Res 2021-064/approving Substantial Amendment No. 10 to the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Action Plan

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activity (such as an increased use of shelter showers) at the local shelters immediately following both events, that increase in activity could partially be as a result of the influx of volunteers who came in to assist with the recovery, not only as families displaced from their homes. Additionally, tracking the numbers at the shelters since the floods occurred indicates that the overall homeless count in the City has remained statistically constant. There remains a high risk for homelessness given that the pre-flood conditions of high cost burden and high maintenance costs of housing due to the age of the housing stock still exist, however the City cannot positively conclude that the floods contributed to a rise in homeless populations. Hazard Mitigation Activities for Housing One of the more prevalent needs related to housing is the ability to remove chances for repetitive loss. In these two floods, of the 1558 housing units damaged in the floods, FEMA and NFIP claim data indicates that 75 of them were damaged in both events, causing a repetitive loss situation that equaled $760,165 of repetitive payments. Since the events were so close together in time, many residents were not able to elevate their home to come in compliance with Base Flood Elevation (BFE) regulations, nor were they able to secure Flood Insurance as required under the FEMA programs. Subsequent to the flood events, the City is in the process of adopting new BFE regulations and revised the Flood Maps for the City. Consequently, the City needs to conduct additional research to find ways to reduce the possibility of future flood impacts. The City has investigated potential mitigation measures for the properties in the Blanco Gardens Area, the area most impacted by the Floods. The research provides recommendations regarding the relative benefit and cost of two options for flood mitigation to properties in an area generally described as "Blanco Gardens". The options include the acquisition of flood prone properties and the elevation of structures. Based on preliminary data, the acquisition of all properties within the flood prone areas would cost upwards of $42M; a prohibitive cost once the cost of building new housing and relocating current homeowners, as well as the mental stress such a process would place on the residents is included. A more feasible alternative would be the elevation of those structures that are currently below the BFE, a process that would cost an estimated minimum of $14.9M. While this Needs Assessment does not recommend specific projects, the City will investigate the possibility of Hazard Mitigation activities similar to the two listed above as part of their housing allocation in order to increase sustainability and resilience within the community. During the Housing Program Intake process, the City discovered impacted applicants with property in areas not eligible for rebuild or where improvements are owned by the applicant but not the land. Substantial Amendment No. 6 details the City's desire to assist the applicants with stick built housing on City owned allowable lots out of the floodplain. Conclusion and Summary of Unmet Need for Housing The housing needs in the City center around the lack of affordable housing — especially rental units, as well as the need to prevent continued damage from future floods. Though few units are lacking plumbing or kitchen facilities, there is a need for minor to moderate housing rehabilitation to prevent further deterioration as well as a need to demolish and reconstruct unsafe/unsound housing. The chart below summarizes the City's funding sources, and represents an estimate of unmet need related to housing to the best of our ability with the current data; discussions with the public and with City leadership will continue to refine this information and prioritize the assistance needed. At this time, it appears that the priority for utilization of CDBG-DR funding (related to housing) will be for housing rehabilitation and for the implementation of repetitive loss and hazard mitigation activities which may Last Updated 3/03/20 Page 24 of 63