Community Development: Housing
The City of Largo will strongly SUPPORT the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program’s continued funding and SUPPORT for local community development and housing assistance programs administered bymunicipal and county elected officials.
The City of Largo will strongly SUPPORT the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Home Investment Partnership Program’s (HOME) continued funding and SUPPORT for local community development and housing assistance programs administered by municipal and county elected officials.
Community Reinvestment Act (CRA)
The City of Largo seeks to support and WATCH legislation designed to “modernize” the Community Reinvestment Act.
The Community Reinvestment Act was enacted by Congress in 1977 (12 U.S.C. 2901) and implemented by Regulations 12 CFR Parts 25, 228, 345, and 195, and is intended to encourage regulatory financial institutions to help meet the credit needs of the communities in which they operate, including the needs of low-and moderate-income communities.
The Office of Comptroller of the Currency is seeking to “modernize” CRA regulations which are deemed outdated, complex and burdensome, and has requested public comments on how best to do so.
Transportation
The City of Largo will SUPPORT legislation that preserves local governments’ control of transportation planning, provides for an equitable transportation funding formula between the federal government, states, counties and municipalities, and provides for additional dedicated revenue options for municipal transportation infrastructure and transit projects.
The City seeks to support and WATCH proposed legislation and regulations regarding the U.S. Department of Transportation’s BUILD Program (formerly known as Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Grants).
Economic Development
The City of Largo will strongly SUPPORT federal programs, including Federal Economic Development Administration (EDA), and Small Business Administration (SBA), that recognize the importance of a federal role in state and local economic development, and provide funding resources, bonds, information and technical assistance to further this important role.
The City will SUPPORT federalpolicies and programs that assist municipal and county elected officials in buildingstrong local economies and which provide supportfor place-based economic development and to creative maker-microbusinesses,andsmall scale manufacturers.
The City will SUPPORT federalpolicies and programs that assist municipal and county elected officials in buildingstrong local economies and which provide supportfor place-based economic development and to creative maker-microbusinesses,andsmall scale manufacturers.
Opportunity Zones
The City of Largo seeks to support and WATCH proposed regulations regarding the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s implementation of Opportunity Zones, including a desire to assure that the regulations ensure that low-and moderate-income communities reap the benefits as originally intended.
School Safety
The City of Largo will support and WATCH legislative efforts that support school safety, funding for hiring and training School Resource Officers (SROs) as well as physical safety improvements on school campuses.
Flood Insurance
REFORMING THE PROGRAM
The City of Largo will strongly SUPPORT reauthorization of the NFIP with legislative, policy and programmatic modifications to ensure no coverage lapses and to improve the affordability, transparency and financial stability of the program through reforms in the following areas:
Modern technology should be embraced, including LiDAR (a surveying method using light from a laser), and should inform a modernized mapping program. A key to the Program’s sustainability is program participation and ensuring Floridians and consumers, nationwide, understand the importance of obtaining and maintaining flood insurance coverage.
The City will SUPPORT provisions that allow all property owners, including businesses and owners of second homes, access to affordable flood insurance. Created in 1968, the NFIP began as the federal government’s attempt to provide flood coverage that private insurers generallyshowed little interest in offering at a price that the consumers across the nation were willing to pay. Over time, Congress increased the cost and added additional fees, causing consumers to decline to renew their policies.
Source: Florida Association of Counties’ 2018 federal priorities for NFIP
The City of Largo will strongly SUPPORT reauthorization of the NFIP with legislative, policy and programmatic modifications to ensure no coverage lapses and to improve the affordability, transparency and financial stability of the program through reforms in the following areas:
- Affordability / Rate structure
- Mapping / Data collection / modeling
- Flood mitigation
Modern technology should be embraced, including LiDAR (a surveying method using light from a laser), and should inform a modernized mapping program. A key to the Program’s sustainability is program participation and ensuring Floridians and consumers, nationwide, understand the importance of obtaining and maintaining flood insurance coverage.
The City will SUPPORT provisions that allow all property owners, including businesses and owners of second homes, access to affordable flood insurance. Created in 1968, the NFIP began as the federal government’s attempt to provide flood coverage that private insurers generallyshowed little interest in offering at a price that the consumers across the nation were willing to pay. Over time, Congress increased the cost and added additional fees, causing consumers to decline to renew their policies.
Source: Florida Association of Counties’ 2018 federal priorities for NFIP
FEMA'S PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
The City of Largo will SUPPORT appropriation levels that ensure timely processing of local governments’ reimbursement requests under the Public Assistance Program for communities impacted by hurricanes and natural disasters.
Land & Water Conservation Fund
The City seeks to support and WATCH proposed legislation that reauthorizes the National Park Services’ Land and Water Conservation Fund, including grant funding resources for urban parks.
One of the grants, the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program(ORLP), provides funds to improve parks in distressed communities and is often leveraged with local public and private investment.
The ORLP compliments the existing LWCF State & Local Assistance Grant Program. The 2018 ORLP Program targets low-income neighborhoods with a new emphasis on the potential economic benefits of a project, particularly short-and long-term job creation.
APPROPRIATIONS
Support funding for:
- Federal Economic Development Administration (EDA)
- Small Business Administration (SBA)
- U.S. Department of Transportation
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Grants
- U.S. Department of Justice's Cops and Bryne Jag Grants
- National Endowment for the Arts
- National Endowment for the Humanities
