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Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 09141999 - SD3 SD HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA TO: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS FROM: Robert.'VcEwan, Executive Director DATE: September 14, 1999 SUBJECT: PUBLIC HOUSING INCOME MIX AND DECONCENTRATION POLICY MANDATED BY HUD UNI DER THE QUALITY HOUSING& WORK RESPONSIBILITY ACT OF 1998 SPECIFIC REQUESTS;OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGR 3I.,`ND AND ISTIFICATIO I. RECOMMENDED ACTION: ADOPT Resolution=No.4073 approving the Public Housing income Mix and Deconcertration Policy for the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa as recommended by the Advisory Housing Commissioners at their regular rreeting held on August 16, 1933. 1I. FINANCIAL IMPACT: None. III. REASONS FOR RECOMME-DA'IrIO /BACKGRCL?ND Can February 18, 1999 the U.S.F.Deparnnetrt of Housing and Urban Development(LII.I':l:D)issued a notice that rewires Public Housing Authorities to adopt a Income Mix and Deconcentration Policy fon°it's Public Housing Developments under the Quality Housing&WofK Responsibility Act of 1998(QHVVRA). The Incorne Mix and Deconcen ration Policy will provide for charges in the Authority's Admission Policy which will allow for decorcentratior of poverty and allow income mixing,by bringing higher income tenants into lower income public housing projects and bringing lower income tenants into higher income public housing projects. A copy of the Income Mix and TDeconcertration Policy and Resolution is attached for your review. This policy also provides incentives for new and continued occupancy by working families and families moving worn welfare to work. IV. CONSEQUENCES OF NEGATIVE ACTION: Should the Board of Corr missloners elect not to adopt Resolution No,4£373 approving the Public I busing Inconn Mix and I:Deconcentrati.on Policy,the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa would not be in compliance with the notice issued by'HUD requiring the estabiishr:�ent of the policy. �-vON `t€ ,^q A} ,y q CITIT�y�`+ T YES SIGNATURE sIGN q ;gig E 'v�Jl'Y��:V�EJ.�rJ�.'+.� t'4 fi�L'14..:E:�iYYt's�T E: E E� �.31Z31 2t'l�ivi bSi'a 7 R:s--COMMENKDATIONT O EXECUTIVE IVE LDIIiECT OR RECOIVIMENDATIONT Car BOARD C OMMIT'i EE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): lie ACTION OF BOARD ONH ER _ TT IS ?Y TF. 8�3AKv CRCLRiC that the above utter ; s CONT INUE.D to Seute;nber 28, 1999. voi-E 6F comm- miS'SIGNERS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A JIS,UNANIMOUS (ABSENT e TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN AYES: NOES: ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED ON THE ABSENT: ABSTAIN: MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ON'FHE DATE SHOWN. ATTESTED t¢ , III,BATCHELOR,CL7,.RK 07F THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR DEPUTY bo-deconcen.ration — a TIS BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS HOUSIN'O AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA RESOLUTION NO. 4073 ADOPTING RESOLUTION NO. 4073 APPROVING THE INCOME.MIX AND DECONCENTRATION POLICY FOR.T14E HOUSING AUTHORITY OF TIRE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA WHEREAS,It is the desire of the Board of Commissioners of the Dousing Authority of the County of Contra Costa to provide decent, safe and sanitary housing for Its residents, and, WHEREAS,the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa is committed to maintaining an economically diverse resident body,and WHEREAS,the Authority will farther have deconcentration and income mix by providing waiting list pre#°erence to those families within the 31%or 80%of Area Median Income Limit categories who have the highest income in descending order of income, and. MEAS,the Authority will aggressively market and skip °,;ase out reach to attract a wider variety of applicants needed to balance the admissions within-each development, NOW, THEREFORE,HE IT RESOLVED that the Hoard of Commissioners of the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa approves and adopts the Income Mie and Deconcentration Policy. PASSED ANIS ADOPTED ON by the following vote of the Commissioners. AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTA : I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ON THE DATE SHOWN- ATTESTED PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS AND COUNTY ADMIM, STIRA OR EY_ I-I:\judyh,ntz\.✓ISO F iCE\W.''NWORD\BOA \Deconcentralio--i Res.doc HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA INCOME MIX AND DECONCENTRATION POLICY Introduction This policy has been prepared in compliance with Section 0-13 of the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1398 (ORWHA) which amends sections of the United States Dousing Act of 1937 applicable to the operations of public housing. Statement of Policia Cour policy and process for managing income mix Six rid deconc ntration efforts in our communities is founded nded on the premise that there are distinct social and agency benefits for promoting and maintaining public housing developments occupied by families that have a range of incomes and that are not concentrated with very low income families. This premise is recognized not only as an agency policy and goal, but also as a requirement of law, The benefits of management of income mix and deconcentration for the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa are a wider selection pools increased access to varied client bases; the formation of stronger, more stable and cohesive communities, and the reduction ow our financial dependence on the federal government, This policy was formulated after review of both the existing policies and procedures of this housing authority, the composition of the waiting list, and a preliminary ray analysis of the current residency of each public housing project. Consideration also was given to each project's amenities along with its location within a particular community, since the IAA's jurisdiction encompasses a large geographic area with much economic diversity. Although this preliminary analysis resulted