TITLE: Title
Consideration of Increasing the Maximum Grant for Rental Assistance and Authorizing the Town Manager to Approve Changes to the Rental Assistance Program
PURPOSE: The purpose of this item is for the Town Council to consider raising the maximum grant award for rental assistance from its current $1,000 to $2,000 and authorize the Town Manager to consider changes in the program to regionally align the process.
body
DEPARTMENT: Housing and Community Services
CONTACT INFORMATION: Rebecca Buzzard, Housing and Community Services Director, 919-918-7438, rbuzzard@townofcarrboro.org Anne-Marie Vanaman, Management Assistant, 919-918-7321, amvanaman@townofcarrboro.org
INFORMATION: On March 5, 2019, the Town Council approved the pilot application process for the Affordable Housing Special Revenue Fund. https://carrboro.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3875185&GUID=B29FF1CD-DC0B-4627-B6E8-0DDCC1205A46&Options=&Search=
At that time, the Council also expanded eligibility for rental and utility deposit assistance to households at risk for, or experiencing, homelessness and who are being assessed through the coordinated entry process. Coordinated entry is a process developed to ensure that all people experiencing a housing crisis have fair and equal access and are quickly identified, assessed for, referred, and connected to housing and other assistance based on their strengths and needs.
Prior to the expansion to coordinated entry, eligibility for rental assistance in the Town's Affordable Housing Special Revenue Fund was limited to voucher holders. Most households assessed through coordinated entry lack these subsidies. Subsequently, both the number of applications and the amount of funds requested has increased. Attachment B compares rental and utility assistance requests from June 30, 2018-December 31, 2019.
In the Fall of 2019, Community Empowerment Fund (CEF), the nonprofit administering rental and utility deposit assistance applications on behalf...
Click here for full text