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Set Public Hearing for the PRICE Grant Application
Copyrighted May 13, 2024 City of Dubuque Special Meeting - No Broadcast Items to be set for Public Hearing # I nfo 01. ITEM TITLE: Set Public Hearing for the PRICE Grant Application SUMMARY: City Manager recommending City Council set a public hearing on May 29th, 2024, to solicit input on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) PRI CE grant application due June 5, 2024. RESOLUTION Setting a public hearing to solicit public input for the City of Dubuque PRICE Grant Application to be submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development by June 5, 2024 SUGGESTED Receive and File; Adopt Resolution(s), Set Public Hearing for May 29, DISPOSITION: 2024Suggested Disposition: ATTACHMENTS: Description MVM Memo Staff Memo Resolution Setting Hearing and Publication Application Narrative Type City Manager Memo Staff Memo Resolutions Supporting Documentation THE CITY DUOF B TEE Masterpiece on the Mississippi TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager SUBJECT: Set Public Hearing for the PRICE Grant Application DATE: May 9, 2024 Dubuque All -America City IN 2007.2012.2013 2017*2019 Housing & Community Development Director Alexis Steger is recommending City Council set a public hearing on May 29t", 2024, to solicit input on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) PRICE grant application due June 5, 2024. The PRICE grant application for the City of Dubuque will request funding to purchase Table Mound Mobile Home Parks (2), as well as a request to purchase Terrace Heights Mobile Home Park. The land will be purchased through a Community Land Trust (CLT) that the city will help create with a non-profit partner organization and remain in the CLT. Funds are also being requested to improve water, sewer and road infrastructure within the mobile home park to alleviate the cost burden of major infrastructure to help keep lot rents affordable. Additionally, funds will be requested to rehabilitate or replace mobile homes and weatherize them within those three parks. Services, such as eviction prevention and income loss prevention, will be provided through the grant and operated by the CLT. Lot rent has more than doubled in the past five years for some of these mobile homeowners, and is quickly becoming a less affordable housing option in Dubuque. Upgrading infrastructure and maintaining the new infrastructure under a non-profit model like CLT will maintain and expand this affordable housing option in Dubuque. I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council approval. Mic ael C. Van Milligen MCVM:sv Attachment cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager Alexis Steger, Housing & Community Development Director Gus Psihoyos, City Engineer Christopher Lester, Water Department Manager Jill Connors, Economic Development Director Nicole Lytle, Grants Project Manager THE CF DUI6___B E Masterpiece on the Mississippi TO: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager FROM: Alexis M. Steger, Housing & Community Development Director DATE: May 8, 2024 RE: Set Public Hearing for the PRICE Grant Application Dubuque Alf -America City 2007-2012-2013 2017*2019 Introduction This memorandum requests the City Council set a public hearing on May 29t", 2024, to solicit input on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) PRICE grant application due June 5, 2024. Background The City of Dubuque has a large affordable housing stock in mobile home parks. These mobile home parks are privately owned and operated; therefore, lot rent is controlled by a for -profit entity. The PRICE grant provides for funding to acquire mobile home parks, improve infrastructure within the mobile home park, rehab or replace dilapidated or outdated mobile homes, for Community Land Trusts, and provide housing services to mobile homeowners/renters within the parks. Discussion The PRICE grant application for the City of Dubuque will request funding to purchase Table Mound Mobile Home Parks (2), as well as a request to purchase Terrace Heights Mobile Home Park. The land will be purchased through a Community Land Trust (CLT) that the city will help create with a non-profit partner organization and remain in the CLT. Funds are also being requested to improve water, sewer and road infrastructure within the mobile home park to alleviate the cost burden of major infrastructure to help keep lot rents affordable. Additionally, funds will be requested to rehabilitate or replace mobile homes and weatherize them within those three parks. Services, such as eviction prevention and income loss prevention, will be provided through the grant and operated by the CLT. Lot rent has more than doubled in the past five years for some of these mobile home owners, and is quickly becoming a less affordable housing option in Dubuque. Upgrading infrastructure and maintaining the new infrastructure under a non-profit model like CLT will maintain and expand this affordable housing option in Dubuque. Recommendation I respectfully request the City Council adopt the attached resolution setting a public hearing to solicit public input on the City of Dubuque PRICE application for May 29, 2024, at 5:15 p.m. Cc: Gus Psihoyos, City Engineer Christopher Lester, Water Department Manager Jill Connors, Economic Development Director Nicole Lytle, Grants Project Manager Prepared by Alexis Steger, Housing and Community Dev., 350 W 6111 Street. Suite 312 Dubuque,,lA 52001, (563) 589 4234 Return to Adrienne N. Breitfelder, City Clerk, 50 W. 1Sh St., Dubuque, 1A 52001, (563) 589-4100 RESOLUTION NO. 127-24 A RESOLUTION SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING TO SOLICIT PUBLIC INPUT FOR THE CITY OF DUBUQUE PRICE GRANT APPLICATION TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT BY JUNE 5, 2024 Whereas, the City of Dubuque has prepared a proposed application for the PRICE competitive grant application to submit to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for consideration-, and Whereas, the City desires to hold a public hearing to receive public input on the proposed PRICE grant application and the proposed project to be undertaken with grant funds. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA: Section 1. That the City Council will meet in the Historic Federal Building, Council Chambers, 2nd Floor, 350 West 6th Street, Dubuque, Iowa at 5:15 p.m. on May 29, 2024, for the purpose of holding a public hearing, soliciting public input and approving the submission of the PRICE grant application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Section 2. That the City Clerk is hereby authorized and directed to publish a notice of such public hearing and the City Council's intent to review, solicit public input and approve the submission of the PRICE grant application. Passed, approved and adopted this 131h day of May 2024. Attest: Adrienne Breitfelder, City Clerk NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA, SOLICITING PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE PRICE GRANT APPLICATION TO BE SUBMITTED TO HUD ON JUNE 3, 2024 PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that the Dubuque City Council will conduct a public hearing on the 291h day of May, 2024, at 5:15 p.m., in the Historic Federal Building, 350 W. 6th Street, 2nd floor, Dubuque, Iowa, at which meeting the City Council proposes to receive public input on the HUD PRICE grant drat application. This notice opens the public comment period for the PRICE grant application, and the City encourages residents to review the application and submit comments about the proposed project to assist manufactured home parks. At the meeting, the City Council will receive in -person and virtual comments from any resident to the above action. The official agenda will be posted 24 hours before the meeting and will contain public input options. The City Council agenda can be accessed at: https://citVofdubugue.novusagenda.com/AgendaPublic/ or by contacting the City Clerk's Office at 563-589-4100, ctyclerk@cityofdubuque.org. At said time and place of public hearings all interested citizens and parties will be given an opportunity to be heard for or against said proposal. Written comments regarding the above public hearings may be submitted to the City Clerk's Office via email at ctyclerk@cityofdubuque.org or by mail to City Clerk's Office, City Hall, 50 W. 13th St., Dubuque, IA 52001, before said time of public hearing. At said time and place of public hearings the City Council will receive any written comments received by the City Clerk's Office before said time of public hearing. Copies of supporting documents for the public hearings are on file in the City Clerk's Office and may be viewed Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Individuals with limited English proficiency, vision, hearing, or speech impairments requiring special assistance should contact the City Clerk's Office at (563) 589-4100, TDD (563) 690-6678, ctyclerk@cityofdubuque.org as soon as feasible. Deaf or hard -of -hearing individuals can use Relay Iowa by dialing 711 or (800) 735-2942. Published by order of the City Council given on the 141h day of May 2024. Adrienne N. Breitfelder, City Clerk THE CITY OF DUB E Masterpiece on the Mississippi Exhibit A Executive Summary Dubuque AII•Ameriea Ci$ N411-LCAK II 3.F 2007-2012.2013 2017*2019 City of Dubuque The City of Dubuque seeks funding for the acquisition of two manufactured home parks, Table Mound and Terrace Heights, and the subsequent formation of a Community Land Trust (CLT) to manage these properties. The primary objectives of this project are to ensure long-term affordable housing, improve infrastructure, enhance safety, increase resiliency, and provide comprehensive support services to residents. Focusing on long-term affordability, this project will also upgrade water, sewer, and transportation infrastructure in both manufactured home parks. This will ensure safe and reliable access to essential services for residents while removing the high cost of infrastructure improvements. These infrastructure upgrades will also focus on proper drainage and runoff to prevent future flooding and run-off that plagues these manufactured home parks due to the steep terrain in Dubuque. These improvements relieve the burden of high capital costs to residents to keep rent and maintenance costs low in the first years of the resident owned CLT. This allows a capital fund to be financed over many more years before a high -cost project is required, which will create a reliable rent structure that can remain affordable and predictable. In addition, a weather shelter will be added to each manufactured home park to meet the State Code requirements for manufactured home parks. Currently each manufactured park has a weather shelter that is undersized and located too far away from many of the lots to meet minimum requirements under Iowa State Code. The