housing choice voucher landlord quarterly news
www.hacp.org
April 2016
HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER LANDLORD QUARTERLY NEWS Housing Choice Voucher Program Helps Client Become a Homeowner! Camille needed help. Her husband had recently passed away and she was pregnant with her second child. Although she was working full time, her salary was not enough to provide for her growing family and the rent needed for a decent home, in a safe neighborhood, was simply beyond her reach. When she received her invitation for her Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), Camille felt a huge weight lifted off of her shoulders. Her time on the program was not always easy; being a single mother rarely is. At one point, Camille lost her job. This was the time she feels the HCV program was most helpful for her and her family. The full rent support she received from the HACP gave her the time she needed to find a new a job, and the utility allowance check she received each month helped her family stay warm through the winter. F ol
er low us on Twitt
https://twitter.com/hacp1
The HCV program allowed Camille to pursue her dreams, as well. She found a good, stable job that allowed her to save a little money each month. She also enrolled in a first time home buyers course through Dollar Bank. Now, 16 years later, Camille is a proud homeowner and is giving up her voucher. Asked if she could provide some advice for other young mothers in the HCV program, Camille stressed the importance of always striving for self-sufficiency. She encourages families to view the program as a stepping-stone to financial security, not as a life-long support. The HACP is proud to have supported Camille along her path to homeownership and wish her great success for many years to come.
Rent Reasonableness: How it Affects Contract Rent Amounts For each new contract, and every rent increase request, submitted to the Housing Choice Voucher Department, the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) is required to ensure the requested contract rent is reasonable for the unit’s market area. A ‘reasonable rent’ is not the same as the Voucher Payment Standard. In fact, depending on the market area, the Voucher Payment Standard may be determined to be unreasonable once compared to rents of comparable, unassisted units in your market area. To determine if a requested rent amount is reasonable, the HACP compares your requested rent amount to the average rent of three similar unassisted rental units in your unit’s zip code. If your asking rent is less than or equal to the comparable unit rent average, the HACP will approve the rent amount. If, however, the rent amount you are requesting is higher than the comparable unit average, we will ask you to lower the rent for a new contract, or deny your rent increase request.
All landlords may submit rent comparables with Request for Tenancy Approval packets or Rent Increase Requests to help justify the amount of rent they are requesting. When doing so, please be sure the comparable units are: 1.
Located within the same zip code as your rental unit;
2.
The same type of unit as your rental unit (for example, a single family home, row house or apartment;
3.
The same bedroom size as your unit; and
4.
Renting under market rate rents, not Housing Choice Voucher program pay ment standards.
Change in First Year Residency Requirement for New HCV Program Participants Did you know, only one out of every four families entering the HCV program is able to use their voucher assistance to rent an affordable home? In an effort to help more of our program‘s newest participants locate a rental unit, the HACP is changing our residency requirement for participants’ initial year of housing assistance. Beginning April 1, 2016, new HCV program participants will be able to use their Housing Choice Voucher to rent a unit in areas throughout Allegheny County, with the exception of the City of McKeesport. All completed Request for Tenancy Approvals will be submitted to our office as usual. The HACP will then forward all of the participant’s information to the Allegheny County Housing Authority for processing and lease document preparation. They will notify you when all contract documents are ready for signing. Pretty easy, huh? It is our hope, that by expanding the areas in which new program participants may live, we will help more families find a safe and stable home for their families.
HACP Assisting East Side Residents’ Housing Search The Choice Neighborhood Community redevelopment in Larimer/East Liberty is now underway. While the project is bringing much needed (and greatly anticipated!) new housing and economic opportunities to the East End community, there have been some temporary set-backs as well. During the next several months, the HACP will be assisting a number of families from the area search for new homes and we could use your help. We are actively seeking one and two bedroom rental units – apartments or townhouses are ideal – in Pittsburgh’s East End neighborhoods and surrounding communities. The families are relocating with HCV program assistance, and many may be eligible for security deposit assistance, as well. If you have rental units available, or anticipate having one or two bedroom vacancies in the near future, please contact Brett Oswalt, our Landlord Support Representative, for more information.
Consumer Affairs Offers New Background Check Tool for Landlords Are you searching for a background check company but not sure which company is right for you? Well, the Consumer Affairs Research Team may be able to help. They have researched 12 of the most popular background check companies and are making their company ratings available on their website for your review. The website also provides descriptions of the types of background check services available to landlords, as well as tips for choosing the company best suited to your tenant background check needs. Please visit the Consumer Affairs website today for more information and company reviews.
