REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Approve Agreement with Abode Services for Administration of the City's Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) Program for Homeless and At-Risk Households
Report
BACKGROUND
The City has been operating a TBRA program, funded with federal HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) grant funds, since fiscal year (FY) 2010/11. TBRA programs are very similar to the federal "Section 8" housing voucher program, but are funded with HOME grant funds rather than with federal Section 8 housing funds, which are provided to housing authorities, not to cities. In addition, TBRA programs are not subject to the very complex federal regulations that apply to Section 8, therefore they can be modified somewhat to meet the particular housing needs of each locality that funds such programs. The City's TBRA program has been designed to help homeless clients move into rental housing, following the federal "Housing First" policy, and to prevent homelessness by assisting those at imminent risk of homelessness to obtain replacement housing when facing eviction or housing loss.
Like Section 8, TBRA programs pay for a portion of an eligible household's rent each month, however TBRA assistance is only available to each household for a limited term of up to two years, whereas Section 8 has no such time limits as long as the household continues to be income-eligible. The TBRA assistance can also be used to pay for security deposits, if needed, to help the clients move into new rental units.
Due to its limited term, TBRA operates more like a transitional housing program, intended to help a client obtain or maintain housing while recovering from difficult circumstances, such as a job loss or health crisis, that might have caused them to become homeless. Clients are required to participate in supportive services, such as case management, career counseling, and job training to help them regain economic self-sufficiency and retain their housing afte...
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