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20210908 VHC Agenda Packet Agenda City of Vernon Regular Vernon Housing Commission Meeting Wednesday, September 08, 2021, 06:00 PM City Hall, Council Chamber 4305 Santa Fe Avenue Vernon, California Steven Froberg, Vice Chair Ronit Edry, Commissioner Juliet Goff, Commissioner Steve Hermon, Commissioner Leticia Lopez, Commissioner Jorge Nevarez Jr., Commissioner Marlene Ybarra, Commissioner SPECIAL REMOTE PROTOCOLS In accordance with Governor Newsom's Executive Order N-29-20, this will be a teleconference meeting without a physical location to help stop the spread of COVID -19. This meeting will be conducted entirely by remote participation via Zoom Webinar. The public is encouraged to view the meeting at www.cityofvernon.org/webinar-vhc or by calling (408) 638-0968, Meeting ID 821-5798-0155#. You may submit comments to PublicComment@ci.vernon.ca.us with the subject line “September 8, 2021 City of Vernon Regular Housing Commission Meeting Public Comment Item #__.” Comments received prior to 5 p.m., Wednesday, September 8, 2021, will be read into the record. CALL TO ORDER FLAG SALUTE ROLL CALL APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA PUBLIC COMMENT At this time the public is encouraged to address the Vernon Housing Commission on any matter that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Commission. The public will also be given a chance to comment on matters which are on the posted agenda during Commission deliberation on those specific matters. Regular Vernon Housing Commission Meeting Agenda September 08, 2021 Page 2 of 2 PRESENTATIONS 1. City Clerk Selection of Chair and Vice Chair Recommendation: Select one member to serve as Chair and one member to serve as Vice Chair for the term ending June 30, 2022. 2. Public Works Housing Element Update Overview Recommendation: This is a presentation only. No action is required by the Commission. 3. Public Works Quarterly City Housing Report Recommendation: Receive and file the September 2021 Quarterly Housing Report. CONSENT CALENDAR All matters listed on the Consent Calendar are to be approved with one motion. Items may be removed from the Consent Calendar by any member of the Commission. Those items removed will be considered immediately after the Consent Calendar. 4. City Clerk Approval of Minutes Recommendation: Approve the June 9, 2021 Regular Vernon Housing Commission meeting minutes. 1. 20210609 VHC Minutes 5. City Administration Update on Temporary Emergency Eviction Moratoria and COVID -19 Renter/Landlord Legislation Recommendation: Receive and file the update. ORAL REPORTS - Brief reports, announcements, or directives to staff. Next regular meeting: Wednesday, December 8, 2021, at 6:00 p.m. ADJOURNMENT I hereby certify under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California, that the foregoing agenda was posted in accordance with applicable legal requirements. Regular and Adjourned Regular meeting agendas may be amended up to 72 hours prior to the meeting. Dated this 2nd day of September, 2021. By: __________________________________ Sandra Dolson, Administrative Secretary Vernon Housing Commission Agenda Item Report Agenda Item No. COV-770-2021 Submitted by: Sandra Dolson Submitting Department: City Clerk Meeting Date: September 8, 2021 SUBJECT Selection of Chair and Vice Chair Recommendation: Select one member to serve as Chair and one member to serve as Vice Chair for the term ending June 30, 2022. Background: At its July 20, 2021 meeting, the City Council appointed Leticia Lopez, Council Member; and Juliet Goff, Business Representative; and reappointed Steven Froberg, Vernon Resident, to serve on the Vernon Housing Commission with terms expiring on June 30, 2025. Section 2.124(a) of the Vernon Municipal Code states that "The Commission shall have a Chairperson and Vice Chairperson, who shall be from different appointing categories pursuant to section 2.122." The members of the four appointing categories are as follows: Business Representatives 1. Ronit Edry 2. Juliet Goff 3. Jorge Nevarez Jr. Council Member 1. Leticia Lopez Employee of a Business 1. Steve Hermon Resident Representatives 1. Steven Froberg 2. Marlene Ybarra Section 2.124(b) of the Vernon Municipal Code states that “The Commission members shall elect the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson at its first meeting and annually thereafter. No Commission member may serve as Chairperson for more than two (2) consecutive terms. The Chair shall preside over all Commission meetings and shall have the power to appoint subcommittees and the presiding chairs of those subcommittees. The Vice Chair, in the absence of the Chairperson, shall perform the duties of the Chairperson." It is appropriate for the Commission to select its Chair and Vice Chair for the coming year. Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact associated with this report. Attachments: Vernon Housing Commission Agenda Item Report Agenda Item No. COV-773-2021 Submitted by: Daniel Wall Submitting Department: Public Works Meeting Date: September 8, 2021 SUBJECT Housing Element Update Overview Recommendation: This is a presentation only. No action is required by the Commission. Background: A Housing Element provides an analysis of a community’s housing needs for all income levels, and strategies to respond to and provide for those housing needs. Housing Elements are a mandatory component of local general plans in the State. The Housing Element of a City’s General Plan must be updated and submitted to the California Department of Housing and Community Development for approval every eight years. Vernon’s current Housing Element is set to expire at the end of 2021. One of the duties of the Vernon Housing Commission, as identified in the Vernon Municipal Code, is to advise the City Council with respect to the City’s Housing Element. Staff will provide a presentation outlining the process and approach that the City is taking to update the Housing Element and timing for any future action(s) required by the Commission. Fiscal Impact: The cost for a consultant to prepare the Housing Element update is $50,000. Public Works staff applied for a Local Early Action Plan (LEAP) grant from the State to cover the cost of the Housing Element update and defray some of the cost for updating other portions of the General Plan. Vernon was awarded $65,000 through this grant. Attachments: Vernon Housing Commission Agenda Item Report Agenda Item No. COV-775-2021 Submitted by: Daniel Wall Submitting Department: Public Works Meeting Date: September 8, 2021 SUBJECT Quarterly City Housing Report Recommendation: Receive and file the September 2021 Quarterly Housing Report. Background: Staff will present the Quarterly City Housing Report for the period from June 2021 through August 2021. The report highlights rent, occupancy, inspections and repairs, and advertising. In conjunction with the quarterly update, City staff will provide the Commission a summary of housing related inquiries. Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact associated with this report. Attachments: Vernon Housing Commission Agenda Item Report Agenda Item No. COV-758-2021 Submitted by: Sandra Dolson Submitting Department: City Clerk Meeting Date: September 8, 2021 SUBJECT Approval of Minutes Recommendation: Approve the June 9, 2021 Regular Vernon Housing Commission meeting minutes. Background: Staff has prepared and hereby submits the minutes for approval. Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact associated with this report. Attachments: 1. 20210609 VHC Minutes MINUTES VERNON HOUSING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 2021 COUNCIL CHAMBER, 4305 SANTA FE AVENUE CALL TO ORDER Chair Gaviña called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. FLAG SALUTE Chair Gaviña led the Flag Salute. ROLL CALL PRESENT:Frank Gaviña, Chair (via remote access) Steven Froberg, Vice Chair (via remote access) Ronit Edry, Commissioner (via remote access) Steve Hermon, Commissioner (via remote access) Jorge Nevarez Jr., Commissioner (via remote access) Marlene Ybarra, Commissioner (via remote access) Melissa Ybarra, Commissioner (via remote access) STAFF PRESENT: Dan Wall, Public Works Director (via remote access) Zaynah Moussa, Senior Deputy City Attorney (via remote access) Lisa Pope, City Clerk (via remote access) APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA MOTION Commissioner Melissa Ybarra moved and Commissioner Edry seconded a motion to approve the agenda. The question was called and the motion carried unanimously. PUBLIC COMMENT None. PRESENTATIONS 1.Quarterly City Housing Report Recommendation: Receive and file the June 2021 Quarterly Housing Report. Public Works Director Wall presented the report. Regular Vernon Housing Commission Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 2 June 9, 2021 In response to Commission questions, Public Works Director Wall stated all the houses on Furlong were impacted by soil contamination but the homes on Furlong did not meet the threshold for remediation. He discussed the COVID-19 eviction moratorium and indicated the tenant was still not paying rent and the City was seeking reimbursement from the State on behalf of the tenant. CONSENT CALENDAR MOTION Commissioner Hermon moved and Commissioner Melissa Ybarra seconded a motion to approve the Consent Calendar. The question was called and the motion carried unanimously. The Consent Calendar consisted of the following item: 1.Approval of Minutes Recommendation: Approve