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Committee discusses reallocating $50,000 to tenant support and HACA services; staff to implement
Summary
Members discussed using an existing $50,000 allocation to fund tenancy support: $30,000 proposed for HACA (to contract Quadell Services) and $20,000 for a nonprofit providing bilingual tenant assistance. No committee vote was taken; staff and finance will execute the reallocation and monitor spending deadlines.
Committee members discussed reprogramming a previously approved $50,000 allocation to support tenant services and lease/recertification assistance for public housing residents. The funding would come from a prior FY-25 amendment loaded into the Planning and Zoning department budget.
Alderman Gay said the original $50,000 passed in last year’s budget and has not yet been disbursed. He proposed moving $30,000 to the Housing Authority (HACA) earmarked for Quadell Services to support recertification and waitlist management, and $20,000 to a nonprofit (the committee discussed Admiral Oaks’ prior proposals) to provide bilingual tenant facilitation and on-site tenant assistance.
Maddox Evans, representing HACA, described progress on a separate $500,000 capital repair grant HACA received last year and how the agency is pairing capital work with tenant-support programming. “We have drawn down $166,000 to go towards maintenance repairs, maintenance staffing,” Evans said. Evans reported HACA is at about 84% occupancy with a goal of 95% and said the authority is hiring Allegiance Management for property management, Quadell Services for recertification and waitlist management, and People Builders for diversion work. She added the authority is working with Planning & Zoning on inspections and licensing and is hiring a maintenance operations supervisor and contemplating a construction manager.
Evans explained HACA’s approach is to combine physical repairs and operations staffing with tenant education and services so residents understand lease obligations and program requirements. “If tenants don't understand that disabling smoke detectors is a health and safety issue as well as a lease violation, the problem will continue,” she said.
Committee members pressed staff on execution and asked how this allocation would be carried out so the funds are actually spent before any deadline. Miss Buckland (city staff) and other staff members said finance had confirmed the previously approved amendment had been loaded into the Planning & Zoning housing budget and that the funds should be available for the proposed use. The procurement rules discussed in the meeting allow the city to enter agreements with quasi-governmental entities such as HACA without a formal solicitation, which committee members said would ease execution.
No committee vote was taken; members agreed staff should proceed with implementation and report back. Alderman Gay said the committee will check back on ID 9325 at a future meeting.
