HOUSING AUTHORITY

P.O. Box 324 City of Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI 53201-0324 Meeting Minutes HOUSING AUTHORITY MARK WAGNER, CHAIR Ricardo Diaz , Vice Chair Sherri L. Daniels, Brooke VandeBerg, Gloria Lott, and Susan Lloyd Wednesday, October 14, 2020 1:30 PM Public Listen-in - (571) 317-3129 Access Code 283-523-669# The mission of the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) is to foster strong, resilient and inclusive communities by providing a continuum of high-quality housing options that support self-sufficiency, good quality of life, and the opportunity to thrive. To view the meeting materials electronically, please go to: https://milwaukee.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx? ID=809511&GUID=BC44A3CB-5205-4F53-A51F-4CA952C64F32&Options=info|&Search = Upon reasonable notice, efforts will be made to accommodate the needs of persons with disabilities who cannot access the meeting via phone. For additional information contact the Housing Authority ADA Coordinator, Patricia Schmidtknecht at 286-5100, (FAX) 286-3456, (TDD) 286-3504 or by writing to the Coordinator at 650 West Reservoir, Milwaukee, WI 53212. Call to Order Meeting called to order at 1:44p.m. Roll Call Present: 4 - Diaz, Wagner, VandeBerg, Lloyd Excused: 2 - Reed Daniels, Lott A. APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA CONSENT AGENDA – ITEMS RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL (All items listed under the Consent Agenda will be enacted by one motion unless a Commissioner requires otherwise, in which event, the item will be removed from the Consent Agenda and considered separately.) 1. R13177 Approval of the minutes of the regular meeting held on September 10, City of Milwaukee Page 1 HOUSING AUTHORITY Meeting Minutes October 14, 2020 2020 Sponsors: THE CHAIR Attachments: HACM Minutes for 9-10-2020.pdf This Motion was APPROVED B. REPORTS AND DISCUSSION ITEMS 1. R13178 Presentation of the Third Quarter Recovery Plan report Sponsors: THE CHAIR Attachments: Q3 Recovery Plan Report Final Draft.pdf Willie Hines, HACM’s Associate Director, and Gregory Anderson, Travaux’s Vice President of Asset Management, presented a summary of the report and answered questions from the Commissioners regarding some of the statistics, the processes of getting applicants lined up with available units and where pinch points may be, plans for units that require excessive costs to make ready, and steps being taken to improve the numbers. Mr. Pérez also mentioned that he will ask for monthly snapshots of key data, instead of waiting for it only at the end of the quarter and encouraged Commissioners to ask questions which staff can incorporate into the report. Commissioner Diaz suggested that units which are not practical to renovate be removed from inventory as soon as possible to more accurately reflect the number of usable vacant units. Chair Wagner mentioned he would be sitting down with staff to discuss these reports 2. R13179 Report from the Secretary-Executive Director Sponsors: THE CHAIR Attachments: HAIG HARRG Risk Control Dividend 09-21-20.pdf HAIG HAPI Property Insurance Dividend 09-15-20.pdf AIM Presentation FINAL.pdf Mr. Pérez asked Jackie Martinez, HACM’s Section 8 Program Director, to provide an update on activities in her department. Efforts to continue the department’s High Performer Status and improve the utilization numbers include a restructuring of the intake team, participants now having the ability to complete their recertifications online, a new Soldiers Home Housing Navigator who will work with applicants, the Veterans Administration and other partners, the purchase of new kiosks to be placed at the RAP office and HACM project-based developments that will allow recipients to complete a number of annual services without needing an in-person appointment, reducing processing times, the opening of the Housing Choice and Project Based Voucher waiting lists, and a mailing to landlords plus a new partnership with Opportunity Milwaukee, both to increase leasing opportunities for families. It is anticipated that these efforts should increase lease up in 2021 to 98% from the 90% current utilization of all vouchers. The current numbers, provided by HUD, include the Housing Choice Voucher utilization at 68% and the Project-Based/Rental Assistance Demonstration Voucher utilization at 89%. Mr. Pérez noted that this has happened while the department experienced two pandemic office closures. She mentioned that participants have also been impacted and have had to adapt, and that the kiosks will City of Milwaukee Page 2 HOUSING AUTHORITY Meeting Minutes October 14, 2020 help recipients who are having trouble with the offices closed when they don’t have internet access or knowledge. Commissioners made some suggestions on how they might find assistance. Mr. Pérez noted that this has happened while the department experienced two pandemic office closures. Commissioners made some suggestions on how they might find assistance. Mr. Pérez mentioned other pandemic items. Sometimes, applicants and residents are having difficulty getting paperwork from other government agencies. HACM is continuing to participate in and learn from other organizations nationwide. There are also some concerns among housing authorities across the country as the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development wants to restart inspections, requiring inspectors and residents to interact within households. Mr. Pérez asked Paul Williams, HACM’s Choice Neighborhoods CNI Coordinator, to walk through the attached Accountability in Management (AIM) presentation. Mr. Pérez explained that this report is typically an update provided to the Mayor’s office by all departments and during the pandemic the updates have not been requested, but HACM wanted to proactively provide an update this year. Commissioners suggested that HACM spread the word about the Soldiers Home, as the buildings and grounds look wonderful, and also mentioned possible avenues for letting the public know. Mr. Pérez noted that when staff recently did a similar presentation for the new DCD Commissioner, Lafayette Crump, there was discussion about how to leverage their partnerships and DCD’s role in HACM activities. Mr. Williams mentioned a recent $25,000 grant received from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation to continue the Best Babies Zone program at Westlawn. Mr. Pérez drew the Commissioners’ attention to the Legislative Priorities mentioned on page 33. Mr. Pérez also briefly discussed the recent visit to Westlawn by HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson to discuss changes in the Section 3 program. Some of the changes align with considerations HACM has made in the past. The visit was in part because of HACM’s current Section 3 success. Secretary Carson was also impressed with both the Westlawn case-managed residents’ employment numbers, which have seen declines during the pandemic, but are still significantly higher than before the case management program began, and HACM’s @Promise program, which provide employment to those interested in non-construction employment. Adjournment There being no further business, Vice Chair Diaz made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 3:17p.m. Commissioner Lloyd seconded the motion. There being no objections, the motion carried. Upon reasonable notice, efforts will be made to accommodate the needs of persons with disabilities through sign language interpreters or auxiliary aids. For additional information or to request this service, contact the Housing Authority ADA Coordinator, Patricia Schmidtknecht at 286-5100, (FAX) 286-3456, (TDD) 286-3504 or by writing to the Coordinator at 650 West Reservoir, Milwaukee, WI 53212. Persons engaged in lobbying as defined in s. 305-43-4 of the Milwaukee Code of Ordinances are required to register with the City Clerk's Office License Division. Registered lobbyists appearing before a Common Council committee are required to identify themselves as such. More information is available at http://city.milwaukee.gov/Lobbying. City of Milwaukee Page 3