Agenda Item   

AGENDA STAFF REPORT

 

                                                                                                                        ASR Control  18-000116

 

MEETING DATE:

03/27/18

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):

Julia Bidwell (714) 480-2991 

 

 

Marie Vu (714) 480-2830

 

 

Subject:  Annual Public Housing Agency Plan FY 2018-19

 

      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:

No

# 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: 3/28/2017 #37, 4/12/2016 #33, 03/24/2015 #59

 

RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):

 

 

1.

Conduct a public hearing and consider public comments for inclusion in the Orange County Housing Authority's Annual Public Housing Agency Plan for FY 2018-19.

 

2.

Approve the Orange County Housing Authority Annual Public Housing Agency Plan for FY 2018-19.

 

3.

Authorize the Executive Director of the Orange County Housing Authority or designee to sign related certifications, update the Annual Public Housing Agency Plan to address any public comments or U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development directives and transmit the Annual Public Housing Agency Plan for FY 2018-19 to the U.S. 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 Public Housing Agency Plan for FY 2018-19 complies with federal requirements and demonstrates a continuing 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 process was initially established by Section 5A of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437c-1).  In October 2015, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued PIH (Public and Indian Housing) Notice 2015-18, which provided for the use of streamlined Five-Year and Annual PHA Plan (Plan) templates beginning in FY 2016-17. The templates provide a standardized format for PHAs to report key elemental changes, intent to undertake new activities and progress in achieving the Five-Year goals.

 

Key updates to this year’s Plan include the following:

 

Section B.1

Housing Needs, Policies that Govern Eligibility, Selection and Admission

The Orange County Housing Authority (OCHA) has further expanded the homeless admission preference for the Housing Choice Voucher Program to include homeless households transitioning from Permanent Supportive Housing projects and/or other homeless initiatives.

Section B.1

Financial Resources

Annual Contributions for HCV Program:      $123,000,000

Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS):                             $263,507

Section B.2

New Activities

During 2018 and annually thereafter, OCHA will incrementally purge its waiting list. In an effort to most efficiently address housing needs, the process of purging will include requesting the most current contact information for applicant households.

 

OCHA will increase marketing efforts to recruit new landlord participation in its Housing Choice Voucher Program.

 

OCHA’s website will be updated with additional content, including links for applicants, tenants and landlords to access their accounts on “AssistanceCheck”.

 

Should funding permit, OCHA may award up to 100 project based vouchers in 2018.

Section B.6

Progress Report

Goal #1 Apply for Additional Funding:

- In October 2017, OCHA submitted a “registration of interest” to be invited to apply for Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing vouchers. In response to OCHA’s interest, on February 22, 2018, HUD invited OCHA to apply for the vouchers and as such, the application was submitted.

 

Goal #2 Explore Use of Project Based Vouchers:

- In its Annual PHA Plan for FY 2017, OCHA reported its “Potter’s Lane” project in the “New Activities” Section B.2. The project has now accomplished full lease-up since April 2017.

 

Goal #3 Maintain High Performer SEMAP (Section Eight Management Assessment Program, which measures the performance of public housing agencies that administer the Housing Choice Voucher Program in multiple key areas) Status:

- On September 26, 2017, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development certified OCHA as a high performing housing authority for the 11th consecutive year.

Goal #4 Promote Self Sufficiency:

- In 2017, OCHA continued participating in the national study of the FSS program conducted by MDRC.

- OCHA applied for and received total FSS Coordinator funding in the amount of $263,507.

- OCHA conducted a Community Resource Fair for FSS Participants in order to increase awareness of, and to establish connections with, free community programs, services and educational opportunities, to which FSS participants may be entitled.

- OCHA continued to perform outreach to encourage Housing Choice Voucher participants to enroll in the program.

 

Goal #5 Expand Housing Choice:

- In March 2017, OCHA hosted a booth at the annual Apartment Association of Orange County tradeshow.

- In October 2017, OCHA presented a Housing Choice Voucher Landlord Education Workshop for membership of the Apartment Association of Orange County

- In October 2017, OCHA increased multiple Payment Standards, which reduced the number of households paying more than 30% of their adjusted income for rent to 25%. Further, the increases created additional opportunities for households to rent in the highest cost areas of Orange County, which contributes to deconcentration.

- OCHA continued to market landlord participation, conduct landlord outreach and attend industry meetings, trainings and conferences specific to this goal.

 

Goal #6 Utilize Technology:

- As encouraged by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, OCHA is participating in the Coordinated Entry and Homeless Management Information Systems in its administration of the homeless admission preference.

- To increase efficiency and enhance customer experience, OCHA continued to implement the use of the “AssistanceCheck” owner portal and further its efforts to go paperless by expanding the use of scanning for record-keeping purposes.

 

On March 24, 2015, the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved OCHA's Annual PHA Plan for FY 2015-16 and Five-Year PHA Plan, which covers FY 2015-16 through FY 2020-21.  On April 12, 2016, the Board approved the Annual PHA Plan for FY 2016-17.  On March 28, 2017, the Board of Supervisors approved the Annual PHA Plan for FY 2017-18.

 

In compliance with federal regulations, member cities and the public have been notified that OCHA's Plan is being updated for FY 2018-2019. Section B.1 of the draft Plan states the estimated funds anticipated to be available in FY 2018-19 and Section B.6. describes OCHA’s progress toward meeting the mission and goals it established in the Five-Year PHA Plan.

 

Through the following processes, the public has been provided the opportunity to review and comment prior to final approval by the OCHA Board of Commissioners:

 

a.

Notices announcing the public review period and public hearing date were published in the Orange County Register, Unidos-OC and Vien Dong Kinh Te Daily on January 25, and 26, 2018;

 

b.

OCHA's draft Annual PHA Plan for FY 2018-19 was posted on OCHA's website (www.ochousing.org/docs) on January 25, 2018;

 

c.

A letter announcing the public review period and public hearing date was provided to representatives of OCHA's member cities at the Cities Advisory Committee Meeting conducted on January 25, 2018, and mailed out to OCHA's member cities on January 25, 2018; and

 

d.

On February 22, 2018, the Housing and Community Development Commission included an agendized discussion of the Annual PHA Plan. There were no challenged elements or comments made by the public. 

 

In 2017, Orange County’s Point in Time (PIT) count recorded 4,792 homeless persons (2,208 sheltered, 2,584 unsheltered) within Orange County. Since bringing the Director of Care Coordination on board in May 2016, the County has concentrated its efforts on building a responsive “System of Care” in Orange County that reflects investments from diverse stakeholders while increasing the availability of shelter beds, recuperative care, crisis stabilization units and permanent supportive housing. The item in this ASR contributes to the overall “System of Care” in addressing the needs of those experiencing homelessness in Orange County.

 

 

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

 

N/A

 

 

STAFFING IMPACT:

 

N/A

 

 

ATTACHMENT(S):

 

Attachment A - Draft Annual Public Housing Agency PHA Plan FY 2018-19
Attachment B - 24 CFR 903.4 Annual Plan Reference
Attachment C - PIH Notice 2015-18
Attachment D - Affidavit of Publication