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HOUSING AUTHORITY AGENDA REPORT
City of Anaheim
HOUSING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
DEPARTMENT
DATE: MAY 13, 2025
FROM: HOUSING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: APPROVE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH
AMA CONSULTING GROUP, LLC FOR PROCESS
DOCUMENTATION AND TRAINING DEVELOPMENT
SERVICES
ATTACHMENT (Y/N): YES ITEM # 05
GOVERNMENT CODE § 84308 APPLIES: YES
RECOMMENDATION:
That the Governing Board of the Anaheim Housing Authority, by Motion, approve a Professional Services Agreement with AMA Consulting Group, LLC, for process documentation and training development for the Housing Choice Voucher program, in an amount not to exceed $300,000, for an initial two-year term ending May 31, 2027 with two optional one year renewals, and authorize the Executive Director to execute and administer the Agreement on behalf of the Anaheim Housing Authority.
DISCUSSION:
The Anaheim Housing Authority (Authority) is a Public Housing Agency (PHA) responsible for administering the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program in the City of Anaheim on behalf of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). As the federal government’s largest housing initiative, the HCV program helps very low-income individuals and families to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private rental market through the provision of rental subsidies. Currently, the Authority provides rental subsidies to approximately 6,700 households. Congress allocates funding for the HCV program annually, and HUD disburses it to local PHAs.
The Authority operates under an Annual Contributions Contract (ACC) with HUD, which mandates the administration of the HCV program in compliance with federal laws and regulations. Federal regulations for the HCV program require PHAs to recertify and verify continued program eligibility every year, evaluate eligibility for new applicants, perform Housing Quality Standards inspections and negotiate and execute Housing Assistance Payments contracts with landlords.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the housing industry has seen a significant increase in retirements among experienced employees. The Authority has Approval of PSA for Process Documentation and Training Development Services May 13, 2025
also been affected by this trend, hiring many new staff members who are unfamiliar with the industry but who are deemed to have transferable skills. The Authority offers certification training to help staff understand federal program rules, however the day-to- day procedures for managing the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program are mainly taught through deskside training. The program has long benefitted from tenured staff for this purpose, however due to staff turnover and evolving federal regulations, procedural changes are often not documented, which makes it harder and less consistent to train new staff or help existing staff refresh their knowledge.
As a result, HCV leadership staff has assessed that there is a need for clear, written standard operating procedures and the development of a structured uniform training program for core functions. A survey of all Housing division staff conducted in February 2025 also confirmed that these are the top two resources staff believe would help them perform their jobs more effectively.
To address this significant need, the Authority reviewed options for this type of work. It is noted that the Housing Choice Voucher Program is a highly prescribed federal program and therefore, there are limited providers in this space. Informal discussions with potential providers revealed a lack of capacity and/or inability to build a team that could respond expediently because of current engagements in direct management of other HCV programs. Of the limited potential providers, AMA Consulting Group, has the ability and capacity to respond to our current needs, that is, they can have a team on site to start work within days of contract approval.
Staff requests approval to entering into an agreement with AMA Consulting Group, LLC. with the goal of strengthening and stabilizing the Housing workforce. AMA will help by mapping out key processes, creating formal standard operating procedures, and providing consistent training based on the newly documented processes. AMA Consulting Group is one of the few firms that specialize in both process mapping and training development, making them a recognized leader in this field.
These services are deemed essential currently as the HCV operations is undergoing a significant transition because of recent and upcoming retirements of key management staff and declining staff retention rates.
IMPACT ON BUDGET:
The HCV program is entirely funded by federal funds provided by HUD. Services provided through the Agreement will be funded by administrative fees from HUD for the HCV program and are included in the Housing and Community Development Department’s proposed FY 2025/26 budget.
Approval of PSA for Process Documentation and Training Development Services May 13, 2025
Respectfully submitted,
Grace Ruiz-Stepter
Executive Director of
Anaheim Housing Authority
Attachment:
1. Professional Services Agreement