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The City of Mesa Community Services Department, which includes Housing and Community Development, Neighborhood Services, Diversity and Animal Control, has moved to new offices at 200 S. Center St. The Department had outgrown its old offices at Mesa City Plaza. The phone numbers and email addresses will remain the same. |
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Michelle Albanese became the new Housing and Community Development Director Jan. 6. Michelle is the fiscal administrator of federal and local funding sources for the Housing and Community Development Division.
Michelle began her career with the City of Scottsdale in 2000 as a Housing Specialist, providing housing rehabilitation assistance to low income homeowners in Scottsdale. After 5 years with the City of Scottsdale, Michelle accepted a position with the City of Phoenix Neighborhood Services Department, managing a variety of housing assistance programs that received federal and state funding. In 2008, Michelle returned to the City of Scottsdale to manage the HUD funded Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, Community Block Grant and HOME programs.
Michelle was born in New York and was raised in Scottsdale. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design Management from ASU. Michelle also holds a general contractors license and has owned and operated a residential and commercial construction company. She has a huge heart and a passion for providing for others, which drives Michelle in the work she does every day for the City of Mesa.
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A final draft of the Housing Master Plan will be presented soon to Mesa City Council with a recommendation for implementation this spring. A community meeting is expected to be scheduled in mid-March to present the final draft to the public.
The Housing Master Plan is a guide for City planning decisions, prioritizing and balancing demands for all levels of housing demand, identifying the needs of low and moderate-income households and providing a framework for evaluating future projects over the next 20 years. It has been developed to correlate with the Mesa 2040 General Plan.
The Housing Master Plan has been developed in a series of phases, as approved by City Council in September, 2016. The purpose of the first phase was to develop a historical context and foundation of our existing housing inventory. The second phase was to solicit community feedback regarding key elements to be considered in the plan. We are currently in the third and final stage which includes the drafting of the guiding principles, goals and strategies.
For more information, visit www.mesaaz.gov/housing and click on the “Housing Master Plan” link on the left side of the page.
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The City of Mesa will hold a series of public meetings to consider potential community development projects and review funding requests received from City departments and non-profit organizations for its Program Year 2020-2021 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME), Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) and Human Services programs.
The Consolidated Plan is a comprehensive planning document that identifies the City’s overall needs in housing and community development for low and moderate-income residents and outlines a five-year strategy to address those needs, utilizing federal CDBG, HOME and ESG funding.
The Annual Action Plan contains the City’s short-term goals and strategies, including specific activities recommended for funding under the CDBG, HOME and ESG programs. The funds are grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and are used to help qualifying residents and assist in the prevention or elimination of slum or blighting influences. Funding for the Human Services programs comes from the City’s General Fund and the ABC: A Better Community program consisting of donations from the public made through their utility bill payments.
The following meetings will be held in Lower Level Council Chambers, 57 E. 1st St:
- March 16 - Community and Cultural Development Committee will review and approve funding recommendations for CDBG, HOME, ESG and Human Services. 4:30pm
- March 19 (IF NEEDED) - Community and Cultural Development Committee will continue to review and approve funding recommendations. 8am
- March 26 - City Council Study Session to review and approve funding recommendations. 7:30am
A 30-day public comment period for the proposed 2020-2024 proposed Five-Year Consolidated Plan and the proposed 2020-2021 Community Development Annual Action Plan will take place from March 30 to April 28. Two public hearings will be held during this time:
- April 2 at 6pm during a meeting of the Housing and Community Development Advisory Board at Lower Level Council Chambers, 57 E. 1ST St.
- April 9 at 8am at Red Mountain Center, 7550 E. Adobe
Mesa City Council is expected to approve the Five-Year Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan at its May 4 meeting.
The City of Mesa has participated in the CDBG program for 44 years, the ESG program for 32 years and the HOME program for 28 years. During this time, Mesa has allocated more than $100 million for a variety of activities, including capital improvements, housing, economic development, public services, homeless assistance, emergency shelter and neighborhood improvements within qualified census tracts.
