Culver City Housing Authority Section 8 Management Assessment Program Indicator Scoring:
Indicator 1: Selection from the Waitlist- The Culver City Housing Authority (CCHA) has written policies in its Section 8 Administrative P lan for selecting applicants from the waiting list and therefore is in full compliance for this indicator.
Quality control showed as least 100% of families were correctly selected.
Indicator 2: Reasonable Rent - As required by US Department of Housing and Urban Dev elopment ( HUD), all Section 8 H ousing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP) files must contain information pertaining to comparable rents of each leased unit. Of the files evaluated, each contained rent reasonableness information and resulted in a score of 100%.
Indicator 3 – Determination of Adjusted Income – This evaluation resulted in a one hundred (100%) performance rating. This high score in calculating adjusted income and calculating correct program participant rent is directly related to the creation of an internal Rent Calculation Audit Worksheet for each file managed by the CCHA staff. Additionally, the Housing Programs Supervisor, who oversees the daily management of the Section 8 HCV Program, conducts a quality control review of each file upon completion.
Indicator 4- Utility Allowance Schedule- The CCHA maintains an up -to-date utility allowance schedule. The CCHA has reviewed the utility rates that were obtained within the last 12 months. The utility allowance schedule must be adjusted if there was a change of 10% or more in a utility rate since the last time the utility allowance was revised. The CCHA has recently updated the utility rates and all files with effective notice of action dated 4/1/2023 and after will include new utility rates. These rates were updated based upon L os Angeles County recent data.
Indicator 5 – Housing Quality Standard (HQS) Control I nspections – The CCHA remains in full compliance in FY 20 22/2023 in terms of performing and subsequently auditing annual inspections. The Housing and Human Services Project Manager and Code Enforcement Officer re-inspected the units randomly selected for the SEMAP evaluation to ensure HQS compliance. There were 12 randomly selected sample files. The result was a one hundred percent (100%) performance rating.
Indicator 6- HQS Enforcement- The CCHA has not failed any units for 2022-2023 that required action within 24 hours due to health and safety violations and therefore did not have a quality control sample for this indicator. The result was a one hundred percent (100%) performance rating.
Indicator 7 – Expanding Housing Opportunities - The CCHA strategy to encourage owner participation was implemented by the CCHA’s increased efforts to enhance property owner outreach. A strong relationship with property owners is essential to maintaining existing and attracting greater property owner participation which results in expanded housing opportunities. The activities created to maintain and attract property owners to participate in the Section 8 HCV Program include small gestures like giving hand -written “thank you" notes and making direct telephone calls to express CCHA gratitude to property owners who participate in the Section 8 HCV Program. In addition, an Owner Fair is scheduled for this fiscal year to attract and retain property owners to participate in the Section 8 HCV. Local property owners will be invited to learn more about the Section 8 HCV program and how the property owner can benefit from participation in the program.
To maintain excellent customer service, staff responds to property owner telephone calls within twenty-four (24) hours. Inspections for new lease-ups or rent increases are also scheduled either the same day or within twenty -four (24) to forty-eight (48) hours.
The CCHA is currently implementing landlord incentives which include a Vacancy Loss and Damage Claim and a Holding Fee program to help assist current and new participating owners. We have re-introduced our Neighborhood Preservation Program and offer up to a $5,000 grant for life safety repairs for low- and moderate- income residents (up to 10 units). We also offer up to $2500 Security Deposit paid on behalf of a Section 8 HCV Participants who lease up in a Culver City unit. Additionally, Rent Control & Tenant Protections became permanent in the Culver City in October of 2020. The Rent Control Ordinance requires that all property owners (whether exempt from rent control or not) register their units and pay the associated registration fee of $167 (fee amount was approved by Council at its May 24, 2021, meeting) per unit by the annual registration deadline of July 31st every year.
