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CR 09-005 2009 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) ProgramFebruary 17, 2008 Council Report #2009 -005 2009 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) PROGRAM Proposed Action Staff recommends approval of the following motion: Following the public hearing, adopt resolution number 2009 -005 approvin the e Proposed program for the 2009 Urban Hennepin County Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program and authorizing its submittal to Hennepin County. With this motion, the CDBG application will be submitted to Hennepin County for their review and approval. Overview As a participating city in the Urban Hennepin County CDBG program, Hopkins is eligible to receive $112,063 in CDBG fends for the 2009 program year. This is exactly the same amount as the 2007 allocation. The funds will be received on July 1, 2009 and must be expended by December 31, 2010. Staff is recommending that the City propose to fund the following activities with 2009 CDBG funds: • Housing Rehabilitation Loan/Grant Program • Hopkins Minnetonka Family Resource Center • InterCongregation Communities Association As a requirement of the CDBG funding process, the City must hold a public hearing on the proposed use of funds prior to approving the attached resolution. The City's proposal must be submitted to Hennepin County by February 26, 2009. Primary Issues to Consider • What is the intended use of CDBG funds? • What activities are being recommended for funding? • Were any other requests for funds received? Supporting Information • Resolution 2009 -005 • Requests for funds Tara Bear -- Community Development Coordinator Financial Impact: $ 0 Budgeted: Y/N _ Source: Related Documents (CIP, ERP, etc.): Notes: 2009 CDBG program Council Report 2009 -005 Page 2 Analysis of Issues What is the intended use of CDBG funds? CDBG funds may be used to support a variety of housing and community development activities. The intent of the program is to fund "bricks and mortar" projects versus social service programs. Activities must meet at least one of the following objectives of the CDBG program: • Benefiting low and moderate income persons • Prevention or elimination of slums and blight • Meeting a particularly urgent community development need Additionally, Hennepin County imposes the following guidelines: 15% maximum for public service activities Activity should be ranked as a high priority in the Hennepin County Consolidated Plan. Those activities are: Rental housing for families, elderly, physically disabled persons and homeless persons with incomes below 50% of median income Supportive housing for persons with mental illness and incomes below 50% Rehabilitation of owner- occupied housing with income below 50% Homeownership assistance.to households with income below 80% Public services and /or facilities to assist families and seniors to maintain and/or increase self - sufficiency and independent living, and to assist youth and their families with counseling and crisis intervention services, and related activities Neighborhood revitalization activities that address issues of substandardiblighted property in scattered site or defined area redevelopments that will also provide affordable housing on 20% of the units Minimum of 70% of funds spent on low to moderate income households Funds can not be available from other sources What activity is being recommended for funding? Staff is recommending that $102,063 of CDBG funds be used for housing rehabilitation activities. The Housing Rehabilitation Loan and Grant program has experienced continued demand during the past year and is important not only in its assistance to homeowners but also to maintain the City's housing stock. It is anticipated that $102,063 will assist 5 households. 2009 CDBG program Council Report 2009 -005 Page 3 Staff has met recently with Hennepin County staff that administers the Rehab Program. They have indicated that increasing the maximum loan/grant amount from $20,000 to $25,000 would allow them more flexibility when administering loans /grants. Currently, if an eligible improvement is more than $20,000, and the applicant is not able to pay the difference, they are no longer eligible for the grant/loan altogether. This, along with the increase in material and construction costs in general since the creation of the program, has lead County staff to encourage the City of Hopkins to increase the maximum loan/grant amount. Currently, all other cities with rehab programs being administered by Hennepin County have maximum loan amounts of $30,000. However, the amount of the grant/loan cannot exceed 80% of the homeowner's equity, which is another way to limit grant/loan amounts. In Hopkins, we allow grant/loan amounts that equal up to 100% of the homeowner's equity. An increase in the maximum grant /loan amount may justify lowering that percentage to better protect both the City and the homeowner. Staff is also recommending funding the Hopkins Minnetonka Family Resource Center (FRC) in the amount of $5,000. The FRC is a valuable resource in the community and supports the City of Hopkins by taking referrals from many of the City's departments including the police, housing and community services. Finally, staff is recommending funding the Intercongregation Communities Association (ICA) in the amount of $5,000. The ICA serves the area primarily as a food shelf, and experienced record demand in 2008. The ICA also provides other services such as financial and transportation assistance, and would use the $5,000 in CDBG funding to assist Hopkins residents with rent, mortgage, and utility assistance in order to prevent homelessness. • Where any other requests for funds received? The following additional requests were received for 2009 CDBG funding: Organization Amount Purpose HOME Line $5,000 Tenant hotline, high school renter education and immigrant outreach project In reviewing this request for funds, staff considered the intent of CDBG to fund "bricks and mortar" projects over social services. While granting the HOME Line request would keep the City just under the 15% maximum that can be used for social service activities, it would reduce the amount of rehabilitation funds available for low to moderate income Hopkins homeowners which has a dual benefit of assisting a household in need while preserving our housing stock. However, HOME Line services are eligible activities under CDBG regulations and the Council can elect to fund them. Alternatives The City