Jamestown Director of Development Crystal Surdyk presents at public hearing (May 15, 2023)

A public hearing has been held on reallocating $225,000 in previous years HOME program funds to a First Time Homebuyers Assistance Program.

Jamestown Director of Development Crystal Surdyk said funds allocated in the 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 Annual Action Plans had not been fully spent in those years and an amendment to those action plans would allow the department to combine those funds for another program, “This funding will go to one of our Community Housing Development organizations, CHRIC, for the First Time Homebuyers Program that they currently administer. This is a great way for us to be able to spend those funds that we certainly don’t want to see go to waste and there’s definitely a need. CHRIC is ready to go.”

Surdyk said Chautauqua Home Rehabilitation and Improvement Corporation has applicants in their program waiting for funding and that U.S. Housing and Urban Development has supported CHRIC’s program in the past. She said CHRIC would retain an additional $500 per recipient for administrative costs.

The $225,000 would provide $4,000 to an estimated 50 low-to moderate-income first time homebuyers between 2023 and 2026.

Surdyk said the homebuyers would use the funds as gap funding, “It helps with down payment and closing costs. It also requires its participants to participate in a program that lasts over, I believe, nine weeks. They learn all of the basics of being a homeowner, responsibilities that they have as a homeowner.”

Surdyk said homebuyers sign an anti-speculation agreement that they won’t sell their home for five years, or risk having to pay back funding they’ve received.

She said there is about $1 million total in unexpended HOME funds. City Deputy Director of Housing Policy and Development Kasie Foulk said the Department of Development just learned that Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME monies not expended in previous years could have the action plans amended to reallocate the funds for existing or new programs.

The funding is for Community Planning and Development activities, ranging from the development of affordable housing to expanding economic opportunities for people with low and moderate incomes.
These grants are part of $6.3 billion to U.S. states, local entities of government, and U.S. territories through HUD’s Fiscal Year 2022.

The Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) provides annual grants on a formula basis to states, 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 HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) provides funding 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.

Jamestown Director of Development Crystal Surdyk said the allocation received by the City is about $50,000 less in CDBG funds compared with 2021 but $60,000 more in HOME funds.

The press release from HUD said Jamestown is also receiving $194,828 in CDBG Coronavirus (CV) Reallocations fund activities to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.

Director of Development Crystal Surdyk said the Annual Action Plan is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, for how the city plans to use the Community Development Block Grant and HOME funds it receives, “With the annual Action Planning process, there is a certain amount of public engagement that is required. This year, we decided to do things a little bit differently and do more public engagement. And instead of always asking folks to come meet us where we are, we’ve decided to meet them where they are.”

Surdyk said the workshops will be walking tours of neighborhoods in each City Ward. She said they hope community members will give input on issues and challenges they may be facing, “Through that process we educate them about what we can do with our funds and how can we meet their needs using those funds. So, it’ll help us make better decisions and really be able to evaluate programs that we have and think about ways that – do we need to change them a little bit so that they are having the biggest impact and are really more meaningful.”

Due to possible inclement weather, the Ward One workshop scheduled for 10:00 a.m. Saturday, March 26 will be held in the city hall lobby.

The other workshops will be held as follows:
Ward 2 at 10am, Saturday, April 9 at Washington Middle School
Ward 3 at 6pm, Tuesday, April 12 at Jackson-Taylor Park
Ward 4 at 6pm, Thursday, April 21 at Lincoln Elementary School
Ward 5 at 10am, Saturday, May 7 at Fletcher Elementary School
Ward 6 at 6pm, Tuesday, May 17 at Willard Park.

Surdyk said all are welcome to attend the workshops, even if they don’t live in that specific ward. Additional public input sessions that will take place at City Hall will be announced at a later date.

Jamestown Director of Development Crystal Surdyk addresses City Council Housing Committee

The community’s opportunity to give input on the annual Community Development Block Grant and HOME funds plan will be expanded this year.

Jamestown Director of Development Crystal Surdyk said they plan to hold walking tours in each ward in addition to the two usual public input meetings, “We’re still working on finalizing the routes, but we will start each tour at either a park where there’s a pavilion and we can sit and have some discussion. And then we’ll take a short little walk and just talk about some things along with the community.”

Surdyk said the public will be invited to join in the neighborhood walks. She added the first part of those meetings will be stationary to accommodate those with mobility issues. Surdyk said the ward meetings will be an opportunity for residents to share their concerns about what’s happening in their neighborhoods.

Community Development Block Grants support community development activities and needs such as infrastructure, economic development projects, public facilities installation, community centers, housing rehabilitation, code enforcement, and homeowner assistance.

A public hearing on the CDBG/HOME action plan will be held the same day as City Council‘s June voting session before it’s submitted for review to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Surdyk said input meetings with stakeholders, such as housing agencies, were held on a HOME American Rescue Plan grant the City received. She said a rental rehabilitation program was developed based on that. A public hearing will be held on that program at the end of March. Surdyk emphasized that while the new rehabilitation program is for rental units only, homeowners can still apply to the regular HOME program for repairs.

Surdyk informed the City Council Housing Committee that the Department of Development is looking at reallocating a portion of HOME funds that they haven’t been able to expend due to lack of contractors.

She said as Chautauqua Home Rehabilitation and Improvement Corporation, or CHRIC, and Citizen Opportunity for Development and Equality, or CODE, have already expended funds they have, the city would reallocate some HOME funds to them, “Try to spread it out and knowing those programs, they have waiting lists, they could really use the additional funding and they can get it out. So if all three organizations are working on getting those funds expended, the money is out in the community rather than sitting waiting for us to be able to do something with it.”

Surdyk said a resolution in regards to that re-allocation will likely come before City Council for consideration in April.