Housing services reports homeowner assistance, installs storm shelters and expands electronic payments

Todd Enloe and Danny Callison with Housing Services updated the committee on housing assistance activity, storm-shelter installations and the housing authority's move to accept electronic payments.

The housing report said 4,843 households were served in the reporting month of February, across programs that include rental assistance, mortgage assistance and homeownership support. The department said 28 households received down-payment assistance since the homeowners assistance fund (HAF) began being used, and that the HAF has helped 2,304 households with mortgage- and tax-related emergencies since the COVID-era program started.

Storm shelters and backlog

Housing staff described a long-standing backlog of storm-shelter requests dating to 2013 when roughly 330 households were on a wait list. Using ARPA and other funds, the department began a multi-phase program to install above-ground storm shelters for households where an in-ground shelter is impractical.

Staff reported 74 storm shelters completed and installed out of the initial batch of about 130 confirmed interested households; 31 files are pending with contractors and additional phases are under way. Typical installed units that include floor, walls and roof were described as costing about $4,600 to $6,800 each, with many installations averaging around $5,000; some garage or metal-panel units can cost $7,000 to $8,000, staff said. The shelters in use are above-ground units intended for elders and residents with mobility needs; staff said the units are anchored with helicoil anchors and are designed for easy access.

Electronic payments and fees

Council members asked about fees for debit- or credit-card payments. Housing staff said the housing authority does not profit from the processing fee; the card processor charges about 3 percent and the authority passes that fee on to card users. The authority absorbs lower-cost ACH/banking transfers (about $1—$2 per transaction) and accepts checks and cash, staff said. ACH typically posts in 24 to 48 hours while credit-card transactions can post within 12 to 24 hours, staff told the committee.

Questions from councilors covered shelter ratings and siting, meter and utility coordination and contractor-weather delays; staff said some installations were delayed by weather and property- or floodplain-related issues, and that the program is continuing through phased work to clear the backlog.

Ending

Council members thanked housing staff for the report and asked to follow up offline on a few site-specific questions.