Outside Agency Funding Program applications are now open and will close on April 30, 2026. The City will not accept late applications. Funding requests after closing date will be deemed ineligible and will be encouraged to apply in the next cycle.

The Outside Agency Funding Program committee is designed to support charities that further Palm Desert Programs and Services. The Committee oversees a grant process for non-profits, schools, and community-based organizations.

Program Goal

The goal is to identify and provide for unmet needs and services that serve the City of Palm Desert and its residents.

Committee

The Committee is comprised of a five-member Board:

• Two City Council Members
• One representative from the City Manager’s Office
• One representative from the City Treasurer’s Office
• One staff member from the City of Palm Desert to represent volunteer organizations

Timeline

• January 5, 2026: Applications are made available online for the fiscal year 2026-27.

• April 30, 2026: Deadline to submit applications. Funding request will not be accepted outside of application window.

• May 2026: Applications are reviewed by City’s Outside Agency Funding Program Committee at a public meeting.

• June 25, 2026: City council reviews the recommendations presented by the Outside Agency Funding Program committee and approves selected applicants for funding in the upcoming fiscal year.

• July 6, 2026: All applicants are contacted and advised of recommendations. Funds are issued on a reimbursement basis with detailed receipts upon completion of agreed-upon programs and/or services.

Apply Today:

Please click here to apply for Outside Agency Funding. Need assistance? Please email: outsideagency@palmdesert.gov.

Please refer to the City’s Outside Agency Funding Guidelines for additional requirements for funding approval.

The Outside Agency Program Guidelines were revised by the City of Palm Desert's Finance Department as of January 25, 2024.

Focus

The Outside Agency Funding Program was designed to support organizations that further Palm Desert programs and services and assist residents in need of support.

• Primary consideration is given to recognized nonprofit organizations that directly benefit Palm Desert residents.
• Secondary consideration is given to recognized nonprofit organizations that indirectly affect the quality of life for the residents of Palm Desert.
• Preference is given to those applicants meeting the health and human service needs of underserved populations.

Objectives

• Protection and improvement of the living environment for the residents of Palm Desert.
• Assistance to low and moderate-income households and special population groups such as the elderly in meeting basic needs.
• Enabling residents to increase or improve his/her capacity to successfully handle issues over the long-term without continuing public assistance.

Priorities

Priority is given in the following order to programs, projects or services that:

• Address basic living conditions of the residents of Palm Desert, which include food and shelter.
• Improve an individual’s or household’s health, basic living conditions and capacity to be self-sufficient, which include health care and related transportation, seniors, children, and youth services.
• Improve the livability of the community. While these requests may provide programs or services that are not of necessity, they do offer exposure to arts and culture, advocacy, historic places or events, animals, educational programs, or services related to employment or job training, and other programs or services deemed necessary to support community groups and organizations.

Funding for certain events or activities that do not fall under the Special Programs umbrella may be considered on a case-by-case basis and must be open to the public (e.g. public park, inclusive event.)

Application Guidelines for Recognized Non-Profit Organizations

Additional Guidelines for School Organizations (PTOs)

The City of Palm Desert may elect to award funding to a Parent Teacher Organization, Association, Parent Club, Foundation or other formal group (“PTO”) of a Palm Desert public school in an effort to enhance educational programs and improve the scholastic abilities of the student body as a whole, and to support the various booster clubs at the school. The City aims to support efforts furthering student accomplishments in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) as well as college preparation programs, and requires that the PTO be in good standing with the City relative to any and all previous grant applications and agreements.

The City does not award funding for instruction, tuition or supervision of routine educational activities as these costs are not the responsibility of a municipality. Additionally, the City will direct any individual requests received from school clubs (boosters, dance, cheer, robotics, etc.) during the funded year back to the PTO for their consideration and recommend they submit a request to their PTO for inclusion in the upcoming application year. The City encourages the PTO to fundraise and support specialty programs for overall student enhancement as they see fit. The City has focused its interest in providing a charitable contribution to specific areas the City regards as beneficial to a majority of students.

Examples of Acceptable Expenditures 

• Math and science-oriented computer software programs (e.g. TurnItIn, StateStandards)
• Odyssey of the Mind, SAT preparation and AP testing fee reimbursement
• Tutoring and scholastic reading programs and materials (does not include tutor compensation)
• Bully-, drug-, and gang-prevention programs and assemblies
• Curriculum-based assemblies (authors, demonstrations)
• Educational, curriculum-based field trip admission and transportation for students only
  • Examples of educational field trips: Living Desert, Riley’s Farm, Museum of Tolerance, Coachella Valley Water District. Show how the trip relates to the curriculum and follow up with student reports on what was learned.
  • Examples of non-educational field trips: Disneyland, SeaWorld, Knott’s Berry Farm
  • Transportation costs for approved travel should be reasonable such as school bus or coach. Limousines or other modes of transportation not regularly provided for school use are not reimbursable.

Any other expenditure requests not specifically listed must be submitted and discussed during the application process to determine if they would qualify for reimbursement. Any adjustments are at the discretion of the City Manager.

Examples of Discouraged Expenditures

•  Awards assemblies and supplies (i.e. student of the month and improvement awards)
• Tuition, salary, or supervision expenses
• Supplemental classroom materials or library supplies
• Capital equipment or hardware such as computers, laptops, televisions or projector screens
• Culinary, photography, or other specialty programs
• Reward or social parties (i.e. pizza party, ice-cream social)
• Food, drinks, snacks of any kind for any meetings or activities
• School dance, promotion, graduation expenses
• Hotel accommodations for any activities or events
• Fundraising, alumni or celebratory activities (bounce house rentals, carnival booths, festival events

The City of Palm Desert grants cash and in-kind sponsorships to qualified applicants to help support events that benefit our community. 

The granting of City funds or in-kind support is evaluated based on the proposed event’s impact on the community. Attention is paid to sponsorships that promote Palm Desert’s attractiveness as a place to visit or live, celebrate the heritage of the City and its surroundings, and enrich the character and quality of life of its residents and visitors.

The City is committed to being a good steward of taxpayer money and will evaluate each request based upon satisfaction of eligibility criteria and compliance with our stated application requirements.  

Applicants for community events sponsorships who meet the City's requirements and conditions are not guaranteed approval. Due to budgetary considerations, not all sponsorship requests can be funded. The number of community events that the City sponsors and total allocated budget for these events will vary annually. 

Please review the Community Event Sponsorship Policy for more details. Once you have reviewed the requirements, please complete the Community Event Sponsorship Application here. All applications must be submitted online by April 30, 2026 in order to be reviewed.

For more information, please email sponsorships@palmdesert.gov and to learn more about special events in Palm Desert, please visit this page on our website.

Funding Timeline

The community event sponsorship application period will typically open in January. Once the application period opens, applicants will be required to submit applications by the posted deadline for events that will occur in the upcoming program year. A program year runs from July 1 through June 30. The community event for which a sponsorship is requested must occur in this timeframe. No sponsorship will be considered for any community event that falls outside of these dates.

Organizations requesting funding after the application period closes may submit an application to the City Manager for special consideration. Sponsorships awarded in this circumstance are rare and are contingent upon (1) available funds remaining in the budget following disbursement to organizations compliant with this Policy's annual deadline; and (2) a finding made by the City Manager that special circumstances prevented the Applicant from applying for a sponsorship by the required deadline and the community event could not occur the following year.

Administration and Enforcement of Policy

1. The City Council designates the City Manager to administer the Sponsorship Policy. This delegation is with the power of re-designation to appropriate staff.
2. The City Manager or her/his designee shall review all Sponsorship applications and determine compliance with this policy.
3. On an as needed basis, the City Manager or her/his designee may refer any community event sponsorship application directly to the City Council for approval or rejection with a majority vote.
4. Recipients must comply with all other applicable City, state, and federal laws and regulations.

PY25-26 CDBG Funding Recommendation and Action Plan

Attachment A - CDBG Recommendations Budget (source pages 1-2)

Program Year 2025-26 CDBG allocation: $365,000. Grand total requested: $605,913. Outside Agency Committee approved total: $365,000. PY25-26 Council Approved field is listed as TBD in the source.

