Antioch Council approves Climate Action plan, low-income apartments development agreement, hiring organization for FEMA trailer housing program
By Allen Payton
During their meeting on Tuesday, May 12, 2020 the Antioch City Council dealt with several other issues including approving a development agreement with the developer of a low-income housing project, adopting a Climate Action and Resilience Plan, and issuing a request for proposal to hire an organization to oversee the FEMA trailer housing program.
Approve Low-Income Apartments Development Agreement
In other action, the council unanimously approved a development agreement between the City of Antioch and AMCAL Antioch Fund, LP for the 349-unit low-income apartment complex off E. 18th Street previously approved the council. – Amcal apartments Development Agreement 05-12-20
Adopts Climate Action & Resilience Plan – Antioch Climate Action & Resilience Plan
CivicSpark Fellow Lorenzo Siemann provided an overplan of the Climate Action and Resilience Plan. He said, “the overarching goal of the CARP is to prepare Antioch for…flood, drought, earthquake.” – Antioch Climate Action & Resilience Plan presentation 05-12-20
Sea level rise is a major focus of the CARP.
“We’re talking about a 30-year projection,” said Julie Haas-Wajdowicz, the city’s Environmental Resources Coordinator.
According to the staff presentation, the local and regional effects of “Climate Change in the Bay Area and Antioch” include:
Local Effects
Increase in flood risk along northern Antioch water bodies
Higher energy and water consumption (especially in the summers)
Worsening air quality due to wildfire and hotter days Resilience Plan
Regional Effects
Disruption of transportation, housing, and employment infrastructure
Decline in consistency of agricultural yields
Increasing pressure on electrical grid
“This is about getting…state and federal money,” said Mayor Sean Wright.
“It’s a real great opportunity for us for equity and resilience work for our community recovering from future disasters,” Haas-Wajdowicz stated.
The council adopted the Climate Action and Resilience Plan on a vote of 5-0 vote.
Will Hire Organization to Oversee FEMA Trailer Housing Program
The council approved a Request For Proposal (RFP) to pursue contracting with a non-profit organization to oversee the RV Housing Opportunity Program (HOP to Housing) for placing homeless families in the five FEMA trailers given to Antioch by the state. – RV Housing Opportunity Program Consultant RFP
According to the staff report, “This will be a temporary housing program that will serve families with children in the City of Antioch who are attending Antioch Unified School District, and experiencing homelessness, particularly families who are currently unsheltered (living outside, in an encampment or in a vehicle). The City of Antioch is closely collaborating with the Health, Housing, and Homeless Services (H3) Division of the Contra Costa Health Services Department to support service delivery for the project.”
“The focus is how do we ensure that costs overall don’t overwhelm us,” said Councilman Lamar Thorpe. “To make sure we’re using money wisely and don’t overwhelm ourselves as a city to accommodate as many individuals as possible who are homeless.”
“The core of the RFP is to find a qualified non-profit…to work with these families to make the transition as expeditious as possible to permanent housing,” said Kate Bristol, Director of Consulting for Focus Strategies, the City’s consulting firm on homeless.
The contractor will provide 24-hour supervision and on-site security, where the trailers are located, which has yet to be decided.
“I’m excited about where this has come…to provide housing for families to move on to permanent housing,” said Mayor Wright.
“The focus of the task force has always been encampments…this is somewhat of a detour,” said Councilman Lamar Thorpe. “We will have to get back to encampments. That’s where the largest challenges and concerns from the community are coming from.”
“We had to do this, first as far as the homeless trailer program, but I look forward to getting back to what our original goals were for those in encampments,” Mayor Pro Tem Joy Motts said.
The council then approved adopting the RFP on a 5-0 vote.
The meeting will be rebroadcast on Comcast local cable channel 24 on Thursday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m. or can be viewed on the City’s website.
the attachments to this post:
RV Housing Opportunity Program Consultant RFP
Amcal apartments Development Agreement 05-12-20
Antioch Climate Action & Resilience Plan presentation 05-12-20
Antioch Climate Action & Resilience Plan
Antioch Climate Action & Resilience Plan Potential Hazards
