Notices: Economic Development & Affordable Housing

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS

CITY OF CLEARWATER, FLORIDA

DEVELOPMENT/REHABILITATION OF AFFORDABLE MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING FUNDED THROUGH THE STATE OF FLORIDA’S LOW-INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT (LIHTC) PROGRAM

The City of Clearwater, Florida (the “City”), is requesting applications from developers interested in applying for funding through the FY 2025-2026 State of Florida Low Income Housing Tax Credit (“LIHTC”) Program.  The applications are necessary for the consideration of providing City support for qualified multi-family housing development which meet the goals of the City and comply with applicable federal and state law. 

All applications submitted will be reviewed by a technical review committee on June 23^rd, 2025 at 2:30pm to be located at 600 Cleveland St Clearwater FL 33755, who will make a recommendation to the City Council.  The City Council has the authority to approve commitment letters and loans providing Local Government Area of Opportunity Funding for developments seeking Florida Housing Finance Corporation (“FHFC”) Housing Credits and State Apartment Incentive Loan (“SAIL”) funding in conjunction with FHFC Request for Applications (“RFA”) and/or loans providing Local Government Contributions in conjunction with FHFC RFA’s. Submission of an application does not entitle the applicant to financing, even if sufficient funds remain. 

As a community committed to expanding affordable housing opportunities for our residents, Clearwater recognizes the pivotal role that the LIHTC program plays in fostering the development and rehabilitation of rental housing. This federal program serves as a crucial tool for supporting developers in creating affordable housing options by awarding tax credits that offset construction costs, in exchange for reserving a portion of units that are rent-restricted and designated for lower-income households.

The LIHTC program is the federal government’s primary tool for promoting the development and rehabilitation of affordable rental housing. This program provides developers with federal tax credits to offset construction costs in exchange for committing to set aside a portion of units with rent restrictions for lower-income households. There are two types of LIHTCs available to developers: the 9% credit, typically used for new construction, offering up to a 70% subsidy, and the 4% credit, generally applied to rehabilitation projects that involve at least 50% federally tax-exempt bond financing, providing up to a 30% subsidy.

The 9% LIHTC is a critical driver in the creation and rehabilitation of affordable rental housing across the U.S., serving as an effective and efficient method for producing and preserving affordable housing. On average, 50% of the total financing for 9% LIHTC projects comes from the equity generated by the credit. Many states rely on the 9% LIHTC as their primary mechanism for supporting affordable rental housing. In areas with high area median incomes (“AMI”s) and elevated rent levels, the 9% LIHTC effectively helps create new affordable housing and preserve existing units with below-market rents. Due to higher incomes in these areas, LIHTC projects remain financially viable. While the rents are below market rates, they are tied to the AMI of the metropolitan area, meaning rents will be higher in regions with higher AMIs compared to those with lower median incomes, resulting in stronger cash flows for the property.

Through this RFA, the City aims to allocate Local Government Area of Opportunity funding, with an amount not exceeding the minimum required by FHFC. For the purposes of this RFA, please assume the funding amount to be $610,000.

Applications for funding will be released on May 21^st, 2025.  All interested parties shall submit their applications to the City of Clearwater Housing Division located at 509 S. East Ave, Suite 227 Clearwater, FL 33756 or via the City of Clearwater’s Housing Departments website by 4:30 p.m. on June 20^th, 2025, no exceptions will be made.  Decisions regarding proposed projects will be made by the City Council at their July 10^th, 2025 meeting.

The City reserves the following rights to:

• Engage in pre-award discussions and/or negotiations with any responsive and responsible applicants whose submission is considered reasonably acceptable for award; conduct interviews or request presentations from any or all applicants prior to selection; and investigate the qualifications of applicants as deemed necessary, including background checks by the City’s Police Department or other law enforcement agencies.

• Request that applicants revise their proposals to better meet the City's needs, including submitting Best and Final Offers (BAFO), or provide additional information as reasonably required.

• Ensure fair and equal treatment for all applicants regarding opportunities for discussions and proposal revisions, which may occur after submission and before the final award.

• Negotiate acceptable modifications to proposals, waive minor procedural irregularities, and reject any or all proposals.

• Proceed with the selection of a successful applicant without further discussions.

• Waive any proposal irregularities or reject any or all proposals if determined to be in the City’s best interest. The City will be the sole judge of applicant qualifications and reserves the right to verify all submitted information. The selected proposal will be the one deemed most beneficial to the City.

Application packets are available via the internet through the Economic Development and Housing Department website located here. Printed copies of these documents are available at the City of Clearwater’s Housing Division located at 509 S. East Ave, Suite 227 Clearwater, FL 33756. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Dylan Mayeux, Acting Housing Manager at 727-444-7168 or at dylan.mayeux@myclearwater.com.

Notices: Economic Development & Affordable Housing

CITY OF CLEARWATER

2025-2029 CONSOLIDATED PLAN & FY 2025 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN

30-DAY PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD & PUBLIC HEARINGS

CORRECTED NOTICE

The City of Clearwater is hereby publishing the proposed 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan and Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Annual Action Plan (AAP)(PDF, 6MB) to allocate federal funding from the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The Consolidated Plan identifies strategic goals to address the needs of low- and moderate-income persons over the next five-year period, which begins on October 1, 2025, and ends on September 30, 2030. The AAP identifies projects and activities to be implemented by the City during FY 2025, which begins on October 1, 2025, and ends on September 30, 2026. CDBG funds are used to provide decent housing, suitable living environments, and economic opportunities to principally benefit low- and moderate-income persons. HOME funds are used to foster private sector partnerships with for-profit and non-profit organizations to develop affordable housing.