• Desert Recreation District. Category: Public Services. Project: Recreational Program Scholarships. Requested $25,200. OA Committee approved $8,000. Council approved not listed. Provides scholarships for 20 Palm Desert residents to attend a 9-week summer camp with field trips, arts, sports, and music. Review team analysis: supports youth centers at $140 per scholarship for Palm Desert residents; FY24-25 award was $5,000; supports the national objective by providing services to low and moderate income clientele.
• Fair Housing Council of Riverside County. Category: Public Services. Project: Fair Housing Program. Requested $46,000. OA Committee approved $30,000. Council approved not listed. Offers housing counseling services promoting housing rights under federal and California law through education, training, technical assistance, enforcement, and tenant-landlord counseling. Anticipated benefit: 500 Palm Desert residents. Review team analysis: program is federally mandated; prior awards were about $22,000 in FY23-24 and $31,000 in FY24-25; supports fair housing initiatives, Goal 4, page 86 of the Consolidated Plan.
• Operation Safehouse. Category: Public Services. Project: Youth Homeless Transitional Living Program. Requested $18,000. OA Committee approved $16,750. Council approved not listed. Supports staffing for Harrison House, a transitional living home for homeless young adults ages 18 to 24. Serves 10 young people. Source notes clients are non-Palm Desert residents because they are unhoused individuals. Review team analysis: supports low and moderate income clientele and the national objective; supports Vital Community and Homeless Services, Goal 5, page 86 of the Consolidated Plan.
• Desert Arc. Category: Public Facilities and Improvements. Project: Job/Educational Center HVAC Replacement. Requested $100,000. OA Committee approval shown as none. Council approved not listed. Source description states proposed upgrades to an ADA men's restroom, including new tile, plumbing, and water-saving fixtures, to improve hygiene and accessibility for clients with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Anticipated direct benefit: 180 individuals. Twelve percent of Desert Arc clients and staff are Palm Desert residents. Review team analysis: restrooms are currently ADA compliant and do not represent an urgent priority; with limited funds, staff recommends prioritizing more critical needs.
• The Joslyn Center. Category: Public Facilities and Improvements. Project: Senior Center ADA Modifications. Requested $120,000. OA Committee approved $100,000. Council approved not listed. Enhances the lobby and entrance for ADA compliance with ramp, pathway, and signage adjustments, plus accessible technology upgrades. Anticipated benefit: 2,962 individuals, 69 percent of whom are Palm Desert residents. Review team analysis: supports a national objective and the Consolidated Plan; supports Public and Community Facilities Improvements, Goal 2, page 85.
• Palm Desert Housing Authority. Category: Public Facilities and Improvements. Project: Playground Replacement. Requested $150,000. OA Committee approved $117,750. Council approved not listed. Replaces a deteriorating playground at a multi-family apartment complex with 384 units serving extremely low-income and low-income households. Anticipated benefit: 500 Palm Desert residents. Review team analysis: supports low and moderate income clientele and the national objective; supports Public and Community Facilities Improvements, Goal 2, page 85.
• The Ranch Recovery Centers, Inc.. Category: Public Facilities and Improvements. Project: Substance Use Treatment Facility Improvements. Requested $73,713. OA Committee approved $19,500. Council approved not listed. Funds capital improvements at three facilities to enhance safety and the treatment environment. Anticipated benefit: 572 individuals, 10 percent of whom are Palm Desert residents. Review team analysis: aligns with a national objective and the Consolidated Plan; staff supports health and safety improvements such as flooring replacement; supports Vital Community and Homeless Services, Goal 5, page 86.
• City of Palm Desert. Category: Administration. Project: CDBG Program Administration. Requested $73,000. OA Committee approved $73,000. Council approved not listed. Allocates 20 percent of new funds for administration. Source states that for PY 2025-26, 70 percent of funds go to the County of Riverside and 30 percent are retained by the City. Review team analysis: allocation shared with County.

Executive Summary

AP-05 Executive Summary - 24 CFR 91.200(c), 91.220(b)

1. Introduction

As a requirement of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, this document represents the Program Year 2025 Annual Action Plan. The City of Palm Desert (City) has been allocated funds from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).

2. Summarize the objectives and outcomes identified in the Plan

This could be a restatement of items or a table listed elsewhere in the plan or a reference to another location. It may also contain any essential items from the housing and homeless needs assessment, the housing market analysis or the strategic plan.

This could be a restatement of items or a table listed elsewhere in the plan or a reference to another location. It may also contain any essential items from the housing and homeless needs assessment, the housing market analysis or the strategic plan. The Annual Action Plan is intended to fund high-priority community needs identified during the annual Citizen Participation Plan process while concurrently aligning with the goals of the previously approved

3. Evaluation of past performance

This is an evaluation of past performance that helped lead the grantee to choose its goals or projects. A performance evaluation is annually assessed through HUD’s review of the Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER). This document states the objectives and outcomes identified in each Annual Action Plan and includes an evaluation of past performance through measurable goals and objectives relative to actual performance. Prior documents can be found at the Palm Desert City Hall.

4. Summary of Citizen Participation Process and consultation process

Summary from citizen participation section of plan. The City held a public comment period from November 25, 2024- January 9, 2025. On January 9, 2025, the City Council held a public hearing to provide residents an additional opportunity to review and comment on programming of CDBG funds.

5. Summary of public comments

This could be a brief narrative summary or reference an attached document from the Citizen Participation section of the Con Plan.

TBD

6. Summary of comments or views not accepted and the reasons for not accepting them

TBD

7. Summary

Lead and Responsible Agencies

The source page contains a Responsible Agencies table, but the visible row content is blank in the extracted text. The public contact information is listed as Joe Barron, Senior Contracts and Grants Analyst, City of Palm Desert, 73510 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92260, jbarron@palmdesert.gov, 760.776.6491, www.palmdesert.gov.

Consultation

AP-10 Consultation – 91.100, 91.200(b), 91.215(l)

1. Introduction

The City followed its HUD-approved Citizen Participation Plan to consult with the public, nonprofit organizations, governmental agencies, and other stakeholders to prepare the Annual Action Plan as required by 24 CRF 91.100

Provide a concise summary of the jurisdiction’s activities to enhance coordination between public and assisted housing providers and private and governmental health, mental health and service agencies (91.215(l))

The City conducted outreach and issued public notices regarding the application process for PY25 subrecipient awards. The City's Outside Agency Funding Committee recommended CDBG budget recommendations, which are incorporated into the Annual Action Plan. The City held a 30-day public comment period from

November 25, 2024 - January 9, 2025.

On January 9, 2025, the City Council will hold a public hearing to provide residents an additional opportunity review and comment regarding CDBG funding recommendations. The City Council approved the submission of the Annual Action Plan.

Describe coordination with the Continuum of Care and efforts to address the needs of homeless persons (particularly chronically homeless individuals and families, families with children, veterans, and unaccompanied youth) and persons at risk of homelessness.

The City is actively involved in multiple activities to address the needs of homeless persons, which include coordination with the Continuum of Care. For example, the City is involved in regional coordination efforts between stakeholders throughout the Coachella Valley and Riverside County.

The City has historically funded homelessness services coordinated regionally through the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) outside of the CDBG program. For years, the City contributed funds to CVAG for the operation of Roy’s Desert Resource Center, which permanently closed in July 2017. Since then, CVAG has allocated its regional financial commitments for other homelessness services. In recent years, the City made a financial commitment in the amount of $100,000 to CVAG to continue their Housing First program that focused on providing housing and services to the regions chronically homeless individuals.

The City in September of 2023 entered into an agreement with Kingdom Causes Inc., DBA, City Net a non-profit. City Net provides two full time street outreach workers, case management, housing resources, vital documentation, and linkage to substance and alcohol abuse treatment facilities. 

Describe consultation with the Continuum(s) of Care that serves the jurisdiction's area in determining how to allocate ESG funds, develop performance standards for and evaluate outcomes of projects and activities assisted by ESG funds, and develop funding, policies and procedures for the operation and administration of HMIS The City does not receive Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funds.

2. Describe Agencies, groups, organizations and others who participated in the process and describe the jurisdiction’s consultations with housing, social service agencies and other entities Agencies, groups, and organizations who participated:

• Fair Housing Council of Riverside County, Inc.. Type: Service - Fair Housing. Plan sections addressed: Housing Need Assessment. Consultation summary: Applied for CDBG funds to provide public services related to fair housing.
• Cove Communities Senior Association dba The Joslyn Center. Type: Services - Elderly Persons. Plan sections addressed: Non-Homeless Special Needs. Consultation summary: Applied for CDBG funds to provide public services for elderly persons.
• Desert Recreation District. Type: Services - Children. Plan sections addressed: Non-Homeless Special Needs. Consultation summary: Applied for CDBG funds to provide public services for youth persons.
• Operation Safe House, Inc.. Type: Services - Children; Services - Homeless. Plan sections addressed: Homelessness Needs - Unaccompanied Youth; Homelessness Strategy. Consultation summary: Applied for CDBG funds to provide public services for youth homeless persons.
• Desert Arc. Type: Services - Persons with Disabilities. Plan sections addressed: Non-Homeless Special Needs. Consultation summary: Applied for CDBG funds to improve public facilities serving people with disabilities.
• The Ranch Recovery Centers, Inc.. Type: Services - Persons with Disabilities; Services - Health. Plan sections addressed: Non-Homeless Special Needs; Anti-poverty Strategy. Consultation summary: Applied for CDBG funds to improve public facilities serving people with addictions.
• Agency types not consulted: the City attempts to keep a comprehensive list of stakeholders potentially eligible to receive CDBG funds for activities consistent with Consolidated Plan goals. Because staffing changes can occur during the program year, some stakeholders may not realize the City is attempting to consult with them. Staff updates the contact list annually to maintain communication channels.
• Other planning efforts considered: Continuum of Care led by Housing Services Authority, overlapping on homelessness and special needs housing; and the Housing Element led by the City of Palm Desert, overlapping on fostering affordable housing. The City also notes coordination through the Citizen Participation Plan process, the CVAG Homeless Committee, and the Riverside County Continuum of Care.

Participation

• The City conducted outreach and issued public notices regarding the application process for subrecipient awards. The Outside Agency Funding Committee recommended CDBG budget recommendations, which are incorporated into the Annual Action Plan. The source states the City held a 30-day public comment period from November 25, 2024 to January 9, 2024, and that on January 9, 2024 the City Council would hold a public hearing to provide an additional opportunity for review and comment before approving submission of the Annual Action Plan.

• Sort order 1: Public Meeting; target of outreach: non-targeted broad community; response attendance: TBD; comments received: TBD; comments not accepted and reasons: TBD.
• Sort order 2: Newspaper Ad; target of outreach: minorities; response attendance: TBD; comments received: TBD; comments not accepted and reasons: TBD.
• Sort order 3: Newspaper Ad; target of outreach: non-targeted broad community; response attendance: TBD; comments received: TBD; comments not accepted and reasons: TBD.
• Sort order 4: Newspaper Ad; target of outreach: minorities; response attendance: TBD; comments received: TBD; comments not accepted and reasons: TBD.
• Sort order 5: Newspaper Ad; target of outreach: non-targeted broad community; response attendance: TBD; comments received: TBD; comments not accepted and reasons: TBD.

  Expected Resources

CDBG. Source of funds: public federal. Uses of funds: acquisition, administration and planning, economic development, housing, public improvements, and public services. Year 1 annual allocation: $365,000. Program income: $0. Prior year resources: $0. Total: $365,000. Expected amount available remainder of Consolidated Plan: $0. Narrative description: annual allocation is an estimate based on recent allocations.

HOME. Source of funds: public federal. Uses of funds: acquisition, homebuyer assistance, homeowner rehabilitation, multifamily rental new construction, multifamily rental rehabilitation, new construction for ownership, and TBRA. All listed amounts are $0.

Leverage narrative: the identified funding sources may be leveraged, where possible, with nonprofit organizations and other entities awarded CDBG funds, along with other grants and donations, to meet goals and objectives in the Five-Year Consolidated Plan and the One-Year Annual Action Plan.

Publicly owned land or property that may be used to address identified needs: source states not applicable in Palm Desert.

Discussion: the City will continue allocating CDBG funding and other available sources to meet HUD-designated needs and maximize benefit to those in need.

Annual Goals and Objectives

• Goal 1. Support Public and Community Facilities Improvements. Start year 2023. End year 2028. Category: non-housing community development. Needs addressed: affordable senior housing increase, increase senior services and programming, increase affordable housing, reduce vacancies in the City. Funding: CDBG $237,250. Goal outcome indicator: public facility or infrastructure activities other than low or moderate income housing benefit, 1,050 persons assisted.
• Goal 2. Support Fair Housing Initiatives. Start year 2023. End year 2028. Needs addressed: affordable senior housing increase, increase affordable housing, reduce vacancies in the City. Funding: CDBG $30,000. Goal outcome indicator: public service activities other than low or moderate income housing benefit, 750 persons assisted.
• Goal 3. Fund Vital Community and Homeless Services. Start year 2023. End year 2028. Category: homeless. Needs addressed: increase affordable housing. Funding: CDBG $24,750. Goal outcome indicators: public service activities other than low or moderate income housing benefit, 50 persons assisted; homeless person overnight shelter, 15 persons assisted.

Goal descriptions are present in the source as headings only. No goal description text is populated under the three goal entries.

Projects

The Annual Action Plan identifies funding in these allocation groupings: public services 15 percent, public facilities and improvements 65 percent, and program administration 20 percent. The source states allocation priorities are based on Funding Committee votes for each application and the application's consistency with the Consolidated Plan.

The AP-38 Project Summary page contains a project summary table header and a pivot table placeholder tag rather than readable project summary content in the extracted text.

Geographic Distribution 

Description: the City of Palm Desert is in Riverside County, particularly the Coachella Valley. Historically the City did not have low and moderate income census tracts, but the source states it now has two eligible census tracts based on ACS data. CDBG funds will be used for low and moderate income clientele or presumed benefit. Geographic distribution entry: Citywide, 100 percent of funds. Rationale: the City has historically not funded CDBG activities based on geographic areas, but HUD recently revised census criteria and staff is exploring the possibility of a Section 108 Loan for future City Council consideration.

Affordable Housing

• One-year goals for households to be supported: homeless 0; non-homeless 0; special-needs 0; total 0.
• One-year goals by support type: rental assistance 0; production of new units 0; rehabilitation of existing units 0; acquisition of existing units 0; total 0.

Public Housing

The City does not own or operate public housing but is providing funding for the Palm Desert Housing Authority this year. Planned action: funding for the Housing Authority's facility improvements for playgrounds. Actions to encourage involvement in management and homeownership: not applicable. Troubled PHA assistance: not applicable.

Homeless and Other Special Needs Activities

AP-65 Homeless and Other Special Needs Activities – 91.220(i)

Introduction

The City will continue to work with nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and other stakeholders to fund activities that help prevent and reduce homelessness. Describe the jurisdictions one-year goals and actions for reducing and ending homelessness
including:

Reaching out to homeless persons (especially unsheltered persons) and assessing their
individual needs The County of Riverside CoC has established chronically homeless persons as the highest need priority based on the goals HUD has established in its Opening Doors Federal and Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. The CoC has implemented a Coordinated Entry System (CES) to ensure appropriate intervention is utilized to serve those who are homeless and providing for a prioritization of vulnerability and linkage to community resources and housing based on the vulnerability prioritization. Within the CoC, there are several outreach teams from County, cities, and nonprofit homeless providers that cover specific populations or geographic regions in the County. There is also specific outreach teams serving the mentally ill, veterans, youth and chronic homeless. The Behavioral Health Systems Department has outreach peer specialists that perform initial field assessments, in depth assessments, referrals to all contacts, linkage to various community organizations.

Addressing the emergency shelter and transitional housing needs of homeless persons The Housing First approach adopted by the County and CoC requires that homeless are helped into permanent housing or rapid re-housing as soon as possible. Transitional housing beds have begun to decrease countywide and permanent housing is increasing because of reallocations made in the HUD CoC Program Consolidated Application and the CoC’s success in obtaining new funding for permanent supportive housing. Both transitional housing and emergency shelters focus on lessening the time that a homeless person or family’s length of time homeless (LOTH) in the shelter by effective and quick assessment of homeless clients and getting them stabilized into permanent housing with intensive case management initially and support in the initial phase of residency in permanent housing. This period will serve as a time to address the other needs to maintain self-sufficiency either by accessing mainstream benefits, employment or medical or mental health support. The CoC collaborates with the City and other stakeholders to integrate CoC programs, Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), Social Services to Veteran Families (SSVF), and CDBG funding to increase the number of persons with rapid re-housing assistance.

