Agenda Item No: L.1
AGENDA REPORT
DATE: April 15, 2025
TO: Mayor and Council
FROM: David Gassaway, City Manager
SUBJECT: Resolution HA2025 -02 HD Fairfield Housing Authority's Public Housing Agency Annual Plan Fiscal Year 2025-2026
Approving the Fairfield Housing Authority's Public Housing Agency Annual Plan for Fiscal Year 2025-2026
Funding Source: N/A
Contact: Tanya Tran, (707) 428-7391
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Hold a public hearing and adopt a resolution.
STATEMENT OF ISSUE
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires the Fairfield Housing Authority (FHA) to prepare and submit a Public Housing Agency (PHA) Annual Plan to receive continued federal funding for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program. HUD requires a minimum of one public hearing to approve any PHA Annual Plan.
DISCUSSION
The PHA Plan is a comprehensive guide to a PHA's policies, programs, operations, and strategies for meeting local housing needs and goals. It informs HUD, residents, and the public of the PHA's mission for serving the needs of low-income and very low-income families and the PHA's strategy for addressing those needs. There are two parts to the PHA Plan. The first part is the 5-Year Plan.
This Plan describes the agency's mission, goals, and objectives and is submitted to HUD once every fifth fiscal year. The second part is the Annual Plan, which is submitted to HUD every year and covers the policies and procedures of the agency. The PHA's current 5-Year Plan expires June 30, 2026.
With over 900 vouchers authorized, the HCV Program is one of the City of Fairfield's most impactful programs to address homelessness. Participating landlords receive direct rental
voucher subsidies in exchange for decent, safe, and stable housing for voucher recipients. Units assisted by these vouchers are determined primarily by the participant's family, consistent with fair housing laws. The FHA has a policy to encourage participant families to search for housing outside high-poverty or minority concen tration areas. The FHA does not own or operate public housing units; therefore, participant families must rent directly from private landlords. Assisted units must always meet essential health and safety requirements called Housing Quality Standards (HQS).
The Annual PHA Plan document is a template created and required by HUD. Because every PHA must use the same template, many sections do not apply to the FHA because it does not own or administer public housing units. Some updates that do apply to FHA in clude but are not limited to an increase in allocated vouchers from 894 to 914, designation as a Standard Performer on HUD's Section Eight Management Assessment Program (SEMAP), collaboration with Fair Housing of Northern California (FHNC) to provide Fair Housing training for both housing providers and housing staff, and adding 50 Project -Based Voucher (PBV) units to house homeless, at risk of homelessness, and low -income families and veterans. All goals in the FHA 5 -year and Annual Plans are in line with the components of the City's Housing Element.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Submission and approval of the FHA Annual Plan is the basis for receiving over $10,000,000 of federal funds from HUD to FHA (Fund 21).
PUBLIC CONTACT/ADVISORY BODY RECOMMENDATION
The Notice for the FHA Annual Plan was advertised in the Daily Republic on February 23, 2025, and made available in the following locations for 45 days:
Fairfield Housing Authority, 1525 Webster St., Suite A, Fairfield, CA 94533 Fairfield Housing Services, 1525 Webster St., Suite B, Fairfield, CA 94533 Fairfield Civic Center Library, 1150 Kentucky Street
Fairfield City Clerk's office, 1000 Webster Street, 4th Floor
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
If the Chair and Commissioners choose not to move forward with this item, the longevity of the HCV program could be jeopardized and risk critical rental assistance subsidies to many vulnerable people in the City of Fairfield.
COORDINATED WITH
N/A
STAFF CONTACT
Tanya Tran, Housing Division Manager
(707) 428-7391
[email protected]
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 2: Proposed Resolution
Attachment 3: PHA Annual Plan