addition of a weather shelter for each manufactured home park will enhance safety and preparedness, but also provide another revenue stream for the CLT. These facilities can be rented for activities and other gatherings to help offset maintenance costs for each manufactured home park. With new infrastructure, the grant will then focus on manufactured home rehabilitation and replacement of dilapidated or outdated homes. In addition, new units will be added to vacant lots to increase the supply of low -moderate income housing. Existing manufactured homes will undergo comprehensive rehabilitation, incorporating accessibility features, weatherization measures, and high -efficiency mechanical systems. This component also aligns with the goal to provide a safe place for older adults to age in place safely. Aging in place guidance will be used to install things such as grab bars, tub cut outs, higher electrical outlets, ramps and no threshold transitions for those over the age of 62. All manufactured homes that undergo a rehabilitation or replacement will be provided services from a community health organization to help establish primary care providers, low-cost medication options, and many other services after an optional in -home evaluation and consultation of needs of those residing in the units. Resident resiliency is the hidden key to the success of affordable housing, as financial savings is often unavailable for things such as a health crisis or car accident which can affect the ability to work, reduce income and eventually threaten housing stability. The final piece of affordability and resilience in this grant is tenant support services. The CLT will build operational capacity with this grant to offer tenant support services, including income loss programs, low-cost childcare options, transportation partnerships, and other services to assist residents in maintaining stable housing and addressing financial challenges. The CLT will 11Page City of Dubuque transition from grant funds to services and funds provided directly by partners such as HACAP, Dubuque Housing Authority, Food Banks, and Resources Unite. The CLT will serve as the connector to those services after building the operational capacity with this grant. This project addresses critical housing needs within the community by preserving and enhancing affordable housing options, improving infrastructure and safety measures, and providing comprehensive support services to residents. The formation of a CLT ensures long-term affordability and resident control, fostering a sustainable and equitable housing solution. Additionally, the project aligns with all four of HUDs strategic goals. A resident owned community land trust is the key to long-term affordability. This type of model will enable greater community control over land through governance structures that include residents, local businesses, and agencies to collectively inform priorities and needs. This community -led approach fosters sustainable and equitable housing solutions. It can also be a powerful tool for equitable wealth -building, particularly for households of color historically excluded from homeownership. Between 2000 and 2018, the percentage of CLT homeowners of color increased from 13% to 43% across the United States. The model being proposed in this grant will be replicable for other communities, which will help create CLTs to help build wealth for homeowners of color specifically all over the United States. CLTs can bolster individual and community resilience by allowing low-income residents to allocate resources to essentials and accumulate wealth over time. The CLT will incorporate climate -resilient design features to increase homes' resilience to hazards. By providing these long-lasting benefits, CLTs directly align with the goals and priorities outlined in funding opportunities aimed at preserving and expanding affordable housing, preventing displacement, promoting equitable development, and supporting community resilience. Table Mound Mobile Home Park, located in Dubuque, IA, is a sizeable community with 421 manufactured home lots. This park has been facing ongoing challenges, with residents actively advocating for better living conditions and affordability. Residents have banned together to come before City Council, state legislatures and federal agencies advocating for rent control and better accountability for utility expenses. Terrace Heights Mobile Home Park is also located in Dubuque, IA. It is a relatively large park, with 315 manufactured home lots; however, many are vacant lots or have vacant manufactured homes. Like Table Mound, residents of Terrace Heights have been voicing concerns about the need for improvements, rent control and preservation of affordable housing options in the area. Both Table Mound and Terrace Heights mobile home parks are grappling with aging infrastructure, lack of proper maintenance, and the rising lot rent rates which have more than doubled since 2018 and could potentially displace long-term residents. The residents have been actively organizing and advocating for their rights, seeking solutions to address these pressing issues and ensure the long-term viability of their communities. Due to this dedication this is a perfect community to build the first resident owned community land trust in Dubuque. 2 1 P a g e City of Dubuque The City of Dubuque has extensive knowledge and experience with federal grants and has been a CDBG Entitlement community for over 30 years. The Housing and Community Development Department will oversee this grant opportunity, with a director with 11 years of federal and state grant experience and a Certified Public Accountant. Other staff that will oversee and support this grant have over 40 years of collective experience with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grants such as CDBG Entitlement, CDBG-DR, Lead and Healthy Homes, Healthy Homes Production, Older Adult Home Modification and HOME programs. Ten (10) staff members have participated in live three-day HUD Environmental Review Trainings as well as all WISER modules to ensure compliance in this area. All cross -cutting federal regulations are also well known by city staff as evident by audits and monitoring's by HUD for Dubuque programs with no significant findings in cross -cutting regulations in the past ten years. The city also has many years of experience in affirmatively furthering fair housing, with ten years of annual fair housing training for all employees on the Fair Housing Act and its regulations as well as monthly diversity, equity and inclusion trainings and review of policies for disparate impacts on protected classes. This proposed application is consistent with the Analysis of Impediments to Fair housing and will expand on the Al goal to increase the acceptance of Housing Choice Vouchers by requiring the acceptance of the voucher for lot rent in the community land trust. Consistent with the goal of providing long-term affordable housing solutions in manufactured homes, the city will place a restrictive covenant on the land that requires the rent rates be calculated in accordance with HOME guidelines and cannot exceed the HUD rent/income limit guidelines. Additionally, these provisions will be added into the by-laws to require a 30-year affordability period, with a requirement to offer long-term leases, resident ownership, and board membership, as well as resale protections within an affordability model. The City of Dubuque has a well -documented need for additional affordable housing as well as a need to preserve the existing affordable housing stock in the community. A housing study conducted in 2022 showed the City of Dubuque would be short 1,100 units by the year 2030. A study completed in 2024 by the University of Iowa showed that the housing unit gap existed primarily in housing units that are affordable to the 0-30% AMI households. This equates to a rent rate of $475 or less to meet the needs of these residents. This rent rate is attainable in a manufactured home model, if the infrastructure needs are addressed, and maintenance cost is low so a capital fund can be built over many years. This grant will help provide units needed in this LMI range to address affordable housing needs in Dubuque. Due to the resident owned community land trust model, community stakeholder participation is essential to the success of this grant. The City of Dubuque is known for diverse community engagement activities that provide open forums as well as guided idea formation. The city has a dedicated public information office that posts on social media, on community forums and connects with organizations to ensure information sharing opportunities. The city partners with the local newspaper and radio stations to bolster participation in programs as well. 3 1 P a g e THE CITY OF DUB E Masterpiece on the Mississippi Exhibit B Threshold Other Submission Requirements Dubuque AII•Ameriea Ci$ N411-LCAK II 3.F 2007-2012.2013 2017*2019 City of Dubuque 1. Resolution of Civil Rights Matters The City of Dubuque has no outstanding charges, cause determination, lawsuits, or letters of findings referenced in Section III.D. of the NOFO. 2. Eligible Applicant The City of Dubuque is a 02 (City of township government) eligible applicant in the State of Iowa. There are no additional applicants or partners, and this is the City of Dubuque's only application. Standard Form 424 (SF-424) Application for Federal Assistance Electronic form attached to the application package. Assurances (HUD 424-B) The completed form is attached to the application package. Federal Assistance Representations and Certifications Completed for the City of Dubuque on SAM.gov. Budget Form (424-CBW) Completed form attached to the application package. Assurances for Construction Programs (SF-424D) Signed assurances attached to the application package. Applicant Disclosure Report Form 2880 (HUD 2880) Form is applicable to the project. Completed Form is attached. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) Form is attached showing N/A. Certification of Lobbying Activities A completed electronic form is attached to the application. Code of Conduct This information was submitted to HUD. Updated Standards are attached. Other Program -Specific Requirements Signed certifications and assurances are attached to the application package. 