FY26 Proposed Budget

increases while working toward their goals with the FSS Coordinator. Over $800,000 was deposited annually into FSS Participant Escrow accounts in 2023. • Collaborated with Shelter House to administer 60 project-based vouchers at the 501 Project and Cross Park Place for individuals experiencing homelessness with a disabling condition. • Maintained 86 public housing units and 21 additional affordable units for households with low income in the community.

• Partnered with Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative to develop plan for repositioning public housing units.

Upcoming Challenges:

• Staff capacity to administer all existing and new programs including those funded with ARPA and HOME-ARP funds allocated through the American Rescue Plan Act. • Training and compliance for new HUD requirements that add complexity to projects and demand more time from staff and subrecipients. • Developing and updating policies and procedures for existing and new programs in order to meet substantial changes in regulations and shifting community priorities. • Meeting HUD timeliness standards for expenditure of funds. • Successful administration of the HOME-ARP funds. • Staff capacity for monitoring and oversight of projects and affordable housing as we expand efforts and increase the number of affordable units under compliance. • Continue to maximize our federal resources, particularly the Mainstream and Emergency Housing vouchers which provide housing assistance to our most vulnerable populations. • Landlord retention in the Housing Choice Voucher Program. • Successful repositioning of the city’s public housing portfolio. • Establishing policies and getting buy-in from property owners to address maintenance and replacement of aging HVAC systems in rental units. • Expansion of efforts to meet the needs of the community while providing the same level of service for existing programs.

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