CONSOLIDATED PLAN & STRATEGY 5-YEAR ... - City of Lakeland

Persons of Domestic Violence
There are several local agencies that serve victims of domestic violence. Data is
collected on a county-wide basis and because of the nature of the business details
may not be available for the public. On an average, there are thirty-five (35)
Lakeland residents identified as domestic violence victims; this is 52% of the sixty
seven that are in Polk County. Source reports that there is a need for housing for this
group of persons.
Housing and Supportive Services Needs
Supportive services are provided through various funding sources for the
subpopulations listed. The City supports local non-profit agencies through the public
services portion of the Community Development Block Grant. The Neighborhood
Services Division administers a Community Service Grant supported with general
funds. Non-profit organizations are invited to apply for both grants each year.
During the five year planning cycle, the CDBG/HOME funds will not be specifically
directed to projects that target the non-homeless special needs populations. Support
is offered through public services grants and local community services grants.
Neighborhood Service Division has given assistance to organizations that provide
supportive permanent housing in the City of Lakeland. A list of agencies along with
the services that are offered may be found on HCPC City’s website
www.polkhomeless.org.
Assigning the Priority Needs
The Neighborhood Services Division considers the following options in developing the
priorities for each category of priority needs:
• Analyzing the relative needs of LMI families and individuals,
• Assessing the resources likely to be available over the next five years,
• Analyzing current social, housing and economic conditions and
• Evaluating input from focus group sessions, service provider surveys,
Community Development staff, public hearings, and the online resident
survey.
Obstacles to Meeting the Underserved Needs
Neighborhood Services Division has identified several obstacles that will hinder its
ability to address the identified needs in the five-year Consolidated Plan. These
include the following:
The primary obstacle to meeting underserved needs in the City is the limited
financial resources available to address identified priorities. For example, the
amount of CDBG funds available under the 15% Public Service cap is consistently
and significantly less than the amount requested to meet local goals. The State
housing trust fund was not budgeted this fiscal year and the future of the program is
unknown. The fund complemented the federal funds coming into the community.
Escalating the impact of limited available funding is the current increase in home
foreclosures in Lakeland/Polk County/Florida, increased homelessness and risk of
homelessness, increased loss of employment and need for increased supportive
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