Posting Language
Title
Authorize the negotiation and execution of a contract with the Housing Authority of the City of Austin to fund and administer the Homeless Assistance/Tenant-Based Rental Assistance Program, which provides housing opportunities through subsidies to individuals experiencing homelessness, in a total contract amount not to exceed $1,280,112.
De
Lead Department
Austin Housing Finance Corporation.
Fiscal Note
Funding in the amount of $1,280,112 is available in the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Austin Housing Finance Corporation Operating Budget.
For More Information:
Mandy De Mayo, Treasurer, Austin Housing Finance Corporation, 512-974-3064.
James May, Housing and Community Development Officer, Housing Department, 512-974-3192.
Council Committee, Boards and Commission Action:
March 07, 2024 - The Austin Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) Board approved the negotiation and execution of an amendment to the agreement with the Housing Authority of the City of Austin to fund and administer the Homeless Assistance/Tenant-Based Rental Assistance Program in an amount not to exceed $175,000, for a total contract amount not to exceed $1,467,971.
Additional Backup Information:
If approved, AHFC will be authorized to negotiate and execute an agreement with the Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA) to administer the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) program in an amount not to exceed $1,280,112.
The TBRA program provides rental housing subsidies and security deposits to eligible families who would otherwise be homeless. To be eligible for the program, households must be working towards self-sufficiency with a case manager and have a total household income at or below 50 percent of the Austin area Median Family Income (currently $58,400 for a family of four). The TBRA program will serve all City of Austin addresses, including those in both the City’s full purpose and extra-territorial jurisdictions.
Families can receive assistance through the TBRA program for up to 24 months. Each household will pay no more than 30 percent of its monthly income towards rent. The TBRA program will pay the difference between what the household can afford and the actual rent amount. As a family's income increases, the amounts paid by the program decrease accordingly. All payments made by the TBRA program are paid directly to the landlord.
The HACA has more than 25 years of experience with providing TBRA services. HACA verifies client and property eligibility, manages leasing terms, and makes rental subsidy payments directly to landlords each month. HACA also serves as a liaison between clients and landlords to ensure that landlords understand clients are only eligible for TBRA as long as the household meets regulatory and program requirements. This program will serve up to 100 households.
In 2019, AHFC executed two separate agreements with HACA to administer the TBRA program. One program relied on referrals from the Salvation Army and the other from the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO) Coordinated Entry (CE) assessment referral system. In 2020, it was determined that these contracts should be combined into one, with referrals coming from ECHO’s CE system and with a continued partnership with organizations such as Salvation Army and Caritas, among others.
Source of Funding
HOME Funds.