Council has the following alternatives regarding this issue: • Hold public hearing; approve 2009 CDBG program as proposed by staff. • Hold public hearing; amend the proposed CDBG activities and/or budget. RESOLUTION NO. 2009-05 RESOLUTION APPROVING PROPOSED USE OF 2009 URBAN HENNEPIN COUNTY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM FUNDS AND AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF SUBRECIPIENT AGREEMENT WITH HENNEPIN COUNTY AND ANY THIRD PARTY AGREEMENTS WHEREAS, the city of Hopkins, through execution of a Joint Cooperation Agreement with Hennepin County, is cooperating in the Urban Hennepin County Community Development Block Grant Program; and WHEREAS, the city of Hopkins has developed a proposal for the use of 2009 Urban Hennepin County Community Development Block Grant funds made available to it; and WHEREAS, the city held a public hearing on February 17, 2009 to obtain the views of citizens on housing and community development needs and priorities and the City's proposed use of $112,063 from the 2009 Urban Hennepin County Community Development Block Grant. BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of Hopkins approves the following projects for funding from the 2009 Urban Hennepin County Community Development Block Grant Program and authorizes submittal of the proposal to Hennepin County. Activi Budeet Housing Rehabilitation $102,063 Hopkins Area Family Resource Center $5,000 Intercongregation Communities Association $5,000 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Council hereby authorizes and directs the Mayor and its City Manager to execute the Subrecipient Agreement and any required Third Party Agreement on behalf ofthe City to implement the 2009 Community Development Block Grant Program. BEITFURTHER RESOL PED, thatshouldthefinal amount ofFY2008 CDBG available to the city be differentfrom the preliminary amount provided to the city, the City Council hereby authorizes the city manager /administrator to adjust project budget(s) to reflect an increase or decrease in funding. ADOPTED: the 17 day of February, 2009 as Eugene J. Maxwell, Mayor And Richard Getschow, City Manager Attest: Terry Obermaier, City Clerk. 2009 URBAN HENNEPIN COUNTY CDBG PROGRAM REQUEST FOR FUNDING (fillable form. Use one form per project) A. GENERAL INFORMATION City: Hopkins 2. Project Name: Housing Rehabilitiation 3. Contact Person/ Phone No. Tara Beard/ 952 -548 -6343 B. PROJECT DATA CDBG Funding Requested $ 102,063 (needs to be same as council resolution) 2. Is this an existing CDBG - funded project? XYes ❑No Project Location: Address or Citywide X 4. Project Description: (Describe the project in as much detail as possible, including the local need(s) the project will address.) CDBG funds will be used to provide loans and grants to low and moderate income homeowners in Hopkins. The loan/grant funds will be used to make code and energy- related improvements to the applicant's property in compliance with Hennepin County's rehabilitation guidelines. It is anticipated that 6 households will be assisted with the 2009 CDBG funds provided for this activity 5. Consolidated Plan Priorities: Using the Priority Summary chart below, identify what priority(ies) the project will meet. (Note: If a proposed project is a low urban county priority, you must explain why it has a higher priority in your community.) 6. Describe anticipated results /accomplishments the project will have. (number of persons to receive services, number of affordable housing units to be rehabilitated or built, etc.) It is estimated that 6 households will be assisted with grants or low- interest loans to rehabilitate their properties. Implementation Schedule: (Identify major project tasks to occur during/ within the first 12 months of the 18 month expenditure period. Expenditure period begins July 1, 2009 and ends December 31, 2010.) Task: Process Rehab Applications Date July 2009 —July 2010 Task: Monitor Construction Date July 2009 -Dec 2010 Task: Date 8. Budget: (Specify total project budget by major funding sources. Attach additional listings where appropriate.) FUNDING SOURCES AMOUNT CDBG $102,063 Prior Year CDBG Funding (for this project) $ Other Federal Funds (soecifv) $ Low Income Housing Tax Credits $ State Municipal $ Metropolitan Council $ Private (specify) $ Other (specify) $ Project Total $102,063 2009 URBAN HENNEPIN COUNTY CDBG PROGRAM REQUEST FOR FUNDING (fillable form) (Use one form per project) A. GENERAL INFORMATION City: City of Hopkins 2. Project Name: Hopkins Area Family Resource Center 3. Contact Person/ Phone No. Judy Elling/ 952- 988 -5351 B. PROJECT DATA CDBG Funding Requested S 5,000 (needs to be same as council resolution) 2. Is this an existing CDBG - funded project? X Yes ❑No 3. Project Location: Address or Citywide X 4. Project Description: (Describe the project in as much detail as possible, including the local need(s) the project will address.) See Attachment A 5. Consolidated Plan Priorities: Using the Priority Summary chart below, identify what priority(ies) the project will meet. (Note: If a proposed project is a low urban county priority, you must explain why it has a higher priority in your community.) 6. Describe anticipated results /accomplishments the project will have. (number of persons to receive services, number of affordable housing units to be rehabilitated or built, etc.) It is estimated that the programs of the Hopkins Minnetonka Family Resource Center will serve approximately 1,500 Hopkins residents. 7. Implementation Schedule: (Identify major project tasks to occur during/ within the first 12 months of the 18 month expenditure period. Expenditure period begins July 1, 2008 and ends December 31, 2009.) Task: Various FRC Programs Task: Task: Date July 2009 — Dec2010 Date Date 8. Budget: (Specify total project budget by major funding sources. Attach additional listings where appropriate.) FUNDING SOURCES AMOUNT CDBG $5,000 Prior Year CDBG Funding (for this project) $ Other Federal Funds (specify) $ Low Income Housing Tax Credits $ State (suecifv) $ Metropolitan Council $ Project Total ATTACHMENT A Hopkins Minnetonka Family Resource Center Overview: The mission of the Family Resource Center is "in response to the needs and concerns of families and individuals, the Hopkins Minnetonka Family Resource Center – a dynamic, community based organization – strengthens the community by providing information, referrals, and services in a caring and respectful environment." To fulfill that mission, a number of services have evolved over