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OCTOBER 18, 2022
ROLL CALL
-
3:00 PM
-
Report of the City Clerk of the City Council and Housing Authority, re: Posting of Agenda.
The Agenda for the Tuesday, October 18, 2022 joint public meeting of the City Council and Housing Authority was posted on Wednesday, October 12, 2022, on the Bulletin Board outside City Hall.
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CC HA
JOINT PUBLIC MEETING
of the City Council and Housing Authority is hereby called to meet at
3:00 PM
on
Tuesday, October 18, 2022
, in the Council Chamber, 613 E. Broadway,
2nd Floor, Glendale, CA 91206 to Consider the Following Item(s) of Business, to wit;
1. Community Development, re: Program Update and Future Considerations for Monthly Housing Subsidy Program
a. Motion to receive and file this report and provide direction as deemed necessary
ADJOURNMENT
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1 CITY OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
REPORT TO THE JOINT MEETING: GLENDALE CITY COUNCIL AND
GLENDALE HOUSING AUTHORITY
AGENDA ITEM
Report: Program Update and Future Considerations for Monthly Housing Subsidy Program
1.Motion to receive and file this report and provide direction as deemed necessary.
COUNCIL ACTION
Item Type: Action Item
Approved for October 18, 2022 calendar
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Monthly Housing Subsidy Program (MHSP) is nearing completion of its approved term. In October 2019, City Council approved the Monthly Housing Subsidy Program as a pilot program designed to assist 1,000 low income, disabled, senior Glendale rental residents with $300 in monthly housing subsidy for 24 months. The City Council originally approved $8.4 million in Measure S funding, and in December 2021 an additional $6 million to expand the program. These funds have been approved for a maximum number of participants, however only the necessary funding has been appropriated. The program currently serves 1,200 extremely low-income, disabled senior households.
Beginning in January 2023, applicants will have their assistance closed out and cease receiving their $300 monthly subsidy payment. Notifications of expiring subsidies are scheduled to begin going out to applicants in late October.
Housing staff is requesting City Council direction on the existing program and any changes they may wish to make to it. City Council has the option to allow the program to expire as originally designed or extend the duration of the current program. 3 of 10
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4 COUNCIL PRIORITIES
Housing: The Monthly Housing Subsidy Program provides current residents the opportunity to remain in, or find, quality and affordable housing in Glendale.
RECOMMENDATION
That the City Council/Housing Authority provide direction on the future of the MHSP and authorize staff to take the necessary steps to implement that direction.
BACKGROUND
In October 2019, City Council approved the Monthly Housing Subsidy Program as a pilot program designed to assist 1,000 low income, disabled, senior Glendale rental residents with $300 in monthly housing subsidy for 24 months.
The program originally received approval of $8.4 million in Measure S funding which included:
•$3.6 Million Allocated Annually for Direct Assistance Subsidy •$447,000 Allocated for Staffing
•$120,000 Allocated for Program Costs
•Total Budget of $4.2 Million Annually ($8.4M Total)
Funding included five staff members designated for the following positions:
•1 Customer Service Representative
•1 Administrative Assistant
•1 Housing Assistant
•2 Housing Associates
In total, 2,700 residents applied for the program of which approximately 300 were immediately disqualified for not meeting minimum qualifications such as living outside of Glendale or being under the age of 62. Approximately 2,400 applicants were entered into the lottery and 1,750 applicants were drawn. Of the 1,750, all 1,229 priority applications (75 years and older) were drawn and 521 non-priority applications were drawn. 666 applicants remained on the waiting list.
The program was originally set to expire in March of 2022. In December 2021, City Council extended the program for original 2-year applicants for an additional year (for a total of three years) and directed staff to qualify all remaining 666 applicants on the waiting list with a provision that they are given only one year of assistance.
As of the writing of this report, staff had exhausted all 2,416 applicants that originally applied and qualified for the program.
