Title
Request for the City of Rochester Hills to relinquish its Metropolitan City status, terminating the joint agreement with Oakland County per 24 CFR 570.308 and be incorporated into the Urban County program thereby allowing HUD to allocate HOME funds to Oakland County in the City's behalf
Body
Whereas, in 1975, the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) designated the County of Oakland as an "Urban County" for the purpose of administering federal grants including the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program on behalf of local communities with populations less than 50,000; and
Whereas, in 1975, the City of Rochester Hills, previously Avon Township, entered into a cooperative agreement with Oakland County to join the Urban County program; and
Whereas, in 1990, the City population exceeded 50,000 and HUD recognized Rochester Hills as a Metropolitan City; and
Whereas, in 1992, HUD approached the City and presented the options that the City could consider to receive CDBG funding as a Metropolitan City; and
Whereas, the City selected to keep its Metropolitan City status and sign a joint agreement with Oakland County to continue under the Urban County administration; and
Whereas, the City's Metropolitan City designation under a joint agreement with Oakland County adversely affects the ability of the County to access additional federal HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) program resources to serve the housing needs of the City's low and moderate income residents; and
Whereas, the lack of additional HOME program resources results in the City's loss of six Home Improvement Program (HIP) loan opportunities annually; and
Whereas, the loss of Home Improvement Program activity impedes revitalization efforts in the City's low and moderate income neighborhoods; and
Whereas, Oakland County has requested that the City relinquish its Metropolitan City designation and be incorporated in the Urban County program; and
Whereas, the inclusion of the City as part of the urban county will allow the county to qualify as a participating jurisdiction to receive additional HOME funds and benefit the City's low and moderate income residents beginning in Program Year 2005.
Resolved, that the City of Rochester Hills requests to relinquish its Metropolitan City status, terminate the joint agreement with Oakland County per 24 CFR 570.308 and be incorporated into the Urban County program thereby allowing HUD to allocate HOME funds to Oakland County in the City's behalf; and
Resolved, that the City requests HUD to waive the three-year period requirement per 24 CFR 570.5 to allocate HOME funds to Oakland County for Home Improvements in the City of Rochester Hills beginning in Program Year 2005.