Also, other non-McKinney-Vento funding sources, such as Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP), funded under Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will be matched as a source for rental / mortgage assistance for families that are homeless or at-risk of homelessness in the County’s strategy to meet this goal. Helping homeless persons (especially chronically homeless individuals and families, families with children, veterans and their families, and unaccompanied youth) make the transition to permanent housing and independent living, including shortening the period of time that individuals and families experience homelessness, facilitating access for homeless individuals and families to affordable housing units, and preventing individuals and families who were recently homeless from becoming homeless again The CoC implemented a Coordinated Entry System (CES) to assess homeless persons using the VI-SPDAT that tracks the length of time a client has been on the streets or in an emergency shelter. DPSS uses HUD’s CoC Program planning grant funding to measure system-wide performance in HMIS, such as length of time homeless. This is used to help the CoC prioritize and house those with longest length of time homeless. The planning process also included working with the CoC Standards and Evaluation Committee to continue developing strategies to prioritize persons with longest time homeless and most severe needs, including:

• The CoC has also adopted a Housing First approach that is evidenced-based and endorsed by HUD to place a homeless person in permanent housing and provide supportive services intended to keep them stably housed. Homeless CoC youth providers have implemented outreach and service-based events in the communities to draw homeless youth, unaccompanied and transitional age into contact with services
  available to them. The Operation Safe House is the only CoC youth provider that has opened a permanent supportive housing program called the Harrison House, which is for transitional age youth, in the eastern desert region of Riverside County.

• Helping low-income individuals and families avoid becoming homeless, especially extremely low-income individuals and families and those who are: being discharged from publicly funded institutions and systems of care (such as health care facilities, mental health facilities, foster care and other youth facilities, and corrections programs and institutions); or, receiving assistance from public or private agencies that address housing, health, social services, employment, education, or youth needs.

• The CoC Discharge Policy is mandated by the State and followed by the CoC. The CoC established a Discharge Planning Committee, responsible for implementing policies and protocols and coordinating with various organizations, to ensure that persons being discharged from a publicly funded institution or system of care are not discharged immediately into homelessness. The goals are to identify discharge housing needs inclusive of housing and supportive services and to link the individual with community
  resources that will include mental health services, substance abuse support, and housing.

• The Hospital Association of Southern California Inland Area serves as the lead agency on the Discharge Planning Committee to facilitate communication regarding the discharge planning needs of homeless persons from acute care hospitals. The Riverside County University Health System – Behavioral Health, collaborates with DPSS and the CoC in the coordination and implementation of discharge planning for homeless individuals disabled by a serious mental health and/or substance abuse disorder(s). Foster Care and extended foster care programs help transition dependent youth who are emancipating from foster care to independent living. The Department of Public Social Services, Riverside Sheriff’s, and Probation Department support the Continuum of Care’s mission of working towards reintegrating persons leaving correctional facilities to community-based living and self-sufficiency.

Barriers to Affordable Housing

The City does not plan to undertake any activities this program year using CDBG funds to remove barriers to affordable housing.

Other Actions 

AP-85 Other Actions – 91.220(k)
Introduction:
The City will continue to work with various stakeholders to meet the needs of its residents that remain in-need of CDBG-eligible activities consistent with Consolidated Plan goals.

Actions planned to address obstacles to meeting underserved needs The City will continue to work toward the reduction/elimination of obstacles to meet underserved needs through the funding of various organizations that are established to provide direct services to those in
need. The City is not equipped to provide direct services; therefore, funding organizations that do is essential to our success in addressing the identified goals and objectives. The City will continue to partner with service providers to address obstacles and address barriers that exist. 

In addition, the City works with the County of Riverside, the CoC, local agencies, nonprofits, etc. to address various aspects related to CoC programs and activities, as well as obstacles that face the underserved in general. However, the CoC addresses issues relative to homelessness, mental and physical illnesses, domestic violence, etc. and has a wide range of members where collaboration in other areas is an option. Through these working relationships, obstacles such as lack of communication between agencies, improved services, limited resources, tracking and monitoring, and other needed resources are obtained, gaps in services are better identified, and there is a more cohesive approach to identifying and resolving issues.

Actions planned to foster and maintain affordable housing The City and the Palm Desert Housing Authority will continue to maintain the existing affordable housing stock through the funding sources identified previously; however, as noted with the elimination of redevelopment agencies, there is no longer what is considered “20% Set Aside Funds”. Therefore, maintaining existing properties and programs will be the primary focus, provided funding is available, for some time to come. However, new projects and programs will be planned and implemented where and when possible.

Actions planned to reduce lead-based paint hazards The City’s Building & Safety and Housing departments distribute informational pamphlets on Lead Based Paint Hazards and refer all calls to the County of Riverside Environmental Health Department. The City addresses this issue on a case-by-case basis through multiple steps. Actions planned to reduce the number of poverty-level families The City is continuing to team up with service providers to provide assistance for poverty level families, including funding food and services options during the Program Year. In addition, the City will seek out additional partnerships for programs that encourage self-sufficiency including employment and training, housing options, and safety net programs.

Actions planned to develop institutional structure The City will continue to work with outside agencies to maintain and develop relationships, including with nonprofit organizations, private businesses, the CoC, and nonprofit organizations in the region. Actions planned to enhance coordination between public and private housing and social service agencies The City will continue to work with various County departments, agencies, and nonprofit organizations to identify and carry out goals and objectives of the CDBG Program, and to create a more cooperative working relationship with all interested parties. The City invites these groups to attend public hearings, community meetings, and special meetings that address specific programs and projects. The City has an approved Citizen’s Participation Plan that it follows in this regard. In addition, City staff regularly attends CoC meetings that involve multiple organizations and various County Departments as well as other local jurisdictions wherein discussions are held on homelessness as well as supportive services to other at-risk groups of individuals and families.

Discussion:

Program Specific Requirements

Program Specific Requirements
AP-90 Program Specific Requirements – 91.220(l)(1,2,4)
Introduction:

Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG)
Reference 24 CFR 91.220(l)(1)

Projects planned with all CDBG funds expected to be available during the year are identified in the Projects Table. The following identifies program income that is available for use that is included in projects to be carried out.

1. The total amount of program income that will have been received before the start of the next program year and that has not yet been reprogrammed
2. The amount of proceeds from section 108 loan guarantees that will be used during the year to address the priority needs and specific objectives identified in the grantee's strategic plan.
3. The amount of surplus funds from urban renewal settlements
4. The amount of any grant funds returned to the line of credit for which the planned use has not been included in a prior statement or plan
5. The amount of income from float-funded activities 

Total Program Income: 

Other CDBG Requirements

1. The amount of urgent need activities
2. The estimated percentage of CDBG funds that will be used for activities that benefit persons of low and moderate income. Overall Benefit - A consecutive period of one, two or three years may be used to determine that a minimum overall benefit of 70% of CDBG funds is used to benefit persons of low and moderate income. Specify the years covered that include this Annual Action Plan. 0.00% HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME)

Reference 24 CFR 91.220(l)(2)

1. A description of other forms of investment being used beyond those identified in Section 92.205 is as follows: NA
2. A description of the guidelines that will be used for resale or recapture of HOME funds when used for homebuyer activities as required in 92.254, is as follows: NA
3. A description of the guidelines for resale or recapture that ensures the affordability of units acquired with HOME funds? See 24 CFR 92.254(a)(4) are as follows: NA
4. Plans for using HOME funds to refinance existing debt secured by multifamily housing that is rehabilitated with HOME funds along with a description of the refinancing guidelines required that will be used under 24 CFR 92.206(b), are as follows: NA
5. If applicable to a planned HOME TBRA activity, a description of the preference for persons with special needs or disabilities. (See 24 CFR 92.209(c)(2)(i) and CFR 91.220(l)(2)(vii)). NA
6. If applicable to a planned HOME TBRA activity, a description of how the preference for a specific category of individuals with disabilities (e.g. persons with HIV/AIDS or chronic mental illness) will narrow the gap in benefits and the preference is needed to narrow the gap in benefits and services received by such persons. (See 24 CFR 92.209(c)(2)(ii) and 91.220(l)(2)(vii)).
7. If applicable, a description of any preference or limitation for rental housing projects. (See 24 CFR 92.253(d)(3) and CFR 91.220(l)(2)(vii)). Note: Preferences cannot be administered in a manner that limits the opportunities of persons on any basis prohibited by the laws listed under 24 CFR 5.105(a). NA 

CR-05 Goals and Outcomes

The 2024-2025 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report covers July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025 and describes the City of Palm Desert's use of Community Development Block Grant funds under the 2023-2028 Consolidated Plan.

