Housing Authority adopts 2025–26 PHA annual plan; appoints resident advisory board composed of tenant commissioners

The Housing Authority of the City of Santa Rosa on March 24 adopted its annual Public Housing Agency plan for fiscal year 2025–26 and, by resolution, appointed the Authority’s tenant commissioners to serve as the resident advisory board.

Rebecca Lane, program specialist in the Housing and Community Services Department, presented the plan and said the document has been available for public comment since Feb. 14; the public comment period closes March 31. "The public comment period closes one week from now on March 31," Lane said, describing the timeline for incorporating comments into the final version submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Lane told commissioners the Authority had requested a review of HUD's fair market rent determination for its metropolitan statistical area and had submitted a local market study; the request remains under HUD review. She also summarized recent project‑based voucher (PBV) activity: the Authority extended an existing PBV contract on the Rosenberg Building and added PBVs for seniors at Laurel at Perennial Park; staff reported they are in the process of leasing a total of 63 PBV units at South Park Commons and Cannery at Railroad Square that are dedicated for people experiencing homelessness. Lane said the administrative plan will be updated to reflect the portions of the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016 (HOTMA) that HUD has indicated can be implemented now, and that other HOTMA requirements are awaiting a new HUD data submission system before full implementation.

Commissioners asked about the resident advisory board process, PBV eligibility, how homeless‑dedicated units are referred, audit follow‑up and program staffing. Lane said referrals for homeless‑dedicated PBV units come through the Sonoma County Continuum of Care, which provides case management; staff also identified connecting waiting list households to case management when needed.

A motion to approve the resolution appointing tenant commissioners as the resident advisory board and to adopt the 2025–26 annual PHA plan passed by roll call vote. The motion was moved by Commissioner Owen and seconded by Vice Chair Downey; the roll call recorded six ayes and one absence (Commissioner Capio). The clerk recorded that the motion passed with six ayes and Commissioner Capio absent.

The plan includes updates to PBV activities and to the Family Self‑Sufficiency (FSS) program; staff said the Authority’s 2025 award increased funding for FSS compared with 2023 and that the program will continue.