not currently direct its investments in specific target areas. Geographic Distribution Target Area Percentage of Funds Throughout the City of Austin Table 62 ‐ Geographic Distribution 100 Rationale for the priorities for allocating investments geographically The City of Austin does not currently direct its investments in specific geographic areas. Discussion While the City of Austin does not currently target investments to specific geographic areas, it considers the geographic dispersion of affordable housing to be a key core value in the investment of affordable housing‐ related activities with federal and local funds. The City supports providing affordable housing in areas outside of low‐income neighborhoods, thereby reducing racial and ethnic segregation, deconcentrating poverty, and providing for more economic opportunities for low‐income households. The City’s Housing Department provides funding preference through a scoring matrix system which awards points to projects that assist in the dispersion of affordable housing stock throughout the community, to focus on areas in Austin where there is a shortage of affordable housing. As a results of this focus, the Housing Department has achieved greater geographic dispersion in the units it has funded in recent years. City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 189 Affordable Housing AP‐55 Affordable Housing – 91.220(g) Pending. City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 190 AP‐60 Public Housing – 91.220(h) Introduction The City of Austin’s jurisdiction is served by two Public Housing Authorities (PHAs): the Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA) and the Housing Authority of Travis County (HATC). These agencies are not departments of the City or county, respectively, but work independently of the City of Austin and Travis County. Both HACA and HATC share updates on agency progress through regular contacts and meetings with City staff. As one of two PHAs serving the City of Austin boundaries, input from and coordination with HACA is valuable to address community needs efficiently. HACA is a partnering agency in the development of the Regional Analysis of Impediments, Housing Market Analysis, and Consolidated Plan. HACA was consulted in order to provide information on its activities and needs relating to low‐income subsidized housing to develop these regional plans, on an ongoing basis. Community organizations will collaborate with HACA in FY 2024‐2029 to provide homeownership classes low‐income subsidized housing households in support of HACA’s down payment assistance program. These courses will help potential homebuyers to qualify for down payment assistance and provide valuable education such as money management techniques, understanding credit and budgeting, and one‐on‐one counseling. HACA’s PHA Annual and Five‐Year Plan provides comprehensive information on actions that HACA has planned or considered for implementation in the next year to address the need for low‐income subsidized housing. HACA’s PHA Annual and Five‐Year plans can be found on the Housing Authority of the City of Austin’s website at: https://www.hacanet.org/pha‐plans/ City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 191 Actions planned during the next year to address the needs to public housing Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA) The Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA) continues to be successful in moving families toward self‐sufficiency; to date, 111 families have become homeowners through its down payment assistance program. The program provides qualified families participating in the low‐income housing subsidized housing or Housing Choice Voucher programs with a $10,000 forgivable loan to be applied towards the down payment on a new or existing home. If the applicant meets all program criteria for the first five years, then the loan is forgiven. Each of HACA’s 18 low‐income subsidized housing properties maintains a Resident Council that serves as the voice of the households at that development. All property residents are considered members of their Resident Council and are encouraged to participate in meetings and decision‐making at their properties. The opportunity to become leaders at their properties, voice concerns about program operations, and advocate for necessary changes often serves as a springboard for households to become further involved in the community and plan specific goals for achieving economic and housing self‐sufficiency. . City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 192 Actions to encourage public housing residents to become more involved in management and participate in homeownership The City of Austin collaborates closely with local PHA officials to ensure that City housing programs are responsive and linked to the needs of public housing households. As previously noted, each of HACA’s 18 low‐income subsidized housing properties maintains a Resident Council designed to directly involve individuals in their community’s management and decision‐making process. Participation in community management and operations prepares and empowers households to become further involved in their communities, and to plan specific goals for achieving economic and housing self‐sufficiency. Through a partnership with JP Morgan Chase, HACA residents are encouraged to participate in a three‐ week financial literacy workshop offered at various points throughout the year. These classes are designed to familiarize participants with topics such as budgeting, goal setting, and credit repair. The final class of the series provides a deeper dive into available homeownership opportunities. These opportunities include local, city, and federal first‐time homebuying resources which include Prospect Heights at Rosewood, a HACA and Habitat for Humanity initiative where twelve townhomes will be made available for purchase in the East Austin area to eligible current and past HACA residents. Residents interested in pursuing homeownership opportunities meet with the HACA Homeownership team where they can review information, ask questions, determine eligibility, and take the appropriate steps toward reaching their homeownership goals. Resources are readily available for residents interested in improving their credit, increasing their household income, or paying down debt to improve their debt‐to‐ income ratio. HACA has a dedicated website for residents interested in learning more about homeownership opportunities at https://www.hacanet.org/?s=homeownership. If the PHA is designated as troubled, describe the manner in which financial assistance will be provided or other assistance Neither the Travis County Housing Authority nor the Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA) is designated as troubled. Discussion City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 193 AP‐65 Homeless and Other Special Needs Activities – 91.220(i) Pending. City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 194 AP‐70 HOPWA Goals ‐ 91.220 (l)(3) One year goals for the number of households to be provided housing through the use of HOPWA for: Short‐term rent, mortgage, and utility assistance to prevent homelessness of the individual or family Tenant‐based rental assistance Units provided in permanent housing facilities developed, leased, or operated with HOPWA funds Units provided in transitional short‐term housing facilities developed, leased, or operated with HOPWA funds (Hotel/Motel and Master Leasing)) Total 153 35 44 92 292 City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 195 AP‐75 Barriers to affordable housing – 91.220(j) Introduction: The Consolidated Plan includes a detailed overview of barriers to affordable housing in Sections SP-55. Those barriers include: 1.)Historical and structural disparities hinder wealth and resources for certain protected classes. 2.) Affordable housing is not equitably distributed throughout the city. 3.) Incomes do not match housing costs. 4.) Land is expensive in the current market. 5.) Construction is expensive in the current market. 6.) There is high demand for housing in Austin, with supply often lacking. 7.) Regulatory processes are time consuming and cumbersome. 8.) Public and private land use regulations and restrictions often prevent more affordable housing typologies. 9.) There is a lack of alignment between Austin’s affordable housing incentive programs. 10.) Affordable housing developers struggle to secure financing for deeper affordability. 11.) Community-based affordable housing developers from historically marginalized communities lack financing, subsidies, mentorship, training, and networking opportunities. 12.) The community is unable to access clear, consolidated, updated information about available income-restricted housing. Actions planned 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. Currently, city staff from various departments are working together to draft amendments to the Land Development Code aimed at removing obstacles to affordable housing development. Among the recent code changes approved by the City Council since June 2023 are measures such as bolstering tenant protections in multifamily housing, improving fencing safety, allowing taller buildings along Sixth Street in return for affordable housing provisions, streamlining residential review processes for up to four units, eliminating minimum parking requirements, permitting up to three units per lot in single-family zones. In the Spring of 2024, the Council is considering reducing minimum lot sizes in single-family zones, revising compatibility standards, and setting maximum parking standards in Downtown. Additionally, the City is in the process of establishing three new density bonus programs to encourage the construction of affordable housing in exchange for extra entitlements. In February 2024, the Council approved DB90, a zoning category that grants entitlements and allows mixed uses in commercial zones in exchange for affordable housing, modeled after the successful Vertical Mixed-Use program. In the Spring of 2024, the City Council is considering two density bonus programs in primarily high-opportunity areas. The establishment of the Equitable Transit-Oriented Development overlay is intended to incentivize development in non-single-family zoning areas within a half-mile radius of the Phase 1 Austin Light Rail alignment and its projected extensions in exchange for affordable housing. Also under consideration in May 2024 is the creation of the South Central Waterfront Combining District and Density Bonus Program. This initiative would permit increased density across the river from Downtown, contingent upon meeting specific design criteria and providing community benefits like requiring on-site affordable housing. City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 196 Later in 2024, the City plans to undertake a comprehensive strategy aimed at streamlining all density bonus programs to increase participation and introducing new missing-middle zoning districts. Furthermore, alongside the expansion of housing opportunities through zoning reform, the City of Austin executed a $2.5 million contract with McKinsey & Company in 2023 to conduct a comprehensive analysis and provide recommendations for re-envisioning the site plan review process. This contract spurred the implementation of a program aimed at enhancing process efficiency and fostering a culture of change management across departments involved in development procedures, including plan reviews, permit issuance, and inspections to ensure adherence to safety, sustainability, and zoning guidelines. The expected outcome is to unify the efforts of the 13 participating departments involved in development processes under a common vision, promote effective collaboration, and cultivate a culture of continual enhancement. Already, there has been tangible progress in reducing the time required for site plan reviews, with the average duration (for both initial and updated reviews) decreasing from 137 days in March 2023 to 47 days in December 2023. AP‐85 Other Actions – 91.220(k) Pending. City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 197 AP‐90 Program Specific Requirements – 91.220(l)(1,2,4) Introduction: NOTE: As of April 29, 2024 HUD has not released funding allocations for the upcoming fiscal year (FY 24‐25). Therefore, per guidance from HUD, the draft FY 25‐29 Consolidated Plan and FY 24‐25 Action Plan are written using estimates of anticipated funding. Funding amounts are estimated using the actual allocations made in the most recent Fiscal Year, 2023‐2024. Once FY 2024‐2025 funding allocations are released by HUD, the funding amounts below will be updated to reflect actual dollar amounts. The following information is being included in response to the Annual Action Plan Review Checklist provided by HUD. Additional program‐related information can be found in Appendix III. Monitoring The goal of the City of Austin’s monitoring process is to assess subrecipient/contractor performance in the areas of program, financial and administrative compliance with applicable federal, state and municipal regulations, and current program guidelines. The City of Austin’s monitoring plan consists of active contract monitoring and long‐term monitoring for closed projects. For more information, including a copy of the City of Austin's Monitoring Plan, please see Attachment II C. 20% CDBG Administrative Cap ● CDBG Entitlement: $7,362,354 ● Administrative Expense: $1,472,471 = 20.00% 15% CDBG Public Service Cap ● CDBG Entitlement: $7,362,354 ● Public Service Expense: $1,104,353 = 15.00% 10% HOME Administrative Cap ● HOME Entitlement: $3,601,868 ● Administrative Expense: $360,187 = 10.00% 15% CHDO Set Aside ● HOME Entitlement: $3,601,868 ● CHDO Set Aside: $540,280 = 15.00% 3% HOPWA Administrative Cap City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 198 ● HOPWA Entitlement: ● Administrative Expense: = 3.00% 7.5% ESG Administrative Cap ● ESG Entitlement: $669,980 City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 199 ● Administrative Expense: $50,249 =7.5% Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) Reference 24 CFR 91.220(l)(1) Pending. City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 200 HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) Reference 24 CFR 91.220(l)(2) Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Reference 91.220(l)(4) Pending. Pending. City of Austin FY 2025‐2029 Consolidated Plan 201 Attachment I A: Citizen Participation Plan CITY OF AUSTIN CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PLAN A. PURPOSE Participating Jurisdictions (PJs) that receive U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) entitlement grant funds must develop a Citizen Participation Plan (CPP). The CPP describes efforts that will be undertaken to encourage community members to participate in the development of the City’s federal reports: Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH), Consolidated Plan, Annual Action Plan, and the Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER). The CPP is designed to encourage the participation of city residents in the development of the federal reports listed above, particularly those residents who are predominantly low- and moderate-income. For purposes of CDBG funding, a resident is considered to be low-income if their family income equals 50% or less of median family income (MFI), as estimated by HUD. A person is considered to be moderate-income if their family income is between 50% and 80% of MFI. Predominately low-to moderate-income neighborhoods are defined as any neighborhood where at least 51% of the residents have incomes equal to or below 80% of the MFI for any given year. The determination of whether a neighborhood meets the low-to moderate income definition is made by the City at the time a project of area-wide benefit is funded based on current data provided by HUD. The CPP also encourages local and regional institutions and other organizations (including businesses, developers, and community and faith-based organizations) to participate in the process of developing and implementing the Consolidated Plan and related reports. The City takes appropriate actions to encourage the participation of persons of minority backgrounds, persons with limited-English proficiency, and persons with disabilities. It is important to note that HUD’s use of the statutory term “citizen participation” does not in any way limit engagement and consultation with community members based on legal status or country of origin. Any person that resides in the Austin metro area is encouraged to provide input about the federal reporting process as outlined in this CPP. The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. The City of Austin does not discriminate on the basis of disability in the admission or access to, or treatment or employment in its programs and activities. The City of Austin considers it the right of all Austin’s residents to have the opportunity to provide input and comment on the use of public funds and the community’s needs related to affordable housing and community and economic development. The CPP applies to six areas of planning for the use of affordable housing, community and economic development made possible through HUD funding: 1) Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH); 2) The Consolidated Plan; 3) The Annual Action Plan; 4) The Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER); 5) Substantial amendments to a Consolidated Plan and/or Annual Action Plan; and 6) Amendments to the CPP. The City of Austin’s program/fiscal year begins October 1 and ends September 30. In order to receive entitlement grant funding, HUD requires jurisdictions to submit a Consolidated Plan every five years. This plan is a comprehensive strategic plan for community planning and development activities. The Annual Action Plan serves as the City’s application for these HUD grant programs. Federal law also requires that community members have opportunities to review and comment on the local jurisdiction’s plans to allocate these funds. The purpose of programs that are covered by this CPP is to improve the Austin community by providing: decent housing, a suitable living environment, and growing economic opportunities – all principally for low- and moderate- income households (as defined in Section A). This document outlines how members of the Austin community may participate in the six planning areas listed above. General requirements for all or most activities are described in detail in Section E of the CPP. B. HUD PROGRAMS The City of Austin receives four entitlement grants from HUD, to help address the City’s affordable housing, community and economic development needs. The four grant programs are described below: 1. Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG): Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (PL 93-383) created the CDBG program. It was reauthorized in 1990 as part of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act. The primary objective of the CDBG program is to develop viable urban communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic development opportunities for persons of low-and moderate income. The City develops locally defined programs and funding priorities for CDBG, but activities must address one or more of the national objectives of the CDBG program. The three national objectives are: (1) to benefit low- and moderate- income persons; (2) to aid in the prevention or elimination of slums or blight; and/or (3) to meet other urgent community development needs. The City of Austin’s CDBG program emphasizes activities that directly benefit low-and moderate-income persons. 2. 3. 4. HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME): HOME was introduced in the Cranston- Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act of 1990 and provides funding for housing rehabilitation, new housing construction, acquisition of affordable housing, and tenant-based rental assistance. A portion of the funds (15 percent) must be set aside for community housing development organizations (CHDOs) that are certified by the City of Austin. Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG): The ESG Program is authorized by the Steward B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987 and was amended by the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act of 2009. ESG has six objectives: 1) Engage homeless individuals and families living on the street; 2) Improve the number and quality of emergency shelters for homeless individuals and families; 3) Help operate these shelters; 4) Provide essential services to shelter residents; 5) Rapidly re-house homeless individuals and families; and 6) Prevent families and individuals from becoming homeless. Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA): HOPWA funds may be used to assist housing designed to meet the needs of persons with HIV/AIDS, including the prevention of homelessness. Supportive services may also be included. HOPWA grants are allocated to Eligible Metropolitan Statistical Areas (EMSAs) with a high incidence of HIV/AIDS. The City of Austin receives a HOPWA grant on behalf of a five-county EMSA (Bastrop, Hays, Travis, Williamson, and Caldwell Counties). LEAD and RESPONSIBLE AGENCIES C. The Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Department (NHCD) is designated by the Austin City Council as the single point of contact for HUD, and is the lead agency for CDBG, HOME, HOPWA, and ESG grant programs. NHCD administers the CDBG affordable housing and community development programs and the HOME programs; Austin Public Health (APH) administers the CDBG Public Services, HOPWA, and ESG programs; and the Economic Development Department (EDD) administers the CDBG economic development programs and the Section 108 Family Business Loan Program (FBLP). As the lead agency, NHCD is responsible for developing the Consolidated, Annual Action Plans, and the Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER). NHCD coordinates with APH, EDD, boards and commissions, and other community agencies to develop these documents. Needs and priorities for funding for the ESG and HOPWA grants are developed by APH in consultation with community agencies. D. PLANNING ACTIVITIES SUBJECT TO CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PLAN ACTIVITY 1 – ASSESSMENT OF FAIR HOUSING. The Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH) is a planning document prepared in accordance with HUD regulations at 24 CFR 91.105 and 24 CFR 5.150 through 5.166, which became effective June 30, 2015. This AFH includes an analysis of fair housing data, assesses fair housing issues and contributing factors, and identifies the City’s fair housing priorities and goals for affirmatively furthering fair housing. 1. Stakeholder Consultation and Outreach. In the development of the AFH, the City will consult with other public and private agencies including, but not limited to, the following: ● Local public housing authorities ● Other assisted housing providers ● Social service providers including those focusing on services to minorities, families with children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, persons with HIV/AIDS and their families, homeless persons, and other protected classes ● Community-based and regionally based organizations that represent protected class members and organizations that enforce fair housing laws involved in metropolitan-wide planning and ● Regional government agencies transportation responsibilities ● Financial and lending sector partners ● Businesses or organizations that specialize in broadband access, especially for low-to moderate-income households ● Organizations that specialize in resilience and disaster recovery A variety of mechanisms may be utilized to solicit input from these entities. These could include telephone or personal interviews, mail surveys, internet-based feedback and surveys, focus groups, and/or consultation workshops. 2. Publishing Data. City staff shall make any proposed analysis and the relevant documents, including the HUD-provided data and any other data to be included in the AFH, available to the public in a manner that affords diverse residents and others the opportunity to examine the content. 3. Public Hearing. To obtain the views of the general public on AFH-related data and affirmatively furthering fair housing in the City’s housing and community development programs, the City will conduct at least one public hearing before the Community Development Commission (CDC) during the development of the AFH. 4. Public Display and Comment Period. The draft AFH will be placed on display in physical and online form for a period of no less than 30 calendar days to encourage public review and comment. The public notice shall include a brief summary of the content and purpose of the draft AFH, the dates of the public display and comment period, the locations where copies of the proposed document can be examined, how comments will be accepted, and the anticipated submission date to HUD. The draft AFH will be made available at public libraries, public housing authorities, neighborhood centers, at NHCD’s office, and on the NHCD web site (www.austintexas.gov/housing). In addition, upon request, federal reports will be provided in a form accessible to persons with disabilities. 5. Comments Received on the Draft Assessment of Fair Housing. Comments will be accepted by the City contact person, or a designee, during the 30-day public comment period. The City will consider any comments or views received in writing, or orally during public hearings. A summary of these comments or views, and a summary of any comments or views not accepted and the reasons why, will be attached to the final AFH for submission to HUD. 6. Submission to HUD. All written or oral testimony will be considered in preparation of the final AFH. The AFH will be submitted to HUD 270 days before the Consolidated Plan is due. 7. Revisions to AFH. A HUD-accepted AFH must be revised and submitted to HUD for review when either of the following situations occurs: a. A material change occurs. A material change is one that both; i) impacts the circumstances in the City which may include natural disasters, significant demographic changes, new significant contributing factors, and civil rights findings and, ii) causes alterations to the AFH’s analyses, contributing factors, priorities, and/or goals. b. The City receives a written notification from HUD specifying a material change. Whenever a revision to the Assessment of Fair Housing is proposed, the revision will be available for public comment for a period of thirty (30) days before submission to HUD. A revision to the Assessment of Fair Housing will not be implemented until the conclusion of the 30-day public comment period. A summary of all comments or views received in writing, or orally during the comment period will be attached to the revision upon submission to HUD. ACTIVITY 2 – CONSOLIDATED PLAN. The City of Austin’s Consolidated Plan is developed through a collaborative process whereby the community establishes a unified vision for Austin’s affordable housing, and community and economic development initiatives. Community member participation is an essential component in the development of the Consolidated Plan, including amending the plan as well as reporting on program performance. Consultations, public hearings, community meetings, surveys and opportunities to provide written comment are all a part of the strategy to obtain community member input. The City will make special efforts to solicit the views of community members who reside in the designated CDBG-priority neighborhoods of Austin, and to encourage the participation of all community members including minorities, the non-English speaking population, and persons with disabilities. Actions for public participation in the Consolidated Plan follow: 1. Consultations with Other Community Institutions. In developing the Consolidated Plan, the City will consult with public and private agencies, both for-profit and non-profits that either provide or have direct impact on the broad range of housing, health, and social services needed by Austin residents. Consultations may take place through meetings, task forces or committees, or other means with which to coordinate information and facilitate communication. The purpose of these meetings is to gather information and data on the community and economic development needs of the community. The City will seek specific input to identify the needs of persons experiencing homelessness, persons living with HIV/AIDS and their families, persons with disabilities and other special populations. 2. Utilize Quantitative and Qualitative Data on Community Needs. City staff shall review relevant data and conduct necessary evaluation and analysis to provide an accurate assessment of community needs and priorities on which to base strategic recommendations. 3. Initial Public Hearings. There will be a minimum of two public hearings at the beginning stages of the development of the Consolidated Plan before the Community Development Commission (D) in order to gather information on community needs from community members. The CDC are policy advisers to the City who are either appointed by the City Council or elected at the neighborhood-level to represent low-income households. There will be two more hearings sponsored by organizations working with low- and moderate-income populations. An additional hearing will be held before the City Council. Based on public testimony received, the CDC will make recommendations to City Council on the community needs. 4. Written Comments. Based on public input and quantitative analysis, City staff will prepare a draft Consolidated Plan, which includes proposed allocations of first-year funding. A period of 30 calendar days will be provided to receive written comments on the draft Consolidated Plan. The draft plan will be made available at public libraries, public housing authorities, neighborhood centers, at NHCD’s office, and on the NHCD web site (www.austintexas.gov/housing). In addition, upon request, federal reports will be provided in a form accessible to persons with disabilities. 5. Draft Consolidated Plan Public Hearings. There will be a public hearing held before the City Council to receive oral public comments on the draft. An additional hearing will be held before the Community Development Commission (CDC). These hearings will be scheduled during the 30- day written comment period on the draft plan. The CDC will be given the opportunity to make recommendations to Council on the draft Consolidated Plan/Action Plan. 6. Final Action on the Consolidated Plan. All written or oral testimony provided will be considered in preparing the final Consolidated Plan. A summary of testimony received, and the City’s reasons for accepting or not accepting the comments must be included in the final document. The City Council will consider these comments, CDC recommendations, and the recommendations of the City Manager before taking final action on the Consolidated Plan. Final action by the City Council will occur no sooner than fifteen calendar days following the second City Council public hearing on the draft plan. When approved by City Council, the Consolidated Plan will be submitted to HUD. ACTIVITY 3 – ONE-YEAR ACTION PLAN. Each year the City must submit an annual Action Plan to HUD, reporting on how that year’s funding allocation for the four HUD entitlement grants will be used to achieve the goals outlined in the Consolidated Plan. 1. City staff will gather input from community members and from community consultations to prepare the draft Action Plan and report progress on the Fair Housing Action Plan. There shall be two public hearings: one before the Community Development Commission (CDC) and one before the City Council to receive community member input on the community needs, including funding allocations. 2. City staff will gather public input and statistical data to prepare the draft Action Plan. A draft Action Plan will be available for 30 days for public comment after reasonable notice to the public is given. 3. During this comment period, the CDC and the City Council shall conduct two additional public hearings to receive public comments on the draft Action Plan and Consolidated Plan, if it is during a Consolidated Planning year. 4. The CDC will be given the opportunity to make recommendations to the City Council prior to its final action. 5. Final action by the City Council will occur no sooner than fifteen calendar days following the second Council public hearing on the draft Action Plan. 6. When approved by City Council, the Action Plan will be submitted to HUD. ACTIVITY 4 – SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENTS TO CONSOLIDATED/ACTION PLAN. Recognizing that changes during the year may be necessary to the Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan after approval, the Citizen Participation Plan allows for “substantial amendments” to plans. These “substantial amendments” apply only to changes in CDBG funding allocations. Changes in funding allocation for other HUD grant programs received by the City of Austin – HOME, ESG, and HOPWA – are not required to secure public review and comment. The CPP defines a substantial amendment as: ● ● ● A proposed use of CDBG funds that does not address a need identified in the governing Consolidated Plan or annual Action Plan; or A change in the use of CDBG funds from one eligible program to another. The eligible programs defined in the City of Austin’s investment plan either fall into the category of “Housing” or “Community Development.” A cumulative change in the use of CDBG funds from an eligible activity to another eligible activity that decreases an activity’s funding by 10% or more OR increases an activity’s funding by 10% or more during fiscal year. An activity is defined as a high priority need identified in the Consolidated Plan that is eligible for funding in the Action Plan. In the event that there are substantial amendments to the governing Consolidated Plan or annual Action Plan: 1. The City will draft the amendment and publish a brief summary of the proposed substantial amendment(s) and identify where the amendment(s) may be viewed 2. After reasonable notice, there will be a 30-day written public comment period 3. During the 30-day comment period, the City Council shall receive oral comments in public hearings. action. 4. The CDC will be given the opportunity to make recommendations to City Council prior to its final 5. Upon approval by Council, the substantial amendment will be posted in the official City Council minutes and available online and in the City Clerk’s office. Final action by the City Council will occur no sooner than fifteen calendar days next following the second Council public hearing on the draft plan. Disaster Response and Recovery Funds In the event of a declared city-wide, state-wide or national emergency (as proclaimed by the Mayor, Governor, or President of the United States), it may be necessary for the City to apply for new emergency grant funding from HUD, such as CDBG-Disaster Recovery grants, or any other grants issued to jurisdictions in the event of a disaster which requires an urgent response to address the needs of the community. In order to expedite the distribution of emergency funding during a disaster response situation the City Council, City Manager, or HUD may determine it is necessary to waive certain substantial amendment provisions described in Section D, Activity 4 or certain General Requirements Provisions described in Section E. Any such waiver is subject to the requirements of the respective emergency funding appropriation. HUD’s criteria used to qualify local “urgent needs” e.g., events of “particular urgency'' because existing conditions pose a serious and immediate threat to the health or welfare of the community for which other funding is not available can be found at 24 CFR 570.483(d). To comply with the national objective of meeting community development needs having a particular urgency, and that a project will alleviate existing conditions which: 1. Pose a serious and immediate threat to the health and welfare of the community; 2. Are of recent origin or recently became critical within 18 months preceding the certification by the grantee; 3. Are unable to be financed by the City on its own; and 4. Other funding resources are not available to completely carry out the activity. In the event of a disaster that requires a response to address local urgent needs, the City will: 1. Notify HUD at least five (5) days before implementing changes or amendments to the Consolidated Plan and/or Action Plan; and 2. Make reasonable efforts to provide the public opportunity to comment on changes and amendments to the Consolidated Plan and/or Action Plan. These actions do not require the City to comply with all of the substantial amendment provisions related to the citizen participation requirements described in Section D, Activity 4 or all of the General Requirements Provisions described in Section E. HUD Waiver Process Upon determination of good cause, HUD has the authority to waive certain regulatory provisions of the CDBG, HOME, ESG, and HOPWA programs subject to statutory limits. The City reserves the right to submit waiver notifications to HUD when expedited assistance is offered through programs covered by the Consolidated Plan. Following completion of a waiver process as determined by HUD, the City may carry through actions as prescribed by the approved waiver determinations authorized by HUD. ACTIVITY 5 – CONSOLIDATED ANNUAL PERFORMANCE AND EVALUATION REPORT (CAPER). The City is required to submit annually by December 30 a CAPER to HUD that describes the City’s progress in meeting the goals in the Consolidated Plan. 1. City staff prepares the draft CAPER. 2. After reasonable notice is provided, the CAPER is available for 15 days for written public comment. 3. The final CAPER and public comments will be submitted to HUD. 4. The CAPER and public comments will be presented at a CDC meeting. ACTIVITY 6 – AMENDMENTS TO CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PLAN. The City will review the Citizen Participation Plan (CPP) at least every 5 years for potential enhancement or modification; this review will occur as a component of the Consolidated Planning process. In the event that changes to the CPP are necessary, City staff shall draft them. 1. After reasonable notice, these will be available to the public for 15 days for written comment. 2. The CDC and City Council shall each hold a public hearing to receive oral public comments on the proposed change. action. 3. The CDC will be given the opportunity to make recommendations to City Council prior to its final 4. Upon approval by City Council, the substantial amendment will be posted in the official City Council minutes and available online on the NHCD web site (www.austintexas.gov/housing) and in the City Clerk’s office. E. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. The City of Austin does not discriminate on the basis of disability in the admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its programs and activities. In the event of a disaster which requires an urgent response to address the needs of the community as described in the Disaster Recovery and Response section, the City will make reasonable efforts to provide the public opportunity to comment on federal reports.  1. Public Hearings. Public hearings before the Austin City Council, the Community Development Commission (CDC), and other appropriate community organizations will be advertised in accordance with the guidelines outlined in the notification section below. The purpose of public hearings is to provide an opportunity for community members, public agencies, and other interested parties to provide input on the City of Austin’s affordable housing, community and economic development needs. Public hearings will be held in locations accessible to low- and moderate- income residents and persons with disabilities. Spanish translation and interpretation for individuals with hearing impairments will be provided upon request. 