the fifteen years since its inception, including: • Back to School supply drive • Information & Referral • Winter Warm Wear • Project Starfish One -on -One Support • Toy Chest • Tax Preparation Assistance History The Hopkins Minnetonka Family Resource Center ( "HMFRC ") is now fifteen years old — the result of a unique collaboration of the Hopkins School District, the cities of Hopkins and Minnetonka, the faith community, businesses, area social service agencies, and interested individuals. History of the Resource Center goes back to 1991 when a group of concerned leaders from these same organizations convened to discuss the unmet needs of families and children in our area. This group became known as the School and Community in Partnership (SLIP); the Hopkins School District's Family Services Collaborative. This group decided a Family Resource Center was needed in our community. Space was rented on Mainstreet in downtown Hopkins and the Hopkins Area Family Resource Center opened in April 1993. The purpose of the Resource Center was not to duplicate services — but to assure that families could make the connections to needed services. The City of Minnetonka became a partner in 1997. In 2001 the Resource Center applied for non -profit status and received 501(c)(3) status that year. The Minnetonka School District became a Resource Center partner in 2003 and three years ago our name was legally changed to Hopkins Minnetonka Family Resource Center to more accurately reflect our entire service area. As a 501(c) 3, the Hopkins Minnetonka Family Resource Center operates under the leadership of a board of directors: 2009 Board of Directors President Peter Thompson, business Vice President Dale Searles, Hopkins community Treasurer Paul Patefield, business Deb Ludwig, Hopkins Schools Barb Westmoreland, Hopkins Schools Colleen Faber, Minnetonka Schools Stacy Unowsky, City of Hopkins Elise Durbin, City of Minnetonka Woody Love, Lake Minnetonka communities Laurie Levi, Excelsior communities Anne Leland, Cargill (Minnetonka Resident) JoAnne Robinson, YMCA Ridgedale & Minnetonka Heights Manager One open seat staff The Center began with a part-time director in 1993, with the first full -time director being hired in 1994, Nora Davis. Ms. Davis led the Center through 13.5 years of growth in its' outreach to residents, expansion of services and programs, and in establishing the Center as an important leader and partner in the many community collaborations that make our community a healthy, nurturing place for all. Ms. Davis resigned in October 2007. The new executive director Judy Elling, began her leadership of the Center on March 3, 2008. Barbara Brooks continues in her 4th year as the Starfish coordinator, providing one -to -one support and guidance for our residents. Rosemaris Campos began in January 2008 as the Center's administrative assistant and Spanish interpreter and translator. Obiectives and Activities 2/11/2009 ATTACHMENT A Hopkins Minnetonka Family Resource Center The Hopkins Minnetonka Family Resource Center is strategically addressing its ability to fulfill its mission through sound management, strong governance and a persistent rededication to achieving results. We understand the needs of our clientele have altered, grown and changed in the 15 years we have been serving the community. With a relatively new Board of Directors and a new Executive Director, we feel our organization is poised for change to meet the needs of the community. We are currently developing and implementing technology infrastructure updates and marketing redevelopment for capacity building which will allow us to expand our client outreach within our service area, develop additional strategic partnershipstcollaborations and strengthen our fund development. Resource Center staff and key Board members will work with MAP for Nonprofits to develop our marketing and outreach plans. We are currently soliciting bids from graphic designers to create the logo, identity materials, and website design. We will conduct the following comprehensive change strategy to help realize our goals: Our eoals for marketine redevelopment are to 1. Increase the ability of the Resource Center to meet the needs of our clients and potential clients. 2. Increase community awareness of the Resource Center in our entire service area. 3. Increase our ability to meet the needs of a changing and diverse clientele in a climate of an overall increase in the need for basic social and economic services. Budget Funding for the Family Resource Center comes from a variety of sources including Local Collaborative Time Study (LCTS) funds through the Hopkins & Minnetonka Schools, Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) from the cities of Hopkins & Minnetonka, a grant from Park Nicollet Foundation, a Winter Warm Wear grant from Community Action Partnership for South Hennepin county (CAPSH) and other fundraising efforts throughout the year including the Center's fall fundraiser Chocolate Jazz & More. Additional support comes from Hopkins Schools Employee Giving Campaign, Empty Bowls, businesses, civic groups, congregations, families and individuals. Funds are used to staff the Center with 2.75 employees year round and support the many programs. For the fiscal year 2008, the Family Resource Center's revenue was $223,159(approx); expenses were $206,509(approx). The 2009 budget is $238,950. Community We Serve Our community has changed — and so have the customers we serve. As evidenced by the numbers of clients served this past year, the needs in the school district communities continue to grow. Our service area includes the communities of Deephaven, Excelsior, Greenwood, Hopkins, Minnetonka, Shorewood and Woodland. We work with children, families, seniors, and individuals of various socio- economic and ethnic backgrounds. Our statistics reflect a very diverse customer base. For example, in 2007 our Toy Chest program provided toys to a total of 719 children: 226 African American, 172 Caucasian, 116 Latino, 114 multiracial, 57 Somali, 10 Russian, 9 American Indian, 7 Asian, 4 East African and 4 Pacific Islander. Our 2008 statistic numbers will be available in February /March. Families in turmoil from dealing with homelessness, hunger, or job loss often have neither the time nor energy to provide the support their children so desperately need. Our most valuable asset has become our Project Starfish One -on -One Support program which offers intensive assistance to those families who need it the most. Our Starfish coordinator