HCV FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Transcription

1 HCV FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS What is the Housing Choice Voucher program? The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, formerly referred to as Section 8, provides housing assistance payments to help income eligible persons afford decent and safe rental housing. HCV programs are funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and administered by public housing agencies (PHA) throughout the country. PHAs use funding provided by HUD to assist a limited number of families in the HCV program. How does the HCV program work? When selected and determined eligible to participate in the HCV program, a person/family is issued a rental voucher and then shops in the private rental market for a dwelling unit that the family feels will meet its needs. Once a unit is selected, the Memphis Housing Authority (MHA) must inspect the unit before the family rents it, and at least annually thereafter to ensure that the unit meets HUD housing quality standards (HQS). Once the unit passes an HQS inspection and MHA approves the rent amount, MHA and the owner of the unit enter into a Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Contract. The owner and the family enter into a lease. Both the family and MHA pay a proportionate amount of the rent to the owner. Does MHA provide emergency housing assistance? Emergency housing assistance is not available through MHA. Persons in need of emergency assistance should contact local service agencies for potential options. INFORMATION OF INTEREST TO HCV APPLICANTS AND PARTICIPANTS How do I apply for the HCV program? MHA is not accepting waiting list applications for the HCV program at this time. How will I know when MHA opens the waiting list? MHA will provide public notifications prior to and during periods when the waiting list is open. There is never a cost to the family to make application. When the waiting list is open, MHA generally receives many more applications than it can expect to assist in a reasonable time. MHA uses a computerized random process to select a pre-determined number of applications to establish its waiting list. I am on the waiting list. When will I get a voucher? If your family s name is on MHA s HCV waiting list, MHA will begin to process your application when adequate program funding is available and your name reaches to the top of the list. Every applicant on the waiting list is assigned a unique number that holds his/her place on the waiting list. Depending on your place on the waiting list, you may have to wait several months or even more than a year before you reach the top of the waiting list. While you are on the waiting list, you are required to notify MHA in writing when your address changes and/or your household composition changes. Failure to do so could result in removal from the waiting list.

2 When you reach the top of the waiting list and receive a written notice from MHA, you must complete a full application process and attend scheduled appointments. Based on the information you provide, MHA determines your eligibility to receive a voucher and participate in the HCV program. To determine if your household is eligible, MHA conducts a criminal background check, verifies all income and preferences, and checks HUD s national database for debts owed and unfavorable termination from other housing programs. Once your household is determined eligible, you must attend a briefing appointment to receive your voucher. Based on your household income, MHA will provide you with an estimate of the housing assistance it will provide on your behalf and the amount of rent you will be responsible to pay to the owner. What does MHA need from me? To determine eligibility and the household s adjusted monthly income, MHA uses information and documents you provide along with other sources including HUD s income verification (EIV) system. You may be asked to provide things like: Proof of identity and birth, social security cards, pay stubs, bank statements, benefit letters, official court documents, and other items. Once all household income information, assets, and allowances have been verified by MHA, MHA calculates all income according to HUD prescribed methods. When the calculation is complete, MHA sends both you and the owner written notification of MHA s portion of the rent as well as the amount you are responsible to pay toward your rent. You are required to report all income for all household members, all changes in income and any changes in family composition. Failure to do so could result in loss of your voucher. When does my rental assistance begin? Your voucher expires 60 days from the date it is issued, so your search for a unit must be completed before the voucher expiration. You may want to use the on-line rental tool TNHousingSearch.org to assist in your search to find available units. Once you locate a suitable unit and the owner agrees to lease it to you, the owner must complete the Request for Tenancy Approval (RTA) form and it must be returned to MHA. When MHA receives the completed form and required owner information, MHA will inspect the unit and review the rent amount. When these steps are successfully completed and you have signed a lease with the owner, MHA will enter into a Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) contract with the owner and your rental assistance will begin. Can I rent a unit from a relative (mother, grandfather, brother s wife, etc)? The owner (including a principal or other interested party) may not be the parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, sister, brother or spouse of any member of the assisted family. Renting from a family member may be approved as a reasonable accommodation for a family member who is a person with disabilities. If MHA grants such approval, the owner and family will be notified in writing. Does MHA pay my security deposit? The HCV program does not cover security deposits. On occasion, owners may be willing to work with a family to make installments on the security deposit.