Consolidated Plan goals: provide decent housing; provide a suitable living environment; and expand economic opportunities.

The 2024-2025 reporting period is the first year of the 2023-2028 Consolidated Plan cycle. The action plan identified a $365,446 CDBG allocation for public facility improvements, public service grants, and program administration.

Goals table rewritten as linear records

• Fund Vital Community and Homeless Services. Indicator: public service activities other than low or moderate income housing benefit. Unit: persons assisted. Program year target: 250. Actual: 0. Percent complete: 0 percent.
• Fund Vital Community and Homeless Services. Indicator: homeless person overnight shelter. Unit: persons assisted. Strategic plan target: 300. Actual to date: 0. Percent complete: 0 percent.
• Fund Vital Community and Homeless Services. Indicator: homelessness prevention. Unit: persons assisted. Strategic plan target: 2,000. Actual to date: 0. Percent complete: 0 percent.
• Preserve and Enhance Affordable Housing. Indicator: public service activities for low or moderate income housing benefit. Unit: households assisted. Strategic plan target: 5. Actual to date: 0. Percent complete: 0 percent.
• Support Essential Senior Services. Indicator: public service activities other than low or moderate income housing benefit. Unit: persons assisted. Strategic plan target: 3,000. Actual to date: 0. Percent complete: 0 percent.
• Support Fair Housing Initiatives. Indicator: public service activities other than low or moderate income housing benefit. Unit: persons assisted. Program year target: 500. Actual: 0. Percent complete: 0 percent.
• Support Fair Housing Initiatives. Indicator: public service activities for low or moderate income housing benefit. Unit: households assisted. Strategic plan target: 2,000. Actual to date: 0. Percent complete: 0 percent.
• Support Public and Community Facilities Improvement. Indicator: public facility or infrastructure activities other than low or moderate income housing benefit. Unit: persons assisted. Strategic plan target: 50,000. Actual to date: 0. Program year target: 1,000. Actual: 0. Percent complete: 0 percent.

Priority needs addressed during the reporting period included CDBG program administration, Operation Safe House HVAC improvements, Desert Arc HVAC improvements, Joslyn Center ADA restroom improvements, and Fair Housing Council of Riverside County public services grant activities.

CR-10 Racial and Ethnic Composition of Families Assisted

• CDBG participants reported as White: 456
• Black or African American: 35
• Asian: 7
• American Indian or American Native: 0
• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: 0
• Total CDBG participants counted in this table: 498
• Hispanic participants: 152.
• Not Hispanic participants: 346.

Narrative summary: approximately 91.5 percent of CDBG-funded program participants were White and 30.5 percent were Hispanic or Latino. The document notes that many beneficiaries were extremely low income and that the IDIS table excludes multiracial beneficiaries by default.

CR-15 Resources and Investments

• CDBG public federal resources made available: $365,446
• HOME public federal resources made available: $0
• Geographic distribution of investments: citywide
• Planned allocation for citywide area: 100 percent.
• Actual allocation for citywide area: citywide narrative confirms citywide use

The report states that the City used 2024-2025 CDBG funding on a citywide basis and did not receive program income.

Leveraging and HOME-related summary

The report states that the Palm Desert Housing Authority owns 15 communities with about 1,100 multifamily and senior housing units, and that nonprofit partners leveraged CDBG resources with other grants and private donations.

HOME match summary: excess match from prior federal fiscal year, current-year match contributed, total match available, match liability, and excess match carried over were all reported as zero.

Program income summary for HOME: beginning balance, amount received, total expended, amount expended for TBRA, and ending balance were all reported as zero.

Minority business enterprises, women business enterprises, minority owners of rental property, relocation, parcels acquired, businesses displaced, nonprofit organizations displaced, temporarily relocated households, and displaced households were all reported as zero.

CR-20 Affordable Housing

Affordable housing results reported in the CAPER were zero for homeless households to be provided affordable housing units, non-homeless households to be provided affordable housing units, special-needs households to be provided affordable housing units, rental assistance supported through CDBG, production of new units, rehabilitation of existing units, and acquisition of existing units.

Narrative summary: the City did not use CDBG funds for housing development or rehabilitation during the reporting period, although the City supported hundreds of households with rental assistance using non-CDBG resources. The report states that private development and incentives for affordable units may support future housing activity.

Households served by CDBG by income category for this housing section were reported as zero for extremely low income, low income, and moderate income households.

CR-25 Homeless and Other Special Needs

The City reported regional coordination with the Riverside County Continuum of Care and continued support for homelessness services. The report states that the City committed $150,000 to CVAG for Housing First efforts focused on chronically homeless individuals.

The report states that the City has an agreement with Kingdom Causes, doing business as City Net, for street outreach, case management, housing resources, vital documentation, and treatment linkage.

For emergency shelter and transitional housing needs, the report states that the City supported Operation Safe House and established an agreement with Coachella Valley Rescue Mission to purchase five shelter beds per month for unhoused Palm Desert residents.

The report also states that the City supports discharge planning efforts and regional rapid rehousing and coordinated entry efforts through the Riverside County Continuum of Care.

CR-30 Public Housing

The City reported that it allocated funds to the Palm Desert Housing Authority for a capital improvement project to repair two parking areas, with expected completion in PY25. The Housing Authority also works with residents on annual and five-year plans. Assistance to troubled public housing authorities was listed as not applicable.

CR-35 Other Actions

The CAPER states that the City continued to encourage private developers to include affordable housing, continued providing City funding resources for households facing housing insecurity and homelessness, referred residents with lead-based paint concerns to Riverside County services, and worked with nonprofit and County partners on homelessness, fair housing, and social services coordination.

The report cites local poverty estimates of 13.1 percent overall, including 18.8 percent for children and 8.6 percent for residents age 65 and older. It also states that more than 48 percent of CDBG beneficiaries had extremely low income and more than 71 percent had very low income.

The report lists coordination activities including participation in the CVAG Homeless Committee, Riverside County Continuum of Care, annual community meetings, landlord seminars, 211 referrals, meeting facilities for fair housing information, and a contract with the Fair Housing Council of Riverside County for outreach, education, and enforcement services.

CR-40 Monitoring

The report states that the City follows the monitoring plan in the Consolidated Plan and monitors HUD-funded activities and subrecipients for compliance so benefits reach intended groups including low and moderate income households, homeless persons, elderly persons, at-risk youth, persons with disabilities, and women- and minority-owned businesses.

Citizen participation summary: the CAPER was available for 15 days for public comment before submission to HUD, notice was published locally, and no comments were received.

CR-45 and CR-50

The CAPER reports no open Brownfields Economic Development Initiative grants. HOME inspection, affirmative marketing, program income by project, and other HOME foster-and-maintain-affordable-housing items were listed as not applicable.

CR-58 Section 3

Section 3 reporting showed zero total activities, zero total labor hours, zero Section 3 worker hours, and zero targeted Section 3 worker hours. All listed qualitative effort categories were reported as zero. Public comments related to the PY24 CAPER were reported as none received.

PR26 CDBG Financial Summary

• Entitlement grant: $365,446.00
• Total available resources: $365,446.00
• Disbursements other than Section 108 repayments and planning or administration: $319,589.89
• Disbursed for planning and administration: $55,442.36
• Total expenditures: $375,032.25
• Unexpended balance: negative $9,586.25
• Total low and moderate income credit: $319,589.89
• Percent low and moderate income credit: 100.00 percent
• Disbursed for public services: $49,816.00
• Percent funds obligated for public services: 13.63 percent
• Planning and administration obligations: $55,442.36
• Percent funds obligated for planning and administration: 15.17 percent

PR26 detail for line 19 reported drawn amounts totaling $319,589.89 across Palma Village Park Improvements, Cahuilla Hills Park ADA Compliance Project, Operation Safehouse, and Fair Housing Council of Riverside County activities.

