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Palmdale housing staff present annual report; council amends PLHA plan to shift homeless services funds
Summary
Housing Authority staff reviewed the annual report on managed assets and programs and told council they are current on bond payments; council approved a PLHA five‑year plan amendment to reallocate previously planned navigation‑center funds to existing homeless services (including the Dream Village tiny‑home project), add down‑payment assistance and increase rehab/accessibility funds.
Housing Authority staff presented the authority’s annual activities report and reviewed asset management, recent contracts and ongoing affordable‑housing efforts.
"The item before you is Item 6.1 to approve the Housing Authority of the City of Palmdale’s annual report," said Sofia, the housing staff presenter. She summarized activities including assumption of assets from the former redevelopment agency, management of housing authority properties and refinancing status of mortgage revenue bonds used for multifamily rehabilitation.
The presentation listed multiple projects and program updates, citing loan agreements, amendments to implement partner agreements (including work with nonprofit partners), a veterans purchase assistance loan program (VPAL) and rehabilitation projects for units designated as affordable rentals. When commissioners raised resident concerns about management of three mobile‑home parks, staff said an agreement with Newport Pacific remains in place, security contractors were changed via an RFP and some lighting/security improvements were implemented in response to resident requests.
During the PLHA public hearing (item 8.2), staff described a proposed amendment to the Permanent Local Housing Allocation five‑year plan. The proposal moves previously allocated navigation‑center construction funds toward existing, ready‑to‑implement homeless services (noting delays and rising costs for the originally proposed navigation center) and redirects funding toward the Dream Village tiny‑home project, duplex new‑construction units targeted at households at 60% area median income and expanded down‑payment assistance and rehabilitation/accessibility work.
Staff said the PLHA pot the city receives is approximately $5 million over five years and explained that some past year allocations cannot be amended; staff also said they will explore whether portions of these funds can help complete other affordable‑housing projects such as Together California. The council adopted the PLHA amendment and the accompanying resolution.
On down‑payment assistance, staff said the amendment adds about $500,000 to existing programs and noted a maximum assistance cap previously discussed by staff (the staff figure cited a $125,000 maximum amount as a program cap for individual awards, to be used only as necessary and typically well below that maximum). Councilmembers pressed staff on outreach to real‑estate professionals and the timing for opening an interest list; staff said they have a waiting list for initial rounds and plan an email notice to an interest list when more awards are available.
Council also received public testimony during the hearing but no substantive public opposition to the staff recommendations was recorded; the council approved the PLHA amendments and related actions as presented.
