Title
A Home for All Support - Property Provider Recruitment and Retention Pilot
Action
Action:
A. Approve the use of $500,000 from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund to fund a Property Provider Recruitment and Retention Pilot administered by the United Way of Greater Charlotte, and
B. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute, amend and renew contracts as needed to complete this transaction.
Body
Staff Resource(s):
Shawn Heath, Housing & Neighborhood Services
Explanation
§ The Property Provider Recruitment and Retention Pilot (Pilot) is a priority initiative of the A Home for All (AHFA) Implementation Plan. The Pilot will increase access to housing for rental subsidy holders through property provider recruitment, engagement, and incentives (e.g., signing bonuses, risk mitigation for damages caused by tenants, and holding fees for inspections).
§ Rental subsidies, including federal housing choice vouchers, are a key means of providing access to quality affordable housing for low- and moderate- income households, but few new landlords join subsidy programs for various reasons. Property provider recruitment efforts, while proven to be effective, are often limited in their ability to scale their reach within existing resources.
§ A study released by INLIVIAN in 2020 indicated that over 20 percent of housing choice voucher holders had their vouchers expire due to prolonged, unsuccessful housing searches.
§ United Way of Greater Charlotte (United Way) is leading the implementation of the AHFA plan. United Way is coordinating a procurement process to select a community partner to implement the Pilot. City staff participated in the development of the Request for Proposals, and will serve on the selection panel, and be engaged in evaluation of the Pilot, along with United Way, Mecklenburg County, and other community partners.
§ The city’s $500,000 will be used in conjunction with $500,000 from Mecklenburg County to fund the Pilot. Funds will be used primarily to support a flexible funding pool for property provider incentives.
§ Results of the Pilot will inform a set of recommendations for a collaborative, effective, system-level approach to provider recruitment and retention.
§ The city’s investment also advances the 2022 recommendation of the city’s Source of Income Ad Hoc Advisory Committee to create greater rental housing provider participation in the Housing Choice Voucher and other rental subsidy programs in areas of moderate to high opportunity.
Background
§ In January 2022, the AHFA Strategic Framework was released. AHFA is a collaborative initiative between the city, Mecklenburg County, United Way of Greater Charlotte, and other private sector and philanthropic partners to address homelessness and the need for affordable housing in Charlotte-Mecklenburg.
§ United Way serves as the coordinating agency for implementing the AHFA Strategic Framework, including developing an actionable implementation plan that prioritizes the extensive recommendations from the Strategic Framework into a clear set of goals and pilot programs.
§ In August 2023, United Way released the AHFA Implementation Plan (Plan). The Plan identified property provider recruitment and retention as a priority initiative to expand the supply of affordable housing units for people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity.
§ In February 2022, the Great Neighborhoods Committee received the Source of Income Ad Hoc Advisory Committee Recommendations, including creating greater rental housing provider participation in the Housing Choice Voucher and other rental subsidy programs in areas of moderate to high opportunity. The Housing, Safety and Community Committee was updated on multiple occasions since February 2022 that this recommendation would be advanced through the AHFA initiative.
§ In May 2023, the Housing, Safety and Community Committee received an overview of the AHFA Strategic Framework and proposed Implementation Plan, at which time staff shared a recommendation to support the Pilot with a $500,000 investment.
Charlotte Business INClusion
This contract is exempt under the CBI program.
Fiscal Note
Funding: American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds