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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDomestic Violence Intervention Program - Facility RehabilitationI A JP.N 1 5 2012 D U IC Fi Domestic Violence Intervention Program 6111ty, Planning & Other Projects 1. Name of Project: DVIP She/ter Kitchen and Flooring Rehabilitation 2. Total Amount of CDBG Funds Requested: $172,076 3. Applicant Name: Domestic VIolence intervention Program Applicant Address: F..0 Box 3170, Iowa City, Iowa 52244 DUNS Number: 614880438 Signature (please use blue ink): 4. Contact Person: Kristie Fortmann-Doser Phone Number: 319-351-1042 ext. l 12 Fax Number: 319-466-4624 Email Address: Kristie@advipiowa,org 5. Location of proposed project: DVIPShelter, confidentiallocation 6. Did you attend the Applicant Workshop? O NO ZI YES - Please indicate date attended: 7112/29/11 or 0 1/09/12 7. Brief summary of the proposed project (please limit response to a paragraph). The Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP) responds to the effects of violence and abuse within intimate partner relationships, providing 24-hour emergency shelter, 24-hour hotline, crisis intervention, and advocacy and support services. Hotline, crisis intervention, advocacy and support services are available to women, youth, and men. Safe shelter services are available to women and their children. We are requesting funding to rehabilitate our safe shelter, specifically a failing kitchen and flooring. 8. Please specify the one most applicable priority need and priority need level, as shown in CITY STEPS 2011-2015. Expand/Rehabilitate Emergency Shelter Priority Need Public Facility, Planning & Other Projects High Priority Need Level (High, Medium or Low) FY13 CDBG/HOME Funding Request 137 Domestic Violence Intervention Program 9. Tell us why this project is needed (include information from studies\research or other supporting documentation) and how it fills a gap in the community as outlined in CITY STEPS. Also, indicate how the project partners with existing services/facilities, including whether other agencies will be housed in or will be allowed to use the facility. The Domestic Violence Intervention Program provides safe shelter; crisis intervention services, advocacy and support services that help keep victims of domestic violence safe from immediate danger and harm. These services are unduplicated in our four county service area (Johnson, Washington, Iowa and Cedar Counties). While residents/clients seek services from DVIP, it is our goal for clients to reach the highest level of safety and self-sufficiency possible. Maintaining a shelter with appropriate facilities, contributes to service provision and our client's efforts to increase self-sufficiency. This goal is supported by the current City Steps 2011-2015 Iowa City's Five -Year Consolidated Plan for Housing, Jobs and Services for Low -Income Residents approved the Iowa City Council on December 14, 2009. A critical aspect of our safe shelter and crisis intervention support services is providing a safe environment and appropriate facilities for women and youth while they move beyond initial stages of crisis and homelessness to permanent housing. Without appropriate upgrades in building and maintenance, client's safety and ongoing support would be compromised. Under the City Steps Homeless Strategic Plan, addressing shelter needs of persons who are homeless is the following citation: Expand/Rehabilitate Emergency Shelter. • Improve and maintain existing shelter facilities. ``- • Support expansion or addition of facilities to meet increased demand. • Expand staff within existing system to provide improved service. In addition, the City Steps 2011 - 2015 Consolidated Plan also identifies victims of domestic violence as: Persons at risk of becoming homeless. In need of services to prevent homelessness. Our project request speaks directly to maintaining our existing shelter building. The current shelter building was constructed in 1993, and has housed more than 6600 women and children fleeing intimate partner violence. Over time the building has required repair, replacement and general up -keep. At this time the kitchen is in need of rehabilitation, as is flooring throughout the shelter building. In the past 19 years, appliances have been replaced as needed, as has the countertop, but all of the cabinets and fixtures are original. While they have served the shelter well, the kitchen is in dire need of repair and replacement. Flooring is a less than glamorous repair, but equally needed. Currently, the building has some carpet and vinyl floor tiles. Unfortunately at the time the shelter was constructed, commercial grade products were not used, with one exception - vinyl tile flooring in some areas of the building. Carpet has needed periodic replacement over time, but the vinyl flooring has held up until the past five