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Home My WebLink AboutIR 23-0758 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 23-0758 October 10, 2023 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council 4 Page 1 of 5 A. o s rn SUBJECT: PRIORITY REPAIR PROGRAM 1875 The City of Fort Worth's Neighborhood Services Department administers several home repair programs that assist low-income residents using a variety of funding sources. However,the program serving the most homeowners every year is the City's Priority Repair Program (PRP), which was established by the City Council in FY2009. PRP is based in the Neighborhood Service Department's Home Improvement and Repair Division, located at the Hazel Harvey Peace Center for Neighborhoods. The program employs six full-time City employees and four City contractors. PRP is designed to address urgent health and safety concerns and priority home repair needs for very low- and low-income single-family homeowners who are unable to make necessary repairs to their homes. The program goals are to: (1) extend the life of housing units so that low-income families can remain safe and prosperous in their homes, and(2)maintain the stock of single-family homes in the City of Fort Worth. Funding for the PRP has largely been provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development(HUD) through its Community Development Block Grant(CDBG)program. However, for FY2024, City General Fund monies have been added to the program, essentially doubling program funding. Figure 1: Priority Repair Program unding Sources Funding Source FY2022 FY 2023 FY2024 Community Development Block Grant $1,100,000.00 $2,000,000.00 $2,000,000.00 City General Fund - - 1 $2,000,000.00 Total Funding $1,100,000.00 $2,000,000.00 1 $4,000,000.00 Program Eligibility The program has limitations and eligibility requirements, due to the funding sources. Eligibility requirements include: • Must own and occupy a single-family housing unit and the housing units must be the applicant's homestead • Must be a home located within the corporate boundaries of the City of Fort Worth • Must be within a specific level of household income, based on unique program guidelines, which is at or below 60% of Area Median Income (AMI) as established annually by HUD • House must have a value not more than 80% of area median home price for the City of Fort Worth • Must provide proof of U.S. citizenship or legal residency and picture identification • Must provide proof of household income for all adults 18 or older • Must be current on their property taxes or on a payment/deferral plan authorized by TAD Figure 2: Priority Repair Household Income Limits HUD 2023 Adjusted Household Income Limits (60% Area Median Income) 1PERSON1 2 PERSON 1 3 PERSON 1 4 PERSON 1 5 PERSON 1 6 PERSON 1 7 PERSON 1 8 PERSON $ 40,200 1 $ 45,960 1 $ 51,720 1 $ 57,420 1 $ 62,040 1 $ 66,660 1 $ 71,220 1 $ 75,840 Eligible Repairs ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 23-0758 October 10, 2023 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council 4 Page 2 of 5 A. o s rn SUBJECT: PRIORITY REPAIR PROGRAM 1875 Under the program,repairs up to $25,000 per household are completed without charge to the homeowner. Eligible repairs under the Priority Repair Program include: 1. Sewer line breaks 2. Freshwater line breaks or leaks 3. Gas line breaks or leaks 4. Unsafe or inoperable heating units, or housing with no primary heating source 5. Inoperable or unsafe water heaters 6. Leaking roofs and significant exterior deterioration 7. Unsafe or inoperable air conditioning systems 8. Rotten, unstable, or deteriorated subflooring 9. Electrician deficiencies that create urgent health and safety conditions 10. Pier and beam foundation issues that create urgent health and safety conditions In the event that the eligible repairs listed above do not address a particular specialized or unique construction or repair situation (or an eligibility issue), the adopted PRP policy allows the Neighborhood Services Director to decide, using the underlying purpose and principles of the PRP and all applicable state and federal laws and regulations. There are time limitations on application so that the program can serve as many households as necessary. For example, if repairs cost more than $20,000, applicants receiving these repairs are eligible to apply for services once every two calendar years from the date of the warranty provided for the first repair. The program receives significantly more applications each year than can be served within the fiscal year they apply. The program accepts applications on a continuous cycle with varying waiting times depending upon the number of applications currently under review. Client Locations PRP client households are scattered throughout the City of Fort Worth, as shown below. However,the distribution of assistance is predominantly in neighborhoods where a predominance of households are low- to extremely low-income. Year after year, there is a preponderance of clients located in Southeast Fort Worth and in Council Districts 8 and 11. The housing stock in these Council districts also tends to be the oldest and in the least improved condition in the City. ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 23-0758 October 10, 2023 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council �aTa Page 3 of 5 i rn SUBJECT: PRIORITY REPAIR PROGRAM 1875 Figure 3: Number of Households Rec iving PRP Services by Fiscal Year and Council District Council District FY 2022 Count FY2023 Count 2 31 36 3 2 8 4 1 4 5 33 37 6 22 17 7 3 0 8 84 94 9 13 17 10 3 2 11 107 91 TOTALS 299 306 Figure 4: Location of Households Receiving PRP Services by Council District 33 .A. ,, y 2 i..r...rF Imrg ♦ 0 MA r I]IwL • 1wt.11b t._ I A "°"' `�"�'� Priority Repair Program �....,µ.l s w...lu Ut l.rch NuaK 5 m14S w.cuaal errMap MI ,r..a.>m go"ormNo Itousehokds served FY 2021-22 and FY 2022-23 ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 23-0758 October 10, 2023 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council 0VA Page 4 of 5 SUBJECT: PRIORITY REPAIR PROGRAM Y673 Over the last two years (FY2022 and FY2023), the program has served over 600 households. Based on the last two years of funding, the program has the following demographic characteristics: PRP Client Race PRP Client Ethnicity FY 2021-2022 &FY 2022-2023 FY 2021-2022& FY 2022-2023 The 66% of clients identify racially as Black/African American followed by 33% identifying as White. 23% of clients identify as ethnically Hispanic. PRP Client Household Income level PRP Client Age Status FY 2021.2022& FY 2022.2023 FY 2021.2022&2022.2023 The majority of PRP client households are extremely low income or low income. Only 10% are moderate income. Similarly, the majority of the PRP clients are elderly. Figure 5: Definitions of Income Levels HUD Income Level Definition Low Income 50.01% - 80% Area Median Income Very Low Income 30.01%-50% Area Median Income Extremely Low-Income <30% Area Median Income ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 23-0758 October 10, 2023 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council 0WA Page 5 of 5 SUBJECT: PRIORITY REPAIR PROGRAM Y673 More information about the program and the weatherization program application form can be found on the City's Website at https://www.fortworthtexas.gov/departments/neighborhoods/services/priorityrepair or by calling (817) 392-7548 (Nosotras hablamos espanol)to receive a paper copy of an application and assistance filling out the application. If you have any further questions or concerns,please contact Victor Turner, Neighborhood Services Director, at x8187. David Cooke City Manager ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS