BACKGROUND
Pursuant to the bylaws of the Roseville Housing Authority, the City Council, acting as the Board of Directors for the Housing Authority, holds its quarterly meeting the first Wednesday of March, June, September, and December, or as soon as possible thereafter. Staff has prepared the following status report regarding lease-up activity for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program. The HCV Program provides income-qualified households in Roseville and Rocklin with rental assistance using funding from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This assistance is utilized at rental units that meet program specific housing standards, are owned by a willing landlord, and are within Roseville or Rocklin city limits. This rental assistance ensures that the household is able to afford to live in safe and decent housing.
RHA is authorized to provide 735 households with HCV rental assistance. This total includes 75 vouchers allocated specifically for families on the waiting list with a head-of-household or spouse that are non-elderly and disabled (NED vouchers), 65 Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) vouchers used with veteran households that come by referral from the Veterans Affairs (VA) Department, and 33 Mainstream vouchers that assist households who have a non-elderly adult person with a disability and are transitioning out of institutional and other segregated settings, or are currently homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
RHA administers the Family Self-Sufficiency Program (FSS), which is a component of the HCV Program. The FSS Program provides assistance to families who are working to become free of all public assistance. RHA currently has 25 families enrolled in this worthwhile program. RHA also committed 30 Project-Based vouchers to the Main Street Plaza affordable housing project in Old Town Roseville. Project basing vouchers allows developers to secure necessary funding resulting in project feasibility and allows HCV participants increased housing opportunities not previously available.
For RHA to be in compliance with HUD’s regulations, the lease-up rate for a calendar year cannot exceed 100% of its allocation of vouchers (per voucher type), and each Housing Authority is required to be at least 95% leased up for its voucher allocation or utilizing at least 95% of its annual budget authority. Agencies leasing up 98% or more of its allocated vouchers can reach high-performing status. The term “lease-up” refers to the number of families receiving rental assistance from RHA. Below is a summary chart of voucher lease-up. This translates to the following lease-up rates: regular vouchers, 90.8%, NED vouchers, 99.8%, VASH vouchers, 68.2%, Mainstream vouchers, 88.9% and Project Based vouchers, 91.7%.
RHA continues to meet HUD program requirements for high-performing status through 100% expenditure of its annual budget allocation for the program. Lease-up has stayed consistent during the second quarter; and although it appears the VASH utilization is still low, this is due to the 25 new VASH vouchers that RHA received in January 2021. Staff is currently working with the Veteran's Administration to fully lease all new vouchers. The table below provides a monthly summary of the RHA’s voucher programs for first and second quarters of calendar year 2021:
RHA recently partnered with GoSection8.com for current rent reasonableness data. This contract also allows landlords to post unit vacancies online so participants and potential tenants can view available units. RHA is grateful for its established and new community partners and continues efforts to build owner relationships and increase additional housing inventory.