The Rent Control Ordinance caps rent increases at 5% (the minimum is 2% and the maximum allowable percentage is updated on a monthly basis), allows for landlord s to file Capital Improvement Applications for eligible capital improvement expenses and Rent Adjustment applications if the landlord desires to increase rents at an amount greater than the limitations on rent increases, and allows tenants to file a Tenant Petition for Noncompliance for reduced housing services or unjustified rent increases.
The Tenant Protections Ordinance provides eviction protections for tenants who have lawfully and continuously occupied their unit for 12 months or more (eviction protections require that a landlord has cause, either for cause or no fault under the ordinance), relocation assistance for some no-fault evictions, regulations for voluntary tenant buyout agreements and tenant protections for untenantable conditions, including temporary relocation benefits.
Culver City is also pleased to announce that it will soon be opening two repurposed motels, funded through California’s Project Homekey, with 73 units of supportive and interim housing. The two repurposed motels will fulfi ll different needs: one will have 38 units suited for interim emergency housing, while the other will have 35 units for long-term supportive housing for people experiencing chronic homelessness. Both of the motel repurpose developments will provide a safe place indoors where people can find wrap-around services, healing, and stabilization. Combined, the projects take an innovative approach to streamlining housing and social services by co -locating both interim housing and long -term supportive housing next t o each other. The goal of supportive housing is to provide a safe and nurturing environment where formerly unhoused individuals can transition into independent community living.
CCHA staff continue to seek out new strategies to improve participation. Our strategies to encourage property owners to continue participation in the Section 8 HCV Program along with Rent Control and Tenant Protections and addressing the City’s unhoused population resulted in a 100% score for this Indicator.
Indicator 8- Payment Standards- This evaluation resulted in a one hundred percent (100%) performance rating as the CCHA has adopted current payment standards for the voucher program by unit size. As an example, the payment standard for a two (2) bedroom is $ 2,660.00. The CCHA has been granted approval to utilized Small Market Fair Market Rents.
Indicator 9-Timely Annual Reexaminations - This evaluation resulted in a one hundred percent (100%) performance rating as the CCHA has completed a reexamination to determine income eligibility and affordable rent payments for each participating family at least every 12 months.
Indicator 10 – Correct T enant Rent Calculations – Compliance is at one hundred percent ( 100%). To assure continued one hundred percent (100%) compliance in this area, staff will be given ongoing training to stay abreast of any changes in HUD rules and regulations in this area. In addition, a staff person is dedicated to receiving and reviewing the HUD notices that impact daily operations.
Indicators 11 and 12 – Pre contract HQS Inspections and Annual HQS Inspections – One hundred percent (100%) of all units newly leased passe d the HQS inspection before the execution of a lease and Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contract. Additionally, one hundred percent (100%) of all units undergo an annual inspection. CCHA staff also guarantees that initial inspections will be scheduled within forty-eight (48) hours.
Indicator 13 – Lease-Up – The Housing Authority continues to strive towards improving the current lease up rate. This is an increased challenge with market rent exceeding the HUD allowed payment standard and a ver y low vacancy rate.
There have been zero (0) new lease-ups from the waitlist for FY 22/23.
Indicator 14-Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) - Since 1999 the Housing Authority has been awarded over $1, 056,731 .00 to assist Section 8 HCVP participants achieve their goal of self-sufficiency. On June 27, 2022, the City Council approved a 3-year contract with St. Joseph’s Center to continue to provide case management, needs assessment, job development services and su pportive service referrals for the FSS participants. A total of seventy-four (74) households have participated in FSS. Of this number, thirty-three (33) have graduated. There are currently eleven (11) households enrolled in the program. The FSS Coordinator continues to outreach to our Section 8 HCV participants via emails, telephone calls, letters and in-person meetings to continue growth of the program.
In addition, an Open House will be scheduled to attract additional participants to the program. During the Open Housing future FSS participant s will meet CCHA staff and learn how the program can assist in helping meet economic and personal goals.