PR26 detail for line 27 reported public service disbursements totaling $49,816.00, consisting of Operation Safehouse at $18,000.00 and Fair Housing Council of Riverside County at $31,816.00.

PR26 detail for line 37 reported planning and administration disbursements totaling $55,442.36 for PY24 PD CDBG Administration.

Project and activity summaries

Palma Village Park Improvements. Status: open. National objective: LMA. Total drawn through program year: $250,777.97. Narrative states the project RFP was issued and the project was completed, and that coronavirus funds were not needed to complete the project. Service area population listed: 2,405 with census tract low or moderate income percentage of 73.60 percent.

Joslyn Center project from program year 2021. Status: completed September 30, 2024. Purpose: ADA restroom improvements at the senior center. Total drawn through program year: $100,000. Actual accomplishment total listed: 2,218 persons, with 1,082 low or moderate income persons, or 51.2 percent low or moderate income.

Desert ARC Sidewalks and Pathways Improvements from program year 2021. Status: completed September 30, 2024. Total drawn through program year: $58,120. Actual accomplishment total listed: 645 persons, with 100 percent low or moderate income. Narrative states the project was redesignated to a sidewalk improvement project.

Cahuilla Hills Park ADA Compliance Project from program year 2022. Status: open. Total drawn through program year: $181,521.60. Proposed accomplishment: public facilities serving 9,775 persons. Narrative states procurement had started with an estimated one-year completion period.

Desert Arc ADA Restroom Improvements from program year 2022. Status: completed September 30, 2024. Total drawn through program year: $80,000. Actual accomplishment total listed: 645 persons, all low or moderate income.

Administration CDBG Program for fiscal year 2023-24. Status: completed September 30, 2024. Total drawn through program year: $32,701.60.

Cahuilla Hills Park ADA Compliance Project continuation from program year 2023. Status: open. Total drawn through program year: $0. Proposed accomplishment: public facilities serving 9,775 persons.

Desert Arc Restroom Improvements continuation from program year 2023. Status: completed September 30, 2024. Total drawn through program year: $29,895.00. Actual accomplishment total listed: 645 persons, all low or moderate income.

Joslyn Center ADA Restroom Improvements continuation from program year 2023. Status: completed September 30, 2024. Total drawn through program year: $173,000.00. Actual accomplishment total listed: 2,218 persons, with 1,082 low or moderate income persons, or 51.2 percent low or moderate income.

Fair Housing Council of Riverside County from program year 2023. Status: completed September 30, 2024. Total drawn through program year: $21,499.38. Actual accomplishment total listed: 603 persons, with 89.9 percent low or moderate income. Narrative describes landlord-tenant information, mediation, referrals, and anti-discrimination services.

Desert Recreation District from program year 2024. Status: open. Total drawn through program year: $0. Proposed accomplishment: 10 people.

Fair Housing Council of Riverside County from program year 2024. Status: open. Total drawn through program year: $31,816.00. Proposed accomplishment: 500 people. Actual accomplishment total listed: 519 persons, with 83.6 percent low or moderate income. Narrative lists quarterly landlord-tenant and anti-discrimination assistance totals.

Operation Safehouse from program year 2024. Status: open. Total drawn through program year: $18,000.00. Proposed accomplishment: 10 people. Actual accomplishment total listed: 19 persons, all low or moderate income. Narrative describes quarterly Harrison House bed nights and support services.

PY24 PD CDBG Administration from program year 2024. Status: open. Total drawn through program year: $55,442.36.

Joslyn Center ADA Restroom Improvements 2024. Status: open. Total drawn through program year: $0. Proposed accomplishment: public facilities serving 500 persons. The description states this is a multi-phase restroom remodel to improve ADA compliance at the Joslyn Center.

The Ranch Recovery Centers public facilities and improvements from program year 2024. Status: open. Total drawn through program year: $0. Proposed accomplishment: public facilities serving 10 persons. Actual accomplishment total listed: 19 persons, all low or moderate income. Narrative describes capital improvement planning and quarterly Palm Desert resident service counts.

Desert Arc HVAC 2024. Status: open. Total drawn through program year: $0. Proposed accomplishment: public facilities serving 500 persons. Actual accomplishment total listed: 451 persons, all low or moderate income. Narrative describes engineering, grant agreement execution, bid advertising, and procurement steps.

City of Palm Desert Housing Authority Upgrades from program year 2024. Status: open. Total funded amount: $217,756.47. Drawn in program year: $0. Narrative states the project includes parking facility upgrades to support low-income residents living at Housing Authority properties.

CR-05 - Goals and Outcomes

The 2023-2024 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) assists City residents and HUD in assessing the City's use of federal grant funds to meet priority housing and community needs identified in the 2023-2028 Consolidated Plan.

The CAPER for Program Year 2023-2024 primarily summarizes City accomplishments from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024 using Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds.

The Annual Action Plan outlined an expenditure plan for the City's $393,904.00 CDBG allocation. Planned activities included public facility improvements, public service grants, and program administration.

Consolidated Plan Goals

• Provide decent housing: help homeless persons obtain appropriate housing, assist those at risk of homelessness, preserve affordable housing stock, increase the availability of affordable permanent housing for low- and moderate-income persons without discrimination, and increase the supply of supportive housing.
• Provide a suitable living environment: improve neighborhood safety and livability, increase access to quality facilities and services, and reduce the isolation of income groups through integration of low-income housing opportunities.
• Expand economic opportunities: create jobs accessible to low- and moderate-income persons, make down payment and closing cost assistance available, promote long-term economic and social viability, and empower low-income persons to achieve self-sufficiency.

Outcome Summary

• Fund Vital Community and Homeless Services: 15 persons were assisted through overnight shelter services, compared with a program-year goal of 300. Fifteen persons were also assisted through homelessness prevention, compared with a goal of 2,000.
• Preserve and Enhance Affordable Housing: no CDBG-funded households were assisted under the affordable housing public service goal during this reporting period.
• Support Essential Senior Services: no program-year beneficiaries were reported for this goal during the reporting period.
• Support Fair Housing Initiatives: 591 persons or households were assisted, exceeding the program-year target of 500 and reflecting 118.20 percent of the target achieved for the reported public service measure.
• Support Public and Community Facilities Improvement: 645 persons or households were reported as assisted toward public facility and infrastructure outcomes during the reporting period.

Priority activities addressed during the reporting period included:

• Administration - CDBG Program (2023).
• Operation Safe House, Inc. (2023) public service grant for safe housing for homeless and runaway youth.
• Desert Arc Restroom Improvements (2023) for facility improvements serving special-needs individuals.
• Joslyn Center ADA Restroom Improvements (2023) for facility improvements serving seniors.
• Fair Housing Council of Riverside County (2023) public service grant for HUD-defined fair housing services.

CR-10 - Racial and Ethnic Composition of Families Assisted

• CDBG participants reported: White 3,734; Black or African American 228; Asian 51; American Indian or American Native 7; Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 5; total participants 4,025.
• Hispanic participants totaled 2,736 and non-Hispanic participants totaled 1,289.
• The narrative states that approximately 83.3 percent of CDBG-funded program participants are White, and 32.9 percent are Hispanic or Latino. It also states that many beneficiaries are economically unstable, with 46.8 percent reporting household income at or below 30 percent of County median income.

CR-15 - Resources and Investments

• CDBG resources made available: $393,904.
• CDBG amount expended during the program year: $196,596.
• HOME resources made available: $0.
• Investments were distributed citywide. Planned allocation: 100 percent citywide. Actual allocation: 100 percent citywide.
• The City reported that it did not receive program income during the reporting period.

Leveraging and Match Information

• The Palm Desert Housing Authority owns 15 communities throughout the City with approximately 1,100 multifamily and senior housing units. To the extent that Housing Successor Agency funds are available, those resources may be used to address very low- and low-income housing needs.
• Nonprofit partners leveraged CDBG resources with other grant awards and private donations.
• HOME match and HOME program income reporting for the period were all reported as zero.

