City Council Sponsors Local Rent Voucher Program

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1 The District of Columbia Housing Authority News For Housing Choice Voucher Program Participants and Providers Fall 2007 Major HCVP Records Update Underway Saturday appointments and expanded hours for clients The HCVP office has launched a major initiative to ensure that all our voucher holders' information is up-todate and complete in preparation for a key change in the recertification process for voucher holders. To ensure there is no interruption in your housing assistance payments, please do not ignore any correspondence you receive from the HCVP office. If you receive a letter directing you to come in, it is important that you come ineven if this letter comes a week or two after your recertification. Starting in October, DCHA will implement new regulations that will allow many voucher holders to recertify every other year. "This will reduce the burden on our clients to come in annually, and it also cuts down on the amount of time and resources DCHA has to commit to paperwork," explains Velma Navarro, HCVP deputy director. "We're also preparing for a see Update on page 4 City Council Sponsors Local Rent Voucher Program (L to R) Tia Lowe is joined by Leasing Specialist Jon Wilson, her landlord Rosslyn Snowden, HCVP Director Gary P. LeBlanc, DCHA Executive Director Michael Kelly and HCVP Leasing Supervisor Ron McCoy at the first lease signing for the LRSP program. Landlord Rosslyn Snowden was adding her second property to the Housing Choice Voucher Program while Tia Lowe, a single mother of three, was looking for a place of her own. When the landlord and tenant met, they discovered that they were the first participants to complete the lease-up process under the Local Rent Supplement Program (LRSP) funded by the District of Columbia and administered by DCHA. Funding for this program was enacted by the DC City Council at the end of 2006, and more than $11.8 million was earmarked to provide housing for more than 1200 homeless families in the city. Sixty percent of the funding was allocated to tenant vouchers, while the remaining funds were awarded to partner organizations for projectbased programs. The LRSP shows how committed the District is to affordable housing," said DCHA Board Chair Frank Smith. With the continued reduction in federal funding for lowincome housing programs and authorities, we are very fortunate see LRSP on page 3

2 A Message from the Executive Director This summer was a scorcher, not just in terms of the hot weather, but also in terms of the pace of work at DCHA. Much of our time has been spent revising and updating HCVP's administrative rules to better serve both residents and landlords with two major initiatives: biennial recertifications and a change to our abatement practices. DCHA s Board of Commissioners is scheduled to consider a new rule that will allow voucher holders to recertify every other year instead of annually. This will not only reduce the agency's paperwork burden, it also will provide more flexibility for our voucher participants to increase their incomes and improve their financial situation. In order to prepare for the biennial recertifications and to clean up records for the end of the fiscal year in September, the HCVP office has launched a major initiative to ensure that all our voucher holders' information is up-to-date and complete. We appreciate the cooperation of our clients as we've worked to update our official records. The most recent change to our HCVP rules was a revision to our voucher payment abatement policy that was approved by the Board at their July meeting. It provides landlords with additional time to schedule and pass an annual inspection if a deadline is missed due to actions of a tenant. This change responds to concerns we heard from many of our landlords. Finally, I am saddened to report that we received unfortunate news this August when we found out that HCVP Director Gary LeBlanc had to undergo major surgery. We are all hoping for his complete recovery and have sent our wishes and prayers to him and his family. In the interim, the HCVP department will report directly to DCHA Deputy Executive Director for Operations Karen Moone. HCVP Deputy Director Velma Navarro is responsible for the day-to-day operations. I ask you to give them all your support and assistance. Sincerely Michael Kelly DCHA Executive Director DCHA Contracts with Four Firms to Conduct HCVP Inspections DCHA's HCVP program has more than doubled in the last seven years and now serves more than 12,000 households and more than 3,400 landlords. Annual housing quality standards (HQS) inspections of voucher holder's units are an integral part of ensuring that residents have safe and sanitary housing. Initial move-ins as well as continued HAP payments hinge on units passing these inspections. In order to keep pace with the rapid increase in voucher holders and to ensure both accurate and timely HQS inspections of all units, DCHA has hired four independent contracting firms to augment the work of our in-house HCVP inspectors. The independent contracting firms are contacting landlords and tenants directly to schedule and conduct the inspections. If you hear from one of the firms listed below, be assured that they are legal representatives for DCHA. If you have any concerns or questions, contact Mr. Kenneth Wright, HCVP Supervisory Housing Inspector, at Contracting Firm Zip Codes Served AMAR Group and Edgecombe Group and ITBS All zip codes KTA All zip codes. 2

