COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Department of Housing

 

DATE:

February 22, 2011

BOARD MEETING DATE:

March 15, 2011

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

Public Hearing

VOTE REQUIRED:

Majority

 

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors (Sitting as the Board of Commissioners of the Housing Authority)

FROM:

Duane Bay, Director, Department of Housing

William Lowell, Executive Director, Housing Authority

SUBJECT:

Housing Authority of the County of San Mateo 2011-2012 Moving to Work (MTW) Annual Plan

 

RECOMMENDATION:

Adopt resolution No. 2011-03:
1. Approving the Housing Authority’s 2011-2012 Moving to Work (MTW) Annual Plan;
and
2. Authorizing the Executive Director of the Housing Authority to execute any
documents required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) to certify the Plan.

 

BACKGROUND:

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. Over the past few years, the Housing Authority of the County of San Mateo (HACSM) has implemented administrative simplifications and rent calculation reform under the MTW program. As a result of some of the activities, voucher holders have been able to locate rental housing more easily and quickly and staff have benefited from revisions or elimination of certain administrative processes.

HACSM is one of 33 housing agencies nationwide that participates in this program.

As part of its participation in MTW, HUD requires housing authorities to submit an MTW Annual Plan by April 15 of each year. The MTW Annual Plan process requires obtaining input from the public and approval from the Board of Commissioners and HUD.

The proposed MTW Annual Plan includes information related to existing and proposed initiatives.

DISCUSSION:

The 2011-2012 MTW Annual Plan covers the period July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012. The MTW Annual Plan was completed in accordance with all HUD regulations and requirements, including that it be reviewed by the Resident Advisory Board (a meeting was held on January 20, 2011) and 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 hearing was advertised in local newspapers and held on February 1, 2011, to receive additional comments. The proposed MTW Annual Plan was posted on the internet for 45 days before the public hearing was held. Public comments were received and incorporated into the MTW Annual Plan. Initiatives within the MTW Annual Plan were shared with the Board’s Housing, Health, and Human Services (HHH) Committee on February 15, 2011 and with HUD-MTW staff (from San Francisco and Washington DC) on February 10, 2011.

The 2011-2012 MTW Annual Plan includes the following proposed initiatives:

1. Add age limit for full-time student status qualifying for income exclusion.
2. Include foster care and adoption assistance payments in annual income calculation.
3. Modify policies regarding changes in Head of Households.
4. Change automatic termination of Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) Contract from
180 days to 90 days due to attainment of zero subsidy level.
5. Exclude asset income, primarily interest income, from income calculation for
households with assets under $50,000.

County Counsel has reviewed and approved the Resolution as to form.

 

Approval of this Resolution contributes to the Shared Vision 2025 outcome of a Livable Community by enabling HACSM to provide housing subsidy to low and very low income households while reducing its administrative burden by modifying stringent rules and regulations.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:

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.