TO: Members of the City Council
FROM: Mayor Angela Birney
DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR CONTACT(S):
|
Planning and Community Development |
Carol Helland |
425-556-2107 |
DEPARTMENT STAFF:
|
Planning and Community Development |
Seraphie Allen |
Deputy Director Planning and Community Development |
|
Planning and Community Development |
Brooke Buckingham |
Human Services Manager |
TITLE:
title
Approval of Rental Assistance Pilot Program Contract Agreement with Hopelink
OVERVIEW STATEMENT:
recommendation
The City was recently informed of a large number of households living at Capella at Esterra Park who are in need of rental assistance. Staff is seeking Council’s approval to contract with Hopelink to implement a pilot rental assistance program to support these residents.
body
☒ Additional Background Information/Description of Proposal Attached
REQUESTED ACTION:
☐ Receive Information ☐ Provide Direction ☒ Approve
REQUEST RATIONALE:
• Relevant Plans/Policies:
Human Services Strategic Plan, Housing Action Plan
• Required:
Procurement policies require that contract amendments exceeding $50,000 be approved by Council.
• Council Request:
N/A
• Other Key Facts:
As of May 2024, 100 households had been identified as owing rent. In addition, it has been reported that there is little engagement and follow-up among residents at this property which puts the building at risk of maintaining compliance with housing voucher requirements.
OUTCOMES:
By helping residents maintain and achieve housing stability through financial assistance and community engagement activities, we hope to reduce evictions, and in some cases, prevent homelessness. This pilot project specifically seeks to close and/or reduce the amount of rental debt owed by households, create opportunities for increased engagement between the residents and onsite property manager, and encourage and improve practices and behaviors related to paying rent on-time.
COMMUNITY/STAKEHOLDER OUTREACH AND INVOLVEMENT:
• Timeline (previous or planned):
June - August 2024. Before implementing this project, staff hosted a meeting with the property owner, contracted property manager, and Hopelink to refine and develop program model based on best practices.
• Outreach Methods and Results:
Staff has had several conversations with ARCH and rental assistance providers to explore and evaluate feasibility of a pilot project prior to developing this recommendation.
• Feedback Summary:
N/A
BUDGET IMPACT:
Total Cost:
Estimated $250,000, which includes direct rental assistance and associated costs to administer the program. Staff support of this program is funded through the adopted budget.
Approved in current biennial budget: ☐ Yes ☐ No ☒ N/A
Budget Offer Number:
0000037 - Housing & Human Services
Budget Priority:
Vibrant and Connected
Other budget impacts or additional costs: ☐ Yes ☒ No ☐ N/A
If yes, explain:
N/A
Funding source(s):
Human Services Fund
Budget/Funding Constraints:
Human Services staff will require Hopelink to report on utilization of these dollars, along with lessons learned in order to assess the effectiveness of this approach.
☐ Additional budget details attached
COUNCIL REVIEW:
Previous Contact(s)
|
Date |
Meeting |
Requested Action |
|
07/16/2024 |
Committee of the Whole - Public Safety and Human Services |
Provide Direction |
Proposed Upcoming Contact(s)
|
Date |
Meeting |
Requested Action |
|
N/A |
Nothing proposed at this time |
N/A |
Time Constraints:
In order to implement this project in a timely manner, staff is requesting that this item be considered for consent on the August 5, 2024, agenda.
ANTICIPATED RESULT IF NOT APPROVED:
Not approving this request may result in housing displacement for many Capella residents.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A: Hopelink Contract