June 24, 2025
Economic Development
Richmond Housing Authority (RHA)
DATE: June 24, 2025
TO: Chair Martinez and Members of the Board of
Commissioners of the Richmond Housing Authority
(RHA)
FROM:
Nannette J. Beacham, Economic Development Director
Antoinette Terrell, Executive Director 510-620-8764
Subject:
Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) Program
Application for Nystrom Village
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Submission of the RAD application to the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
is part of RHA’s asset repositioning efforts and will
reduce RHA’s total public housing assets. The
application submittal facilitates efforts to implement
provisions in the Public Housing Agency Recovery and
Sustainability (PHARS) agreement and will provide an
increase in operating subsidy to the affordable housing project, making it more financially stable.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
As an implementing action of the RHA asset
repositioning efforts, RHA is prepared to submit a Rental Assistance Demonstration Program (RAD) application to
HUD for Nystrom Village. The application submittal
facilitates efforts to reposition Nystrom Village as outlined in the PHARS Agreement with HUD.
AGENDA
REPORT
June 24, 2025
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
ADOPT a resolution authorizing the Richmond Housing
Authority (RHA) to submit a Rental Assistance
Demonstration (RAD) application and any Section 18
Disposition application elements required to support a
RAD/Section 18 Blend to the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for Nystrom
Village - Richmond Housing Authority (Antoinette Terrell/ Nannette J. Beacham 510-620-8764).
DISCUSSION:
Richmond Housing Authority’s (RHA) mission is to ensure the provision of quality, safe, and sanitary housing for very low-income individuals and families in the City of Richmond through the administration of the Low-Income Public Housing Program.
Nystrom Village, situated at 222 Marina Way South, consists of 100 units, including 52 duplexes, which accommodate both families and individuals. This property is currently owned and managed by RHA.
On December 4, 2018, the Richmond Housing Authority (RHA) Board of Commissioners directed staff to initiate the asset repositioning of RHA’s public housing portfolio. Since then, RHA has made measurable progress in modernizing the housing stock and expanding access to safe, high-quality, and affordable housing for Richmond residents.
Two cornerstone projects—Hacienda Heights and Nevin Plaza—highlight this transformation. Hacienda Heights, redeveloped in partnership with Mercy Housing and Community Housing Development Corporation, is now a fully occupied 150-unit affordable housing community that exemplifies public-private collaboration. Nevin Plaza Phase I, developed with EAH Housing, recently completed major renovations in mid- 2025 and is actively leasing, offering deeply affordable, service-rich housing for seniors and vulnerable populations. In addition, RHA worked on transferring the RHA Administrative Building to the City of Richmond. RHA submitted the disposition application to HUD’s Special Applications Center (SAC) and it was approved. The RHA Administrative Building is now owned by the City of Richmond and used for the RichmondBuild Employment and Training Division programs. These initiatives reflect RHA’s strategic vision and commitment to equity, while advancing core goals:
preserving rental housing opportunities, maximizing federal investment, and sustaining a high-performing, community-centered housing authority.
The current application for the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program will initiate the transition from public housing operating subsidies to project-based Section 8 vouchers. This conversion of units is an integral part of the broader repositioning strategy for Nystrom Village. The submission of this application is in accordance with the Public Housing Agency Recovery and Sustainability (PHARS) Agreement with HUD Task 4 (Attachment 1).
To engage the community, staff have begun informing residents about the application process. Certified mailings were sent to residents, including the General Information
June 24, 2025
Notice (GIN) and the Resident Information Notice (RIN), outlining their rights under the RAD Program. Recent community meetings were held in person at the Richmond Library’s Madeline F. Whittlesey Community Room and on Zoom on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at 12:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., and on Tuesday, June 6, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. During these sessions, staff delivered a PowerPoint presentation, distributed fact sheets, and facilitated a Q&A to address residents’ concerns (Attachment 2). All relevant materials are available to tenants at the Nystrom Village Maintenance offices and 450 Civic Center, 2nd Floor, Richmond, CA 94804.
RHA staff are recommending that members of the Board of Commissioners adopt a resolution authorizing the RHA to submit a Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) application and any Section 18 Disposition application elements required to support a RAD/Section 18 Blend to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for Nystrom Village (Attachment 3)
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 - PHARS Agreement
Attachment 2 - Community Meeting Materials (Agenda, PowerPoint, Fact Sheets) Attachment 3 - Resolution