HomeMy WebLinkAboutOC Housing Authority minutes 112014 Orange County Housing Authority Board
November 20, 2014
Members Present: Diane Beecham and Jean Bolduc
Members Absent: Tammy Jacobs
Staff Present: James Davis
Welcome/Introduction
The meeting was called to order by the Chair Jean Bolduc at 6:18 pm.
Approval of Minutes
Chair Jean Bolduc made a motion to approve the September 17, 2014 minutes as amended.
Commissioner Diane Beecham seconded the motion which passed unanimously. Diane made a motion to
accept the October 15, 2014 minutes. Jean seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
Section 8 Housing Assistance Payments Budget Review
James Davis reviewed the revenues and expenses for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program as
of September 30, 2014. Information regarding the September, October and November HUD HAP and
Administrative Fee disbursements were not available at the time of the meeting. James will provide an
update of this information at the next meeting.
HUD Audit Reports
a. SEMAP: James presented the audit findings from the annual SEMAP review. The
Housing Authority received an overall rating of"Standard Performer" but had three (3)
Indicators to correct. Areas of poor performance included Indicator 5 (HQS Quality
Control), Indicator 12 (Annual HQS Inspections), and Indicator 12 (Lease-up).
Commissioners discussed how these areas of poor performance should be addressed. It
was discussed that Indicator 12 is an inaccurate depiction of how timely inspections are
conducted. Whereas the units noted in HUD's report indicate that annual inspections
were not completed within 12 months, the Housing Authority asserts that these units were
inspected in a timely manner but the software used to input the inspection data did not
interface with HUD's software on some occasions. The Commissioners discussed the
possibility of upgrading its Emphasys Software. The Commissioners also recommended
that James request a reconsideration of the score based on this interfacing issue.
b. VMS: James presented the findings of the VMS audit. He presented the issue that the
auditors had in calculating data because the Emphasys Software did not communicate or
translate the data. Thus, some data was manually calculated. James informed the
Commission that Tara Fikes has been working to provide information to the VMS
auditors and will provide a concise response to the findings.
Department Report
a. Membership Update: James informed the Commission that new members will not be
added to the board until after the new year,per the Clerk of the Board of Commissioners.
Jean will send a letter to an HCV participant asking him to consider serving on the board.
b. 2015 Proposed Payment Standards: Diane made a motion to increase the payment
standard to 110% of the FMR effective January 1, 2015. Jean seconded the motion
which passed unanimously. The Commissioners discussed the possible financial impact
of increasing the payment standard and the impact on the total number of vouchers that
can be administered under the higher standard. The Commissioner also discussed
whether the higher standard would make units affordable, such as the newly renovated 86
North. James will obtain information about the unit prices at 86 North.
The Commissioners discussed HUD's other recommendations for maximizing lease-up
potential, including absorbing comparable vouchers and entering into an agreement with
contiguous counties allowing the administration of the HA's vouchers within the other
county. The Commission supports the notion of absorbing comparable vouchers that are
currently being "billed." It was recommended that the Housing Authority issue vouchers
to applicants "in the pipeline" before absorbing other vouchers. James will begin the
process of absorbing comparable vouchers in January 2015 on the condition that
applicants currently being drawn from the waiting list have been issued a voucher. The
Commission is not in support of the idea of entering into an agreement to administer
vouchers within a contiguous county.
C. Advisory Board Chair Meeting: Jean will attend the Advisory Board Chair meeting
scheduled for November 25, 2014.
d. October Meeting Follow-up: The Commissioners will continue to work on
amendments to the Housing Authority bylaws.
Other Business
There being no additional business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:00 p.m. on a motion by Chair Jean
Bolduc.
Respectfully submitted: James E. Davis, Jr., Secretary
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