MOHCD and OCII report larger COP outreach as residents and commissioners press for deeper affordability

OCII and the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) presented their annual Certificate of Preference (COP) marketing and placement report on Feb. 4, reporting expanded outreach and more COP issuances during fiscal year 2023–24 while community members said persistent administrative and affordability barriers remain.

Pam Sims of OCII summarized the program and told the commission that in the last 11 years OCII‑funded developments housed 95 COP holders and MOHCD developments housed 199, for a combined 294 placements. Maria Benjamin of MOHCD said the office received 452 inquiries in the reporting year, issued 319 certificates (76 to original displacees and 243 to descendants) and that 60 COP holders applied for housing during the year; 34 used their certificates to secure housing during the same period. MOHCD said average applicant income was about 44% of area median income (AMI).

MOHCD described process improvements: dedicated staffing (program coordinator added), a live hotline for inquiries, a tailored resource guide for descendants, reduced paperwork and improved interagency records access (for example, working with the county recorder and school district to obtain records) to speed application processing. Staff credited a contract with LINCS/Insights/Investigations (with community leadership foundation partners) for helping locate descendants and confirm contact information.

Community speakers praised outreach work but described repeated practical barriers when trying to use certificates. Natalie Tucker, who said her husband’s family were displaced in the 1960s, said MOHCD initially denied a homeownership application over a 2% paperwork discrepancy and that the couple only succeeded after a commissioner intervened. Janice Smith, a COP holder, said her certificate expired in 2021 and she has not received an updated certificate after applying in October 2023. Resident commenters and community groups urged additional hand‑holding for older residents and descendants navigating documentation and underwriting and asked for faster, clearer access to down‑payment assistance.

Commissioners echoed both appreciation for the expanded outreach and concern about remaining gaps. Commissioner Brackett reviewed the recent history of the COP program, saying an attempt to let the program expire in 2025 was stopped after community notification and commission action; she traced the formation of a COP subcommittee and advocacy that led to descendant eligibility changes in state law. Brackett and others pushed for more deeply affordable units (below 50% AMI), more effective marketing (including transit ads) and clearer tracking of placements and waitlist outcomes. Several community members and the Hunters Point Shipyard CAC urged that newly enacted state law (Senate Bill 593) be used to accelerate replacement housing in project areas that would provide COP holders meaningful access.

After public comment and discussion the commission voted 4-0 to continue further COP discussion and follow‑up to the next meeting so commissioners and staff could complete outstanding questions and provide additional documentation requested by the commission.

Key figures from the presentations: MOHCD reported 452 inquiries in FY 2023–24; 319 certificates issued; 60 COP holders applied for housing in the year; 34 COP holders were placed using their certificates during that year. OCII staff reported cumulative placements of 95 in OCII developments and 199 in MOHCD developments (total 294) over the last 11 years. MOHCD said most COP holders are low income and that 75% of those placed used an operating subsidy to afford units in the reporting year.

Community members asked staff for better case work for applicants (help filling and submitting documentation), clearer public information about expired certificates and how to reapply, stronger outreach to descendants and explicit reporting on how many COP holders ultimately become homeowners. MOHCD staff provided telephone numbers for assistance for callers and said additional process improvements and a phase‑3 outreach effort were underway.

The commission agreed to continue the COP agenda item for follow‑up at the next meeting and to provide additional documentation requested by commissioners.