Glendale Housing Authority Housing Choice Voucher Waiting List Overview

Glendale Housing Authority Historical Overview Selection Process Processing & Managing Current Status Safeguards Public Awareness Impediments Additional Housing Authority Efforts Possible Strategies

Glendale Housing Authority 4th Largest Housing Choice Voucher program in L.A. County Federally Funded subsidy program 1592 HUD-authorized vouchers Administer an additional 1485 Incoming Portable families

Historical Overview Pre-1989 1989 Accepted applications over-the-counter 1989 Opened WL Only one preference (resident) First come, first serve

Historical Overview Creation of 2001 WL Previous list dropped to 100 applicants In 1999, Housing Authority approved Section 8 HCV Open Enrollment Plan establishing a system for processing applicants and new preferences

Historical Overview WL Objectives Replenish pool of applicants Minimize disruption of services to current owners and tenants Promote open, equitable and convenient application access to applicants

Historical Overview WL Objectives Preference Points establish the following: Serve greatest community needs Provide clear delineation of levels of need Provide a fair and reasonable system of waiting list management

Historical Overview List of Preference & Point Categories: Displaced by Government Action (12pts) Homeless living shelters including Domestic Violence (12pts) Victims of hate crime, retaliation or witness relocation (12pts) US Veterans (6 pts)

Historical Overview List of Preferences & Point Category (1pt each) Extremely low income Elderly single persons over age of 62 Households with disabled members Residents who live or work in Glendale Working families or unable to work due to age or disability Cumulative Preference Point Totals based on information listed on application

Selection Process How GHA met WL objectives Through RFP, GHA secured third party clearing house (Willdan Corporation) to handle intake, data processing and quality control In January 2001, two-week enrollment period completed Applications distributed via local newspapers, community centers, GTV6, and 800 number 12,553 valid applications received using a new system

Selection Process Placement on WL Each application assigned a random lottery identification number by computer system (in place of announcing names) Each application assigned to WL by a two-step computerized sorting process Assigned random lottery selection order number (serves as tie breaker) Preference points (buckets)

Example of WL Sorting Process (Step 1)

Example of WL Sorting Process (Step 2)

Processing and Managing WL WL Activities Applicants required to report changes in income, address, etc.. which may in turn affect WL position Purging of the WL Periodic updates mailed to Applicants to gauge interest, update preferences, and keep list as current as possible Conducted on monthly basis (200 mailers)

Processing and Managing WL WL Procedures Each applicant’s preference points verified at the time that application is pulled from WL Qualified applicants move towards next step of voucher issuance; unqualified applicants removed or replaced on WL according to correct number of preference points All applicants subject to HUD screening and eligibility policies

Current Status of WL Voucher Turnover/Vacancies Average Monthly turnover rate 5 vouchers per month Vacancies occur due to: Tenant termination (self sufficiency or voluntary withdrawal) PHA termination (fraud, noncompliance or death)

Current Status of WL 5,768 applicants on list 5 preference points being served (less than 20 individuals who claim 5 points remain)

Safeguards for WL Internal Controls Security Monitoring 32 Housing employees, only one with rights to make changes to WL Software system (Elite) Internal auditing (IT reports) Applications under lock and key Monitoring All applications monitored for selection and accuracy on three levels (admin, advisor, supervisor) Randomly assigned case management

Public Awareness Portables No person can influence placement on WL Glendale residents are being issued vouchers through other PHA’s No person can influence placement on WL Fraud (all claims investigated)

Impediments to WL Instability of federal revenue streams Federal actions (recaptures) Decreases in tenant income results in increases in HAP Takes time to take corrective action when implementing strategies Manage shortfalls through attrition (most recently through reserves)

Additional HA Efforts Apply for additional vouchers through NOFA’s Non-elderly disabled (Lanterman Regional Center) VASH Market Affordable Housing projects to WL applicants i.e. Casa de La Paloma Vassar City Lights Cost Saving strategies Voucher payment standards & subsidy standards

Possible Strategies Hire 3rd party agency to purge WL at one time + Possibly decrease # of applicants on WL - Possibly cause massive “preference” movement on waiting list Criminal record check on all current participants (above and beyond HUD requirements) + Free up budget and possibly vouchers for eligible applicants - Administratively could trigger large number of informal hearings resulting in financial burden Ask “targeted” households to voluntarily withdraw from WL