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COUNTY OF SAN MATEO
Inter-Departmental Correspondence
Department of Housing
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DATE:
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November 19, 2009
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BOARD MEETING DATE:
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December 1, 2009
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SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:
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Public Hearing
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VOTE REQUIRED:
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Majority
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TO:
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Honorable Board of Supervisors (Sitting as the Board of Commissioners of the Housing Authority)
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FROM:
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Duane Bay, Director
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SUBJECT:
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Amendment #3 to the Housing Authority’s Moving To Work (MTW) Annual Plan for FY2009-2010
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RECOMMENDATION:
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Acting as the governing board of the Housing Authority of the County of San Mateo and after conducting the public hearing, adopt a resolution:
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1. Amending the Moving to Work (MTW) Annual Plan to institute a Tiered Subsidy Table for all Housing Choice Voucher applicants, Project-Based participants, and the original 300 MTW program participants, based on their voucher bedroom size and annual adjusted income; and
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2. Authorizing the Director of the Department of Housing or his designee to execute any documents required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to certify the Plan amendment.
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BACKGROUND:
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Moving to Work (MTW) is a demonstration program that offers participating housing authorities the opportunity to design and test innovative, locally designed housing and self-sufficiency strategies for low-income families by allowing exemptions from certain housing regulations. The Housing Authority of the County of San Mateo (HACSM) is one of 31 housing agencies nationwide that participates in this program.
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On March 31, 2009, the Board adopted the Housing Authority’s MTW Annual Plan which covers the period of July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010. The adopted FY 2009-2010 MTW Annual Plan, which was subsequently approved by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), delayed implementation of a Tiered Subsidy Table for HACSM to conduct further impact analysis. HACSM completed its analysis and plans implementation of the Tiered Subsidy Table for a select group of applicants and participants.
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DISCUSSION:
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The Plan amendment process was completed in accordance with HUD regulations and requirements, including that all documents be made available to the public for review for a prescribed period of time prior to adoption by the governing board. A public meeting was advertised in local newspapers and held on November 16, 2009, to receive additional comments.
HACSM is proposing the establishment of a Tiered Subsidy Table for all Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) applicants, Project-Based participants, and the original 300 MTW program participants, based on their voucher bedroom size and annual adjusted income. HACSM has 4,023 vouchers and this proposal affects approximately 750 of our current participants.
HACSM anticipates the Tiered Subsidy Table will increase staff productivity, decrease errors in the calculation of participants’ rent portion, decrease barriers for participants securing rental units and increase their ability to take personal responsibility in their choice of rental units.
HACSM is planning to implement this initiative January 1, 2010. It will become effective at the applicants’ or participants’ next initial, interim, or annual recertification appointment or relocation, whichever comes first. HACSM expects the initial transition period to last approximately two years because of certain elderly/disabled participants on a biennial recertification schedule. HACSM expects that over time, the Tiered Subsidy Table will expand to most of the voucher program participants. HACSM will continue to analyze impacts to both current participants and to HACSM and will determine, at that time, whether the Tiered Subsidy Table initiative will be expanded to all HCV participants.
In addition, HACSM is developing a hardship policy and panel to establish the guidelines and processes for participants who may experience unforeseen hardship due to this initiative.
County Counsel has reviewed and approved the Resolution as to form.
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Approval of this Resolution contributes to the Shared Vision 2025 outcome of a Livable Community by enabling HACSM to modify stringent rules and regulations in order for program participants to better utilize the program and secure affordable rental units of their choice.
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FISCAL IMPACT:
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There is no Net County Cost associated with this action. All funds required to operate the program are provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the initiative is designed to be cost-neutral compared with the existing program.
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