Tempe reports near‑97% voucher lease‑up, credits expanded landlord outreach

City of Tempe Housing Authority staff reported substantial improvements in voucher lease‑up and landlord engagement at a quarterly update presented to the board. Irma Holland B. Kane, Community Health and Human Services Deputy Director, said the agency administered about $13,000,000 in housing assistance subsidies in 2023 and reported nearly 97% lease‑up among vouchers, noting that December–March figures include HUD‑vetted data plus projections.

Sherry Rico provided operational detail: between August 2023 and March 2024 the agency issued 210 vouchers; 114 have leased up, 23 expired and 73 voucher holders are still searching for units. Rico said eligibility processing averages a little over a month, unit inspections average about two weeks (longer for larger, five‑bedroom units) and the average time to lease up is about 70 days. Staff also said landlords typically receive payments within about 5 to 15 days after lease‑up once required documents are returned.

Christopher Grusbeck described the agency's landlord engagement work. A landlord mixer drew 65 landlords and property managers; staff reported adding 211 homes available to voucher holders between March 2023 and March 2024 and creating 64 new landlord partnerships. Grusbeck said continued focus will be on recruitment, landlord education, additional mixers and landlord‑focused resources to retain long‑term rentals that accept vouchers.

Board members praised the outreach and rapid payment turnaround. Board Member Hodge asked for a demographic breakdown of voucher recipients, specifically how many vouchers serve seniors; staff said that demographic split was not available at the meeting and agreed to include it in the next presentation.

Staff framed the lease‑up figures as part of ongoing progress: the near‑97% lease‑up figure reflects the agency's reported lease‑up rate, while staff also noted that roughly 90% of voucher capacity is being utilized (the presentation mixed HUD‑vetted data with projections for later months). The board treated this item as an informational update only and took no formal action.