Tallery council approves amendment to spend 2022�2023 PLHA funds on homelessness services and home repairs

Tallery
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3 The Tallery City Council voted June 16 to amend the city's Permanent Local Housing Allocation plan so that the 2022 and 2023 PLHA awards are apportioned to homelessness services and owner-occupied housing repairs.

Housing and grants specialist Jessica Cervantes told the council the PLHA program, overseen by the California Department of Housing and Community Development, was created in 2017 to fund local housing strategies through a fee on real-estate transactions. Cervantes said housing staff's proposed amendment would allocate about 62% of the combined 20222023 award to case management and homelessness support services and the remainder to owner-occupied rehabilitation targeted to people with disabilities.

"Housing staff recommends an amendment to the PHA plan to include case management and homelessness support services as well as owner occupied housing rehabilitation," Cervantes said during the public hearing. She added that staff held a 10-day public comment period and received no comments before bringing the amendment forward.

Council members asked whether the case-management allocation would offset shelter operating costs and how often PLHA cycles occur. Cervantes and staff said PLHA operates on five-year cycles; the amendment closes out the 20192023 period and staff will issue a request for proposals for subrecipients in the next funding cycle. Cervantes said any recommended service agreements would return to council for approval.

Vice Mayor Steve Herold moved the measure and the council approved the amendment; the mayor recused himself from the action. The motion authorizes the city manager or a designate to execute a standard agreement and related documents necessary to obligate and expend the 2022 and 2023 PLHA funds.

City staff said the change is intended to align PLHA spending with the city's consolidated plan goals to improve affordable housing access and to provide services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Housing staff will return with service agreements and the RFP schedule after finalizing the amendment paperwork with HCD.

The amendment must be submitted to the state before the June 30 deadline; staff said they will bring contract agreements to council for consideration in the near term.