§ 4.56.050. Use of Vacant Property Tax Act revenue.

A.

Monies deposited in the vacant property tax fund shall be used solely for those purposes identified in this Section.

B.

Tax funds may be used to provide services and programs to homeless people, to reduce homelessness, and to support the protection of existing and production of new housing affordable to lower income households as defined in California Health and Safety Code Section 50079.5 at an affordable housing cost or affordable rent as defined in Health and Safety Code Sections 50052.5 and 50053. Examples of such uses include, but are not limited to:

1.

Job training, apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, drug treatment, and job readiness assistance programs for homeless people or those at risk of becoming homeless;

2.

Assistance connecting homeless people or those at risk of becoming homeless with available services and resources, including assistance applying for housing or public benefit programs;

3.

Housing assistance, including the provision of temporary housing or move-in expenses, such as first-month's rent and a security deposit, and emergency rental assistance;

4.

Sanitation, bathroom, and cleaning services related to homeless encampments, and programs to supplement remedying and deterring blight and illegal dumping throughout the City;

5.

Incentive programs to encourage property owners to make space available for low-income housing, including making funds available for physical improvements to enable a unit to be used for a voucher-based housing program;

6.

Relocation assistance funding for low-income households facing displacement;

7.

Financial assistance for the design, development, construction or operation of affordable housing units, including housing alternatives such as, without limitation, shipping container homes, accessory dwelling units and small homes.

8.

Accessibility support to provide or maintain housing, and make needed improvements for accessibility, for seniors and persons with disabilities; and

9.

Displacement prevention, tenant education and assistance, emergency rent assistance; and

10.

Navigation centers to provide space for people to stay, along with on-site support services for the homeless. Funding may be used for both capital and operating costs related to navigation centers; and

11.

Code enforcement and cleanup of blighted vacant properties, other blight elimination, and remedying illegal dumping, including legal action to address any of the foregoing as necessary, no less than twenty-five (25) percent of the revenue deposited into the vacant parcel tax fund in any single year shall be used to pay for the uses listed in this paragraph.

C.

Monies in the vacant property tax fund may be used to pay the costs of audits of the use of monies in the fund.

D.

Monies in the vacant property tax fund may be used to pay for the City's costs of the election required to obtain voter approval of the tax authorized by this Chapter , including City Attorney costs to prepare this Chapter and related documents. City Attorney costs shall be deposited in a revenue account for sole use by the office of the City Attorney.

E.

Monies in the vacant property tax fund may be used to pay for the costs of administering the special tax, regardless of how or by what entity those administrative services are provided. No more than fifteen (15) percent of the revenue deposited into the vacant parcel tax fund in any single year may be used to pay for such administrative costs, except that revenue used to pay for the costs of the Commission on Homelessness established by Section 4.56.060 shall not count toward the fifteen (15) percent. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the City shall be reimbursed for its actual costs of establishing the program for collecting the tax, which costs shall be confirmed by the City Auditor. Administrative costs include, but are not limited to:

1.

The costs to the City of determining and identifying the use and vacancy status of every parcel in the City;

2.

The costs to the City associated with monitoring and enforcing compliance with this Chapter. Authorized costs include, but are not limited to, any expenses, including attorneys' fees, associated with any proceedings needed to enforce the requirements of this Chapter ;

3.

The costs to the City associated with developing ordinances and regulations to implement this Chapter ;

4.

The costs to the City associated with the operations of the Commission on Homelessness established by Section 4.56.060 of this Chapter ; and

5.

Reimbursement to the County for the costs it incurs in collecting the tax.

F.

If this Chapter or the use of tax funds is legally challenged, tax funds may be used to reimburse the City for its costs of legal defense, including attorneys' fees and other expenses.

(Res. No. 87319, § 3, 7-24-2018)