A Roadmap to Transformation THE SAN FRANCISCO HOUSING AUTHORITY FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN

Transcription

1 A Roadmap to Transformation THE SAN FRANCISCO HOUSING AUTHORITY FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN BOARD APPROVED: SEPTEMBER 17, 2015

2 MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Dear Friends and Colleagues, Since 1938, the San Francisco Housing Authority (SFHA) has strived to provide affordable housing opportunities to San Francisco residents in need. During the past two years, we have achieved numerous goals; recruited key management and staff, established program performance reporting and action plans, implemented performance planning, improved communication through customer service and client relations, and provided new training opportunities to staff. Moreover, we are partnering with city agencies and affordable housing developers to leverage funding to perform maintenance and renovation on dilapidated public housing through the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) Program. The Authority is utilizing its Strategic Plan to build on this positive momentum to meet the need for high-quality affordable housing in San Francisco. Herein, is a multi-layered five year strategic plan developed with input from numerous sources including: community-based organizations, residents, staff input, private and public entities. The following three Strategic Goals are the culmination of this work: STRATEGIC GOAL 1: Be an Exemplary Housing Provider and Leader in the San Francisco Community STRATEGIC GOAL 2: Excel as a Public Housing Agency and Transform the SFHA Brand STRATEGIC GOAL 3: Accomplish Short and Long Term Financial Stability and Sustainability We appreciate your input and dedication to this process and will keep you informed on our progress. Sincerely, Barbara T. Smith Acting Executive Director Joaquin Torres President, Board of Commissioners 2 THE SAN FRANCISCO HOUSING AUTHORITY

3 AGENCY OVERVIEW The San Francisco Housing Authority (SFHA) was established in 1938 as an instrument for promoting the construction of public housing projects that would strengthen communities, improve the lives of tenants, and replace inferior housing. 1 The SFHA (the Authority) is the oldest housing authority in California and the 17th largest in the country. Since its inception, the Authority s Conventional Public Housing Department has grown to include over 40 housing developments located throughout San Francisco. In 1974, the SFHA established the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program (formerly Section 8 ), in order to provide rental assistance in the private market for families, seniors, and persons with disabilities. Over 10,000 individuals and families have been served through the Housing Choice Voucher Program. Today, the SFHA serves over 20,000 San Francisco residents. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY San Francisco s Public Housing Program is besieged by insufficient federal funding to meet its operating expenses, deteriorating infrastructure, and increased demand for affordable housing. More recently, the Public Housing Program has been challenged by the federal government shutdown of 2013, which forced the closure of non-essential federal government agencies and the budget sequestration or automatic spending cuts that followed. The SFHA s current financing structure can no longer rely exclusively on federal funding. FIGURE 1: SFHA PUBLIC HOUSING & HCV FUNDING: 2013 SFHA Public Housing & HCV Funding Following Federal Sequestration (2013) HCV GAP % FUNDED % NEEDED TO OPERATE -20% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% PUBLIC HOUSING Consequently, the Authority is working diligently to implement innovative solutions to preserve affordable housing in San Francisco. In 2013, Mayor Edwin M. Lee, tasked a work group of representatives to outline the key issues plaguing the Authority. The work group concluded that the SFHA s financial structure was too fragile to be sustained in the long-term. Indeed, following federal sequestration, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reduced the SFHA s public housing funding to 82%, compared to the 96% of funding needed to operate the program. Similarly, HCV/Section 8 funding decreased by more than 20%, funding the rental voucher program at 72%, compared to the 94% of demonstrated need. The financial challenges facing the SFHA are compounded by a rapidly aging infrastructure that requires extensive maintenance, and in some cases, replacement. The gap between the resources required to operate an effective housing authority and available resources forced the SFHA to find new creative methods to transform its portfolio. In conjunction with HUD, the City of San Francisco, and numerous other partners the SFHA is working together to change the face of Public Housing in San Francisco. The Authority is working with a variety of significant stakeholders across all sectors to rehabilitate more than 3,500 public housing apartment units under HUD s Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) Program, which includes over $500 million of public and private funding. Under the RAD program the SFHA will continue to own the land while the public housing buildings will be converted to new ownership. In addition to RAD, the Authority is continuing its endeavors in HOPE SF and will maintain management of a smaller number of public housing units. 1 Howard, Amy L., More than Shelter: Activism and Community in San Francisco Public Housing University of Minnesota Press FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN

4 STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS The Strategic Plan process launched in September with team building and learning exercises that focused on the social and emotional competencies of outstanding leaders and teams. The exercises established fundamental norms for behavior and healthy teamwork, as well as agreed upon core values and aspirations. The objective was to cultivate an enthusiastic and collaborative culture throughout the strategic planning process. FIGURE 2: SFHA MISSION, VISION AND VALUES SFHA MISSION The Mission of the San Francisco Housing Authority is to deliver safe and decent housing for low income households and integrate economic opportunity for residents. SFHA VISION The San Francisco Housing Authority s Vision is to be an innovative, nationally recognized leader with a collaborative work environment that retains and attracts exemplary, diverse, and dynamic employees. Working closely with our community, we provide decent, safe and affordable housing to San Franciscans in need with care, compassion, respect and dignity. SFHA CORE VALUES Continuous Improvement and Organizational Excellence Diversity Enhanced Communication Fairness and Accountability Fiscal Responsibility Proactive Community Engagement Respect Teamwork 4 THE SAN FRANCISCO HOUSING AUTHORITY