has worked with families on budgeting issues, provided referrals on low -cost car repair, assisted with housing and proofread resumes. A Hennepin County Economic Assistance worker comes to the Resource Center on a weekly basis. We also assist clients with their employment searches: posting employment opportunities, reviewing resumes, and allowing customers to use our fax machine to fax resumes to prospective employers. We continue to develop new community partners such as collaborating with the Children's Dental Service to provide dental services to low - income /non - insured children on site. We are starting to collaborate with West Suburban Teen Clinic to assist with referrals to their Public Health Nurse who meets with pregnant 2/11/2009 ATTACHMENT A Minnetonka Family Resource Center teens and teen mothers of children under the age of three to assist them in raising healthy babies. Our Resource Center remains the "place to go" if you have a question or problem Collaboration and coordination is what we do —and we do it well! We share information with other groups and organizations, attend fairs and multiple meetings, participate with both the Hopkins and Minnetonka family service collaboratives, list with 211 (formerly First Call for Help) and continually update our resource information. We work with the following agencies to provide referrals and services to the people who reside in the Hopkins- Minnetonka School Districts: • Hopkins and Minuetonka School Districts. We provide support to families and staff by answering questions about housing, medical resources, counseling and recreation. School supplies and Winter Warm Wear are often provided to students directly through the schools — as school district staff is acutely aware of the needs in their schools. Our services are available year round and on days when other agencies are closed. • Hopkins and Minnetonka city staff regularly refer their residents to us — we've received referrals from city offices, housing inspectors, public housing staff and professional staff from both cities. • Intercongregation Communities Association (ICA) is another close Resource Center partner. We serve ICA customers who lack transportation to their Minnetonka site. They provide us with Emergency Food Packs, financial assistance applications and bus tokens for their customers. • Community Action Partnership of Suburban Hennepin. We send residents who need Energy Assistance to their site and homeowners with mortgage difficulties to their Mortgage Foreclosure Program. • Second Harvest Food Bank. We distribute their Mothers & Children (MAC) and Nutrition Assistance Program for Seniors (NAPS) food packages. • Children's Dental Services. This past October they held their first clinic in our center with 20 appointments. They held their second clinic in March with 20 appointments. We are planning to host them again in six months. • Hennepin County Economic Assistance. We provide space one day per week for an Economic Assistance Worker to meet with clients to renew or sign up for county and state assistance programs. • Minnetonka Life Care Center. We refer moms in their first trimester and young single moms who need diapers and formula and we provide them with baby items that have been donated to us. • AccountAbility Minnesota provides tax preparation services to our clients. In return we provide the space and answer tons of questions. • Teens Alone, a non - profit, community based organization that provides free crisis, counseling, and referral services to youth and families is housed in our center. We have the ability to conduct mutual referrals and to assist them and their clients. • Relate Counseling Center provides mental health counseling at the Resource Center two days a week. The Project Starfish coordinator works closely with Relate counselors and often encourages Starfish clients to meet with a counselor. We have always prided ourselves on not duplicating services — and we are always on the watch for new services to meet the needs of our community. For example, a new Resource Center program that is being funded with a $10,000 grant from the ADC Foundation is a Community Technology Center. This program was created to address an increasing need we witnessed over the past 12 months. We observed a growing number of people of all socio- economic groups coming in and asking us about job listings, resume writing and help locating potential job openings. The local library began sending people to us because they were not able to assist the increased number of people needing to use their computers. This program will be open to everyone in our community and will provide users with free computer access to write resumes, look for jobs, e-mail or fax resumes, explore housing options and to learn computer skills such as Excel or Word. We are also developing a mentorship component to the technology center where community volunteers will be available to assist clients with help writing resumes, conducting practice interviews, and just being available to answer questions about job hunting, work issues, etc. Objectives and Activities 2/11/2009 ATTACHMENT A Hopkins Minnetonka Family Resource Center The Hopkins Minnetonka Family Resource Center is strategically addressing its ability to fulfill its mission through sound management, strong governance and a persistent rededication to achieving results. We understand the needs of our clientele have altered, grown and changed in the 15 years we have been serving the community. With a relatively new Board of Directors and a new Executive Director, we feel our organization is poised for change to meet the needs of the community. We are currently seeking grant support from local foundations to support the development and implementation of technology infrastructure updates and marketing redevelopment for capacity building which will allow us to expand our client outreach within our service area (specifically the Minnetonka School District), develop additional strategic partnerships /collaborations and strengthen our fund development. Resource Center staff and key Board members will work with MAP for Nonprofits to develop our marketing and outreach plans. We are currently soliciting bids from graphic designers to create the logo, identity materials, and website design. We will conduct the following comprehensive change strategy to help realize our goals: Our goals for seeking an organizational effectiveness grant are to 1. Increase the ability of the Resource Center to meet the needs of our clients and potential clients. 