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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-IURANI-2018-05-11 108 East Green Street Ithaca, New York 14850 (607) 274-6565 DRAFT MINUTES IURA Neighborhood Investment Committee (NIC) 8:30 am, Friday, May 11, 2018 Common Council Chambers, Third Floor City Hall, 108 E. Green St., Ithaca, NY 14850 Present: Karl Graham, Chair; Tracy Farrell, Vice-Chair; Fernando de Aragón Staff: Anisa Mendizabal Excused: Teresa Halpert; Paulette Manos Guests: Leslyn McBean-Clairborne, Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC); Kathy Schlather, Human Service Coalition of Tompkins County (HSC) I. Call to Order Chair Graham called the meeting to order at 8:41 am. II. Changes/Additions to Agenda The Chair welcomed Leslyn McBean-Clairborne, Director of Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC) and added discussion agenda item(s) to precede approval of minutes. III. Public Comment None. IV. Discussion -- IURA Adopted 2018 Action Plan Mc-Bean-Clairborne said that the HETP program, which started five years ago, has been extremely successful, yet costs have gone up. For the past two years, including through discussions with Mayor Myrick, GIAC has been attempting to find a way to establish HETP as a regular program of GIAC, so that it will not be dependent on grant funding, such as CDBG funding from IURA. McBean-Clairborne recalled GIAC’s CDL (Commercial Driver’s License) Program, a very successful program that is no longer in operation, and pointed out that all but one of the employees of color at the Department of Public Works (DPW) came through the CDL program. The CDL Program is no longer in existence, and McBean-Clairborne does not want that to happen to HETP. She is looking for funding for HETP from other sources. GIAC/HETP has secured $6,000 from the TC Community Foundation. HETP has also been awarded a mini- Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency grant from the Chamber of Commerce. She is awaiting news about whether an application to the United Way will be funded. She has had a meeting with the Governor’s Office regarding Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) funding. Some employers have been willing to contribute more to the internship portion of the program, but many are not there or are thinking about it. The paid internship is of great importance, because many people in the program are marginalized and low-income, and thus cannot do a “no pay” internship. Childcare, transportation and other needs continue to exist, even with a paid internship. McBean-Clairborne told the Committee that the level of funding in the IURA-adopted 2018 Draft Action Plan, $100,000, will not be enough to run the program as planned if HETP does not secure funding from other sources. Even $10,000 more would make a huge difference, she stated. At the 100,000 level, she will need to reduce the hours of the HETP Coordinator and the HETP Assistant. The barriers experienced by HETP participants, such Ithaca’s inaffordable housing costs and transportation costs incurred by living outside of Ithaca, are also experienced by people in human service roles. Graham asked if there is any indication from the City regarding its commitment to the program. McBean-Clairborne said that, yes, she has spoken with the Mayor previously about ways to secure HETP’s funding, and the Mayor has cited the IURA-managed HUD Entitlement Funding as a secure source. Graham commented that almost every year, the CDL Program is cited as one that people felt was particularly effective. “I’m sure you know the only reason we were unable to fund it is that HUD funding went down, while demands across the City remained.” Past experience with diminished funding levels and unknowns about what to expect federally has prompted the Committee to try to encourage groups that apply for IURA-administered funding to seek alternative means of support. This is no reflection on the worth of the programs. De Aragón asked if McBean-Clairborne worked with Workforce Development. McBean- Clairborne said that there are legal reasons they cannot direct funding to HETP. Mendizabal added that in her recent meeting with Julia Mattick of Workforce Development Board and Jodi LaPierre of Visit Ithaca, she learned that Workforce Development receives Strategic Tourism funding which is then leveraged to pay for Serve Safe and other certifications that HETP members can access. McBean-Clairborne said HETP will make its best effort to show Tompkins County Strategic Tourism Planning Board (STPB) that funding the infrastructure around tourism—a well-trained pool of hospitality industry talent—is a valuable investment. Farrell said, “The way I remember the CDL program was we were very in favor of it, and the woman who was running it was leaving, and perhaps we were not asked for funding, as I remember.” McBean-Clairborne stated that the person who ran the CDL program recently reached out to her to discuss restarting the CDL program. De Aragón recalled that federal transportation money supported the CDL program a few years, and Farrell added there was TCAT involvement, too. Graham inquired whether there had been any discussions with NYS Assembly Member Barbara Lifton about funding. De Aragón asked about the Department of Labor. McBean- Clairborne replied that was part of the Workforce Development conversation. Farrell asked about the HETP internships. McBean-Clairborne said participants have three months to complete them—some participants do it faster, some take the whole three months, some need extensions. For example, one participant was hired within two weeks of starting his internship. Farrell wondered if there