Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutRental Housing Advisory Board Full Agenda 7.22.20Rental Housing Advisory Board July 22, 2020 4:00 PM To Whom It May Concern: Please note the City of Oshkosh Rental Housing Advisory Board will meet on WEDNESDAY, July 22, 2020 at 4:00 in Room 406 (Council Chambers) at Oshkosh City Hall, 215 Church Avenue to consider the following agenda: A. Call to Order B. Roll Call C. Citizen Statements D. Approval of Minutes - June 3, 2020 F. Discussion Regarding Wisconsin Rental Assistance Program with Representative from ADVOCAP E. Adjourn Rental Housing Advisory Board Meeting Minutes June 3, 2020 Present: Danny Garcia, Alec Gulan, Lynnsey Erickson, Timothy Ernst, Todd Hutchison Linda Jevaltas, Donn Lord, Agnes Payne Excused: Katrina DeGroot Staff: Allen Davis Community Development Director; Andrea Flanigan, Recording Secretary Call to Order Mr. Ernst Called the meeting to order at 4:00 PM. Citizen Statements No one appeared for citizen statements. Approval of Minutes- February 12, 2020 The minutes of the February 12, 2020 meeting were approved as distributed. Erickson/Hutchison) Discussion Regarding Eviction Moratorium Ending May 26th Mr. Ernst stated the packet includes information brought forward to Council and options pertaining to potential assistance for landlords and tenants during and after COVID-19. With rental eviction protections ending on May 26th and July 25th the board should look at other options for assisting renters with rent payments. Mr. Garcia questioned if it would be possible to create a fund using public funds such as CDBG and or private donations. The donations could then be disbursed by Council. Mr. Lord stated ADVOCAP has received funding for the W.R.A.P (Wisconsin Rental Assistance Program) and is training and being educated on the program. Lu Scheer with ADVOCAP presented information regarding the W.R.A.P program. $1.1 million dollars was awarded to Fond du Lac, Winnebago, Outagamie and Calumet counties. $890,000 of those funds will go directly to rental assistance. ADVOCAP employees have been going through intensive training the past two days in order to assist people with the W.R.A.P. application. There are already 400 people that have applied for the assistance. In order to be eligible for the program applicants must fill out the Wisconsin Energy Assistance application. If they applied anytime between September 2019 and now they are in the system and eligible to apply for the W.R.A.P program. Other factors for getting rental assistance include loss of income due to COVID-19. This can include losing a job and not being able to work due to childcare. If unemployment has been collected that is included as part of your income and may affect eligibility for rental assistance. There may only be one applicant per household and up to $1,000 in rental assistance per request per house. For one or two bedroom apartments this will likely cover rent but for larger families that rent homes, this $1,000 may not cover their rent. ADVOCAP had been in discussions with the State regarding these concerns. The program can only be accessed by a CAP agency so renters looking to apply in the City of Oshkosh would need to contact ADVOCAP directly for an application. Payments are disbursed directly to the landlords. A letter is sent to the landlord and tenant stating how much has been paid. ADVOCAP is encouraging landlords to work on a payment plan with their tenants if they have missed rents due to COVID-19. Once the application is complete and the landlord provides their vendor information to the State, rent is paid within 10 days. There will be a FAQ out in the next couple of days that will clear up some of the misinformation that has been out there. Mr. Lord asked if renters and landlords seem to understand the program. Ms. Scheer hopes the FAQ sheet will clarify some of the misunderstandings but the people that are calling ADVOCAP directly and asking questions seem to understand. Most people that ADVOCAP has spoken with do have computers and if they have already applied for the Energy Assistance program it is a simple process of checking income verification for the previous month. Ms. Jevaltas asked Ms. Scheer if she believes the City should move forward with starting their own fund to support renters. Ms. Scheer stated in her opinion she would wait to see how quickly the W.R.A.P funds are used. If they are not used in a month or two then there may not be a need to start your own fund. Mr. Hutchison asked what the timeframe is that people can apply for the rental assistance. Ms. Scheer stated applicants can back date to April however a separate request must be made for each month up to $1,000 per month. If utilities are included in the rent, the rental assistance program can pay for those but if utilities are not included those costs will need to be paid by the renter. If the renter is under 25 years old and a full time student, they would not qualify for the program. Mr. Lord asked if ADVOCAP was using the $150,000 for eviction prevention. Ms. Scheer stated they do have that money available but are looking to spend the W.R.A.P fund as soon and as fast as possible before using the eviction prevention funds. Ms. Erickson asked if the State made any indication that they would refund the program if all of it was expended. Ms. Scheer stated there has been no talk about replenishing the fund. Going to wait to see how the program does. Mr. Ernst asked if the Rental Housing Advisory Board can do anything to support the program or provide information. Ms. Scheer is encouraging people to contact ADVOCAP so anyone asking about the program is getting the same accurate information. There are flyers on the program that can be handed out and shared on social media for people interested in the program. This provides a quick information sheet and a list of contact agencies. The board discussed meeting again in July to see how the W.R.A.P. program is doing and get a report from Ms. Scheer about where their funds are at. The board decided July 22nd at 4:00 PM would be the best time to meet. Ms. Jevaltas stated it is important to have a long range plan and asked if there is anything that prohibits the board from soliciting donations. Mr. Davis stated he did not believe they would be prohibited from soliciting donations. The City typically handles donations for Parks, Fire Department etc. There is not currently a fund set up for this type of donation but United Way and Community Foundation would be equipped to handle this type of program or fund. Mr. Ernst stated he believes the board should wait to create a program until we have more information on the W.R.A.P program and how that was utilized. Ms. Erickson asked if some CDBG funds from the CARES act could be used for rental assistance. Mr. Davis stated he believes it could be used but the guidelines have not been set for what the funds can actually be used for. There are some steps the City needs to go through such as public participation before being able to use the funds. Mr. Ernst stated we will continue to use the social media to get information out regarding W.R.A.P. Adjournment There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 5:04 (Jevaltas/Erickson)