2. Increase community awareness of the Resource Center in our entire service area Increase our ability to meet the needs of a changing and diverse clientele in a climate of an overall increase in the need for basic social and economic services. Budget Funding for the Family Resource Center comes from a variety of sources including Local Collaborative Time Study (LCTS) funds through the Hopkins & Minnetonka Schools, Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) from the cities of Hopkins & Minnetonka, a grant from Park Nicollet Foundation, and other fundraising efforts throughout the year including the Center's fall fundraiser Chocolate Jazz & More. Additional support comes from Hopkins Schools Employee Giving Campaign, Empty Bowls, businesses, civic groups, congregations, families and individuals. We are continually exploring additional grant opportunities throughout the year. Funds are used to staff the Center with 2.75 employees year round and support the many programs. For the fiscal year 2007, the Family Resource Center's revenue was $198,716; expenses were $179,324. The 2008 budget is $185,000. Over sixty percent (60 %) of our budget is based on individual contributions; the remaining funds are from business, civic, and faith organizations and grants. In -kind donations are extremely large for organization. We have three major programs that are based on in -kind contributions. Our Back to School program served 1,000 (approx) students and we estimate each filled back pack has a value of at least $25.00 which totals approximately $25,000 for the 2008/2009 school year. Our Winter Warm Wear program assisted well over 800 children (a value of at least $50.00 per child) approximate value of this program was $40,000 for the 2008/2009 school year. Our Toy Chest program assisted 1,165 children and each child received approximately gifts totaling a value of $35 which totals approximately $41,000 for the 2008/2009 school year. We have over 250 community volunteers from both school district communities who assist with everything from receptionist to sorting of donations to fundraising assistance. Our volunteers range in age from elementary age students to retired senior citizens. Family Resource Center Services Community Connections — Answering questions is an important part of what occurs at the Resource Center, and the questions come from many sources and are on a variety of issues. Staff and volunteers answer questions about almost everything from the need for food, clothing and shelter, to where children will be going to school. Staff from the Hopkins Schools call on a regular basis, looking for information on 2/11/2009 ATTACHMENT A Minnetonka F R eso ur ce C ente r health and dental care, the need for clothing, household items or assistance with housing, counseling or food issues for school district families. To date we do not have all the number calculated but here are some of the data we have so far this year: Year 2008 _ phone calls and Center visits Year 2007 6,619 phone calls and Center visits Back to School Supply Drive — Providing school supplies is one of the most important programs offered at the Resource Center. The main distribution of supplies is from late August to early September, but supplies are provided on an "as needed" basis throughout the year. As the face of the community has changed, so has the face of the families coming for school supplies. School supplies are also sent directly into the elementary schools, secondary schools, off campus programs, After School programs and Summer School, and distributed during the Toy Chest Drive. District staff will frequently call with special requests for students, perhaps a replacement backpack is needed, or a new family to the community needs help with school supplies. School supplies are also distributed to Off Campus School, Hennepin County Home School, the Delta Program, Mainstreet School of Performing Arts, and Teens Alone. School Year 2008 - 2009 950+ students (year to date) School Year 2007 - 2008 936 students Winter Warm Wear— Keeping kids warm throughout the cold winter is a basic need in Minnesota. The Winter Warm Wear Room is open from October through March, and is stocked with jackets, hats, mittens, boots and snow pants. School staff frequently call looking for needed Warn Wear for those students who come to school without the most basic cold weather items. Snow pants or sleeping bags are provided for students, as needed, before field trips, allowing all children to participate in these school - based events. Winter 2008 -2009 items for _ children Winter 2007 -2008 1,_ 822 items for 701 children Toy Chest — December is always a busy time of the year, as families register their children for toys for the holiday season. Volunteer and community involvement is key to the success of this annual effort. More than 200 volunteers assisted this year working as greeters, registrars, shopping assistants, or checkers /stockers while others sorted toys, decorated the Center, or held toy drives. Parents shopped at the Center's "toy store" over a four -day period, choosing a large and small toy for each of their children. Toy Chest 2008 1,165 children Toy Chest 2007 719 children Tax Preparation Assistance — Each year the Family Resource Center partners with AccountAbility to offer free tax preparation to area residents. Knowledge about the various credits including the Earned Income Credit, Working Family Credit and the MN K -12 Education Credit bring many parents to the Center. Since the Resource Center is an e -file site, parents know their refunds will come quickly. Having Tax Preparation Assistance at the Center also provides the opportunity to inform parents of other services available at the Center. Tax Season 2008 575 customers, $978,880 in refunds Tax Season 2007 571 customers, $957,717 in refunds Food Programs — the Resource Center continues to be a drop site for the Mothers & Children, and the Nutrition Assistance Program for Seniors, programs of Second Harvest Food Bank. The Resource Center also stocks emergency food bags from the local food shelf, Intercongregational Association (ICA), for those residents who lack transportation to the ICA site. Food Packages 2008 _ Food Boxes Food Packages 2007 1,165 Food Boxes 2/11/2009 ATTACHMENT A Minnetonka Family Resource Center Project Starfish — provides one -to -one support to individuals /families to identify issues, set priorities, and provide referrals to appropriate agencies or organizations, with follow -up as needed. Several of the Starfish customers were homeless at the time of service. Families new to the area have been helped with household goods, assistance with employment issues and information on needed services. Many of the clients stop in to talk with the Starfish counselor on a regular basis, knowing they are always welcome at the Center. Starfish works closely with school staff, Hennepin County and other non - profit agencies. Based on the Starfish story, this program has made a difference for school district families. Starfish 2008 _ clients with multiple visits, _ referrals Starfish 2007 327 clients with multiple visits, 492 referrals Additional Family Resource Center services - Through HousingLink, information is provided on housing vacancies in the seven county metro area. A social worker from Hennepin County Economic Assistance is in the Center one day per week to assist families with applications for food stamps and Medical Assistance. Due to concerns about mental health issues, beginning in January 2007, counselors from Relate Counseling Center in Minnetonka were in the Center two afternoons each week, providing mental health services to parents in a comfortable community setting. Evaluation Data As evidenced by the above numbers of clients served this past year, the needs in both school district communities continue to grow. Also reflected in our statistics is a very diverse customer base. In 2008, Toy Chest provided toys to 1165 children from many ethnic backgrounds: African American, Caucasian, Latino, multiracial, Somali, Russian, American Indian, Asian, East African, and Pacific Islander to name a few. Our program committee takes the demographics from the prior year along with current economic conditions and determines the approximate number of children it feels our organization will service for the following year. For 2009, we are estimating we will provide services for over 1,300 low- income children and fielding over 7,000 calls or walk -ins looking for services. We expect this number to increase due to our efforts to increase our visibility in the community through a strategic marketing plan. Evidence of Need The most telling indication of need continues to be demonstrated by the number of calls requesting assistance we receive each year and from the increasingly diverse population making those calls. More than 6,619 calls /contacts were recorded in 2007. This has increased in 2008; however we do not have final numbers to report at this time. Our inquiries are coming from every direction; new families to our community and our country as well as longtime residents — families experiencing job loss, housing crises, food crises, health or counseling needs. We receive calls from local governments, area police, local businesses, other agencies and organizations. And families and individuals continue to stop at the Resource Center, referred by family, friends and other agencies and organizations. Demographics are changing in our community. Connecting with the Somali, Russian and Hispanic communities is one of our top priorities because of their strong presence in our service area. Language and cultural barriers are the biggest challenges we face in assisting these communities. The Resource Center is trying to increase the reach of our services by providing information in various languages and providing interpreters when necessary. We have also seen an increase in the number of retired individuals and elderly whose mobility has decreased and we are working on how to provide services to them in a convenient manner. The Resource Center also faces challenges in reaching our entire service area. Our services are most well known and more easily accessed by residents of the City of Hopkins and the Hopkins School District. One of our goals for the strategic Marketing plan is to more effectively reach and service our clients and potential clients in both School Districts. What have we learned? Problems within the community are becoming more complex. What was once a simple request for food to make it through the week or the month; is now frequently just the first request. We've learned to ask "what else can we help you with ?" We often discover the rent is behind, mom or dad is having health issues, they have lost their job, or the heating bill has not been paid. This lesson and 2/11/2009 ATTACHMENT A Minnetonka Family Resource Center our collaborations have placed us in a great position to determine which organizations and programs families or individuals need to be connected with and to assist them in making those connections. We are the one -stop shop, the hub of the wheel that can either help clients identify and meet their needs at our site or to provide them with the tools and referrals to find what they need beyond our doors. What are the consequences of not addressing these growing needs? More families are facing financial and emotional difficulties. We know a request for food is often the result of job loss or increased fixed expenditures (rising housing/energy costs) which can quickly lead to loss of housing. A typical family is only two paychecks away from homelessness, forcing families to move and children to have to start over in another school. We know children fall behind academically with each move to a different school — sometimes the family crisis itself can cause a child to fall behind. Job loss or rising expenses can also lead to the loss of health insurance; we know children need to be healthy to learn. Parenting issues are also a concern; families dealing with multiple issues are more likely to physically or emotionally abuse their children. Community issues are also a factor; police calls increase, calls to faith community and social service agencies increase which can lead to an overload on our social service system. Not receiving full funding requested from all sources would cause our organization to limit the number of people served and cause us to turn away some of the people who come to us for assistance. Critical Issues for 2009 Year 2008 began with new staff at the Family Resource Center. A new Executive Director, Judy Elting, and new Administrative Assistant Rosemaris Campos, joined Barbara Brooks, Starfish Coordinator. This team is currently assessing the changing demographics and needs in the community. We are working together with the Board to continue the mission of the Center, connecting residents to the resources needed for our children to come to school ready to learn and for all to live a healthy life in our