3 How much is my portion of the rent? HCV participants are generally required to pay approximately 30% of adjusted monthly income toward rent and utilities. In some instances, depending on the unit you choose and the rent amount, you may pay more than 30%. Your portion of the rent may change for a number of reasons such as: the owner may request a rent increase after the first year of the lease; your income or household composition may change; or the Payment Standard may change. Your portion of the rent plus the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) made by MHA to the owner covers the entire rent amount. The owner may not require you to pay additional money other than the amount stated in the lease and HAP payment. Are there other rules I need to know? Yes. Every HCV participant household agrees to follow the requirements stated on their signed HUD Voucher and the Statement of Responsibility. When can I move to another unit? After your Housing Choice Voucher contract has been in effect for a year or according to the terms of your lease with the owner, you may submit a request to move to HCV. You may use your HCV voucher anywhere within the Memphis/Shelby county area, or you can transfer or port it to another housing authority within the United States. If you are interested in porting to another housing authority, you must notify MHA. A list of other housing authorities in the United States is on the HUD web page at What should I consider when looking for a unit? The HCV program provides tenants with the freedom to chose where they live. You should consider the following when deciding whether a unit is right for you: Is the location near my work? Schools? Shopping centers? Grocery stores? Doctors office? Is there public transportation nearby? Does the neighborhood feel safe? Does the unit appear to be well-maintained? What is the history of utility bills? Is the owner more than two years behind on property tax payments o Check the Shelby County and City of Memphis websites to determine this. If taxes are not brought current, the unit could face foreclosure at some time.

4 INFORMATION OF INTEREST TO OWNERS How do I get my unit on the HCV program? To be an HCV program owner/landlord: Owners should attend an Owner briefing and/or review the owner information provided on this website Selected unit must pass an initial Housing Quality Standards inspection and be maintained such that it passes future inspection. Property taxes should be paid and up-to-date on the rental unit. MHA must be able to verify ownership. Owner and tenant may not be related unless MHA has granted a HCV participant s request for a reasonable accommodation. When a tenant has selected your unit and you agree to lease to him/her, MHA will require other paperwork from you such as a Request for Tenancy Approval (RTA), W-9, photo identification, a copy of the management agreement (when applicable), and Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) contract. I want to list my unit for rent. How do I do that? MHA refers owners to TNHousingSearch.org to list their units at no cost. HCV participants are also referred to this site to locate available units. How can I help my unit to pass HQS? MHA s HQS inspection follows HUDs form at the link below. Owners can use this form prior to MHA s scheduled inspection to conduct self-inspections and make repairs. Why was my rent or unit abated? HCV is required to inspect units annually. Rent is abated (stopped) when units fail to pass on two consecutive inspections. The unit will be taken out of abatement if it passes a final inspection, should the owner request one. HAP is never paid for the period a unit is under abatement. When will I receive my HAP payment? HCV generally makes monthly HAP payments by the 3 rd business day of the month. MHA may also schedule a mid-month check run. An executed HAP contract must be in place and your unit must not be in abatement in order to receive your HAP payment at the next scheduled payment date.

5 The HAP contract has not yet been executed or it has been cancelled, and the tenant is living in my unit. Can I get paid? HCV participants are responsible for all rent once the contract is cancelled and if they move in prior to HAP contract execution. MHA will not pay HAP where a valid HAP contract has not been properly executed. I didn t receive a check this month. Why not? There could be several reasons why you did not receive a check this month. If the unit is in abatement (two failed inspections) payments are stopped until repairs are made, and the unit passes an inspection. If this is a new contract, the signed contract may not have been executed in time to make the check run. If your tenant has had a recent re-exam, his/her income may have increased to a level where he/she is no longer eligible for HCV assistance. If this is the case, you will receive a letter from the HCV office regarding the changes. Why was money deducted from my HAP check? MHA will deduct amounts owed for: Prior overpayments of HAP for the current HCV tenant and/or other HCV tenants past or present. If the unit was in abatement, we may be taking back subsidy paid during the abatement period. Owners may only charge tenants their portion of the rent amount as stated in the lease agreement and HAP contract. No additional money for any fees or costs can be assessed in addition to rent that are not allowed by the HCV program. Does MHA offer direct deposit for HAP payments? MHA is in the process of implementing direct deposit.