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Minutes of a Meeting of the
Newport News Redevelopment and Housing Authority
March 17, 2026
No Closed Session
Other Business
programming included Zumba exercise sessions at elderly properties, a bingo
fundraiser sponsored by CenterWell Senior Primary Care, and a Mardi Gras
celebration organized in partnership with the Newport News Police League for
residents at elderly properties.
Ms. Dessoffy reported that staff presented the monthly Section 8 utilization report,
noting that the program includes Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV), Mainstream
Vouchers, and Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHV), is currently authorized for 3,154
vouchers. The overall HCV lease rate stands at 84.5%, reflecting a slight increase
from the previous month. The Mainstream voucher lease rate is 83.7%, and the
Emergency Housing Voucher program is 89.7%. Ms. Dessoffy noted that utilization
is expected to continue improving gradually as ongoing data cleanup efforts remove
inactive participants from the system.
During the reporting period, auditors from CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA) conducted on-
site fieldwork for the single audit, focusing on compliance with federal regulations
across the HCV Program, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), and Low-
Income Public Housing programs. The audit process was streamlined this year by
conducting work at the HCV office, reducing logistical challenges. Preliminary
feedback from auditors indicates notable improvement compared to the prior audit,
which had identified significant issues within the HCV program. While a few items
remain under review, staff are actively providing additional documentation. The
financial portion of the audit is ongoing, and further updates are expected. The audit
covers a 12-month period from January through December 2025.
Ms. Simmons reported that during the reporting period, several invitations for bids
(IFBs) and informal bids were issued. The Oyster Point fire repair IFB closed on
February 6th, followed by a pre-construction meeting during the week of March 9th.
An IFB for cleaning vacant apartment units is scheduled to close on March 30th, with
a well-attended pre-bid meeting held on March 10th. Staff also continued utilizing
informal bids, procurements under $250,000 that remain competitive but do not
require a formal bidding process. Recent informal bids included asset repositioning
strategic plan advisor services which closed February 24th, Marshall Courts Phase I
(buildings A & B) concrete and downspouts bid which closed February 18th, the green
area cleaning at Aqueduct Apartments which closed February 20th, and pressure
washing and window cleaning which closed March 2nd. Additional solicitations
include Aqueduct common area and exterior repairs which is closing March 24th and
the Pre-Management and Occupancy Review which is scheduled to close on April
10th.
Ongoing efforts related to Section 3 include a comprehensive review of processes
and procedures to ensure accurate, complete, and compliant documentation, which
also supports the recent audit. The Administrative Services staff have been working
with T-Mobile to optimize mobile device data plans, resulting in the cancellation of
unused lines. Additionally, iPads have been procured and distributed to inspectors to
improve efficiency and productivity in the field.
Ms. Shaw reported that the Choice Neighborhood Initiative (CNI) program continues
to show strong progress across multiple phases. In Phase I, the Lift and Rise
development is near full occupancy, with the 2800 building at 97% and the 2700
building at 90% occupancy. At Legacy Landing, (former Ridley Place), Phase III-R is
fully occupied, while Phase IV-R has only 10 units remaining before reaching full
occupancy. The final downtown phase, located at 28th and Washington Avenue, is
scheduled for financial closing by the end of the month. Early site activity has
commenced, with the contractor granted limited access to begin preliminary work.
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