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Real Briefings

Community Development Advisory Board (CDAB)

BEL-CDA-2024-09-19 September 19, 2024 Community Development Advisory City of Bellingham 6 min
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The Community Development Advisory Board held its September meeting to conduct a public hearing on the 2023 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) and discuss proposed changes to the housing levy's Administrative and Financial Plan. The meeting focused primarily on federal reporting requirements and local housing fund management, with staff seeking board approval to submit the CAPER to HUD and feedback on expanding the administrative plan to include affordable housing sales tax. The board voted unanimously to approve the CAPER for submission to HUD while providing suggestions for improving the public-facing version. Discussion of the Administrative and Financial Plan revealed concerns about reducing the administration budget from 6% to 5%, with members questioning whether current staffing levels could be maintained. The meeting also featured a review of currently funded agencies as preparation for the upcoming Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) process. A significant portion of the meeting was devoted to educating board members about Bellingham's shelter landscape, including the challenges of establishing low-barrier shelter options and the complex web of federal, state, and local funding sources that constrain program flexibility.

**2023 CAPER Approval:** The board unanimously approved the Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report for submission to HUD, which documents the city's progress on housing and community development goals during the 2023 program year. **Public-Facing Report Feedback:** The board provided recommendations for improving the public version of the CAPER, including adding an executive summary and clarifying metrics used to derive reported numbers. Staff will continue to accept feedback through the next CDAB meeti…

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**CAPER Reporting Requirements:** Staff explained the dual nature of the CAPER — meeting federal HUD reporting requirements while creating a public-facing document that effectively communicates city accomplishments. The discussion revealed tension between regulatory compliance and community engagement, with board members suggesting ways to make the document more accessible to general readers. **Housing Levy Financial Management:** The proposed Administrative and Financial Plan updates would combine housing levy and sales tax funding into a single planning document, reflecting the reality that these funds support overlapping programs. The plan shows $48.1 million in total resources over the levy per…
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**Jasmine Fast** advocated for exploring additional funding opportunities, specifically mentioning the Connecting Housing to Infrastructure Program (CHIP) and Section 108 loan guarantees as potential resources for affordable housing development. **Shannon Laws** shared information about rising poverty rates in Bellingham, citing a recent King 5 news report showing 22% of residents in poverty, representing a 54% increase from 2020 to 2023. She questioned…
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**Samya Lutz**, on shelter challenges: "Really, it's a big job. It's a big, big job that nobody's stepped up for. And I don't know what the solution is to that." **Karin Jones**, explaining the shelter situation: "They approached, that the city approached multiple agencies that already function in Bellingham. Saying, we have the money for you. We will actually hire someone, you know, full time to get this off the ground if you're willing to take it on, and nobody took it on." **Jasmine Fast…
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**October 10 CDAB Meeting:** The board will continue discussion of the Administrative and Financial Plan, with staff seeking final recommendations for City Council consideration. **NOFA Process Development:** Staff will present detailed information about the Notice of Funding Availability process, including application procedures and scoring rubrics, with NOFA publication expected by late November/early December. **Housing Week Events:** Multiple housing-related ev…

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**CAPER Authorization:** The board formally approved submission of the 2023 CAPER to HUD, completing a required federal reporting obligation. **Public Document Improvement:** Staff received specific guidance on enhancing the public-facing version of the CAPER with executive summary and metric explanations. **Administrative Plan Timeline:** Discussion of the Administrative and Financial Plan was extended to October, …
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## Meeting Overview On September 19, 2024, at 6:00 PM, the Community Development Advisory Board (CDAB) convened in the Mayor's Boardroom for their monthly meeting, with several members participating virtually. This was a particularly substantial meeting featuring the public hearing on the CAPER report, a detailed discussion of the Administrative and Financial Plan, and an overview of funded agencies. Present were board members Karin Jones (Chair), Andrew Calkins, Ben Spicer, Jake Hawes, Jasmine Fast, Josh Sanders, Katherine Freimund, Matt Unger, Ryan Wood, Shannon Laws, and Councilmember Jace Cotton. Staff included Samya Lutz, Kathleen Morton, and Heather Aven. The meeting showcased both the complexity and achievements of Bellingham's housing and community development efforts, from the federal reporting requirements that document their progress to local funding allocation strategies and the challenging realities of providing human services in a constrained funding environment. ## CAPER Public Hearing: A Year of Significant Achievement Kathleen Morton, Development Specialist, led the Community Development Advisory Board through the public hearing on the Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) — the city's annual accounting to HUD of progress on housing and community development goals. The presentation revealed both impressive accomplishments and the ongoing challenges facing Bellingham's housing landscape. The CAPER covers the period from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024, documenting how the city has deployed federal CDBG and HOME funds alongside local funding sources including the housing levy, affordable housing sales tax, and general fund dollars. Morton explained that while HUD requires this technical report, the city has also created a more accessible public-facing version to better communicate with residents about these investments. The data showed remarkable progress in some areas while highlighting persistent challenges in others. The city exceeded its housing production goals, completing 157 affordable rental units through projects like the Laurel and Forest development and the Millworks housing…
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### Meeting Overview The Community Development Advisory Board met on September 19, 2024 to hold a public hearing on the CAPER report, discuss modifications to the Administrative & Financial Plan, and review the work of funded agencies. The meeting focused heavily on housing and human services funding and program evaluation. ### Key Terms and Concepts **CAPER:** Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report - a federal requirement that shows progress toward meeting housing and community development goals set by HUD. **Administrative & Financial Plan (A&F Plan):** A City Council-approved document that governs how Housing Levy and Affordable Housing Sales Tax dollars are spent over the 10-year levy period (2019-2028). **Housing Levy:** A property tax approved by Bellingham voters in 2017 providing $40 million over 10 years for affordable housing production, preservation, services, and homebuyer assistance. **Affordable Housing Sales Tax:** A 0.1% sales tax authorized by the state legislature in 2019 to fund affordable housing and related services for households earning 60% or less of area median income. **NOFA:** Notice of Funding Availability - the competitive application process through which local agencies apply for City housing and human services funding every two years. **HOME-ARP:** HOME American Rescue Plan funds - additional federal housing dollars allocated during COVID-19 recovery. **Section 3:** Federal requirement that housing projects provide employment and contracting opportunities to low-income residents. **Coordinated Entry:** The county-operated system that prioritizes homeless individuals and families for available housing based on vulnerability and need. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Karin Jones | CDAB Chair | | Samya Lutz | Housing & Services Program Manager | | Kathleen Morton | Development Specialis…
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Housing Government Operations Social Services Samya Lutz Kathleen Morton Karin Jones Jasmine Fast Shannon Laws Cdab Housing Budget Homeless Shelter Federal Reporting