41Page THE CITY OF DUB E Masterpiece on the Mississippi Exhibit C Dubuque AII•Ameriea Ci$ N411-LCAK II 3.F 2007-2012.2013 2017*2019 City of Dubuque What is your project area and the need for affordable accessible housing within it? The City of Dubuque has a well -documented need for additional affordable housing as well as a need to preserve the existing affordable housing stock in the community. A housing study conducted in 2022 showed the City of Dubuque would be short 1,100 units by the year 2030. A study completed in 2024 by the University of Iowa showed that the housing unit gap existed primarily in housing units that are affordable to the 0-30% AMI households. This equates to a rent rate of $475 or less to meet the needs of these residents. This rent rate is attainable in a manufactured home model, if the infrastructure needs are addressed, and maintenance cost is low so a capital fund can be built over many years. This grant will help provide units needed in this LMI range to address affordable housing needs in Dubuque. The City of Dubuque's proposal is for the acquisition of two manufactured home parks, Table Mounds and Terrace Heights, and the subsequent formation of a Community Land Trust (CLT) to manage these properties. The primary objectives of this project are to ensure long-term affordable housing, improve infrastructure, enhance safety, increase resiliency, and provide comprehensive support services to residents. Between these two manufactured home parks there are 736 housing units that will benefit from this acquisition. Both Table Mound and Terrace Heights mobile home parks are grappling with aging infrastructure, lack of proper maintenance, and the rising lot rents which have more than doubled since 2018 which could potentially displace long-term residents. Terrace Heights resident's median income is $44,460, with the average of 2.4 persons per household, showing that many of these residents fall into the 0-30% AMI bracket. As shown here, the city has room to preserve and increase affordable housing stock in the table 5 1 P a g e City of Dubuque mound manufactured home park. With only 211 lots fully utilized according to the 2020 census, there is room to create/utilize approximately 100 more lots/homes that will be affordable and remain affordable with the assistance of the PRICE grant. There also needs to be significant marketing of these affordable units to underserved and minority populations once they are stabilized as affordable under a resident owned community land trust. Key Facts — Table Mound MHP Area: 0.13 square miles ■ KEY FACTS EDUCATION --------------------------------------------------------------------------- '--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 389 , Population Median Age 29.0% $ 7 0, 1 8 8 No High School Some College/ As Diploma 38 2% Associate's Degree 26 6% Average Median Household High School Bachelor's/Grad/ Household Size Income Graduate Prof Degree `----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----i BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- %r„%ra%r„�., 45.6% White collar toa tP1 te1 4P1 33.3% Blue Collar 4 49 Unemployment _ I 20.5% Rate Total Businesses Total Employees Services F----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------..- INCOME 2023 Households by income (Esri) The largest group: $50,000 - S74,999 (17,5%) The smallest 9rnup: <S15,000 (4,5%) • Indicator I Value Diff <$15,000 4.5% -2.9% rSl5,000 - $24,999 95% +33% 25,000-$34,999 11.5% +4.5% 0+35,000-$49,999 9-5% -2-8% S50,000-$74,999 17.5% +2.6% � S75,000 - $99,999 1 1.5% -5.1 % — $70,188 $45,508 $251,829 $100,000 - $149,999 16.0% -3.5% S1 50,000 - $199,999 9.0% +0.1% Median Household Per Capita Income Median Net Worth S200,000+ 11.0% +3.8 % — income Bars show deviation from Dubuque County ; `------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- - —---------------------------------' Source: This infographic contains data provided by Esri (2023, 2028), Esri-Data Axle (2023). ©2024 Esri 6 1 P a g e City of Dubuque Terrace Heights serves a more diverse population, and households with lower income than Table Mound. The number of units occupied is far less than the number of lots available, by almost half. Area programs have not historically assisted with the lot rent or rehabilitation of manufactured homes in this area due to the unpredictability of rent rates, affordability, service for proper infrastructure to meet basic habitability needs, and due to the predatory nature of evictions from for -profit owners. The PRICE grant will allow for rent stability and for new/rehabbed housing units to fill empty lots and increase affordable housing. 7 1 P a g e City of Dubuque ._ Key Facts Terrace Heights Area: 0.1 square miles KEY FACTS EDUCATION ---------------------------------------------------------------------------'------------------------------------------------- — 380 Population • Median Age 23.8% $ 44, 46 0 No High School Some College/ Diploma 48.6% Associate's Degree 21.1 Average Median Household High School Bachelor's/Grad/ Household Size Income Graduate Prof Degree BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------- fiiLiia56.7% White Collar 22.9% B'.ue Col sr 1 12 Unemployment AO RA 111 20.5% Rate Total Businesses Total Employees Services F----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+-----------------..-----.-----...-----.------..-----------------------------------; INCOME 2023 Households by income {Esri) The largest 9-1 $35,000 - $49,999 (31,2%) The smallest group: $26Q,000+ (0.6%) • Indicator I Value Diff <$15,000 S.8% +1.4% 515,000 - $24,999 16.9% +10-7% i & $5,000 - $,999 1.9% -5.1 % $35,000-$4949,999 3L2% +18.9% $50,000-$74,999 18.5% +3.91/, $75,000-$99,999 10.0% -6.6% $44,460 $26,201 $174,783 $1oo,000-$149,999 10.6% -8.9% $150,000-5199,999 1.9% -7.0% Median Household Per Capita Income Median Net Worth $200,000+ 0.61/. -6.6% income Bars show deviation from Dubuque County ; -- - ------- - ------ ------- -------------- ------- ------- ------ - ----- ------------- - - ---- - ----- - ------ - - ----- -------- ------ - ------ - - ---- - - ------------- ------ ---------' Source: This infographic contains data provided by Esri (2023, 2028), Esri-Data Axle (2023). © 2024 Esri Is your project within or does it include any communities that meet Distress Criteria? The City of Dubuque does not currently meet the distressed community criteria but has in the past five years. Dupaco Community Credit Union in Dubuque served as the CDFI to help address poverty and accessibility to loans to help build wealth in underserved populations in Dubuque. New census data does not provide enough detail to continue to allow Dubuque to affirmatively assert the requirements as a distressed community. However, both Terrace Heights and Table Mound are grappling with aging infrastructure and high poverty rates. The residents have been actively organizing and advocating for their rights, seeking solutions to address this issue and ensure the long-term viability of their communities. These community members are 8 1 P a g e City of Dubuque experiencing low income with continued rent rate increases, which is causing residents to move from the areas, leaving many vacant lots and manufactured homes. The average income for Terrace Heights is at 50-80% AMI, at $44,460 per 2.4 persons household. Does your proposal increase resilience in any disaster -prone areas? Neither manufactured home park is in Community Disaster Resilience Zone. What are the barriers to manufactured housing preservation or revitalization in your project area? In general, minority populations experience a disproportionately higher percentage of housing barriers and problems compared to the total population. One of the potential barriers that could prevent the City of Dubuque from serving these populations includes lack of transportation. The City of Dubuque does not offer public transportation to these areas, therefore if a person were to live in these communities, they would either need a vehicle or pay for a riding service. These homes are also located in a food desert, which is another barrier that would need to be addressed for those who do not have transportation. The proximity to schools could prevent families from moving in if the resident wants their children to walk to school or provide their children with their own transportation. African American populations in Dubuque are much more likely to rent than own a home. Purchasing a home versus renting a home can be a barrier due to minority populations experiencing a disproportionately higher percentage of being cost burden. Interest rates and the rising cost of purchasing manufactured homes are on a rise nationally, showing the average fixed interest rates to be 7.31% for 30-year loans, 6.73% for 15-year loans and 6.74% for 10-year loans. Between those rates the lowest priced single trailer on the market at approximately $60,000, sets a strong barrier for those families who are in the 0-30% AMI bracket. Table Mound 9 1 P a g e Terrace Heights THE CITY OF DUB E Masterpiece on the Mississippi Exhibit D Soundness of Approach Dubuque AII•Ameriea Ci$ N411-LCAK II 3.F 2007-2012.2013 2017*2019 City of Dubuque Subfactor (b)(i): Project Description, Management, and Impact (10 points) What are your vision and goals? Dubuque's Affordable Housing Initiative The City of Dubuque is proposing to acquire two manufactured home communities, Table Mound and Terrace Heights, and establish a Community Land Trust (CLT) to manage these properties. The overarching goals are to preserve long-term affordable housing, upgrade infrastructure, enhance safety and resilience, and provide comprehensive support services to residents. Infrastructure Upgrades This project entails upgrading the water, sewer, and transportations systems in both manufactured home parks. Improvements will also address proper drainage and runoff management to mitigate flooding risk posed by Dubuque's steep terrain. Additionally, each community will receive a new weather shelter to comply with State Code Requirements. Revitalization Efforts Both mobile home parks currently face aging infrastructure and deferred maintenance, resulting in vacant lots and dilapidated homes. The City will prioritize rehabilitating existing manufactured homes by incorporating accessibility features, weatherization measures, and high - efficiency systems. New units will be added to vacant lots to increase the supply of low -to - moderate income housing options. Resident Support Services To further promote affordability and resilience, the Community Land Trust will build capacity to offer residents a range of support services. These include income loss assistance programs, low- cost childcare options, transportation partnerships, and other essential services. Which eligible activities will you use to address the need(s) described in Factor (a)? This comprehensive project aims to revitalize two manufactured home parks by addressing critical infrastructure needs, enhancing safety measures, and promoting affordability and resilience for residents. The key components of this initiative are: Infrastructure Upgrades Upgrading water, sewer, and transportation infrastructure will ensure safe and reliable access to essential services for residents. Proper draining and runoff systems will be implemented to mitigate the risk of flooding and runoff issues caused by the steep terrain in Dubuque. These upgrades will alleviate the burden of high capital costs for residents, allowing for affordable rent and maintenance costs int eh initial years. Additionally, a capital fund will be established and financed over an extended period, ensuring long-term sustainability and preparedness for future high -cost projects. 111Page City of Dubuque Weather Shelter Enhancements To meet State Code requirements, each manufactured home park will receive a new weather shelter. The existing shelters are undersized and located at inconvenient distances from many lots, necessitating construction of new, adequately sized, and strategically located shelters for the safety and convenience of residents. Home Rehabilitation and Replacement Recognizing the aging infrastructure and lack of maintenance that have led to vacant lots and dilapidated homes, the City of Dubuque will focus on manufactured home rehabilitation and replacement. Dilapidated and outdated homes will be replaced with new units on vacant lots, increasing the supply of low -to moderate income housing. Existing manufactured homes will undergo comprehensive rehabilitation including the addition of accessibility features, weatherization measured and high -efficiency systems. Tenant Support Services To promote affordability and resilience, the Community Land Trust will build operational capacity to offer tenants a range of support services. These services will include income loss programs, low-cost childcare options, transportation partnerships, and other essential services tailored to the needs of the residents. By addressing these critical areas, this project aims to create a sustainable and resilient environment for manufactured home park residents, ensuring access to essential services, enhancing safety measures, and promoting affordability and community support. Table Mound Storm Shelter 121Page City of Dubuque Table Mound Road Infrastructure Table Mound Homes 131Page City of Dubuque Terrace Heights Road Infrastructure Terrace Heights Homes What is your timeline and key tasks along that timeline? October - December 2024 - Accept Award, Sign Grant Agreement, Hire Project Team, Create Policy and Procedures 141 Sage City of Dubuque January — June 2025 — Acquisition Activities, Covenants June — December 2025 — Hire CLT Consultant, Community Engagement Activities 2026 — CLT by-laws, procedures, capacity building, Engineering 2027— Infrastructure Construction 2028-2030 — Weatherization, Rehabilitation, Replacement of Manufactured Homes, Tenant Services, Resident Needs Assessments, Connecting to Services What is your budget? Table Mound - $34,000,000 PRICE grant Terrace Heights - $16,500,000 PRICE Grant $1,200,000 CDBG Entitlement Match What are the projected impacts of your activities if implemented? Increased Social Resilience — this outcome will be tracked by the community health organization with a needs assessment and a follow-up to the needs that were able to be met to make the household more resilient. Affordable Rent Rates — this outcome will be tracked with annual rent rates compared to HUD FMR as well as the HOME income and rent limits. Although the rent rates will be required to meet the HOME rent limits each year, using HUD FMR will allow comparison to the rest of the community. i. Subfactor (b)(ii): Affordability and Equity (15 points) How will you ensure the availability of affordable manufactured housing options to LMI households? A resident -owned community land trust is the key to long-term housing affordability. This model enables greater community control over land through governance structures that include residents, local businesses, and agencies. Together, they can collectively inform priorities and needs, fostering sustainable and equitable housing solutions. Community land trusts can be a powerful tool for equitable wealth -building, particularly for households of color historically excluded from homeownership. Between 2000 and 2018, the percentage of CLT homeowners of color in the United States increase from 13% to 43%. The proposed grant model will be replicable for other communities, helping to create CLTs that build wealth for homeowners of color across the nation. CLTs can bolster individual and community resilience by allowing low-income residents to allocate resources to essentials that accumulate wealth over time. The CLT will incorporate climate -resilient design features to increase homes' resilience to hazards. By providing these 151Page City of Dubuque long-lasting benefits, CLTs directly align with goals and priorities aimed at preserving and expanding affordable housing, preventing displacement, promoting equitable development, and supporting community resilience. Infrastructure improvements relieve the burden of high capital costs for residents, keeping rent and maintenance costs low in the initial years of the resident -owned Community Land Trust. This allows a capital fund to be financed over many more years before a high -cost project is required, creating a reliable rent structure that remains affordable and predictable. The Community Land Trust will transition from grant funds to services and funds provided directly by partners such as HACAP, Dubuque Housing Authority, Food Banks, and Resources Unite. The CLT will serve as the connector to these services after building operational capacity with this grant. What protections will be in place for residents? The Community Land Trust will utilize the grant to strengthen its capacity and provide vital support services to residents in the Table Mound and Terrace Heights mobile home parks. These communities are facing significant challenges including: • Aging infrastructure and lack of proper maintenance • Rapidly rising lot rent rates, more than doubling since 2018 • Potential displacement of long-term residents due to unaffordable rents The residents have been actively organizing and advocating for their rights, seeking solutions to address these pressing issues and ensure the long-term viability of their communities. Their dedication and commitment to finding sustainable solutions make this an ideal community to establish the first resident owned CLT in Dubuque. With the grant funding, the Community Land Trust will offer arrange of tenant support services to help residents maintain stable housing and address financial challenges, including but not limited to: • Income loss programs • Low-cost childcare options • Transportation Partnerships • Other services tailored to residents' needs. The City will place a restrictive covenant on the land, requiring rent rates to be calculated in accordance with HOME guidelines and not exceed HUD rent/income limit guidelines. These provisions will be incorporated into the by-laws, ensuring a 30-year affordability period with the following requirements: • Long -Term leases for residents • Resident ownership and board membership • Resale protections within an affordability model 161Page City of Dubuque By empowering residents, providing essential support services, and implementing robust affordability protections, the Community Land Trust aims to create a sustainable and equitable solution for the Table Mound and Terrace Heights mobile home parks. This initiative demonstrates a commitment to preserving affordable housing and supporting the well-being of the community. How does your proposal encourage access to resources and financing, especially for underserved communities and persons? The City of Dubuque has a well -documented need for additional affordable housing and the preservation of existing affordable housing stock in the community. A 2022 housing study revealed that the City of Dubuque would face a shortage of 1,100 housing units by 2030. A 2024 study by the University of Iowa further showed that this housing unit gap primarily exists in units affordable to households earning 0-30% of the Area Median Income (AMI). This translate to a rent rate of $475 or less to meet the needs of these residents. Manufactured homes can provide housing at this rent rate, provided that infrastructure needs are addressed and maintenance costs are low, allowing for the gradual building of a capital fund. This grant will help provide the much -needed housing units in the Low -to -Moderate Income range to address affordable housing needs in Dubuque. The grant will focus on: 1. Manufactured home rehabilitation and replacement of dilapidated or outdated homes with new infrastructure. 2. Adding new units to vacant lots to increase the supply of low -moderate income housing. 3. Comprehensive rehabilitation of existing manufactured homes, incorporating accessibility features, weatherization measures and high -efficiency mechanical systems. The rehabilitation component aligns with the goal of providing a safe place for older adults to age in place safely. Aing in place guidance will be used to install features such as grab bars, tub cut outs, higher electrical outlets, ramps and no threshold transitions for those over the age of 62. The City of Dubuque has extensive experience in affirmatively furthering fair housing. For the past ten years, the city has provided annual fair housing training for all employees on the Fair Housing Act and its regulations. Additionally, monthly diversity, equity and inclusion trainings are conducted, along with regular reviews of policies for disparate impact on protected classes. This proposed application is consistent with the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing and will expand on the Al goal to increase the acceptance of Housing Choice Vouchers. The city will require the acceptance of vouchers for lot rent in the community land trust, ensuring equal access to affordable housing opportunities. The grant will provide preference for Section 3 contractors and those that employ Section 3 employees for the construction contract. Section 3 contractors are required to register with the State of Iowa or claim status when bidding for the project. Section 3 income limits will be used and pay will be tracked per regulations throughout the contract by the Program Manager. This will be reported to HUD as required. 