DuPage County Home Advisory Group met February 6.

By Lhalie Castillo

Feb 23, 2018

Here is the minutes provided by the Committee:

1. Call To Order

11:30 am meeting was called to order by Chairman Tim Elliott at 11:42 am.

11:30 am Or Immediately Following Development Committee

2. Roll Call

Present: Anderson, Bastian (Remote), Berley, Broder, Chaplin, Chrisse, Elliott, Grill, Tornatore, Wiley

Absent: Chassee, Grasso, Krucek

Staff Present: Mary Keating, Community Services Director; Jennifer Chan, Community Development Administrator; Christine Pedersen, Senior Accountant/Community Services Manager; Christopher Ragona, Community Development Manager; Julie Hamlin, Sr. Community Development Specialist; Barb Temborius, Community Development Specialist; Therese Witkus, Community Development Specialist; Christopher Donovan, Community Development Specialist; Dorin Fera, Community Development Specialist; Ben Leitschuh, Community Development Specialist, and Andrew Fackler, Community Development Intern.

State’s Attorney - Patrick Collins.

Others Present: Anne O’Dell - HOME DuPage; Margo Matthew - Bridge Communities and Dawn Dina - DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference.

3. Public Comment

There was no public comment.

4. Approval Of Minutes

A. Home Advisory Group - Regular Meeting - Jan 2, 2018 11:30 am

There were no changes or discussion.

On a voice vote, the Minutes passed.

Result: Accepted [Unanimous]

Mover: Sam Tornatore, District 1

Seconder: Elizabeth Chaplin, District 2

Ayes: Anderson, Bastian, Berley, Broder, Chaplin, Chrisse, Elliott, Grill, Tornatore, Wiley

Absent: Chassee, Grasso, Krucek

5. Action Items

A. Action Item -- Recommendation for approval of an agreement modification #3 for Project HM03-02 – Community Housing Advocacy and Development – Acquisition and Rehabilitation Activity, shortening the Affordability Period to June 8, 2019 and allowing properties to be permanently rented.

There was no discussion.

On a voice vote, the motion passed.

Result: Approved [Unanimous]

Mover: Kevin Wiley, District 6

Seconder: Elizabeth Chaplin, District 2

Ayes: Anderson, Bastian, Berley, Broder, Chaplin, Chrisse, Elliott, Grill, Tornatore, Wiley

Absent: Chassee, Grasso, Krucek

B. Action Item -- Recommendation for approval of an agreement modification #11 for Project NSP08-03 – DuPage Housing Authority (DHA) – Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Resale Activity, reactivating the agreement to allow for eligible reimbursements not to exceed $13,869.10. Chan informed the Committee these were Neighborhood Stabilization program funds. They have been around since the Stimulus. The last few projects are being completed and closed out. There should only be a few more to potentially be brought to the Committee’s attention.

Chrisse asked when the NSP08-03 agreement with DuPage Housing Authority (DHA) actually expired. Ragona stated that this particular agreement expired a few years ago when 148 Montana was transferred to DuPage Habitat for Humanity. Habitat actually did the rehab and in the near future a family will take possession. While during the closeout process, it was realized that DHA had over $13,000 in reimbursable eligible costs. By reactivating this agreement, DHA can be repaid up to $13,000.

For further clarification, Chrisse wanted verification that the expenses incurred were during the term of their agreement in which DHA never applied for reimbursement. Ragona concurred. In addition she asked if this was a typical practice for these types of agreements. Keating said nothing has been typical with the Neighborhood Stabilization program. Keating further went on to say that this was a niche program created during the Stimulus package. It was part of the original HERA (Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008) funds in which the County received several iterations.

With DHA being a partner, the County wanted to make sure it recouped all its eligible expenses.

There were no other questions.

On a voice vote, the motion passed.

Result: Approved [Unanimous]

Mover: Kevin Wiley, District 6

Seconder: Elizabeth Chaplin, District 2

Ayes: Anderson, Bastian, Berley, Broder, Chaplin, Chrisse, Elliott, Grill, Tornatore, Wiley

Absent: Chassee, Grasso, Krucek

C. Action Item -- Recommendation for Approval of a 3rd Agreement Modification for Project CD15-23a – HOME DuPage Homestead Closing Cost Assistance Program - 3rd Time, 6-Month Time Extension Request to September 30, 2018.

Chan stated that items "C" and "D" were related and that Anne O'Dell from H.O.M.E. DuPage was in the audience to answer any questions the Committee may have.

Wiley asked why a third time extension was necessary. Chan said that in the past, this program would receive a large amount of funding to be used over a few years’ time. Currently the homebuyer program averages approximately one new homebuyer a month. Due to this, there was a surplus of 2015 funding. Future practice will be to provide sufficient enough funding to last one year to prevent repeated time extension requests.

Anne O’Dell stated that there were homebuyers in the pipeline but the application process was taking longer. Keating explained the underwriting process for the homeowners is quite in depth; receiving the proper amount of counseling, getting their finances in order, correcting credit issues and etc. just to get into the pipeline. The process has really slowed down over the past four or five years as individuals work through their credit issues.

Wiley wanted to know if there was still then a potential for additional time extension requests. Hamlin, the Senior CDC Specialist who manages the Homebuyer program, explained to the Committee that there was $88,851 in HOME downpayment assistance funding available and a small portion of eligible reimbursement costs that HOME DuPage could receive. She did not anticipate the necessity of another time extension because each homebuyer could receive up to $14,999. The past trend has been all homebuyers who qualified for the program, received the full $14,999 forgivable loan assistance.

There was no additional discussion.

On a voice vote, the motion passed.

Result: Approved [Unanimous]

Mover: Elizabeth Chaplin, District 2

Seconder: Janice Anderson, District 5

Ayes: Anderson, Bastian, Berley, Broder, Chaplin, Chrisse, Elliott, Grill, Tornatore, Wiley

Absent: Chassee, Grasso, Krucek

D. Action Item -- Recommendation for approval of a 3rd Agreement Modification for Project HM15-01 – HOME DuPage Homestead Down Payment Assistance Program – 3rd Time 6 Month-Time Extension Request to September 30, 2018.

There was no discussion.

On a voice vote, the motion passed.

Result: Approved [Unanimous]

Mover: Kevin Wiley, District 6

Seconder: Janice Anderson, District 5

Ayes: Anderson, Bastian, Berley, Broder, Chaplin, Chrisse, Elliott, Grill, Tornatore, Wiley

Absent: Chassee, Grasso, Krucek

E. Action Item -- Recommendation for Approval of a 5th Agreement Modification for Project HM15-05 – Bridge Communities Scattered Site Transitional Housing Rehab - 4th Time Extension Request to July 31, 2018.

Chan felt the memo was self-explanatory but stated that Margo Matthew with Bridge Communities was available for any questions. Keating said that the letter indicated that the tenant had to be out by January 11th and Matthew verified that the tenant was out.

There was no further discussion.

On a voice vote, the motion passed.

Result: Approved [Unanimous]

Mover: Kevin Wiley, District 6

Seconder: Janice Anderson, District 5

Ayes: Anderson, Bastian, Berley, Broder, Chaplin, Chrisse, Elliott, Grill, Tornatore, Wiley

Absent: Chassee, Grasso, Krucek

6. Other Business

There was no other business.

7. Adjournment

Grill made the motion, seconded by Chaplin, to adjourn at 11:50 am.

On voice vote, the motion passed.