BACKGROUND
The Roseville Housing Authority (RHA) was formed in October 1974 and is responsible for administering the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program, which provides rental assistance for low-income residents to access quality, affordable, and safe housing. RHA ensures housing stability and economic self-sufficiency for up to 785 families, seniors, disabled persons, and veterans annually. Rental assistance for income-qualified participants is paid directly to property owners who participate in the HCV Program. The Housing Authority receives funding from the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Roseville’s HCV program infuses over $6.5 million of federal funds into the local economy each year, including administration revenue which covers most of the staff costs to administer the program.
With the passage of the American Rescue Plan, Congress allocated $5 billion in funding for new Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHVs). HUD published a notice on May 5, 2021, that described HUD’s process of allocating 70,000 EHVs to Public Housing Agencies. EHV vouchers are designed to assist individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness; at risk of experiencing homelessness; fleeing, or attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking; or were recently homeless and for whom providing rental assistance will prevent the family’s homelessness or having a high risk of housing instability.
On May 10, 2021, Roseville Housing Authority received notice of an award for 50 EHVs. Vouchers may be issued beginning July 1, 2021. As these vouchers were made available due to the current emergency, they are not a permanent addition to RHA's budget authority. Issued EHVs that subsequently become available (due to an unforeseen circumstance) can be re-issued until September 30, 2023.
EHVs have specific operating requirements, including specified uses for administrative fees and fees for other eligible expenses, the funding renewal process, family eligibility requirements, EHV waivers, and alternative requirements. One special rule includes requiring Housing Authorities to partner with the local Continuum of Care (CoC) to assist qualifying families through a direct referral process. Placer County's local CoC, The Homeless Resource Council of the Sierras, recommends accepting direct referrals from certain non-profit partners to ensure coordination of services for our most vulnerable households and availability of supportive services to voucher holders for ongoing support and success in housing. The CoC is recommending the following partner agencies as direct referral agencies:
- Advocates for Mentally Ill Housing
- Connecting Point
- Placer County Adult System of Care
- Salvation Army
- Stand Up Placer
- The Gathering Inn
- Turning Point
- Volunteers of America
EHVs were developed specifically for households that have had difficulty maintaining housing. The connection to current support services and housing search assistance will maximize housing success with the vouchers, local landlords, and the overall program. These new vouchers provide a great opportunity to connect more vulnerable households, identified through the local Homeless Prevention and Rapid Rehousing program, with a viable local housing resource. Supportive services and renter education will provide additional support to these households and further assurances for program success.
The following table illustrates the functions of the budget adjustments:
