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Minutes - Minutes - Housing Advisory Commission - Meeting Date: 2/28/2005 MINUTES HOUSING ADVISORY COMMISSION MEETING rr _ CITY OF GLENDALE,ARIZONA 5850 WEST GLENDALE AVENUE ROOM B-3 MONDAY,FEBRUARY 28,2005 5:30 p.m. Members Present Donnell Gentry, Chairperson Madelin Page, Vice-Chairperson Carole Marx, Commissioner Larry Bonner, Commissioner Staff Members Present Erik Strunk,Director, Community Partnerships Karen E. Russell, Community Housing Administrator Elaine Adamczyk,Management Assistant Jim Witkowski, Housing Maintenance Manager 1. CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Donnell Gentry called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. 2. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE JANUARY 24, 2005 COMMISSION MEETING Motion by Commissioner Carole Marx to approve the minutes, and seconded by Vice- Chairperson Madelin Page. The motion carried unanimously. 3. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS None 4. BUSINESS FROM THE FLOOR None 1 5. AGENDA ITEMS - A. PUBLIC HOUSING MAINTENANCE CHARGE LIST Staff member Jim Witkowski presented this item. Housing is required by HUD regulations to review these charges periodically and make adjustments. It was explained to the Commission that housing does not make a profit off of these charges, and the public housing residents are given 30 days to make any comments on the changes. Vice- Chairperson Madelin Page motioned to accept the recommended changes to the public housing maintenance charge list; Commissioner Larry Bonner seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. B. DECEMBER 2004 MONTHLY ACTIVITY REPORT Staff member Karen Russell presented this item. It was noted that there were very few changes. No further action was required. C. REVIEW OF AGENCY PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2005-06 Staff member Karen Russell thanked Elaine Adamczyk for all her hard work in putting together this year's agency plan; Elaine then presented the item. It was explained that the Five-Year Plan outlines the goals and objectives for the Public Housing and Section 8 Rental Assistance programs, and the Annual Plan addresses program administration and resident information. The following is a summary of major changes to the Agency Plan for this fiscal year. Both Programs • 1. Minimum Rent - Conventional Public Housing Continued Admissions and Occupancy Policy—Section 13.3,Minimum Rent - Section 8 Administrative Plan—Section 11.5 (D),Minimum Rent Summary The Code of Federal Regulations, 24CFR §5.630 states a housing authority must charge a family no less than a minimum monthly rent. It also allows a housing authority to establish a minimum rent of between $0 and $50.00. The housing authority can modify the minimum rent within this range at any time with a 30-day notice to affected program participants. The Housing Advisory Commission has previously reviewed this item and approved future changes to the minimum rent within the range as allowed by HUD. Beginning July 1, 2005 CHD will increase its minimum rent to $50.00. This will only affect those families that pay less than$50 per month in rent. Program participants were previously notified of an increase in the minimum rent from $0.00 to $25.00. Due to ongoing efforts to fiscally manage both programs, the minimum rent will increase to$50.00 (effective July 1,2005). 2 •t 2. Interim Reexaminations - Conventional Public Housing Continued Admissions and Occupancy Policy—Section 15.6,Interim Reexaminations - Section 8 Administrative Plan—Section 14.2,Interim Reexaminations Summary Program participants were previously notified that CHD will reinstate interim reexaminations on all changes to family composition and household income. Families must continue to report all changes to family composition and household income within ten days of the change. The Housing Advisory Commission previously reviewed this item and approved its addition to the housing programs. This inclusion places this change formally into the policy document. There is no additional policy change. 3. Occupancy Standards - Conventional Public Housing Continued Admissions and Occupancy Policy—Section 10.2,Assignment of Bedroom Sizes - Section 8 Administrative Plan—Section 6.0 Assignment of Bedroom Sizes Summary Program participants were previously notified that CHD will change the occupancy standards that control the number of bedrooms that a family may occupy. The Housing Advisory Commission has previously reviewed and approved this item. This inclusion places this change formally into the policy document. There is no additional policy change. Elderly and/6r disabled families will be reviewed for reasonable accommodation automatically in order to ensure that our most vulnerable families are not harmed by significant changes to the program. Public Housing Only 1. Capital Fund Program Five-Year Action Plan - PHA Agency Plan,Annual Plan for Fiscal Year 2005—Pages 40-45 Summary The Capital Fund Program Five-Year Action Plan sets out the plan for public housing capital improvement expenditures for the next five years. The list is of planned Capital Fund projects along with the funding amounts allocated to each project. Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Only 1. Tenant Choice of Larger Unit - Section 8 Administrative Plan—Section 11.5 (B),Tenant Choice of Larger Unit Summary Due to extensive funding cuts, CHD will no longer allow a family to move to a larger unit. New families to the program and Section 8 active families that choose to move to another unit must choose a unit of the size as stated on the voucher. Active families.that are staying in place will be required to move to a unit of the size as noted on the voucher at their next annual recertification after notification. The Housing Advisory Commission has previously reviewed this item and approved it for both housing programs. Requests for reasonable 3 accommodation will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Elderly and/or disabled families will be reviewed for reasonable accommodation automatically in order to ensure that our most vulnerable families are not harmed by significant changes to the program. 