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City of Mesa
Housing Advisory Board
Mesa City Council Chambers, Lower Level
57 East 1st Street
February 5, 2009
6:00PM
-Meeting Minutes-
Members Staff
Ms. Diana Yazzie Devine (absent) Ms. Carolyn Olson
Mr. Christian Karas Ms. Mary Brandon
Ms. Siri Amrit Kaur Khalsa Mr. Scott Clapp
Mr. Conrad Morin (absent) Mr. Ray Villa
Mr. David Ricks Mr. Ray Thimesch
Mr. Marv Turley (absent)
Ms. Deanna Villanueva-Saucedo (absent)
Mr. Steve Schild
Mr. Jon Scott Williams
I. Welcome and Introductions
Chair Mr. Jon Scott Williams welcomed Board members and convened the meeting at 6:03 p.m., and a quorum was declared.
II. Approval of Minutes from January 8, 2009, HAB Meeting
David Ricks made a motion to approve the January 8, 2009 HAB meeting minutes. Christian Karas seconded the motion, and the Board unanimously voted 5-0 to approve the January 8, 2009, HAB minutes.
III. Items from Citizens Present
No items from Citizens.
IV. Discussion Items
a. Discuss and Provide Direction on the Mesa Residential Rental Inspection Program. Discussion led by Ray Villa, Neighborhood Services Director and Tammy Albright, Deputy Building Safety Director
Ray Villa and Tammy Albright reviewed the Mesa Residential Rental Inspection Program that City Council has directed staff to move forward with. Multifamily and single rental units are to be included in the inspection program. This will require a written consent from the tenant or owner to enter the home.
Building Safety is working on creating the program that the City of Mesa can work with. During some brain storming the committee came up with some issues and options that they wanted to discuss with the Housing Advisory Board.
If due to serious life safety concerns, it is recommended that the occupants should be removed, and where will they be placed temporarily? Neighborhood Services has set aside some funds ($1,500.00) for emergency housing for this program. This housing will be for just a few days.
• What do we do to help place a family should additional time be needed?
• It would appear that there are no non-profits that we know of that provide this service without a waiting list.
• City Contract with non-profits to provide these services?
• What is temporary, the time given to have repairs made or a set time?
• Other possible solutions or alternatives to temporary housing stock, ie. Temporary housing voucher?
• Possible agencies that can provide temporary housing stock?
• Landlord/Tenant act allows the tenant to not pay rent during repairs.
The staff asked the HAB for suggestions on how to communicate this program to the community and landlords.
• There are different owner boards that we could send the communication to.
• Do we advertise it?
The HAB did ask that staff explore the possibility of implementing the following things:
• Return of security/cleaning deposit to tenant if they have to move
• Landlord pay City of Mesa back for the lodging used for tenant
• Evaluate the program after the first year
Staff will review these options and bring updates to HAB later.
b. Discuss the City of Mesa 2009-2010 CDBG/Home Applications
Carolyn Olson reviewed the spreadsheet of applicants received for the 2009-2010 CDBG/HOME funds.
Siri asked if staff could look into regulations for funding used for first-time Homeowners. Can the funds be used for manufactured homes? They are affordable and the funding could be stretched further. Housing Our Communities is the organization that is requesting the funds.
Staff will bring the final CDBG/Home recommendations to the HAB at a future meeting.
c. Discussion of the “Charge by Mayor Scott Smith to Imagine Our Future”
There was a motion from the HAB to bring this item back to the next HAB meeting.
V. Action Items
a. Discuss Proposed Revisions to City Ordinance #4418 and Make a Recommendation to Council
Ray Villa briefly discussed the Proposed Revision to City Ordinance #4418 that established the Housing Advisory Board. Staff informed the HAB that if it was not ready to discuss and/or take action on this item, for whatever reason, it could be brought back for future discussion and/or action at the next meeting or subsequent meetings if necessary. Staff recommended that each member carefully review and compare the current ordinance and proposed ordinances and bring their recommendations for any changes to the next meeting where they could be discussed and/or voted upon.
b. Discuss, Develop, and Take Action on the Prioritization of Future Agenda Items Including:
1. Revitalization and Preservation of Aging/Older Neighborhoods
2. Manufactured Homes and Manufactured Home Communities (MHCs).
3. TOD/Light Rail Corridor
4. Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP).
There was a motion from the HAB to bring this item back to the next HAB meeting.
c. Discuss and Take Action on the Creation of Board Subcommittees and the Appointment of Subcommittee Chairpersons as required for some and/or all of the Future Agenda Items Listed in Item B.
There was a motion from the HAB to bring this item back to the next HAB meeting.
VI. Staff Reports/Announcements
Ms. Carolyn Olson, of Housing and Revitalization for the City of Mesa, reported the following:
a. Annual PHA Plan/Administrative Plan Updates
Staff is in the process of completing the Annual PHA Plan/Administrative Plan. Staff will bring the proposed PHA Plan to the HAB for review next month.
b. Housing Choice (Section 8) Voucher Program
Waiting List Update – over 1,500 applications have been received since opening the Waiting List on January 7th, 2009.
Lease Up Rate – The City of Mesa Housing Authority issued 75 vouchers in December and 25 in January. Currently, the Housing Authority is 99.99% leased up.
c. Security Deposit Program
Currently, the Housing Authority utilizes HOME funds to provide security deposits to tenants in need, who will be leased up in Mesa. This is one-time grant money. The tenants need to be income eligible.
The Housing Authority has been working with several non-profits such as: Save the Family, Autumn House, East Valley Men’s Shelter and La Mesita where we have a preference for those in these programs. We will work with them to pull them off the waiting list so we can help get them into housing. They have to apply for Section 8 Voucher Program and we pull them for that and use another program for these funds.
d. Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) Status Update
Ray Thimesch gave an update of the NSP. Funds have not been released to the City of Mesa yet. Environmental reviews have been completed. Ray has been meeting with non-profit organizations on how we can implement this program. New interpretations regarding transitional housing have come down from HUD.
e. Report on Meetings and Conferences – Attended and/or Upcoming
Foreclosure Survival for Families and Neighborhoods, Saturday, January 10, 2009 was held at the City of Mesa Utilities Building. Over 200 attendees including 50% of the attendees talked with counselors. It was very successful.
VII. ADJOURN
With no other agenda items to be discussed, Chair Jon Scott Williams adjourned the meeting at approximately 7:38 p.m.
Approved and respectfully submitted,
Jon Scott Williams, Chair March 5, 2009