TO: Chair and Housing Authority Commissioners
THROUGH: Steve Powers, Executive Director
FROM: Andrew Wilch, Housing Administrator
SUBJECT:
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Salem Housing Authority’s 2017-18 Public Housing Authority Plan, Annual Capital Fund Plan and 5-Year Plan
Ward(s): All Wards
Commissioners(s): All Commissioners
Neighborhood(s): All Neighborhoods
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ISSUE:
Shall the Housing Authority Commission adopt Resolution No. 2211 to approve the Salem Housing Authority’s 2017-18 Public Housing Agency (PHA) Plan, Annual Capital Fund Plan and 5-Year Plan for submission to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by July 18, 2017?
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Adopt Resolution No. 2211 to approve the Salem Housing Authority’s 2017-18 Public Housing Agency (PHA) Plan, Annual Capital Fund and 5-Year Plan for submission to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by July 18, 2017.
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SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND:
The Quality Housing and Work responsibility Act of 1998 requires all Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) to prepare a PHA Plan consisting of a five-year mission and goal statement and an annual plan addressing community housing needs, resources, and strategies. The PHA Plan takes the form of a HUD-prescribed template into which PHAs insert data and narrative.
PHA Plans must specifically address:
• Any plans for demolition or disposition of Public Housing.
• The work items targeted for Capital Fund Program expenditure.
• Any major policy changes planned for HUD-funded programs.
The PHA Plan must be adopted by the Commission after input by assisted housing residents and the general public. For Salem Housing Authority (SHA), this occurs through active input from the Resident Advisory Board, the Housing Advisory Committee, as well as the Commission. The adopted PHA Plan must be submitted to HUD by July 18th of each year.
Each year SHA is also required to submit to HUD a Capital Fund Annual Statement and Five-Year Plan, which must also be reviewed by the Resident Advisory Board and the public using the same process as the PHA Plan review.
FACTS AND FINDINGS:
On April 24th, 2017, the Resident Advisory Board reviewed the proposed 2017-18 PHA Plan and Capital Fund Plan, and on April 25th, 2017 the Housing Advisory Committee meet to review both Plans.
On April 25, 2017, the HAC hosted a public hearing soliciting comments on the proposed 2017-18 PHA Plan. Members of the HAC and the public attended the hearing and commented favorably on various elements of the draft PHA Plan.
Significant aspects of the 2017-18 PHA Plan (Attachment 2) include:
1. SHA is revising its Criminal Violations Policy to ensure criminal background screening criteria is standardized. The policy focuses on crimes that pose a health or safety threat to residents and/or SHA staff. With the current revisions, the majority of drug-related or violent criminal convictions have a waiting period of three to five years.
2. SHA is participating in the Family Unification-Family Self-Sufficiency (FUP-FSS) Program in partnership with the Department of Human Services. The Family Unification Program (FUP) is a program under which Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) are provided to two different populations:
Families for whom the lack of adequate housing is a primary factor in:
a. The imminent placement of the family’s child or children in out-of-home care, or
b. The delay in the discharge of the child or children to the family from out-of-home care.
For a period not to exceed 36 months, otherwise eligible youths who have attained at least 18 years and not more than 24 years of age and who have left foster care, or will leave foster care within 90 days, in accordance with a transition plan described in section 475(5)(H) of the Social Security Act, and is homeless or is at risk of becoming homeless at age 16 or older.
3. SHA is clarifying how “family” is defined in our policies. A family may be defined as one or more persons. SHA has the discretion to determine if any other group of persons qualifies as a family.
4. SHA is changing its waiting list policy to be based on the date and time and local preferences. Waiting list rankings are now as follows:
When funding is available, SHA will offer assistance in the following order:
1) Households whose assistance was terminated due to lack of funding;
2) Program Transfers (i.e. Participants in another housing program covered under the 1937 Housing Act administered by SHA who need continued assistance that is not and/or no longer available in their current housing program);
3) Local Preference voucher applicants:
a. Applicants referred for special allocation vouchers (i.e. Veterans Assistance Service Housing; Family Unification Program).
b. Chronically disabled homeless individuals nominated through Northwest Human Services;
c. Referred households who are victims of domestic violence (up to five (5) per month);
d. Homeless households referred by the Emergency Housing Network up to (ten (10) per month);
e. Graduates of the Veterans Rental Assistance Program (VRAP) and the Homeless Rental Assistance Program (HRAP).
f. Choice Mobility under RAD;
4) All other households on the waiting list.
5. SHA is converting its public housing to Project-based Rental Assistance (PBRA) through the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program.
6. SHA proposes to dispose of all 87 scattered site AMP1 units and Shelton Village’s 28 units, and replace them with multifamily units through the RAD program.
7. SHA will issue Requests for Proposals from qualified applicants to receive an allocation of PBV for up to 150 units across small and large sites and 25 PBV Veteran’s Administration Supportive Housing (VASH) vouchers.
The proposed policy revisions were reviewed, discussed, and supported by the Housing Advisory Committee and residents attending the hearing on April 25, 2017.
The Housing Advisory Committee recommends adoption of the 2017-18 PHA Plan, Annual Capital Fund Plan and 5-Year Plan.
Andrew Wilch
Housing Administrator
Attachments:
1. Resolution No. 2211
2. 2017-18 Public Housing Authority (PHA) Plan