2. Payment Standard - Section 8 Administrative Plan—Section 11.4.1, Setting the Payment Standard Summary The payment standard is the gross maximum monthly assistance payment and is based on the Fair Market Rents,which are published annually by HUD. HUD allows housing authorities to set the payment standard between 90 and 100 percent of the Fair Market Rents,without additional HUD review. Due to recent and ongoing budgetary concerns,many housing authorities have chosen to reduce their payment standards to between 90 and 95 percent. At this time,the CHD has determined there is sufficient documentation to support lowering the payment standard to 90%. The Housing Advisory Commission has previously reviewed this item and approved future changes to the payment standard within the range as allowed by HUD. The CHD has placed protections in place for our elderly and disabled program participants in order to ensure that our most vulnerable families are not harmed by significant changes to the program. Prior actions by the Housing Advisory Commission allow the CHD to modify the payment standard throughout the program year as needed. 3. Maximum Subsidy - Section 8 Administrative Plan—Section 11.4,Maximum Subsidy • Summary The Fair Market Rent published by HUD determines the maximum subsidy for a family. However, in the 2005 Administrative Plan, CHD has included a provision that it may set the maximum subsidy at an amount based on the HUD determined per-unit HAP cost (PUC), or at an amount determined by CHD which would allow for assistance for the maximum number of families as possible with the amount of HUD funding allocated to CHD. CHD will periodically review the maximum subsidy amounts to ensure HAP costs incurred do not exceed that which would allow for the support of decent housing of a modest nature for the maximum number of families. CHD has also placed protections in place for our elderly and disabled program participants in order to ensure that our most vulnerable families are not harmed by significant changes to the program. 4. Working Requirement - Section 8 Administrative Plan—Section 11.5.C,HAP for Working/Non-Working Families Summary As current employment is a preference requirement to be eligible for admission to the program, ongoing employment is not only key to continue to receive assistance, but also to become self-sufficient and independent of assistance. Beginning July 1, 2005, Section 8 program families will be expected to contribute to their monthly rent. In order to continue to receive Section 8 voucher assistance, the family must report income that can be used to calculate the tenant portion of the monthly rent. The elderly and disabled are exempt from this requirement. 4 5. Portability - Section 8 Administrative Plan—Section 8.0,Portability Summary On July 19, 2004, HUD issued Notice 2004-12, modifying procedures and billing deadlines relating to portability. CHD has modified its Administrative Plan to comply with the HUD requirements. The majority of these changes were regulatory in nature and not discretionary. On December 8, 2004, HUD published Notice 2005-1, which allowed some discretion in the further development of a housing authority's portability procedure. Program regulations allow a housing authority to deny permission to move if there would not be sufficient funding for any increase in assistance. HUD will allow denial of permission to move if CHD would pay a higher subsidy amount and the receiving housing authority will not absorb the family. Beginning July 1, 2005 CHD will deny permission to move if the subsidy amount is more than what would be paid while living in Glendale, and require newly eligible families to lease in Glendale for 12 months before they can apply for permission to move to another jurisdiction. CHD has also placed protections in place for our elderly and disabled program participants in order to ensure that our most vulnerable families are not harmed by significant changes to the program. Upon conclusion of staff updates, Chairperson Donnell Gentry opened the meeting for public hearing at 6:10 p.m. There were no comments, and the public hearing was closed at 6:11 p.m. 6. COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP DIRECTOR'S UPDATE Director Erik Strunk thanked Elaine Adamczyk and Karen Russell for all their work on the agency plan. On March 22,the department will be taking several CDBG items to Mayor and Council for formal action, including a$48,000 request for ceiling fans to be installed in the public housing units. An additional $2.2 million is being requested for several agencies throughout the community. The Consolidated Plan for the CDBG/HOME programs will also be taken to Mayor and Council. The EITC program has four sites staffed by volunteers throughout Glendale to help residents understand and get the maximum from this benefit. The American Dream Downpayment Initiative Program(ADDI)will be up and running within the next several weeks. The program,through HUD, is being administered through Community Revitalization. ADDI will provide deferred loans up to $7,500 to eligible households that wish to purchase a primary residence(owner-occupied)within the City of Glendale. Loans are available for downpayment assistance,prepaid expenses, and reasonable closing costs. On June 11,the Neighborhood Leadership Forum will be held at the Glendale Civic Center. Everyone is invited to attend if interested in becoming a neighborhood leader. Staff recently met with our cultural arts liaison,Rex Gulbranson, and Community Housing is in the process of building a strategy to use the youth of public housing and perhaps mix in job training skills,to have them help develop and create a piece of art to be placedat the Glendale Homes complex. 5 Because the Valley has grown so quickly,there will be a special census later this year. It is an important tool for the department to help determine if we will get less money from HUD and through the Arizona Shared Revenue. A homeless street count was conducted in late January. This is another HUD requirement. It was determined there are approximately 33 homeless people in Glendale. The count took place over a four-hour timeframe. The City of Glendale will be participating in an affordable housing forum with several other West Valley cities in late April. 7. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS There were no written communications to discuss. No action was required. 8. MISCELLANEOUS The next Housing Advisory meeting is tentatively scheduled for Monday,April 25, 2005. No action was required. 9. ADJOURNMENT A motion was made by Commissioner Larry Bonner, and seconded by Commissioner Carole Marx, to adjourn. The motion carried unanimously, and the meeting was adjourned at 6:25 p.m. ATTEST: n 2 r'j /• k,. f Vit'/ I. _ AO, (/'S C 'LL • 4 1 j, airperson i Secretary 6