CDBG Public Services Best Practices

1. CDBG Public Services Best Practices

2. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • My Background

3. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • City of Urbana, IL - Population 43,000 • City of Jacksonville, FL – Population 893,000+ Comparison of Best Practices for two different Entitlement Communities:

4. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • City of Urbana, Champaign County, IL • Demographics • Home to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) • Student population = 50,000 • Twin City – City of Champaign, Champaign County, IL • Population in 2014: 42,044 • County Population in 2018: 200,000+ • (City of Champaign = 85,000 + City of Urbana = 42,000 + Village of Savoy = 7200; total = 134,200 • Estimated median household income in 2016: $34,052

5. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • City of Urbana, Champaign County, IL • Race & Ethnicity: • White alone 55.1% • Asian alone 19.4% • Black alone 18.1% • Hispanic 4.9% • Two or more races 2.7% • American Indian alone 0.3% • Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone 0.1% • Other race alone 0.03%

6. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • City of Jacksonville/Duval County, FL • Demographics • Consolidated City-County Government • Population in 2016: 880,623 • Males: 426,712   (48.5%) • Females: 453,911   (51.5%) • Median resident age:   35.7 years • Florida median age:   42.1 years • Estimated median household income in 2016: $51,298 • Jacksonville: $51,298 • FL: $50,860

7. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • City of Jacksonville/Duval County, FL • Race & Ethnicity: • White alone 52.3% • Black alone 30.3% • Hispanic 9.4% • Asian alone 4.4% • Two or more races 3.2% • Other race alone 0.3% • American Indian alone 0.1% • Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone 0.05%

8. CDBG Public Services Best Practices This Session will focus on: A. Strategies to Increase the Diversity of Applicants and Funded Services, B. Evaluating Projects for Effectiveness and to Ensure the Public Services Match the Needs of the Community, and C. Implementing Policies to Detect and Avoid Fraud, and Ensure Program Compliance.

9. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • A. Strategies to Increase the Diversity of Applicants & Funded Services: • Strategy #1: Through Citizen Participation Plan (CPP) • Strategy #2: Through Public Service Application Process (CSSF/UA) • Strategy #3: Through Advertising • Strategy #4: By Providing Technical Assistanceto Agencies

10. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • Strategy #1: Through Citizen Participation Plan(CPP)

11. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • City of Urbana, IL • The City of Urbana, through its Community Development Commission and Grants Management Division, has provided and will continue to provide citizens with opportunities to participate in planning, implementing, and evaluating the Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plans. • Through the Grants Management Division, the City provides information to citizens, holds public hearings to obtain input of residents, and provides citizens with opportunities to comment on the activities of the Consolidated Plan/Annual Action Plans.

12. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • City of Jacksonville, FL • Citizen Participation must be an integral part of the planning process for the Consolidated Submission for all Community Planning and Development Programs (CPD). Much of the citizen participation process involves scheduling, publicizing and conducting public meetings and hearings. • Additional Citizen Participation Activities • Consultation of Area Agencies • Public Access to Records • Public Access to Data Sources • Residents of Public and Assisted Housing • Environmental Review • Miscellaneous and Informal Meetings • Technical Assistance • Plans to Minimize Displacement of Persons and to Assist any Persons Displaced • Complaints

13. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • City of Jacksonville, FL • Citizen Comments & Feedback • During all public meetings and hearings citizens are encouraged to comment or submit written comments/complaints to the City of Jacksonville, Neighborhoods Department, Housing and Community Development Division concerning the proposed plans, reports and the performance of the HCDD department and/or other City departments and entities under contract with the City for the implementation of program related activities. • Accessibility of Meetings & Documents • Bilingual Information • With at least one business day of advanced notice Spanish translators will be provided at public meetings. • American With Disabilities Act (ADA) - 1973 Rehabilitation Act • With at least one business day of advanced notice, the department shall provide assistance and special arrangements for those who are disabled in order to provide information and services concerning federally funded programs

14. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • Strategy #2: Through Public Service Application Process • (CSSF/UA)

15. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • City of Urbana, IL • Consolidated Social Service Funding Pool (CSSF) • The Consolidated Social Service Funding Pool is intended to provide grants to non-profit organizations that sponsor social services for Urbana residents. • The consolidated fund combines funds from the following sources: City of Urbana general funds, Cunningham Township funds, and City of Urbana CDBG funds. • Notice of the open grant period was shared widely across the community to encourage more organizations to apply compared to previous years. The outreach plan was crafted by the committee and reviewed by City Council/Town Board. • One major goal of the outreach plan was to encourage new and upcoming organizations to apply and to utilize CSSF money to grow capacity in their organization. • Additionally, any agency interested in applying was required to attend one of the two application workshops so they would be aware of the changes in this year’s application.

16. CDBG Public Services Best Practices

17. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • City of Jacksonville, FL • Universal Application Process: • The need for improved public services was among the highest priorities identified through the public involvement process. Elderly service programs, disabled services, youth services, legal services, abused persons, crime prevention, health services, substance abuse programs and employment training programs were all emphasized repeatedly at the public hearings. • The role of the City of Jacksonville’s Housing and Community Development Division (HCDD) is important in providing public services functioning as a facilitator in partnership with numerous local organizations to deliver services. • Various organizations on the "front line" have assisted in determining priority needs and programs for the planning period.

18. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • City of Jacksonville • 2019 Program Year • Universal Application Scoring • Applicant Agency, Project Name; Grant Program (circle one): CDBG/ESG/HOPWA; • Funds Requested • Scoring Summary: Section IV - Agency Summary & Capacity Analysis (20 points); Section V - Statement of Need (15 Points); Section VI - Project Description and Delivery (35 Points); Section VII - Budget and Financial Analysis (30 Points); Total Score • Reviewer Name; Reviewer Signature; Review Date

19. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • Strategy #3: Through Advertising

20. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • City of Urbana, IL • Notices indicate the date, time, place, and purpose of each hearing. • At the time notices are published in the newspaper, copies of the newspaper text are mailed electronically to appropriate neighborhood organizations and social service agencies involved with the Community Development Program in Urbana, including the Housing Authority of Champaign County. • The City/Consortium sends a notice of availability of copies of the draft Consolidated Plan/Annual Action Plan electronically to appropriate neighborhood organizations and social service agencies, including the Housing Authority of Champaign County, along with the notice of public hearing on the draft plan.

21. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • City of Jacksonville, FL • To encourage low- and moderate-income persons to attend and participate, the annual community public meetings and public hearings are held in the early evening, Monday through Thursday at various public venues throughout the City. • All public hearings shall be announced at least ten (10) calendar days before the date of the meeting. The HCDD will utilize the following media to notify program beneficiaries regarding upcoming meetings: • A. Newspaper advertisements,   • B. Public Hearings are always advertised on the City of Jacksonville’s website.

22. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • Strategy #4: By Providing Technical Assistance to Agencies

23. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • City of Urbana, IL • Technical Assistance • The City/Consortium provides technical assistance at the level and of the type deemed appropriate by the Grants Management Division Manager. Technical assistance is provided to the Community Development Commission and to any neighborhood or area-wide organization, so such organization may adequately participate in planning, implementing, and assessing the Community Development Program. • Technical assistance is also provided to groups of low-income persons and to groups of residents of neighborhoods targeted by the CDBG Program to help such groups complete written comments and funding proposals in connection with the Community Development Program.

24. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • City of Jacksonville, FL • Technical Assistance • …The City’s Neighborhoods Department, Housing and Community Development Division shall provide technical assistance when requested by public and private agencies, non-profit public benefit organizations and individuals for the purpose of assisting the agency or individual in developing its proposal for consideration of Consolidated Plan funding, provided the proposal is eligible and qualifies per HUD regulations. Technical assistance shall include but not be limited to: • Assisting in better defining the proposal by outlining specific information the applicant(s) should gather and include in their proposal. • Referring applicant to other public/private agencies which may help gather/provide needed information and/or technical assistance. • Developing preliminary cost estimates for the proposal. • Preparing very basic conceptual descriptions and/or drawing of the proposal. • Providing for final review of the proposal for completeness prior to its official submission to the HCDD for consideration for funding.

25. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • (1) Needs determined in Consolidated Plan through Citizen Participation using public meetings and focus groups. • (2) Continually assess and amend Consolidated Plan as needed; Needs Assessment. • (3) In Preparing for the CAPER. • (4) Scoring of the Public Services Application and Review of information provided by non-profits B. Evaluate projects for effectiveness and ensure public services match the needs of the community:

26. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • (1) Needs determined in Consolidated Plan through Citizen Participation using public meetings and focus groups.

27. CDBG Public Services Best Practices City of Urbana, IL The City, through the Grants Management Division: • Provides information to citizens, holds public hearings to obtain input of residents, and provides citizens with opportunities to comment on the activities of the ConPlan/AAPs. • A review of the ConPlan should be complete at least annually to ensure: (1) that activities funded meet the stated needs and follow the strategic plan, (2) adherence to citizen participation, (3) changes to funded projects are within the plan, and (4) HOME specific certifications match funding of projects.

28. CDBG Public Services Best Practices City of Jacksonville, FL: • Facilitates External Agency Consultations • A letter and a survey questionnaire are prepared to conduct consultations with public and private sector external agencies (Federal, State, County and City) to obtain information on community needs and to maximize coordination and communication between and among agencies. • Facilitates Focus Group Meetings • During consultation meetings, seeks input on emerging needs and program and partnership opportunities. Information gathered from Community Organizations during the consultations is utilized to prioritize goals and funding allocations. Information obtained is summarized in an acknowledgement memo. The Administrator makes a note in the file that the consultation has occurred and documents public input in the Consolidated Plan. Copies of notices, responses, and letters received shall be included in the Consolidated Plan. • Coordinates Community Forum/Public Meetings • Coordinate community forums and public meetings to receive public comments on the needs and priorities and plans outlined in the Consolidated Plan. The Administrator shall provide the public notice about the meetings in alternative format for people requesting this accommodation. All public notices shall include the City’s staff contact for accommodation for persons with disabilities at all public meetings and focus groups.

29. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • External agencies consulted should include, but not limited to, the following: • Public Housing Authority (PHA) • Continuum of Care participants • Homeless providers • Agencies serving the elderly and children • Agencies serving persons with disabilities and persons with HIV/AIDS • Agencies serving victims of domestic violence • Health Department and service agencies • Fair housing agencies • Agencies addressing education and employment • Department of Social Services

30. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • (2) Continually assess and amend Consolidated Plan as needed; • Needs Assessment.

31. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • City of Urbana, IL • Assessment of Consolidated Plan Performance • Citizens and citizen organizations are given the opportunity to assess and submit comments on all aspects of the Consolidated Plan, Annual Action Plans, and Performance Reports, including the performance of any program subgrantees. • Citizens are also given the opportunity to assess projects and activities to determine whether Consolidated Plan strategies and specific objectives are being achieved. • Citizens have opportunities to assess performance through public hearings and meetings, contact with the Community Development Commission, and contact with the Grants Management Division staff.

32. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • City of Jacksonville, FL • Amendments to Plans & Reports • In the event the City needs to make changes to the Consolidated Plan and the Annual Action Plan, the City must determine the nature of the required changes and in such cases where the changes are considered substantial, the City must produce what HUD refers to as a Substantial Amendment to the Consolidated Plan and/or Annual Action Plan. • Prior to amending a Consolidated Plan and/or Annual Action Plan, the City will provide citizens with reasonable notice of, and opportunity to comment on, proposed program changes in its use of Action Plan funds for a project (either funded in whole or in part). • This involves a 15-day review period. A summary of citizen comments or views and the reasons any such comments or views were not accepted will be attached to amendments of the Plan. The City will consider any such comments, and if the grantee deems appropriate, modify the changes.

