Culver City Housing Authority (CCHA) SEMAP Indicator Scoring:
Indicator 1: Selection from the Waitlist- The 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 100% of families were correctly selected.
Indicator 2: Reasonable Rent - As required by HUD, all Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program 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 percent (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 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 ten percent (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 10/1/2024. These rates were updated based upon Los Angeles County recent data.
Indicator 5 – Housing Quality Standard (HQS) Control Inspections – The CCHA remains in full compliance in Fiscal Year ( FY) 2024-2025 in terms of performing and subsequently auditing annual inspections. A Code Enforcement Officer from the Housing and Human Services Enforcement Services Division 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 FY 2024- 2025 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 - 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.
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 Dama ge Claim and a Holding Fee program to help assist current and new participating property owners.
Rent Control & Tenant Protections became permanent in the City of Culver City in October of 2020.
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 landlords 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 two repurposed motels, funded through California’s Project HomeKey Round 2, with 73 units of supportive and interim housing has opened. The two repurposed motels fulfill different needs: one has 38 units suited for interim emergency housing, while the other has 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 to each other. The goal of supportive housing is to prov ide a safe and nurturing environment where formerly unhoused individuals can transition into independent community living.
Most recently, Culver City is excited to announce the addition of the Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) Program.
Staff overseeing the FY I Program have collected the income information of five (5) Foster Youth individuals that have been preselected for voucher issuance. The CCHA plans to host a meet and greet event at a local museum where these youths can be introduced personally to local property owners in Culver City to make the transition and lease up search more accommodating for them. This event is scheduled to take place towards the end of summer 2025 and Section 8 vouchers will be issued around the same time. It will also be highly recommended that these youths enter into a 5 year contract through our Family Self Sufficiency program.
Culver City Housing Authority and Culver City staff continue to seek out new strategies to improve participation and affordable housing . Our strategies to encourage property owners to continue participation in the Section 8 HCV Program along with rent control, tenant protections and addressing the City’s unhoused population resulted in a one hundred percent (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 $2,974.00.
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 HCV Program households at least every 12 months.
Indicator 10 – Correct Tenant 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, one 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 passed the HQS inspection before the execution of a lease agreement and Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contract. Additionally, one hundred percent (100%) of all units undergo an annual inspection. Housing staff also guarantees that initial inspections will be scheduled within forty-eight (48) hours.
Indicator 13 – Lease-Up – The CCHA is engaged in cost saving measures. No new Section 8 HCV were issued from the Section 8 HCV Waiting List. There have been zero (0) new lease-ups from the waitlist for FY 2024-2025.
Indicator 14-Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) - Since 1999 the CCHA has been awarded over $1, 127,081 through HUD grant funding under the FSS Coordinator Grant to assist Section 8 HCV Program participants achieve their goal of economic self-sufficiency. On June 23, 2025, 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 supportive service referrals for the FSS participants. A total of seventy-four (74) households have participated in FSS.
Of this number, thirty-three (35) have graduated. There are currently fifteen (15) households enrolled in the program. The FSS Coordinator continues to outreach to our Section 8 HVC Program participants via emails, telephone calls, letters and in-person meetings to continue growth of the program.