TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager to execute Voluntary Compliance Agreement and any necessary amendments thereto, with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for Section 3 monitoring for compliance with the HUD Queensway Bay Restitution Plan in a total amount not to exceed
$3.7 million for a period of three years. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) created the Section 3 provision under the HUD Act of 1968. The provision’s goals were to help foster local economic development, neighborhood economic improvement and individual self-sufficiency. These goals are achieved by providing job training, employment, and contract opportunities for low or very-low income Long Beach-based residents in connection with projects and activities in their neighborhoods.
In 2005, the City executed the Queensway Bay Restitution Plan (QB Plan) with the goal of fulfilling the City’s Section 3 obligation related to the construction of the public infrastructure of the downtown harbor in the Rainbow Harbor area, which became known as the Queensway Bay Project. The QB Plan had specific goals and employment opportunities:
· Provide no less than 3,000 hours of work to low-income Long Beach residents on City- funded construction projects. (Completed in 2007)
· Train and graduate, at minimum, 50 local low-income participants from the pre-apprenticeship program, with 25 slots reserved for Long Beach residents of government-assisted housing, including Carmelitos, and 25 slots reserved for at-risk young men and women. (Completed in 2009)
· Provide placement assistance for graduates of the construction-training program into the Union Building Trade apprenticeship program and provide up to $1,500 to each participant for purchase of tools, uniforms and other program necessities. (Completed in 2009)
· Implement a $3.2 million small business incentive program to encourage contractors to use Section 3 b...
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