VASH A lack of referrals from partner agencies hindered VASH utilization. The VA did not hire a caseworker for several months after the funding was approved. The VA’s lack of a caseworker led to a limited amount of referrals for the VASH program. The VA as mentioned has took to increase the number of referrals coming to THA which we believe will increase the utilization. The VA now contracts caseworkers for the VASH program. This has helped expedite the leasing process. TPV Staffing issues led to decreased utilization of the Tenant Protection Vouchers. A hiring freeze led to the inability to get the vouchers processed. The staffing issues have been remedied and all the TPV vouchers have been issued. THA is waiting for them to lease up. Number of project-based vouchers committed or in use at the end of the Plan year, describe projects where any new vouchers are placed (include only vouchers where agency has issued a letter of commitment in the Plan year): 26 project based vouchers were placed at Salishan in plan year 2011. Development Name Total number of authorized units Total number of units leased Project Description Eliza McCabe 10 10 Transitional Fleet Meadows 14 12 Transitional Guadalupe Vista 40 34 Transitional/Family Harborview manor 125 101 Senior/Disabled Hillside Gardens 8 8 Transitional Hillside Terrace 9 9 Transitional/Family New Look Apartments 42 38 Senior/Disabled Pacific Courtyards 46 19 Transitional
Section V: Proposed MTW Activities: HUD Approval Requested At the end of Fiscal Year 2011, THA had proposed and received approval of 11 MTW initiatives. Detailed information concerning each initiative implemented during Fiscal Year 2011 is fully discussed in Section VI of this report. Section VI: Ongoing MTW Activities: HUD Approval Previously Granted Activity Number Initiative Description Statutory Update Plan Year Status Update 1 Extend allowable tenant absences from unit for active duty soldiers Encourage self sufficiency 2011 Implemented July 2011 2 McCarver Elementary School Project: Housing and Education Increase housing choices for low income families, encourage 2011 Implemented July 2011 3 Local Project Based Voucher Program Reduce costs and achieve greater cost effectiveness 2011 THA continues to look at ways to utilize PBV’s and is seeking approval to have a regional approach to providing voucher dollars in the community 4 Allow Transfers Between Increase housing choices 2011 Implemented in Spring 2012
Public Housing and Voucher lists 5 Local Policies for Households Reduce costs and achieve greater cost effectiveness 2011 Because of 2011 plan amendment, activity was delayed until November of 2011 with an effective date starting January 2012 6 Local Policies for Work-Able Households Encourage self Sufficiency, Reduce costs and achieve greater cost effectiveness 2011 Because of 2011 plan amendment, activity was delayed November of 2011 with an effective date starting January 2012 7 Local Income and Asset Policies Reduce costs and achieve greater cost effectiveness 2011 Implemented July 2011 8 Local Interim Processing and Verification policies Reduce costs and achieve greater costs effectiveness 2011 Because of 2011 Plan amendment, activity was delayed until November of 2011 with an effective date starting
January 2012 9 Modified Housing Choice Voucher Inspection Process Reduce costs and achieve greater cost effectiveness 2011 Because of changes to the City of Tacoma’s code inspections, THA has not fully exercised the flexibility for this option. THA will look to use this activity in the near future 10 Special Program Vouchers Increase housing choices for low income households 2011 THA has not used the approval as of this writing, but is actively looking for opportunities partner with our service partners. THA may use activity 4 from the 2012 plan to identify a partner 11 Simplified Utility Allowance Reduce costs and achieve greater cost effectiveness 2011 This activity has been successfully implemented in November of 2011. 1. Extend allowable tenant absence from unit for active duty soldiers
Impact of Activity: THA received authorization to allow soldiers to be absent longer than 180 days from their house when they are deployed away from home. The normal HUD rules would have THA terminate a soldier’s assistance when he or she is away serving the nation for a prolonged deployment. This does not happen too often but contemplating such a termination is disturbing. Tacoma is also home to one the nation’s largest military bases so we want to be ready if this issue arises again. This activity is meant to allow soldiers who are deployed the opportunity to leave without worrying about their housing situation when they are gone. The activity did not get used in 2011. Discussion of Benchmarks: This activity is meant to allow soldiers who are deployed the opportunity to leave without worrying about their housing situation why they are gone. Revisions to Benchmarks or Metrics: THA does not plan on changing benchmarks or metrics on this activity. Having this approved allows THA to assist households who may have this unsettling situation arise in the future. Revised Benchmarks and Metrics are as follows: N/A Changes to Data Collection Methodology: No changes were made to the data collection methodology. Changes to Authorization Used: No changes were made to the authorizations used to implement the initiative. 2. McCarver Elementary School Project: Housing and Education (HCV) The McCarver Special Housing Program began accepting families in the fall of 2011. As of December 31, 2011 42 families (69 McCarver students) were housed and 8 families were still in various stages of admittance to the program. Baseline data on the performance of students of participating families were collected in the fall of 2011. Most of the measures are reported annually by Tacoma Public Schools (TPS); therefore the first opportunity to measure the academic growth of the students will be upon the release of the spring 2012 data. Impact of Activity Metric Baseline Benchmark Benchmark Target Date Current Status Third grade students still enrolled in fifth grade (among students from participating households) 36% based on historical data from TPS 100% enrollment 6/30/2012 Data to be first collected in the fall of 2013 when first cohort of 3rd graders become 5th graders Math and reading test scores among students from participating households State Measures of Student Progress results from end of spring 2011 5% annual improvement in both sets of scores 6/30/2012 The measurement of growth will be comparison to spring 2012 test scores which will