The Carlsbad Housing Commission voted unanimously Jan. 9 to recommend that the City Council, acting as the Community Development Commission, approve a memorandum of agreement allowing the Housing Authority of the County of San Diego to administer six HUD‑VASH project‑based vouchers at the Windsor Point affordable housing development.

The agreement would permit the county housing authority to administer leasing, compliance and case‑management duties for six project‑based vouchers designed for eligible veterans. Christian Gutierrez, a staff member, told commissioners the arrangement would be governed by a five‑year agreement renewable up to 20 years and is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act. Gutierrez said, “there's no fiscal impact to the City of Carlsbad. All funding for the rental assistance will come from HUD via the County of San Diego.”

The HUD‑VASH project‑based vouchers differ from tenant‑based vouchers because they remain with specific units when tenants move, preserving long‑term affordability for future residents of those units. Under the proposed memorandum of agreement, the Carlsbad Housing Authority grants jurisdictional consent for the county housing authority to operate the vouchers within Carlsbad while the county handles leasing and compliance.

Commissioners asked whether Windsor Point, which staff said does not currently have enough vacancies to absorb more vouchers, could apply later for additional allocations. Gutierrez said requests for HUD‑VASH vouchers are generally made on an annual schedule and that a property could reapply for additional vouchers in the future; any future awards would be subject to HUD and Veterans Affairs compliance reviews. Commissioner DeGoroz noted Windsor Point has been a hotspot for police activity and said he would like to see voucher utilization increase if a higher share of veterans on the property corresponds with a decline in incidents.

Commissioner Chang moved the resolution recommending approval of the agreement to allow project‑based HUD‑VASH vouchers to be administered at Windsor Point; Commissioner Berger seconded. The motion carried unanimously.

If the City Council, acting as the Community Development Commission, approves the recommendation and HUD‑VASH vouchers are awarded, staff said implementation at Windsor Point could begin under the terms described in the memorandum of agreement.