Santa Fe County Housing Authority adopts FY2027 budget, utility allowances and multiple housing measures

The Santa Fe County Housing Authority on June 30 approved the agency’s FY2027 operating budget and a package of policy items including a revised utility allowance schedule, a resolution to write off uncollectible tenant accounts, and memoranda of understanding with resident advisory boards.

The board approved the FY2027 operating budget (HUD form HUD‑52574) that staff said maintains current housing assistance operations, funds ongoing capital projects and critical staffing, and uses available grant reserves while staff pursues new grants. Executive Director Latoya Ricketts presented the budget, noting the authority was not awarded a competitive ROSS service coordinator grant this cycle; staff attributed that to competitive scoring and a high volume of applicants.

In separate votes the board:

- Adopted a resolution authorizing the write-off of 34 tenant accounts identified as uncollectible for fiscal years 2024–2026, representing outstanding balances of $97,598.50. Staff told commissioners the backlog was driven primarily by staffing shortages and administrative turnover and described steps to avoid future multi-year delays, including calendar reminders and quarterly reviews. (Mover: Commissioner Johnson; Second: Commissioner Hughes; outcome: approved.)

- Approved the Santa Fe County Housing Authority 2026 utility allowance schedule for the Housing Choice Voucher program, a baseline annual-per-unit schedule staff said reflects recent local increases in water, sewer, gas and electricity rates; the schedule is effective July 1, 2026 if approved. Commissioners clarified that the figures presented are annual per-unit amounts rather than monthly values. (Mover: Commissioner Hughes; Second: Commissioner Kakari Stone; outcome: approved.)

- Approved a memorandum of understanding with three resident advisory boards (Turquoise Trail, Jacob D. Martinez, and Via Desparansa) governing distribution of HUD resident participation funds for FY2027. Staff said the authority’s HUD allocation for resident participation funding is $4,675 (computed under HUD guidance at $25 per unit) for the calendar year and that funds may support stipends, resident engagement activities and capacity building consistent with HUD rules. (Mover: Commissioner Hughes; Second: Commissioner Johnson; outcome: approved.)

All listed resolutions and the budget passed by voice vote after motions, seconds and affirmative “I” responses recorded on the record. Where specific numeric roll-call tallies were not read into the record, the minutes reflect unanimous voice approval with no opposition noted.

The board also approved the FY2027 maximum target pricing matrix used to calculate affordable-sale prices and AMI thresholds for county programs, and staff outlined next steps for program implementation and outreach.

The meeting record shows the board moved into a brief executive session at the meeting’s close; no formal additional actions were recorded following that session.

What’s next: staff will submit the adopted operating budget to HUD and implement the updated utility allowance schedule on July 1, 2026. The write-off resolution will be processed per the housing authority’s write-off policy, and staff said they will report back on administrative controls intended to reduce future delays in write-off processing.