community. Development of a strategic marketing plan to re -brand the organization and increase visibility in the community is a high priority for the Staff and Board of Directors in 2009. Needs continue to grow in the communities we serve. With the instability in economy we are seeing increased job loss, increased housing loss due to foreclosure (owner and renter), and more emergency needs (food, utilities, and other basic human needs) due to decreased discretionary funds. This also means that our clients will increase in numbers and needs. The increased need for assistance with employment, housing and food support for families has changed the way we provide services to school district families. Stability continues to be a critical issue for many families as it relates to stable jobs, stable income, and stable housing. We are addressing this need in 2009 by opening the Community Technology Center to assist with resume writing, job hunting, interview techniques, and computer skills through access to computers, internet, Atomic Learning (self guided tutorials), and mentors /volunteers. The hope is that with access to computers, interne, and mentors people will have increased job placement and preservation thus increasing their personal stability. The increasing diversity of our community has been reflected in the services the center provides and in our statistics. We are seeing a need to learn more about the many diverse cultures and how asking for assistance is different with each ethnicity. We are also seeing an increased need for mental health services. Assistance with mental health issues is critical to many of those we serve. We continue to work with Relate counseling to provide as much in house counseling as possible. As with all non - profits, funding issues continue to be a challenge. The economic forecast, along with the impending decrease in LCTS and CDBG funding, creates a challenging year ahead for fundraising. This decrease in LCTS funding has led to new fundraising opportunities, including new relationships and collaborations. New relationships will need to be developed with additional area service clubs, businesses, congregations, and individual donors. New grant sources will need to be identified. We continue to develop and encourage new fundraising opportunities in our community. Civic groups, individuals, and school groups continue to help raise money for the center. On such event is Empty Bowls 2/11/2009 ATTACHMENT A Hopkins Minnetonka Family Resource Center through the ISD 270. Empty Bowls 2007 was very successful and Empty Bowls 2008 is on track to be equally successful. Our own fundraiser, Chocolate Jazz & More, the Resource Center's fundraising event, continues to grow. The fourth annual event was jazzed up with a name change (Chocolate, Wine & All That Jazz!) and a dinner added which increased the amount raised to just over $19,000. The fifth annual Chocolate, Wine & All That Jazz! fundraising event is scheduled for October 10, 2009. Save the Date! 2/11/2009 2009 URBAN HENNEPIN COUNTY CDBG PROGRAM REQUEST FOR FUNDING (rillable form) (Use one form per project) A. GENERAL INFORMATION 1. City: City of Hopkins 2. Project Name: Intercongregation Communities Association 3. Contact Person/ Phone No. Cathy Maes/ 952- 938 -0729 B. PROJECT DATA CDBG Funding Requested $ 5,000 (needs to be same as council resolution) 2. Is this an existing CDBG - funded project? Yes X No Project Location: Address or Citywide X 4. Project Description: (Describe the project in as much detail as possible, including the local need(s) the project will address.) Housing & More is a financial assistance program that provides funds to prevent our families from becoming homeless when a financial shortage occurs and they cannot pay their rent or mortgage and from going without heat or electricity when they cannot pay their utility bills. These funds will be used for Hopkins residents who are experiencing an income deficit due to loss of job, cut in hours of work, medical issues, or other bills that are making it difficult for them to make their rent, mortgage or utility payment. 5. Consolidated Plan Priorities: Using the Priority Summary chart below, identify what priority(ies) the project will meet. (Note: If a proposed project is a low urban county priority, you must explain why it has a higher priority in your community.) Transportation Services 6. Describe anticipated results /accomplishments the project will have. (number of persons to receive services, number of affordable housing units to be rehabilitated or built, etc.) It is estimated that the programs of the ICA foodshelf will serve 5 Hopkins households with their rent or mortgage payment at $1,000 each or approximately 15 Hopkins households with their utility bills in 2009. 7. Implementation Schedule: (Identify major project tasks to occur during/ within the first 12 months of the 18 month expenditure period. Expenditure period begins July 1, 2009 and ends December 31, 2010.) Task: Housing & More Program Date July 2009 — Dec2010 Task: Date Task: Date 8. Budget: (Specify total project budget by major funding sources. Attach additional listings where appropriate.) AMOUNT Prior Year CDBG Funding (for this project) $ Other Federal Funds (specify) $ Low Income Housing Tax Credits $ State (snecifv) $ Metropolitan Council $ Private (specify) $ Other (specify) $ Project Total $5,000 2 2009 URBAN HENNEPIN COUNTY CDBG PROGRAM REQUEST FOR FUNDING (fiIlable form. Use one form per project) A. GENERAL INFORMATION 1. City: City of Hopkins 2. Project Name: Tenant Advocacy Services 3. Contact Person/ Phone No. Tara Beard / 952 -548 -6343 B. PROJECT DATA CDBG Funding Requested $ 5,000 (needs to be same as council resolution) 2. Is this an existing CDBG - funded project? No 3. Project Location: Citywide 3455 Bloomington Avenue, Minneapolis. 55407. HOME Line's tenant services are citywide. Tenants call our free hotline from their homes. Renter Education presentations are done in the local high schools. Immigrant Outreach would be with individual groups in the communities where they reside or where the social service provider is located. 