TITLE
Recommendation to request City Manager to direct the appropriate departments to review the existing process for individuals entering the permitting process for apartments and Accessory Dwelling Units and design a program that would both incentivize acceptance of vouchers for housing and educate landlords on how Housing Choice Vouchers work; and
Request a letter outlining potential incentives related to the Water Department be sent to the Water Commissioners for consideration.
DISCUSSION
Currently, ADUs are not required to have a separate water and gas meter for each unit. Installation of these tools can be expensive for the permittee but once installed helps the occupant know and understand their usage, supports the water and energy departments to communicate with the occupant as a customer, and incentivizes the tenant to conserve.
Long Beach has hundreds of individuals that have qualified housing vouchers but have not found a landlord/property that meets their needs. New/refurbished units and Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) can play an important role in supporting these individuals.
This year alone, approximately 400 Long Beach residents submitted applications for construction of an ADU. These residents may not be aware of they could be eligible to receive Housing Choice Vouchers.
To better educate and incentivize permittees, a program can include information and rebates such as:
· A letter to the homeowner from the Housing Authority, after submitting an ADU, outlining the benefit of accepting Housing Choice Vouchers.
· Reimbursement of permit fees after having demonstrated acceptance of Vouchers for a certain period.
· Reimbursement of various costs associated with the installation and permitting of dedicated gas and water meters connected to each unit.
· Ongoing rebates for specified city services associated with maintaining the unit for ongoing acceptance of vouchers.
As staff continues to work on establishing a more streamlined pre-approval pro...
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