171Page City of Dubuque iii. Subfactor (b)(iii): Environment and Resilience (15 points) — What significant hazards could impact your project site(s)? Area households experience ongoing environmental and climate threats. Since 2000, Dubuque has received eight Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Major Disaster Declarations. Key local hazards include: • Wet Weather: Using data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate at a Glance tool, an analysis of precipitation patterns across Iowa between 1922 and 2022 shows a mean rainfall of 32.79 inches and a trend of 0.62 inches more rain per decade. Over the last century, three of the wettest years during that timeframe occurred in 2018 (ranked #2 with 45.08 inches of rain), 2015 (ranked #6 with 42.53 inches of rain), and 2019 (ranked #9 with 41.63 inches of rain). Extrapolating over the next fifty years, precipitation will be 8.6% greater in Iowa by 2072. Increasing rainfall threatens low-lying parts of Dubuque. The city's steep terrain and limestone bluffs shed water quickly from the west to the east into flat areas without adequate drainage. As a result of increasingly intense rainstorms, devastating flash flooding has become a recurring problem. Extreme Heat/Freezing Temperatures: Over the past six years the city experienced a heat advisory an average of over four times per year. Extreme heat watches and warnings are increasing per year with last year receiving two periods of extreme heat lasting several days each. In the same period, Dubuque has been under a windchill advisory an average of about five times per year. In 2022, Dubuque was placed under a wind chill advisory nine times. These advisories each lasted several days creating more than just nine days of advisories. Tornadoes: In 2023 Dubuque was placed under a Tornado Watch five different times. This was up from two to three watches in previous years. Dubuque only had one tornado warning in 2023 but had three tornado warnings in 2022. In addition to tornadoes, server thunderstorms with damaging wind, rain and hail are common. How will your activities address the current and future threat of natural hazards, extreme weather, and disaster events? Poor Indoor Air QualitX: The program will use four basic strategies to increase resiliency in the homes and neighborhoods: 1) Preventive measures — minimizing the effects of disaster; 2) Preparedness —planning response during disaster; 3) Response — minimizing the hazards created by disaster; and 4) Recovery — returning the community to its pre - disaster state or better. Each housing unit will be inspected to identify the seven principles of a healthy home (dry, clean, pest -free, safe, contaminant -free, ventilated, and maintained), and resiliency work will scrutinize indoor air quality through mold and mildew remediation, lead hazard control, asbestos, radon, carbon monoxide, in addition 181Page City of Dubuque to eliminating other environmental hazards. A variety of community resources will improve housing, repair damage, and make homes more resilient. Alternatives to natural gas heating and cooking will be stressed and promoted. To ensure the safety and well-being of the residents, both mobile home parks will be outfitted with a weather shelter that meets the requirements set forth in the Iowa State Code for such facilities. Currently both parks have shelters that are too small to accommodate all residents and are located inconveniently far from a significant number of lots, failing to comply with state regulations. By constructing properly sized weather shelters within easy reach of most lots, these manufactured home communities will significantly improve their preparedness and safety measures. Residents can take refuge in the event of severe weather, giving them peace of mind and a sense of security. The water, sewer and transportation infrastructure upgrades will prioritize effective drainage systems and runoff mitigation to prevent future flooding that frequently affects these manufactured home parks. This is especially important given the steep terrain in Dubuque, which exacerbates runoff issues. By investing in proper drainage infrastructure, the city can safeguard these vulnerable communities from the devastating impacts of flooding. Terrace Heights 191Page W Boy Used 19 City of Dubuque Table Mound East Side Gate#' Dubuque Driver's License Station - By Appointment Ne Obs St— � Technonca 1,190.99ft D ® epas�tortx epa' - tr 382.68 ft 1, 109.64ft Table Mound Mobile Home Park a� P a6 q o of TE'Ir,i� r or o < Ter, w m 18.36ft v � m Vanderbilt Or o` u Table Mound West Side 953.38 ft ,Leonard Home & Cri 0 �o H 0 E ,o c a Case Pizza 19 Ma4vo kerd D, I 201Page City of Dubuque The Iowa code requires 7sq ft of storm shelter for every mobile space, and recommended max distance from home to shelter is 1,320 linear feet (147.41 Storm Shelters 1. A. and F.) Table Mound (West) requires 1,925 sq ft, Table Mound (East) requires 1022 sq ft, and Terrace Heights requires 2,205 sq ft. How does your proposal help advance Environmental Justice (as defined in Section I.AA of this NOFO)? In 2013, (updated in 2020) the Dubuque City Council adopted the 50% by 2030 Community Climate Action & Resiliency Plan (CAP). Our 2023 greenhouse gas inventory identified that over 70% of our emissions come from heating, cooling, and powering buildings. As a city, we have committed to protect and prepare our most vulnerable residents and the larger community for the impacts of climate change. While we invest in infrastructure improvements to improve our resiliency, we also invest in the resiliency of our residents through a variety of programs and public/private partnerships to address affordable housing, generational poverty, underemployment, grade -level reading, brain health, racism, and other challenges faced by our community. In this body of work, the City of Dubuque proposes a comprehensive approach to advancing environmental justice within the context of acquiring and upgrading mobile home parks. By investing in climate resilience, energy efficiency, and housing security while reducing exposure to health risks and environmental hazards, we move towards creating a more equitable and sustainable future for low-income residents. The most recent climate vulnerability study for the City of Dubuque shows that Dubuque will experience high risks of heat stress (leading to heat - related illnesses), poor air quality (increasing exposure to allergens and toxins and impacting respiratory illnesses), housing insecurity and energy burden (high energy demand with increased costs), and stormwater management (heavier rains coupled with higher risk to surface drought causing flash flooding and property damage and reduced mobility). Additional risks include increased risk to surface water quality, increase in vector -borne diseases, exposure to climate risks negatively impacting brain health, as well as lack of access to trees and greenspace. This project serves to both mitigate greenhouse gas emissions while also adapting to the changing climate and addresses equity concerns in our city. Environmental and economic justice factors for the specific population this aims to serve: Families living in these properties that are not energy efficient can least afford high -cost utility bills. They also lack the ability to pay for efficiency upgrades. These families dedicate a disproportionately larger share of their income towards energy costs. This energy access inequity exacerbates other vulnerabilities include exposure to heatwaves and other vulnerabilities listed above. The City's CAP aligns with this work to advance environmental justice with the goal to reduce citywide energy consumption by 10% by 2030. «INSERT Green Iowa data about inefficiencies of mobile homes they collected>> By improving residential energy efficiency, it is estimated in the CAP to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5000 metric tons. 211Page City of Dubuque Additionally, the following address climate justice and align with goals of the 50% by 2030 CAP. 1. Addressing infrastructure deficiencies like water and wastewater systems not only improve the living conditions of residents but also mitigates health risks associated with poor water quality and sanitation. Upgrading stormwater runoff systems reduces the risk of flooding, which disproportionately affects low-income communities living in flood - prone areas. This action mitigates the environmental and health hazards associated with flooding, such as water contamination and property damage. (CAP Goals CI, W3) 2. Weatherizing mobile homes with new roofs, insulation, windows, and high -efficiency appliances improves energy efficiency and reduces utility bills for residents, many of whom may struggle with energy costs due to low incomes. Enhancing weather resilience also protects residents from extreme weather events, such as heatwaves and storms, which are exacerbated by climate change. This action reduces health risks associated with temperature extremes and strengthens community resilience. (CAP Goals BE2, HSI, HS3) 3. Building storm shelters provides critical protection for residents during extreme weather events like tornadoes, derechos, or severe thunderstorms. This intervention directly addresses the projected risk of natural disasters, ensuring the safety and well-being of low-income residents who may lack access to safe shelter options. (CAP Goal HSI, HS2, HS3, CI) 4. Linking residents to social services and resources promotes environmental justice by addressing underlying social determinants of health and well-being. Access to healthcare, education, employment opportunities, and community support networks enhances resilience and reduces vulnerability to environmental hazards. This initiative helps overcome historical disinvestment in low-income communities by empowering residents with access to essential services and resources, thereby promoting equity and inclusivity. (CAP Goal HSI, HS2, HS3, C1) 5. Establishing a community trust for land ownership ensures long-term sustainability and resident empowerment. By transferring ownership from a predatory company to a community -controlled entity, you promote democratic decision -making and equitable distribution of resources. This approach fosters environmental justice by providing residents with greater control over their living environment and ensuring that decisions about land use and development prioritize community needs and values. (CAP Goals GS3, CI) Overall, the proposed activities align with the strategic goals of advancing sustainable communities, strengthening climate resilience, promoting environmental justice, and recognizing housing's role as essential to health. iv. Subfactor (b)(iv): Community Engagement (10 points) How will you seek and encourage diverse stakeholder participation? Citizen participation is a driver for goal setting. The process involves stakeholder interviews, a possible communitywide survey, public meetings/hearings, and the City Council. The City of 221Page City of Dubuque Dubuque is a CDBG Entitlement Community and therefore has history of receiving funding to assist low -moderate income residents through homeowner rehabilitation programs, which has provided extensive knowledge on receiving and considering input from the stakeholders that may be impacted by the activities. Cost Burden is one of the most prevalent problems within the City of Dubuque. Affordability, housing choice and ensuring healthy homes are all important components of quality housing in Dubuque. Historically, across stakeholder groups and City Council meetings, housing has repeatedly been mentioned as a barrier and poverty factor, and the data supports this. The percentage of household income spent for mortgage costs or gross rent, commonly called cost - burden, is by far the most prevalent problem in Dubuque, for owned and rented households alike. The City of Dubuque is using previous data to help determine where to start the target