the December 9, 2020, and March 10, 2021 Regular Vernon Housing Commission meeting minutes. ORAL REPORTS Public Works Director Wall stated staff was working on the business priority policy and a comprehensive review of all VHC policies and procedures. He discussed the Westside Specific Plan. He discussed the use of social media to promote housing availability. ADJOURNMENT With no further business, Chair Gaviña adjourned the meeting at 6:21 p.m. ________________________ FRANK GAVIÑA, Chair ATTEST: _________________________ LISA POPE, City Clerk (seal) Vernon Housing Commission Agenda Item Report Agenda Item No. COV-766-2021 Submitted by: Diana Figueroa Submitting Department: City Administration Meeting Date: September 8, 2021 SUBJECT Update on Temporary Emergency Eviction Moratoria and COVID-19 Renter/Landlord Legislation Recommendation: Receive and file the update. Background: In response to the COVID-19 crisis, federal, state, and local governments have enacted policies to protect those who have been vulnerable to the sudden and immediate loss of income, and who are navigating a means to survive the fiscal impacts associated to the pandemic. As reported previously, the COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act of 2020 (CTRA), Assembly Bill (AB) 3088, was passed by the California Legislature and signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on August 31, 2020. The CTRA enacts substantial protections from evictions for all residents, including prohibitions on ever evicting a resident who has failed to make specified rental payments provided certain requirements are met. More recently, on June 28, 2021, the Governor signed Assembly Bill (AB) 832 into law, which extends the protections available for residential and mobilehome space renters facing eviction due to COVID-19 financial hardship from March 1, 2020 through September 30, 2021. This also extends the rental assistance available through the State of California for impacted tenants and landlords; and provides that 100% of COVID-19 related rental debt (over a 15-month period) will be eligible for assistance (previously Landlords were required to accept 80% payment as full satisfaction of debt). Since the City continues to own and manage rental properties with tenants who may be impacted by COVID-19, City Administration and the City Attorney's Office have been actively tracking legislation to thoroughly understand the City’s limitations as a landlord and to effectively evaluate all potential steps. The City has taken the following actions since the Vernon Housing Commission (VHC) was last provided an Update on Temporary Emergency Eviction Moratoria and COVID-19 Renter/Landlord Legislation at its March 10, 2021 meeting: *In an effort to recoup outstanding rent owed, the City as a landlord submitted a rental assistance application to the State on April 21, 2021, in accordance with the VHC's recommendation and City Council's subsequent direction. The State’s rental assistance covers a maximum of 15 months; therefore, the moneys potentially granted by the State may not cover the entire amount owed by the delinquent renter. *As a requirement of AB 832, a revised tenant bill of rights was provided to the City's delinquent tenant on July 27, 2021. *Upon notification from the State that one additional tenant in City-owned housing applied for rental assistance in August, the City submitted the requested documentation to supplement the tenant's application. AB 832 establishes the COVID-19 Rental Housing Recovery Act under the California Code of Civil Procedure (CCP) §1179.08-1179.015 which provides some requirements for filing unlawful detainer actions after the state eviction moratorium is lifted on October 1, 2021. It is important to note that there are a new set of eviction restrictions that must be followed after October 1, 2021 through March 31, 2022 (the “Recovery Period”). During the Recovery Period, landlords seeking to evict for non-payment due to COVID-19 hardship must prove that their application for state rental assistance was denied, or the tenant failed to complete their portion of the application. Staff will re-assess the situation and the City's obligations and potential actions regarding any delinquent renter(s) upon termination of the moratorium on evictions effective September 30, 2021. A renter’s response (or lack thereof) to any notices from the City, an approval of rental assistance from the State, and legal provisions will guide the City’s response to the delinquency. Additional updates will be provided to the Vernon Housing Commission as they become available. Staff will return to the VHC with recommended action(s) as appropriate. Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact associated with this report. Attachments: