Council, unsafe structures a target for CDBG funds

There are more than 100 unsafe structures in San Marcos, and the city is considering investing thousands of federal dollars — and local dollars, if needed — to rehabilitate them.

A new Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program year is starting soon, and the San Marcos City Council held a public hearing Tuesday night to discuss how the city will allocate the money, which comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Aaron Harris, community initiatives program administrator, gave a presentation to council on the CDBG Action Plan for Program Year 2019 and the applications the city received for funding. HUD will give the city $680,998 for the program year — an increase of 4.5 percent over the funding received for Program Year 2018, Harris said.

The city’s Unsafe Structures neighborhood enhancement program is asking for $40,000 of the HUD funds to mitigate seven structures. 

However, Harris said, “The need here vastly outweighs the funding available. There’s currently a waiting list of over 100-plus structures that need mitigation in the community.”

Harris said some of the structure shave been on the list for more than 10 years and have been the source of complaints from neighborhoods.

Assistant City Manager Collette Jamison said that it is up to property owners to take care of unsafe structures, but if the owners don’t cooperate, the city has to step in because it is a public safety issue. She said some of the unsafe structures have openings that have allowed animals to move in, and some people are concerned that children are playing in some of the structures.

“Boarding them up would be step one, just to make sure nobody gets hurt,” said Director of Neighborhood Services Jeff Caldwell.

City Manager Bert Lumbreras said there seems to be a larger issue in San Marcos of how unsafe structures are dealt with, since there are so many of them.

“Just think of the impact it’s having on the neighborhoods, think of the impact it’s having on our values of homes around these homes,” he said.

Because of the need, city staff has recommended that the unsafe structures initiative receive more than twice what is being requested — $92,142 of the CDBG funds. 

However, council might consider taking care of the unsafe structures using money from the city’s general fund in order to give more money to another organization helping with housing rehabilitation: Southside Community Center. 

Ruben Garza, director of Southside, spoke to the council about his organization’s funding request of $200,000. City staff recommended giving Southside $100,000 to renovate and rehabilitate seven existing substandard homes.

“We’ve been around a long time,” Garza said. “I do believe we’ve become experts in the CDBG program.”

Garza said that 96.5 percent of the money received goes toward the home renovation program; less than 3.5 percent goes toward administrative costs.

“Our money goes to the people that it’s meant for,” he said. 

Garza also said Southside would take whatever CDBG funds the city decides to give the community center.

“We’re willing to live with whatever you give us,” he said. “We’re grateful.”

Mayor Jane Hughson and council member Saul Gonzales asked Harris why Southside would be given the same amount it has been given every year in recent memory, especially when the costs associated with renovating houses have gone up.

“It’s been $100,000 for seven homes for 20 years,” Hughson said.

Besides the city’s unsafe structures initiative and Southside, six other organizations or city initiatives have applied for funding. CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) is asking for $50,000 for its advocacy work on behalf of abused and neglected children. City staff recommended giving CASA the full request. Habitat for Humanity, which plans to use CDBG funds for housing counseling services, is asking for $23,656, and staff recommended granting the full request. Rebuilding Together Austin Housing Rehab, a new group that Harris said modifies existing homes to make them efficient and safe, asked for $250,000 for 10 homes but city staff did not recommend awarding any funds to the organization. The city Parks and Recreation Department is asking for $125,000 for improvements to Paul Pena Park in the Hills of Hays neighborhood, and staff recommended granting the full request. The city is also asking for $84,000 for a down payment assistance program for San Marcos residents and $70,000 for an emergency home repair program to help homeowners pay for home repairs such as electrical or plumbing issues. In both cases, staff recommended granting the full amount requested. 

“I’d like to see more funding for Southside,” Hughson said. “And most everybody’s getting what they asked except for the one program.”