GREATER BOND NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTIAL FAÇADE IMPROVEMENT GRANT PROGRAM

G U I D E L I N E S

I. Statement of Purpose

The Greater Bond Neighborhood Residential Façade Improvement Grant Program seeks to preserve and improve the quality of the housing stock in the section of the Greater Bond neighborhood that is within boundaries of the Greater Frenchtown/ Southside Community Redevelopment Area (GFS District). The grant funds eligible repairs to the exterior of certain residential structures with the intent of making the housing unit safe and secured while improving the aesthetics of the neighborhood.

II. Program Funding & Administration

The program provides grant funding up to and not to exceed $17,000 per housing unit. The Program Administrator manages these funds and no funding is provided directly to the homeowner. The City of Tallahassee Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) provides the funding for the program. Approximately, $500,000 is available to fund program’s second round of grants, which opens on September 15.

The Greater Bond Neighborhood Residential Façade Improvement Grant Program is funded by the City of Tallahassee Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). The City of Tallahassee Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs Department administers the program with assistance from the Housing and Community Resilience Department. Project management services for the program is currently being provided by the Tallahassee Lenders’ Consortium. For the second round of the funding the City will issue a Request for Qualification to select a new project manager for the program.

III. Guidelines

The following criteria must be met to be eligible for funding under this program:

A. Eligibility Requirements

Homeowners and property owners within the Greater Bond neighborhood are eligible to apply for funding from the Façade Improvement Grant Program. Only certain types of residential structures are eligible for grant funding (see application package).

1. Applications for funding must be submitted during the application period set by the City of Tallahassee.

2. The principal applicant for the Neighborhood Residential Façade Improvement Grant Program must be the owner of the home proposed to be improved using the funding provided by this program. Please note that all owners must sign the application. Occupied rental units must have the support of the current tenants. 3. Proposed projects must be located within the Greater Bond Neighborhood and the Greater Frenchtown/Southside Community Redevelopment Area (GFS District). (The CRA Board has approved funding for the implementation of this program in the section of the Greater Bond neighborhood that is within GFS CRA District and as further stipulated in this program guideline.) See attached map or look up the property info sheet on the Leon County Property Appraiser’s website at www.leonpa.org, or contact Neighborhood Affairs staff at 891-8795 to determine whether your home is eligible for funding. 4. Proposed projects must improve and enhance the exterior of eligible residential properties only. Commercial properties are not eligible. Improvements to any exterior side of a home that can be seen from a public street are eligible for funding. For exterior painting, the entire home will be painted.

5. The proposed project property must be free of any delinquent municipal debts, including but not limited to property taxes, or other active code violations; unless the code violation is on an owner-occupied home and will be addressed by the proposed repairs.

6. Applicants may submit a funding application for more than one property; however, only one application will be funded for each applicant per funding cycle.

7. An application must be complete to be considered for funding. Repairs started or completed before a grant is approved and a Homeowner Agreement document is issued by the Program Administrator are not eligible for funding under this program.

8. Ineligible uses of funds include but are not limited to interior repairs, purchase of commercial or residential property, equipment, and new construction.

B. Types of Eligible Residential Properties:

1. Single-family owner-occupied homes; 2. Single-family renter-occupied homes; 3. Owner or renter-occupied housing units with no more than two attached units; and 4. Vacant residential units (single-family or duplex) held for rental purpose.

Note: Ineligible properties include non-residential properties, condominiums, associations, and co-ops. Commercial properties in the GFS District may be eligible for façade grant funds under the Business Facility Improvement Program.

IV. Eligible Improvements

Grant funds are awarded only for exterior repairs that improve the exterior of an eligible housing structure. Eligible exterior improvements may include:

• repair/replacement of roofs • repair and/or replacement of doors and windows. • exterior painting; • installation of landscaping and irrigation (not to exceed more than $2,500); • replacement, upgrades or construction of new porches, • repair/replacement of gutters and downspouts; • repair/replacement of exterior lighting (includes exterior security lighting), etc.; • repair/installation of driveways • repair, replacement or removal of fencing (chain-linked fences or opaque fences that totally

screen in a yard are not eligible for funding); • pressure or soft washing; • replacement or repair of shutters, railings, wood rot, columns, posts; • eaves/soffits repair; • repair/replacement of siding; • minor interior repairs necessitated by a funded exterior repair

Selected eligible exterior repairs will be funded based on the following priorities:

1) Code enforcement compliance & safety 2) Energy-efficiency 3) Beautification

IV. Parameters of Funding

Grant funds will be awarded only for exterior repairs, which will result in improvement or enhancement of a home’s exterior.

A. Funding Amount - Applications will be approved for funding up to $17,000.00 per housing unit. If a project exceeds the maximum allowable funding, a funded applicant may elect to pay the difference out of his/her personal funds directly to the Program Administrator or adjust the scope of the project to the maximum allowable funding. Such an arrangement can address only issues such as an upgrade in materials and cannot be used for improvements that are eligible for funding under this program. This arrangement must be memorialized in the Homeowner Agreement document. Payment must be done with certified funds.

