Walworth County staff asked the Finance Committee to endorse their interpretation that the Walworth County Housing Authority (WCHA) may use an existing 30‑unit apartment it already owns as the required match for county affordable‑housing funding, provided the Housing Authority records a 20‑year restricted covenant preserving the property as affordable housing.
Finance staff said the county’s match requirement — as written in prior resolutions and the subrecipient agreement — requires public funds be applied to new affordable units but allows the housing authority to demonstrate leverage by preserving existing affordable housing. The proposed instrument would be recorded on title and would require the WCHA to maintain the property as affordable for 20 years, staff said.
Committee members asked whether the WCHA would still need to secure board approval before funds were spent; staff replied the county’s funds would not be spent on this specific parcel because the authority already owns it, and that the covenant would instead satisfy the match condition while county ARPA funds remained reserved for acquisition or creation of new units.
Rich Abbott, speaking for the housing authority process, said the authority has a property in Whitewater under purchase and is out to bid on unit creation; the Delavan property remodel is at the demolition and bidding stage with a hope to have renters in by year end. County staff said they would present any formal funding commitment to the county board before funds are released.