2. Public Meetings. Public meetings of the Austin City Council, Community Development Commission (CDC), and other boards and commissions overseeing HUD-funded programs provide opportunities for community member participation and comment on a continuous basis. Public meeting notices are posted at the Office of the City Clerk at least three days (72 hours), prior to the meeting date, in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act. Public meetings are held in locations accessible to persons with disabilities. Spanish translation and interpretation for individuals with hearing impairments will be provided upon request. Notification. The Neighborhood Housing and Community Development (NHCD) Department will provide the community advance notice of public hearings and/or public comment periods. The notice will be provided at least two weeks prior to the public hearing date and the start date of comment periods. Related to the CPP specified federal documents, NHCD will provide public notifications by utilizing City of Austin publications and media (television, print, electronic) that will maximize use of City resources and reach an increased number of Austin residents by direct mail. Related to federal publications referenced above, NHCD will notify the public about public hearings, comment periods, public meetings, and additional opportunities for public feedback through communications outlets that are designed to increase public participation and generate quantifiable feedback/results. NHCD will utilize the following notification mechanisms as available: City of Austin utility bill inserts; City of Austin website; and Channel 6, the municipally owned cable channel. In addition, NHCD will use other available media (print, electronic, television) to promote public feedback opportunities. Notifications will be published in English and Spanish. NHCD will coordinate with the Community Development Commission, Urban Renewal Agency, other governmental agencies, public housing authorities, key stakeholders, and the general public during the development of the Assessment of Fair Housing, Consolidated Plan and an annual Action Plan. 3. Document Access. Copies of all planning documents, including the following federal reports: City’s Citizen Participation Plan (CPP), Assessment of Fair Housing, Consolidated Plan, annual Action Plan, and the Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER), will be available to the public upon request. Community members will have the opportunity to review and comment on applicable federal reports in draft form prior to final adoption by the Austin City Council. These documents will be made available at public libraries, public housing authorities, certain neighborhood centers, at the NHCD office, and on the NHCD website (www.austintexas.gov/housing). In addition, upon request, federal reports will be provided in a form accessible to persons with disabilities. 4. Access to Records. The City will provide community members, public agencies, and other interested parties reasonable and timely access to information and records relating to the Citizen Participation Plan (CPP), Assessment of Fair Housing, Consolidated Plan, annual Action Plan, and CAPER, and the City’s use of assistance under the four entitlement grant programs, as stated in the Texas Public Information Act and the Freedom of Information Act. 5. Technical Assistance. The City will provide technical assistance upon request and to the extent resources are available to groups or individuals that need assistance in preparing funding proposals, provided that the level of technical assistance does not constitute a violation of federal or local rules or regulations. The provision of technical assistance does not involve re- assignment of City staff to the proposed project or group, or the use of City equipment, nor does technical assistance guarantee an award of funds. F. COMMUNITY MEMBERS’ COMPLAINTS Written complaints related to NHCD’s programs and activities funded through entitlement grant funding may be directed to the Neighborhood Housing and Community Development (NHCD) Department. A timely, written, and substantive response to the complainant will be prepared within 15 working days of receipt of the complaint by NHCD. If a response cannot be prepared within the 15-day period, the complainant will be notified of the approximate date a response will be provided. Written complaints must include the complainant’s name, address, and zip code. A daytime telephone number should also be included in the event further information or clarification is needed. Complaints should be addressed as follows: Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Department Attn: Director City of Austin P.O. Box 1088 Austin, Texas 78767 If the response is not sufficient, an appeal may be directed to the City Manager, and a written response will be provided within 30 days. An appeal should be addressed as follows: City Manager’s Office Attn: City Manager P.O. Box 1088 Austin, Texas 78767 G. CITY OF AUSTIN’S RESIDENTIAL ANTI-DISPLACEMENT AND RELOCATION ASSISTANCE PLAN The City of Austin does not anticipate any displacement to occur as a result of any HUD-funded activities. All programs will be carried out in such a manner as to safeguard that no displacement occurs. However, in the event that a project involving displacement is mandated in order to address a concern for the general public’s health and welfare, the City of Austin will take the following steps: 1. A public hearing will be held to allow interested community members an opportunity to comment on the proposed project and voice any concerns regarding possible relocation. Notice of the public hearing/meeting will be made as per the procedure noted in Section E - General Requirements section of the Citizen Participation Plan. 2. In the event that a project involving displacement is pursued, the City of Austin will contact each person/household/business in the project area and/or hold public meetings, depending on the project size; inform persons of the project and their rights under the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, as amended, and respond to any questions or concerns. 3. Relocation assistance will be provided in adherence with the City’s Project Relocation Plan and the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, as amended. The City’s Anti-Displacement and Relocation Assistance Plan may be viewed in NHCD’s Action Plan submitted annually to HUD. The document is available online at www.austintexas.gov/housing. The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. For assistance, please call 512-974-3100; TTY users’ route through Relay Texas at 711. Attachment I B: Community Engagement Summary Community Needs Assessment | Phase 1 / Preliminary Findings Summary of Community Engagement May 2024 TABLE OF CONTENTS Background .................................................01 Timeline ..........................................................02 Communications and Engagement Approach ...........................03-04 Goals, Tools & Tactics ................................05 Community Feedback ......................06-15 Exhibit A: Marketing and Outreach Materials ..........................17-25 Exhibit B: Community Consulations .............................................26 2024 COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT BACKGROUND This report details the public engagement efforts for developing the FY25- 29 Consolidated Plan. The consolidated plan is a five-year funding strategy that guides how to distribute approximately $14 million in annual grant funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The public services and programs from this grant address things like affordable housing, job creation, and public service needs for low- and moderate-income families, persons with disabilities, and seniors. As required by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), a community needs assessment is conducted each year to ensure that federal funding meets the needs of the Austin community. This year, we expanded the community needs assessment so that programming funded by local dollars can also benefit from the community’s feedback. Phase 1: In this first phase of the report we outline the community needs that we have heard through the engagement process so far. This input has informed the first draft of the funding strategy for federal dollars and we are now seeking feedback on that draft. Phase 2: A second phase of the report will be produced over the next few months as engagement continues. The phase 2 report will show not only how feedback is used within the finalized consolidated plan but will also include other efforts the Housing Department is making to address community needs. 2024 COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT | 01 TIMELINE STAFF CREATES FIRST DRAFT OF THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN APRIL 2024 FINALIZED PLAN APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL JULY 2024 COMMUNITY CONSULTATIONS AND INITIAL SURVEY FEB - MARCH 2024 COMMUNITY PROVIDEDS FEEDBACK ON DRAFT PLAN MAY - JUNE 2024 COMMUNITY FEEDBACK LOOP CONTINUES AUG - SEP 2024 NEW CONSOLIDATD PLAN BEGINS OCTOBER 1, 2024 2024 COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT | 02 COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT APPROACH The Housing Department engages with the community regularly at community events, through the experiences of program participants, and often for specific initiatives and projects. The engagement required for our 5-Year Federal Funding plan serves as a time to pause and assess even more intentionally and build a deeper understanding of the experiences people are having. What we learn not only guides how we make decisions, but it reminds us of why we provide the services we do and humanizes how we do the work. It also allows us to refine what ongoing engagement looks like, and continuously improve engagement based on how the community says they want to be engaged. With this mindset, while we are primarily consulting the community, as described in the spectrum below, we are also informing the community along the way about what the Housing department does, and we also begin to involve them in planning how we will continue to do that work. We commit to continuing the feedback loop, letting the community know what is happening with feedback and continuing to make changes. 2024 COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT | 03 ENGAGEMENT GOALS The goals outlined below guided decisions about how to engage the community during this phase of the redevelopment opportunity. Clarify & refine how we make departmental decisions about funding Inform the community about programs that have previously been funded Reflect back to the community what we understand about their needs Evaluate how needs have changed since the last consolidated plan was created Develop a deeper and expanded understanding of community needs Reach community members who are most impacted by housing challenges 2024 COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT | 04 GOALS, TOOLS & TACTICS The tools and tactics aligned with each goal created experiences for the neighborhood surrounding Ryan Drive to stay informed and engage in the level of discourse that was right for each individual. Goal  Tools & Tactics  Clarify & refine how we make departmental decisions about funding Inform the community about programs that have previously been funded Create materials with simple explanations about funding sources and factors that guide funding decisions. Create materials with simple explanations about programs that have been funded by federal dollars Reflect back to the community what we understand about their needs Create human-centered content for presentations that shares the needs and experiences of community members as we understand them Evaluate how needs have changed since the last consolidated plan was created Conduct a survey with the same set of questions that were asked 5 years ago. Develop a deeper and expanded understanding of community needs Encourage additional input in survey responses with open ended questions. Create space for open dialogue with individuals and organizations. Consult with organizations serving the populations that the funding is designed to support. Reach community members who are most impacted by housing challenges Materials in 7 languages Flyers in libraries Communication through community partners Paid advertising Social media posts 2024 COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT | 05 COMMUNITY FEEDBACK Surveys A dedicated Speak Up Austin webpage hosted a survey as well background information about federal funding at www.SpeakUpAustin.org/MyCommunityNeeds. As of April 22, the page has received nearly 1400 views and more than 470 survey responses. In addition, 155 participants left additional comments. Paper surveys were available in libraries, and these are included in the total count. Community member could also participate in the survey through text messaging, email and postal mail. The survey will remain open and consultations will continue until the Consolidated Plan is finalized. The draft of the plan uses data collected between February 6 and March 15. During that time frame 341 survey responses were received. Communiti… Speak Up Austin 46 community… 1321 views 468 Surveys Consultations & Hearings The needs assessment included consultations with community groups and 2 public hearings. Representatives from 46 organizations have participated in consultations, including stakeholder groups across the public and private sectors, City Commissions, non-profit organizations, and others. The City of Austin‘s Citizen Participation Plan (CPP) requires that the City conduct two public hearings during the Community needs assessment period: one before the Community Development Commission (CDC) and one before the Austin City Council. The public hearings were conducted before the CDC on March 12, 2024 and before the Austin City Council on March 7, 2024. 7 community members made comments during the public hearings. 2024 COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT | 06 COMMUNITY FEEDBACK What did we hear? Priorities include: Affordable Housing Park Space Connectivity to transit Neighborhood Amenities The graph above shows the percentage to which each need was included in someone’s top 5 choices. 2024 COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT | 07 WHAT WE HEARD What did we hear? Input has been sorted into the following categories which center around the experiences that people shared. The following pages detail the topics that come up in each category. Across all categories, there was a consistent plea for more collaboration among departments, agencies and organizations as well as a desire to see more creativity and innovative approaches. I WANT TO LIVE IN AN AUSTIN THAT IS FOR EVERYONE I NEED IMMEDIATE HELP I DON’T TRUST THE CITY MY NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS MORE SUPPORT COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE S & NEEDS I NEED HELP MAINTAINING STABILITY I WANT TO BUILD LONG-TERM STABILITY I NEED BETTER ACCESS TO PROGRAMS 2024 COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT | 08 WHAT WE HEARD PRESERVATION OF HISTORY, CULTURE & LONG-TERM RESIDENTS RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF VULNERABLE POPULATIONS FAIR HOUSING SUPPORT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES I WANT TO LIVE IN AN AUSTIN THAT IS FOR EVERYONE Priorities include: VARIETY OF HOUSING OPTIONS FOR ALL INCOME LEVELS Affordable Housing Park Space Connectivity to transit COMPASSION-LED APPROACHES POLICIES AND PROGRAMS TO PROTECT REMAINING AFFORDABILITY Neighborhood Amenities 2024 COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT | 09 WHAT WE HEARD HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION & INTERVENTION I NEED IMMEDIATE HELP EMERGENCY REPAIRS RENTAL ASSISTANCE Priorities include: Affordable Housing Park Space Connectivity to transit EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOR UTILITIES, FOOD & OTHER BASIC NEEDS Neighborhood Amenities 2024 COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT | 10 WHAT WE HEARD WAGES & WORKFORCE DEVLOPMENT TENANT SUPPORT HOME REPAIR Priorities include: HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION & INTERVENTION I NEED HELP MAINTAINING STABILITY Affordable Housing ONGOING SUPPORT FOR HEALTH & WELLNESS Park Space REDUCE HOUSING-RELATED COSTS CHILD CARE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING Connectivity to transit Neighborhood Amenities 2024 COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT | 11 WHAT WE HEARD FINANCIAL WELLNESS & SECURITY PATHWAYS TO HOME OWNERSHIP I WANT TO BUILD LONG- TERM STABILITY Priorities include: Affordable Housing Park Space HIGHER EDUCATION Connectivity to transit Neighborhood Amenities LEVERAGING PROPERTY FOR ADDITIONAL INCOME 2024 COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT | 12 WHAT WE HEARD KNOWLEDGE OF PROGRAMS Priorities include: Affordable ACCESSIBLE PROSSESES Housing I NEED BETTER ACCESS TO PROGRAMS Park Space Connectivity to transit Neighborhood Amenities SUPPORT ACCESSING RESOURCES 2024 COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT | 13 WHAT WE HEARD WALKABILITY INFRASTRUCTURE NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING GREENSPACE SAFETY MY NEIGHBORHOO D NEEDS MORE SUPPORT TRANSPORTATION Priorities include: Affordable Housing ACCESS TO RESOURCES Park Space Connectivity to transit Neighborhood QUALITY OF LIFE Amenities 2024 COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT | 14 PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS Data on long-term impacts of programs Monitoring and evaluation of contracted partners and service providers Data on specific populations I DON’T TRUST THE CITY WHAT WE HEARD AUTHENTIC ENGAGEMENT Closing feedback loops Center voices of those most impacted Priorities include: Affordable Housing TRANSPARENT SPENDING Park Space Understanding of how funding decisions are made Connectivity to transit Transparency in process for selecting service providers Neighborhood Amenities 2024 COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT | 15 APPENDIX .............................................17-24 Exhibit A: Marketing Materials Promotional Graphics Flyer Website Survey Newsletter | Email Digital | Print| Radio Exhibit B: Updated funding info graphics ...................................................25 Exhibit C: Community Consultations ...........26 2024 COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT | APPENDIX Promotional Graphics Option 1 – How should federal funding support local housing and public service programs? Submit your input at www.SpeakUpAustin.org/MyCommunityNeeds Option 2 – Austinities can provide feedback on how the City should use federal funding for housing and public services! Get involved today 👉 www.SpeakUpAustin.org/MyCommunityNeeds Option 3 – Share your input on how the City should use federal funding for housing & public services at the following public hearings: 📅 March 7 at 10a before Austin City Council 📅 March 12 at 6:30p before the Community Development Commission. I E X H B I T A : M A R K E T I N G & O U T R E A C H M A T E R A L S I ℹ More info at www.SpeakUpAustin.org/MyCommunityNeeds Large Promo: AustinTexas.gov/Housing 2024 COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT | 17 Flyer I E X H B I T A : M A R K E T I N G & O U T R E A C H M A T E R A L S I 2024 COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT | 18 Website I E X H B I T A : M A R K E T I N G & O U T R E A C H M A T E R A L S I 2024 COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT | 19 Survey Page 3 Page 1 Page 2 I E X H B I T A : M A R K E T I N G & O U T R E A C H M A T E R A L S I 2024 COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT | 20 Newsletter | Email The City of Austin invites community members to help guide a new 5-year