HUD Con Plan Writing Sample

Summarize citizen participation process and how it impacted goal setting:

The City strives to provide leadership in region-wide community engagement through a bi-partisan, cross-sector, multi-level initiative. Target audiences include youth, individuals and families, seniors, nonprofit leaders, corporate community partners, and local government officials. Efforts include one-on-one meetings, focus groups, community service fairs, capacity-building workshops, and social media outreach. Many participants are public service providers; however, we have also encouraged our agencies to empower their clients to engage with the process. Our strategy is to engage citizens beyond the typical survey, focus group, or charrette, and have them participate in meaningful ways, opening a comfort level for dialogue. During the 2019 calendar year, we engaged over 500 individuals, including clients, public service professionals, and nonprofit sector leaders, through a survey and a series of focus groups with the same questions about perceived priorities. In addition, we engaged youth participants of a CDBG-funded community center in a focus group setting with facilitated activities. All data were synthesized and made available to nonprofit and public agency leaders who gave further feedback through our "Annual Community Development Symposium" in December 2019.

Describe the jurisdiction's need for Public Services:

Public services (including those administered by local nonprofits and those issued by the city) play a crucial role in improving the quality of life of residents in our community. All eligible public services will be an area of focus over the next five years, including Senior Transportation, Youth Activities, Child Care, Behavioral Health Counseling, Code Enforcement, Fair Housing Counseling and Housing Search, and Other Services. Special (Non-Homeless) Needs to include Elderly and Frail Elderly, Severe Mental Illness, Developmentally Disabled, Physically Disabled, Persons with Alcohol or Other Drug Addictions, Persons with HIV/AIDS, Victims of Domestic Violence, or Other (Veterans, Abused & Neglected Children, Public Housing Residents, Racial & Ethnic Populations, and Ex-offenders).

Other needs include Communications Access. The purpose of Communications Access is to ensure that residents of the City of Quincy have meaningful access to program information and services even though they may be limited in their English proficiency or have disabilities. Request for proposals and available funding will determine the allocation of funds.

How are the Jurisdiction poverty reducing goals, programs, and policies coordinated with this affordable housing plan:

Our public service programs directly serve poverty-level and low-income households. These programs are community assets that, together with permanent affordable housing, are integral to addressing poverty and fostering economic, educational, and social opportunities. Poverty-reducing goals, programs, and policies align with the Public Service competitive grant process. Each year, the City requests proposals for programs that specifically address the identified priority needs, objectives, and outcomes within this Consolidated Plan.

Action Plan, Barriers to Affordable Housing:

The most significant barrier to affordable housing development throughout the Consortium is the high cost of land and construction costs. Local zoning policies limit areas where multifamily development is allowed, further exacerbating the issue. Many projects seek approval through the comprehensive permit process, which can result in public opposition to development projects. Barriers in the respective Consortium communities are in respective planning documents, including state-required Housing Production Plans and the Consortium's Fair Housing Plan/Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice, updated in conjunction with the Con Plan process.