B. Fees - There is no application fee to apply for a Neighborhood Residential Façade Improvement Grant. Project funding can be used to pay for all construction permits required by the City of Tallahassee.

V. Application Period Applications for Round 2 of the Greater Bond Neighborhood Residential Façade Improvement Grant Program will be accepted from September 15 to October 16, 2020. Electronic applications can be submitted up to 11:59 p.m. on October 16. Completed hard copy applications can also be scanned and emailed to: NeighborhoodAffairs@talgov.com or submitted in the following manner:

Mail City of Tallahassee Neighborhood Affairs Division Attention: Leann Watts-Williams Smith-Williams Service Center 2295 Pasco St. Tallahassee, FL 32310

Drop-off Walker-Ford Community Center 2301 Pasco St. Attention: Leann Watts-Williams Monday – Friday 2 – 6 p.m.

VI. Reviewing and Scoring of Applications Processing of applications will begin after the application period is closed. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Completed applications will be reviewed, and if selected in the random drawing; it will funded and forwarded to the Program Administrator for further processing. To maximize the impact of this program on the community, applications will be evaluated and scored based on the neighborhood priorities established for this program, using the point system below. • Home is owner-occupied – 3 points • Home has been owner-occupied for:

10-15yrs. = 1 point 16 to 25yrs. = 2 points 25yrs. and up = 3 points

• Home is an occupied rental unit – 1 point • Home is located on select streets identified for streetscaping – 1 point (Gamble Street, Saxon Street, Holton Street, Osceola Street, Floral Street, Keith Street)

Proposed projects with the highest number of points will be given priority for funding and will be selected randomly.

VII. Notification and Selection 1. Once an application is received, applicants who provide an email address will be

notified of the receipt of their applications.

2. At the close of the application period, the Neighborhood Affairs Division will conduct an initial review of each application to determine completeness.

3. Applications that are deemed complete will be scored and processed for selection and funding.

4. Incomplete applications will not be processed for selection. Applicants whose applications have been deemed incomplete will be notified accordingly.

5. The highest scoring applications will be grouped, and applications will be selected randomly from that grouping for funding.

6. Applicants selected for funding, will be notified by Neighborhood Affairs staff within 30 days from the close of the application period.

7. Funded applications will be forwarded to the Program Administrator for further processing, including developing the scope of work for the project, a final grant commitment letter and a Homeowner Agreement document.

8. Within 10 days of receipt of funded applications from the City, the Program Administrator will contact the funded applicants to schedule an appointment with each applicant to determine scope of work and execute the Contractual Obligation document. The Program Administrator will have 21 days to complete this process.

Improvements made under this program must be initiated and completed within 6 months after being awarded. The City of Tallahassee reserves the right to:

A. Announce all funding commitments publicly B. Use before & after photos for program marketing purposes

P R O C E S S

STEP 1: Property owner (applicant) submits a completed application to the City of Tallahassee Neighborhood Affairs Division with all required documentation by October 16, including: · Photographs of property and photographs clearly showing existing conditions · Proof of ownership may be required if we are not able to confirm ownership via

the Leon County Property Appraiser’s and/or Clerk of Court records. If a rental property is owned by an LLC, please provide documentation showing that the applicant can make commitments on behalf of the ownership entity.

STEP 2: At the close of the application period, the City of Tallahassee Neighborhood Affairs Division will review all applications received for completeness and compliance with the program’s guidelines. Incomplete applications will not be processed for funding and applicants with incomplete applications will be notified accordingly. STEP 3: The City of Tallahassee Neighborhood Affairs Division will review and score all completed applications based on the neighborhood priorities developed for the program. STEP 4: The City of Tallahassee Neighborhood Affairs Division will group all completed and scored applications based on the number of points they have received.

STEP 5: The City of Tallahassee Neighborhood Affairs Division, starting with the applications that received the highest number of points, will randomly select application. STEP 6: The City of Tallahassee Neighborhood Affairs Division will notify applicants that their projects have been selected for funding and that the Program Administrator will contact them to work collaboratively with them to determine scope of the project, funding amount, and to select a contractor(s). STEP 7: The Program Administrator will review the funded applications and supporting documentation received from the City and will perform a site visit to determine the scope of work. The Program Administrator will work with the homeowner to schedule the site visit.

STEP 8: Once the scope of work, including the selection of a contractor, has been agreed upon by the funded applicant and the Program Administrator, the Program Administrator will send the funded applicant a written notification of their award amount in the form of a Commitment Letter along with the Homeowner Agreement document to be executed. Funds will not be disbursed directly to the applicant.

