AGENDA STAFF REPORT

Agenda Item AGENDA STAFF REPORT ASR Control 20-000139
MEETING DATE:	03/24/20
legal entity taking action:	Orange County Housing Authority
board of supervisors district(s):	All Districts
SUBMITTING Agency/Department:	OC Community Resources (Approved)
Department contact person(s):	Dylan Wright (714) 480-2788
	Julia Bidwell (714) 480-2991

Subject: Approve Annual and Five-Year Public Housing Agency Plans

ceo CONCUR

County Counsel Review

Clerk of the Board

Concur

No Legal Objection

Public Hearing

3 Votes Board Majority

Budgeted: N/A

Current Year Cost: N/A

Annual Cost: N/A

Staffing Impact:

# of Positions:

Sole Source: N/A

Current Fiscal Year Revenue: N/A

Funding Source: N/A	County Audit in last 3 years: No

Prior Board Action: 03/26/2019 #39, 03/27/2018 #15, 03/24/2015 #59

RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):

Sitting as the Board of Commissioners of the Orange County Housing Authority conduct a public hearing and consider public comments for inclusion in the Annual Public Housing Agency Plan for FY 2020-21 and the Five-Year Public Housing Agency Plan for FY 2020-24.

Approve Orange County Housing Authority's Annual Public Housing Agency Plan for FY 2020-21 and the Five-Year Public Housing Agency Plan for FY 2020-24.

Authorize the Executive Director of Orange County Housing Authority or designee to sign related certifications and submit Orange County Housing Authority's Annual Public Housing Agency Plan for FY 2020-21 and the Five-Year Public Housing Agency Plan for FY 2020-24 to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for final approval as required by federal regulations.

SUMMARY:

Conducting a public hearing and approving Orange County Housing Authority's Annual and Five-Year Public Housing Agency Plans will comply with federal requirements and demonstrate a continued commitment to addressing the housing needs of low-income households.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

The Public Housing Agency (PHA) Plan is a comprehensive guide to public housing agency policies, programs, operations and strategies for meeting local housing needs and goals. The PHA Plan process was initially established by Section 5A of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1737 et seq) (ACT). The ACT was later amended and ultimately resulted in the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) publishing Notice 2015-18, which provided for the use of streamlined PHA Plan templates.

There are two parts to the PHA Plan: The Five-Year Plan, which is submitted to HUD once every fifth fiscal year, and the Annual Plan, which is submitted to HUD annually. The streamlined template plans provide a standardized format for PHAs to report their missions, long-term goals, key elemental changes, intent to undertake new activities and progress in accomplishing five-year goals.

On March 24, 2015, the Orange County Board of Supervisors (Board) approved the Orange County Housing Authority's (OCHA) Five-Year PHA Plan, which covered FY 2015-16 through FY 2019-20, and approved the Annual PHA Plan for FY 2015-16. On March 27, 2018, the Board approved the Annual PHA Plan for FY 2018-19 and on March 26, 2019, the Board approved the Annual PHA Plan for FY 2019-20.

Significant items reported in the Annual PHA Plan FY 2020-21 are as follows:

Section B.1 Revision of PHA Plan Elements

OCHA has not made any revisions to its policies since its last Annual PHA Plan submission. However, OCHA is proposing policy changes, which will be presented to the Orange County Board of Commissioners for consideration in the coming months. Following adoption of the revised policies, the revisions will be documented in OCHA's Annual PHA Plan for Fiscal Year beginning July 2021.

The Financial resources anticipated to be available include:

Annual Contributions for Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program:	$137,823,732
Family Self-Sufficiency Program Coordinators:	$288,000
Mainstream Voucher Program:	$530,866
Family Unification Program:	$754,282
TOTAL:	$139,396,880

Significant items reported in the Five-Year PHA Plan FY 2020-24 are as follows:

Section B.2 Goals and Objectives

Goals and Objectives for FYs 2020-2024:

Open the HCV Program Waiting List
Enhance accessibility for disabled and limited English proficient persons
Expand efforts to affirmatively further fair housing
Identify and utilize technology to enhance operational effectiveness and efficiency in delivery of housing assistance services
Expand the supply of affordable housing by applying for additional housing assistance funding and programs that may become available
Promote Family Self Sufficiency

Section B.5 Significant Amendment or Modification

OCHA defines “significant amendment or modification” as any that meet all of the following criteria:

• Is discretionary

• Fundamentally alters the existing policies of the Housing Authority

• Requires formal approval of the Board of Commissioners

In compliance with federal regulations, member cities and the public have been notified that OCHA's Five-Year and Annual PHA plans are being updated. The public has been provided the opportunity to review and to make comments prior to final approval by the OCHA Board of Commissioners through the following processes:

a.	The public review period and public hearing date was provided to OCHA's member cities at the Cities Advisory Committee meeting held on January 22, 2020;
b.	A Public notice announcing the public review period and public hearing date was published in the La Opinion, the Orange County Register and the Vien Dong Daily on February 5, 2020;
c.	OCHA's draft Five-Year and Annual PHA Plans for FY 2020-24 were posted on OCHA's website (www.ochousing.org/docs/) on February 5, 2020;
d.	On February 27, 2020, the Housing and Community Development Commission meeting included an agenized discussion regarding the Plans to allow the Resident Advisory Board to make and receive comments from the public and no comments or recommendations were received; and
e.	On March 24, 2020, this Agenda Staff Report will be considered by the Board, acting as the Board of Commissioners for OCHA, to conduct a public hearing and receive comments that will be incorporated into OCHA's Five-Year and Annual PHA Plans for FY 2020-24 prior to submittal to HUD and publication of the final document.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

N/A

STAFFING IMPACT:

N/A

ATTACHMENT(S):

Attachment A - Draft Orange County Housing Authority Five-Year PHA Plan for FY 2020-2024
Attachment B - Draft Orange County Housing Authority Annual PHA Plan for FY 2020-2021
Attachment C - Code of Federal Regulations Title 24 Sec. 903.4 Annual Plan Reference
Attachment D - PIH-2015-18
Attachment E - Affidavit of Publication