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4 The following chart shows the current status of applicants:
Chart 1: Status of Applications
Total
Approved 1,341
Disqualified 1,072
Pending 3
Remaining on list 0
TOTAL 2,416
Of the 1,341 applicants enrolled in the program, 147 have since been disqualified for various reasons. This number is expected to grow as the program continues because applicant’s circumstances change as they move out of Glendale, move to affordable housing, pass away, etc. A total of 1,194 applicants are active and currently receiving payments.
ANALYSIS
PROGRAM IMPACT ON PARTICIPANTS
The MHSP has had a positive impact on the lives of the applicants it serves and the Glendale community at large. According to applicants, many whose primary source of income is Social Security, they have had to rely on borrowing money from family or friends in order to make rent payments. With the assistance provided by the MHSP, these applicants were less reliant on the assistance of family and were able to help cover living expenses.
The program was intentionally designed without metrics for measuring the efficacy or utilization of the program. This was for simplicity in distributing the funds quickly and given the population being served, it was assumed any amount would be helpful. Staff nonetheless has been seeking information and data on the efficacy and utilization of the program. For applicants who have been receiving assistance for at least 1 year, staff began to survey them on a rolling basis to better understand how the subsidy payments have impacted their lives. Applicants were asked a series of questions as to their thoughts on MHSP and assistance received. Highlights of the nearly 368 household surveys received thus far include the following:
•98% of respondents stated that the MHSP helped pay some of their monthly rent. •49% of respondents said that the subsidy was relative to their needs, while 51% said the subsidy was not appropriate to their needs and stated that a subsidy of $400 to $500 would be more adequate.
•99% of applicants surveyed reported feeling more comfortable financially having received the subsidy.
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4 •81% of respondents reported an improvement with their physical health having received the subsidy.
•13% of respondents reported that receiving the subsidy allowed them to save money.
•70% of applicants surveyed are very satisfied with the program, 30% are satisfied.
•Applicants surveyed were asked if they were receiving financial support from a family member prior to receiving the subsidy. 23% responded yes and only 12% said that they were currently receiving family support after receiving the $300 monthly subsidy.
Data from the survey thus far shows that the subsidy payments have had a positive impact on the majority of applicants who received the payment. Applicants felt more comfortable financially and 81% claimed improvement in their physical health after receiving the subsidy. 47% of applicants who were previously receiving financial support from a relative no longer receive financial support after receiving the subsidy. This has helped alleviate the financial burden on applicant’s support systems. Although the subsidy provided some level of financial comfort for recipients, the subsidy was just enough to allow recipients to maintain their quality of life but did not lead to drastic increases in savings.
A majority of applicants spent their subsidies primarily on rent and some spent it on items such as bills, food and medication.
BUDGET AND EXPENDITURES
As previously mentioned staff was originally approved $7.2 million in Direct Assistance and $1,134,000 for staffing and general costs. Additional funding was approved in December 2021 to serve the remaining 666 applicants on the waiting list. Originally five full time unclassified employee members were funded in order to administer the program.
Only three full time employees were originally hired, followed by an additional hourly employee and one Glendale Youth Alliance (GYA) employee to complete the team. The program operated at capacity with only 4 full time employees (1 hourly) and 1 GYA employee and has continued to do so throughout the majority of the time. As the workload for the program began to decrease, staffing has gradually decreased as well. At the moment, the program is managed by one Sr. Housing Analyst and 1 GYA employee.
Chart 2: Approved Funding
Original Funding Additional Funding Total Approved
Funding
Direct Assistance $7,200,000 $ 6,000,000 $13,200,000 Staffing and Benefits $894,000 $ 447,000 $1,341,000 M & O $240,000 $ 120,000 $360,000
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4 Staff has managed to keep the program administration considerably under budget up to this point; it is expected to remain under budget for the remainder of the program, if no changes are made.
Chart 3: Actual Expenditures
Dec 19 - Jun 20 Jul 20- Jun 21 Jul 21- Jun 22 Jul 22- Present Total Spent Direct Assistance $46,200 $1,327,200 $3,259,400 $1,419,500 $6,052,300 Staffing and Benefits $150,369 $307,002 $277,896 $34,995 $770,263 M & O $62,115 $52,659 $66,222 $2,701 $187,394
ALTERNATIVES FOR COUNCIL
Given the performance of the program and its pending termination, staff has identified four (4) alternatives associated with the future of the Monthly Housing Subsidy Program which are presented below for consideration.
