Housing Authority to shift management at Sunnydale and Potrero; reports high voucher utilization and inspection backlogs

Tanya Lehi, chief executive officer of the Housing Authority of the City and County of San Francisco, told the commission on Feb. 27 that Bell Properties will assume management of Sunnydale and Potrero beginning March 1 and that EBMC will remain through March to complete financial closeout tasks.

Lehi said the Authority sent introductory letters to residents, that Bell Properties has established office hours and rent information, and that the Authority and both contractors have been meeting daily during the transition. “EBMC will remain with us through the entire month of March so that we ensure that all financial business is closed out appropriately,” Lehi said.

Why it matters: Sunnydale and Potrero are large, active construction and relocation sites; management transitions affect resident services, inspections, and financial records that feed the Authority’s audits.

Lehi also presented quarterly operational metrics (Oct.–Dec. 2024). She reported utilization of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) budget at 96.62% and unit utilization at 96.03%. She said utilization has increased roughly 13% since 2022. The Authority reported recent strategic placement of project-based vouchers (PBVs), including 50 new PBVs at The Gardens and more than 200 PBVs placed in other affordable projects in coordination with the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development.

On inspections and enforcement, Lehi reported the Authority completed about 2,600 inspections that passed and recorded 976 failures; holds and abatements remain significant. As of Dec. 31, 2024, the Authority reported 232 holds (about $357,000, averaging about 4.3 months) and 204 abatements (over $400,000, averaging about 9.4 months). Lehi said the Authority is tracking holds and abatements with weekly stakeholder calls and an abatement report distributed to developers and property managers.

Lehi described process improvements: a new landlord portal for owners to view inspection scheduling and case status, more robust notice and calling procedures to reduce no‑shows, and a system for prioritizing reinspections once owners report corrections. She said staff coordinate with the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development and service providers to resolve resident documentation issues that can cause holds.

On federal funding, Lehi said the Authority is monitoring pending Congressional appropriations and that, while final federal appropriations remain uncertain, the Authority has continued to receive HUD subsidy commitments and is conducting predictive financial modeling. “We continue to receive our subsidy as been committed by HUD,” she said.

Ending: Commissioners requested quarterly deep dives on PIC and CMAP metrics, procurement summaries every six months, and continued reporting on Sunnydale and Potrero operations as the Bell Properties transition proceeds.