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A 45-day comment period will take place through April 8 regarding Mesa’s Public Housing Authority 2020-2025 Five-Year Plan and the 2020-2021 Annual Plan. The purpose of the plans, as required by HUD, is to outline the goals, objectives, and methodology the agency will use to provide assisted and affordable housing through the use of federal funds in Mesa.
Public comments will be accepted anytime during the 45-day public comment period. Concerned residents should submit their comments to the: City of Mesa Housing Authority, 200 S. Center St, Bldg. 1, Mesa, AZ 85210; faxed comments may be sent to the City of Mesa Housing Authority at 480-644-2923; and e-mailed comments may be sent to housing.info@mesaaz.gov.
Both plans were reviewed by the Resident Advisory Board Feb. 19. A public hearing on the plans will be held by the Mesa Housing Governing Board Thursday, April 9 at 7:30 a.m. at Lower Level Council Chambers, 57 E. First St. If approved, the plans will then be submitted to HUD and take effect July 1, 2020.
For more information, contact City of Mesa Housing Authority Supervisor Mary Brandon at (480) 644-5852 or mary.brandon@mesaaz.gov.
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The City of Mesa Community Services is soliciting general contractors and specialty subs (electrical, mechanical, plumbing) to participate in the Homeowner Rehabilitation Program. Projects include emergency, minor and major rehabilitation, and renovations of existing single-family dwellings, including manufactured homes.
We will be holding, for all interested contractors, an information seminar. More details will be available soon. To be eligible to participate, a contractor must possess a B-General Residential Contractor or KB-1Dual Building Contractor license from the State of Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) or the appropriate R or CR specialty license (electrical, mechanical, plumbing) for the work being bid. Additionally, contractors must possess proper ID, be in good standing with the ROG, have good references, meet the City's insurance requirements, and possess a City of Mesa Sales & Use Tax license. All contractors must also comply with the City of Mesa immigration policies. Women and minority-owned businesses and Section 3 certified businesses are highly encouraged to apply.
The City of Mesa Homeowner Rehabilitation Program receives Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds from the US Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD); therefore, all contractors must be registered in HUD's System for Award Management (SAM) (www.sam.gov). For more information, or to receive an application, call City of Mesa Community Services, (480) 644-3208 or email neighsvs-rehab@mesaaz.gov.
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HUD awarded the City of Mesa a grant of more than $75,000 for the Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) program in 2019.
The FSS program provides case management and referrals for education, training, job search and career goals, financial coaching, savings opportunities, preparation for homeownership and more.
We connect with community partners and resources for support, guidance and opportunities to overcome barriers and achieve goals.
Last year, the City of Mesa Housing Authority served 58 people with 9 graduating from the FSS program. It is available for all voucher participants but it is strictly voluntary. Our recent FSS graduates have attained new skills, increased earned income, started savings accounts and stepped into a better future.
FSS applications are available at the housing desk at 200 S. Center St., on our webpage at www.mesaaz.gov/housing or by contacting our FSS Specialist at (480) 644-3540.
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Mesa was among several valley cities participating in the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) 2020 Point-In-Time (PIT) Homeless Count in Mesa Jan. 28. There were 121 volunteers who went out in small groups that morning to interview homeless individuals and their families throughout Mesa. Mayor John Giles, Vice Mayor Mark Freeman, and Councilmembers Francisco Heredia, David Luna and Jen Duff were among the volunteers.
The MAG 2020 PIT Homeless Count is a one-night street count to determine the number of people experiencing homelessness in Maricopa County during a given point in time. The Count includes a brief survey to identify some of the characteristics of people experiencing homelessness in our community. Cities, such as Mesa, that receive federal funding for homeless assistance from HUD are required to conduct an annual comprehensive PIT count. This helps local governments and nonprofit organizations more effectively allocate resources necessary to meet the needs of the homeless population. MAG is expected to have final survey results by May.
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The 2020 U.S. Census is Mesa’s once in a decade opportunity to make sure everyone in the city is counted. For the first time ever, you can respond online. Beginning March 12, you can complete the census form on the internet or via a call center. Census Day is April 1. Paper mailers will be sent in April to those who have not yet responded. Beginning in May, Census workers will knock on doors of residents who have not yet filled out the forms.
The Census is critical to maintaining Mesa’s quality of life, as every Mesan counted means about $31,950 per decade in federal and state funding. The Census count affects the amount of federal dollars for over a hundred local, regional and state programs including the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher programs, Head Start, Title 1 education grants and the National School Lunch Program. It also directly impacts the amount of state funding Mesa receives which can be used for community priorities like roads, public safety, parks and libraries.
The Census is mandated by the U.S. Constitution and affects how many seats in the U.S. House of Representatives Arizona has and can affect representative districts. Federal law (Title 13) requires the U.S. Census Bureau to keep your information safe and private
Respond starting March 12 at www.2020census.gov/ or call 844-330-2020 (English) or 844-468-2020 (Spanish)
For more information, visit www.icount2020.info/. You can take the Mesa Pledge to complete the census form by texting “MesaPledge” to 22828.
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Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS) is the largest and longest serving homeless emergency shelter provider in Arizona. Founded 35 years ago, their adult and family shelters operate at full capacity 24/7, 365 days of the year. Serving the entire Phoenix metropolitan area, CASS is a regional solution to homelessness, working to fill service gaps and help thousands of people transform their lives, get a roof over their head, a job and a chance at a new life.
Through the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), the City of Mesa is providing funding to CASS during the 2019/2020 fiscal year. From July 1, 2019 to Dec. 31, 2019, CASS’ Single Adult Shelter provided 4,644 bed nights and supportive services for 154 people experiencing homelessness who reported Mesa as the last city where they had a permanent address.
Bob came to CASS’ Single Adult Shelter from Mesa with multiple housing barriers, including a history of felonies, evictions and serious health problems. Despite all this, Bob worked as a vendor at the sports stadiums, but this seasonal work didn’t bring in a steady enough income for him to afford housing. While staying at CASS, Bob worked with a Client Advocate who helped Bob develop a plan for better employment and housing.
Soon, Bob got a new full-time job and began saving up his income through this work, while he continued to receive safe shelter at CASS. After Bob had saved a good amount of money, he worked with his Client Advocate to locate housing options within his monthly income means. CASS also provided Bob with deposit assistance to help him move into housing even faster. After applying to a few apartments Bob was able to move-in to his new home!
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MON., MARCH 16. CITY COUNCIL COMMUNITY AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE. 4:30pm. Lower Level Council Chambers, 57 E. 1st St. (Funding recommendations for CDBG, HOME, ESG and Human Services projects on agenda)
MON., MARCH 16. CITY COUNCIL. 5:45pm. Upper Level Council Chambers, 57 E. 1st St.
THUR., MARCH 19. (IF NEEDED) CITY COUNCIL COMMUNITY AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE. 8am. Lower Level Council Chambers, 57 E. 1st St. (Funding recommendations for CDBG, HOME, ESG and Human Services projects on agenda)
THUR., MARCH 26. CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION. 7:30am. Lower Level Council Chambers, 57 E. 1st St. (Funding recommendations for CDBG, HOME, ESG and Human Services projects on agenda)
SAT., MARCH 28. FALCON FIELD AIRPORT OPEN HOUSE. 9am-3pm. Falcon Field Airport, 4636 E. Fighter Aces Drive
THUR., APRIL 2. HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY BOARD. 6pm. Lower Level Council Chambers, 57 E. 1st St. (Public hearing for CDBG, HOME, ESG and Human Services projects)
MON., APRIL 7. CITY COUNCIL. 5:45pm. Upper Level Council Chambers, 57 E. 1st St.
THUR., APRIL 9. HOUSING GOVERNING BOARD. 7:30am. Lower Level Council Chambers, 57 E. 1st St. (Public hearing on Public Housing Authority Annual Plan and 5 Year Plan)
THUR., APRIL 9. PUBLIC HEARING FOR CDGB, HOME, ESG AND HUMAN SERVICES FUNDING. 8am. Red Mountain Center, 7550 E. Adobe St.
SAT., APRIL 18. CELEBRATE MESA. 10am-2pm. Pioneer Park, 526 E. Main St.
MON, APRIL 20. CITY COUNCIL. 5:45pm. Upper Level Council Chambers, 57 E. 1st St.
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