in the finding that there are no major variances between the economic levels of the public housing residents and the communities in which the individual developments are located, a more balanced composition within each development is sought. Further analysis will be undertaken, particui dy necessary since the HRS is in the process of absorbing the City of San Pablo Housing Authority's operations and develop€'ents. This absorption will alter the existing situation and will reed to be taken into consideration, It is within this context that the Income Mix and Deconcentration efforts as presented here were formulated and, in conformance with QHWRA, the �� sirs _� th�rits� of the o ret of or tra osta ubiio i o€�sir r oiioi s and Procedures Manual will be amended as necessary to implement the efforts presented in this document. Income Mix New Admissions In conformance with the new QHWRA provisions, the HACCC will lease within each fiscal year at least 40 (forty) percent of its total available units to households whose incomes do not exceed 30 (thirty) percent of the area median income (AMI). Conversely, up to 60 (sixty) percent of the annual vacancies will be filled with households with annual i€nomas at time of admission between 31 (thirty-one) percent and 30 (eighty) percent of AMI. The AMI is determined annually for Contra Costa County by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and is currently based upon the estimated City of Oakland MSA median income. Deconcentration The HA CC will not willfully concentrate awry low-income families (or other families with relatively low incomes) in public housing dwelling units in certain public housing projects or certain buildings within projects, even though the income mix requirements for the agency are met overall. In compliance with the above the following efforts towards deconc ntration will be made, including the targeted offering of incentives. However, in no instance will any adverse action be taken against a family which chooses to either decline an offered incentive or occupancy in an offered d development. New Adr isslons Aggressive marketing and special outreach efforts wiil continue on the part of the HA in order to reach the wide variety of applicants needed to balance the admissions within each development, Further, based upon a periodic project by proaect analysis, the HA hall piss over an otherwise eligible family on the waiting list for mother lower-ranked family ily that meets the income criterion; for achieving a more balanced mix within the particular development with a current vacancy, In compliance with this deconcentr tion policy, the HA will consider the resident composition of each project as vacancies occur. If a Particular project has an unbalance of either extremely low or higher income families= the HA will endeavor to fill the vacancy by recruiting an appropriate-income famlly which will better balance the project's composition, This action also will serve as an incentive to the lower-ranked family that otherwise might have a much longer wait on the list before placement in a public housing unit, However, this policy will not be used when an overall violation of the HA's annual income mix requirements established by HUD will result. The HA also is amending its admissions policies to include local preferences encouraging higher income families to apply for public housing. Because such families are more likely to welt housing in the open market, preferences for local working adults and those enrolled in higher education and/or job training programs will encourage these families into considering the financial stability of these very reasonably pried developments. 2 Existing Residents Because the goal of the HA will be to both achieve and to maintain its balance of diverse residency within each development, incentives also will be offered to existing resident families to encourage their continued occupancy, The stability provided development by maintaining good tenants who know their neighbors and have a sense of community is a valuable HA rn- a'€ ger#ent asset. Their presence also can servo as role models to the newer and perhaps lower income families, particularly after the efforts of these families towards economic self-sufficiency begin to produce tangible improvements in their own lives that aro visible to others. As an incentive towards encouraging in-place families to stay in their developments, the A will utilize the HUD-allowed system of flat rents. Theo rents will be established at vary reasonable jevels compared with the surrounding market rents, allowing the nigher income families to increase their personal financial stability while protecting the development's stability. Other incentives already offered by the HA to current participants include the following: * Provision of and cooperation with education and employment training programs; * Scholarships for residents going back to school, as well as new high school graduates continuing on to colleges * Internships for the tears of resident families, often resulting in full-time mployment and training after high school graduation. Since the HA will continue to analyze each housing development's composition on a periodic basis, additional incentives will be established as needed to reach the income mix and deconcentration goals of this policy. These incentives will be incorporated into the HA's Policies and procedures Manual, 3 Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa Actual Percent of Families Housed Who are Very Low Income By Development 3VERY LOW ELOET INCOME DEVELOPMENT # NAMELOCATION CONCENTRATION 3 F--- CA`s11001 Alhambra Terra � �i Z i 90016 011002 Los Mad as Say Point 86% A911003 Bridgemont Antioch 94% CAO 1110105 El Pueblo Pittsburg 9d�'a t A011006 '"as Deltas E N. Richmond 4% 3 CA0 11008 Los Arboles Oakley 97�f.%�._ N. Richmond 10 /0 CA011009B Las Deltas Annex N. RicFmond A411010 Bayo Vista deo ^91% 011011 Hacienda Martinez 84% GI 1012 Casa de Manana Oakley �... 5 CAOIIO13 Casa de Serena Bay Point G 92110 i s � A0110 5 __ der ire s ntiocb m 941/10 August 1999 c:\ rdo%,sVemploccha Income ixsdecon.policy-proj.chart.doc