marketing area and will continue to use input and feedback from manufactured housing residents, nonprofits, and fair housing organizations to focus on areas that will allow the program to continue successfully. The starting point for the targeted marketing will begin with housing choice voucher participants and participants in the City of Dubuque's first-time home buyer program. For the residents that do not qualify for the first-time home buyer program the city is going to advocate for residents to apply for the HUD Title 1 program "Financing Manufactures Homes". This program is based out of the Housing and Community Development Department, along with a partnership with the Engineering, Planning and Water Departments. We include in these departments code enforcement, housing authority, and community development activities. The City of Dubuque will encourage each individual department to accept bids from a variety of contractors with emphasis on supporting Section 3 Contractors. The City of Dubuque will be partnering with a local non-profit organization who will develop a team to help educate and provide direction to the homeowner's board of directors. This team will provide support on working with diverse populations, how to manage property, park, and infrastructure maintenance, finically budgeting for the community, as well as education on handling situations with residents who may owe back rent or be facing possible eviction. How does your proposal align with existing community plans and policies? Imagine Dubuque is the City Comprehensive Plan that addresses needs, goals, and priorities. Chapter 6 of the plan specifically addresses housing needs. This grant supports the recommended actions in the plan. Additionally, this grant supports the CDBG Consolidated Plan Goals, the Climate Action Plan strategies, the poverty prevention plan recommendations, and the public housing authority 5-year goals. 231Page THE CITY OF DUB E Masterpiece on the Mississippi Exhibit E Capacity Dubuque AII•Ameriea Ci$ N411-LCAK II 3.F 2007-2012.2013 2017*2019 City of Dubuque What experience do you have managing projects? City of Dubuque (herein "City") staff have extensive experience planning, developing, managing, implementing, and coordinating community development projects. Since 1989, the City has received Community Development Block Grant entitlement funds, averaging $1,000,000 annually. Additionally, the city has received and successfully managed numerous HUD grants from the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes since 1997. As the Responsible Entity for these grants, City staff has experience conducting extensive Environmental Reviews under 24 CFR Part 58 (including Tiered reviews and Environmental Assessments), managing Federal funds, requesting drawdowns, completing Federal Financial Reports and other compliance reports (labor standards, M/W/DBE, etc). The City's financial systems and procurement processes are compliant with 2 CFR 200 regulations, to ensure responsible stewardship of Federal funds. The City's Housing Department has three Project Managers on staff who are responsible for carrying out activities under federally funded programs. The Department Director is a CPA with extensive experience managing Federal grants. In addition, there is a Community Development Grants Administrator that manages the loan portfolio of all community development loans, and a Community Development Specialist responsible for monitoring and compliance. In 2016, the City was awarded $31.5 million in CDBG-NDR funds to supplement the flood mitigation efforts underway in the community, financed by a $98.5 million award from the Iowa Flood Mitigation Board in the form of sales tax increment financing over a 20-year period. To successfully manage the CDBG-NDR grant, City departments and community partners collaborated to implement the "Bee Branch Healthy Homes (BBHH) Resiliency Program" and make stormwater infrastructure improvements. The infrastructure improvements were managed by the Engineering Department, while the BBHH Program was managed by the Housing Department. BBHH focused on addressing the issues caused or exacerbated in homes during heavy rain events. Over $8 million was allocated to this project, and over 300 homes benefitted from resiliency improvements like new gutters and downspouts, tuckpointing and waterproofing, exterior concrete work to divert water from the structure, sump pump installations, roofing repairs, improved ventilation, replacement of compromised mechanicals, replacement of inferior electrical, sewer, and plumbing, and radon and mold remediation. Cletus Cashman, a 90-year-old war veteran participated in the BBHH Program. He raised 6 children in his North End home, and stated, "I'd get up at all hours, 1, 2, 3, 4:00 and stay down there until I got it under control," regarding the water intrusion in the basement of his home. His family lost a lot due to the flooding in their house over the years. After BBHH did work in his home, he was grateful and excited for the future of Dubuque's homes in the area, saying, "Let it rain. It's really nice now; it's like living in a new house. Makes a man want to live another 90 years." His full testimonial can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfo- YDpMsgk 241Page City of Dubuque Additionally, BBHH partnered with the Dubuque Visiting Nurse Association to provide home advocacy support to connect participants to community resources to meet their needs and goals. This holistic approach allowed occupants to gain more security and stability in their housing, and work on creating a more stable future for themselves and their families. The City has continued to incorporate the Home Advocacy approach into our Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes Program. Infrastructure improvements included the installation of higher -capacity storm sewers in the areas most impacted by flash flooding, daylighting the Bee Branch storm sewer, installing new culverts under the railroad tracks, and installation of "green alleyways" and Smart Streets to decrease the runoff occurring in neighborhoods at risk of flooding during heavy rain events. The CDBG-NDR grant concluded successfully in 2022. The city continues to complete a wide array of community development projects, from large- scale park redevelopments to installing energy -efficient mechanicals in single family homes. Activities also include acquisition of real property via multiple funding sources and legal avenues, including acquisition with Federal funds. These projects include vacant and abandoned buildings which are rehabbed and sold to low- and moderate -income residents, purchasing vacant lots or dilapidated structures for clearance and reconstruction. CDBG funds have also been utilized to update infrastructure in our community including creating accessible sidewalks. This project included working with our city engineering team and contractors. City staff have the capability and capacity to manage large-scale HUD grants, ensure compliance with subrecipients and partners, and achieve benchmarks for production, spending, and reporting, as evidenced by our success managing our current and past grants. What is your experience using grant funds? The City has extensive experience managing and expending federal grant funds, especially CDBG. Since 1989, the City of Dubuque has been an entitlement community receiving an annual allocation of approximately 1 million dollars. City staff are adept in planning, allocating, implementing, and leveraging other federal dollars to make projects come to life for our community. Recently, the City contributed over $400,000 in CDBG funds to redevelop an existing public facility, Comiskey Park. The CDBG funds leveraged an additional $1,100,000 to complete the transformation to this neighborhood asset. Comiskey Park was revitalized from a turf grass plot with aging play equipment to a vibrant destination with new playground equipment, a splash pad, multi -sport courts, shaded picnic shelters, and open space for sports and recreation. CDBG funds were also used to rehab a multi -unit residential building housing primarily low- and moderate -income individuals. Both of these projects included staff expertise in planning, implementing, and managing not only federal funds but also several cross -cutting regulations including completing Environmental Assessments, monitoring for contractor debarment and Davis Bacon wages, and ensuring compliance with BABA. 251Page City of Dubuque The City encountered the challenge of meeting the timeliness requirement for spending and drawing down our CDBG funds. With large projects like the Comiskey Park redevelopment, it takes time to get through the Environmental Review process, specifically the Section 106 Review. Because there was significant ground disturbance, a Phase I Intensive Archaeological Survey was required. Additionally, a portion of the park is located in a Special Flood Hazard Area. It took almost a year to achieve Environmental Clearance and receive the AUGF from HUD. Because of this, and the additional funding that we received from both HUD, and the Iowa Economic Development Authority for COVID relief, the City had to create a plan for timely spending. Happily, the City met the timeliness test for CDBG in May 2024. Meeting our timeliness goal despite these and other challenges, is another testament to the expertise our staff bring to managing and expending federal funds. Who are your key staff? Key Staff Role Duties Alexis Steger Program Director Overall oversight, negotiations, Certifying Officer for ER, Authorizing Official for grant agreements and draws Mike Belmont Assistant Director & Interdepartmental coordination, code and Building Code Official planning consultation, media contact Nicole Lytle Grant Program Manager Day-to-day grant coordination and management, prepare draws, marketing and outreach Ragan Griffin Inspections & Inspect, work with Mike Belmont to develop Construction plans and specs as needed, coordinate with Coordination contractors and liaise between contractors and participants The Dubuque VNA will provide Home Advocacy services similar to those described in the previous section about the Bee Branch Healthy Homes Program. These services will include resource coordination, needs assessments, and assistance brokering better quality of life outcomes for participants. What is your experience promoting racial equity? City staff are committed to co -creating our programs with an equity lens. As a member of the Government Alliance on Race and Equity, City Leadership has made a clear stance on leading with racial equity in our program and policy decisions. No projects are undertaken without a comprehensive community engagement effort during the planning stages of a project. While completing community engagement efforts, our staff meets residents where they are. This includes going directly to residents through neighborhood meetings, community events, and