Brett Oswalt Landlord Support Representative 412-456-5000, ext. 4034 [email protected]
New Success Rate Payment Standards Effective April 2016 Beginning April 1, 2016, the HACP is implementing new payment standards for the HCV program. These new, higher payment standard amounts apply to new lease and HAP contracts only. The new gross rent payment standards are below. For the full 2016 Voucher Payment Standard Quick Reference Guide, please visit the Landlord Resources section of our website. HACP 2016 Voucher Program Payment Standards Effective April 1, 2016
Bedroom Size
Eff
1
2
3
4
Max Contract Rent if LL paying all utilities $657 $777 $978 $1,213 $1,341
5
$1,542
April 2016
HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER LANDLORD QUARTERLY NEWS Housing Choice Voucher Program Helps Client Become a Homeowner! Camille needed help. Her husband had recently passed away and she was pregnant with her second child. Although she was working full time, her salary was not enough to provide for her growing family and the rent needed for a decent home, in a safe neighborhood, was simply beyond her reach. When she received her invitation for her Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), Camille felt a huge weight lifted off of her shoulders. Her time on the program was not always easy; being a single mother rarely is. At one point, Camille lost her job. This was the time she feels the HCV program was most helpful for her and her family. The full rent support she received from the HACP gave her the time she needed to find a new a job, and the utility allowance check she received each month helped her family stay warm through the winter. F ol
er low us on Twitt
https://twitter.com/hacp1
The HCV program allowed Camille to pursue her dreams, as well. She found a good, stable job that allowed her to save a little money each month. She also enrolled in a first time home buyers course through Dollar Bank. Now, 16 years later, Camille is a proud homeowner and is giving up her voucher. Asked if she could provide some advice for other young mothers in the HCV program, Camille stressed the importance of always striving for self-sufficiency. She encourages families to view the program as a stepping-stone to financial security, not as a life-long support. The HACP is proud to have supported Camille along her path to homeownership and wish her great success for many years to come.
Rent Reasonableness: How it Affects Contract Rent Amounts For each new contract, and every rent increase request, submitted to the Housing Choice Voucher Department, the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) is required to ensure the requested contract rent is reasonable for the unit’s market area. A ‘reasonable rent’ is not the same as the Voucher Payment Standard. In fact, depending on the market area, the Voucher Payment Standard may be determined to be unreasonable once compared to rents of comparable, unassisted units in your market area. To determine if a requested rent amount is reasonable, the HACP compares your requested rent amount to the average rent of three similar unassisted rental units in your unit’s zip code. If your asking rent is less than or equal to the comparable unit rent average, the HACP will approve the rent amount. If, however, the rent amount you are requesting is higher than the comparable unit average, we will ask you to lower the rent for a new contract, or deny your rent increase request.
All landlords may submit rent comparables with Request for Tenancy Approval packets or Rent Increase Requests to help justify the amount of rent they are requesting. When doing so, please be sure the comparable units are: 1.
Located within the same zip code as your rental unit;
2.
The same type of unit as your rental unit (for example, a single family home, row house or apartment;
3.
The same bedroom size as your unit; and
4.
Renting under market rate rents, not Housing Choice Voucher program pay ment standards.
Change in First Year Residency Requirement for New HCV Program Participants Did you know, only one out of every four families entering the HCV program is able to use their voucher assistance to rent an affordable home? In an effort to help more of our program‘s newest participants locate a rental unit, the HACP is changing our residency requirement for participants’ initial year of housing assistance. Beginning April 1, 2016, new HCV program participants will be able to use their Housing Choice Voucher to rent a unit in areas throughout Allegheny County, with the exception of the City of McKeesport. All completed Request for Tenancy Approvals will be submitted to our office as usual. The HACP will then forward all of the participant’s information to the Allegheny County Housing Authority for processing and lease document preparation. They will notify you when all contract documents are ready for signing. Pretty easy, huh? It is our hope, that by expanding the areas in which new program participants may live, we will help more families find a safe and stable home for their families.
HACP Assisting East Side Residents’ Housing Search The Choice Neighborhood Community redevelopment in Larimer/East Liberty is now underway. While the project is bringing much needed (and greatly anticipated!) new housing and economic opportunities to the East End community, there have been some temporary set-backs as well. During the next several months, the HACP will be assisting a number of families from the area search for new homes and we could use your help. We are actively seeking one and two bedroom rental units – apartments or townhouses are ideal – in Pittsburgh’s East End neighborhoods and surrounding communities. The families are relocating with HCV program assistance, and many may be eligible for security deposit assistance, as well. If you have rental units available, or anticipate having one or two bedroom vacancies in the near future, please contact Brett Oswalt, our Landlord Support Representative, for more information.
Consumer Affairs Offers New Background Check Tool for Landlords Are you searching for a background check company but not sure which company is right for you? Well, the Consumer Affairs Research Team may be able to help. They have researched 12 of the most popular background check companies and are making their company ratings available on their website for your review. The website also provides descriptions of the types of background check services available to landlords, as well as tips for choosing the company best suited to your tenant background check needs. Please visit the Consumer Affairs website today for more information and company reviews.
Brett Oswalt Landlord Support Representative 412-456-5000, ext. 4034 [email protected]
New Success Rate Payment Standards Effective April 2016 Beginning April 1, 2016, the HACP is implementing new payment standards for the HCV program. These new, higher payment standard amounts apply to new lease and HAP contracts only. The new gross rent payment standards are below. For the full 2016 Voucher Payment Standard Quick Reference Guide, please visit the Landlord Resources section of our website. HACP 2016 Voucher Program Payment Standards Effective April 1, 2016
Bedroom Size
Eff
1
2
3
4
Max Contract Rent if LL paying all utilities $657 $777 $978 $1,213 $1,341
5
$1,542
