Simi Valley is well on the way to meeting the goals of its fiveyear plan to increase affordable housing and support services for the city's seniors, homeless and low to moderateincome families, according to an annual report drafted by the city.

At its Sept. 15 meeting, the City Council approved the Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) for fiscal year 200708—a document that reviews the city's progress in meeting its goals for community development with the help of federal money.

The report, which must be submitted each year to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), details where and how the funding has been utilized.

Fiscal year 2007-08 was the third year in the city's Five-Year Consolidated Plan. According to a staff report, the city received $743,187 in Block Grant entitlement funds in that time period.

Combined with $233,276 in unused funds from prior years, the city had a total of $976,463 available for allocation.

While only 32 percent, or $310,818, of the available funds was spent, the city completed 47 percent of its goals for 2007-08, a staff report said.

In addition, 84 percent of those assisted through the Block Grant funds were in the low- to moderate-income group—exceeding the HUD requirement of 70 percent.

The city's other accomplishments include:

•The Home Rehabilitation Assistance program helped fund the refurbishment of seven owner-occupied homes. The city's goal is to provide 20 such low-interest loans to low- and moderate-income homeowners by 2010.

•The First-Time Homebuyer Assistance Program helped 21 families purchase their first home. Just this month the City Council approved revisions to the program in order to help a larger percentage of low-income households.

•With a fiveyear goal of assisting 41 senior households a month, the senior rent subsidy program is more than halfway there, having helped 30 senior households this year. In addition, 813 low-income households received HUD's Section 8 rental assistance this year, surpassing the city's 2010 goal of 700 to 750.

•The city processed three agreements for 44 units that are restricted for sale to moderateincome households, 26 units for sale to moderate-income seniors, and eight units restricted for rent to very low-income households.

•PADS, a program that offers overnight shelter for the homeless from November to March, sheltered 133 people last winter, just shy of its five-year goal of 150. The Samaritan Center exceeded its goal, serving 312 people—a 22 percent increase over the number of clients served in 2006-07.

•Volunteer, trained ombudsman provided services to the frail and elderly residing in Simi's 56 long-term care and adult day-care facilities. The ombudsman program used its $10,800 in Block Grant funds to serve 1,817 people, a figure 20 percent greater than the city's goal.

•The special needs transportation program provided 1,180 roundtrips from Simi Valley to Senior Concerns Adult Day Care Center in Thousand Oaks for seven seniors affected with memory impairment or dementia. This exceeded its goal by 13 percent.

The fiveyear plan also includes infrastructure and facilities improvement projects. Of the six community development projects included in the city's plan, two experienced delays.

The code compliance rehabilitation of the Simi Valley Community Care Center was stalled due to construction issues, but it should be completed by the end of the year. The $15,000 allocated toward that project was not spent during FY 2007-08.

The Minor Street Improvement project, which is allocated $587,468 of the Block Grant funds, began construction in July and will be completed by the end of the month.

The prior year's Minor Street Improvement project, the FOOD Share capital improvement warehouse project and the Interface Safe Haven kitchen rehabilitation project were all completed during the fiscal year.