was a way to shorten the internship. McBean-Clairborne replied that on the flipside, sometimes people need all the allotted time in their internship. She also cited incidents where the intern was not being treated fairly and which required intervention and for the intern to be referred to another employer. Farrell wondered if some employers are only looking for intern after intern with no hires. McBean- Clairborne explained that this would be a situation HETP tries to avoid. De Aragón asked if any HETP students pay tuition for the program. McBean-Clairborne responded that HETP participants cannot afford it. De Aragón wondered if the program ever enrolled the children of families who have resources enough to help. McBean-Clairborne said that most people who come to the program are the people who are most in need, and HETP tries to serve those who have the greatest needed, because they do not have other options. Mendizabal inquired if past participants ever contribute to the program afterward and McBean-Clairborne affirmed that yes, that has happened. Graham told McBean-Clairborne that the Committee would discuss her request. McBean-Clairborne left at approximately 9:05 am. V. Discussion with Kathy Schlather, Executive Director of the Tompkins County Human Services Coalition – Community Needs for Case Management Services Graham welcomed Kathy Schlather, Executive Director of the Human Services Coalition (HSC) of Tompkins County. Graham told her that as the Committee was going through the 2018 applications and listening to presentations, it saw a lot of similarity in what applicants were trying to accomplish with their populations. Applicants often asked for funding for “intensive case management.” Schlather responded that she attended Public Hearing #1 and also noticed the similarity in requests among in the Public Service presentations. Schlather began by explaining that “case work” is very different from “case management.” Case work is, “I check in two times a month”; Case management is, “I have five people and I am responsible for their success.” However, the latter has fallen away from practice, because there is no funding for that. Schlather went on to say that the need is not “having [a staff member] to fill out forms” but someone who can help identify and secure housing, and, as importantly, retain it once it’s been secured. And, more likely, this is not one person tasked with this responsibility but five, “It’s someone the landlord can talk to,” she said, if the tenant is not complying with the lease and/or is not communicating. “Many times, people [tenants] do nothing when they get a notice of eviction” due to overwhelm, mental illness, or other reasons, “then it’s a crisis” because if the tenant does not respond or take action during the stated time period, they can be legally evicted. If a tenant is evicted, or if the tenant vacates without taking their belongings, they are starting all over again. The question often becomes: Is it that the tenant had no one who could help them? Or, is it they didn’t reach out during crisis? Or, is it that in order to avert the crisis, the tenant needed to be working with a support person regularly, or have a stronger support network. Once someone weathers a crisis and gets to a more stable place, support can dissipate, whether because there is no funding to sustain ongoing support, or because the person and/or the support person feel it is no longer necessary, or because people don’t want independence, not to be tied to services indefinitely, or for another reason combination of reasons. Schlather has observed that most people like relationship-building [with a support person]. There is a lot of turnover in these roles, she said, so sometimes clients seek out the staff members who they worked with in the past, even after they move on to another workplace. Or, there is a situation like at Catholic Charities, where people are literally lining up for services—staff does not have enough time to spend with people coming for help. If you talk with service providers, Schlather noted, they will say the clients’ issues are harder than they were 10 years ago. Clients have a multiplicity of issues. Farrell asked if Schlather thought that the new housing site proposed by Lakeview would help with the situation Schlather described. Schlather replied that at Lakeview’s current site, Lakeview is working with people with serious mental illness. The new site will be largely for those who are currently residing in Lakeview’s scattered sites. Youth coming out of foster care and people coming home from incarceration are among two populations who could benefit from consistent support. Schlather commented that organizations are feeling understaffed, and state funding is very restrictive. Graham commented that he was struck by organizations, such as OAR and Catholic Charities, that have worked to create housing for their clients. Given that there are housing development experts in town, is there space for knowledge and resource sharing, he wondered. Schlather responded that it is easier for organizations to find funding for the physical structure, than it is to fund the people in it. For example, low-barrier housing is concept which seems to be gaining support, “You can come up with the funding to build, but you need 24/7 staffing, and it’s hard to identify [funding].” Farrell noted that there are some concerns about housing that is super specialized; a mix seems good for people. Economies of scale were also discussed in regard to supportive housing. Small developments e.g. 3- or 4-bedroom residences need a staff person just as larger ones e.g. 8 units do. Housing for people with special