community organization's outreach efforts. Feedback from these design and planning stages is taken seriously and implemented into the project. For example, multiple community engagement events were held to identify potential improvements for Comiskey Park including community input sessions, focus groups, and a music -infused Hip Hop PARKitecture workshop designed for children ages 10-17. At the 261Page City of Dubuque workshop, attendees explored city park planning and urban design through Hip Hop culture and worked in small groups to create a design concept for Comiskey Park. Residents were also invited to share their ideas through the Re -imagine Comiskey online community survey. Paper surveys were made available at locations throughout the community including the Multicultural Family Center, Crescent Community Health Center, the Carnegie Stout Public Library, and others. The result of the community engagement sessions and survey indicated that residents felt the playground, basketball courts, and an open field for sports, lawn games, and recreation were important amenities to keep and upgrade at the park. Other desired amenities included a splash pad, picnic areas, grills, more seating, and pavilions that can be reserved by the community. Dubuque was no exception to the practice of redlining, creating racially segregated housing in our City. Though the lines are gone, the reality of segregated housing remains. The bulk of Dubuque's affordable housing is located in Census tracts 3 and 5, portions of which are also USDA -identified food deserts. These Census tracts also house the majority of the City's BIPOC population; disproportionately residing in rental housing as opposed to owning their homes. The City acknowledges this and is actively creating an affordable housing plan to address barriers to homeownership and increase access for BIPOC and historically disadvantaged communities. *What is your experience completing environmental reviews? The city has extensive experience conducting multiple levels of Environmental Reviews under 24 CFR Part 58. The City is the Responsible Entity for the following HUD grants: Community Development Block Grant (Entitlement) through CPD, Lead Hazard Control & Healthy Homes, and Healthy Homes Production through the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes (OLHCHH). The city completes all Environmental Reviews using the HEROS platform and has been consistently utilizing it since 2019. All Project Managers and Inspectors for Federal grants have completed the WISER modules and attended at least one Regional HUD Environmental Review training. City staff are familiar with completing Part 58 reviews for activities that are Exempt, CENST, CEST, and Environmental Assessments, as well as publishing NOI-RROFs and FONSI. The city is familiar with completing Tiered Reviews for projects that are similar in nature, but do not have specific addresses yet —the current OLHCHH grants are set up as Tiered Reviews currently. The city was also awarded $1,000,000 to administer an Older Adults Homes Modification Program through OLHCHH. Statutorily, this grant is required to complete Environmental Reviews under 24 CFR Part 50. Our staff works with the DECO from OLHCHH to complete any portions of ERs that need further examination with the scope of work extends beyond "repair" for this program. For more extensive Environmental Assessments, the city has worked with certified environmental professionals to complete Phase I ESAs, and Intensive Archaeological Surveys. The city is also familiar with the procurement of Architecture and Engineering services for complex projects. 271Page City of Dubuque Are you familiar with cross -cutting federal requirements? City of Dubuque staff have vast knowledge and experience with cross -cutting federal requirements including 2 CFR part 200 and 49 CFR 24. City staff currently oversee federal grants including Lead and Healthy Homes, Healthy Homes, Aging in Place, Community Development Block Grant. All these federal grants must abide by cross cutting regulations found in 2 CFR part 200 and 29 CFR 24. For example, City staff has experience conducting extensive Environmental Reviews under 24 CFR Part 58 (including Tiered reviews and Environmental Assessments), completing Federal Financial Reports and other compliance reports (labor standards, M/W/DBE, etc). The City's financial systems and procurement processes are compliant with 2 CFR 200 regulations, to ensure responsible stewardship of Federal funds. The City's Housing Department has three Project Managers on staff who are responsible for carrying out activities under federally funded programs. The Department Director is a CPA with extensive experience managing Federal grants. In addition, there is a Community Development Grants Administrator that manages the loan portfolio of all community development loans, and a Community Development Specialist responsible for monitoring and compliance. 281Page THE CITY OF DUB E Masterpiece on the Mississippi Exhibit F Match or Leverage Dubuque AII•Ameriea Ci$ N411-LCAK II 3.F 2007-2012.2013 2017*2019 City of Dubuque Match Commitment CDBG Entitlement over 6 years - $1,200,000 In -Kind Match for Inspections, Engineering Techs - $150,000 291Page THE CITY OF DUB E Masterpiece on the Mississippi Exhibit G Long -Term Effect Dubuque AII•Ameriea Ci$ N41-1 CA KI I 3.F 2007-2012.2013 2017*2019 City of Dubuque How will your proposed activities retain other affordable housing opportunities for LMI households in the community? In the current for -profit manufactured home park ownership in Dubuque, several manufactured home owners are intentionally evicted, or forced out so owners can make profit on the re -sale of the manufactured home. Moving a manufactured home is not affordable, nor feasible for any manufactured home that is more than ten (10) years old. This practice continually places a higher demand for low -moderate income rental units throughout the city. Dubuque has a demand of 2,351 units at or below $475/month with a supply of only 786 units to meet that demand. This is the affordability price point of manufactured home owners. This project will help keep manufactured home owners in their current unit and will fill vacant lot spaces with new manufactured home options that will meet the affordability to close the supply/demand gap in this area. This will open up non -manufactured home units to other LMI households in the community. Creating more affordable housing options by filling vacant lots with manufactured homes will also increase the rental vacancy rate, which will help keep all rents lower in the city. How will you ensure LMI households are not eventually priced out of the community? The Community Land Trust (CLT) that is formed as part of this grant, will have HOME affordability requirements for rent and all fees associated with property maintenance, incorporated into the by-laws of the organization to ensure affordability remains intact for all residents of the manufactured home park. Additionally, prior to transfer of the property to the CLT, the City of Dubuque will place a restrictive covenant on the land that requires the affordability by-laws remain and the CLT cannot be disbanded, sold, or transferred to a for -profit entity. Rent and maintenance fee controls will also be part of the by-laws of the community land trust, as described below. As part of this grant, infrastructure that can cause most large financial burdens on manufactured home parks, will be upgraded. This will provide 50 years of time to build a capital fund in the community land trust to deal with major infrastructure projects. This also provides a reduction in maintenance fees for the first 10 years, to help build a maintenance fund that supports the larger maintenance needs as infrastructure ages. This tactic will help keep rent rates stable for many years, without increases that can price lower AMI households out of a affordable housing market. Additionally, the City of Dubuque will create a rehabilitation program solely for manufactured homes, that will help with the preservation of the housing stock in the community. This relieves the burden of major rehabilitation costs on households in the community. How will you help current renters and homesite renters become homeowners or otherwise acquire an interest in the lot? The community land trust will be structured as a resident -owned community (ROC). The residents will collectively own the land and infrastructure of the manufactured home park. 30IPage City of Dubuque In this model, renters can become members of the ROC by purchasing a share or membership interest. As members, they have a stake in the governance and decision - making of the community. Renters will be provided with finance options for the purchase of their membership interest through loans or financing programs specifically designed for ROCS. Long-term leases will also allow renters to acquire a more permanent interest in the lot. Instead of lot rent, they can pay a lease fee for their extended lease period to have the legal right to occupy the lot for the lease term. How will your proposed activities ensure the long-term affordability, including lot rents and other fees as applicable, of housing without future federal subsidies? 1. Long-term Lease Agreements: Offering long-term lease agreements can provide stability for both the community land trust and residents. This can involve multi -year leases with predefined terms for rent increases, providing residents with predictability and security. 2. Transparent Rent Policies: Clearly communicating rent policies and any potential increases well in advance allows residents to plan their finances accordingly. Transparency fosters trust and understanding between park management and residents. 3. Rent Control Regulations: The community land trust will be required to establish by- laws that have rent control regulations in place to limit the amount by which it can increase rents and maintenance fees. This will incorporate HOME affordability provisions and require that no increase can exceed those rent limits. The calculation of rent for the HOME affordability rent limits will include the cost of a mortgage for the current market rate of a single -wide manufactured home and current federal interest rate payment. The rent limit calculation will be completed yearly upon release of the HOME rent limits by HUD. 4. Maintenance Fee Structure: Implementing a maintenance fee structure separate from rent will help cover the costs of upkeep and infrastructure improvements without directly impacting rent. This approach can provide a more stable financial model and will provide non -financial alternative contribution options to residents to meet this obligation. This fee will be included in the affordability calculations required by the grant program. 