Antioch City Council approves $6.45 million for affordable housing, homeless services
Reallocates excess funds from Downtown Roadway Project, $550,000 were originally slated for housing
By Allen D. Payton
During their meeting on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, the Antioch City Council approved spending $6.4 million of federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and state funding on affordable housing and homeless services, including 102 units on the properties of two churches to serve close to 300 residents in the city. District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker was absent for the meeting.
At the beginning of the regular meeting Assistant City Attorney Brittany Brice reported out of closed session that on the civil rights lawsuit by Trent Allen, et al vs. City of Antioch and on the recruitment of the city manager there was “no reportable action”.
Besides approving the sideshow ordinance on a 4-0 vote, which outlaws organizers, advertisers and spectators, the council approved spending funds for affordable housing and services for Antioch’s homeless residents.
Based on the funding recommendations of the CDBG Committee, consisting of Torres-Walker and District 3 Councilman Mike Barbanica, it includes $4,050,000 in Local Housing Successor funding from the City’s former redevelopment agency for homeless services and the development of affordable housing with 80 units on the property of Grace Bible Fellowship of Antioch on Oakley Road,
Another $610,896.19 was reallocated from excess funds that weren’t needed for the Downtown Roadway Project, for the development of affordable, supportive housing for extremely low-income and homeless households. It will be used for 22 housing units on a 2.17-acre parcel located at 3195 Contra Loma Blvd. in Antioch, purchased from First Family Church, through Hope Solutions.
An additional $6,454,180 of funding to address identified high priority needs of lower income residents in Antioch was approved for spending by the council. That amount includes $879,893 in CDBG entitlement funds, $610,896 in reallocated CDBG funds, $184,970 in previously approved CDBG-CV (Covid) funds, $4,050,000 in Local Housing Successor funds, $645,614 in Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA) funds, and $82,807 in Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) funds.
Agenda Item 10 was a public hearing on the spending and included amending the FY 2024-25 Budget. The council first heard from Public Safety and Community Resources Department Director Tasha Johnson who introduced Teresa House, the City’s housing and homeless consultant, to provide the staff presentation.
“It’s been quite some time since we’ve had an allocation this large and it’s exciting,” she stated. “It’s the plan we present to the federal government for the block grant funds.”
House mentioned the Hope Village project, which is a planned “22-unit housing development on church land” and “Grace Commons. They are partnering with Grace Bible Fellowship…for 80 units. The cost is $50,871” per unit from the City’s grant funds.
However, the total cost is estimated to be $45-50 million for the project.
The cost per home for the Hope Village units will be $27,768 from the City’s grant funding out of a total of $17 million budgeted for the project.
House said this was “the first affordable housing project (of its type) to come before the city or the county in over 15 years.”
Reallocation of Excess CDBG Funds for Downtown Roadway Project
Regarding the reallocation of the Downtown Roadway Project funds for affordable housing, House said, “These were not in any way negligently unspent. These were residual funds waiting for their next allocation.”
“The Downtown Roadway Project received an extra $550,000 by dissolving the rotating housing loan funds,” she continued. “HUD does not allow cities to hold on to monies. If we have excess funds on hand we’re sanctioned by HUD. It’s very necessary we spend the funds.”
“We’re recapturing that $550,000 and additional funds, and spending them on affordable housing, which they’d like to build in our community,” she explained.
No one spoke as the proponent for the public hearing, but resident Andrew Becker spoke as the opponent.
“It’s concerning because we see the growing need in our community and the impact we see as we drive these streets and talk with our community members who speak about the cost of housing,” he said. “We can’t find within our General Budget the funds for shelter housing beyond what we have. We say we don’t have dollars. We ask what it would cost to house the people on the street, but no one can give us those numbers because no one is working on it.”
“Our Point-In-Time Count went up. We know there are more people on the street,” Becker continued. “Instead, we choose to allocate dollars to housing rehabilitation in our community.”
PLHA is money that’s supposed to go to rapid deployment solutions,” he stated. “What is the cost of putting up 50 pallet shelters instead of paying a hotel operator $100,000 a month for 30 rooms?”
“You didn’t even choose to have that conversation. I don’t understand why I have to hear from our housing consultant that, ‘I don’t have enough time.’”
“What are we doing here besides paying that consultant a lot of dollars when what she’s developed doesn’t meet the community’s needs?” he asked. “And some of you don’t even want to sit down and talk with me.”
“We have such few dollars. As far as the millions of dollars going into these developments. What’s concerning when I show up to these CDBG meetings, the developer doesn’t even show up. There should have been the opportunity for council members to ask the developer questions,” Becker complained. “I feel like, as much as staff is right the County is saying we want to see local commitments, there are grey areas of concern.”
“There could be $50 million in costs,” he stated. “Sometimes developers…see these dollars as free money. It’s almost $7 million and when you look at the true intent of what a Housing Successor Agency does…and the misuse of those dollars, you see the cycle continue in a different model unless we have leaders who are responsible who say, ‘I’m not comfortable in giving $1 million in taxpayer dollars.”
“It’s a large cost so I really hope those questions
“I don’t want to see a 80-unit project go up on a church that doesn’t know what kind of waters it’s stepping into,” Becker stated. “If you’re going to ask the people for the dollars, it’s got to make sense.”
Grace Commons
According to the city staff report, the Grace Commons three-story housing project will include 80 units serving 200+ people for an estimated cost of $45-50 million. Funding is coming from capital campaign by church which has been successful for all structures on the property, County, State applications, federal, large tech companies.
Pastor Kirkland Smith spoke about the project planned for his church’s property saying, “This…goes back to 9-11. I’s the dream Grace Bible Fellowship has had for this community.”
He then shared about other services the church provides for the community including “Grace House Sober Living Home on our campus, Grace Closet, Grace After School Tutoring Program…and Midnight Basketball.”
“We’ll provide wrap-around services that will come into Grace Commons. Chalk is the name of the service provider,” Smith explained.
“Antioch is the number one for unhoused in Contra Costa County,” he pointed out.
“When we commit to a project…it’s going to happen. It’s going to come to pass,” Smith assured the council.
“I’m a 29-year resident of Antioch. I’m invested in this community,” the pastor shared. “I’m excited about the opportunity and I will focus on the work and not those who are trying to frustrate the work.”
Hope Village
According to the city staff report, Hope Solutions is proposing 22 doors/households for an estimated 95 residents maximum to be named Hope Village. The city money will be used for development of the units. Total costs are $17 million in budget with a capital campaign, plus, they will be going back next year to the County and will pursue other sources.
Jasmine Tarkoff, a representative of Hope Solutions spoke about the organization saying they had, “a long history of service in this county for close to three decades. We serve 3,500 individuals with our…services.”
“We spoke to dozens of people in Antioch, house and unhoused about Cottage Communities on faith-owned land” she stated and said the 22-unit project would consist of one-, two- and three-bedroom manufactured homes.
“Hope Solutions will serve as the professional service provider,” Tarkoff continued. “In addition, we will provide the professional property management services on site…every single day.”
“Hope Solutions has launched a capital campaign to raise private funds to couple with this project,” she added.
Hope Solutions provided a presentation in February 2023 to the city council about their proposed tiny home project in Antioch. The organization broke ground on another Hope Village last fall at Grace Presbyterian Church in Walnut Creek.
Antioch resident Louise Greene spoke next saying, “There’s talk, ‘we’re going to build this and they’re going to move in.’ No, they’re not. Those aren’t normal homeless people. They’re unstable.”
“By law you can’t force anyone into a program. It’s not just building a box. It’s building a home,” she continued. “It cost us $17,000 over three years to help my sister. There’s no instant solutions and the cost is a lot. If you can’t give them back their dignity that’s not the right program.”
“Along with these services they’re looking to build, is family help for the whole wrap,” Green stated. “The people on the street have the final say of what kind of housing, what kind of program they want to go into.”
“I’d love to know, with Grace, if you have to be a church member to receive housing or with Hope Solutions,” shared another woman who said she had been homeless twice.
Ralph Hernandez was the last public speaker on the matter, saying he agreed with the comments made by Andrew Becker.
“All of that money going to that private hotel, the City didn’t end up having any ownership in it,” he stated. “They had their…motel rooms improved and upgraded.”
“It was a drug haven, and you had some prostitutes going there and being run by thugs,” Hernandez continued.
“The City has to know what you are spending and giving public monies for. You’re supposed to evaluate what the money is going to. These groups have plans to have this housing…it’s great. But you, as the City should have some ownership…not just give taxpayer money out and say, ‘you own it. 100%.’”
“Now, what I’m reading is the City won’t have enough money to continue that program, there,” he stated. “Is the City going to throw more money into it? You’ll still have no ownership.”
Council Discussion & Unanimous Votes
During council discussion on the use of the funds, Barbanica spoke first asking questions of Ms. House.
“There is some concern with the public that we’re shorting projects that are out there for curbs, gutters, roadways with these monies moving from one fund to another.”
“Are we shorting something, now?” he asked.
Acting Public Works Director Scott Buenting said, “The answer is no. There is nothing being worked on, currently that these monies would be spent on.”
“How much are we spending to hand over to these two groups?” Barbanica then asked.
“That is $4 million and some change,” House responded.
“Just so the public understands. This is not money coming out of our General Funds,” the councilman stated.
“CDBG and Housing Successor Funds,” House explained. “That money is all a loan. We’re not giving anyone anything. It’s bringing $70 million coming from elsewhere.
“This will help 250 people to get off the streets,” he said.
“That’s correct,” House responded.
“Where will the public get the most out of it? This is permanent, long-term housing,” Barbanica stated. “It’s not just bridge housing.”
“It’s a loan. We have recourse to go after the property,” he explained. “I support the project.”
“The agreement for affordability with the City, it must remain for 55 years,” House added.
“For Hope Solutions, the purchase will most likely be from CDBG funds,” she said in response to a question from Ogorchock. “The Housing Successor funds won’t be available until 2025.”
“The timing for Hope Solutions is 2026 and the other one, 2027,” Ogorchock stated.
“That timetable was if they got funding from the County. They did not…so that timetable will get pushed out,” House explained and added that another project “took nine years”
“There is not one way into homelessness and there’s not going to be one way out of homelessness,” Hernandez-Thorpe stated. “To think there’s one magic bullet…is a ridiculous notion. While homelessness increased overall in the county, imagine if we didn’t have these programs in place.”
Barbanica made the motion to approve the expenditure of the $4 million in CDBG funds for the two projects. It was seconded by Ogorchock and passed 4-0.
Barbanica then moved approval of the reallocation of the remaining Downtown Roadway Project funds of $611,000 for the use of development of affordable housing for extremely low-income households. Ogorchock seconded the motion and it also passed 4-0.
Finally, Barbanica made the motion to approve spending CDBG funds, including Coronavirus funds and Housing Successor funds for affordable housing. Ogorchock seconded the motion and it passed 4-0.
“Congratulations to you both,” Barbanica said to the representatives of the organizations building the housing projects.
See the complete staff report and resolutions on the item.
the attachments to this post:
2024-25 Action Plan Funding ACC062524 p2
2024-25 Action Plan Funding ACC062524 p1
Housing Successor Funding chart 06-25-24
Downtown Roadway Project funds reallocation ACC062524
Antioch GBFoA & HS logos & HV rendering
