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HEARING - Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) recommending the Board, acting as the Governing Board of the El Dorado County Public Housing Authority (PHA) receive and file a revision of the HHSA PHA Updated 2022 Administrative Plan, approving the changes made to Chapter 4, “Applications, Waiting List and Tenant Selection.”
FUNDING: 97.5% Federal United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding, 2.2% General Fund, 0.3% other revenue sources.
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DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND:
The El Dorado County (EDC) Public Housing Authority (PHA) is a legal entity established under HHSA. The HHSA PHA operates under federal guidelines from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide a rental subsidy assistance program called the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program. The HCV Program is the federal government's major program for assisting very low-income families, the elderly, and those with disabilities to afford decent, safe, and accessible housing in the private market. The HCV Program allows the HHSA PHA to provide eligible participants with rental assistance through the administration of HUD allocated housing vouchers.
HUD requires all PHAs to develop and maintain two plans for the operation and administration of the HCV Program which include:
1) The PHA Agency Plan, which includes a Five-Year Plan that outlines program goals and objectives of operation and administration of the HCV Program; and
2) An annually updated PHA Administrative Plan that covers program administration, policies and procedures in conformance with HUD regulations.
On September 12, 1995, the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors (Board) adopted a local annual PHA Administrative Plan to establish policies for the HHSA PHA HCV Program. To comply with HUD regulations, the PHA Administrative Plan is amended on an annual basis to keep it consistent with changes initiated at the federal level and to reflect any local policy changes. HUD requires that the public be provided with an opportunity to review and comment on the annually updated plans in a public hearing, and that the local Governing Board adopt a Resolution approving the annual update of the PHA Administrative Plan.
The EDC PHA’s Five-Year Agency Plan and Administrative Plan was last reviewed and approved by the Board on October 13, 2020 (File ID 20-1261). The HHSA PHA Amended 2021 Administrative Plan was approved by the Board on December 7, 2021 (File ID 21-1625) and the HHSA PHA Updated 2022 Administrative Plan was approved by the Board on December 13, 2022 (File ID 22-2010).
The HHSA PHA is providing the list of changes made in Chapter 4, “Applications, Waiting List and Tenant Selection” of said Plan in this Board item, which reflect the following changes made during the past year to reflect local updates to waiting list preferences for selection to the program policy changes.
1. Updated the definition of “active duty and active service” to Veteran Preference;
2. Updated the Disability Preference to add a permanent disability preference and corresponding eligibility criteria;
3. Deleted Working Preference in alignment with 24 CFR 952.201(b)(2) requiring that 75% of families admitted to the program must be extremely low income, defined as 30% of Area Median Income or below;
4. Updated Residency Preference;
5. Deleted Singles Preference;
6. Added Rent Burden Preference and corresponding eligibility criteria;
7. Added Limited-preference special admission waiting list to support homeless initiatives;
8. Updated and moved Special Admission to Waiting List, by adding Governmental Action Preference to include preference to individuals or families displaced by government actions;
9. Adjusted Local Preference points assigned to applicants on the housing voucher waiting list, to include point assignment for new preferences added, and delete preference points on removed Preferences; and
10. Made minor grammar and formatting updates.
In accordance with HUD noticing requirements, the HHSA PHA posted the updated Administrative Plan, Chapter 4 changes to the HHSA PHA website, displayed printed Administrative Plan copies at PHA offices on both County slopes, and published an advance notice of the hearing before the Board in local newspapers, the Tahoe Tribune on June 30, 2023, and Mountain Democrat on July 7, 2023.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should the Board decline to approve this recommendation, the HHSA PHA will not change the waiting list preferences for selection to the program.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION:
1) 12/13/22, 22-2010, HHSA Public Housing Authority Updated 2022 Administrative Plan and Resolution
2) 12/07/21, 21-1625, HHSA Amended 2021 Public Housing Authority Administrative Plan
3) 10/13/20, 20-1261, HHSA PHA 2020-2025 5-yr Agency Plan and Admin Plan Update
4) 05/05/20, 20-0457, HHSA PHA Further Amended PHA 2019 Administrative Plan
5) 10/22/19, 19-1289, HHSA Amended 2019 Public Housing Authority Administrative Plan
6) 06/04/19, 19-0797, HHSA 2019 Public Housing Authority
7) 06/05/18, 18-0691, HHSA 2018 Public Housing Authority Resolution and Certifications
8) 06/06/17, 17-0540, HHSA 2017 PHA Reso/Update to Admin Plan
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
N/A
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Approval of the revision of the HHSA Public Housing Authority Updated 2022 Administrative Plan Chapter 4. “Applications, Waiting List and Tenant Selection” does not directly have a financial impact.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT:
Healthy Communities
CONTACT
Olivia Byron-Cooper, MPH, Interim Director, Health and Human Services Agency