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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 06041985 - 1.108 1-10's HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA TO: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DATE: May 14, 1985 FROM: ��; Perfecto Villarreal, Executive Director SUBJECT: REDUCTION IN SECTION 8 ADMINISTRATIVE FEES I. RECOMMENDED ACTION: That the Board of Commissioners send letters to the United States Congressional Representatives of this county and the United States Senators of this state protesting the Section 8 Administrative Fee cut and the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 's arbitrary method of implementing the fee reductions without any input from housing authorities on the impact of these cuts, as recommended by the Advisory Housing Commission. II. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The following is a comparison of the old and new fees for the Section 8 Existing Housing Program: Old New Preliminary Fee $275 $250 Ongoing Fee (Percent of 2-Bedroom Fair Market Rent) 8.5% 7.65% Hard-to-House Fee -0- $ 45 For the new Housing Voucher Program, the fees earned buy a PHA are even less than the reduced fees for the Section 8 Existing Housing Program. The Housing Voucher fees are as follows: Preliminary Fee $215 Ongoing Fee (Percent of 2-Bedroom Fair Market Rent) 6.50% Hard-to-House Fee $ 45 This 10 percent reduction in Section 8 Administrative fees could seriously impede the Housing Authority's capacity to administer the Section 8 Existing Program. �/ CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMEND ION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S)W . ACTION OF BOARD ON 717777P 77 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS UNANIMOUS (ABSENT y ) 1 HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE AYES: NOES: AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN ABSENT: ABSTAIN: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. Contra Costa County Housing Authority CC: County Administrator ATTESTED �S County Counsel Ahil Batchelor, Clerk of the Board of Supervisors and County Adriinlistrat2r M382/7-e3 BY DEPUTY Board of Commissioners Reduction in Section 8 Administrative Fees May 14, 1985 Page -2- III. REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATION/BACKGROUND: Last spring, HUD announced plans to reduce the administrative fee to 6 percent of the two-bedroom fair market rent. This proposal also called for the preliminary fee to be reduced to $270. The National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) urged HUD to not reduce the administrative fees, arguing that the proposed reduction would hurt the Public Housing Agency's (PHA 's) ability to administer the Section 8 program. However, on March 13, 1985, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a revised Section 8 Existing Housing Handbook change, HUD 7420.7, which implements a ten percent cut in administrative fees earned by Housing Authorities for the Section 8 Existing, Housing Voucher and Moderate Rehabilitation programs. The effective date will be the beginning of a PHA's fiscal year that begins on or after July 1, 1985. The reason for the reduction was given "as part of the government's efforts to reduce the Federal deficit. " In addition, HUD has recommended legislation to Congress which would freeze Section 8 Fair Market Rents at 1985 fiscal year levels for the 1986 fiscal year. If this freeze occurs, it will result in a further real reduction in earned administrative fees of three to four percent in fiscal year 1986, beginning October 1, 1985. The total reduction in Section 8 administrati ve. fees will, therefore, be 13 to 14 percent. At its Regular Meeting on Monday, May 13, 1985, the Advisory Housing Commission voted to send letters to the United States Congressional Representatives of this county and the United States Senators of this state protesting the fee cut and HUD's arbitrary method of implementing the fee reductions and to urge the Board of Commissioners to approve and send the attached draft letter to the appropriate Representatives and Senators. IV. CONSEQUENCES OF NEGATIVE ACTION: Should the Board of Commissioners elect to not support the protest of the fee cut and HUD's arbitrary method of implementing the fee reductions, the reduction in administrative fees, coupled with the proposed freeze of Section 8 Fair Market Rents at 1985 fiscal year levels for the 1986 fiscal year, could impede the Housing Authority's ability to administer the Section 8 Existing program and would not be able to maintain the level of service now provided. i