years. Over that time period Public Facility, Planning & Other Projects FY13 CDBG/HOME Funding Request 138 Domestic Violence Intervention Program kwe have replaced individual tiles or small sections. What we are facing at this time is the natural wear and tear on the subflooring and vinyl tile- requiring replacement. We are choosing to replace carpeting in the building with commercial grade vinyl tile for a more durable, ease of cleaning/maintenance and cost effective outcome. M Victims of domestic violence face large barriers to self-sufficiency and permanent housing. In a 2002 report by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, 44%of the cities surveyed identified domestic violence as a primary cause of homelessness. 92%of homeless women have experienced severe physical and/or sexual assault at some point in their lives. Other important information and statistics include: • A lack of alternative housing often leads women to stay in or return to violent relationships. In Minnesota in 2003, for instance, 46 percent of homeless women reported that they had previously stayed in abusive relationships because they had nowhere to go. • In 2003 in Chicago, 56 percent of women in homeless shelters reported they had been victims of domestic violence and 22 percent stated that domestic violence was the immediate cause of their homelessness. • Abusers typically use violence as part of larger strategies to exercise power and control over their partners and isolate their partners from support networks. As a result, a victim of domestic violence will often have no access to money and no friends or family to rely on if she flees a violent relationship. • Because a victim of domestic violence will often leave her abuser multiple times before she finally escapes the violence, she and her children may experience multiple bouts of homelessness. • Many landlords have adopted policies, such as "zero tolerance for crime" policies, that penalize victims of domestic violence. These policies punish tenants when violence occurs in their homes, regardless of whether the tenant is the victim or the perpetrator of the violence. Like many non -profits, we have struggled with funding cuts, and while the current economy doesn't cause domestic violence, there is no question we are seeing increasingly severe trauma and lethality. Victims are waiting to leave abusive partners, because they are afraid there will be no job, no safe place to live. For the women and children staying in our shelter —we're fighting every day to meet their most basic needs, but it's taking longer and longer to find those resources, and having sub -par resources within the shelter makes things that more difficult. We focus on partnerships within the community to help victims accomplish this goal. Over the years we have learned from victims that any resource we can bring directly to the shelter diminishes one more barrier. Some of the programs we partner with to provide services within shelter include: Public Facility, Planning & Other Projects FY13 CDBG/HOME Funding Request 139 R Domestic Violence Intervention Program Goodwill of the Heartland provides job coaching and job placement services, through weekly visits with women staying in our shelter. RVAP and DVIP co -facilitate support groups in shelter for victims affected by domestic violence and sexual assault, group is provided in English and Spanish. Community Mental Health PATH program staff provides services in shelter 2-3 days a week, assisting victims with mental health resources, housing and living skills building. Department of Human Services provides counseling, visitation and case management in shelter as needed. DVIP is part of a broader community effort to assist homeless victims of domestic violence in securing and maintaining permanent housing. One way we do that is to provide essential, safe shelter for up to 90 days while clients acquire permanent housing. 91 % of our shelter services are provided to low -moderate income persons, with 81 % of our overall programming provided to low -moderate income persons. The DVIP shelter provides safety and critical support services which enables Iowa City residents to fully access housing resources. While working with individuals and families on domestic violence related education and support services, DVIP also assists residents in obtaining housing support, such as Section 8 voucher assistance. The need for safe shelter continues. These collaborations meet the needs of vulnerable individuals struggling to maintain safety for themselves and their children. This past summer was a record breaker —while 35 beds is our shelter limit (with 5 additional beds for immediate danger situations), from May to early October our shelter numbers were at 42- 49 women and children nightly. Going over capacity in this manner is a direct reflection of the danger level these families faced and the need for safe shelter in our community. 