Seattle Housing Authority Community Service and Self-Sufficiency Requirement Policy

Transcription

1 Program: Public Housing Seattle Housing Authority Community Service and Self-Sufficiency Requirement Policy The Community Service and Self-Sufficiency Requirement was mandated under the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 and codified under 24 CFR 960 Subpart F; HUD guidance is provided through Notice PIH If possible and practicable, SHA will provide names and contacts at agencies that can provide opportunities for residents, including residents with disabilities, to fulfill their community service obligations. A. Requirements of the Program 1. Except for any household member who is an exempt individual, each adult (ages 18-61) resident of public housing must meet the minimum requirements below: a. Contribute eight hours per month of community service (not including political activities); or b. Participate in an economic self-sufficiency activity for eight hours per month; or c. Perform eight hours of combined activities of community service and economic selfsufficiency per month. 2. Hours may be earned each month; however, a total of 96 hours must be completed by each annual recertification. 3. SHA encourages residents to successfully complete a Workforce Opportunities System (WOS) program, as: Household members that successfully complete Opportunity Week will be credited with 40 hours of self-sufficiency activities for the year; Household members that successfully complete Opportunity Quarter will be credited with 48 hours of self-sufficiency activities for the year; Persons who begin, but do not successfully complete either WOS program will be given credit for partial participation in the program up to eight hours only based on the number of hours they actually participated. 4. All adult family members seeking an exemption from the CSR must provide current documentation supporting their request. A request for exemption can be submitted at any time and approved exemptions will be effective immediately. Persons aged 62 and older are automatically exempt and do not need to request an exemption. 5. If at any time a person is no longer eligible for an approved exemption, the resident must report this to SHA within 14 business days. The effective date of the community service requirement will be the first of the month following the 30-day notice. SHA will provide the person with Community Service Requirement Policy 1 of 5

2 written notice of the effective date of the requirement, the appropriate documentation form(s), and a list of agencies in the community that provide volunteer and/or training opportunities. 6. All non-exempt adult family members must, upon written notice from SHA, present complete documentation of activities performed during the applicable lease term. 7. Non-compliance with the community service and self-sufficiency requirement is a violation of the lease and SHA may not renew the household s dwelling lease, and may terminate the 8. If a family member is found to be noncompliant at the end of the 12-month lease term, the household will be given an opportunity to enter into a cure agreement to make up the deficient hours over the next 12-month period or to remove the noncompliant person from the household. Any cure agreement must be signed by the head of household and the noncompliant person. The make up hours will be in addition to the required eight hours per month. If the household fails to enter into a cure agreement, the noncompliant person is not removed from the household, or the household enters into a cure agreement and does not comply with it, SHA may not renew the household s dwelling lease and may terminate the B. Time Frame for Participation The community service and self-sufficiency requirement (CSR) begins the month after the lease is signed, unless an exemption is approved. The CSR is required of all current, non-exempt public housing residents. Any adult added to a household must begin complying with the CSR the month after they move in, unless an exemption is approved. C. Self-Sufficiency Activity A self-sufficiency activity is any activity designed to encourage, assist, train, or facilitate the economic independence of HUD-assisted families or to provide work for such families. Eligible self-sufficiency activities include, but are not limited to: 1. Job readiness or job training while not employed; 2. Training programs through SHA s Workforce Opportunity Systems programs, local One-Stop Career Centers, Workforce Investment Boards (local entities administered through the U.S. Department of Labor), or other training providers. 3. Higher education courses (junior college or college); 4. Apprenticeships (formal or informal); 5. Substance abuse or mental health counseling; 6. Reading, financial and/or computer literacy classes; 7. English as a second language and/or English proficiency classes; and 8. Budgeting and credit counseling. Community Service Requirement Policy 2 of 5