3 New Board of Directors Established for Landlord Advisory Committee Synthia A. Wilson, Chairman, LAC Board of Directors The Landlord Advisory Committee (LAC) was established in 2001 to support the Housing Choice Voucher Program by advising the Housing Authority on policies and procedures affecting landlords. Since its inception, the LAC has weighed in on policies across multiple program functions including last year's HAP payment abatement policy revisions and the proposed security deposit guarantee program. This year the LAC will continue operating under the leadership of the newly established LAC Board of the Directors and the Executive Committee with three primary goals: increasing LAC membership and participation, expanding the LAC's ability to address a broader range of issues facing District of Columbia landlords, and continuing to improve the HCVP's overall service delivery. To facilitate these goals, the seven-member Board of Directors led by Synthia A. Wilson brings a balanced mix of skills and expertise in providing quality housing to District residents. "We see landlords as providers of an essential service in terms of making available quality, affordable housing" Ms. Wilson says. "To be effective we must work with DCHA to establish a mutual understanding of each other's concerns. As LAC members, we volunteer our expertise to shape the issues and decisions influencing a landlord's ability to provide housing. We do this both as business owners and because we believe it is the right thing to do." The Executive Committee, led by Charles Thornton, manages the monthly LAC membership meetings and works in concert with the Board to facilitate landlord participation in the DCHA policy and decision making process. According to Charles Thornton, Chairman, LAC Thornton, "Participation in the LAC is a unique opportunity to have your voice heard and a lot of people don't realize how big that opportunity is." LAC membership meetings are held from September through May, on the third Wednesday of each month, at 6 p.m. in the HCVP conference room. Monthly meeting agendas are tailored to address current hot issues and also include expert presentations by attorneys, tax consultants and other specialists to help keep landlords informed. All HCVP landlords and property managers are invited and encouraged to attend! LRSP from page 1 that our local officials have stepped up to the plate to provide funding for our citizens. "We believe all of our District citizens should benefit from the prosperity of the last decade. Economic development and affordable housing don't have to be at odds," said Mayor Adrian Fenty at an event announcing the program. "The partnership the DC Housing Authority has formed with local nonprofit service agencies and landlords benefits citizens in every Ward in our city." The District s Local Rent Supplement Program follows the HCVP rules for the 600 vouchers that are going directly to tenants. The project-based housing is being provided by 13 different grant winners who demonstrated the ability to sufficiently provide affordable units. Since the program is local, all recipients must rent in the District in order to participate. 3

4 Update from page 1 major upgrade of our computer system. As we clean up databases and files on the old system, we are finding that some files are missing important documents." she said. In order to make it easier for voucher holders to bring in needed documents, the HCVP office has expanded office appointment hours. Appointments are available from 8:15 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily and from 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. on Saturdays. Up until Friday, September 29, clients who need to bring in additional documents after their initial recertification can walk in without an appointment. After October 1, walkin days will revert to Tuesdays. "We recognize that some of our HCVP clients have gotten two or three notices in the last few weeks as we clean up their files. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused and appreciate your patience as we work to improve our systems for you, Navarro added. DCHA will provide detailed information on the new recertification process to all voucher-holders in the coming months. Housing Choice Voucher Program Landlord Advisory Committee 2007 Calendar *Meetings held the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 6:00 pm* January 17, 2007 February 21, 2007 March 21, 2007 April 18, 2007 May 16, 2007 June 20, 2007 September 19, 2007 October 17, 2007 November 21, 2007 December 19, 2007 For further information, please contact Mr. Herbert Ruffin hruffin@dchousing.org District of Columbia Housing Authority 1133 North Capitol Street, N.E. Washington, D.C PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 333 WASHINGTON DC