5 The spirit behind the Strategic Plan, was to re-engage SFHA employees and external stakeholders around the Authority s Mission and Vision for affordable housing in San Francisco. This included assessing past and present performance on an Employee Engagement Survey and on the ninety remaining Public Housing Authority Recovery and Sustainability (PHARS) Deliverables. Leadership utilized the performance review to identify eight Strategic Plan Focus Areas for improvement. Building upon the performance assessment, the SFHA carried out interviews with external stakeholders to assess perceived strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT). Information gathered from the Employee Engagement Survey and External Stakeholder SWOT Analysis then guided the formulation of Employee Work Groups. Approximately thirty SFHA employees participated in brainstorming sessions organized around the aforementioned eight Focus Areas for improvement. The Work Groups were designed to produce strategies and tactics the Authority would pursue within the Strategic Plan, which were presented to Senior Leadership. Significant outcomes from our data collection efforts are discussed in more detail on the following page. FIGURE 3: SFHA EIGHT STRATEGIC PLAN FOCUS AREAS Organizational Effectiveness Public Housing Program Effectiveness Financial Stability and Sustainability Employee Empowerment SFHA MISSION VISION CORE VALUES Customer Service Internal & External Communication Community Engagement & Partnerships HCV Program Effectiveness FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN

6 KEY FINDINGS FROM STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS In total, the SFHA conducted outreach to more than 200 internal and external stakeholders throughout the Strategic Planning process in order to gauge our past and current performance and to identify future opportunities for growth and partnership. There were numerous common themes that emerged from our conversations with both internal and external stakeholders. Notably, stakeholders stressed the need to build stronger bridges with other city agencies to change the culture of SFHA programs, improve SFHA employee morale, and strengthen the Public Housing and HCV programs. Additionally, respondents agreed that the Authority must continue to invest in its employees and adopt new and/or bolster existing management systems that support a more organized, proactive, and transparent work culture. More detailed findings are discussed in the table below. Data from the Employee Engagement Survey, External Interviews, and Internal Employee Work Groups were presented to Senior Leadership, and over several meetings, that information was used to facilitate discussions around the SFHA s strengths and areas that require continued investment. The next section discusses in greater detail the strategic direction the Authority will pursue over the next five years. FIGURE 4: SFHA STRATEGIC PLAN INTERNAL & EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDER INPUT Total Number of Stakeholders Engaged in Strategic Planning Process EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT SURVEY EMPLOYEE WORK GROUPS EXTERNAL INTERVIEWS NUMBER OF STAKEHOLDERS 6 THE SAN FRANCISCO HOUSING AUTHORITY

7 FIGURE 5: KEY FINDINGS FROM STRATEGIC PLAN PROCESS EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT SURVEY EMPLOYEE WORK GROUPS EXTERNAL INTERVIEWS Less than half of personnel responded to the survey request (approximately 45%), which is indicative of a low level of trust; Employees responded most positively to survey questions that asked them to rate both their immediate manager and their own job performance; Survey respondents rated survey sections on Fairness and Equality at the SFHA, Workplace Culture and Morale and Performance and Accountability the lowest. Maximize revenue and reduce costs; Establish efficient internal communication procedures; Utilize Intranet and SFHA website for communication; Establish department goals that are communicated, monitored and tracked; Create transparent processes for hiring and promoting employees; Invest in a vigorous customer service program; Provide multiple forms of professional and leadership development; Harness our networks within the community to provide stronger HCV and Public Housing Programs. Overwhelmingly, positive regarding the new Board of Commissioners and overall governance structure; The Executive Director has deep knowledge and commitment to SFHA program participants; Achievements with respect to financial stability; Newly hired employees into high impact positions; Need to strengthen key areas: Organizational Efficiency, External and Internal Communication, HCV and Public Housing Programs; Need to strengthen partnerships with city and county agencies; RAD Process and software implementation are critical opportunities. FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN

8 SFHA STRATEGIC PLAN: The Strategic Plan is organized around three broad Strategic Goals that are the intended result from our collective efforts. These Goals are targeted towards achieving excellence in three cornerstone areas that permeate the SFHA s vision. This includes partnering effectively with members in our community, excelling as a Public Housing Agency and achieving financial stability to provide housing to the San Francisco community in both the short and long-term. Imbedded within each goal are Strategies, which are a general description of how each goal will be successfully implemented. In total, there are nine Strategies across all three Goals. Also, included are the Key Objectives, or tactical steps the Authority will take to achieve its Goals and Strategies. Lastly, the Key Initiatives are the specific steps or tools the SFHA will use to meet its Objectives, Strategies, and Goals. The Initial Implementation is a preliminary prioritization of Key Initiatives. A key distinction within SFHA s Strategic Plan is the incorporation of the Strategic Plan Focus Areas. As previously discussed, the Authority engaged approximately thirty employees in the development of Goals, Strategies, and Objectives. The SFHA plans to continue the positive momentum around the Strategic Plan during the implementation phase through re-activating and broadening the Employee Work Groups to assist with launching, enhancing and monitoring the Strategies. FIGURE 6: SFHA STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS GOAL 3 Reach Shortand Long-Term Financial Stability and Sustainability GOAL 1 Be an Exemplary Housing Provider and Leader in the San Francisco Community SFHA MISSION VISION CORE VALUES GOAL 2 Excel as a Public Housing Agency and Transform the SFHA Brand 8 THE SAN FRANCISCO HOUSING AUTHORITY

