A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A COLLABORATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH AND MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, ACCEPTABLE TO THE CITY MANAGER AND CITY ATTORNEY, FOR THE JOINT DEVELOPMENT OF AN ASSESSMENT OF FAIR HOUSING PLAN TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT (HUD) RULES AND REGULATIONS; AND FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE ALLOCATION OF UP TO $25,000 FROM FY 17/18 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) FUNDS FOR COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF SAID PLAN.

The City is an entitlement community receiving Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) funds from the United Stated Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).  The CDBG Entitlement Program provides annual grants on a formula basis to entitled cities and counties to develop viable urban communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income persons. The program is authorized under Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, Public Law 93-383, as amended; 42 U.S.C.-5301 et seq.  The HOME program provides formula grants to States and localities that communities use - often in partnership with local nonprofit groups - to fund a wide range of activities including building, buying, and/or rehabilitating affordable housing for rent or homeownership or providing direct rental assistance to low-income people. HOME is the largest Federal block grant to state and local governments designed exclusively to create affordable housing for low-income households.

The City must comply with all federal rules and regulations administering the CDBG and HOME programs. Among these is the requirement to conduct an Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH). HUD's rule clarifies existing fair housing obligations with a streamlined process to analyze the local fair housing landscape and set fair housing priorities and goals through an Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH) which identifies four fair housing issues that entitlement communities must assess:

1. Patterns of integration and segregation;

2. Racially or ethnically concentrated areas of poverty;

3. Disparities in access to opportunity; and

4. Disproportionate housing needs.

The AFH rule is intended to improve community planning in order to overcome fair housing issues. The AFH process involves inclusive community participation and resulting in the setting of fair housing goals to increase fair housing choice and provide equal access to opportunity for all community members. HUD will then expect the City to use the fair housing goals and priorities established in its AFH to inform the investments and other decisions made in its local planning processes and documented through the City’s Consolidated Plan and Annual Plan for use of CDBG and HOME funds.

The AFH process begins with the provision of data, guidance, and an assessment tool that enables the City to identify fair housing issues and related contributing factors in its jurisdiction and region. The City is required to set goals to overcome fair housing issues and related contributing factors. Those goals must inform subsequent housing and community development planning processes.

The AFH process is time-consuming and costly as it requires significant community outreach, data collection and analysis. HUD encourages adjoining jurisdictions to pool resources and undertake the AFH collaboratively as a means of efficiency and practicality. Miami-Dade County approached the City as well as several other entitlement communities regarding collaboration to create a regional AFH. In addition to the City, the County has approached the cities of North Miami, Hialeah, Miami Gardens and Miami.

While the County has agreed to shoulder 60 percent of the costs incurred in developing the AFH, it is asking that participating cities contribute no more than 10 percent (for an amount not to exceed $25,000) for this effort. Our City benefits from this collaboration because it significantly reduces the anticipated cost of developing the AFH by almost 50 percent.

By entering into a collaboration agreement with the County to develop the Assessment of Fair Housing, the City leverages these resources to ensure compliance with HUD rules and regulations while reducing its overall cost to develop the mandated plan to only $25,000 which will be paid through CDBG funds.