5 How HCVP Rents Are Calculated HCVP will approve the proposed rent the owner has requested, if: The rent the owner requested does not exceed the rents in the open market for like (apartment to apartment; home to home, etc.) unassisted (not tax credit or otherwise local/federally assisted) units within its census tract or no further than two contiguous census tracts; and, The rent the owner requested + the value of any tenant responsible utility allowance* does not exceed the family payment standard**; or, If the rent the owner requested + the value of any tenant responsible utility allowance exceeds the family payment standard and the difference above the payment standard does not cause a rent burden*** to the family. Remember, rents must be reasonable. If the rent being charged is too high compared to like unassisted units and the owner will not negotiate a lower rent, HCVP will not approve the unit for the program and will reissue the family a voucher and package to search for another unit. You will receive a portion of the rent from the tenant ("tenant's portion") and the balance from the HCVP ("Housing Assistance Payment"); these two amounts together add up to your total contract rent. Please obtain a copy of your potential tenant's applicable utility allowance schedule for your unit's structure type (ex: Semi-Detached House, Detached House, Walk-Up Apartment, etc.) and deduct the amount of utility allowance for the bedroom size of your unit for each utility you are requiring the family to pay from the rent you desire to get an estimate of what HCVP will approve. *Utility Allowance: HCVP provides a monthly utility allowance to the Housing Choice participant for utilities the family is responsible for paying under the lease. The allowance is based on an average utility rate for the District of Columbia and is given in the form of a credit to the participant's total monthly rental payment. Any utility usage above the allowed average will be the participant's responsibility. **Payment Standard: Every year HCVP establishes voucher payment standards for units all bedroom sizes. Voucher payment standards place a cap on the amount of subsidy HCVP will pay for tenants' rent and utilities. In general, the amount of subsidy a household receives is equal up to the payment standard minus 30 percent of the tenant's adjusted income. Please keep in mind that voucher payment standards are not the maximum amounts owners can charge for rent, because voucher payment standards include an amount for utilities as well. So, the more utilities the tenant is required to pay, the less subsidy is available for rent. ***Rent Burden: Rent that exceeds more than 40 percent of a family's household income. *TEST YOUR PROPOSED RENT BELOW * MY PROPOSED CONTRACT RENT + UTILITY ALLOWANCE = IS NOT GREATER THAN FAMILY PMT STD HCVP will provide a detailed presentation on rent calculation at the next Landlord Advisory Committee meeting. Join us September 19, 6 p.m. in the HCVP conference room. HCVP PAYMENT STANDARDS AS OF AUGUST 2007 Efficiency $1095 One-bedroom $1247 Two-bedroom $1415 Three-bedroom $1825 Four-bedroom $2388 Five-bedroom $2747 Six-bedroom $3104

6 DCHA Awards $25,000 In Scholarships Sixteen DCHA public housing and Housing Choice Voucher participants received a total of $25,000 in scholarships and educational assistance for the coming academic year from Community Visions, DCHA's nonprofit fundraising arm. The "Commitment to Excellence" Scholarship Program is open to all DCHA clients who demonstrate a financial need and academic leadership. The scholarships can be used for books, tuition, supplies, equipment or any other school-related expenses at colleges, universities, trade schools or technical schools. Winners were chosen based on essays that demonstrated how each planned to use his or her education to improve the community. In order to receive the $5,000 scholarship, applicants had to demonstrate grade point averages of 3.5 or higher, and the $1,000 winners needed grade point averages of 2.5 or higher. Below is a list of the 2007 "Commitment to Excellence" Scholarship winners and the schools they are attending. Nigel Crawford will use his $5,000 scholarship to help with tuition at Sanz School. $5,000 Winners Charles Smith Potomac Gardens Lafayette College Nigel Crawford HCVP Sanz School Shakira Thomas HCVP Howard University $1,000 Winners Demetria Hazelton HCVP Southeastern University Shereena Edwards Barry Farm University of MD-Eastern Shore Ashley Bellamy HCVP North Carolina Central University Jamal Morgan HCVP McDaniel College Kevin Cole HCVP Bowie State University $500 Winner Regina Williams Judiciary House Strayer University $350 Winner Tawanda Davis Barry Farm Virginia Union $300 Winners Veronica Kirkland HCVP Howard University Clemmietine Hunter HCVP Winston-Salem State University Carolyn Becton-Moody Wheeler Creek Prince George's Community College Victor Ware HCVP Corcoran College of Art & Design Star Anderson Kenilworth Trinity University $150 Winner Afifah Ottley HCVP Bowie State University