9 FIGURE 7: SFHA STRATEGIC PLAN STRATEGIES GOAL 1 BE AN EXEMPLARY HOUSING PROVIDER AND LEADER IN THE SAN FRANCISCO COMMUNITY STRATEGY 1 STRATEGY 2 STRATEGY 3 Provide Affordable Housing Opportunities to Improve the Quality Of Life in Our Communities Offer Excellent Customer Service Be a Proactive Partner within the San Francisco Community STRATEGY 4 Create a Vibrant and Collaborative Work Environment that Empowers SFHA Employees around a Shared Vision of Excellence GOAL 2 EXCEL AS A PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCY AND TRANSFORM THE SFHA BRAND STRATEGY 5 STRATEGY 6 Improve Communication, AccountabilIty & Transparency Become a Nationally Recognized HCV Provider STRATEGY 7 Provide Safe and Well Maintained Public Housing to San Franciscans Who Are in-need GOAL 3 REACH SHORT- AND LONG-TERM FINANCIAL STABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY 8 STRATEGY 9 Prioritize Financial Efficiency by Increasing Operational Revenues and Reserves and Reducing Costs Establish Creative Funding Streams through Private, Public and Philanthropic Partnerships FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN

10 STRATEGIC PLAN SUMMARY During the initial phase of the Strategic Plan, there was wide consensus among the stakeholders that bolstering partnerships with external stakeholders is critical to transforming the Authority s identity. Based on that input, the SFHA is prioritizing, within its Strategic Plan, establishing a significant consortium of entities that work in concert with the Authority to strengthen service delivery to the San Francisco community. GOAL 1 BE AN EXEMPLARY HOUSING PROVIDER AND LEADER IN THE SAN FRANCISCO COMMUNITY The SFHA is targeting strategies to rehabilitate and leverage mixed income housing, re-define its organizational culture to improve economies of scale in customer service, and develop proactive relationships with citizen-based, government and private organizations with the goal of de-concentrating low-income neighborhoods. Critical to developing lasting partnerships to achieve this Goal is strengthening the Authority s organizational structure and investing more resources into staff development. 10 THE SAN FRANCISCO HOUSING AUTHORITY

11 GOAL 2 EXCEL AS A PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCY AND TRANSFORM THE SFHA BRAND Major findings from The Employee Engagement Survey and data from internal and external stakeholders highlight the need for boosting employee morale. Comments from outside public, private and non-profit entities include, [The Authority] needs to implement better workload organization to mitigate staff turnover and burnout. Similarly, findings from the Strategic Plan Work Groups point to the need for enhanced management structures to promote collaboration and communication, which can in turn positively impact employee morale. GOAL 3 REACH SHORT- AND LONG-TERM FINANCIAL STABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY Operating efficiently and sustainably is paramount to the Authority achieving high-performer status. In order to achieve, the Authority must increase revenues and reserves and reduce costs. The SFHA must also identify potential new sources of funding. There are four strategies the SFHA is targeting for transformation in order to excel as a Public Housing Agency. First and foremost, the SFHA must empower its employees to carry out the SFHA Mission. This includes, promoting a vibrant and collaborative work environment, strengthening the overall organizational model, and utilizing tools to promote operational efficiency. Equally important, foundational to reforming as a Public Housing Agency is improving communication, accountability and transparency across the Authority. In addition, the SFHA must cultivate better relationships with external partners and these efforts must transcend all portions of the Authority; including HCV, Public Housing, and Administrative departments. The final Goal is to stabilize and dramatically improve the SFHA financial structure in the immediate and long term. FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN

12 THANK YOU, TO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND SFHA EMPLOYEES THAT ASSISTED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN! Bay Area Legal Aid Board of Commissioners Chinatown Community Development Center Department of Public Health Department of Public Works Golden Venters of Source Leadership Education, LLC Green Tree Property Managers HOPE SF Human Services Agency Mayor s Budget Office Mayor s Office Mayor s Office of Housing and Community Development Office of the City Administrator Pacific Leadership Consultants Public Housing Tenant Association Senior/Disabled Citywide Counsel Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation The City and County of San Francisco The dedicated and hardworking SFHA staff The John Stewart Company The San Francisco Apartments Association The San Francisco City Supervisors The San Francisco Police Department The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development SAN FRANCISCO HOUSING AUTHORITY 1815 Egbert Avenue San Francisco, CA main tty sfha.org