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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHousing Catalyst - Minutes - 03/10/1977Li DATE: TO: FROM: RE: MEMORANDUM April 5, 1977 The Fort Collins Housing Authority Mary Ann Kennaugh, Secretary Minutes of the March 10, 1977 Regular Meeting I. Call to Order Called to Order by Chairman Sanchez in the Community Building, 1715 West Mountain Avenue at 4:00 p.m. II. Role Call Members Present Staff Pete Sanchez, Chairman John D. McGraw, Executive Nancy McComb Director Mary Klopfenstein Wayne P. Taylor Members Absent Mary Ann Kennaugh, Secretary Charlie Muenzberg III. Consider Approval of Minutes Following were additions and corrections to the minutes made by Nancy McComb: - February 7, 1977 Meeting Minutes: Page Three, Paragraph 6, should include the following addition ("City Council has indicated... policy"): Contacts with other communities, e.g. John McGraw's contacts with Denver, Greeley, and Boulder, indicate dispersal to be an important factor in their housing developments. Non -dispersal generates problems e.g. creating a "slum" situation. - January 31, 1977 Meeting Minutes: Page Two, under Housing Code, first sentence should read "Fort Collins currently does not have a housing code," - Mary Klopfenstein moved approval of the minutes with the preceding additions and corrections. Nancy McComb seconded and minutes were approved by consensus. Ayes: Board members Klopfenstein, McComb, and Sanchez. Nays: None. - McComb: Regarding the February 7, 1977 meeting minutes, Page Two, Paragraph 5, ("City Manager Brunton indicated that tap fees will not be used as an incentive..") "Does this have the backing of City Council?" McGraw: Yes. Following the Housing Authority meeting Of December 3, 1976 where tap fee abatements were discussed The Fort Collins*usi.ng Minutes of the March 10, Page Two Authority • 1977 Meeting as an area of potential savings on project development, City Council, in reviewing their copies of the minutes, questioned the fee abatement idea. In stating that the fees would not be used as an incentive, the City Manager was reiterating the Council's position. Also in the Council meeting to consider water utility charge abatement, Council chose to pay out of Revenue Sharing. McComb queried if the Housing Authority, in rehabilitating homes was helping to keep applicants off the waiting list for housing assistance. McGraw reiterated the point made by Woods at the February 2, 1977 meeting that people come to Fort Collins for economic opportunities, not specifically for housing, and that rehabilitation was not reducing the number of applicants. Most applicants for Rehabilitated housing are not applicants for Public Housing. Those who are, wish temporary housing until their homes have been rehabilitated. IV. Executive Director's Report A. Financial Reports: 1. Colorado 41-1 Development report is virtually unchanged except that the Housing Authority has received the remaining $10,006 of the City loan and has placed it in savings. Final payment to the Contractor is pending until the manufacturer's inspection of the shingle problem. 2. Colorado 41-1 Management report: It was noted that reporting periods end on the 20th of each month as requested by the accountant. Sanchez: Has everyone (Housing Authority tenants) paid a security deposit? McGraw: Yes. One deposit has been loaned back to a tenant for car repairs. Sanchez: Has it been returned? McGraw: No. Sanchez: It is bad business to lend out the security deposit. You should have gone somewhere else to get it (the money). McComb: I agree. If the tenant moves out tomorrow, we are out of the money. (To be discussed further under Item IV.F.) McComb: Is money from security deposits used for repairs? One of the tenants called me and indicated it had been. McGraw: I will check on the situation, but no, the security deposits are not used for repairs. Sanchez: What is the $9.00 pop machine charge? Taylor: It is partial repayment for the initial $40.00 charge to fill the machine. Sanchez: How do we get a F.I.C.A. refund? McGraw: Before the Housing Authority staff were incorporated as City employees, the Housing Authority was required to pay F.I.C.A. The Housing Authority for a short time, continued to pay this even after the staff became City employees. The refund is for the total amount of F.I.C.A. paid by the•Housing Authority, half of which is returned to the employees and half of which is returned to the Housing Authority. Employees elected not to participate in the social security program. The Fort Collinausing Authority Minutes of the March 10, 1977 Meeting Page Three 3. Section 8 Report: Sanchez: How much did we make in the Section 8 Program the first 6 months in comparison to the last 6 months? I would like to see a breakdown per month. At one time, we were making $12.00 per month. "For my own peace of mind, I would like to see a breakdown; to me, Section 8 is a loser." McGraw: The breakdowns were presented to you in a previous report. Wayne Taylor will secure the breakdown. McComb: Are all 50 (Section 8 units) rented? McGraw: Yes. Sanchez: (In terms of getting 50 additional Section 8 units) "If we go nine months without renting the additional 50 units, lets flush it. - Klopfenstein: Do the security deposits earn interest? McGraw: Yes. We have been keeping the deposits plus earned interest in a general savings account, but will be transfering the deposits to a separate savings account. We currently are not required to include the interest earned with the deposit refund to the tenant; however, it will be done in the future. Klopfenstein: Another possibility is to give the earned interest to a Tenants' Council Fund. - Sanchez: What is the National Center for Housing Management? McGraw: It was a 3-day training conference, attended by Wayne Taylor for Section 8. Klopfenstein: I would like some feedback on such things; perhaps even go myself. Wayne Taylor is to summarize what happened at the conference, and keep Authority members advised of future conferences. - Sanchez: (Regarding Section 8) How did we get so much income? Taylor: Income came from HUD for the first quarter this year for administrative expenses and housing assistance payments. C. Receipt of Notice of Availability of "Section 8 Existin Rent" subsidies for 60 units. - There are 60 "Section 8 Existing Rent" units available to Larimer- Weld counties. No other housing authorities, except Fort Collins, have expressed interest in applying for these units. Taylor noted that the Greeley Housing Authority has been unable to fill its 74- unit Section 8 Program. - McComb: Are we (the Housing Authority) checking the eligibility of applicants, other