3 D. Community Service Community service is the performance of voluntary work or duties that provide a public benefit and that serve to improve the quality of life, enhance resident self-sufficiency, or increase resident selfresponsibility in the community. Community service is not employment, and may not include political activities. Eligible community services activities include, but are not limited to, work at: 1. Local public or nonprofit institutions, such as schools, Head Start Programs, before- or afterschool programs, childcare centers, hospitals, clinics, hospices, nursing homes, recreation centers, senior centers, adult daycare programs, homeless shelters, feeding programs, food banks (distributing either donated or commodity foods), or clothes closets (distributing donated clothing); 2. Nonprofit organizations serving PHA residents or their children, such as: Boy or Girl Scouts, Boys or Girls Club, 4-H Clubs, Police Activities League (PAL), organized children s recreation, mentoring, or education program, Big Brothers or Big Sisters, Garden Centers, community cleanup programs, beautification programs; 3. Programs funded under the Older Americans Act, such as Green Thumb, Service Corps of Retired Executives, senior meals programs, senior centers, Meals on Wheels; 4. Public or nonprofit organizations dedicated to seniors, youth, children, residents, citizens, special-needs populations or with missions to enhance the environment, historic resources, cultural identities, neighborhoods or performing arts; 5. PHA housing to improve grounds or provide gardens (so long as such work does not alter the PHA s insurance coverage); or work through resident organizations to help other residents with problems, including serving on the Resident Advisory Board, outreach and assistance with PHArun self-sufficiency activities including supporting computer learning centers; and 6. Care for the children of other residents so parents may volunteer. 7. Court-ordered and/or probationary work. E. Exemption from CSR Exemptions from the CSR are codified in 24 CFR , and include only an adult who: 1. Is 62 years or older; 2. Is a blind or disabled individual, as defined under 216(i)(1) or 1614 of the Social Security Act (42 USC 416(i)(1); 1382c), a. Who certifies that because of this disability she or he is unable to comply with the service provisions; or b. Is a primary caretaker of such an individual; Community Service Requirement Policy 3 of 5

4 3. Is engaged in work activities at least eight hours per month, including: a. Employment (unsubsidized or subsidized, public or private sector); b. Work experience (including work associated with the refurbishing of publicly assisted housing) if sufficient private sector employment is not available; c. On-the-job training; d. Job search; e. Community service programs; f. Vocational educational training (not to exceed 12 months for any individual); g. Job-skills training directly related to employment; h. Education directly related to employment in the case of a recipient who has not received a high school diploma or a certificate of high school equivalency; and i. Satisfactory attendance at secondary school or in a course of study leading to a certificate of general equivalency, in the case of a recipient who has not completed secondary school or received such a certificate. 4. Meets the requirements for being exempted from having to engage in a work activity under the State program funding under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 USC 601 et seq.) or under any other welfare program of the State in which the PHA is located, including Stateadministered welfare-to-work program; or 5. Is a member of a family receiving assistance, benefits or services under a State program funding under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 USC 601 et seq.) or under any other welfare program of the State in which the PHA is located (including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP), including State-administered Welfare-to-Work program, and has not been found by the State or other administering entity to be in noncompliance with such a program. Live-In Aides are not subject to community service requirements. F. SHA s Obligations SHA will provide the family with a copy of this policy, and all applicable exemption verification forms and community service documentation forms, at: Lease up, Lease renewal, When a family member becomes subject to the community service requirement during the lease term, and/or At any time upon the family s request. Although exempt family members will be required to submit documentation to support their exemption, SHA will verify the exemption statutes in accordance with its verification policies. SHA will make the final determination as to whether or not a family member is exempt from the community service requirement. Residents may use SHA s grievance procedure if they disagree with SHA s determination. Community Service Requirement Policy 4 of 5

5 SHA must review a household s compliance with the CSR and notify them of any noncompliance at least 30 days prior to the end of each household s 12-month lease: 1. Families will be notified in writing that they must submit documentation that each adult has complied with the CSR. 2. If a household member is not in compliance or that person s compliance cannot be verified, the household will be given an opportunity to enter into a cure agreement to make up the deficient hours over the next 12-month period or to remove the noncompliant person from the household, and provide sufficient verification that the noncompliant person has moved out of the unit. Any cure agreement must be signed by the head of household and the noncompliant person. a. If the head of household or family member refuses to sign a cure agreement, SHA is required to initiate termination of tenancy proceedings at the end of the current 12-month lease (24 CFR (c)) for failure to comply with lease requirements. [PIH Notice , p. 5] 3. If the household member does not move out of the unit or fails to meet the requirements of the cure agreement, SHA may not renew the household s dwelling lease, and may terminate the a. If the head of household or family member fails to meet the requirements of the cure agreement, SHA is required to initiate termination of tenancy proceedings at the end of the current 12-month lease (24 CFR (c)) for failure to comply with lease requirements. [PIH Notice , p. 5] 4. Households may request a grievance hearing on SHA s determination of noncompliance and/or termination. If a household member fails to comply with the lease requirements, including the CSR, SHA will comply with the required enforcement documentation specified in Notice PIH Community Service Requirement Policy 5 of 5