Council Approves Public Housing Agency’s Annual Plan

The City Council unanimously voted to approve the city’s public housing agency’s annual plan.

According to a staff report, the city is required to submit a report each year to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in order to remain eligible for funding for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program.

The HCV Program administered by the city’s Housing Department provides housing assistance to approximately 1,400 very low- and low-income households. This represents assistance for approximately 2.5% of the households residing within the city, according to the staff report.

For the current fiscal year 2021, the total federal appropriation for the HCV Program is approximately $15 million.

The plan covers the period of 2020-2025 and was adopted by City Council on Oct. 5. The Annual Plan 2021 describes the city’s progress on goals that were set in the current Five-Year Plan, as well as any new project-based voucher activities that are planned.

“We are grateful for our excellent Housing Department and the work they have done preparing the annual action plan,” said activist Jill Shook. “We hope we can access even more funding and Section 8 vouchers to end homelessness in our city.”

Under the plan, the city’s goals included improving the availability of safe and decent housing, promoting fair housing and equal opportunities, and ensuring effective operations and program management.

According to a staff report, the city met its goals by implementing a monetary incentive program for landlords to rent to voucher holders. The city also successfully applied for 75 rental vouchers for adults with a special needs disability to be prioritized for homeless households.

Two virtual workshops were held in September and February for Pasadena landlords in partnership with the Housing Rights Center.