plan to invest housing and community development dollars where they are needed most. This Five-Year Federal Funding Plan decides how to distribute approximately $14 million in annual grant funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The public services and programs from this grant address things like affordable housing, job creation, and public service needs for low- and moderate-income families, persons with disabilities, and seniors. As required by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), a community needs assessment is conducted each year to ensure that federal funding meets the needs of the Austin community. This year, the Housing Department will expand the community needs assessment so that programming funded by local dollars can also benefit from the community’s feedback. The expanded process to collect feedback on community needs to guide the next five years of funding is open through June. The public can participate online at www.SpeakUpAustin.org/MyCommunityNeeds. Developer Newsletter Subscribers: 179 Austin Utilities Now | April 2024 I E X H B I T A : M A R K E T I N G & O U T R E A C H M A T E R A L S I 2024 COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT | 21 Digital | Print | Radio Austin Monitor Whispers page banner and right rail all pages El Mundo Marzo 7-13 / 2024 English + Spanish Print Austin American Statesman English Print + Digital I E X H B I T A : M A R K E T I N G & O U T R E A C H M A T E R A L S I 2024 COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT | 22 Digital | Print | Radio City of Austin Facebook | Instagram | X | Nextdoor I E X H B I T A : M A R K E T I N G & O U T R E A C H M A T E R A L S I 2024 COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT | 23 Digital | Print | Radio KAZI Radio Support comes from the City’s Housing Department. Looking for input from the community to help guide a new 5-year plan to invest housing and community development dollars where they are needed most. The public services and programs from this grant address things like affordable housing, job creation, and public service needs for low- and moderate-income families, persons with disabilities, and seniors. Sharing input is at Speak Up Austin dot org slash My Community Needs. I E X H B I T A : M A R K E T I N G & O U T R E A C H M A T E R A L S I 2024 COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT | 24 I E X H B I T B : U P D A T E D F U N D N G I I N F O G R A P H C S I 2024 COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT | 25 I E X H B I T C : C O M M U N I T Y C O N S U L A T I O N S 2024 COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT | 26 Attachment II A: Resale and Recapture Policies - Pending Attachment II B: ESG Program Standards, Policies, and Procedures City of Austin Austin Public Health Department Emergency Solutions Grant Program (ESG) / Emergency Solutions Grant CARES Act Program (ESG-CV) Program Standards, Policies, and Procedures Exhibit D.1- ESG Program, Standards, and Policies (Revised 09/16/2022) Page 1 of 21 Section 1: ESG PROGRAM STANDARDS I. Definitions The Terms used herein will have the following meanings: APH – Austin Public Health Department, City of Austin At Risk of Homelessness- 1) An individual or family who: a) Has an annual income below 30% of median family income for the area; AND b) Does not have sufficient resources or support networks immediately available to prevent them from moving to an emergency shelter or another place defined in Category 1 of the “homeless” definition; AND one of the following conditions: i) Has moved because of economic reasons 2 or more times during the 60 days immediately preceding the application for assistance; OR Is living in the home of another because of economic hardship; OR ii) iii) Has been notified that their right to occupy their current housing or living situation will be terminated within 21 days after the date of application for assistance; OR iv) Lives in a hotel or motel and the cost is not paid for by charitable organizations or by Federal, v) State, or local government programs for low-income individuals; OR Lives in an SRO or efficiency apartment unit in which there reside more than 2 persons or lives in a larger housing unit in which there reside more than one and a half persons per room; OR Is exiting a publicly funded institution or system of care; OR vi) vii) Otherwise lives in housing that has characteristics associated with instability and an increased risk of homelessness, as identified in the recipient’s approved Consolidated Plan; 2) A child or youth who does not qualify as homeless under the homeless definition, but qualifies as homeless under another Federal statute; An unaccompanied youth who does not qualify as homeless under the homeless definition, but qualifies as homeless under section 725(2) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, and the parent(s) or guardian(s) or that child or youth if living with him or her. CDO- Community Development Officer; Chronically homeless means: 1) A ‘‘homeless individual or family with a disability,’’ as defined in section 401(9) of the McKinney-Vento Lives in a place not meant for human habitation, a safe haven, or in an emergency shelter; and Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11360(9)), who: a) b) Has been homeless and living as described in paragraph (1)(i) of this definition continuously for at least 12 months or on at least 4 separate occasions in the last 3 years, as long as the combined occasions equal at least 12 months and each break in homelessness separating the occasions included at least 7 consecutive nights of not living as described in paragraph (1)(i). Stays in institutional care facilities for fewer than 90 days will not constitute as a break in homelessness, but rather such stays are included in the 12-month total, as long as the individual was living or residing in a place not meant for human habitation, a safe haven, or an emergency shelter immediately before entering the institutional care facility; c) An individual who has been residing in an institutional care facility, including a jail, substance abuse or mental health treatment facility, hospital, or other similar facility, for fewer than 90 days and met all of the criteria in paragraph (1) of this definition, before entering that facility; or Exhibit D.1- ESG Program, Standards, and Policies (Revised 09/16/2022) Page 2 of 21 d) A family with an adult head of household (or if there is no adult in the family, a minor head of household) who meets all of the criteria in paragraph (1) or (2) of this definition, including a family whose composition has fluctuated while the head of household has been homeless. (Updated 12-4-15) City- City of Austin; ESG- Emergency Solutions Grant program; ESG-CV- Emergency Solutions Grant CARES Act program; 1) Homeless Person(s): An individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, meaning: a) An individual or family with a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings, including a car, park, abandoned building, bus or train station, airport, or camping ground; b) An individual or family living in a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangements (including congregate shelters, transitional housing, and hotels and motels paid for by charitable organizations or by federal, state, or local government programs for low-income individuals); or c) An individual who is exiting an institution where he or she resided for 90 days or less and who resided in an emergency shelter or place not meant for human habitation immediately before entering that institution; 2) An individual or family who will imminently lose their primary nighttime residence, provided that: a) The primary nighttime residence will be lost within 14 days of the date of application for homeless assistance; b) No subsequent residence has been identified; and c) The individual or family lacks the resources or support networks, e.g., family, friends, faith-based or other social networks needed to obtain other permanent housing; 3) Unaccompanied youth under 25 years of age, or families with children and youth, who do not otherwise qualify as homeless under this definition, but who: a) Are defined as homeless under section 387 of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5732a), section 637of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9832), section 41403 of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 14043e-2), section 330(h) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b(h)), section 3 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012), section 17(b) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786(b)), or section 725 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a); b) Have not had a lease, ownership interest, or occupancy agreement in permanent housing at any time during the 60 days immediately preceding the date of application for homeless assistance; c) Have experienced persistent instability as measured by two moves or more during the 60-day period immediately preceding the date of applying for homeless assistance; and d) Can be expected to continue in such status for an extended period of time because of chronic disabilities, chronic physical health or mental health conditions, substance addiction, histories of domestic violence or childhood abuse (including neglect), the presence of a child or youth with a disability, or two or more barriers to employment, which include the lack of a high school degree or General Education Development (GED), illiteracy, low English proficiency, a history of incarceration or detention for criminal activity, and a history of unstable employment; or 4) Any individual or family who: a) Is fleeing, or is attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or other dangerous or life-threatening conditions that relate to violence against the individual or a family member, including a child, that has either taken place within the individual’s or family’s primary Exhibit D.1- ESG Program, Standards, and Policies (Revised 09/16/2022) Page 3 of 21 nighttime residence or has made the individual or family afraid to return to their primary nighttime residence b) Has no other residence; and lacks the resources or support networks, e.g., family, friends, faith-based or other social networks, to obtain other permanent housing 5) Definitions from 24 CFR 576.2. For purposes of ESG-CV funds, the definitions at 24 CFR 576.2 apply except that: a) At Risk of Homelessness. The CARES Act raised the income limit in paragraph (1)(i) of the “at risk of homelessness” definition at 24 CFR 576.2 from 30 percent of area median income (AMI) to the Very Low-Income limit of the area, as determined by the Secretary. 6) Definitions not in 24 CFR 576.2 of the CARES Act. a) Coronavirus- SARS-CoV-2 or another coronavirus with pandemic potential, as defined by section 23005 b) ESG-CV- Emergency Solutions Grants Program as funded by the CARES Act and governed by requirements HUD establishes in accordance with that Act. ESG-CV funds do not include annual ESG funds, although annual ESG funds may be used in accordance with the requirements established for purposes of ESG-CV funds as further described in the sections below. c) Prevent, Prepare for, and Respond to Coronavirus- To assist recipients in ensuring that an activity being paid for with ESG-CV funds is eligible, or determining whether annual ESG funding may follow the waivers and alternative requirements established in this Notice, recipients and subrecipients should consider the following: i) Prevent…coronavirus means an activity designed to prevent the initial or further spread of the virus to people experiencing homelessness, people at risk of homelessness, recipient or subrecipient staff, or other shelter or housing residents. This includes providing Personal Protective Equipment to staff and program participants, paying for non-congregate shelter options such as hotels and motels, paying for handwashing stations and portable toilets for use by people living in unsheltered situations, and providing rapid re-housing or homelessness prevention assistance to individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness (as applicable) to reduce their risk of contracting or further spreading the virus. ii) Prepare for…coronavirus means an activity carried out by a recipient or subrecipient prior to or during a coronavirus outbreak in their jurisdiction to plan to keep people healthy and reduce the risk of exposure to coronavirus and avoid or slow the spread of disease. This includes updating written standards to prioritize people at severe risk of contracting coronavirus for shelter and housing consistent with fair housing and nondiscrimination requirements, adapting coordinated entry policies and procedures to account for social distancing measures or increased demand, developing a strategy and recruiting landlords to provide housing to people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, training homeless providers on infectious disease prevention and mitigation, and implementing a non-congregate shelter strategy to reduce the spread of coronavirus. iii) Respond to coronavirus means an activity carried out once coronavirus has spread to people experiencing homelessness, provider staff, or once individuals and families lose or are at risk of losing their housing as a result of the economic downturn caused by coronavirus. This includes transporting individuals and families experiencing homelessness to medical appointments, paying for shelter to isolate individuals who have contracted coronavirus from other program participants and people experiencing homelessness, providing rental assistance to those who are at risk of losing their housing, have already become homeless, or continue to experience homelessness due to the economic downturn caused by coronavirus, and providing hazard pay to recipient or subrecipient staff who put their own health at risk to continue to provide necessary services to individuals and families experiencing and risk of homelessness. Exhibit D.1- ESG Program, Standards, and Policies (Revised 09/16/2022) Page 4 of 21  HPD- Housing and Planning Department, City of Austin HUD- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Subrecipient- An organization receiving ESG funds from the City to undertake eligible ESG activities II. General The Emergency Solutions Grant Program (ESG), formerly known as the Emergency Shelter Grant Program, and the Emergency Solutions Grant CARES Act Program (ESG-CV) are funded through the City’s Housing and Planning Department (HPD), which is made available by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The City utilizes ESG and ESG-CV funds to provide an array of services to assist homeless persons and persons at-risk of homelessness. The ESG program is designed to be the first step in a continuum of assistance to help clients quickly regain stability in permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis and/or homelessness. ESG-CV funds have been made available from HUD to assist homeless persons who meet the CDC’s definition of being at a high risk of health complications due to COVID-19. The City’s Austin Public Health Department is responsible for the implementation of ESG in compliance with the governing regulations of the ESG program. The City’s Housing and Planning Department (HPD) is responsible for the planning and administration of the ESG program. The Community Development Officer (CDO) of HPD has the authority to establish processes, procedures, and criteria for the implementation and operation of the program, and to waive compliance with any provision of these guidelines if s/he determines that to do so does not violate any Federal, state, or local law or regulation, and is in the best interest of the City. Nothing contained, stated, or implied in this document shall be construed to limit the authority of the City to administer and carry out the program by whatever means and in whatever manner it deems appropriate. III. Eligible Organizations The subrecipient must be a unit of local government or a private, non-profit organization, as defined by the Internal Revenue Service tax code, evidenced by having a Federal identification number, filed articles of incorporation, and written organizational by-laws. IV. Ineligible Organizations An organization will not be eligible to apply for ESG funds if it meets the following conditions: 1) Outstanding audit or monitoring findings, unless appropriately addressed by a corrective action plan; 2) Current appearance on the List of Suspended and Debarred Contractors 3) Terms and conditions of existing contract are not in full compliance; 4) History of non-performance with contracts. V. Financial Terms 1) Grantee shall expend the City budget in a reasonable manner in relation to Agreement time elapsed and/or Agreement program service delivery schedule. 2) All grant funds allocated must be completely spent down within the 36-month allocation period. Exhibit D.1- ESG Program, Standards, and Policies (Revised 09/16/2022) Page 5 of 21 3) If the Grantee has a remaining balance at the end of the first twelve-month period, the Grantee must submit a request to spend down remaining balance to the Assistant Director of the Austin Public Health, Health Equity Community Engagement Division (HECE). 4) If cumulative expenditures are not within acceptable amounts, spending rates, or in accordance with grant compliance the City may require the Grantee to: a) submit an expenditure plan, and/or b) amend the Agreement budget amount to reflect projected expenditures, as determined by the City. In order to be eligible for services under the ESG program, clients must meet HUD’s definition of homelessness or at-risk of homelessness, and must meet annual income guidelines for homelessness prevention activities. 5) ESG-CV Financial Terms: a) Progressive Expenditure Deadline and Recapture Provisions- To ensure ESG-CV funds are spent quickly on eligible activities to address the public health and economic crises caused by coronavirus, the following alternative requirements are established: i) HUD may recapture up to 20 percent of a recipient’s total award, including first and second allocation amounts, if the recipient has not expended at least 20 percent of that award by September 30, 2021. ii) HUD may recapture up to 50 percent of a recipient’s total award, including first and second allocation amounts, if the recipient has not expended at least 50 percent of that award by June 16, 2022. iii) Prior to recapturing funds as described above, HUD will follow the enforcement process described in 24 CFR 576.501 and provide the recipient with an opportunity to provide a spending plan demonstrating to HUD’s satisfaction that all of the recipient’s ESG-CV funds from the first and second allocations will be expended by September 30, 2023. VI. Matching Funds Subrecipient organizations that receive ESG funds must provide a dollar for dollar (or 100%) match to their ESG award amount. 1) Sources of matching funds include: a) Cash Contributions- Cash expended for allowable costs identified in 2 CFR Part 200. Program Income for the ESG program can also be used as match funds. Match funds are identified in 2CFR Part 200.306 b) Non-Cash Contributions- The value of any real property, equipment, goods, or services. 2) Funds used to match a previous ESG grant may not be used to match a subsequent award. 