Glendale council and housing authority approve priority for 11 HOME‑ARP senior units to aid EHV households

The Glendale City Council and Glendale Housing Authority on June 23 approved a substantial amendment to the cityHOME‑ARP allocation plan to prioritize certain senior Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) households for 11 HOME‑ARP‑assisted units at Parkview Glendale, a 68‑unit affordable senior development at 426 Piedmont Avenue.

Pam Jackson, the cityhousing coordinator, told the joint meeting the Parkview development is nearing completion and that 11 units were funded with HOME‑ARP dollars approved by HUD in 2023. "Tenants who reside in these 11 units would not pay more than 30% of their income for a period of 15 years," Jackson said, and staff proposed a priority for "senior EHV households who have received a notice of termination of their voucher assistance and who have not received a tenant protection voucher or other replacement federal rental assistance."

The amendment was prompted by the anticipated loss of ongoing EHV funding. Jackson said the city conducted a 15‑day public comment period and coordinated with HUD; with council approval staff will submit the amendment for HUD review, a process Jackson said can take about 45 days. She described a proposed administrative approach: after initial lease‑up the original referral process would resume (the developers wait list and continuum of care referrals), and the city would conduct outreach to senior EHV households once HUD has approved the change.

Public commenters urged broader use of other local resources and faster action. Annie Cash, a housing advocate, told the council that the term "HOME" describes several separate funding tools and warned that the amendment for 11 units is only "a step forward" toward keeping dozens of households housed. "The city wrote me into its own plan and now the city is preparing to put me on the street," Cash said, pressing the council to use Measure A funds and to file a separate substantial amendment to the consolidated/annual action plan so a HOME rental bridge could help more EHV families.

During questions, council members pressed staff on who would qualify. Jackson said roughly 70 of the 188 at‑risk households in the EHV cohort were seniors who might qualify by age and other federally defined categories (homeless, at risk of homelessness, fleeing domestic violence, or at greatest risk of housing instability). The council discussed fairness tradeoffs: giving priority to seniors moving off EHV could displace other applicants on the Parkview lottery list who had applied earlier.

Staff also reiterated a parallel, previously discussed short‑term option: a six‑month tenant‑based rental (TBR) program using HOME dollars to bridge households while the EHV situation is resolved. Jackson and Mike Forney, acting assistant director of community redevelopment, said the city recommends both establishing the six‑month TBR bridge funded with HOME and offering the 11 HOME‑ARP units the opportunity to eligible EHV seniors; they cautioned that any changes would require HUD review for compliance.

On a roll call, the council and the housing authority approved the council resolution and the authority motion to adopt the substantial amendment; the transcript records unanimous yes votes.

The amendment now will be submitted to HUD for review; if HUD approves, staff will contact senior EHV households to explain options and next steps, including whether they prefer the longer‑term Parkview units (30% of income for 15 years) or other temporary assistance the city will make available.