STEP 9: Upon receipt of a signed Homeowner Agreement document, the Program Administrator and the selected contractor can proceed with the agreed upon repairs/construction. Work that requires a permit must be obtained from the appropriate permitting entity. Note: Work that has been completed prior to a grant commitment letter being executed cannot be paid for with program funds. STEP 10: Once work is completed, the Program Administrator will schedule a final inspection of the completed project. Final disbursement of funds is contingent upon contractor providing invoices for completed improvements. Work must be completed within six months. Payment from the Program Administrator will be in the form of a check to the contractor.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the Neighborhood Residential Façade Improvement Grant Program? The Neighborhood Residential Façade Improvement Grant Program provides grant funding to repair/improve the façade (exterior) of eligible residential properties. Residential property owners within the Greater Frenchtown/Southside Community Redevelopment Area (GFS District) neighborhoods are eligible. The program is currently funded only for property within the Greater Bond neighborhood. Note: The program does NOT include interior repairs. Proposed repairs that fall outside of the parameters of the listed eligible repairs for the Neighborhood Residential Façade Improvement Grant Program, may be eligible for funding from other housing rehabilitation programs.

Who can apply? Residential property owners whose property is located within the designated boundaries of the Greater Bond neighborhood and within the GFS District.

How much grant funding am I eligible for? The maximum funding available for eligible repairs/improvements is $17,000.00

Will this program place a lien on my property?

No. This program provides non-repayable funding up to $17,000.00 to homeowners/property owners to make exterior repairs/improvements to their eligible residential properties.

Will I have to repay the funds awarded to complete the repairs/improvement to my eligible residential property?

No. The funds awarded to complete the repairs/improvements to your eligible residential property is a grant and does not require repayment.

What are the eligibility requirements?

1. The principal applicant for the Neighborhood Residential Façade Improvement Grant Program must be the owner of the home proposed to be improved using the funding provided by this program. Occupied rental units must have the support of the current tenants.

2. Proposed projects must be located within the Greater Bond Neighborhood and the GFS District. (The CRA Board has approved funding for the implementation of this program in the section of the Greater Bond neighborhood that is within GFS CRA District and as further stipulated in this program guideline.) See attached map or look up the property info sheet on the Leon County Property Appraiser’s website at www.leonpa.org. You may also contact PRNA staff by calling 891-8795.

GREATER BOND NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTIAL FAÇADE IMPROVEMENT GRANT PROGRAM

3. Applications for funding must be submitted during the application period set by the City of Tallahassee in coordination with the CRA and based on the availability of funds.

4. Proposed projects must improve and enhance the exterior of a home only. Improvements to any exterior side of a home that can be seen from a public street are eligible for funding. For exterior painting, the entire home will be painted.

5. The proposed project property must be free of any delinquent municipal debts, including but not limited to property taxes, or active code violations; unless the code violation is on an owner-occupied home and will be addressed by the proposed repairs.

6. Applicants may submit a funding application for more than one property; however, only one application will be funded for each applicant per funding cycle.

7. An application must be complete to be considered for funding. Repairs started or completed before a grant is approved and a Homeowner Agreement document issued by the Program Administrator are not eligible for funding under this program.

8. Ineligible uses of funds include but are not limited to interior repairs, purchase of commercial property or equipment, and new construction. What types of residential properties are eligible to receive funding?

The Residential Façade Improvement Grant Program will fund improvements to the following types of residential properties:

1. Single-family owner-occupied homes; 2. Single-family renter-occupied homes; 3. Owner or renter-occupied housing units with no more than two attached

units; and 4. Vacant residential units (single-family or duplex) held for rental purpose.

Note: Ineligible properties include non-residential properties, condominiums, associations, and co-ops.

How long is the application period? Applications for Round 2 of the Greater Bond Neighborhood Residential Façade Improvement Grant Program will be accepted from September 15 to October 16, 2020.

Can someone assist me with completing my application? Yes. Please call the Neighborhood Affairs Division at 891-8795 to schedule an appointment to receive assistance with completing your application. Application assistance will also be available at the Southside Farmers Market on September 10 and October 8, from 2 – 6 p.m. The market is located outside of the Walker-Ford Community Center at 2301 Pasco St. Other important details

• Owner(s) must sign - The property owner or owners must sign the application and other required documents. If individuals jointly own the property, each individual must sign. If a corporation or limited liability company owns the property, the documents must be signed by an officer or member with authority to execute documents on behalf of the business entity.

• Tax Implications - Grant recipients will be responsible for any tax implications resulting

from the receipt of a grant. Consult your tax advisor concerning potential tax implications.

• How will I know if my application is approved for funding? Notification of an approved application will be provided within 30 days from the date the application period has closed.

• Who can I contact about the Neighborhood Residential Façade Improvement Grant Program for Greater Bond?

Leann Watts-Williams, Supervisor City of Tallahassee Parks, Recreation & Neighborhood Affairs Department

(850) 891-8795 leann.watts.williams@talgov.com