In addition to the entitlement grant, funding allocations include anticipated program income generated by the City’s Revolving Loan Fund as well as prior-year (i.e., carryover) resources from projects that were either cancelled or completed under budget to be applied toward new projects. The City of Clearwater anticipates an estimated $925,886 in new CDBG funds, $52,900 in CDBG program income, and $367,673 in prior-year CDBG resources. An estimated $538,474 will be sourced from the City’s Revolving Loan Fund. The City also anticipates an estimated $383,226 in new HOME funds, $2,416,313 in HOME program income, and $2,591,861 in prior-year HOME resources. These funds will be programmed to eligible activities under these grant programs.

The list below, organized by strategic goal, captures all proposed projects to be funded with CDBG and HOME resources in FY 2025. Funding for these and other projects are estimated resources only and funding amounts may increase or decrease based upon actual program income, prior-year adjustments, and/or final federal funding allocations. Due to these and other factors, the City of Clearwater reserves the right to add or delete projects and/or adjust funding allocations proportionally.

ESTIMATED RESOURCES 

Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) – Entitlement                                                            $925,886

CDBG - Program Income                                                                                                                                            $52,900

CDBG - Prior-Year Resources                                                                                                                                    $367,673

Revolving Loan Fund                                                                                                                                                  $538,474

HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) – Entitlement                                                                      $383,226

HOME - Program Income                                                                                                                                           $2,416,313

HOME - Prior-Year Resources                                                                                                                                    $2,591,861

TOTAL                                                                                                                                                                           $7,276,333

PROPOSED PROJECTS

Program Administration

CDBG (from Entitlement)                                                                                                                                            $185,177

CDBG (from Program Income)                                                                                                                                   $5,560

HOME (from Entitlement)                                                                                                                                           $38,323

HOME (from Program Income)                                                                                                                                  $10,800

Housing

Creation and Preservation of Rental Housing                                                                                                         $3,749,151

Creation and Preservation of Owner-Occupied Housing                                                                                       $1,249,956

Home Purchase Assistance/Loan Processing                                                                                                        $500,000

Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA)                                                                                                                  $285,599

Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) Set-Aside                                                                    $57,484

Homelessness

WestCare GulfCoast Florida (A Turning Point Program)                                                                                          $23,147

Gulfcoast Legal Services (Housing Legal Services for Homeless Prevention)                                                    $23,147

Metropolitan Ministries (NeighborHOPE Program)                                                                                                   $23,147

Pinellas Opportunity Council (Emergency Assistance Program)                                                                            $23,147

St. Vincent de Paul Community Kitchen and Resource Center (Facility Improvements)                                    $105,000

Non-Homeless Special Needs

Hope Villages of America (Senior Wellness Pantry)                                                                                                 $23,147

Community Development & Public Services

Hispanic Outreach Center (Youth Leadership/Victim Advocacy)                                                                           $23,147

Hope Villages of America (Food Distribution & Basic Needs Center)                                                                    $85,000

Directions for Living (ADA Accessibility/Doors/Stairwells)                                                                                     $191,340

Mattie Williams Neighborhood Family Center (Power Backup/Generator)                                                           $74,134

TBD-Public Facilities Projects                                                                                                                                       $85,400

Elimination of Slum & Blight (Property Acquisition & Demolition)                                                                          $68,052

Economic Development

Prospera (Technical Assistance for LMI Hispanic Businesses)                                                                              $20,000

WeeCare dba Upwards Care (Childcare BOOST Program)                                                                                       $19,600

Façade Improvement Program                                                                                                                                     $406,875

Emergency/Disaster Response

TBD – Disaster Relief (Funding amount TBD based on available resource and urgent need).                         $0

TOTAL                                                                                                                                                                              $7,276,333

The public comment period begins on June 8, 2025, and ends on July 11, 2025. Please send any comments to Dylan Mayeux, Real Estate Coordinator II, City of Clearwater Economic Development and Housing Department, 509 S. East Ave, Suite 227, Clearwater, FL 33756 or via telephone at 727-444-7168 or via email at Dylan.Mayeux@myclearwater.com before 5:00 p.m. on July 11, 2025 (extended from the original due date of July 7, 2025, or 30 days after this corrected notice is published). A draft copy of the proposed City of Clearwater 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan and FY 2025 Annual Action Plan will be available for public comment beginning June 8, 2025, on the City’s website at https://www.myclearwater.com/My-Government/City-Departments/Economic-Development/Guiding-Documents-Plans-and-Reports. Hard copies will be available at the following locations for review during the public comment period:

Additionally, the City of Clearwater will hold two public hearings to receive comments on the 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan and FY 2025 Annual Action Plan prior to submittal to HUD. Both public hearings will be held in City Council Chambers in the Main Library located at 100 N. Osceola Ave., Clearwater, FL, 33755. The first public hearing will be a meeting of the Neighborhood and Affordable Housing Advisory Board (NAHAB) to be held on July 8, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. The second public hearing will be a meeting of the Clearwater City Council to be held on August 7, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. Individuals with disabilities who need reasonable accommodations to effectively participate in these meetings are asked to contact the City Clerk at (727) 444-7151 or rosemarie.call@myclearwater.com in advance.