PUBLIC NOTICE ON VIRTUAL PUBLIC MEETINGS And REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS For COUNTY OF HAWAI’I’S 2021 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG), HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP (HOME) & NATIONAL HOUSING TRUST FUND (HTF) PROGRAMS The County of Hawai’i’s Office of Housing & Community Development (OHCD) and the State of Hawai’i’s Hawai’i Housing Finance and Development (HHFDC) is beginning its 2021 Consolidated/Action Plan process for the aforementioned programs. As required by federal regulations and as allowed by program waivers due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the County will hold Virtual Public Hearings on September 9 at 2:00 p.m. and September 11, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. The purpose of these Public Hearings is to hear views and comments from citizens on housing and community development needs and the past performance of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD’s) CDBG, HOME and HTF Programs. The County encourages its citizens, especially persons of low and moderate income, minorities and non-English speaking persons, as well as persons with disabilities, to participate in the Virtual Public Hearings and share their comments and views. For connectivity information on attending the Virtual Public Hearings, please go to https://www.hawaiicounty.gov/departments/office-of-housing. Persons requiring special needs may call the OHCD at V/TT 961-8379 at least seven (7) days prior to the hearings so arrangements may be made to accommodate them. Citizens who are unable to attend these virtual hearings may submit by fax (808-961-8685) testimony pertaining to their housing and community development needs by September 14, 2020 to Duane Hosaka, Housing Administrator, Office of Housing and Community Development, 1990 Kino’ole Street, Suite 102, Hilo, Hawai’i 96720. 2021 CDBG/HOME/HTF PROJECT PROPOSAL FORMS The County’s five-year 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan (CP) describes the County’s housing and community development needs, funding plans, priorities and objectives, and includes the County’s Annual Action Plan for the use of CDBG/HOME/HTF Program funds. The County of Hawai’i is, therefore, seeking project proposals from eligible applicants to include in its 2021 Annual Action Plan to HUD. In order to receive federal funding all applicants will be required to have a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and be actively registered with current information in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) prior to applying for CDBG/HOME/HTF funding. The applicant will have to submit proof that they have a DUNS number and are actively registered in the CCR system with their project proposal packet. All project proposals submitted to the OHCD must comply with the program criteria, meet eligibility requirements, program objectives, and be consistent with the County’s priorities and objectives as contained in the County’s 2020-2024 CP. All original project proposals and two (2) copies must be received by 4:30 p.m. on November 9, 2020, by the OHCD, 1990 Kino’ole Street, Suite 102, Hilo, Hawai’i 96720-5293 or OHCD Kona Office, 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i 96740. The proposal forms and federal guidelines covering the eligible activities will be available at the OHCD website at https://www.hawaiicounty.gov/departments/office-of-housing and at the following locations beginning Sept 14, 2020, Monday through Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except on holidays. Proposal forms will also be mailed, upon request. OFFICE OF HOUSING AND OFFICE OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Kino’ole Plaza West Hawai’i Civic Center 1990 Kino’ole Street 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy. Hilo, Hawai’i 96720 Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i 96740 Phone: 961-8379 Phone: 323-4300 A brief description of the CDBG Program are as follows: Community Development Block Grant Program: Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-383) created the CDBG Program, which became effective January 1, 1974. Under the CDBG Program, a community is able to develop a flexible, locally designed comprehensive community development strategy in order to address the program’s primary objective: “…development of viable urban communities, by providing decent housing and suitable living environments and expanding economic opportunities principally for persons of low and moderate income.” The County expects to receive approximately $2,500,000 for its CDBG Program. Under the CDBG program, grants or loan assistance may be used by eligible public agencies, private non-profit organizations, and Community Based Development Organizations (CBDO)(non-profit organization) for the following activities provided that these activities either 1) principally benefit low and moderate income families, 2) aid in the prevention or elimination of slums and blight, or 3) meet other community development needs having a particular urgency. Range of Eligible Activities for the use of CDBG Program Funds: * Acquisition of real property. * Disposition of real property. * Acquisition, construction, * Clearance, demolition and removal reconstruction, rehabilitation or of buildings and improvements. or installation of public facilities. * Interim assistance to immediately arrest * Provision of public services deterioration and alleviate emergency provided it is a new service or a conditions. quantifiable increase in a * Urban renewal completion. service now being provided * Relocation payments. and does not exceed 15% * Loss of rental income incurred in of the County’s allocation. holding housing units for displacees. * Removal of material and architectural barriers and restricting mobility of elderly and disabled. HOME Program: The HOME Program was created under Title II (the HOME Investment Partnership Act) of the National Affordable Housing Act of 1990. The purpose of the HOME Program is to expand the supply of decent, safe, sanitary and affordable housing for very low and low-income persons. Under the HOME Program, equity investments, interest-bearing and non-interest bearing loans or advances, deferred payment loans, grants, may be used by eligible public agencies, private non-profit organizations, developers, owners, community housing development organizations or other private organizations are eligible to utilize HOME funds for the following activities. Range of Eligible Activities for the use of HOME Program Funds: * Development hard costs defined as the actual cost of constructing or rehabilitating housing. * Acquisition costs. * Related soft costs defined as other reasonable and necessary costs incurred and associated with the financing or development (or both) of new construction, rehabilitation or acquisition of housing assisted with HOME funds. * Cost related to tenant-based rental assistance. Applicants applying for HOME funding are required to match for every $1.00 of federal HOME funds expended for the project with at least $.25 of eligible matching funds. The State of Hawai’i is required to submit its own 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan to HUD for the HOME program. The HOME program funds are allocated on a three (3) year rotation basis between the three neighboring Counties. Hawai’i County is next in the rotation to receive HOME program funds in 2021. The County anticipates it will receive approximately $1,475,000 of HOME funding. National Housing Trust Fund: The National Housing Trust Fund Program is a fairly new federally funded program which was created by Section 1131 of Title I of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. This program is intended to be a locally designed and administered program to increase and preserve the supply of decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable housing, with primary attention to rental housing for extremely low-income and very low-income households, including homeless families. The State of Hawai’i Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC) anticipates receiving approximately $3,000,000 in HTF in 2021. The allocation is divided amongst the City and County and rotated annually between the neighbor island counties. Hawai’i County is next in the rotation to receive the HTF program funds in 2021 of approximately $1,425,000. The County is targeting these funds solely for rental housing activities serving households with incomes at or below 30% of the area median income. HTF funds can be used for the new construction or acquisition and/or rehabilitation of rental housing units affordable to extremely low-income families and some operating costs for rental projects. OFFICE OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COUNTY OF HAWAI’I By: Duane Hosaka Housing Administrator Harry Kim, Mayor County of Hawai’i (WHT1291733 8/14/20)