Transcript Section 3 Information Session

City of Valdosta
Public Involvement Department
Section 3 Implementation Initiatives
Template
This presentation depicts a sample of the
program implementation template used to
implement the Section 3 program for the
City of Valdosta’s CDBG Program.
This presentation describes a Five-Step
Process and has been designed to assist
with the creation of a Section 3 Program
for CDBG Entitlement Communities.
Section 3 Implementation Initiatives
Template
Five-Step Process for Section 3
Implementation:
Step 1: Know what Section 3 is & the components
of the Section 3.
Step 2: Determine and meet with the partners
within your organization that will assist with the
Section 3 Implementation Plan.
Step 3: Determine and meet with the partners
outside of your organization that will assist with
the Section 3 Implementation Plan.
Step 4: Devise a Plan of Action that will be
followed to implement your Section 3 Program.
and get it adopted by governing authority.
Step 5: Whenever possible, utilize Section 3
Residents and Business Concerns.
STEP 1: Know What Section 3 is and the
Components of Section 3.
What is Section 3?
 Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 (12
U.S.C 1701u)(as amended), requires that economic opportunities
generated by certain HUD financial assistance for housing
(including Public and Indian Housing) and community
development programs shall, to the greatest extent feasible, be given to
low and very low-income persons, particularly those who are recipients
of government assistance for housing, and to businesses that provide
economic opportunities for these persons.
 The phrase, “certain HUD financial assistance for housing” refers
to those programs in a community that provide housing or community
development assistance for housing rehabilitation, housing
construction, or other public construction projects.
Examples of Programs that require
Section 3 Compliance:
•CDBG – Community Development Block Grant (HUD)
•CDBG-R – Community Development Block Grant –
Recovery (HUD)
•CHIP – Community Home Investment Program (DCA)
•EDI – Economic Development Initiative (HUD)
•BEDI – Brownfield Economic Development Initiative
•NSP- Neighborhood Stimulus Program
•HOPWA – Housing Opportunities for Persons with Aids
•ESG – Emergency Shelter Grants
•Homeless Assistance
•University Partnership Grants
•Certain Grants Awarded Under HUD Notices of
Funding Availability (NOFAs)
Section 3 Applicability
In Regards to Public and Indian
Housing, THERE IS NO FUNDING
THRESHOLD.
Section 3 Applies to:
 Development
 Operation
 Modernization
Section 3 Applicability
In Regards to Housing and
Community Development:
THE THRESHOLD IS:
 If $200,000 in funding is received
by an organization for; housing
and construction, housing
rehabilitation and other public
construction including lead-based
paint abatement and utilities
related activities……..
 And the Contract(s) are in excess
of $100,000 or more for any given
project……………
 COMPLIANCE WITH SECTION
3 IS TRIGGERED!!!!!!!!
Compliance with Section 3 requires that a Section 3
Covered Project must utilize at least One (1) of Two
(2) options:
Hire Section 3 Certified Residents
 Who are Section 3
Residents?
--Public housing residents
including persons with
disabilities.
--Low and Very low income
persons who live in the area where
a HUD assisted project is located.
Compliance with Section 3 requires that a Section
3 Covered Project must utilize at least One (1) of
Two (2) options:
OR
Hire a Section 3 Certified Business Concern
 What is a Section 3
Business Concern?
--A Section 3 Business is one that
either:
a) Is owned by a Section 3
Resident (51% or more).
b)Employs Section 3 Residents. (At
least 30% of full time employees.)
or
c)Subcontracts with businesses that
provide opportunities to low and very
low income persons. (At least 25% of
award amount.)
Section 3 Implementation Plan
You should know and study
your organization’s Section 3
Implementation Plan…..
This Plan should portray to anyone that reads it
exactly what your organization plans to do in
regards to the implementation of Section 3 within
your HUD assisted programs or projects and
ensuring Section 3 program compliance. Your
Section 3 Plan will most likely be one of the items
reviewed during a HUD monitoring visit.
Step 2: Determine and meet with the Partners within
your Organization that will assist with the Section 3
Implementation Plan
Directly Involved Partners
(Example for City of Valdosta)
Indirectly Involved Partners
(Example for City of Valdosta)
 Neighborhood Development
 Engineering Department
(CDBG) Coordinator
 Neighborhood Development
(CDBG) Secretary
 VSEB Coordinator
 Grants Administrator
 Economic Development
Coordinator
 Purchasing Department
 Utility Department
 Public Works Department
Step 3: Determine and meet with the Partners of
your Organization that will assist with the
Section 3 Implementation Plan
The City of Valdosta’s Neighborhood
Development Division Coordinates the
Section 3 activities for our CDBG funding.
Section 3 activities may include:
 Educational Opportunities
 Job Skills Assessment & Job Training
 Economic Opportunity Components
for the residents of a covered area.