than just financial ability? (McGraw: Yes.) It seems that a large number of our Section 8 people are unemployed. Sanchet. Is this a new policy? (to accept unemployed applicants). I recall reference to only one particular family being unemployed. McGraw: Most of the unemployed Section 8 people were unemployed when they moved in. - McComb: I'm not sure we can handle this (60 more Section 8 units). Sanchez: I question whether we can fill them; I don't think it's going to be easy. McGraw: It will be easier with increased Fair Market Rents and HUD Reports indicate a possible increase this summer. The Fort CollintRousing Authority • Minutes of the March 10, 1977 Meeting Page Four Klopfenstein: At least we can try. McComb: What's happening with the 96 units? (McGraw: We should know about them within 30 days.) Maybe we should do either one or the other (Section 8 or the 96 unit new con- struction). (McGraw: We have the eligible applicant need for both.) "We seem to have a big appetite." Klopfenstein: At least we can try. McGraw: The main question is whether we can supply housing for those in Fort Collins who need it. McComb: The end (the need for housing) does not justify the means (increasing the housing program). Need to look at quality -vs. quantity. Sanchez: How many houses do we know are out there that we can put people in ? (McGraw: With the college move out we should have enough.) McComb: We have no guarantee of anything from HUD. Sanchez: We need different programs. Why are other cities backing off? McComb: We have played games with our budget to the point that we have to have the (front end) money. McGraw: That's not true. If we have the need to develop housing and we aren't trying to do so, then it hurts our chances to get community development funds, etc. The important thing is that we have people who need the housing. McComb: I am concerned with the kind of programs, quality of housing, etc. Klopfenstein: With the Section 8 Existing Rent Program we have housing with limited liability. McComb: Hopefully, these people (in our Section 8 Program) would need less social services; we would have more dealings (social services) in the public housing. Section 8 dealings are purely monetary. The Housing Authority original philosophy was that we had more of an opportunity to help those people in our public housing (vs. those in the Section 8 Program). - McComb: Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the 96-unit development? McGraw: I want to leave all options open. American Development has still expressed interest; as well as Dick McCoy. Wayne Taylor has talked with Dave Herlinger,Colorado Housing Finance Authority, who indicated that American Development Corporation plans to option a couple of sites. McGraw: We would like to amend the Section 8 application to apply for 60 units. McComb: I'd like to think about it. (McGraw: You have already approved the application for 50 units; we are asking approval for ten (10) additional units. Sanchez: Let's stick with 50 units. - Mary Klopfenstein moved that the application be amended to 60 units. Motion was defeated with the following vote: Ayes: Board member Klopfenstein. Nays: Board members Sanchez and McComb. - Sanchez: if we have as much trouble with the next 50 units as we had with the last 50, we should give them back to the government. It bothered me that it took so long and we went under with the program, except for the $10,000 (front end money). The Fort Collin0ousing Authority • Minutes of the March 10, 1977 Meeting Page Five You can only help people so far. (McGraw: You don't feel we have the staff to handle any more (Section 8 units). Truthfully, yes, we can only stretch ourselves so far. McComb: Al (Kruchten) was very concerned with the game playing with Section 8 money; We are getting in deeper and deeper. Sanchez: If we don't apply for next year we won't be able to make it. McGraw: Our function is to provide housing. McComb: How we do it and doing it well is our concern. I don't think we should be playing with the front end money. Sanchez: 41-1 was here before the Section 8 Program - we have done what we set out to do and what we intended to. I would like to reach fiscal responsibility as of next year. Ideal conditions are bringing in $750 per month for Section 8. We are using front end money as a crutch. (McGraw: That's what it's for.) McComb: Providing the housing does not justify the games you are playing. Sanchez: (to McGraw) "You're a crap shooter." McGraw: "Right, I am. We all are or -we wouldn't have any units." McComb: "I don't have to accept the policy (the use of front end money). I would like to know exactly how much (money) is allocated for ("if we had not come with the City - which I am sorry we did") just an Executive Director. Taylor: Approximately $700 per month. Klopfenstein: I thought we had to have 100-200 units to be self- sufficient? McComb: Other cities have done it with 50 units e.g. Casper. Sanchez: If current staff stays, then we can make it. Klopfenstein: I don't want that projection to stop us; let's deal with it at the time it happens. I don't feel that using front end money is fiscal irresponsibility. McGraw: As long as we have eligible people on our waiting lists, we should try to get more units. - McComb: Why doesn't the Human Resources Department provide the social services? McGraw: The housing tenants need a case worker assigned to them only,to coordinate their access to other services. The Human Resources Department funds and provides coordination for social service agencies to provide their services to city residents but does not provide direct social services for agency clients except under the city contract with the Housing Authority. (John McGraw will look into the matter further.) - McComb moved that the meeting adjourn and a special meeting be called to discuss these issues and the rest of the agenda ("these issues have been under the rug for too long") It was agreed to call a special meeting on Thursday, March 17 at 4:00 p.m. Besides the remaining listed agenda items, the following were topics to be discussed under Other Business: - increasing maximum income limits for Section 8 and Public Housing - Miles Lantz billing - Receipt of $6,500 in modernization funds The Fort Collin%ousing Authority • Minutes of the March 10, 1977 Meeting Page Six - The Housing Assistance Plan - Possible conflict of interest of one of the members on the Board. Sanchez: "If you are so worried about keeping people in homes, why aren't we doing something socially? It appears that we need more social work and help in this area. This topic is to be discussed further at the next meeting. VI. Meeting adjourned at 6:15 p.m.