2015-2019 Revised Con Plan for CDBG-CV

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The purpose of this Substantial Amendment to the County of Hawaii's 2015-2019 Consolidated Plan is to include the U.S.Department of Housing and Urban Development's(HUD)Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus(CDBG-CV)allocation from the Coronavirus Aid,Relief,and Economic Security Act(CARES Act). On April 2,2020,HUD informed Hawaii County that it would receive a CDBG-CV allocation of$1,543,033. Along with the CDBG-CV funds,the CARES Act authorized grant waivers and alternative requirements of the statutes and regulations pertaining to these funds. These waivers and alternative requirements are necessary to expedite and facilitate the use of these funds to prevent, prepare for,and respond to the Coronavirus (COVID-19). This amendment includes the CDBG-CV requirements and the County's use of these funds to address high priority categories of the County- Public Health and Safety and Public Service—Disaster Related. Executive Summary ES-05 Executive Summary- 24 CFR 91.200(c), 91.220(b) 1. Introduction The County of Hawaii is required to submit a Consolidated Plan (CP)to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in order to receive its Community Development Block Grant(CDBG) funds. The purpose of the County's CP is to ensure that jurisdictions receiving direct federal assistance utilize and develop a plan for its housing and related needs of extremely-low,very low-, low-, and moderate-income families in a way that improves the availability and affordability of decent, safe and sanitary housing within a suitable living environment. The County's CP has three major sections: Housing&Special Needs Housing; Homeless; and Community Development. The County's CP provides goals, priorities, needs, and data used to develop the plan for how the County intends to administer the HUD CDBG Program. The State of Hawai'i's CP provides background, direction, and a plan for how the State intends to administer HUD's Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME), Emergency Shelter Grant(ESG), and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) to assist in meeting the housing needs of Hawai'i's citizens. In PY2018,the County of Hawaii will be a designated State HTF Subgrantee for HUD's new National Housing Trust Fund (HTF),to provide affordable rental housing units serving households with incomes at or below 30%of the area median income. In early 2020 the world was impacted by a highly contagious and resistant strain of virus called the Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. The aggressive outbreak of COVID-19 spread quickly throughout the world. In response to this pandemic,Congress enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act(CARES Act)(Public Law 116-136)making available in supplemental CDBG funding for grants to prevent, prepare for,and respond to COVID-19. Additionally,the CARES Act provided CDBG grantees with flexibilities that allow for easier use of CDBG-CV grants and fiscal years Consolidated Plan HAWAII COUNTY OMB Control No 2506,0117(exp.05/30/2018)