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West Valley officials propose transferring Section 8 voucher administration to Housing Connect
Summary
City legal staff proposed a voluntary transfer of the West Valley Housing Authority's Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program (≈530+ vouchers) and related tax-credit interests to Housing Connect (Salt Lake County), with a targeted July 1 transition. City employees would be offered positions at Housing Connect; tenants would keep vouchers.
Brandon Hill of the city legal department told the West Valley City Council on Feb. 11 that the administration is proposing a voluntary transfer of the West Valley Housing Authority’s Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program to Housing Connect, the Salt Lake County housing authority. “The proposal that is here is to transfer the housing authorities’ Section 8 housing choice voucher program, which is currently administered by the authority over to Housing Connect,” Hill said.
Hill said HUD permits voluntary transfers when a willing recipient exists and that Housing Connect has agreed to take on the city’s roughly 530-plus vouchers and residual interests in Low Income Housing Tax Credit properties. He said the administration is targeting a July 1 transition date and emphasized that “nobody loses their housing” in the transfer — tenants would keep their vouchers and receive a new case manager at Housing Connect.
Council members asked about tax-credit project liabilities and sign-offs. Hill said project debts and operating reserves would transfer and that the Utah Nonprofit Housing Corporation — which has a minority interest in the primary tax-credit property (Campbell Court) — has been consulted and is supportive but must approve the transfer. Hill also said the HUD regional director has been engaged and indicated support for jurisdictional consolidation in the past.
On staff impacts, Hill said four housing-authority employees currently paid through the city perform housing-authority functions; one is retirement eligible and the remaining three would be offered positions at Housing Connect but could decline. “We can’t make them,” Hill said, noting that the Thirteenth Amendment prevents compelled employment transfers.
The council’s study discussion did not include a final vote. If the council approves the proposal at a future regular meeting, the city would follow HUD’s transfer process and complete a final audit and HUD closeout as part of the transition.
