To: Contra Costa County Housing Authority Board of Commissioners
From: Joseph Villarreal, Executive Director
Report Title: RECEIVE A REPORT ON THE UPDATE OF THE UTILITY ALLOWANCE SCHEDULE FOR THE APPLICABLE PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS.
☐Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
RECEIVE a report on the update of the Utility Allowance Schedule for the applicable public housing units.
BACKGROUND:
HACCC is required to maintain a Utility Allowance Schedule for public housing units in which residents are responsible for payment of tenant-paid utilities. Utility allowances are used in the calculation of tenant rent and are intended to reflect a reasonable monthly cost for utilities based on unit size, type, and typical consumption.
HUD requires public housing agencies to periodically review utility allowances and revise them when utility rates or utility consumption data have changed by ten percent (10%) or more since the last revision. Regular review of the Utility Allowance Schedule helps ensure compliance with federal requirements and promotes equitable rent calculations for residents.
This action provides the Board of Commissioners with a report on the updated Utility Allowance Schedule for the applicable public housing units. The revised schedule was developed using current utility rate information and applicable consumption estimates for HACCC’s housing portfolio.
The updated Utility Allowance Schedule is attached.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The updated Utility Allowance Schedule may impact tenant rent portions and Housing Authority rental revenue depending on the approved allowance amounts. Any budgetary impacts are expected to be absorbed within the normal operations of the Public Housing Program.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Should the Board of Commissioners elect not to receive this report or HACCC fail to maintain an updated Utility Allowance Schedule, HACCC may be out of compliance with HUD requirements, and tenant rent calculations may not accurately reflect current utility costs. HUD may also impose additional sanctions or require corrective action.