CR-20 - Affordable Housing

• No CDBG-funded households were reported as provided affordable housing units during the reporting period for homeless, non-homeless, or special-needs categories.
• No households were reported as supported through rental assistance, new production, rehabilitation, or acquisition using CDBG or HOME in this section.
• The City states that it did not use CDBG funds to assist with housing development or rehabilitation during the reporting period.
• The City states that it supported more than 1,000 households with rental assistance during the fiscal year, but that assistance was not supported with CDBG funding.
• Counts of extremely low-income, low-income, and moderate-income households served under the specific CDBG/HOME table in this section were all reported as zero.

CR-25 - Homeless and Other Special Needs

• The City reported ongoing coordination with the Continuum of Care throughout the Coachella Valley and Riverside County.
• The City has historically supported Coachella Valley Association of Governments homelessness services outside the CDBG program, including prior support for the Housing First program focused on chronically homeless individuals.
• In September 2023, the City entered into an agreement with Kingdom Causes Inc., doing business as City Net. City Net provides two full-time street outreach workers, case management, housing resources, vital documentation assistance, and linkage to substance and alcohol abuse treatment facilities.
• The City used funds to support Operation Safe House during the year and also established an agreement with Coachella Valley Rescue Mission to purchase five shelter beds per month for unhoused people from the City.
• The City stated that Riverside County's Continuum of Care remains responsible for the regional discharge plan intended to prevent release of individuals from institutions into homelessness.
• The City supports rapid rehousing and coordinated entry efforts carried out through the Riverside County Continuum of Care and its partners.

CR-30 - Public Housing

• The City does not operate a Public Housing Authority.
• The report notes that the City provides support to the Fair Housing Council of Riverside County.
• No actions were reported for encouraging public housing residents to become involved in management or homeownership because the City does not operate a Public Housing Authority.
• No actions were reported for troubled PHAs because the City does not operate a Public Housing Authority.

CR-35 - Other Actions

• The City continued discussing affordable housing needs with private developers and encouraging inclusion of affordable units in residential projects, although no projects with an affordable housing component were submitted during the reporting period.
• The City continued providing City funding resources to assist households facing housing insecurity, poverty, and homelessness, and partnered with numerous nonprofit organizations to address underserved needs.
• The City did not use CDBG funds for activities that triggered HUD lead-based paint compliance during the period, but referred residents to Riverside County Health Services Lead Hazard Reduction Section and distributed educational brochures through relevant City departments and nonprofit partners.
• The report states that approximately 13.1 percent of Palm Desert residents live in poverty, including 18.8 percent of children under 18 and 8.6 percent of residents 65 and older.
• The City reported that over 48 percent of CDBG program beneficiaries had extremely low income and more than 71 percent had very low income.
• The City continued partnering with local governments, county departments, the Continuum of Care, and nonprofit organizations to improve the quantity and quality of services for homeless and lower-income residents.
• The City continued coordination efforts through the CVAG Homeless Committee, Riverside County Continuum of Care participation, annual community meetings, published notices, social-service referrals, fair housing informational meetings, and Fair Housing Council workshops.

Actions to Overcome Impediments to Fair Housing Choice

• The City website continues to publish reasonable accommodation procedures and related ADA documents.
• The City continued contracting with the Fair Housing Council of Riverside County for outreach, education, and enforcement services.
• The City intends to use Housing Element site inventory information when making future decisions about sites suitable for affordable housing development.
• The report states that the current 2022-2029 Housing Element contains an inventory of vacant land suitable for affordable housing development.

CR-40 - Monitoring

The monitoring plan is outlined in the Consolidated Plan. The City states that it monitors HUD-funded activities and subrecipients in accordance with HUD regulations and requirements to help ensure benefits are directed to intended populations, including low- and moderate-income households, people experiencing homelessness, elderly persons, at-risk youth, persons with disabilities, and women- and minority-owned businesses.

The CAPER was to be available for 15 days for public comment before submission to HUD.

CR-45 - CDBG

• The report states that there were no changes in the jurisdiction's program objectives requiring description in this section.
• The City reported no open Brownfields Economic Development Initiative grants.

CR-50 - HOME

This section contains standard HOME reporting prompts. The report does not provide substantive HOME activity narrative because HOME resources were reported as zero in the fiscal sections.

CR-58 - Section 3

• Total number of activities reported in the labor-hours table: 0 for CDBG, HOME, ESG, HOPWA, and HTF.
• Total labor hours, total Section 3 worker hours, and total targeted Section 3 worker hours were not reported as positive values.
• All qualitative effort categories in the Section 3 table were reported as zero, including outreach, training, assistance with employment, job fairs, supportive services, child care assistance, education and training assistance, financial literacy, and business-concern outreach.

CR-05 - Goals and Outcomes

The 2022-2023 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report was prepared to help Palm Desert residents and HUD assess how the City used federal grant funds to meet priority housing and community needs identified in the 2018 to 2022 Consolidated Plan.

The report covers accomplishments from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023 using Community Development Block Grant funds.

The Consolidated Plan established broad goals to provide decent housing, provide a suitable living environment, and expand economic opportunities.

The 2022-2023 Annual Action Plan outlined an expenditure plan for a $394,525 CDBG allocation, including public facility improvements, public service grants, and program administration.

During the reporting period the City also implemented activities to prevent, prepare for, or respond to local impacts of COVID-19 using CDBG-CV resources. The source report states that HUD allocated the City $851,374 in CDBG-CV funds in two rounds.

Goals and Outcomes Summary

• Enhance public facilities: strategic plan target for persons assisted was 50,000; actual strategic plan accomplishment reported was 0.
• Enhance public facilities, other category: program year expected was 3; actual reported was 0.
• Increase availability of affordable housing: strategic plan target for households assisted was 5; actual reported was 0.
• Increase fair housing activities: actual strategic plan accomplishment reported was 359 persons assisted in public service activities other than low and moderate income housing benefit.
• Increase fair housing activities: program year target for households assisted under low and moderate income housing benefit was 450; actual reported was 0.
• Increase fair housing activities, other category: strategic plan target 1; actual 1; 100 percent complete.
• Provide support for public service programs: strategic plan target was 2,250 persons assisted; actual reported was 401. Program year actual reported was 46 persons assisted.
• Provide support for public service programs under low and moderate income housing benefit: program year target was 135 households assisted; actual reported was 0.
• Support efforts to combat homelessness through public facility or infrastructure activities for low and moderate income housing benefit: program year target was 10 households assisted; actual reported was 0.
• Support efforts to combat homelessness through overnight shelter: strategic plan target was 500 persons assisted; actual reported was 0.
• Support efforts to combat homelessness through homelessness prevention: strategic plan target was 5,000 persons assisted; actual reported was 0.

Assessment of fund use and priority activities

The report states that the City focused CDBG and CDBG-CV resources on priority community needs identified in the Consolidated Plan. HUD program waivers allowed the City to enhance funding for local service providers assisting residents affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Priority activities identified in the report include PY23 CDBG program administration, PY22 Desert Arc ADA restroom improvements, PY22 Cahuilla Hills Park ADA compliance work, Fair Housing Council of Riverside County public services, Operation Safe House public services, and Desert Access and Mobility transportation services and related neighborhood improvements.

CR-10 - Racial and Ethnic Composition of Families Assisted

The report states that 401 people were assisted with CDBG funds during the reporting period.

• White: 351
• Black or African American: 40
• Asian: 5
• American Indian or American Native: 5
• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: 0
• Hispanic: 103
• Not Hispanic: 298

 The narrative states that approximately 83.3 percent of CDBG-funded participants were White and 32.9 percent were Hispanic or Latino. It also states that 46.8 percent of beneficiaries had household income at or below 30 percent of county median income. The report notes that the IDIS table excludes multi-racial beneficiaries by default and also excludes CDBG-CV beneficiaries.

CR-15 - Resources and Investments

The report states that CDBG public federal resources made available totaled $394,525 and the amount expended during the program year was $106,604.

The report states that investments were citywide, with 100 percent of planned and actual allocation identified as citywide. It also states that the City did not receive program income during the reporting period and that CDBG-CV funds were also available on a citywide basis.

