City Hall, Council Chamber  
100 Santa Rosa Avenue  
Santa Rosa, CA  
City of Santa Rosa  
Housing Authority  
Regular Meeting Minutes - Final  
Monday, April 26, 2021  
1:30 PM  
1. CALL TO ORDER  
Chair Owen called the meeting to order at 1:30pm.  
2. ROLL CALL  
5 -  
Present  
Commissioner Stephen Burke, Commissioner Wayne Downey Ph. D,  
Commissioner Phil Olsen, Vice Chair Diane Test, and Chair Jeffrey  
Owen  
3. STATEMENTS OF ABSTENTION  
4. STUDY SESSION  
Kate Goldfine, Administrative Services Officer, Megan Basinger,  
Interim Director, and Rebecca Lane, Housing and Community  
Services Manger, gave a presentation and answered  
Commissioners questions.  
Public Comments:  
Gregory Fearon from Continuum of Care thanked the Housing  
Authority for the presentation and provided suggestions for funds  
available to housing and homeless services.  
4.1  
REVIEW OF FY 2021/22 PROPOSED HOUSING AUTHORITY  
BUDGET  
The Authority will review the proposed FY 2021/22 budget at study  
session today. The Budget hearing will be held on June 21, 2021  
where the Authority will be asked to approve the budget for FY 2021/22  
before it goes to the City Council for final approval later that week.  
presented  
5. PUBLIC COMMENTS (ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS)  
None  
6. APPROVAL OF MINUTES  
6.1  
March 22, 2021 - Draft Minutes.  
Approved as submitted.  
7. CHAIRMAN/ COMMISSIONER REPORTS  
Vice Chair Test provided comments about the application process  
for Merit Awards 2021.  
8. COMMITTEE REPORTS  
None  
9. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REPORTS/ COMMUNICATION ITEMS:  
Megan Basinger, Interim Director, provided a status update in  
regard to the Commissioner and Tenant Commissioner  
appointments and answered Commissioner's questions.  
10. CONSENT ITEMS  
None  
11. REPORT ITEMS  
11.1  
REPORT - UPDATE TO HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM  
ADMINISTRATIVE PLAN PROJECT-BASED VOUCHER POLICIES  
AND OPENING OF A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR  
PROJECT-BASED VOUCHERS  
BACKGROUND: The Administrative Plan is the major policy document  
guiding the ongoing administration of the federally regulated Housing  
Choice Voucher (HCV) program. Where allowed under law, the U.S.  
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) permits local  
jurisdictions to establish policies pertaining to the program. Chapter 17  
of the Santa Rosa Housing Authority Administrative Plan outlines the  
policies regarding the use of Project Based Vouchers within the HCV  
program. The Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016  
(HOTMA) authorized regulatory changes specific to the use of Project  
Based Vouchers; implementation guidance was provided by HUD in PIH  
Notice 2017-21 and subsequent notices.  
This item will update the Santa Rosa Housing Authority Administrative  
Plan to align the language about Project Based Vouchers with HOTMA.  
In addition, the proposed revisions include a policy change in the Santa  
Rosa Housing Choice Voucher program which is authorized under  
HOTMA. HOTMA allows a Public Housing Authority (PHA) to increase  
the number of Project-Based Voucher units in its HCV program if the  
units fall into certain eligible exception categories. The revisions  
proposed to the Santa Rosa Housing Authority Administrative Plan in  
this item will allow the HCV program to increase the number of units  
available for project-basing from 20 percent to 25 percent, so long as  
the units are set aside for people who are homeless or are veterans.  
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by the Department of Housing  
and Community Services that the Housing Authority, by resolution,  
adopt revisions to the Housing Choice Voucher Program Administrative  
Plan Chapter 17 - Project Based Vouchers -- to bring the Project-Based  
Voucher program language in line with current regulatory language that  
was authorized under the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization  
Act of 2016 and implemented under the Office of Public and Indian  
Housing (PIH) Notice 2017-21; the revisions also include a policy  
change increasing the number of Project Based Voucher units allowed  
in the Housing Choice Voucher program if those units are specifically  
made available to house individuals and families who are homeless or if  
those units are specifically made available to house families that are  
comprised of or include a veteran.  