Alternative 1: Allow MHSP to expire as approved by City Council in December 2021.
Alternative 1 would terminate the MHSP as it was originally designed by City Council.
This alternative would end the program after all applicants have received their approved subsidy. Notices will begin rolling out to participants beginning in late October and continuing through 2024, based on originally approved applicants, and those in subsequent rounds.
If City Council wishes to allow MHSP to expire, staff will require an appropriation of roughly $2.1M from already approved City Council funding for FY 2023-2024 in order to continue to administer the program through its completion. Currently the program is being administered by one GYA student and overseen by a Senior Housing Analyst.
Additional staff will be required in order to complete reviews of all applicants to ensure continued qualification.
Alternative 2: Renew the MHSP for current participants and extend the duration of time which applicants receive the subsidy assistance to some to-be-determined future date. No new participants will be considered.
This alternative is to continue the program with the current participants but extend out the expiration date of the program. The City Council may choose to extend the termination date by one year, two years, or any other period of time. This alternative will require staffing to audit remaining applicants on an annual basis. As applicants exit the program, they will not be replaced with new participants and the program will eventually end through attrition.
This alternative would require $4.3 Million annually in direct assistance to continue to fund the applicants’ subsidy payments, an additional $150,000 for continued staffing and $70,000 in M&O. Funding would gradually decrease as the number of recipients 7 of 10
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4 decrease. Again, we will need staff to continue annual recertification of recipients in order to ensure continued qualification.
Alternative 3: Allow the current MHSP to expire and establish a new program(s) with new eligibility criteria, in conjunction with City Budget Study Sessions.
The City Council may allow the current MHSP program to expire once all of the direct assistance is dispersed and establish a new program(s) to assist a different demographic or group. New funding would be allocated to new participants based on City Council’s established minimum qualifications.
Funding will vary based on the new program that City Council chooses to establish.
Depending on the scope of the program including number of participants City Council wishes to serve, direct assistance, staffing and M&O will be impacted.
STAKEHOLDERS/OUTREACH
As part of the program procedures, staff has surveyed 368 participants who have been part of the program for at least one year. Applicants report having seen a great benefit from the subsidy and hope that it will continue.
FISCAL IMPACT
The Monthly Housing Subsidy Program alternatives presented to Council vary in potential cost. Therefore, based on Council’s direction, Staff will return with a report further detailing the selected Alternative and request any new appropriation of funds if applicable. No new appropriation is being requested at this time. The City Council available funding is outlined below:
Existing Appropriation
Amount Account String Funding Source
$3,665,783 GL: Various-1070-CDD-8507-P8002 General Fund (Measure S)
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW (CEQA/NEPA)
This item is considered a ministerial activity and therefore, not subject to CEQA review.
CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE
This item is exempt from campaign disclosure requirements.
ALTERNATIVES
Alternative 1: Allow MHSP to expire as approved by City Council in December 2021.
Alternative 2: Renew the MHSP for current participants and extend the duration of time which applicants receive the subsidy assistance to some to-be-determined future date.
No new participants will be considered.
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4 Alternative 3: Allow the current MHSP to expire and establish a new program(s) with new eligibility criteria, in conjunction with City Budget Study Sessions.
Alternative 4: The City Council may consider any other alternative not proposed by staff.
ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
Prepared by:
Peter Zovak, Assistant Director of Community Development Sipan Zadoryan, Sr. Housing Analyst
Approved by:
Roubik R. Golanian, P.E., City Manager
EXHIBITS/ATTACHMENTS
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M O T I O N
Moved by Council Member _________________________, seconded by Council Member ___________________________, that the Council hereby notes and files the Report to Council dated October 18, 2022, pertaining to the Update to the Citywide Bicycle Transportation Plan and the creation of Vision Zero Policies (“Report”), and directs staff regarding the development of a robust outreach plan as identified in the Report and as provided by individual Councilmember comments.
Vote as follows:
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Abstain:
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