Step 3: Determine and meet with the Partners of
your Organization that will assist with the
Section 3 Implementation Plan
The Neighborhood Development Division
entered into an MOU with the Wiregrass
Georgia Technical College Work Ready/Work
Force Development Program to:
 Assist with conducting Section 3 Information
Sessions for residents living within the areas
which are covered by CDBG funding.
 Provide Georgia Work Ready Testing for
Section 3 Residents.
 Provide GED Preparation classes and Testing
for Section 3 Residents.
 Provide Career Readiness testing and
computer based training for Section 3
Residents
Additional Outside Partners…...
The City of Valdosta has a close working
relationship with the Valdosta Housing
Authority (VHA).
Assists in:
Inform all residents of the Valdosta Housing
Authority Housing stock of the Section 3
Information Sessions and the City received a
much greater attendance than expected.
Have a facility in which to conduct the Section
3 Information Sessions
 Have a facility in which to conduct GED
testing and classes and job skills training.
Additional Outside Partners…...
 The Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and
Recreation Authority (VLPRA) has also
proven to be a valuable partner in our
efforts to implement Section 3 Initiatives
in the City of Valdosta. The VLPRA has:
 Provided facilities in which we have
conducted Section 3 Information Sessions.
 Offered the use of facilities to hold GED
testing and classes as well as Georgia Work
Ready Testing and training.
Possible Future Partners
We are also in the process of
tapping into other possible
community partners that can
strengthen our Section 3
Program, such as:
1) The Department of
Labor (DOL)
2) The Valdosta City
Alternative/Evening
School
3) Valdosta State
University’s (VSU) Small
Business Development
Center (SBDC)
4) VSU SIFE Program
Step 4: Devise a Plan of Action that will be
Followed to Implement your Section 3 Program
 A Plan of Action must be devised that will depict what steps will be
taken to implement Section 3 driven/focused projects and programs
within your organization. For example:
 The City of Valdosta has a 17 Neighborhood Area that makes up the
Designated Revitalization Area or DRA. These 17 neighborhoods are
designated as such due to the fact that they are composed of residents that
primarily have low-moderate incomes:
Plan of Action
The DRA is the area in which the City’s CDBG funds are used. However, trying
to handle all residents of all 17 neighborhood at one time was not feasible. So,
in order to have a starting point for Section 3 Implementation, the
Neighborhood Development Division decided to break the Section 3
Information Sessions up in order of priority** to make the number of
participants more manageable for staff:
1st Priority – Area Public Housing Residents (Valdosta Housing Authority)
 Hudson Docket Homes
 Ora Lee West Homes
 Lloyd Greer Homes
 VHA’s “Scattered Site” Housing Stock
2nd Priority – Residents of the Designated Revitalization Area (DRA)
 All 17 Neighborhoods that make up the DRA
3rd Priority – Entire City of Valdosta
**The priority of focus is to be delineated in your organization’s Section 3 Implementation Plan.
Section 3 Plan should be adopted by your local governing authority.
Step 5: Whenever Possible, Utilize Section 3
Business Concerns
The
process of determining if a
business is a Section 3 Business is fairly
simple. The City of Valdosta’s Small
Emerging Business Program or VSEB
assists small businesses within the
community with information regarding
up-coming projects that these businesses
may be eligible to bid. Likewise, VSEB
also assists our Section 3 Business
Concern candidates in becoming a
Section 3 Business Concern.
Step 5: Whenever Possible, Utilize Section 3
Business Concerns
The names of “Certified” Section 3 Business Concerns
are copied into a database that is kept current and is
available upon request for the following:
 Other Section 3 Business Concerns looking for a Section
3 Business Concern to use as a sub-contractor.
 Section 3 Business Concerns Searching for Section 3
Residents to hire to work on a project.
 Section 3 Residents searching for a Section 3 Business
Concern that may hire them to work on a covered
project.
*A Database of Section 3 Certified Residents is kept on hand in the
Neighborhood Development Division as well.
Promoting Section 3
 Reach Out to All Media Outlets
 Government publications, websites &
Access Channels
 Mandatory signs on applicable projects
 Promote through local neighborhood
churches and non-profit organizations
 Housing and business fairs
Please Keep in Mind……
 These Section 3 Implementation Initiatives are an example of what can be done to
implement Section 3 in a Community. Each Entitlement Community’s Section 3
Program should be tailored to fit the local jurisdictional protocol for your community.
For detailed HUD guidance regarding the Section 3 Program, please visit the following
website:
http://www.hud.gov/offices/fheo/section3/section3.cfm
Contact Information
For Section 3 Certification Forms and Info. Contact:
Sabrina Riley-Randolph
Neighborhood Development Coordinator/Section 3 Coordinator
The City of Valdosta
(229) 671-3617
For Additional Information regarding WorkReady Testing Contact:
Penelope Schmidt
Director of Workforce Development
Wiregrass Georgia Technical College
(229) 333-2120
For information regarding the Public Involvement Department Contact:
Mara Register
Assistant to the City Manager
The City of Valdosta
(229) 259-3571
Questions/Comments??????