Housing Authority adopts FY 2025–26 budget amid federal funding uncertainty

The Contra Costa County Housing Authority voted unanimously on March 11 to adopt its annual agency budget for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026, and to approve PHA Board Resolution 5,267 on the HUD reporting form presented to the board.

Housing Authority staff described the draft budget as a "best case scenario" prepared to meet U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requirements while the federal budget remains unsettled. "This budget has a $1,800,000 loss on the public housing side," staff told commissioners and cautioned that future federal budget actions could require mid-year changes.

Staff also reported what it characterized as a surprise change to funding for the Emergency Housing Voucher program: the authority manages 201 vouchers under that program and was informed that the award will last only about 19 more months in the authority's case. "We have 201 vouchers on this program... we have about 19 months of funding left," the presenter said, and added that HUD had not provided a clear explanation for the change.

Staff highlighted a HUD award for a foster youth/transitional-age-youth initiative that partners with the county's Employment and Human Services Department and outside providers such as Hope Solutions. Commissioners asked questions about whether state-level homelessness initiatives affect the authority's funding; staff replied the housing authority is largely federally funded (staff said roughly 99.9 percent) though it holds some tax-credit properties.

There were no public comments. The board approved the budget and resolution by a recorded vote of 7-0. Chair Anderson adjourned the meeting and thanked representatives Cynthia and Joanne for attending before the body moved on to the next scheduled district board meeting.

Board members and staff said they will report back with updated figures when more information on federal allocations becomes available.