3) ESG-CV Match - As provided by the CARES Act, ESG-CV funds are not subject to the match requirements that otherwise apply to the Emergency Solutions Grants program. VII. Eligible Activities Each sub-recipient will be allocated funding by activity type, and may have multiple activities in one program. The following is a list of eligible activities for the ESG Program: 1) ESG Eligible Activities: a) Street Outreach- Support services limited to providing emergency care on the streets, including engagement, case management, emergency health and mental health services, and transportation; b) Emergency Shelter- Includes essential services, case management, child care, education, employment, outpatient health services legal services, life skills training, mental health & substance abuse services, transportation, shelter operations, and funding for hotel/motel stays under certain conditions; c) Homeless Prevention- Includes housing relocation & stabilization services and short/medium-term rental assistance for individuals/families who are at risk of homelessness; d) Rapid Re-Housing- Includes housing relocation & stabilization services and short/medium-term rental assistance to help individuals/families move quickly into permanent housing and achieve stability; e) Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) costs; and Exhibit D.1- ESG Program, Standards, and Policies (Revised 09/16/2022) Page 6 of 21 2) ESG-CV Program-specific Waivers, Alternative Requirements, and Statutory Flexibilities for Existing Eligible f) ESG Administration costs. Activities: a) Short-Term and Medium-Term Rental Assistance i) 24 CFR 576.106(a)(2), where medium-rent is defined as “for more than 3 months but not more than 24 months of rent” is waived and an alternative requirement is established where medium- term is established as for more than 3 months but not more than 12 months. This alternative requirement will allow more households to receive rapid re-housing and homelessness prevention assistance, which is necessary to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. ii) The requirement at 24 CFR 576.106(d) that prohibits rental assistance where the rent for the unit exceeds the Fair Market Rent established by HUD, as provided under 24 CFR Part 888, is waived so long as the rent complies with HUD’s standards of rent reasonableness, as established under 24 CFR 982.507. Waiving this requirement will allow recipients to help program participants move quickly into housing or retain their existing housing, which is especially critical at reducing the spread of coronavirus and responding to coronavirus. This waiver provides additional flexibility beyond the waiver made available to the ESG Program on March 31, 2020 and extended to ESG-CV funds on May 22, 2020 by permitting ESG recipients to provide rental assistance for program participants, whose current rent exceeds FMR and by allowing recipients to use this waiver as needed throughout the period they are providing rental assistance to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. b) Hotel/Motel Costs- As permitted under 24 CFR 576.102(a)(3), eligible costs include a hotel or motel voucher for homeless individuals and families where no appropriate emergency shelter is available. Additionally, the limitations on eligible activities provided in section 415(a) of the McKinney-Vento Act and 24 CFR part 576, subpart B are waived and alternative requirements are established to the extent necessary to authorize ESG-CV funds to be used for the following hotel or motel costs for individuals and families experiencing homelessness, receiving rapid re-housing assistance under the Continuum of Care (CoC) or ESG programs, receiving homelessness prevention under the ESG program, or residing in permanent supportive housing: The recipient or subrecipient may pay for a hotel or motel room directly or through a hotel or motel voucher. Additionally, funds can be used to pay for cleaning of hotel and motel rooms used by program participants as well as to repair damages caused by program participants above normal wear and tear of the room. These flexibilities are provided to allow recipients to secure hotel and motel rooms more quickly to be available when needed to prevent the spread of coronavirus (for example, when a program participant needs to isolate to keep from spreading the virus to other shelter occupants or household members). c) Helping current ESG program participants maintain housing- In order to ensure current program participants receiving homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing assistance do not lose their housing during the coronavirus public health crisis and the subsequent economic downturn caused by the crisis, the requirements in 24 CFR 576.105(c) and 576.106(a) are waived and alternative requirements are established as follows: i) The requirement at 24 CFR 576.105(c) limiting the total period of time for which any program participant may receive the services under paragraph (b) to 24 months during any 3-year period is waived solely for those program participants who reach their 24-month maximum assistance during the period beginning on the presumed start of this crisis, January 21, 2020 – the date the first confirmed case was reported in the United States, and ending 6 months from the date of publication of this Notice, provided that the services are only extended for these program participants for up to a maximum of an additional 6 months; and ii) The requirement at 24 CFR 576.106(a) limiting the total number of months a program participant can receive rental assistance to 24 months in a 3-year period is waived solely for those program participants who reach their 24-month maximum during the period beginning on the presumed Exhibit D.1- ESG Program, Standards, and Policies (Revised 09/16/2022) Page 7 of 21 start of this crisis, January 21, 2020 – the date the first confirmed case was reported in the United States, and ending 6 months from the date of publication of this Notice, provided that the rental assistance is only extended for these program participants for up to a maximum of an additional 6 months. d) HMIS Lead Activities- The limitations on eligible activities provided in section 415(a) of the McKinney- Vento Act and 24 CFR Part 576, subpart B are waived to the extent necessary to authorize ESG funds to be used under 24 CFR 576.107 to pay for HMIS costs beyond where they are related to collecting data on ESG program participants and ESG program activities to the extent they are necessary to help the geographic area prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. Additionally, 24 CFR 576.107 that limits recipients to paying for the costs at 24 CFR 576.107(b) is waived to allow recipients that are not the HMIS Lead, as designated by the Continuum of Care, to pay for costs at 24 CFR 576.107(b), either directly or by sub-granting to the HMIS Lead if the HMIS Lead is an eligible subrecipient to the extent that the HMIS costs are necessary to help the geographic area prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. This waiver and these alternative requirements provide additional flexibility beyond the waiver made available to the ESG Program on March 31, 2020 and extended to ESG-CV funds on May 22, 2020 by permitting ESG recipients who are not also HMIS Leads to pay for the costs eligible at 24 CFR 576.107(b) and lifting the 6-month limit on the waiver so that this flexibility applies throughout the period the recipient or subrecipient uses funds to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. Additionally, this waiver provides additional flexibility for ESG funds to be used on HMIS costs even when they are not related to ESG program participants or ESG activities when necessary to collect and report better data about the impact of coronavirus across the community. These flexibilities will allow communities to collect data that is necessary to coordinate and report on activities to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus among individuals and families experiencing homelessness, at risk of homelessness, and receiving homeless assistance e) Legal Services- Legal services established in 24 CFR 576.102(a)(1)(vi) and 24 CFR 576.105(b)(4) are limited to those services necessary to help program participants obtain housing or keep a program participant from losing housing where they currently reside. a) Training- As permitted by the CARES Act, ESG-CV funds may be used for training on infectious disease prevention and mitigation for staff working directly to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus among persons who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and the use of funding shall not be considered administrative costs for purposes of the 10 percent cap. In addition, the limitations on eligible activities provided in section 415(a) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and 24 CFR part 576, subpart B are waived and alternative requirements are established to the extent necessary to authorize ESG-CV funds to be used for training on infectious disease prevention and mitigation for homeless assistance providers, including those who do not receive funding through the CARES Act, to help them best prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus among persons who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. These training costs are eligible as a standalone activity and are not to be charged to an activity under 24 CFR 576.101 to 24 CFR 576.109. b) Hazard Pay- As permitted by the CARES Act, funds may be used to pay hazard pay for recipient- or subrecipient-staff working directly to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus among persons who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Examples of recipient or subrecipient staff working directly in support of coronavirus response include emergency shelter intake staff, street outreach teams, emergency shelter maintenance staff, emergency shelter security staff, staff providing essential services (e.g., outpatient health or mental health, housing navigators), and staff in proximity to persons with coronavirus or working in locations with a high likelihood of contracting coronavirus. c) Landlord Incentives- The limitations on eligible activities under section 415(a) of the McKinney-Vento Act and 24 CFR 576.105 are waived and alternative requirements are established to the extent necessary to authorize ESG-CV funds to be used under 24 CFR 576.105 to add the eligible cost of 3) Additional ESG-CV Eligible Activities: Exhibit D.1- ESG Program, Standards, and Policies (Revised 09/16/2022) Page 8 of 21 paying for landlord incentives as reasonable and necessary to obtain housing for individuals and families experiencing homelessness and at risk of homelessness. However, a recipient may not use ESG-CV funds to pay the landlord incentives set forth below in an amount that exceeds three times the rent charged for the unit. Waiving the limitation on eligible costs under housing relocation and stabilization services to pay for the costs of landlord incentives will increase the number of housing units available to people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, especially in tight rental markets and obtaining and maintaining housing is critical to preventing the spread of coronavirus and helping mitigate the economic impact of the crisis. The limitation to three times the rent charged for each unit ensures enough ESG-CV funds remain available to provide other eligible activities necessary to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Eligible landlord incentive costs include: i) Signing bonuses equal to up to 2 months of rent; ii) Security deposits equal to up to 3 months of rent; d) Paying the cost to repair damages incurred by the program participant not covered by the security deposit or that are incurred while the program participant is still residing in the unit; and, e) Paying the costs of extra cleaning or maintenance of a program participant’s unit or appliances. VIII. Client Eligibility In order to be eligible for services under the ESG program, clients must meet HUD’s definition of homelessness or at-risk of homelessness, and must meet annual income guidelines for homelessness prevention activities. 1) ESG Eligibility Documentation a) Homelessness Prevention: This program will not provide Homelessness Prevention Services. b) Rapid Re-Housing: c) Please refer to the Homeless Eligibility Form for more information on documenting homelessness for d) Sub-recipient agencies must collect the required supporting documentation requested in the Homeless Eligibility Form in order for clients to be considered eligible for services e) All eligibility and supporting documentation for Rapid Re-Housing clients must be maintained in each f) Clients will be referred to ESG programs through the Coordinated Assessment or Coordinated Entry ESG clients. client’s file process. g) CDU-Specific Client Eligibility Requirements i) Referral through Coordinated Assessment ii) HIV Positive, homeless individuals h) DACC-Specific Eligibility Requirements i) Referral through Coordinated Assessment 2) Confidentiality of Client Information a) Subrecipients must have written client confidentiality procedures in their program policies and procedures that conform to items b – d below: b) All records containing personally identifying information of any individual or family who applies for and/or receives ESG assistance must be kept secure and confidential. c) The address or location of any domestic violence project assisted under ESG shall not be made public. d) The address or location of any housing for a program participant shall not be made public. IX. Emergency Shelter Requirement: Policies and procedures for admission, diversion, referral and discharge by emergency shelters assisted under ESG, including standards regarding length of stay, if any, and safeguards to meet the safety and shelter needs of special populations. Exhibit D.1- ESG Program, Standards, and Policies (Revised 09/16/2022) Page 9 of 21  The ESG-funded emergency shelter, Austin Resource Center for the Homeless, or ARCH is currently limited to those clients in case-management, with 20 beds held open for Emergency Night Shelter for men. The ARCH provides Day Resource Center for enrolled clients. Case Management and other co-located services are provided on-site by the following local service providers. Sleeping Unit Reservation System: Of the 150 sleeping units, approximately 130 are reserved for those clients in full-time case-management with the remaining 20 held open for Emergency Night Shelter. There is no length of stay for the shelter, and in case management, the general length is 6 months with evaluation on a case by case basis. Clients are informed that if they have a reservation, but they do not arrive to check in, within a set number of days, their reserved place will be made available to other clients on the waiting list. There are also available beds in coordination with the following participating agencies: CommUnityCare Clinic, Veterans Administration (VA), and Austin/Travis County Integral Care, the local mental health authority. All these case-managed clients work with their case manager to determine a housing plan and are connected to other resources to find permanent housing. The client is informed of the grievance process, and their end date for services determined on a case by case basis. Clients are encouraged to work with Case Managers to progress towards personal goals related to obtaining/maintaining sustainable income, exploring viable housing options, and addressing self-care issues that impact progress towards self-sufficiency. Case Management services are based on a Harm Reduction philosophy and the stages in the Trans-theoretical Model of Change. Various techniques, including motivational interviewing, are effectively utilized in working with clients whose needs vary across a spectrum of vulnerability. Men’s and women’s support groups as well as anger management classes are offered through case management. ARCH clients with domestic violence concerns are offered coordination and referral to appropriate programs on a case by case basis. The following is provided in the case that a client is terminated: Written notice to the participant containing a clear statement of the reason for termination. A review of the decision, in which the participant is given the opportunity to present written or oral objections before a person other than the person (or subordinate of the person) who made or approved the termination decisions, AND Prompt written notification to the program participant. Because the ARCH is a City building, the agencies cannot deny citizens access to the shelter property on a permanent basis. X. Rapid Rehousing and Other ESG-funded Services There are no essential services funded by ESG. There are no homeless prevention services funded by ESG. Requirement: Policies and procedures for determining and prioritizing which eligible families and individuals will receive rapid re-housing assistance. All programs funded through the Emergency Solutions Grant will use Coordinated Entry for referrals for the program in order to serve the most vulnerable Rapid Rehousing clients in the community. Agency eligibility Exhibit D.1- ESG Program, Standards, and Policies (Revised 09/16/2022) Page 10 of 21 could include, for example, HIV status for the Communicable Disease Unit. All programs help clients go through the Coordinated Entry process to access appropriate referrals and community programs. Each client will be individually assessed for the amount of Rapid Rehousing using progressive engagement and housing first principles. If a client or family needs continued services and financial assistance past the initial date of entry into the program, agencies will work to address those needs until the client exits the program. Other funding sources will be used to address the other service needs of the client such as case management, housing location or financial and rental assistance as needed. Requirement: Standards for determining the type, amount and duration of housing stabilization and/or relocation services to provide a program participant, including the limits on rapid re-housing assistance. 1) All Rapid Rehousing programs will include the following components: a) Housing Stability Plan with Exit Strategy b) Progressive Engagement c) Coordination with other HUD funded programs and regular review the program’s progress towards the HUD benchmarks: i) Reducing the length of time program participants spend homeless; ii) Exiting households to permanent housing, and iii) Limiting returns to homelessness within a year of program exit. 2) Also, all RR programs will provide the following services with ESG funds or with another funding source. If the agency is not able to provide all of these services, they will work with a collaborative partner to provide them. a) Housing Location b) Financial Assistance – Rental, Deposits, Application Fees, etc. c) Housing Stability Case Management 3) Rapid Rehousing Financial Assistance Guidelines: a) ESG: i) Security Deposits are available for no more than 2 months’ rent. ii) Last Month's Rent is only paid if the last month’s rent is necessary for the participant to obtain housing, if it is paid at the same time as the security deposit and first month’s rent and does not exceed one month’s rent. iii) Utility Deposit, Payments and Arrears is paid if it is within 24 month limit, including up to 6 months of utility arrears, and if the utility account is in the name of the participant or if there is proof of responsibility, and is for eligible gas, electric, water and sewage. iv) Caps on assistance by program: (1) Downtown Austin Community Court: Financial Assistance can include up to $2300 a year in direct financial assistance for all eligible financial assistance and rental assistance funding, with a 24-month cap of $4600. (2) Contracted agencies: None beyond the regulations above. (3) Communicable Disease Unit: Does not administer financial assistance and rental assistance. v) Changes in household composition. The limits on the assistance under this section apply to the total assistance an individual receives, either as an individual or as part of a family. vi) Limit of months of assistance. No client may receive more than 24 months of assistance in a three- year period. vii) Recertification. Clients will be recertified at least every twelve months to determine ongoing eligibility as per 576.401. Recertification will assess clients to see if they do not have an annual income that exceeds 30% AMI and lack sufficient resources and support networks to retain housing without ESG assistance. b) ESG-CV: Exhibit D.1- ESG Program, Standards, and Policies (Revised 09/16/2022) Page 11 of 21 i) Same as ESG in a) above, but with the following exceptions: (1) Limit of months of assistance. No client may receive more than 12-months of financial assistance in a 24-month period. (2) Recertification- Clients will be recertified at least every twelve months to determine ongoing eligibility as per 576.401. Recertification will assess clients to see if they do not have an annual income that exceeds the Very Low-Income limit of the area, as determined by the Secretary AND lack sufficient resources and support networks to retain housing without ESG assistance. (3) Financial assistance limitations: (a) Landlord incentives are limited to three times the rent charged for each unit to ensure enough ESG-CV funds remain available to provide other eligible activities necessary to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Eligible landlord incentive costs include: (i) Signing bonuses equal to up to 2 months of rent; (ii) Security deposits equal to up to 3 months of rent; (b) Paying the cost to repair damages incurred by the program participant not covered by the security deposit or that are incurred while the program participant is still residing in the unit; and, (c) Paying the costs of extra cleaning or maintenance of a program participant’s unit or appliances. Requirement: Standards for determining what percentage or amount of rent and utilities cost each program participant must pay while receiving rapid re-housing assistance. Most clients receiving financial assistance through the Emergency Solutions Grant will have high housing barriers and will be highly vulnerable. Participants are not required to contribute a percentage of their income to rent or utilities, so there are no standards developed. Requirement: Standards for determining how long a particular program participant will be provided with rental assistance. 