In addition, if the increase on the number of Project-Based Voucher  
units in the Housing Choice Voucher program is approved, the  
Department of Housing and Community Services recommends that the  
Housing Authority, by motion, approve the release of a Request for  
Proposals (RFP) for Project-Based Vouchers to solicit proposals  
specifically for units to be made available to house individuals and  
families who are homeless.  
Rebecca Lane, Housing and Community Services Manager, gave a  
presentation and answered questions from the Commissioners.  
Public Comments:  
Gregory Fearon from Continuum of Care spoke in favor of the  
resolution and offered information in regard to the current homeless  
population.  
A motion was made by Commissioner Downey Ph. D, seconded by Vice  
Chair Test,to waive reading of the text and adopt:  
RESOLUTION NO. 1715 ENTITLED: RESOLUTION OF THE HOUSING  
AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF SANTA ROSA APPROVING THE REVISIONS  
TO THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM ADMINISTRATIVE PLAN  
PROJECT BASED VOUCHER PROGRAM POLICIES.  
The motion carried by the following vote:  
5 -  
Yes:  
Commissioner Burke, Commissioner Downey Ph. D, Commissioner  
Olsen, Vice Chair Test and Chair Owen  
A motion was made by Commissioner Downey Ph. D, seconded by Vice  
Chair Test,approved the release of Request for Proposals associated with:  
RESOLUTION NO. 1715 ENTITLED: RESOLUTION OF THE HOUSING  
AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF SANTA ROSA APPROVING THE REVISIONS  
TO THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM ADMINISTRATIVE PLAN  
PROJECT BASED VOUCHER PROGRAM POLICIES.  
The motion carried by the following vote:  
5 -  
Yes:  
Commissioner Burke, Commissioner Downey Ph. D, Commissioner  
Olsen, Vice Chair Test and Chair Owen  
11.2  
REPORT - HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM  
(HOME) TENANT BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE  
BACKGROUND: Annually, the City of Santa Rosa (City) is allocated  
approximately $750,000 in HOME Investment Partnerships Program  
(HOME) funds by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban  
Development (HUD); the City delegates the administration of the funds  
to the Housing Authority. The Housing Authority heard a study session  
on the use of HOME funds for Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA)  
on March 22, 2021 and directed staff to bring a resolution to approve  
the use of HOME funds for Tenant Based Rental Assistance for a  
two-year trial period.  
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by the Housing and  
Community Services Department that the Housing Authority, by  
resolution, approve the use of Home Investment Partnerships Program  
funds as a Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) program for the  
City of Santa Rosa for a two-year trial period.  
Rebecca Lane, Housing and Community Services Manager, and  
Megan Basinger, Interim Director, gave a presentation and  
answered questions from the Commissioners.  
Public Comments:  
Gregory Fearon from Continuum of Care raised concerns about the  
number of people who cannot participate in the city's waiting list.  
A motion was made by Commissioner Burke, seconded by Commissioner  
Olsen,to waive reading of the text and adopt:  
RESOLUTION NO. 1716 ENTITLED: RESOLUTION OF THE HOUSING  
AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF SANTA ROSA APPROVING THE USE OF  
HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM FUNDS FOR TENANT  
BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE FOR A TWO-YEAR TRIAL PERIOD  
BEGINNING JULY 1, 2021.  
The motion carried by the following vote:  
5 -  
Yes:  
Commissioner Burke, Commissioner Downey Ph. D, Commissioner  
Olsen, Vice Chair Test and Chair Owen  
12. ADJOURNMENT  
Seeing no further business, Chair Own adjourned the meeting at  
3:35PM.  
Approved on:  
June 21, 2021  
Steven V. Brown  
Recording Secretary