Q&A
HPD addresses budget cuts and progress on housing blueprint initiatives
2:06:09
·
6 min
Council Member Sanchez inquires about budget cuts to housing blueprint initiatives and the progress made on these programs. HPD officials explain their approach to meeting savings targets while minimizing impact on operations, and provide updates on various housing initiatives.
- HPD achieved savings targets by identifying areas of underspending due to procurement delays in new programs
- Funding for affected programs remains intact in future years, with launches planned for later this calendar year
- Officials highlight progress on various housing initiatives, including streamlining Housing Connect, eliminating certain barriers for applicants, and advancing sustainability goals in design guidelines
Pierina Ana Sanchez
2:06:09
With respect to delivering on the housing blueprint, I mentioned this in my opening remarks.
2:06:13
The preliminary plan includes savings on the administration's own housing blueprint initiatives, including cuts to program that combat of income discrimination, prevent tenant harassment through partners and preservation, and support homeowners through the homeowner help desk.
2:06:28
In last year's preland budget response, this council plotted what were then new investments, and we called for more.
2:06:35
But instead, we're seeing a total decrease of $4,800,000 in fiscal 24 for the 3 programs that I just mentioned, reflecting delays in getting the program started.
2:06:45
So the questions are, when will HPD launch the enhanced homeowner help desk, partners in preservation, and source of income, discrimination testing programs.
2:06:55
What are HPD's key accomplishments to date regarding the blueprint?
2:06:58
Anything that you would like to highlight since it was launched over it was launched almost 2 years ago.
2:07:04
And finally, with the executive plan, Peg now canceled what new needs or PegRester operations is HPD considering?
Adolfo Carrión Jr.
2:07:12
So I'll just start by saying that, you know, we had this peg of 5% and we had to meet.
2:07:24
We tried to do it in the most responsible, non impactful way.
2:07:29
And I think that we have achieved that.
2:07:33
We are encouraged like everyone else by the increasing revenue that we see and a little more optimism about the overall direction of the economy.
2:07:46
Which I think is going to bode well for us in the coming cycles.
2:07:49
But our Deputy Commissioner for Finance And Administration could talk a little bit about the the mechanics of of how we got there.
Gardea Caphart
2:07:56
I think commission or I think a council member.
2:07:59
And just as I said, the commissioners shared and as you're aware, all agencies were asked to find ways to come up with savings.
2:08:07
And while and and no no agency will tell you that there's something that we want to do to reduce spending reduce our budget in a way.
2:08:16
Ideally, any under spending will like spending all the areas about budget.
2:08:21
So the the way we addressed it was working with our partners, our colleagues, our wouldn't be, and just trying to figure out work, and we have the the very, very minimal impact on our operations.
2:08:32
And we started by looking at we started by looking at areas where we already knew we were in going to spend the amount of budgeted.
2:08:39
So for those programs you mentioned, I just wanna clarify that funding for those programs remain intact in the out years.
2:08:46
The current years because these were new programs and the procurement for those programs were delayed, as a result of delays of the procurement for those programs, we knew we were gonna spend the funds that were allocated for those programs in this current fiscal year.
2:08:59
And so we pointed to those to them under spending.
2:09:02
As I would say, to meet our savings target without having to touch programs that were already operational and already fully launched.
2:09:10
And then also in terms of for those programs within the the blueprint where we already started doing work.
2:09:19
As for an example, our home takes program, what we look we look to see what are the areas where we have, grant funds or special funding that we could use to cover some of the expenses that were already incurred.
2:09:29
And so we use some some of that to swap out expenses that were already incurred to save on City tax leviedollars So overall, that's how we were able to achieve our target without significantly impacting operations.
2:09:43
And for those programs, we we are expecting to launch those programs later this calendar year.
2:09:48
So you ask specifically about the home health desk.
2:09:53
That's that's something that we're looking to launch later this year.
2:09:57
We're aiming for the spring summer of this year.
2:09:59
So that's no looking to lunch.
2:10:01
We are as part of delays too, we were working to just, you know, fine tune the scope, working with the contractors to ensure that this scope and budget along with what we're looking to accomplish, and a lot of that has been happening, and we are looking to start around the time.
2:10:16
And all also for our partners in preservation program that you mentioned, we are looking to launch that program.
2:10:25
In email of this year.
2:10:27
So I'll just program the own contract to be launched, but we're just looking at the savings that we realized from because of delay in understanding that we have in those programs.
Ahmed Tigani
2:10:37
And then I'll just add we've already mentioned a number of programs on from housing our neighbors, which continue to move forward else that say we meet advances in streamlining housing connect and trying to continue to move people in the housing faster.
2:10:50
We've eliminated upfront review to a post lease up audit, again, moving people in after, moving people in faster, and not letting process gained away.
2:10:59
We eliminated credit checks for applicants with rent stubs rent subsidies, something we continue to look at and pull back over time.
2:11:10
We have removed several forms, some of which were creating trauma and harm for for victims who are finding victims of DV abuse and that we can get the information another way without retriguing that arm.
2:11:26
We also move forward with redesigns and upgrades in our design guidelines, further embedding sustainability goals in both preservation and new construction.
2:11:37
Additionally, we've mapped out and you'll see some changes that will allow our enforcement team to be more proactive and result in some of the wins we've talked here.
2:11:46
This is in addition, and housing our neighbors is critical, but you also have to look at the get stuff built program and a 111 recommendations there that were working to reduce the regulatory period by 50%, so we can construct more.
2:11:59
It's been a theme of today's discussion.
2:12:02
One I'll lift up from there is the advance of the green fast track, which will allow buildings of a certain size that are sustainable, that meet the requirements of good housing around his you know, you know, not violent historic sources, noise pollution, certain parameters, but you can have buildings between a 175 and 225 by district already get through some regulatory issues that are unnecessary.
2:12:30
Those are housing that can provide affordable buildings and units.
2:12:34
In our neighborhoods.
2:12:36
So both in housing our neighborhoods are partnership across agencies, get stuff built, and the other plan for administration are all advancing under under the respective agencies push.