2014-006 - Santa Ana General Plan Housing Element and Public Safety Element Updates

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HOUSING RESOURCES Program Efforts to Preserve At -Risk Units The following housing programs have been developed to address the preservation of assisted units eligible to convert from affordable to market rate. The Santa Ana Housing Authority will be responsible for implementing the programs. Funding for implementation could be provided through funding sources cited above. Monitoring At -Risk Units. The City will maintain contact with owners of at- risk units. For at -risk projects, the City will communicate to the owners the importance of the units to the supply of affordable housing in Santa Ana as well as its desire to preserve the units as affordable. The City will confirm that the owners of at -risk projects will continue their Section 8 contracts, and will determine whether HUD will offer the owners a contract extension. ■ Financial Assistance. If federal funds for the Section 8 program are discontinued at some point and other methods to preserve the at -risk units fail, the City will determine if it can assign financial resources to preserve the units. This option could include issuing bonds or holding TEFRA hearings that are the prerequisite for issuing multiple - family revenue bonds. ■ Technical Assistance. The City can assist the owners of properties eligible for conversion to market rates in seeking funds and completing other tasks necessary to secure funds that preserve the affordability of housing. Based on information gathered through the monitoring program and visitation program, the City will dedicate staff resources to work with property owners. ■ Preservation of Units. The Santa Ana Housing Division has identified several affordable projects at imminent risk of conversion. City staffwill work with the property owners to explore opportunities to preserve the long -term affordability of the projects. ■ Identify and Work with Qualified Entities. The City has close working relationships with numerous nonprofit entities, for - profit organizations, and developers who may be interested in acquiring and /or managing units at risk of conversion. HCD also lists a number of qualified agencies interested in managing affordable housing in Orange County and other counties throughout California. The City will consult the list of qualified entities to expand its administrative capacity to preserve affordable housing. Housing element law requires that cities establish the maximum number of units that can be preserved over the planning period. Based on objectives stated in the Consolidated Plan and this housing element, the City's objective is to preserve all at -risk units where feasible, pending funding availability. Through implementation of Program 37, the City will allocate technical and financial resources to preserve at -risk housing units in Santa Ana. JAA - C -46 CITY OF SANTA ANA GENERAL PLAN HOUSING ELEMENT