Council approves $900,000 amendment and evaluation plan for local rental-assistance program (Sysrep)

Charlottesville City Council approved an eighth amendment to the Charlottesville Supplemental Rental Assistance Program (Sysrep) and accepted a staff work plan to evaluate the program’s design and outcomes.

Madeline Metzler, acting housing program manager (Speaker 24), told council the program currently serves 68 households (including roughly 83 children) and targets households at or below 30% of area median income. The amendment clarifies waitlist procedures — CRHA will maintain separate CDC/City and housing choice voucher waitlists — and revises admissions priorities while removing minimum/maximum thresholds for certain preference categories to simplify administration.

The amendment also authorizes up to $20,000 of the FY26 allocation for software to improve waitlist management and quarterly reporting and includes a work plan for a six‑month evaluation that will involve program participants, referral agencies and CRHA staff. Staff recommended approval of a not‑to‑exceed $900,000 allocation included in the city’s budget.

Council members questioned the program’s ability to move households to self-sufficiency and discussed delinquencies observed in legacy properties (Friendship Court/Kindlewood). John Sales (Speaker 4, CRHA on Zoom) said the voucher waitlist is roughly 1,700 families while the locally funded Sysrep waitlist is about 50–60 families; he added families rarely move entirely off Sysrep due to persistent affordability constraints.

Speaker 2 moved the resolution and Speaker 13 seconded; council approved the amendment by voice vote, 5–0.