RESOLUTION NO. [XXXX]
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COMMERCE APPROVING AN AMENDMENT TO THE PERMANENT LOCAL HOUSING ALLOCATION (PLHA) PROGRAM TO REALLOCATE FUNDS FOR A RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR VETERANS WHEREAS, the City of Commerce (“City”) is an eligible recipient of funding under the Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA) Program administered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development; and WHEREAS, PLHA funds are intended to assist persons experiencing or at risk of homelessness and to support affordable housing activities benefiting low- and moderate-income households; and WHEREAS, on February 11, 2025, the City Council allocated PLHA funds toward a Housing Rehabilitation Program in the amount of $59,326; and WHEREAS, the City has identified a critical need to provide rental assistance to low-income veterans who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness; and WHEREAS, the City desires to amend its PLHA Program to reallocate funds from the Housing Rehabilitation Program to a Rental Assistance Program for Veterans; and WHEREAS, the proposed program will provide short-term rental assistance payments directly to landlords on behalf of eligible veteran households to promote housing stability and prevent homelessness; and WHEREAS, the Los Angeles County Development Authority has advised that such amendment is permissible and subject to approval by the City Council; and WHEREAS, the City Council finds that this action is not a project subject to the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to Section 15378(b)(5), as it involves administrative activities that will not result in a direct or indirect physical change in the environment; and WHEREAS, on May 12, 2026, the City Council reviewed and considered the request to allocate PLHA funds from a Housing Rehabilitation Program to a Rental Assistance Program for Veteran’s (the “amended PLHA Program”).
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COMMERCE DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AND ORDER AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1: The City Council of the City of Commerce hereby finds and declares that the foregoing recitals are true and correct and a and incorporates them herein as findings and as a substantive part of this Resolution.
Section 2: The City Council hereby takes the following actions:
Approve an amendment to the City’s PLHA Program from the Housing Rehabilitation Program to a Rental Assistance Program for Veterans; Reallocate previously approved PLHA funds totaling $59,326 from the Housing Rehabilitation Program to a Rental Assistance Program for Veterans; Authorize the City Manager or designee to develop and adopt policies and procedures for distributing funds for qualified expenses, eligibility criteria, allowed expenses, and application process, among others; Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute all necessary documents to implement the amendment; Authorize a one-time budget appropriation of $11,800 from the City’s Project Management Fund to support program implementation and administration of the amended PLHA Program; Authorize the City Manager to make any necessary amendments to an existing on-call agreement with Avant Garde Inc. to increase the budget, scope and term for the implementation and administration of the amended PLHA Program; and Section 3: The City Manager, or designee, is hereby authorized and directed to:
Implement City’s PLHA Program in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations; Complete a budget appropriation from the project management fund in the amount of $11,800 for program implementation and administration; Develop and adopt policies and procedures for distributing funds for qualified expenses, eligibility criteria, allowed expenses, and application process, among others; and Make any necessary amendments to an existing agreement with Avant Garde Inc. to increase the contract budget in the amount of $11,800, add additional scope and extend the term of the contract for the implementation and administration of the amended PLHA Program.
Section 4: The City Manager or his designee is authorized to execute the contractual and related documents for the implementation of the program contained herein.
Section 5: Authorize the Mayor to execute this Resolution for and on behalf of the City of Commerce.
Section 6. This Resolution shall take full force and effect immediately upon adoption by the City Council.
PASSED, APPROVED and ADOPTED this 12th day of May 2026
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Kevin Lainez, Mayor
ATTEST:
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Pat Jacquez-Nares, Interim City Clerk