needs and larger housing developments sometimes encounter resistance. Schlather feels another shelter is needed. Farrell asked if the current shelter, which was changed to include SRO units, should return to a shelter. Schalther said that in her opinion, it should stay an SRO. Somewhere like the Greenstar Space, with its open space, could more suitable to shelter. The West End currently has a large share of special-needs housing. Zoning allows it, but how to attain the aforementioned mix of housing that promotes opportunity and benefit for all? The siting of housing may follow a path of least resistance; it goes where the housing provider can locate. In the community, there is conversation about creating housing for people who are currently using alcohol or drugs [a housing first or harm reduction approach]. Schlather shared that HUD funding does not allow sobriety to be a barrier to housing; this is not well-known. Regarding the County Housing grant [discussed last month], Jason Molino, the new County Administrator, has said there is a state law prohibiting counties from using county funding for housing or programs that are determined to “go directly” to individuals. V. Review of Minutes – Minutes for April 13, 2018 Moved by de Aragón moved. Seconded by Farrell. Approved as written. 3-0. V. New Business 1. Action Item: Resolution – Re-designate INHS as Community-Based Development Organization (CBDO) Graham asked if the Office for the Aging is considered an “LMI neighborhood organization in the service area.” Staff will report on this at the June meeting. Moved by Farrell. Seconded by De Aragón. 2018 IURA Designation of Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. (INHS) as a Community-Based Development Organization WHEREAS, the Board of Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. (INHS) seeks designation by the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency (IURA) as a Community-Based Development Organization (CBDO), and WHEREAS, the City of Ithaca has designated the IURA to administer the City’s HUD Entitlement Program that oversees Community Development Block Grant funds awarded to the City, and WHEREAS, an eligible category of CDBG activities is a “Special Activity by CBDO”, that offers certain advantages, such as exemption from the 15% expenditure cap otherwise applicable to public service activities, authorization to carry out new housing construction (normally prohibited with CDBG funds), and discretion to allow income generated by a CDBG-funded activity to not be considered CDBG program income, and WHEREAS, the following four tests established at CFR Title 24 §570.204 must be met to qualify under a category of “Special Activity by CBDOs”: 1. The entity qualifies as a CBDO, including the 51% board membership test; 2. The CBDO will undertake an eligible project; 3. That the CBDO will carry out the funded activity directly or with an entity other than the grantee; 4. That the CBDO will not carry out a prohibited activity, and WHEREAS, a CBDO must maintain at least 51% of its governing body’s membership to be made up of any combination of the following: • Low- and moderate income residents of its area of operation • Owners or senior officers of private establishments and other institutions located in its area of operation • Representatives of low- and moderate-income neighborhood organizations located in its area of operation, and WHEREAS, a CBDO must have as its primary purpose the improvement of the physical, economic, or social environment of its geographic area of operation, with a particular emphasis on the needs of low- and moderate-income persons, and WHEREAS, the project undertaken by the CBDO must qualify as one or more of the following project types: • neighborhood revitalization; • community economic development; • energy conservation project; and WHEREAS, at its May 11, 2018, meeting, the Neighborhood Investment Committee evaluated INHS’s CBDO application and recommended the following; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the IURA determines that INHS meets the requirements for eligibility as a CBDO, and that the Scattered Site Project Phase II Loan qualifies as an eligible CBDO activity, and be it further RESOLVED, that the IURA hereby designates INHS as a Community-Based Development Organization (CBDO) and its Scattered Site Project Phase II Loan as eligible for CDBG funding under the category of “Special Activities by CBDOs”. Carried 3-0. 2. Action Item: Resolution -- Election of Officers Moved by De Aragón. Seconded by Graham. Selection of 2018 IURA Neighborhood Investment Committee Officers WHEREAS, IURA By-laws provide that the committee membership shall elect its own committee Vice-Chairperson and nominate a candidate for committee Chairperson for consideration by the Agency, and WHEREAS, per the Bylaws, an Agency member shall fill either the committee Chairperson or committee Vice-Chairperson position, and WHEREAS, officers of each committee serve a one-year term, but continue to hold office until their successor is selected or appointed, and WHEREAS, the current Committee Chairperson and Vice-Chairpersons are Karl Graham and Tracy Farrell, respectively, now, therefore be it RESOLVED, that Karl Graham be nominated as Chairperson of the IURA Neighborhood Investment Committee, and be it further RESOLVED, that Tracy Farrell be elected as Vice-Chairperson of the IURA Neighborhood Investment Committee. Carried 3-0. Discussion ensued about requirements of Committee members. Staff will provide information at the June Meeting. De Aragón departed at 9:45 a.m. VI. Other Business (Not discussed) VII. Motion to Adjourn Adjourned by consensus at 9:45 a. m.