Leveraging

The report states that the City of Palm Desert does not have owned land, but that the Palm Desert Housing Authority owns 15 communities throughout the City with 1,100 multifamily and senior housing units. The report also states that nonprofit partners leveraged CDBG resources with other grants and private donations.

CR-20 - Affordable Housing

Affordable housing goals and outcomes in plain text

• Homeless households to be provided affordable housing units: one-year goal 10; actual 0.
• Non-homeless households to be provided affordable housing units: one-year goal 450; actual 0.
• Special-needs households to be provided affordable housing units: one-year goal 135; actual 0.
• Total households in this section: one-year goal 595; actual 0.
• Households supported through rental assistance: 0.

The report states that the City did not use CDBG funds for housing development or rehabilitation during the reporting period. It states that the City supported 1,114 households with rental assistance during the fiscal year, but not with CDBG funding. It also notes that future housing activity will likely depend on private development and incentives to create affordable housing units within new development.

The report states that the number of extremely low-income, low-income, and moderate-income households served by CDBG in the housing table was 0.

CR-25 - Homeless and Other Special Needs

Reaching out to homeless persons and assessing individual needs

The report states that the City remained involved in regional coordination throughout the Coachella Valley and Riverside County, contributed funding through the Coachella Valley Association of Governments, committed another $100,000 to continue the CV Housing First program, and operated a homelessness assistance program with a hotline and behavioral health specialists through Riverside University Health System.

Addressing emergency shelter and transitional housing needs

The report states that the City did not use CDBG funds during the program year for emergency shelter or transitional housing, but supported regional Continuum of Care and ESG-funded subrecipients that provide bridge housing.

Helping low-income individuals and families avoid becoming homeless

The report states that the City used CDBG and CDBG-CV resources to provide food, COVID testing, and other support services for seniors, disabled residents, and children. It also states that the Riverside County discharge plan aims to prevent institutions from releasing people into homelessness.

Helping homeless persons transition to permanent housing and independent living

The report states that the Riverside Continuum of Care increased rapid re-housing resources, partnered with the County Economic Development Agency, and operated a regional Homeless Coordinated Entry System that prioritizes resources based on vulnerability and length of homelessness.

Key discharge plan elements described in the report

• Encourage use of mainstream resources available to homeless individuals.
• Provide a comprehensive listing of Riverside County agencies and departments serving homeless persons, especially chronically homeless persons.
• Educate the community regarding challenges faced by homeless persons, including disability and extremely low-income benefits.
• Link individuals with disabilities to community housing that provides wrap-around services.

CR-30 - Public Housing

Actions taken to address public housing needs: the report states that the City does not operate a Public Housing Authority, but provides support to the Fair Housing Council of Riverside County.

Actions taken to encourage public housing residents to become more involved in management and homeownership: the report states that the City does not operate a Public Housing Authority.

Actions taken to provide assistance to troubled PHAs: the report states that the City does not operate a Public Housing Authority.

Households supported through new units, rehabilitation, or acquisition: 0.

CR-35 - Other Actions

Actions taken to address barriers to affordable housing

The report states that the City continued to discuss with private developers the need for residential projects that include affordable housing units. It states that developers were hesitant during the COVID-19 period and that no plans were submitted for projects with an affordable housing component during the reporting period.

Actions taken to address obstacles to meeting underserved needs

The report states that the City continued to provide CDBG and City funding to assist households facing housing insecurity, living in poverty, and experiencing homelessness. Listed services include senior services and counseling, disability services, educational and emotional support for youth, and fair housing services.

Actions taken to reduce lead-based paint hazards

The report states that the City did not use CDBG resources for housing activities that triggered HUD lead-based paint requirements. It states that residents were referred to Riverside County Health Services and that brochures were distributed by City departments and nonprofit partners.

Actions taken to reduce the number of poverty-level families

The report states that about 13.1 percent of Palm Desert residents lived in poverty, including 18.8 percent of children age 18 and younger and 8.6 percent of residents age 65 and older. It also states that more than 48 percent of CDBG and CDBG-CV beneficiaries had extremely low income and more than 71 percent had very low income. Listed services include food bank support, counseling, medical services and referrals, and rental assistance to prevent loss of shelter.

Actions taken to develop institutional structure

The report states that the City continued to partner with local government entities, service providers, and organizations with similar goals, including Riverside County mental health and social services departments.

Actions taken to enhance coordination between public and private housing and social service agencies

The report states that the City remained a member of the CVAG Homeless Committee and the Riverside County Continuum of Care, typically conducts community meetings and outreach, provides information about the 211 system and local providers, offers meeting facilities for fair housing informational meetings, and contracts with the Fair Housing Council for workshops and outreach.

Actions taken to overcome impediments to fair housing choice

The report states that the City completed an Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice and identified steps including publishing accommodation procedures on the City website, supporting private and nonprofit efforts, using the Housing Element site inventory, and continuing Fair Housing Council outreach, education, and enforcement services.

CR-40 - Monitoring

The report states that the monitoring plan is outlined in the Consolidated Plan and that the City monitors all HUD-funded activities and subrecipients under applicable HUD regulations and requirements. It states that monitoring is intended to ensure benefits are directed to targeted groups including low- and moderate-income households, homeless persons, elderly residents, at-risk youth, persons with disabilities, and women- and minority-owned businesses.

Citizen Participation Plan

The report indicates that the City described efforts to provide citizens with reasonable notice and an opportunity to comment on performance reports through public hearing and notice procedures reflected in the appendices.

CR-45 - CDBG

The report states that the jurisdiction does not have any open Brownfields Economic Development Initiative grants.

CR-58 - Section 3

The source report presents the Section 3 labor hours and qualitative efforts sections as mostly blank image-based forms. The visible values indicate total number of activities of 0 across CDBG, HOME, ESG, HOPWA, and HTF. No additional completed labor hour values are entered in the source PDF.

Appendix A - Public Hearing Notices and Attachment Summaries

Attachment 1 and Attachment 2 in the source PDF are image-based HUD financial summary report pages. Because you requested no charts or tables, this version summarizes those materials in text rather than reproducing the page visuals or grids.

English Public Hearing Notice

CITY OF PALM DESERT
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM AMENDMENTS TO THE FISCAL YEAR 2022/23 COMPREHENSIVE ANNUAL PERFORMANCE AND EVALUATION REPORT

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Palm Desert City Council will conduct a public hearing to give the public an opportunity to voice opinions on the City's Fiscal Year 2022/23 Comprehensive Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER).

Public hearing: Thursday, September 28, 2023, at 4:00 p.m.
Location: Palm Desert City Hall Council Chamber, 73510 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, California 92260.

Residents could also send comments on or before September 28, 2023, to the Palm Desert City Clerk's Office, 73-510 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92260, by fax to (760) 340-0574, or by email to cityclerk@palmdesert.gov.

ADA notice: The City requested at least 48 hours notice for accommodation requests through the Office of the City Clerk at (760) 346-0611.

CDBG program background: The notice stated that the national objective of the CDBG program is to develop viable urban communities by providing decent housing, a suitable living environment, and expanding economic opportunities principally for low- and moderate-income persons. It also stated that at least 80 percent of CDBG funds must be used for activities that benefit low- and moderate-income persons.

Spanish Public Hearing Notice

CIUDAD DE PALM DESERT
AVISO DE AUDIENCIA PUBLICA
MODIFICACIONES AL PROGRAMA DE SUBSIDIO PARA DESARROLLO COMUNITARIO DE VIVIENDAS Y DESARROLLO URBANO CORRESPONDIENTES AL INFORME INTEGRAL DE DESEMPENO ANUAL Y EVALUACION DEL EJERCICIO FISCAL 2022-2023

El aviso en espanol informa sobre la audiencia publica del CAPER del ejercicio fiscal 2022-2023. Indica una audiencia el jueves 28 de septiembre de 2023 a las 4:00 PM en el Ayuntamiento de Palm Desert, 73510 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, California 92260.

Tambien indica que los residentes podian enviar comentarios a la Oficina del Secretario de la Ciudad, por fax al (760) 340-0574, o por correo electronico a cityclerk@palmdesert.gov. Incluye aviso ADA y antecedentes del programa CDBG en espanol.