To: Sonoma County Board of Supervisors and Sonoma County Community Development Board of Commissioners
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Community Development Commission
Staff Name and Phone Number: Martha Cheever, 707-565-7521
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Update of Sonoma County Housing Authority Administrative Plan
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Approve proposed changes to the Sonoma County Housing Authority Administrative Plan.
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Executive Summary:
In order to allow housing authorities flexibility to adapt to challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic and allow for the rapid rollout of the new Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) program, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) authorized housing authorities to adopt changes to their Administrative Plans without formal Board approval. Under that authority, the Sonoma County Housing Authority (Housing Authority) informally adopted several changes to its Administrative Plan to clarify policies, to make the program more accessible to vulnerable populations, and to allow for the administration of the new EHV program. All informal changes made in response to the pandemic must be formally adopted by the Board of Commissioners prior to December 31, 2021.
The summary of the suggested changes to the Sonoma County Housing Authority Administrative Plan are included in Attachments 1 and 2.
Discussion:
The Housing Authority administers the Housing Choice Voucher, the Mainstream Voucher and the new EHV programs under contract with HUD. Vouchers are the federal government’s primary method for helping low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled rent housing from property owners.
Federal regulation 24 CFR § 982.54 requires all housing authorities to adopt a written Administrative Plan to ensure that local programs operate within HUD’s requirements. The Administrative Plan serves as a local policy guide for the administration of Housing Authority rental assistance programs.
In order to allow housing authorities flexibility to adapt to the challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic and allow for the rapid rollout of the new EHV program, HUD authorized housing authorities to adopt changes to the Administrative Plan without formal Board approval. Under that authority, the Housing Authority informally adopted several changes to its Administrative Plan to provide clarity and to add provisions related to the administration of the new EHV program. HUD is requiring that all changes which were informally adopted be formally adopted by the Board of Commissioners prior to December 31, 2021. A summary of all proposed changes and redlined Administrative Plan chapters are included as attachments to this Board item.
Before changes to the Administrative Plan are formally adopted, a public hearing is required. A public hearing was conducted before the Community Development Committee on November 17, 2021. All comments related to the proposed changes are included as an attachment to this Board item. Members of the Community Development Committee approved all of the proposed changes and recommended the changes be brought before the Board of Commissioners for approval. The summary of the proposed and recommended changes are included in Attachments 1 and 2 of this Item.
Strategic Plan:
Approval of this item will allow the Housing Authority to make modifications to its Administrative Plan enabling the implementation of the Emergency Housing Voucher program which serves some of the most vulnerable populations in the community.
This item directly supports the County’s Five-year Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following pillar, goal, and objective.
Pillar: Healthy and Safe Communities
Goal: Goal 4: Reduce the County’s overall homeless population by 10% each year by enhancing services through improved coordination and collaboration.
Objective: N/A
Prior Board Actions:
9/21/2021: Adopted Budgetary Resolution for the administration of the Emergency Housing Voucher Program
12/15/2020: Approved revisions to the Sonoma County Housing Authority Administrative Plan
Fiscal Summary
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FY 21-22 Adopted |
FY 22-23 Projected |
FY 23-24 Projected |
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
There are no fiscal impacts associated with this item.
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Staffing Impacts: |
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Attachment 1 - Summary of Proposed Changes to the Sonoma County Housing Authority Administrative Plan
Attachment 2 - Administrative Plan Red-Line Edits to Chapters 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 15, 21 and Glossary
Attachment 3 - Comments from the 11/17/21 Public Hearing held before the Community Development Committee
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None