5. Investment in Efficiency and Cost Reduction: Finding ways to reduce operating costs through efficiency improvements or strategic investments will help mitigate the need for rent increases. This will include energy -efficient upgrades, infrastructure moved out from under manufactured homes for less costly maintenance/upgrades, and optimizing operational processes through the community land trust model. 6. Community Engagement and Feedback: Regularly seeking input from residents through community meetings or surveys can help gauge concerns and preferences 3i1Page City of Dubuque regarding rent increases. Involving residents in decision -making processes fosters a sense of community ownership and may lead to more equitable solutions. 7. Subsidies or Assistance Programs: Offering subsidies or assistance programs for residents facing financial hardship can help mitigate the impact of rent increases on vulnerable members of the community. This will include the acceptance of Housing Choice Vouchers, State sponsored rent assistance programs, down -payment assistance programs and State Revolving Loan funds for major infrastructure needs. 8. Alternative Revenue Streams: Alternative revenue streams, such as renting out common facilities or offering additional services, will be utilized to help supplement income without solely relying on rent increases. 9. Negotiation and Flexibility: In cases where rent increases are necessary, being open to negotiation and flexible payment plans can help alleviate the burden on residents, especially those on fixed incomes. By implementing a combination of these strategies, the community land trust can keep rent affordable while maintaining the financial viability of the park without future federal subsidies. How will your proposed activities promote stable homeownership options in the long-term, including both the house itself and the lot on which it sits? The proposed activities will promote stable homeownership options in the long-term in many different ways. By acquiring the land with this grant, making improvements to it, and then holding the land in trust for the benefit of the community through a Community Land Trust (CLT) we will be promoting long-term affordability, community control and sustainable development. The CLT will maintain ownership of the land but will sell the manufactured homes to residents, making homes more affordable and available to low to moderate income households by reducing the upfront costs for residents. Also, through this model we would be able to regulate resale values ensuring that we would still be serving low to moderate income households, providing stability and affordable homeownership options for future generations. Allowing community control over the land with a board made up of community members as well as residents, will ensure that decisions are tailored to the residents needs and with their best interests in mind, while also granting a sense of ownership and stability in the community. The infrastructure improvements will allow all residents to have equal access to healthy, safe, and well -maintained grounds. This will also enhance the appearance of the land, help to preserve property values, and promote stable homeownership. Through the partnership with a community health organization, we will be able to provide social services, education, and self- sufficiency. We would also provide access to funds to make improvements to the manufactured homes as it relates to deterioration, maintenance, and ADA accessibility. These resources will enhance the lives of the residents by allowing them to live independently, to age in place and 321Page City of Dubuque give them the tools to be able to thrive in their homes. By addressing both the affordability of the homes and the security of the land, our proposal will provide a stable homeownership opportunity to those most in need in our community. How will your proposal support underserved communities in the long term? The proposal will support the underserved in our community in the long term by increasing affordability of manufactured homes, securing affordability to the low -to -moderate income populations, and preventing displacements due to rising housing costs. Our project will also improve the lives of those living in the community through infrastructure improvements that will aid in the health and safety of all residents. This CLT model will ensure equitable access to all. Our CLT will opt to place restrictions on resale prices to ensure that homes remain affordable for future buyers. This prevents market forces from causing an inflation impact on housing costs over time, and thus providing stable and affordable homeownership options for generations to come. This will allow low -to -moderate income households the opportunity to make financial improvements without the worry of impending lot rent increases and increasing homeownership costs. This grant will ultimately enable residents to have a voice in the community that they are choosing to live in, making it a vibrant and attractive choice for others to aspire to join. Overall, a manufactured home park run by a CLT that invests in infrastructure and manufactured home enhancements will significantly benefit the underserved in the community by providing affordable housing, improving living conditions, fostering community development, and promoting equity and sustainability in the long term. How will your proposed activities advance housing access and justice for vulnerable populations or underserved communities? Modern manufactured homes that will be created as part of this grant are built to higher construction standards that incorporate energy -efficiency and modern amenities not offered in affordable site -built units. Updated infrastructure in the manufactured home community will also enhance the safety and livability of the homes, providing underserved communities such as the elderly, disabled and minority populations with quality housing options. Manufactured homes will be designed and rehabilitated with accessibility features that cater to individuals with disabilities or mobility challenges. Updated infrastructure, including accessible pathways, ramps, and parking spaces, ensures that the manufactured home communities are inclusive and accessible to all residents, regardless of physical ability. Additionally, involving residents in the planning, rehabilitation and community amenities offered in the manufactured home community and infrastructure projects fosters community engagement and empowerment. By prioritizing the needs and preferences of residents, communities can create housing solutions that reflect local values, cultures, and aspirations, strengthening social cohesion and civic pride. 331Page City of Dubuque How will your proposal enable underserved communities, particularly those of color, to build wealth over the long term? Manufactured homes located in a community land trust are more affordable than traditional site -built homes or for -profit manufactured home lots, making homeownership accessible to individuals and families with lower incomes, including people of color. They also have lower upfront costs compared to site -built homes, making them more attainable for individuals who may face barriers to homeownership, such as limited savings or lower credit scores. This lower barrier to entry allows people of color to enter the housing market and start building equity sooner. Additional incentives provided by the partnership with the City of Dubuque's CDBG program can create immediate equity and provide a way to improve the manufactured home with grant funds. While manufactured homes may not appreciate in value as rapidly as site -built homes, they can still appreciate over time, especially when properly maintained and located in desirable communities such as the community land trust formed by this grant that will have new infrastructure and updated homes. As the value of the home increases, homeowners of color can build wealth through equity accumulation, potentially leading to future financial stability and opportunities for intergenerational wealth transfer. The community land trust will not have restrictions on re -sale or rental of the manufactured homes in the community. This means they can also serve as investment properties, allowing homeowners to generate rental income by leasing out their homes to tenants. This additional source of income can contribute to wealth accumulation and financial stability for people of color, particularly when strategically managed and maintained. How will your proposal make manufactured housing or MHCs livable, sustainable, and resilient? Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Development: Weatherization efforts will improve the energy efficiency of manufactured homes by sealing air leaks, adding insulation, and upgrading windows and doors. This helps reduce energy consumption for heating and cooling, leading to lower utility bills for residents. By reducing energy demand, weatherization contributes to lower greenhouse gas emissions and mitigates the environmental impact of housing. Additionally, extending the lifespan of manufactured homes through rehabilitation reduces the need for new construction, conserving natural resources and reducing construction -related emissions. Improved Comfort and Health: Rehabilitation projects will involve upgrading heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, which not only increase energy efficiency but also improve indoor air quality and comfort. Proper insulation and air sealing can help regulate indoor temperatures and reduce drafts, creating a more comfortable living environment. Additionally, addressing moisture issues through weatherization measures helps prevent mold and mildew growth, which can contribute to respiratory problems and other health issues. 341Page City of Dubuque Long -Term Cost Savings: Lower energy bills, reduced maintenance costs, and extended lifespan of building components through rehabilitation or replacement with this grant will contribute to significant cost savings for homeowners over time. This financial stability improves housing affordability and allows residents to allocate resources to other essential needs. Resilience to Extreme Weather Events: Weatherization will make the manufactured homes more resilient to extreme weather events, such as flash flooding and high winds. Reinforcing structural elements, securing roofing materials, and installing storm shutters or impact -resistant windows help minimize damage and increase safety during emergencies. Adding storm shelters will also increase the safety of the residents themselves, preventing debilitating injury that can make a household less resilient. Community Benefits: Upgrading essential utility and transportation infrastructure can have positive ripple effects on the entire community, so resources are focused on maintenance rather than emergency replacement activities. Improving the quality of housing stock enhances neighborhood aesthetics, boosts property values, and fosters community pride. 35IPage