Welcome
Welcome to the Housing Authority of the City of Alameda's web site. Our goal is to provide you with information about the Housing Authority that will inform and assist you.
Michael Pucci, Executive Director
Alameda Housing Authority
The Alameda Housing Authority is happy, and a bit sad, to announce
the retirement of
Eileen Duffy who has been with the Housing Authority for 20 years. Eileen began her
career at the Housing Authority as a Management Analyst in March 1993. Over the years
she received numerous promotions for her hard work and dedication. She was also Acting
Executive Director for a few months in 2006 while the Executive Director was working at Alameda
City Hall. Eileen consistently demonstrated the highest level of personal and professional
standards, and served all of Alameda with dedication and excellence. She will be retiring as the
Deputy Executive Director of our agency.
Although most of our clientele never met her, she provided an integral part of customer services behind-the-scenes work that affected all of our day-to-day operations. Her knowledge, professionalism and patience exemplify the type of person that we at the Housing Authority have always valued. Although we are sad to let someone of such high caliber leave, we wish her the best of luck and much relaxation as she begins her next chapter. Bon Voyage, Eileen!
DID YOU KNOW.....?
The Housing Authority of the City of
The Housing Authority administers the federal Section 8 Housing
Choice Voucher Program (HCVP) to provide rental assistance payments
to property owners on behalf of eligible families and individuals
(participants) to bridge the gap between high market rent levels and
participants’ limited incomes. This
program serves over 1600 families and individuals in
The hallmarks of the HCV Program are choice and self-determination. Eligible
families choose the rental housing that meets their needs and, with
stable housing as a foundation, can work to achieve health,
education, and career goals. Local
property owners operate rental housing properties following their
own business practices, and benefit from a reliable revenue stream
and free annual property inspections.
When an eligible participating family is selected as a tenant by an
·
The initial eligibility, briefing, and annual re-examination
process between the Housing Authority and the participant outlines
the program rules and family obligations to remain a participant and
to receive rental assistance in housing that meets their needs.
·
The tenant selection process by the private or non-profit owner
and the lease between the property owner and the tenant are guided
by local and state law.
These laws guide the landlord-tenant relationship for assisted
families just as they would for non-assisted families.
·
To make rental assistance payments to the property owner and
ensure that assisted units meet basic safety and quality standards,
the property owner and Housing Authority enter into a Housing
Assistance Payments contract. The
Housing Authority is in a contractual relationship to provide rental
assistance; it does not co-administer privately-owned rental
properties.
In each of these three relationships, each party has certain
responsibilities and rights, as well as different roles to play when
problems arise. The
Housing Authority responds to complaints and concerns raised by
landlords, residents, and the public. Some
issues can be addressed quickly, while others may be more
complicated and take longer to resolve. In
some cases it requires the cooperation of the landlord, neighbors,
the assisted resident, and the Housing Authority to resolve
neighborhood problems. Because
many problems are a matter of lease violations, and the Housing
Authority is not a party to the lease between the landlord and the
resident, the Housing Authority may not always know the outcome of a
particular problem. If
the Housing Authority stops hearing complaints, it is assumed that
the matter has been successfully addressed.
In our official capacity, the Housing Authority also is charged with
safeguarding client confidentiality and due process rights. This
can sometimes have the appearance that the Housing Authority is not
actively or rapidly addressing concerns. If
criminal activities are suspected, or local civil laws may be
violated, the Housing Authority – indeed any concerned party – can
bring the matter to the attention of the police. As
with any resident if a property owner determines that a program
participant has violated the lease or rental agreement, the property
owner retains the right to enforce the lease, up to and including
court-ordered eviction. If
this happens, or when the Housing Authority determines that a
participant is violating program regulations, the Housing Authority
can, and does, terminate assistance, but this process can take
time.
In order to minimize negative impacts from possible “bad actors,”
the Housing Authority employees a variety of preventative and
proactive measures, including:
·
Having criminal
background checks completed through the Alameda Police Department
for all adults in families new to the rental assistance programs, or
new to
·
Two Alameda Police
Department officers are assigned to work directly with the Housing
Authority and its managed housing properties and are able to help
address concerns regarding HCVP participants when needed.
As a result of this, and the pride that residents take in
their complexes, the incidence of crime in Housing Authority-owned
and managed properties is lower than in the City of
·
The Housing Authority
has worked with its community partners to address neighborhood
concerns associated with the former Islander Hotel by investing in
the purchase and rehabilitation of this property to create quality,
affordable housing in the downtown area.
During these times when every public dollar is precious, the Housing
Authority works hard to ensure that program resources are used
appropriately so that as many people as possible can be served;
therefore, the Housing Authority takes program abuse very
seriously. The Housing
Authority also knows that the vast majority of program
participants – low-income working families, seniors, and persons
with disabilities on fixed incomes – take their responsibilities as
tenants, program beneficiaries, and community members, very
seriously as well. By
ensuring that our neighbors in need have safe, decent, affordable
housing, providing associated programs to help address economic and
self-sufficiency goals, and serving as the conduit for millions of
federal dollars to the local economy, the Housing Authority plays an
important role in strengthening our community.
The Project Based Voucher Waiting List is 