In 2012, upon the dissolution of redevelopment agencies, the Garden Grove Housing Authority assumed the housing assets and functions of the former Garden Grove Agency for Community Development ("Former Agency"). As a result, the Housing Authority as Housing Successor ("Housing Successor") is responsible for housing monitoring, administration, and certain housing production requirements.

In 2014, the Governor signed into law SB 341 requiring Housing Successors to conduct an annual report of their housing activities associated with their assumed assets and functions of the Former Agency.

A detailed description of the Housing Successor activities undertaken during FY 21-22, as well as the state of the Low and Moderate Income Housing Asset Fund (LMIHAF) are detailed in the attached report, with a brief summary provided below:

• Receipt of $1,000,000.00 into the LMIHAF in repayment of Former Agency loans.
•  Total deposits into the LMIHAF of $1,236,118.02, which includes $1,000,000.00 in Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund (ERAF) and Supplemental Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund (SERAF) repayments, $83,036.62 in accrued interest, and $153,081.40 in miscellaneous revenue, bringing the total ending balance of the LMIHAF to $8,061,941.95.
•  Total expenditures from the LMIHAF of $299,435.86, which includes $99,467.26 for monitoring and administration, as well as $199,968.00 to provide rapid rehousing and homelessness prevention services.
•  Total statutory value of housing assets owned by the Housing Successor of $13,872,696.65, which includes $2,066,624.53 in real property and $11,806,072.12 in loans and grants receivable.

As part of the annual reporting process, the Housing Successor must perform three tests to ensure compliance with the statue. These tests include the Extremely Low Income Test, the Senior Housing Test, and the Excess Surplus Test.

Extremely Low Income Test

The Housing Successor is required to expend at least 30% of funds in the LMIHAF on the development of rental housing affordable to and occupied by households earning 30% or less of the Area Median Income (AMI). The Extremely Low Income Test calculates all expenditures on the development of housing over a five (5) year period (2020-2025) to ensure at least 30% of said funds were expended on units for households at or below 30% AMI. The Housing Successor did not expend funds on the development of rental housing, thus the test is not applicable to this report.

Senior Housing Test

The Housing Successor is limited in the number of rental units it develops for occupancy by senior citizens. This test requires the Housing Successor to compare the total number of housing units assisted by the City, Housing Successor, and/or Former Agency to the number of housing units assisted by the same entities for occupancy by senior citizens over the prior 10-year period. The percentage of housing units for senior may not exceed 50% of the total number of assisted units.

Between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2022, the City, Housing Successor, and Former Agency assisted a total of 124 housing units, with 16 of those developed for occupancy by senior citizens. The Housing Successor’s percentage of senior housing over the past 10 years is 13%, which falls below the 50% threshold.

Excess Surplus Test

An “excess surplus” is defined as an unencumbered amount of funds in the LMIHAF that exceeds $1,000,000 or the aggregate amount deposited into the account during the Housing Successor’s preceding four Fiscal Years ($7,800,304.00), whichever is greater. The ending balance of the LMIHAF is $8,334,904 which exceeds the aggregate amount of funds deposited into the account during the preceding four fiscal years, therefore, the Housing Successor has an excess surplus of funds that are required to be expended within the next three fiscal years.

The Housing Authority is collaborating with the City for acquisition and development of an affordable housing project that would encumber a significant portion of the LMIHAF and remedy the excess surplus.

• The Housing Authority entered into an agreement with the American Family Housing, a non-profit housing developer, to operate a 10-unit permanent supportive housing (PSH) project with eight extremely low units, one very low unit, and one manager’s unit covenanted for a 55-year affordability period. The Housing Authority awarded eight mainstream project-based vouchers for tenants that are aged 18 to 62 and disabled.
•  The City (with cooperation of the Housing Authority) is undertaking the development and operation of the Central Cities Navigation Center (CCNC) to address homelessness. This is a year-round facility that will provide up to 100 beds for temporary housing to individuals, adults ages 18 and older experiencing homelessness. The CCNC is located in the City and funded by and among cities of Garden Grove, Fountain Valley and Westminster for operation of not less than ten years.

Inventory of Homeownership Units

The Former Agency assisted 55 Garden Grove homeowners with down payment assistance loans. Of the 55 original loans, the Former Agency has lost a total of 32 housing units due to loans being repaid and affordability covenants expiring. The Housing Successor has received a total of $224,487.05 in loan repayments since February 1, 2012, with $97,331.92 being repaid during FY 21-22.

Housing Choice Voucher Program

The Garden Grove Housing Authority provides rental assistance to up to 2529 families per month, with 2337 Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (aka Section 8), 117 Emergency Vouchers and 75 Mainstream Vouchers. The lease-up rate by month for FY 2021-22 was as follows:

It is recommended that the City Council and Housing Authority Commissioners:

• Receive and file the Housing Authority Annual Report as Housing Authority and Housing Successor for Fiscal Year 2021-2022

By:    Monica Covarrubias, Sr. Project Manager