1) Short-term and medium-term rental assistance - rental assistance can be provided to a program participant with up to 24 months of rental assistance during any 3-year period. This assistance may be short-term rental assistance, medium-term rental assistance, payment of rental arrears, or any combination of this assistance. a) Short and Medium-Term Rental Assistance - Short-term rental assistance is assistance for up to 3 months of rent; Medium-term rental assistance is assistance for more than 3 months but not more than 24 months of rent; Rental assistance for this program will be tenant-based. i) Rental Assistance use with other subsidies. Except for a one-time payment of rental arrears on the tenant's portion of the rental payment, rental assistance cannot be provided to a program participant who is receiving tenant-based rental assistance, or living in a housing unit receiving project-based rental assistance or operating assistance, through other public sources. Rental assistance may not be provided to a program participant who has been provided with replacement housing payments under the URA during the period of time covered by the URA payments. ii) Fair Market Rent - Rental Assistance must only be provided if rent does not exceed Fair Market Rent and complies with HUD’s standard of rent reasonableness, as established under 24 CFR 982.507. iii) For purposes of calculating rent, the rent shall equal the sum of the total monthly rent for the unit, any fees required for occupancy under the lease (other than late fees and pet fees) and, if the tenant pays separately for utilities, the monthly allowance for utilities (excluding telephone) established by the public housing authority for the area in which the housing is located. Exhibit D.1- ESG Program, Standards, and Policies (Revised 09/16/2022) Page 12 of 21 iv) Rental assistance agreement. The recipient or subrecipient may make rental assistance payments only to an owner with whom the recipient or subrecipient has entered into a rental assistance agreement. The rental assistance agreement must set forth the terms under which rental assistance will be provided, including the requirements that apply under this section. The rental assistance agreement must provide that, during the term of the agreement, the owner must give the recipient or subrecipient a copy of any notice to the program participant to vacate the housing unit, or any complaint used under state or local law to commence an eviction action against the program participant. v) Late payments. The recipient or subrecipient must make timely payments to each owner in accordance with the rental assistance agreement. The rental assistance agreement must contain the same payment due date, grace period, and late payment penalty requirements as the program participant's lease. The recipient or subrecipient is solely responsible for paying late payment penalties that it incurs with non-ESG funds. vi) Lease. Each program participant receiving rental assistance must have a legally binding, written lease for the rental unit, unless the assistance is solely for rental arrears. The lease must be between the owner and the program participant. Where the assistance is solely for rental arrears, an oral agreement may be accepted in place of a written lease, if the agreement gives the program participant an enforceable leasehold interest under state law and the agreement and rent owed are sufficiently documented by the owner's financial records, rent ledgers, or canceled checks. For program participants living in housing with project-based rental assistance under paragraph (i) of this section, the lease must have an initial term of one year. 2) Tenant-based rental assistance. Rental assistance for this program will be tenant-based, and all programs will provide the minimum amount of assistance needed for client to stabilize using the principles of Progressive Engagement. a) A program participant who receives tenant-based rental assistance may select a housing unit in which to live and may move to another unit or building and continue to receive rental assistance, as long as the program participant continues to meet the program requirements. b) The recipient may require that all program participants live within a particular area for the period in which the rental assistance is provided. c) The rental assistance agreement with the owner must terminate and no further rental assistance payments under that agreement may be made if: i) The program participant moves out of the housing unit for which the program participant has a lease; ii) The lease terminates and is not renewed; or iii) The program participant becomes ineligible to receive ESG rental assistance. 3) Rental Arrears are paid if the client is assisted with one-time payment of up to 6 months of rental arrears, including any late fees on those arrears. A lease must be present in the file with the participant's name on the lease or a document of the rent payments/financial records, as well as Rent Reasonableness, Lead Based Paint and Habitability Standards forms. Where the assistance is solely for rental arrears, an oral agreement may be accepted in place of a written lease, if the agreement gives the program participant an enforceable leasehold interest under state law and the agreement and rent owed are sufficiently documented by the owner's financial records, rent ledgers, or canceled checks. For program participants living in housing with project-based rental assistance under paragraph (i) of this section, the lease must have an initial term of one year. 4) Caps on assistance by program: a) Downtown Austin Community Court: Financial Assistance can include up to a year in direct financial assistance for all eligible financial assistance and rental assistance funding. b) Contracted agencies: None beyond the regulations above. c) Communicable Disease Unit: Does not administer financial assistance and rental assistance. Exhibit D.1- ESG Program, Standards, and Policies (Revised 09/16/2022) Page 13 of 21 5) All clients will be recertified at least every twelve months to determine ongoing eligibility as per 576.401. Recertification will assess clients to see if they do not have an annual income that exceeds 30% AMI and lack sufficient resources and support networks to retain housing without ESG assistance. XI. Coordination Between Service Providers The following list gives the types of service coordination activities to be undertaken for the ESG Program: Case management, permanent supportive housing, rapid re-housing and housing location and financial assistance. Services will be coordinated between the downtown Austin Resource Center for the Homeless (ARCH), Downtown Austin Community Court, and in consultation with the local Continuum of Care as well as other service providers such as Austin Travis County Integral Care, Caritas of Austin, Salvation Army, Veterans Administration, Continuum of Care Permanent Supportive Housing programs and other appropriate federal, state and local service providers. Agency Case Management/Supportive Services Permanent Supportive Housing Rapid Rehousing/Housing Location Direct Financial Assistance Caritas of Austin with CoC and City funding Downtown Community Court Public Health Communicable Disease Unit Other Continuum of Care Programs City-funded Social Service Agencies X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Exhibit D.1- ESG Program, Standards, and Policies (Revised 09/16/2022) Page 14 of 21 ESG Rapid Rehousing Program Design: All ESG Programs will have all components or coordinate with other funding sources or entities so that all needs of the Rapid Rehousing clients will be adequately addressed. RR Agency Rental Assistance Housing Location Direct Financial Assistance CDU/DACC ESG DACC ESG DACC ESG DACC DACC ESG DACC ESG Case Management/Supportive Services CDU DACC Communicable Disease Unit (CDU) Downtown Austin Community Court XII. Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Organizations receiving funding from the City of Austin for homelessness prevention and homeless intervention services are required to utilize the Local Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) to track and report client information for individuals who are at risk of homelessness or who are homeless. A high level of data quality is required. All ESG-funded programs will also be working with the community’s Coordinated Entry process. ESG Specific Requirements Include: 1) Entering client data into HMIS as per the guidelines outlined in an agreement with ECHO HMIS and under the requirements of the Austin/Travis County HMIS Data Quality Assurance Plan. 2) ESG-funded programs will participate in the centralized or coordinated assessment system in HMIS, as required under § 576.400(d). 3) The ESG Rapid Rehousing program will accept referrals through Coordinated Entry. 4) Utilizing the ESG eligibility form to determine homeless eligibility. 5) Demographic data collected in the ESG Demographic Form 6) HUD 40118 form or other required form required for Emergency Solutions Grants 7) Submission of HUD reporting information for the Consolidated Plan, Action Plan and Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER). 8) Participation in community homeless coordination and planning. 9) Other HMIS Requirements: Organizations receiving funding from the City of Austin for homelessness prevention and homeless intervention services are required to utilize HMIS to track and report client information for individuals who are at risk of homelessness or who are homeless. A high level of data quality is required. The Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO) currently serves as the local HMIS administrator. SECTION 2: ESG POLICIES AND PROCEDURES Management and operation of approved projects is the responsibility of the Subrecipient. The Subrecipient is the entity that will receive the City contract. Therefore, the subrecipient has the overall responsibility of the project’s successful completion. Exhibit D.1- ESG Program, Standards, and Policies (Revised 09/16/2022) Page 15 of 21 I. Grant Subaward Process At its discretion, the City may use a competitive Request for Application and comprehensive review process to award ESG funding to providers of services to homeless persons and persons at-risk of homelessness. Activities will be consistent with the City’s Consolidated Plan, in compliance with local, state, and Federal requirements and the governing regulations for use of ESG funds, and in conformance with program standards. The City will enter into written agreements with selected Subrecipients and will work with Subrecipients to ensure that project costs are reasonable, appropriate, and necessary to accomplish the goals and objectives of the City’s overall ESG Program. The subrecipient must be able to clearly demonstrate the benefits to be derived by the services provided to homeless individuals, and to low-to-moderate income families. Performance measures will be established in the contract. All ESG award decisions of the City are final. II. Contracting Subrecipients must enter into a written contract with the City for performance of the project activities. Once a contract is signed, the subrecipient will be held to all agreements therein. 1) Members of the Subrecipient organization, volunteers, residents, or subcontractors hired by the organization may carry out activities. Subrecipients must enter into a written contract with the subcontractors carrying out all or any part of an ESG project. All subcontractors must comply with the City and Federal procurement and contracting requirements. 2) All contracts are severable and may be canceled by the City for convenience. Project funding is subject to the availability of ESG funds and, if applicable, City Council approval. 3) Amendments - Any amendments to a contract must be mutually agreed upon by the Subrecipient and the City, in writing. Amendment requests initiated by the Subrecipient must clearly state the effective date of the amendment, in writing. Austin Public Health (APH) staff will determine if an amendment request is allowable. APH reserves the right to initiate amendments to the contract. 4) Liability - Subrecipients shall forward Certificates of Insurance to the Austin Public Health Department within 30 calendar days after notification of the award, unless otherwise specified. The City’s Risk Management Department will review and approve the liability insurance requirements for each contract. Subrecipients must maintain current insurance coverage throughout the entire contract period, as well as for any subsequent amendments or contract extensions. III. Internal Controls Subrecipients must have policies and procedures in place to protect assets, create accurate and reliable financial reporting, maintain compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, and ensure that agency operations are effective and efficient. These Internal Controls should include, but are not limited to: 1) Information and documents required through the standard City Boilerplate a) Business continuity/risk management plans b) Conflict of interest policy c) Whistleblower policy d) Financial management policy 2) Staff and Program evaluations 3) Maintaining annual income and expense budget reports to compare expected spending and revenue with actual spending and revenue Information Technology controls 4) 5) Written job descriptions to clearly define roles within the organization Exhibit D.1- ESG Program, Standards, and Policies (Revised 09/16/2022) Page 16 of 21 IV. Recordkeeping Requirements 1) Project Records- The Subrecipient must manage their contract and maintain records in accordance with City and Federal policies and must be in accordance with sound business and financial management practices, which will be determined by the City. Record retention for all ESG records, including client information, is five years after the expenditure of contract funds. 2) Client Records- The Subrecipient must maintain the following types of client records to show evidence of services provided under the ESG program: a) Client Eligibility records, including documentation of Homelessness, or At-Risk of Homelessness plus income eligibility and support documentation. b) For Rapid Rehousing client files, a copy of the ESG Rapid Rehousing Client File Review checklist and Rapid Rehousing Financial Assistance Checklist should be placed at the beginning of the file and peer reviewed before any financial assistance is provided c) Documentation of Continuum of Care centralized or coordinated assessment (for client intake) d) Financial Assistance backup documentation required for each type of assistance outlined in the previous sections. i) Rental assistance agreements and payments ii) security deposits iii) all backup documentation required for each type of assistance 3) Housing Financial Assistance - for eligible clients, financial assistance may be allocated for eligible expenses with the following requirements and limitations: a) Rental application fees. b) Security deposits. Equal to no more than 2 months' rent. c) Last month's rent. If necessary to obtain housing for a program participant, the last month's rent may be paid from ESG funds to the owner of that housing at the time the owner is paid the security deposit and the first month's rent. This assistance must not exceed one month's rent and must be included in calculating the program participant's total rental assistance, which cannot exceed 24 months during any 3-year period. d) Utility deposits. e) Utility payments. Up to 24 months of utility payments per program participant, per service, including up to 6 months of utility payments in arrears, per service. A partial payment of a utility bill counts as one month. This assistance may only be provided if the program participant or a member of the same household has an account in his or her name with a utility company or proof of responsibility to make utility payments. Eligible utility services are gas, electric, water, and sewage. No program participant shall receive more than 24 months of utility assistance within any 3-year period. f) Financial assistance cannot be provided to a program participant who is receiving the same type of assistance through other public sources. g) Short-Term and Medium-Term Rental Assistance. Up to 24 months of rental assistance during any 3- year period. This assistance may be short-term rental assistance, medium-term rental assistance, payment of rental arrears, or any combination of this assistance. i) Short-term rental assistance is assistance for up to 3 months of rent. ii) Medium-term rental assistance is assistance for more than 3 months but not more than 24 months of rent. iii) Payment of rental arrears consists of a one-time payment for up to 6 months of rent in arrears, including any late fees on those arrears. iv) Rental assistance may be tenant-based or project-based 4) Rent Restrictions. Exhibit D.1- ESG Program, Standards, and Policies (Revised 09/16/2022) Page 17 of 21 a) Rental assistance cannot be provided unless the rent does not exceed the Fair Market Rent (FMR) established by HUD, as provided under 24 CFR part 888, and complies with HUD's standard of rent reasonableness, as established under 24 CFR 982.507. b) For purposes of calculating rent under this section, the rent shall equal the sum of the total monthly rent for the unit, any fees required for occupancy under the lease (other than late fees and pet fees) and, if the tenant pays separately for utilities, the monthly allowance for utilities (excluding telephone) established by the public housing authority for the area in which the housing is located. c) Rental assistance agreement must state that rental assistance payments will be made only to a landlord or owner with whom the subrecipient has entered into a rental assistance agreement. The rental assistance agreement must set forth the terms under which rental assistance will be provided, including the requirements that apply under this section. The rental assistance agreement must provide that, during the term of the agreement, the landlord/owner must give the agency a copy of any notice to the program participant to vacate the housing unit, or any complaint used under state or local law to commence an eviction action against the program participant. d) Late payments. Subrecipients must make timely payments to each landlord/owner in accordance with the rental assistance agreement. The rental assistance agreement must contain the same payment due date, grace period, and late payment penalty requirements as the program participant's lease. The recipient or sub-recipient is solely responsible for paying late payment penalties that it incurs with non-ESG funds. e) Lease. Each program participant receiving rental assistance must have a legally binding, written lease for the rental unit, unless the assistance is solely for rental arrears. The lease must be between the landlord/owner and the program participant. Where the assistance is solely for rental arrears, an oral agreement may be accepted in place of a written lease, if the agreement gives the program participant an enforceable leasehold interest under state law and the agreement and rent owed are sufficiently documented by the owner's financial records, rent ledgers, or canceled checks. For program participants living in housing with project-based rental assistance, the lease must have an initial term of one year. 5) All City of Austin ESG-funded Rapid Re-Housing programs will include the following components: a) Housing Stability Plan with Exit Strategy b) Progressive Engagement c) Coordination with other HUD-funded programs and regular review the program’s progress towards the HUD benchmarks: d) Reducing the length of time program participants spend homeless; e) Exiting households to permanent housing, and f) Limiting returns to homelessness within a year of program exit. 6) All of the below items must be completed and checked “Yes” before financial assistance can be provided: a) Forms Required: i) Required for housing location, housing stability case management, financial assistance, rental assistance (1) Habitability Standards (2) Lead Hazard Standards (3) Rent-Reasonableness (4) Peer Reviewed ESG Rapid Rehousing Client File Review ii) Required for rental assistance – arrears and ongoing rent (in addition to the above forms) (1) Lease in client’s name or a document of the rent payments/financial records (2) Fair market rent calculation (3) Landlord Rental Agreement Exhibit D.1- ESG Program, Standards, and Policies (Revised 09/16/2022) Page 18 of 21 V. Reporting Requirements 1) Monthly Claims Requests - must be submitted within fifteen (15) calendar days after the reporting month’s end with backup uploaded to the City’s online contract management system, PartnerGrants, which identify the allowable expenditures incurred under this contract. The backup should be uploaded with the Claims request and should include: a) Contracted agencies: General Ledger b) City Agreements: Grant Cost Report grant costs with appropriate backup from the Digital Express Reports (DXR) c) Rapid Rehousing Financial Assistance programs: backup documentation for all direct financial assistance including a Rapid Rehousing Financial Assistance Checklist to verify that all required forms and steps were completed before releasing financial assistance to clients. d) Current Month Matching Funds: i) ESG- Statement must be submitted monthly in the City’s online contract management system, PartnerGrants, along with the monthly Claims report. The contractor is required to expend and document Matching Funds against payments to be received under this Agreement. The Claim cannot be approved unless the Matching Funds statement is included. ii) ESG-CV has no matching fund requirement e) All monthly claims reports must include a copy of the HMIS Universal Data Elements quality report for the month requested with an overall grade for compliance of 96% or higher for all data – if data quality reports fall below minimum standards, payments may be withheld until reports improve to a grade for compliance of 96% or higher 2) Quarterly Reporting a) Quarterly performance reports shall be submitted, in a format prescribed by the City, by the 15th calendar day of the month after the quarter end, which identify the activities accomplished under this contract. b) Other performance metrics may be required to align with HUD system-wide performance measures. c) ESG Demographic Report must be submitted within fifteen (15) calendar days after the end of the preceding quarter. The data from this report should be able to be extracted from HMIS. Sections 4-8 and 10 must be completed by all ESG programs that serve clients. d) Quarterly Claims Review – Quarterly, one Claim will be reviewed for complete documentation including but not limited to: i) Timesheets ii) Check stubs, copies of checks iii) Client File Checklists iv) Peer Reviewed Rapid Rehousing Client File Review Form showing that the required documentation for clients served were collected in the correct order v) Client file documentation of eligibility and appropriate housing documentation vi) If issues are found with the quarterly reviews, or if HUD deems it necessary, the Claims Review process will be conducted monthly rather than quarterly 3) Annual Close-Out Reporting a) The Federal ESG program year ends on September 30th. At completion of all activities, a Contract Closeout Report must be submitted within 30 days of the end of the contract. The subrecipient is required to supply such information, in such form and format as the City and HUD may require. All records and reports must be made available to any authorized City representative upon request and without prior notice. b) For contracts that contain renewal/extension options, an Annual Progress Report shall be completed using the City’s online contract management system by the Grantee and submitted to the City within 60 calendar days following the end of each Program Period identified in Section 4.1.2 of the Contract boilerplate. Exhibit D.1- ESG Program, Standards, and Policies (Revised 09/16/2022) Page 19 of 21 c) For those Agreements that are ending, a Closeout Report shall be completed by the Grantee through the City’s online contract management system and submitted to the City within 30 calendar days following the expiration or termination of this Agreement. Any encumbrances of funds incurred prior to the date of termination of this Agreement shall be subject to verification by the City. Upon termination of this Agreement, any unused funds, unobligated funds, rebates, credits, or interest earned on funds received under this Agreement shall be returned to the City. d) The Closeout Report must contain all information that the City requires during the normal Contract Close-Out Report or, if the Contract is ongoing but the Program Period had ended, all of the information the City requires for their Contract Progress Report. e) All ESG Subrecipients must use HMIS to report on clients served by the ESG program. f) All ESG programs are required to submit end of year reporting according to HUD requirements. This may include: i) ii) Running and submitting an HMIS report to the HUD database, SAGE. Providing reports in PartnerGrants earlier than the normal fourth quarter deadline VI. Program Limitations 1) ESG Administration costs are limited to 7.5% of the total ESG allocation. 2) ESG Street Outreach and Emergency Shelter costs are limited to the greater of: 60% of the City’s 2011-12 ESG grant -or- the amount committed to emergency shelter for the City’s 2010-11 ESG allocation. 3) Program Income a) ESG - Income derived from any ESG activity must be recorded and reported to APH as program income. Such income may not be retained or disbursed by the subrecipient without written approval from APH and is subject to the same controls and conditions as the Subrecipient’s grant allocation. b) ESG-CV Program Income- Because ESG-CV program income cannot be used as match without the ESG matching requirement, HUD is waiving the ESG provisions for program income under 24 CFR 576.2 and 576.407(c)(1) and establishing alternative requirements, as follows: i) Program income is defined as provided by 2 CFR 200.80, except that: (1) Program income includes any amount of a security or utility deposit returned to the recipient or subrecipient, as provided by 24 CFR 576.2; and (2) Costs that are incidental to generating program income and not charged to the ESG-CV grant or subgrant may be deducted from gross income to determine program income, as allowed under 2 CFR 200.307(b). c) As allowed under 2 CFR 200.307(e), program income may be treated as an addition to recipient’s grant (or the subrecipient’s subgrant, if the income is generated by the subrecipient’s activities), provided that the program income is used in accordance with the purposes and conditions of that grant or subgrant. Program income otherwise must be deducted from allowable costs as provided by 2 CFR 200.307(e)(1). 4) ESG funds may not be used for lobbying or for any activities designed to influence legislation at any government level. 5) A church or religious affiliated organization must show secularism when submitting an ESG application. 6) Any ESG funds that are unallocated after the funding cycle will be reprogrammed by APH. Contracts that show three (3) consecutive months of inactivity (as documented by monthly reports or non-submission of required reports) will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and may be irrevocably canceled. VII. Performance Standards ESG-funded programs will report into HMIS and have a high level of data quality specified in Section XII. Homeless Management Information Systems. HMIS data quality is reviewed quarterly by City staff. All data quality is reviewed by the ECHO HMIS Administrator. Exhibit D.1- ESG Program, Standards, and Policies (Revised 09/16/2022) Page 20 of 21 Performance measures will be reviewed quarterly by the City of Austin, Austin Public Health Department. Measures will also be reviewed annually by the local Continuum of Care decision-making body, ECHO, during the annual Consolidated Evaluation and Performance Report process. VIII. Termination Procedures The following is provided in the case that a client is terminated: 1) Written notice to the participant containing a clear statement of the reason for termination. 2) A review of the decision, in which the participant is given the opportunity to present written or oral objections before a person other than the person (or subordinate of the person) who made or approved the termination decisions, AND 3) Prompt written notification to the program participant. Accessibility In order to demonstrate compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 requirements, the following statements must be added to all public notices, advertisements, program applications, program guidelines, program information brochures or packages, and any other material containing general information that is made available to participants, beneficiaries, applicants, or employees: __________________________ (insert the name of your organization) as a subrecipient of the City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Please call _______________ (insert your organization’s phone number) (voice) or Relay Texas at 1-800-735-2989 (TDD) for assistance. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- __________________________ (insert the name of your organization) como un subreceptor de la Ciudad de Austin se compromete a cumplir con el Acta de Americanos con Discapacidades. Con solo solicitarlo se proveerán modificaciónes e igual acceso a comunicaciónes. Para información, favor de llamar a ________ (insert your organization’s phone number) (voz) o Relay Texas 1-800-735-2989 (TDD) para asistencia. Exhibit D.1- ESG Program, Standards, and Policies (Revised 09/16/2022) Page 21 of 21 Attachment II C: Monitoring Plan MONITORING PLAN The goal of the City of Austin’s monitoring process is to assess subrecipient/contractor performance in the areas of program, financial and administrative compliance with applicable federal, state and municipal regulations and current program guidelines. Under this plan, select programs and project activities are monitored through one or more of the following components. The City of Austin’s monitoring plan consists of active contract monitoring and long-term monitoring for closed projects. Active Contract Monitoring Prior to executing any agreement or obligation, monitoring takes the form of a compliance review. Verification is obtained to ensure that the proposed activity to be funded has received the proper authorization through venues such as the annual Action Plan, environmental review and fund release, and identification in the Integrated Disbursement & Information System (IDIS). A contract begins with written program guidelines, documentation and tracking mechanisms that will be used to demonstrate compliance with applicable federal, state and local requirements. For activities implemented through external programs or third-party contracts with non-profit, for-profit and community-based organizations, a solicitation may be required in the form of a comprehensive Notice of Fund Availability (NOFA) or Request for Proposals (RFP) which details performance, financial and regulatory responsibilities. Prior to entering into any agreement or to the 1. Compliance Review prior to obligation of funds. ​ obligation of entitlement funds, the City conducts a compliance review to verify that the program activity has been duly authorized. The compliance review consists of verifying and documenting: ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ The program activity has been approved as part of the Action Plan for the specified funding source and year; The availability of applicable funds for the specific activity; The activity has received environmental review and determination and fund release, as applicable; The service provider is not listed in the System for Award Management (SAM); The activity has been set up and identified in IDIS; The scope of work defined in the contract has adequately addressed performance, financial and tracking responsibilities necessary to report and document accomplishments; and The service provider has the required insurance in place. After this information has been verified and documented, staff may proceed in obtaining authorization and utilization of entitlement funds for the activity. 2. Desk Review. ​ Before processing an invoice for payment, staff reviews the invoice to verify that the item or service is an eligible expense and it is part of the contract budget. Staff also reviews ​ensure that the performance reports and supporting documentation submitted with the invoice to contractor is performing in accordance with the terms of the contract and the scope of work. This level of monitoring is performed on an ongoing basis throughout the duration of the contract.  3. Records Audit. ​ A records audit includes a review of all file documents as needed. A file checklist is used to determine if the required documents are present. Through the review of performance reports and other documentation submitted by the contractor, staff is able to identify areas of concern and facilitate corrections and/or improvements. Should problems be identified, a contractor or recipient of funds may then be provided technical assistance as necessary to reach a resolution. 4. Selected On-Site Monitoring. ​ A risk assessment is conducted internally and is used to determine the priority of site reviews to be conducted. Based on the results of the risk assessment, a selected number of projects may be subject to an on-site review. The performance of contractors is reviewed for compliance with the program guidelines and the terms and conditions of the contract. In particular, staff verifies program administration and regulatory compliance in the following areas: ∙ meeting a national objective, conducting eligible activities, achieving Performance ( e.g. ​ contract objectives, performing scope of work activities, maintaining contract schedule, abiding by the contract budget); ∙ Record keeping; ∙ Reporting practices; and ∙ Compliance with applicable anti-discrimination regulations. There will be follow-up, as necessary, to verify regulatory and program administration compliance has been achieved. 5. Failure to resolve identified problems. If no resolution of identified problems occurs or the contractor fails to perform in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract, the City of Austin has the authority to suspend further payments to the contractor or recipient of funds until such time that issues have been satisfactorily resolved. 6. Contract Closeout. Once a project activity has been completed and all eligible project funds expended, the staff will require the contractor to submit a project closeout package. The contract closeout will provide documentation to confirm whether the contractor was successful in completing all performance and financial objectives of the contract. Staff will review and ask the contractor, if necessary, to reconcile any conflicting information previously submitted. The project closeout will constitute the final report for the project. Successful completion of a project means that all project activities, requirements, and responsibilities of the contractor have been adequately addressed and completed. Long-term Monitoring Acceptance of funds from the Housing Department Office of the City of Austin, or its sub- recipient Austin Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) obligates beneficiaries/borrowers to adhere to conditions for the term of the affordability period. The Housing Department is responsible for the compliance oversight and enforcement of long- or extended-term projects and financial obligations created through City- sponsored or -funded housing and community development projects. In this capacity, the Housing Department performs the following long-term monitoring duties: ​ ​ ​ ∙ ∙ ∙ Performs compliance monitoring in accordance with regulatory requirements specified in the agreement; ∙ Reviews and verifies required information and documentation submitted by borrowers for compliance with applicable legal obligations and/or regulatory requirements; Enforces and takes corrective action with nonperforming loans and/or projects deemed to be out of compliance in accordance with legal and/or regulatory terms and conditions; and If the beneficiary has been uncooperative, non-responsive, or unwilling to cure the existing default by all reasonable means, staff will discuss with management and will refer the loan to the City Attorney for review, with a recommendation for judgment and/or foreclosure. The first step in the monitoring process includes the development of a risk assessment that is essential in guiding the monitoring efforts of the department. Based on the results of the risk assessment, additional projects may be monitored. Monitoring may be in the form of a desk review, on-site visit, or Uniform Physical Conditions Standards (UPCS) inspection. Technical assistance is available to assist beneficiaries/ borrowers in understanding any aspect of the contractual obligation so that performance goals are met with minimal deficiencies. Attachment II D: Relocation Policy - Pending Attachment II E: HOME Sale Price Information - Pending Attachment II F: Funding & Production Summary Table CITY OF AUSTIN CONSOLIDATED PLAN 2025‐2029 May 2, 2024 DRAFT Program / Activity  New Funding   Services   New Funding   Services   New Funding   Services   New Funding   Services   New Funding   Services   New Funding   Services  Funding                  Source  FY 2024‐25 Plan   FY 2025‐26 Plan   FY 2026‐27 Plan   FY 2027‐28 Plan   FY 2028‐29 Plan   Total of ConPlan Yrs.  