4. Project Description: (Describe the project in as much detail as possible, including the local need(s) the project will address.) Briefly describe the proposed project. The narrative should include the need or problem to be addressed in relation to the Consolidated Plan (see attached table), as well as the population to be served or the area to benefit. Describe the work to be performed, including the activities to be undertaken or the services to be provided, the goals and objectives, method of approach, implementation schedule and anticipated results /accomplishments. We anticipate assisting approximately 90 Hopkins renter households over the hotline during the program year and offering educational presentations at Hopkins High School. Renters make up nearly 5,104 households in Hopkins, and many of these families have low incomes. When renters have problems involving their homes, those who don't know their rights and responsibilities can end up living in housing that is unsafe, lose security deposits that are rightfully theirs, or make decisions that cost them their home. HOME Line provides renters with the tools necessary to keep their homes safe and affordable. HOME Line will provide three distinct, but related, programs as part of this grant: a tenant hotline that provides free legal advice to tenants about landlord/tenant law, a high school educational program, and our expanded immigrant outreach program that provides services to new immigrants. These services prevent problems ranging from homelessness to illness from unsafe living conditions, and result in reducing the use of the city's emergency resources. Tenant Hotline The first of these programs is HOME Line's tenant hotline. The hotline began in 1992 as a service to Suburban Hennepin County residents. Today we serve the entire state (excluding Minneapolis) and have recently taken our 108,OOOth call. Three staff attorneys and a tenant advocate work full time on the hotline along with 40 -60 law student volunteers each year. Hopkins has accounted for 3,232 calls since 1992. Our tenant services to Hopkins have helped save tenants at least $33,000. We have also helped to prevent the eviction of 104 Hopkins families. Last year alone we advised 153 renter households from Hopkins. The most common reasons Hopkins residents call our hotline are; repairs, security deposits, evictions, break lease questions, questions about how proper notice to vacate is given, and lease questions. The need for this service in Hopkins is apparent -- Hopkins residents already rely on this valuable service. High School Renter Education Program The second program is our high school presentation program. To date, we have spoken to 967 classes (over 26,500 students) throughout the metro area. At Hopkins High School, we have given 34 different presentations, reaching over 738 students. This presentation has awards from both Best Prep and B.E.E.F. (Business Economic Education Foundation). It focuses on the things that future renters should know, including how to avoid evictions, how to select roommates, security deposits and understanding leases. Immigrant Outreach Project The third program focuses on immigrant outreach efforts. According to the 2000 census, foreign - born people make up at least 2,395 or 14% of the Hopkins population (a number which will surely continue to grow). Recognizing that many recent immigrants are not sure where to find a variety of useful resources, HOME Line has recently begun working to bridge this gap. Many recent immigrant groups live and work in Hopkins and many of them are living in rental housing with lower incomes and have no knowledge of their rental rights. It is important that we train and work with those social service providers who have contact with these new residents, so they too can use the tenant services to solve their rental problems. While our services are available to all renters free of charge, over 97% of our Hopkins callers have low or very-low incomes; almost three quarters (71 %) of these callers are women; 25% are racial minorities. Our programs are aimed at low- income renters, high school students who are about to enter the rental market, and recent immigrants. We identify the key demographics at the beginning of each call. 5. Consolidated Plan Priorities: Using the Priority Summary chart below, identify what pfiority(ies) the project will meet. (Note: If a proposed project is a low urban county priority, you must explain why it has a higher priority in your community.) Neighborhood Revitalization Transportation Services 6. Describe anticipated results /accomplishments the project will have. (number of persons to receive services, number of affordable housing units to be rehabilitated or built, etc.) . We anticipate between 150 and 160 callers utilizing our hotline services, representing 400 residents. We will offer our free high school training to Hopkins High School. The immigrant outreach will vary with community interest. Also see the attached one -page sheet, which covers what HOME Line has accomplished in Hopkins in the past. 7. Implementation Schedule: (Identify major project tasks to occur during/ within the first 12 months of the 18 month expenditure period. Expenditure period begins July 1, 2009 and ends December 31, 2010.) Task: Renter counseling over hotline Date Ongoing Task: High school presentations Date Late fall and late spring Task: Immigrant Outreach Project Date Ongoing S. Budget: (Specify total project budget by major funding sources. Attach additional listings where appropriate.) FUNDING SOURCES Source: McKnight Foundation AMOUNT Source: Funders Council (Foreclosure) CDBG $ 55,906 Prior Year CDBG Funding (for this project) $ 24 Other Federal Funds (specify) $ 34,800 Low Income Housing Tax Credits $ 0 State specify �_� _ _ $ 2 1,100 _ Municipal $ 37,957 Metr opolitan Council _ J $ _0 Private (specify) $ 231,000 Other (specify) $ 4,700 Project Total $ 410,392 HOM Line Tenant Hotline Services Sources of Funds (Attachment) 75,000 Source: McKnight Foundation 80,000 Source: Funders Council (Foreclosure) 34,800 Source: Assist. Family Homeless Prevention & 30,000 Source: Henne in County 25,000 Source: T he Bigelow Foundation 21,100 Source: Human MN Department of Health and 15,000 Source: T Marda Foundation 10,000 Source: T he McNeely Foundation 11,000 S ource: The Hu h J. Andersen Foundation 5,000 Source: Pan African Foundation 4,000 Source: Duluth Su erior Foundation 1,000 Source: Initiative Foundation — Alexandria 5,000 Source: Minn. Initiative Foundation — Central 15,900 Source: Suburban Ramsey CDBG 8,000 Source: City of Pl ymouth CDBG 7,957 Source: City of Bloomington 5,060 Source: CDBG Hennepin County Consolidated 5,000 Source: C ity of Eden Prairie CDB 9,475 Source: St. Paul COPP 3,000 Source: Ci of Ma le Grove CDBG 988 Source: City of Hopkins CDBG 2,983 Source: Cit of Richfield CDBG 4,500 Source: Ci of Minnetonka CDBG 1,000 Source: Cit of New Hope CDBG