Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Rent Collection topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Yolo County Housing reports decline in rent and solar delinquencies but commissioners press for timeline and solutions to solar debt
Summary
Yolo County Housing staff told the commission the agency’s delinquent rent and solar balance fell from a March peak of $595,636 to $455,768 as of Aug. 31, 2025. Commissioners pressed staff for a clear timeline to reach an acceptable delinquency level and asked staff to pursue options to retire outstanding solar debt for residents.
Yolo County Housing staff told the Housing Authority Commission on Sept. 17 that the agency’s combined rent and solar delinquent balance fell to $455,768 as of Aug. 31, down from a March 2025 peak of $595,636.
The decrease reflects a $99,000 debt write-off the commission approved in May for past tenants and an approximately $40,000 reduction from payments by current tenants, staff said. "The delinquent amount for rent and solar as of August 31 was $455,768," Housing Programs Manager Anissa Vallejo said during a staff presentation.
Why it matters: Commissioners said the remaining balance and the pace of recovery affect residents’ housing stability and the authority’s operating budget. Several commissioners asked staff for a firm timeline and additional steps to shrink the outstanding balance, particularly the portion tied to rooftop solar charges that tenants owe.
Key facts and staff actions
- Peak delinquency: $595,636 (March 2025), as shown by staff slides.
- Current delinquency: $455,768 (Aug. 31, 2025), per Anissa Vallejo.
- Composition of recent decrease: $99,000 attributable to the May write-off of past-tenant accounts; about $40,000 attributable to payments by current tenants, staff said.
- Accounts and repayment activity: staff said there are 227 past-due accounts; 32 residents are on repayment agreements covering $32,111; 52 residents have set up automatic online payments through RentCafe, totaling $34,250 in recurring charges. Staff said 11 households are in some stage of the eviction process.
Staff attributed recent progress to several operational changes: implementing flat-rate solar billing, signing more repayment agreements, filling property manager positions at all three asset management properties (AMPs), and offering RentCafe online payment options. Vallejo said staff will bring revisions to the agency’s repayment-agreement policy (the ACOP-related repayment terms) to provide greater flexibility for residents on fixed incomes.
Commissioner questions and follow-up directions
Commissioners pressed staff for a timeline to reach a target delinquency level. "Goals without timelines and deadlines are just aspirations," one commissioner said, urging staff to return with a projected completion date. Staff estimated continued steady progress and said, based on recent reductions of about $40,000 over several months, it could take several more months to reach the commission’s unstated target; staff committed to returning with a timeline in a future meeting.
Commissioners also pressed staff to continue outreach and to look for grant or local-jurisdiction options to reduce or eliminate the solar-related debt that tenants say they were saddled with when systems were installed. Staff replied that most available grants pay for solar installation or upgrades, not for paying down existing solar debt. Staff said they will re-run a funding landscape analysis (they had done a detailed review the prior year) and report back if options for retiring either resident balances or the authority’s solar debt have changed.
Operational notes and resident impacts
- Eviction counsel: staff identified Brent Bortzen of Rich & Bortzen as outside counsel handling eviction proceedings.
- Solar production and billing: staff said most arrays do not produce surplus energy sufficient to sell back to utilities; in some buildings (notably Riverbend Manor) solar production has been sufficient to reduce residents’ PG&E bills.
- Safety and maintenance: Commissioner Walters reported concerns about vegetation under solar canopies at a site; staff said they will follow up with the solar vendor.
What the commission requested next
Commissioners asked staff to: - Return with a timeline and target for reducing delinquencies to an agreed level. - Revise repayment agreement terms (staff said they plan to propose changes in October) to increase enrollment among low-income tenants, including extending the current 24-month maximum where appropriate. - Reassess the funding landscape for retiring resident solar debt and report back on new grant/jurisdictional options.
Quotes (selected, verbatim)
"The delinquent amount for rent and solar as of August 31 was $455,768," Anissa Vallejo, housing programs manager, said.
"Goals without timelines and deadlines are just aspirations," Commissioner Erling said as she urged staff to return with a completion date.
"My PG&E is basically I’ve got a lot of credit... so basically what I’m paying for with solar is working out great for me," Commissioner Walters said, describing one resident experience where solar reduced utility bills.
Ending
Staff framed the recent reductions as the result of multiple operational changes and said they will continue monthly reporting, resident outreach, targeted evictions only for chronic nonpayment, and periodic requests to the commission to approve future write-offs for past tenants. The commission directed staff to return with a timeline and to continue exploring funding options for the solar-related balances.
