Tempe Housing Authority raises payment standards and hears quarterly update on vouchers, reserves and shelter operations

The Tempe Housing Authority voted unanimously to adopt a resolution to raise its payment standards to align with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's fiscal 2024 fair market rents, the board said at its November meeting. The board also received a quarterly performance report showing high voucher leasing and nearly $1 million in reserves.

Irma, speaking for the Housing Authority and the Tempe Coalition for Affordable Housing, presented the quarterly update and described the authority's current operating picture. "Tempe Housing Authority has an annual budget authority of about $13,000,000 a year," Irma said, and reported the authority had roughly $998,000 in reserves. She told the board the authority is leased up at about 82.44 percent, with 966 vouchers leased locally against an allocation described in the presentation (figures in the transcript were partially garbled and several numeric details were approximated by the speaker). Irma said attrition is under 10 percent and noted about 100 families and individuals are actively searching for units with a voucher.

The presentation also reviewed program performance and operations. Irma said the Housing Authority achieved a 96 percent score on HUD's Section 8 Management Assessment Program for fiscal 2023, earning a "high performer" designation, and that a housing navigator assisted 222 people during the reporting quarter in their housing searches. She reported the city's bridge shelter operations transitioned to Mercy House Living Centers in October, and described that transition as going "very, very well."

On community development, Irma said the Tempe Coalition for Affordable Housing voted to acquire a vacant lot across from the Apache Central Center at 1409 East Apache to develop affordable housing; a purchase agreement has been accepted and the coalition is in due diligence.

During public comment, Gail Shunk, a Tempe landlord, expressed concerns about tenant screening and potential damage costs when units are leased to voucher holders. "So therefore, the Section 8 for me can be a disaster, and that is the problem that I face as a landlord," Shunk said, citing difficulty in recovering damage costs that exceed a tenant's security deposit and noting the city paid roughly $1,000 toward a tenant's deposit in one case.

Votes at a glance
- Approve meeting minutes from Aug. 24, 2023: Motion made by Board Member DeBarr, seconded by Board Member Keating; passed 7-0 (Board Member Adams absent).
- Adopt resolution to increase Tempe Housing Authority payment standards to align with HUD FY2024 FMRs (Item 5A): Motion made by Board Member Keating, seconded by Board Member Hodge; passed 7-0 (Board Member Adams absent).

The board thanked staff for the quarterly report. The next scheduled Tempe Housing Authority meeting is Jan. 18, 2024.