10. Provide a budget breakdown for your specific project. Complete the various categories appropriate for your project. Use categories such as property acquisition, architectural expenses, construction costs, material and administrative costs, etc. for construction/rehabilitation projects. The budget breakdown should only include those costs directly related to the project. If a construction project, provide the total estimated costs of the project, but do not include operational expenses or expenses not directly related to the construction project. Under the "status" column, indicate if funds are anticipated or committed for each source of funds. If anticipated, include the date the funds will be available if awarded funding. Please include the cost of an audit for any organization that expects to receive over $500,000 from all federal sources. Also include a budget for the other items under Budget Considerations in the FY13 Applicant Guide. Document Costs Whenever Possible. A construction estimate is strongly encouraged for all rehabilitation or new construction projects. PLEASE NOTE: The Housing and Community Development Commission may request a copy of your overall agency budget. 140 Public Facility, Planning & Other Projects FY13 CDBG/HOME Funding Request L A a Domestic Violence Intervention Program Budget Breakdown (Include only those costs directly related to the project.) List Source of Type Status Expense Category Other Funds (e.g. salaries, including acquisition, rehab) whether c $. If possible, please CDBG Public or Y sv, E prioritize the budget Funds Other Funds Private Please place an W'in the box that applies: Demolition & Construct $24,525 $ Enclosures, General Drywall Repair/Prep/Paint Cabinetry/Countertops $54, 811 $ and General Hardware and Range Hood Appliances $35,695 $ Kitchen Flooring $9302 $ Electrica%Plumbing $6339 $ Flooring Stairs, Living $31, 404 $ Room & 14 rooms Materials and Installation Gyperete Sub -Flooring $10, 000 $20, 000 DVIP x x repair Fundraising Total $172,076 $20,000 $192,076 Amount of private\agency\other funds Amount of CDBG funds Total Project Funding Number of persons assisted Total cost per person Total CDBG Cost Per Person $ 20,000 $172,076 $192 076 1030 (6500 over lifetime) $186.48 . 67.06 (a) (b) (c) (a + b) (d) (see question 19) (e) (c _ d) (f) (b - d) 11. If volunteers are used please describe how these volunteers are utilized for the proposed activity and estimate the amount of volunteer time and value dedicated to the identified tasks. DVIP will solicit local organizations, businesses and community groups to assist with food preparation while construction on the kitchen occurs. 12. What percentage of the proposed budget will be made up of private funds? 10.1 % Public Facility, Planning & Other Projects 141 FY13 CDBG/HOME Funding Request Domestic Violence Intervention Program En 13. If your agency received Aid -to -Agency from the City last year explain whether that funding could have been used for this project? No — Aid to agency funding is allocated to provide direct services for survivors of domestic violence. 14. Describe what efforts have been taken to secure private or other public funding? We are budgeting $20,000 towards this rehabilitation, which is from fundraising. In addition, foundation and corporate grants are being sought to support this project. Specifically, DVIP will approach corporate manufacturers for discounts or donations toward the purchase of commercial equipment and supplies. In addition, we will work with local organizations, businesses and community groups to assist with food preparation while construction occurs. 15. Briefly outline the proposed timetable for the commitment and expenditure of the funding being requested (include other project factors such as rezoning, construction schedule, or application(s) for other funding). Please Note; If funded, this schedule will be used for any project agreement for the use of CDBG funding, Date: Description of Activity: July 1, 2012 Beginning of City Fiscal Year and Project Start Date July 30, 2012 Rebid of Project, contract and city meeting with CDBG staff. Ongoing: solicitations for donations accompanying the project. August 30, 2012 Final contracts developed with general contractor, material providers September 20, 2012 Construction on kitchen begins January 1, 2013 Flooring construction begins (may be some overlap with kitchen project, but based on the number of individuals living in shelter — these projects should be completed separately) March 30, 2013 Construction Complete 16. Explain why this project needs and is worthy of the requested public subsidy. This project will benefit thousands of victims of domestic violence over the next decade + as we move forward with maintaining our shelter location. More than 6600 women and children have benefitted from