REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION ANY PERSON WITH A DISABILITY WHO NEEDS AN - PDF document

3/23/2020 1250 Queen Ave SE Albany, OR 97322 Intake Department: (541) 918‐7328 (phone) (541) 926‐3589 (fax) mail@L‐bha.org (email) 1 REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION ANY PERSON WITH A DISABILITY WHO NEEDS AN ACCOMMODATION WITH RESPECT TO THE SECTION 8 PROGRAM SHOULD INFORM THE HOUSING AUTHORITY A reasonable accommodation is an adjustment made to a rule, policy, practice, or service that allows a person with a disability to have equal access to the HCV program. For example, reasonable accommodations may include extending the voucher term, extra bedroom for a live‐in aide, approving an exception payment standard in order for a participant to lease an accessible dwelling unit, etc. 2 1

3/23/2020 WHAT IS A VOUCHER? The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program is designed so you can find decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market. The Housing Authority will help pay a portion of your monthly rent. We cannot help with application fees or deposits. Question #1 You are given 120 days to locate a unit. You may ask for a 60 day extension (IN WRITING) before the 120 days is up. If you don’t find a rental by then, your voucher will expire and you will have to reapply to go back on the waiting list . 3 • You will receive a worksheet showing your maximum rent and utility limit. You cannot pay the difference on the side. HOW DOES • You must stay in the unit you select for one year before you have the THE Question #2 option to move with your voucher PROGRAM to another unit. WORK? • Once you are approved for unit that fits in your limits, have the landlord fill out the green sheets and get them turned in before your voucher expires. 4 2

3/23/2020 HOW DOES THE PROGRAM WORK? • We will schedule an inspection, usually within 7‐10 business days. • It is recommended that you do not sign a lease or move into a unit until it passes inspection. • Once it passes inspection, we will need a copy of your rental agreement. • We will call you when the final paperwork is ready and you will have to come to the HA to pick up this final paperwork. You will take it to your landlord for them to sign and then return it to the Housing Authority. 5 Question #3 • You will find out your portion of the rent when you sign the final contract/paperwork. • The Housing Authority will always notify you in writing if your portion of the rent changes. • Pay your portion directly to the landlord. The Housing Authority will send our portion to the landlord through direct deposit. • If you report a permanent change in your income, this may change your portion of the rent. 6 3

3/23/2020 • You can locate a unit in Linn or Benton County. If your income is over the Linn County income limit, you should have been notified by mail and will search in Benton County only. WHERE CAN I LOOK FOR A • You may be able to search outside of our jurisdiction through UNIT? the portability process. Your packet of information will provide more details about portability. Transferring your voucher may affect your family’s assistance. Contact us for more information. 7 YOU CHOOSE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD There may be some benefit to locating a unit outside of higher concentrations of poverty. Included in the information packet available online is a map of these areas in Linn and Benton County, along with more information. 8 4

3/23/2020 HOW ARE MY RENT LIMITS CALCULATED? • If your household has income, your limit will increase depending on the amount of income your household receives. If your income changes before you find a place, this may affect your limits. Question #4 • Your voucher limit only applies to get approved for a unit. After the Housing Authority starts paying a portion of the rent, the voucher limit no longer applies. 9 HOW MANY BEDROOMS DO I QUALIFY FOR? The Housing Authority determines the amount of subsidy we can provide based on your household composition. The information packet has more information about determining bedroom size subsidy. You are not required to live in the bedroom size given, but the unit you find has to fit in the limits you are given. F F o r E o r E xa mple : xa mple : • • I I f the Ho using Autho rity g ive s yo ur fa mily a two -b e dro o m vo uc he r, yo u c a n find a unit with f the Ho using Autho rity g ive s yo ur fa mily a two -b e dro o m vo uc he r, yo u c a n find a unit with Question #5 two -b e dro o ms o r mo re a s lo ng a s it fits in yo ur two -b e dro o m limit. two -b e dro o ms o r mo re a s lo ng a s it fits in yo ur two -b e dro o m limit. • • I I F F YOU F YOU F I I ND A SMAL ND A SMAL L L E E R UNI R UNI T T , YOU WI , YOU WI L L L L NE NE E E D T D T O GE O GE T T T T HE HE VOUCHE VOUCHE R L R L I I MI MI T T T T HAT HAT MAT MAT CHE CHE S T S T HE HE SMAL SMAL L L E E R BE R BE DROOM SI DROOM SI ZE ZE . . 10 5

3/23/2020 WHAT’S REQUIRED OF MY LANDLORD? The owner is responsible for the following: ‐Comply with their obligations under the HAP Contract and lease ‐Maintain Housing Quality Standards (HQS) for the unit ‐Comply with equal opportunity requirements, fair housing, and VAWA requirements ‐Collect the security deposit, the tenant rent, and any charges for unit damage by the family ‐Enforce tenant obligation under the lease 11 WHAT’S REQUIRED OF MY HOUSEHOLD? Your entire household must comply with the Section 8 Family Obligations. You can access a copy of these rules online. Make sure everyone in your household understands these rules. 12 6

3/23/2020 Section 8 Family Obligations 24CFR 982.551 Department rtment of of Hous using ing and nd Urb Urban Devel evelopment ment regu regulations lations for or the the Hou ousing ng Choice oice Vouche her Program rogram permits permits LBH BHA to terminate terminate assistance ance to to particip rticipants ants in in th thes ese pro rograms grams if any hou househol old members embers or or gu gues ests ts do do not not abi bide de by by the the following ollowing fami family obliga obligations once once the the uni nit is approv approved and and the he HAP cont ontract has as been been exec execut uted ed. 1) 1) The Family MUST: a) Supply any information that LBHA or HUD determines to be necessary including evidence of citizenship or eligible immigration status, and information for use in regularly scheduled re-examination or interim re-examination of family income, composition and criminal history. You must keep appointments as they are scheduled, complete paperwork, return forms, and sign documents by the deadline imposed by the Housing Authority staff. Provide current, reliable mailing address if different from assisted dwelling to help ensure receipt of HA correspondence. Two missed appointments to supply LBHA with this information is considered a breach of a family responsibility. New New income ncome for or all all famil amily members embers must be be report reported ed in in wr writing iting wit ithin hin 10 days of the he cha change nge (su (such as hire ire date of new ew job job - not not first irst pa payche ycheck.) ck.) New New inco ncome include ludes, s, bu but is not ot limite limited to: o: Wages ages, Unem Unemploymen ployment, Child ild support, support, TANF ANF , Soci Social Secur ecurity, Pensi nsions, and and any any other other sou ource of income ncome (wh wheth ether it’s expect xpected to cont ontinue or not. ot.) 13 Section 8 Family Obligations b) Disclose and verify social security numbers and sign and submit consent forms for obtaining information. c) Supply any information requested by LBHA to verify that the family is living in the unit or information related to family absence from the unit. d) Notify LBHA in writing within 10 days if any family member no longer lives in the unit. e) Notify LBHA in writing within 10 days when the family or a family member is away from the unit for an extended period of time (10 days or more) in accordance with LBHA policies. f) Notify LBHA and the owner in writing before moving out of the unit or terminating the lease. g) Allow LBHA to inspect the unit at reasonable times and after reasonable notice. Two missed appointments for inspection are considered a breach of this family responsibility. h) Use the assisted unit for residence by the family. The unit must be the family’s only residence. i) Notify LBHA in writing within 10 days of the birth, adoption, or court-awarded custody of a child. 14 7