33. CDBG Public Services Best Practices (3) In Preparing for the Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER)

34. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • City of Urbana, IL • Performance Reporting • The City/Consortium provides citizens with opportunities to comment on draft performance reports prior to their submittal to HUD. The City/Consortium publishes a notice in the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette announcing availability of a draft Performance Report. The notice is published in the non-legal/non-classified section (display advertisement) of the newspaper at least 14 days prior to its submission to HUD. Copies of the draft report are mailed to appropriate neighborhood organizations and social service agencies involved with the Community Development Program. A summary of comments received by the City/Consortium on the Performance Report is attached to the report submitted to HUD. • Copies of proposed and approved Consolidated Plans/Annual Action Plans, Performance Reports, and substantial amendments to the plan are available for public review on the City of Urbana website at www.city.urbana.il.us and at the following location: • City of Urbana, 400 South Vine Street, Urbana: Grants Management Division& City Clerk's Office • Urbana Free Library, 210 West Green Street, Urbana • Housing Authority of Champaign County, 205 West Park Avenue, Champaign • Champaign County Regional Planning Commission, 1776 E. Washington Street, Urbana

35. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • City of Jacksonville, FL • Publication of Plans & Reports • Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER) • The publication is made to afford citizens an opportunity to examine the documents’ contents, and to provide further opportunity for comments (written and orally) and citizen feedback regarding the proposed document. A brief summary of each plan and/or report is to be published in newspapers of general circulation (Florida Star and Florida Times Union) in both English and Spanish. • Additionally, all plans and reports, listed above, shall be made available, in their entirety, for further review in the following manner: 1) a PDF copy available on the City’s website 2) hard copies available for review at the City offices and 3) hard copies available at the Jacksonville Public Library branches. Furthermore, copies of the proposed plan and/or report will be made available, free of charge, for individuals who request them. • A period of no less than thirty (30) days shall be made available for public review and comment for the Consolidated Plan, Annual Action Plan, and the Citizen Participation Plan. The City shall make the Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report and any Substantial Amendments to these Plans available for public comment for a minimum of fifteen (15) calendar days prior to finalization by City staff. The Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice does not require a public comment period.

36. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • (4) Scoring of the Public Services Application & Review of information provided by non-profits

37. CDBG Public Services Best Practices

38. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • City of Jacksonville • 2019 Program Year • Universal Application Scoring • Applicant Agency, Project Name; Grant Program (circle one): CDBG/ESG/HOPWA; • Funds Requested • Scoring Summary: Section IV - Agency Summary & Capacity Analysis (20 points); Section V - Statement of Need (15 Points); Section VI - Project Description and Delivery (35 Points); Section VII - Budget and Financial Analysis (30 Points); Total Score • Reviewer Name; Reviewer Signature; Review Date

39. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • 3. Implementing policies to detect and avoid fraud and ensure program compliance: • Monitoring • Reporting • Compliance

40. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • Monitoring

41. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • City of Urbana, IL • Project Monitoring • Grants Management Division staff shall review project files regularly and when the project closes to ensure compliance with HOME, CDBG, SHP, ESG and BRP requirements and regulations. • GMD shall review the file to ensure that all documentation is included, pre-and post-inspections are completed, and that the applicable checklist is completed and placed it in the file.

42. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • City of Urbana, IL - Monitoring • 1. Agencies shall be notified in a letter sent via USPS or by email that indicates the date and time of the monitoring visit. • The letter will request that staff with access to original program files be available at the date and time of the visit. • The letter will provide instructions requesting that the agency reply affirmatively within a specified time period that they received the letter. • 2. The letter shall state that the monitoring is mandatory, and that a staff member and files are required to be made available. • 3. GMD staff will follow up the letter notifying of the scheduled monitoring visit with an email to the agency complete with a scanned PDF copy of the monitoring letter attached. • 4. If there is no response to the letter or email, GMD staff will follow the email by calling the agency directly to confirm that agency staff will be available, in addition to confirming that the agency will meet the requirement of providing access to original program files.

43. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • City of Jacksonville, FL • Monitoring • The City of Jacksonville is committed to a comprehensive program of monitoring and evaluating the progress of housing and community development activities. The goal of the jurisdictions is to ensure long-term compliance with applicable regulations and standards, particularly the Title II of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act, as amended through December 31, 1998. • The City will monitor its subrecipients receiving funding for public services under CDBG, other City departments receiving CDBG funding for activities such as parks and public infrastructure, non-profits and developers participating in the Rental and CHDO projects. • The monitoring process will facilitate the evaluation of program accomplishments in relation to the goals and objectives established in contracts by allowing the City to review all programs and housing service providers in order to assess strengths, weaknesses, performance capabilities and accomplishments. Information gained from the review will give the City an opportunity to determine which programs and/or strategies are working, if benefits are being achieved, needs being met and accomplishment of objectives. Both qualitative and quantitative methods of evaluations will be utilized.

44. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • City of Jacksonville, FL - Monitoring • Monitoring activities for the ConPlanwill incorporate all program requirements of the CDBG and HOME programs. This includes reviewing and documenting projects for eligibility, maintaining record-keeping requirements and reviewing financial transactions, including budgets and expenditures. Since the Consolidated Plan is an integrated, comprehensive document, expansions and modifications of monitoring procedures will be continually conducted to comply with all federal regulations. • The entire monitoring process will involve six basic steps: • Pre-Monitoring Visit Preparation • Desk Review • Onsite Monitoring Visits • Post Review • Written Report • Monitoring Letter and Follow-Up

45. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • Reporting

46. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • City of Urbana, IL & City of Jacksonville, FL • TheConsolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) is an annual performance and evaluation report required by the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). • The report identifies the level of progress and accomplishments in meeting the priority goals, strategies, and proposed activities of the Consolidated Plan (Con Plan) and Annual Action Plan (AAP) during the twelve-month period. Comments received from the public review period are incorporated into the report.

47. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • City of Urbana, IL • Grant Agreement, Section 3 – Special Conditions: • Subgranteeagrees that funds received from the City pursuant to this Agreement shall be used to cover program costs. Subrecipient shall report semi-annually for periods ending December 31st and June 30th all program income generated by activities carried out with CDBG funds made available under this Agreement. • Subgranteemay use such income during the contract period for activities permitted under this Agreement and shall reduce requests for funds by the amount of any such program income balances. Any and all program income (including investments thereof) on hand when this Agreement expires, or received after the Agreement's expiration, shall be returned to the City. • Subgrantee agrees to submit semi-annual Progress Reports to the City in an agreed upon format. Progress Reports shall be due December 31st and June 30th. Final billing requests shall not be processed for payment until a final Progress Report (June 30th) is submitted.

48. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • City of Jacksonville, FL • Contract - ARTICLE IV (Reporting) • By the 10TH of every month during the term of this Contract, the Recipient shall provide the City with a report in form and content acceptable to the City showing all activities, including a narrative summary of any progress, and a financial statement showing all expenditures appurtenant to the Project. All expenditure of funds shall be made on a unit of service basis or as set forth in the Attachments. • The Recipient shall use the report form that has been approved by the City’s Housing and Community Development Division, in form and content substantially in the form of Attachment C, which the City may modify at any time during the term of this Contract. • The Recipient’s failure to submit monthly reports is grounds either for the City to withhold further payments to the Recipient or termination of this Contract. • The Recipient shall provide the City with additional Project information as may be requested by the City from time to time, in form and content acceptable to the City.

49. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • Compliance

50. CDBG Public Services Best Practices • City of Urbana, IL • Compliance • GMD staff will verify that the project is in compliance with program requirements and the Manager of the Grants Management Division will sign off on the file.