this community's support in building the shelter in 1993. Unfortunately, over the years that level of usage has had an impact. Currently, cabinetry in the kitchen can no longer be repaired, so we have missing doors. The following pictures show some of the wear and age of the kitchen: Public Facility, Planning & Other Projects 142 FY13 CDBG/HOME Funding Request Domestic Violence Intervention Program 11 The kitchen rehabilitation includes commercial cabinetry, counter space and appliances. The design also takes safety into consideration, for example ovens will be wall mounted at a height not reachable by small children. An added benefit is that we gain an island with stove tops, but a great deal of additional cabinet space below. Here are images of the plan for the kitchen rehabilitation: Additional diagrams and bids for this project have been acquired and are available upon request. In addition, some of the flooring in the building is also original to the 1993 construction. The second phase of this project is to replace flooring. This was an area where the original construction did use commercial grade the products, but even those begin to deteriorate over time. Public Facility, Planning & Other Projects 143 FY13 CDBG/HOME Funding Request Domestic Violence Intervention Program 17. If funding is granted for this project, what steps are in place to decrease the likelihood it will require further subsidy in the future? As a non-profit, grass -roots advocacy program, we are diligent in our efforts to make cost- effective decisions in the rehabilitation and maintenance of the shelter building. Based on its age, it is only reasonable to expect repair and replacement over time. One reason we have been able to wait until this time for the kitchen rehabilitation is based on support we have received in the community for upkeep and maintenance. In the past ten years, two groups have put their time and talents into repairing cabinetry and replacing countertops to add usable life to the kitchen. We are simply at the point where repair is no longer an option for the kitchen or flooring. It is our goal to use commercial products and products that have stood the time of 20 years and 6600 clients use, in order to be good stewards of grant provided support. 18. In what manner or form will the project proceed if it is awarded less than full funding? If the project has several individual components, please prioritize them according to your needs. Finding funding for building repair can be difficult. This project has two components. DVIP would prioritize funding the kitchen rehabilitation, as the $20,000 investment DVIP provides could go far in repairing flooring. In addition, we hope to have some carry over funds from this fiscal year that could assist with the flooring project. It would be more difficult developing the full funding for the kitchen rehabilitation. 19. Please indicate the population to be served by the proposed project according to the income categories shown in the Applicant Guide. (Please Note: If this application is funded, the information in this table will be used as income targeting for the CDBG Agreement). Number between 0 - 30% median income Number between 31 - 50% median income Number between 51 - 80% median income Number between 80 - 100% median income Number over 100% median income Total Percent LMI Percent Iowa City Residents 750 persons (a) 150 persons (b) 50 persons (c) 40 persons (d) 40 persons (e) 1030 persons (f) 96.1% (atbfc)=f 64% Please describe the basis or methodology used to estimate the number of clients to be served (i.e. survey, last year's reports, etc.) DVIP uses previous year's reports to estimate the number of clients served. 20. Does your project represent an innovative solution to meet the specific need it is intended to satisfy? If so, please explain. While a kitchen and floor rehabilitation is not innovative within the conventional definition, DVIP has a history of providing high quality, innovative services. We seek unique and collaborative responses to victims' needs. We understand that our relationships in the community make our services more accessible and assist victims in breaking through barriers that impact their capacity to live independent of an abusive partner. We are viewed as Public Facility, Planning & Other Projects 144 FY13 CDBG/HOME Funding Request A Domestic Violence Intervention Program leaders in Iowa, developing the second program for domestic violence victims in the state, the first to have youth services for children impacted by domestic violence, and members of two pilot projects (the Iowa Accountability Program addressing Gaps in Services to African American Women Battered by an Intimate Partner, and the Integrated Service Project addressing the Co -Occurrence of Domestic Violence and Substance Abuse) in the past ten years. In addition, our DART project (Domestic Abuse Response