City Hall, Council Chamber

100 Santa Rosa Avenue

Santa Rosa, CA

City of Santa Rosa

Housing Authority

Regular Meeting Minutes - Final

Monday, June 26, 2023

1:30 PM

1. CALL TO ORDER

Chair Owen called the meeting to order at 1:31PM.

2. ROLL CALL

4 -

Present

Chair Jeffrey Owen, Vice Chair Thomas LaPenna, Commissioner

Yvonne Rawhouser, and Commissioner Andrew Smith

3 -

Absent

Commissioner Wayne Downey Ph. D, Commissioner Scott

McWhorter, and Commissioner Jeremy Newton

3. STATEMENTS OF ABSTENTION

NONE

4. STAFF BRIEFING

4.1

HOUSING AUTHORITY FY 2022/23 QUARTER 3 FINANCIAL

REPORT

This Staff Briefing summarizes Housing Authority (“Authority”)

expenditures and funding for July 1, 2022 - March 31, 2023.

Kate Goldfine, Administrative Services Officer, gave a presentation

and answered Commissioner questions.

Public Comment:

Duane DeWitt made comments regarding the Lantana Project, and

questioned the use of funds committed for current projects.

4.2

HUD-VETERANS AFFAIRS SUPPORTIVE HOUSING (VASH)

PROGRAM BRIEFING

This briefing provides an overview of the HUD VASH program.

Rebecca Lane, Housing and Community Services Manager, gave a

presentation and answered Commissioner questions.

Public Comment:

Duane DeWitt made comments regarding Sonoma County policies

from twenty years ago relating to giving veterans housing

preferences and stated that the people at Veteran's Affairs are not

aware of available vouchers.

David Harris made comments regarding what he considers a

surprising choice for Veteran's Affairs to choose Santa Rosa as the

recipient of the bulk of HUD VASH vouchers and how vouchers can

lead to increased funding for new projects.

5. STUDY SESSION

NONE

6. PUBLIC COMMENTS (ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS)

Duane DeWitt made comments regarding how affordable housing

seems much more expensive to build than conventional

construction.

David Harris made comments regarding the financing of affordable

housing structures and how this can be affected by project based

vouchers.

7. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

7.1

Draft Minutes - April 24, 2023

Approved as submitted.

8. CHAIRMAN/ COMMISSIONER REPORTS

Chair Owen requested information regarding the NOFA process and

submission of applications.

Megan Basinger, Executive Director, answered Commissioner

questions.

Chair Owen recommended Vice-Chair LaPenna and Commissioner

Newton to serve on an ad hoc committee regarding NOFA

submissions. Chair Own recommended that Commissioner Smith

serve as a back-up if Commissioner Newton cannot serve on the

committee.

Public Comments:

None

9. COMMITTEE REPORTS

NONE

10. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REPORTS/ COMMUNICATION ITEMS:

10.1

COMMUNICATION - PENDING DEVELOPMENT PIPELINE UPDATE

Provided for information.

Megan Basinger, Executive Director, made comments regarding

NOFA submissions, current leasing progress at several recently

completed affordable housing projects, applications being accepted

for the Housing Choice Voucher waiting list, and answered

Commissioner questions.

Public Comments:

Duane DeWitt made comments regarding the needs of the very low

income residents and how they are not met relating to housing.

David Harris made comments regarding data related to the

construction of affordable units in the City. He also commented

upon the number of veterans in the area and how this number will

change over the next few years.

11. CONSENT ITEMS

11.1

RESOLUTION - ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF PROJECT COMPLETION

FOR LINDA TUNIS SENIOR APARTMENTS - COMMUNITY

DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT - DISASTER RECOVERY FUNDED,

AFFORDABLE SENIOR HOUSING COMPLEX LOCATED AT 600

ACACIA LANE, SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA: A PORTION OF APN

182-520-088.

RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by the Housing and

Community Services Department that the Housing Authority, by

resolution, approve a resolution acknowledging the completion of the

Linda Tunis Senior Apartments under the Community Development

Block Grant Program - Disaster Recovery administered by the California

Department of Housing and Community Development.

Chair Owen asked for clarification regarding the item.

Julie Garen, Program Specialist, answered Commissioner

questions.

Public Comments:

None

A motion was made by Vice Chair LaPenna, seconded by Commissioner

Smith, to waive reading of the text and adopt:

RESOLUTION 1757 ENTITLED: RESOLUTION OF THE HOUSING

AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF SANTA ROSA ACKNOWLEDGING THE

PROJECT COMPLETION OF LINDA TUNIS SENIOR APARTMENTS, A

26-UNIT AFFORDABLE SENIOR HOUSING COMPLEX LOCATED AT 600

ACACIA LANE, SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA: A PORTION OF APN

182-520-088.

The motion carried by the following vote:

4 -

Yes:

Chair Owen, Vice Chair LaPenna, Commissioner Rawhouser and

Commissioner Smith

3 -

Absent:

Commissioner Downey Ph. D, Commissioner McWhorter and

Commissioner Newton

12. REPORT ITEMS

12.1

REPORT - FISCAL YEAR 2023/24 HOUSING AUTHORITY BUDGET

ADOPTION

BACKGROUND: The Authority’s annual budget process runs

concurrently with the City’s process from January through June. The

Executive Director of the Authority must submit an expenditure,

revenue, and transfer budget for all Authority programs for approval by

the Authority Commissioners, which then becomes the formal budget for

the next fiscal year. Annually, the Authority is asked to adopt the

budget at their June meeting in advance of the City Council budget

approval; the City Council will review the Citywide FY 2023/24 budget

on June 20, 2023.

RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by the Housing & Community

Services Department that the Housing Authority, by resolution, adopt

the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2023/24.

Kate Goldfine, Administrative Services Officer, gave a presentation

and answered Commissioner questions.

Megan Basinger, Executive Director, assisted in responding to

Commissioner questions.

Public Comments:

Duane DeWitt, made comment on the adoption of the Housing

Authority budget and how it should be prepared long before the City

Council adopts the budget. He also made comment that the City

budget should always involve the building of public housing.

A motion was made by Commissioner Smith, seconded by Commissioner

Rawhouser, to waive reading of the text and adopt:

RESOLUTION 1758 ENTITLED: RESOLUTION OF THE HOUSING

AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF SANTA ROSA APPROVING THE HOUSING

AUTHORITY BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023/24.

The motion carried by the following vote:

4 -

Yes:

Chair Owen, Vice Chair LaPenna, Commissioner Rawhouser and

Commissioner Smith

3 -

Absent:

Commissioner Downey Ph. D, Commissioner McWhorter and

Commissioner Newton

13. ADJOURNMENT

Seeing no further business, Chair Owen adjourned the meeting at

2:51PM.

Approved on:

_______________________________

Steven V. Brown,

Recording Secretary