To: Contra Costa County Housing Authority Board of Commissioners
From: Joseph Villarreal, Executive Director
Date: September 12, 2023
Report Title: REPORT CONCERNING POST-COVID RENT DELINQUENCIES IN THE HOUSING AUTHORITY'S PUBLIC HOUSING AND VOUCHER PROGRAMS
RECOMMENDATIONS:
ACCEPT report concerning post-COVID rent delinquencies in the Housing Authority's public housing and voucher programs.
BACKGROUND:
During COVID, as was true at the State level, HUD (the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) imposed a moratorium on evictions. Additionally, HUD relaxed many of its rules and processes concerning income verifications, which determine rent in all the Housing Authority's programs. However, HUD also was clear that families in all HACCC's programs had to continue paying their share of rent during the pandemic, that fees could accrue on unpaid rent and that families could be evicted post-COVID for unpaid rent. This is because HUD's programs adjust for rent. If your household income drops to $0 for some reason, HACCC will pay all your rent and you will pay nothing.
Unfortunately, many of our families came to believe they did not have to pay rent during COVID (and post-COVID) and now that the courts have re-opened, a significant portion of our families must resolve their past due rent and fees in some manner or face possible eviction. Additionally, some families did not accurately self-report their income and now that the HUD verification systems are back in place, they face significant rent increases. This is exacerbated by the fact that some landlords are trying to raise rent significantly to catch up for what they view as losses during COVID.
Not surprisingly, this has led to a significant spike in complaints to our office, local, State, and national political offices, Legal Aid, etc. In the public housing program and in the tax credit/project-based voucher (PBV) properties owned by HACCC, we have some flexibility to work with clients. The vast majo...
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