Team) is considered a model program because it has incorporated assisting victims in maintaining their housing as a central focus. This is unique because the mission of the DART project is to improve prosecution of domestic abuse offenders and safety for victims. The Domestic Abuse Response Team of Iowa City is comprised of an Iowa City Police Department Abuse Investigator, Johnson County Domestic Abuse Prosecutor and a Domestic Violence Intervention Program DART Advocate. What we have learned and incorporated into our team's response is that violence does not happen in isolation and barriers, such as poverty, have as much impact on victim's choices, as the threatening behavior of abusers. Over the last 6 months, the DART Detective and Advocates have assisted 9 families in maintaining housing they would have otherwise lost due to the violence they were experiencing. 21. Please select one main objective, outcome, and output indicator for the proposed project (see applicant guide). Second, provide specific project indicators in the narrative (i.e. number of units to be rehabilitated, number of households assisted, number of units constructed, etc.) Objective: Outcome: Output Indicator: 21 Suitable living environment O Decent affordable housing O Creating economic opportunities I] Availability/accessibility I] Persons O Affordability O Households O Sustainability O Housing units We will use number of persons sheltered, and services to individuals originating out of shelter, to substantiate increased safety for low -middle income homeless victims of domestic violence and continued maintenance of the DVIP shelter building. 22. On the attached map, indicate the location of the proposed project. DVIP is in a confidential location within the Iowa City limits. We are unable to provide the location on the attached map. 23. Does the proposed project pay full property taxes? Oyes 1HINo If yes, what is the estimated value of taxes generated from this Project? $ If property taxes are not paid, does the proposed project pay a Payment In Lieu of Taxes or a reduced tax rate? OYes ONo If yes, what is the percent of full taxes paid? %and amount paid is $ Public Facility, Planning & Other Projects 145 FY13 CDBG/HOME Funding Request A 24. Please list amount of CDBG and/or HOME funds received within the last four City fiscal years and the status of the project(s) undertaken. (City fiscal year July 1 to June 30) Fiscal Year Funds Recv'd Budgeted Amount Amount Expended (as of 12/31/11) Date All Units Completed FY09 (July 2008 — June 2009) $10,000 $10,000 4/30/09 FY10 (July 2009 - June 2010) $12,256 $12,256 9/30/09 FY11 (July 2010 - June 2011) $76,000 $76,000 12/30/10 FY12 (July 2011 - June 2012)* $6,500 $6,500 12/30/11 *Six months remaining in FY12 at time of this application. 25. Is the applicant (including partners, co -applicants, etc.) currently in compliance with all federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations, including any CDBG and/or HOME funded projects? ❑x Yes 0 No If "NO" or a matter is currently in litigation please give the name of the case and explain the basis for the case. 26. If the applicant has not received HOME/CDBG funds in the past three years, please provide evidence of your organization's administrative capacity, financial skills, commitment and/or experience to undertake and complete the proposed project within the established timetable and budget. DVIP has received funds for each of the previous three years. 27. Please describe your organization's structure, officers and staff, as it relates to the overhead cost for this project. DVIP is a non-profit organization that began services in 1979. The organizational structure includes a 12-15 member Board of Directors, Executive Director, Supervisory staff and Direct Services staff. In total, DVIP has 23 paid staff and a range of volunteers (generally 30 volunteers that provide direct services and 60 volunteers that assist with events and fundraising). Kristie Fortmann-Doser, the Executive Director, has worked with victims of domestic violence and sexual assault for more than 27 years, coming to the Iowa City DVIP in 1993 and hired as Executive Director in 2004. Ms. Fortmann-Doser has eight years' experience writing, implementing, administering and completing CDBG projects. In addition, Ms. Fortmann-Doser has administered state and federal grant awards as a primary recipient, with the largest grant award of $396,000. The agency looks to community expertise through its Board of Directors and ad -hoc members to the Board of Directors to guide long range strategic and facilities planning. DVIP successfully completed a $75,000 CDBG project (including the replacement of a cement walkway and handicap accessibility ramp that surrounds three sides of the 17,000 square foot building) in FY11. Public Facility, Planning & Other Projects 146 FY13 CDBG/HOME Funding Request