Subtotal, Special Needs Assistance        3,774,631       1,074        3,774,631       1,069        3,774,631       1,064        3,774,631       1,059        3,774,631       1,054       18,873,155       5,320 CDBG GF CDBG GF CDBG GF HOPWA HOPWA HOPWA HOPWA HOPWA HOME GF HESG HESG HESG HESG SPECIAL NEEDS ASSISTANCE Child Care Services Subtotal, Child Care Services Senior Services Subtotal, Senior Services Mental Health Services Subtotal, Mental Health Services Subtotal, Public Services Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS AIDS Services of Austin Project Transitions Integral Care ATCIC ASHwell HOPWA ‐ Adm Subtotal, Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS HOMELESS ASSISTANCE Tenant‐Based Rental Assistance Subtotal, TBRA HEARTH Emergency Solutions Grant Shelter Operation and Maintenance HMIS Rapid Rehousing Programs ESG ‐ Adm Subtotal, HEARTH Emergency Solutions Grant Subtotal, Homeless Assistance HOMEBUYER ASSISTANCE Down Payment Assistance Subtotal, Down Payment Assistance Subtotal, Homebuyer Assistance HOMEOWNER ASSISTANCE Architectural Barrier Removal ‐ Owner  Minor Home Repair Homeowner Rehabilitation Loan Program   779,122                                    ‐ 779,122            129,052                                    ‐ 129,052            196,179                                    ‐ 196,179            1,104,353         289                         ‐ 289          170                         ‐ 170          159                         ‐ 159          618          779,122                                    ‐ 779,122            129,052                                    ‐ 129,052            196,179                                    ‐ 196,179            1,104,353         289                         ‐ 289          165                         ‐ 165          159                         ‐ 159          613          779,122                                    ‐ 779,122            129,052                                    ‐ 129,052            196,179                                    ‐ 196,179            1,104,353         289                         ‐ 289          160                         ‐ 160          159                         ‐ 159          608          779,122                                    ‐ 779,122            129,052                                    ‐ 129,052            196,179                                    ‐ 196,179            1,104,353         289                         ‐ 289          155                         ‐ 155          159                         ‐ 159          603          779,122                                    ‐ 779,122            129,052                                    ‐ 129,052            196,179                                    ‐ 196,179            1,104,353         289                         ‐ 289          150                         ‐ 150          159                         ‐ 159          598          3,895,610                                   ‐ 3,895,610          645,260                                      ‐ 645,260             980,895                                      ‐ 980,895             5,521,765          1,445                      ‐ 1,445       800                         ‐ 800          795                         ‐ 795          3,040                                                                    1,018,881 1,358,508 153,203 59,578 80,108 2,670,278                                              280 88 70 18          456                                                              1,018,881 1,358,508 153,203 59,578 80,108 2,670,278                                              280 88 70 18          456                                                              1,018,881 1,358,508 153,203 59,578 80,108 2,670,278                                              280 88 70 18          456                                                              1,018,881 1,358,508 153,203 59,578 80,108 2,670,278                                              280 88 70 18          456                                                              1,018,881 1,358,508 153,203 59,578 80,108 2,670,278                                              280 88 70 18          456                                                              5,094,405 6,792,540 766,015 297,890 400,540 13,351,390 1,400       440          350          90                            ‐ 2,280       1,500,000                                 ‐ 1,500,000                        ‐                ‐                ‐ 1,500,000                                 ‐ 1,500,000                        ‐                ‐                ‐ 1,500,000                                 ‐ 1,500,000                        ‐                ‐                ‐ 1,500,000                                 ‐ 1,500,000                        ‐                ‐                ‐ 1,500,000                                 ‐ 1,500,000                        ‐                ‐                ‐ 7,500,000                                   ‐ 7,500,000          ‐                               ‐                ‐                                                            313,922 22,000 291,274 31,000 658,196          375          108          483                                                            313,922 22,000 291,274 31,000 658,196          375          108          483                                                            313,922 22,000 291,274 31,000 658,196          375          108          483                                                            313,922 22,000 291,274 31,000 658,196          375          108          483                                                            313,922 22,000 291,274 31,000 658,196          375          108          483                                                    1,569,610 110,000 1,456,370 155,000 3,290,980 1,875                      ‐ 540                         ‐ 2,415              2,158,196          483        2,158,196          483        2,158,196          483        2,158,196          483        2,158,196          483       10,790,980       2,415 HOME HOME ‐ PI                            1,021,402 400,000 1,421,402 25                            ‐ 25                                        1,021,402 200,000 1,221,402 25                            ‐ 25                                        1,021,402 100,000 1,121,402 25                            ‐ 25             1,021,402                                 ‐ 1,021,402         25                            ‐ 25             1,021,402                                 ‐ 1,021,402         25                            ‐ 25                                           5,107,010 700,000 5,807,010 125                         ‐ 125                 1,421,402            25        1,221,402            25        1,121,402            25        1,021,402            25        1,021,402            25         5,807,010          125 CDBG CDBG HOME ‐ PI CDBG         1,260,332             63         1,260,332             63         1,260,332             63         1,260,332             63         1,260,332             63          6,301,660          315            644,853             85            644,853             85            644,853             85            644,853             85            644,853             85          3,224,265          425                       200,000 380,345                ‐ 8                                     100,000 380,345                ‐ 8                                       50,000 380,345                ‐ 8                                       ‐ 380,345                           ‐ 8                                       ‐ 380,345                           ‐ 8                                    350,000 1,901,725                ‐ 40             1 of 3 Program / Activity Subtotal, Homeowner Rehab Subtotal, Homeowner Assistance HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE Rental Housing Development Assistance Subtotal, Rental Housing Dev Assist Ownership Housing Development Assistance Subtotal, Ownership Housing Dev Assistance OTHER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE CHDO Operating Expenses Grants Infrastructure Development Family Business Loan Program DEBT SERVICE Subtotal, Debt Service ADMINISTRATION Subtotal, Administration CITY OF AUSTIN CONSOLIDATED PLAN 2025‐2029 May 2, 2024 DRAFT Funding                  Source CDBG ‐ RL  FY 2024‐25 Plan   FY 2025‐26 Plan   FY 2026‐27 Plan   FY 2027‐28 Plan   FY 2028‐29 Plan   Total of ConPlan Yrs.   New Funding  40,000              620,345             Services                 ‐ 8                New Funding  40,000              520,345             Services                 ‐ 8                New Funding  40,000              470,345             Services                 ‐ 8                New Funding  40,000              420,345             Services                 ‐ 8                New Funding  40,000              420,345             Services                 ‐ 8                New Funding  200,000             2,451,725           Services                 ‐ 40                    2,525,530          156        2,425,530          156        2,375,530          156        2,325,530          156        2,325,530          156       11,977,650          780 CDBG HOME HOME ‐ PI HOME (CHDO) GO Bonds HTF HPD UNO CDBG CDBG ‐ RL HOME HTF GO Bonds HOME (CHDO) ‐                                                 ‐ 200,000            270,140                                    ‐ ‐                         ‐                                                 ‐ 470,140                                    ‐ 55,000              ‐                         ‐                                                 ‐ 270,140            325,140                           ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                         ‐                         ‐ 200,000            270,140                                    ‐                         ‐                         ‐                         ‐ 470,140                                    ‐ 55,000                                      ‐                         ‐                         ‐ 270,140            325,140            ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                               ‐ ‐                               ‐                ‐ ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                               ‐                         ‐                         ‐ 200,000            270,140                                    ‐                         ‐                         ‐                         ‐ 470,140                                    ‐ 55,000                                      ‐                         ‐                         ‐ 270,140            325,140                           ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                         ‐                         ‐ 200,000            270,140                                    ‐                         ‐                         ‐                         ‐ 470,140                                    ‐ 55,000                                      ‐                         ‐                         ‐ 270,140            325,140                           ‐ ‐                ‐                               ‐                ‐                ‐ ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                               ‐                         ‐                         ‐ 200,000            270,140                                    ‐                         ‐                         ‐                         ‐ 470,140                                    ‐ 55,000                                      ‐                         ‐                         ‐ 270,140            325,140                           ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐ ‐                                                   ‐ 1,000,000          1,350,700                                   ‐ ‐                          ‐                                                   ‐ 2,350,700                                   ‐ 275,000             ‐                          ‐                                                   ‐ 1,350,700          1,625,700          ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                               ‐ ‐                ‐                ‐                               ‐ ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                               ‐ Subtotal, Housing Developer Assistance            795,280                ‐            795,280                ‐            795,280                ‐            795,280                ‐            795,280                ‐         3,976,400                ‐ HOME (CO)            180,000 2                          180,000 2                          180,000 2                          180,000 2                          180,000 2                           900,000             10 CDBG         2,500,000         2,500,000         2,500,000         2,500,000         2,500,000        12,500,000                ‐ Section 108 Section 108 ‐ PI                      1,750,000 73,526 50                            ‐                      1,750,000 73,526 50                            ‐                         ‐                         ‐                ‐                ‐                         ‐                         ‐ ‐                               ‐                         ‐                         ‐                ‐                ‐                      3,500,000 147,052 100                         ‐ Subtotal, Other Community Development Assistance        4,503,526            52        4,503,526            52        2,680,000               2        2,680,000               2        2,680,000               2       17,047,052          110 Neighborhood Commercial Mgmt., Debt Service Section 108 ‐ PI                         ‐                ‐                ‐                         ‐                ‐                         ‐                ‐                         ‐                ‐                          ‐                ‐ ‐                         .                         ‐                ‐                         ‐                ‐                         ‐                ‐                         ‐                ‐                         ‐                ‐                          ‐                ‐ CDBG CDBG ‐ PI HOME HOME ‐ PI GF 1,472,471                                 ‐ 360,187            ‐                                                 ‐        1,832,658                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐ 1,472,471                                 ‐ 360,187                                    ‐                         ‐        1,832,658 ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                               ‐ 1,472,471                                 ‐ 360,187                                    ‐                         ‐        1,832,658                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐ 1,472,471                                 ‐ 360,187                                    ‐                         ‐        1,832,658 ‐                ‐                ‐                               ‐ ‐                               ‐ 1,472,471                                 ‐ 360,187                                    ‐                         ‐        1,832,658                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐ 7,362,355                                   ‐ 1,800,935          ‐                                                   ‐         9,163,290 ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                               ‐ TOTAL Programs, Debt Service, and Admin Cost       17,011,223       1,790      16,711,223       1,785      14,737,697       1,730      14,587,697       1,725      14,587,697       1,720       77,635,537       8,750 2 of 3 Program / Activity  New Funding   Services   New Funding   Services   New Funding   Services   New Funding   Services   New Funding   Services   New Funding   Services   FY 2024‐25 Plan   FY 2025‐26 Plan   FY 2026‐27 Plan   FY 2027‐28 Plan   FY 2028‐29 Plan   Total of ConPlan Yrs.  CITY OF AUSTIN CONSOLIDATED PLAN 2025‐2029 May 2, 2024 DRAFT Funding                  Source FUND SUMMARIES:                   HOPWA HESG CDBG CDBG ‐ PI CDBG ‐ RL HOME HOME (CHDO) HOME (CO) HOME ‐ PI HTF Section 108 ‐ PI Section 108 GO Bonds CIP GF HPD DDDB UNO 2,670,278         658,196            7,362,354                                 ‐ 95,000              2,881,589         540,280            180,000            800,000                                    ‐ 73,526              1,750,000         ‐                         ‐                         ‐                         ‐                                                 ‐                         ‐ 456          483          774                         ‐ ‐                25                            ‐ 2                              ‐                ‐                ‐ 50                            ‐                ‐ ‐                               ‐                ‐ 2,670,278         658,196            7,362,354                                 ‐ 95,000              2,881,589         540,280            180,000            500,000                                    ‐ 73,526              1,750,000                                 ‐                         ‐                         ‐ ‐                                                 ‐                         ‐ 456          483          769          ‐                ‐                25                            ‐ 2               ‐                ‐                               ‐ 50                            ‐ ‐                ‐                               ‐                ‐ 2,670,278         658,196            7,362,354                                 ‐ 95,000              2,881,589         540,280            180,000            350,000                                    ‐                         ‐                         ‐                         ‐                         ‐                         ‐ ‐                                                 ‐                         ‐ 456          483          764                         ‐ ‐                25                            ‐ 2                              ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐ ‐                               ‐                ‐ 2,670,278         658,196            7,362,354                                 ‐ 95,000              2,881,589         540,280            180,000            200,000                                    ‐                         ‐                         ‐                         ‐                         ‐                         ‐ ‐                                                 ‐                         ‐ 456          483          759          ‐                ‐                25                            ‐ 2               ‐                ‐                               ‐ ‐                               ‐ ‐                ‐                               ‐                ‐ 2,670,278         658,196            7,362,354                                 ‐ 95,000              2,881,589         540,280            180,000            200,000                                    ‐                         ‐                         ‐                         ‐                         ‐                         ‐ ‐                                                 ‐                         ‐ 456          483          754                         ‐                ‐ 25                            ‐ 2                              ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐ ‐                               ‐                ‐ 13,351,390        3,290,980          36,811,770                                 ‐ 475,000             14,407,945        2,701,400          900,000             2,050,000                                   ‐ 147,052             3,500,000          ‐                          ‐                          ‐                          ‐                                                   ‐                          ‐ 2,280       2,415       3,820       ‐                ‐                125                         ‐ 10             ‐                ‐                               ‐ 100          ‐                ‐                ‐                ‐                               ‐                ‐ 0 Totals       17,011,223       1,790       16,711,223       1,785       14,737,697       1,730       14,587,697       1,725       14,587,697       1,720        77,635,537       8,750 3 of 3