HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF SANTA ROSA

Council Chamber, City Hall

100 Santa Rosa Avenue, Santa Rosa, California

February 28, 2011

 1:30 p.m. 

AGENDA 

1.                  CALL TO ORDER 

2.        ROLL CALL           

3.       PUBLIC APPEARANCES / PUBLIC COMMENTS:  Except for public hearing agenda items, the public may comment on all other agenda items and on items not on the agenda within the jurisdiction of the Housing Authority during this period.  The public may comment on public hearing agenda items when the hearing is opened.  Each speaker is allowed three minutes. 

4.         ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS 

5.         STATEMENTS OF ABSTENTION 

6.         APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR MEETING HELD JANUARY 24, 2011 

7.         CHAIRMAN / COMMISSIONER REPORTS 

8.         COMMITTEE REPORTS 

9.         CONSENT ITEMS:

            9.1     ADOPTION OF HUD MANDATED AGENCY PLAN 

          BACKGROUND:  The Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 requires any housing authority that administers the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program and/or any public housing units to adopt a Public Housing Agency (PHA) Plan with two components: the five-year Agency Plan and the Annual Plan updates.  The City of Santa Rosa Housing Authority submitted its Streamlined Five-Year plan in 2010; the current plan is an annual update for Fiscal Year 2011-2012.  The PHA Plans must be reviewed by a local Resident Advisory Board (RAB), and any comments by the RAB must be submitted with the PHA plan.  The RAB requirement for the City of Santa Rosa is satisfied by the service of two Tenant Commissioners on the Santa Rosa Housing Authority who represent the interests of those served by the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program.  Adoption of the PHA Plan appoints any and all Housing Authority commissioners who are also Housing Choice Voucher program participants as the RAB. 

RECOMMENDATION:  The Department of Economic Development and Housing recommends that the Housing Authority, by resolution, adopt the Streamlined Annual Plan for Fiscal Year 2011-2012.           

10.       SCHEDULED ITEMS: 

10.1    ESTABLISHMENT OF A HUD-VASH SECURITY DEPOSIT ASSISTANCE FUND 

BACKGROUND:  The City of Santa Rosa Housing Authority has received a total of one hundred ten (110) Housing Choice Vouchers designated for homeless veterans under a joint effort between the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).  The HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) program combines Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance with social and clinical services provided by the VA.  Veterans participating in the program are often chronically homeless and may be referred for rental assistance before VA financial benefits are in place.  As a result, VASH participants are experiencing difficulty securing funding for security deposits and rental application fees, delaying their successful lease-up.  The City of Santa Rosa Housing Choice Voucher program currently has sufficient administrative program reserves, which can only be used for affordable housing activities, to establish a VASH Security Deposit Assistance Fund of $50,000.  These funds will be used to pay security deposits on behalf of VASH participants and rental application fees for VASH participants who have zero adjusted income.  The security deposits will be paid directly to the landlord and returned to the Housing Authority upon the veteran’s vacating the rental unit.  Providing security deposit assistance will help ensure the Housing Authority achieves maximum utilization of the HUD-VASH vouchers. 

RECOMMENDATION:  The Department of Economic Development and Housing recommends that the Housing Authority approve, by resolution, the establishment of JL Key Project No. 42112 in the amount of $50,000 to fund security deposit assistance for the HUD-VASH program. 

            10.2  FUNDING AGREEMENT – NEW RAILROAD SQUARE 

BACKGROUND:  Governor Brown’s Budget Summary, released  Monday, January 10, includes a proposal to eliminate all local redevelopment agencies and dismantle tax increment financing as part of an effort to close the State’s $25 Billion budget deficit. 

On February 7, 2011, the City Council and Redevelopment Agency held a joint meeting to approve eleven (11) funding agreements to obligate and preserve funds for specific projects benefitting the local community.  The Council and Agency received information regarding available appropriations and reserves for each redevelopment project area and provided direction to staff to prepare funding agreements for the B Street Trunk Sewer Line and the New Railroad Square Project, including assistance with affordable housing and on-site infrastructure improvements. 

This item brings forward the recommended funding agreement between the Redevelopment Agency and the Housing Authority to support the development and construction of affordable housing as part of the New Railroad Square Project. 

RECOMMENDATION:  It is recommended by the Department of Economic Development and Housing that the Housing Authority approve a funding agreement for the New Railroad Square Project, in the amount of $4,000,000, to support the development and construction of affordable housing.           

11.       COMMUNICATION ITEMS 

11.1          Monthly Activities Report

12.       ADJOURMENT

This information can also be accessed via the internet at: http://www.srcity.org