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Housing Authority reports turnaround, boosts vouchers and development pipeline
Summary
Monterey County Housing Authority leaders reported a multi-year turnaround at the agency: audits and HUD reviews are current, voucher utilization rose from 3,249 to about 4,553 leased vouchers (2022–24), special-purpose voucher programs were preserved or expanded and new development and supportive-service initiatives are under way.
The Housing Authority of the County of Monterey told the Board of Supervisors March 11 that the agency has completed a broad operational turnaround since late 2022, improving financial controls, program utilization, inspections and partner relationships.
Executive Director Zuleika (last name given in staff materials) said the agency moved off HUD’s watch list after addressing past audit and program deficiencies, modernized property-management and landlord services and increased affordable-housing access through a burst of voucher issuance events. The section 8 housing choice voucher program leased up an estimated 3,249 households in 2022; by the end of 2024 the authority reported 4,553 leased vouchers — a roughly 40 percent increase in households served — and said its total program allocation is about 5,117 vouchers.
To accelerate placements, the authority held large on-site issuance events: a one-day intake with Hartnell College in 2023 and a three-day “One of a Thousand” event in 2024 that issued more than 1,000 vouchers and involved municipalities, nonprofit partners and commissioners. Specialized voucher programs saw improvement: the emergency housing voucher (EHV) allocation was fully issued and retained despite initial underuse; mainstream vouchers for nonelderly disabled households were fully utilized; and Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) vouchers reached about 94 percent utilization with a possible federal award of more vouchers under review.
Property-management operations also improved, the director said. A new resident portal and vendor direct-deposit system (RentCafe) reduces paperwork, enables online certifications and repairs requests, and saved the agency an estimated $1.2 million by cutting manual check processing and in-person administrative time. The agency reported improved REAC and MORS scores and a better relationship with USDA for farmworker housing operations; it said it used available COVID-era funds to support property operations and secured USDA support for King City migrant housing.
The housing authority’s development arm reported pending projects that could add several hundred units and tens of millions in project value over the next three to five years, including a recent acquisition of a 200-unit senior property (Pacific Meadows) and potential projects in Salinas, King City, Greenfield and Soledad. The authority said it had also been awarded a HUD foster-youth housing grant (~$2.1 million) to support a drop-in center and services in Soledad and that a behavioral-health bridge-housing collaboration (the Hope housing program) is operating and already has residents served.
Board members praised the agency’s progress and emphasized the need to preserve voucher placements as federal funding and program rules change. Housing Authority leaders said they will continue to refine landlord engagement, pursue additional development and expand supportive services.
