To: Honorable Chair and Commissioners
From: Vincent Smith, Community Development Director
Prepared By: Michael Kucz, Rental Assistance Program Supervisor
TITLE:
Title
2019-2020 Housing Choice Voucher Annual Plan
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendationle
Adopt a resolution approving the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Annual Plan for Fiscal Year 2019-2020 and authorizing the Executive Director to submit the Plan to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for approval.
Body
DISCUSSION:
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) regulations require all public housing authorities to develop and adopt an Annual Plan for the operation of the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program. Each year, the Housing Authority is required to review and adopt a new Annual Plan for the upcoming fiscal year. The Annual Plan follows goals established in the Five-Year Plan.
This Annual Plan covers the fifth year of the Five-Year Plan adopted on April 7, 2015 for Fiscal Years 2015-2020. The proposed Annual Plan continues the policies and programs adopted and approved in the Five-Year Plan.
Item B.6 of the Annual Plan reports on the Housing Authority’s progress made in the past year towards meeting the organization’s mission and goals. These include:
Goal: Promote self-sufficiency and asset development of families and individuals.
The Housing Authority’s Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) program currently has a remaining obligation to graduate 35 families/individuals. The FSS program currently has 41 families/individuals enrolled in the program. The Housing Authority submitted a funding application and was awarded $72,000 to help fund an FSS Program Coordinator position for the calendar year 2019.
Goal: Ensure equal opportunity in housing for all by ensuring equal opportunity and affirmatively furthering fair housing.
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, the Housing Authority provided Fair Housing Napa Valley (FHNV) $50,000 in funding to provide fair housing assistance and landlord tenant counseling to tenants. During the fiscal year, Fair Housing Napa Valley served 789 households that were experiencing housing problems and investigated 177 complaints. FHNV also worked with mobile home organizations to maintain rents at a reasonable level.
Goal: Manage the PHA Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program in an efficient and effective manner, thereby qualifying on a continuing basis on the Section 8 Management Assessment Program (SEMAP) as a high performing PHA.
The Housing Authority received a High Performer designation for SEMAP for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018.
Goal: Expand the range and quality of housing choices available to participants in the PHA tenant-based assistance program.
The Housing Authority worked with the City of Napa to include language in regulatory agreements with developers of new rental developments to require them to accept applications for new units from voucher holders. The Housing Authority provided non-profit Napa Valley Community Housing with $45,000 for the Home Share Match-Up Program, which matches housing providers with housing seekers. As of June 30, 2018, there were 41 matches sharing housing. This included 14 new matches made during the last fiscal year. In November 2017, The Housing Authority launched a Section 8 Landlord Mitigation and Incentive Program. This program provides landlords with incentives to accept homeless and at-risk of homeless voucher holders. Participating landlords are eligible for up to $3,500 in mitigation funding for tenant-caused damages or unpaid tenant rent during the first three years of tenancy. Through this program, the Housing Authority contracted with Abode Services to provide homeless and at-risk of homeless voucher holders with housing location and on-going housing support. Abode Services has successfully housed 30 individuals and/or families.
Mission: Form effective partnerships with other agencies to maximize social and economic opportunities and availability of supportive services for participants in a non-discriminatory manner.
The Housing Authority continued to partner with other agencies to provide services for participants in the Family Self Sufficiency Program, the Family Unification Program and the Mainstream Program.
Mission: Utilize staff resources and available funds in a collaborative partnership with other governmental and community agencies to assist in achieving the stated goals in the City of Napa’s Consolidated Plan, including the development of new affordable housing, the improvement of existing housing stock occupied by lower income households, supporting the Continuum of Care for homeless, and providing first time homebuyer opportunities.
The Housing Authority actively worked in partnership with Satellite Affordable Housing Associates, the City of American Canyon, and the County of Napa to leverage funding for Valley View Senior Homes, 70-units of new affordable rental housing. Twenty-two of the units will be set-aside for veterans (including 17 for Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) participants). The project includes three units set aside for homeless persons referred through the County’s Coordinated Entry System. This project has finished construction and has started leasing units in March 2019. The Housing Authority also worked closely with non-profit housing developer Burbank Housing on Stoddard West, a 50-unit affordable rental project which is currently under construction and is expected to be completed in the summer of 2019. Forty-nine of the units will be available for households earning no more than 60% of median. This project will include one unit for homeless referred through the County’s Coordinated Entry System.
The Housing Authority continued to administer the housing programs for each of the cities in Napa County. This included operating Housing rehabilitation programs in four jurisdictions in Napa County during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018. These programs provide low or no interest loans to low-income homeowners to make repairs to their homes. The Housing Authority also administered a first-time homebuyer program for low-income first-time homebuyers in one jurisdiction.
The Housing Authority continued to be an active participant in the Continuum of Care and to work closely with the County and nationally recognized consultants to make improvements to the community’s homeless shelter system.
Mission: Assuring the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program-assisted housing is safe and of quality by requiring owners to maintain the housing to meet Housing Quality Standards.
To satisfy this mission all assisted units are inspected within HUD required timelines. Inspection files are audited to verify timely inspections. Quality control inspections are performed by a supervisor of recently inspected units. Inspectors are trained on HUD’s housing quality standards.
Following the conclusion of the public hearing, the draft Annual Plan will be modified to incorporate any revisions resulting from the public hearing, as directed by the Housing Authority Board, and the Annual Plan will be submitted to HUD for approval.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
The proposed action will be implemented within the current Section 8 operating funds budgeted for this purpose.
CEQA:
The Deputy Director has determined that the Recommended Action described in this Agenda Report is not subject to CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15060(c).
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
ATCH 1 - Resolution
Ex A - Annual Plan
NOTIFICATION:
Notice announcing the availability of the draft Annual Plan for a 45-day public review was published in the Napa Valley Register on February 8, 2019. Copies of the notice in English and Spanish were posted at the Napa County Libraries located in Napa, American Canyon, Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga. A copy of the notice in Spanish was posted at Puertas Abiertas Community Resource Center at 952 Napa Street, Napa, CA. A copy of the draft Plan was available for review at the Housing Authority’s office and the City Clerk’s office at City Hall. A copy of the Plan was placed on the City of Napa’s website on the Housing Division page. Notification was also sent to the Resident Advisory Board.