The Secaucus and the West New York Housing Authorities signed an agreement with the Hudson County this month to provide monitoring services under the Hudson County Consortium HOME Program for a fee of $30,000.
In a contract passed by the Hudson County Freeholders on July 14, the two housing authorities will oversee the program for the county, making certain that everything meets state and federal standards.
The HOME program provides formula grants to states and localities that communities use – often in partnership with local nonprofit groups – to fund a wide range of activities that build, buy, and/or rehabilitate affordable housing for rent or homeownership or provide direct rental assistance to low-income people. It is designed exclusively to create affordable housing for low-income households.
The funds are awarded annually as formula grants to participating jurisdictions. Federal Housing and Urban Development establishes Home Investment Trust Funds, providing a line of credit that the jurisdiction may draw upon as needed. The program’s flexibility allows states and local governments to use HOME funds for grants, direct loans, loan guarantees or other forms of credit enhancement, or rental assistance or security deposits.
For rental housing and rental assistance, at least 90 percent of benefiting families must have incomes that are no more than 60 percent of the HUD-adjusted median family income for the area. In rental projects with five or more assisted units, at least 20 percent of the units must be occupied by families with incomes that do not exceed 50 percent of the HUD-adjusted median. The incomes of households receiving HUD assistance must not exceed 80 percent of the area median.
HOME-assisted rental housing must comply with certain rent limitations, and the contract with the Secaucus and West New York Housing Authorities will allow them to monitor these and make sure that all the provisions are met.
Freeholder William O’Dea asked why the county had contracted out the work and if this would not be cheaper to have the county staff do it.
County Administrator Abe Antun said the county had tried to staff the program, which also deals with the mentally ill and chemical abusers.
“The salary structure is just not there,” he said. “We can’t be competitive enough to attract qualified people, and those we do attract don’t stay.”
Earlier this year, the county sent requests for proposals for monitoring services to the housing authorities in Bayonne, Guttenberg, Harrison, Hoboken, North Bergen, Secaucus, Union City, Weehawken and West New York.
Secaucus and West New York filed a joint proposal.
The authorities will inspect housing units as directed by the county, do re-certification of tenant’s income, determine income prospective tenants and do other monitoring activities.