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HomeMy WebLinkAbout981288.tiff RESOLUTION RE: APPROVE REVISIONS TO SECTION 8 ADMINISTRATIVE PLAN AND AUTHORIZE CHAIR TO SIGN WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County, Colorado, pursuant to Colorado statute and the Weld County Home Rule Charter, is vested with the authority of administering the affairs of Weld County, Colorado, and WHEREAS, the Weld County Housing Authority has presented the Board with Revisions to the Section 8 Administrative Plan, and WHEREAS, after review, the Board deems it advisable to approve said plan, a copy of which is attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County, Colorado, ex-officio Housing Authority Board, that the Revisions to the Section 8 Administrative Plan be, and hereby are, approved. The above and foregoing Resolution was, on motion duly made and seconded, adopted by the following vote on the 27th day of July, A.D., 1998. BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WELD COUNTY, COLORADO ATTEST: /0��`�/� f ;w!,;,, (1407-51w as-7”, <v� Constance L. Harbert, Chair Weld County Clerk to e =Icr! --" r n /I tail //1 qV W. . ster, ro-Tem BY: /�i1a Deputy Clerk to t ter attorney TO FORM all Mbar �1 1 LS arbara J. Kirkmeyer ,1 981288 cc : // A HA0018 DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES rice-,-„, P.O. BOX A WI GREELEY, COLORADO80632 Administration and Public Assistance (970) 352-1551 Child Support(970) 352-6933 O Protective and Youth Services (970) 352-1923 MEMORANDUM Food Stamps (970) 356-3850 COLORADO Fax (970) 353-5215 TO: Constance L. Harbert, Chair Date: July 22, 1998 Board of County Commissioners �/ FR: Judy Griego, Director, Department of Social Services t� RE: Revisions to Section 8 Administrative Plan Enclosed for Board approval are revisions to the Section 8 Administrative Plan of the Weld County Housing Authority. The revisions are based on new Section 8 Federal regulations published April 30, 1998. The major changes to the Section 8 Administrative Plan are as follows: 1. Revise the waiting list purging policies for Section 8 disabled applicants. In specific, the Weld County Housing Authority will be required to make every effort to contact the disabled applicant before the Weld County Housing Authority can remove him or her from the waiting list. 2. Revise the extension of certificate or voucher procedures for disabled participants. The Weld County Housing Authority must extend the initial term of a certificate/voucher for a period of up to 120 days, if a family needs and requests such an extension to make the program accessible to a family member with disabilities. 3. Revise the unit and lease approval process. The Weld County Housing Authority will meet the standards of: a. "rent reasonableness" in calculating a reasonable rent as outlined in the procedures. b. Portability. For nonresidents of Weld County, a family/individual may not receive assistance outside Weld County within the first twelve months of the 981288 MEMORANDUM Page 2 Constance L. Harbert July 22, 1998 initial tenancy unless they can provide documentation that they will be employed a minimum of thirty-two hours per week or more. 4. Revise the Payment Standards for Certificate over Fair Market Rent (FMR) Tenancy. The Weld County Housing Authority has revised the procedures concerning those families who meet the gross rent provisions of the Over-FMR and are included as part of the total certificates that can be a part of the Over-FMR limit of 10%. In addition to families we accommodate because of disabilities, approval for Over-FMR tenancy will be limited to: a. Large families needing more than three bedrooms, based on occupancy standards; or b. Families with a head of household who is employed at a minimum of thirty- two hours, but must locate in a home that will alleviate a transportation problem to access work or services to continue to work, if no access to public transportation exists. If you have any questions, please telephone me at extension 6510. Weld County Housing Authority Section 8 Administrative Plan Revisions,July 27, 1998 Revised Section 111.,APPLICATION PROCESS A. Tenant Application. Applications may be requested by telephone or may be requested by the applicant at our office located at 315-B North 11th Avenue, Greeley, Colorado. All persons must submit a completed application to be considered eligible for a Section 8 Certificate or Voucher. All applicants will be informed of the Housing Authority's local preferences at the time of application. Revised Section VI., WAITING LIST PURGING POLICY A. The Section 8 waiting list will be purged periodically to indicate an accurate level of interested applicants by the following methods. 1. Periodically, the Housing Authority will send letters to applicant households to determine if they are still interested in remaining on the waiting list(#7). The intent of this policy is to ensure that the waiting list represents an accurate indicator of families who are truly interested in participating in the program. If an applicant household does not respond to the letter within thirty (30) days or if the letter is returned as undeliverable based on the most current address provided by the applicant, the applicant is removed from the waiting list. Before a disabled person is removed from the waiting list, every effort will be made to contact the applicant based on information provided on his or her application to determine their continued interest in participating in the Section 8 program. If it is determined that an applicant did not respond to the Housing Authority's request for information or updates because of the family member's disability, the Housing Authority will reinstate the applicant in the family's former position on the waiting list. 1 of 4 Revised Section VII Briefing Families and Issuing Certificates/Vouchers E Extension of Certificate or Voucher 1. Families will be allowed sixty (60) days to locate a unit. Families who do not find a unit prior to the 60-day period are required to submit a written request for an extension. This request must contain an accurate explanation of why they were not successful in locating a unit. An extension will only be approved if extenuating circumstances existed which prevented them from finding a unit. The Housing Authority Director will determine if the reason(s) for the inability to locate a unit warrant extending the Certificate or Voucher time. No certificate/voucher holder will be approved for an extension if they have not advised our office prior to the expiring of the certificate/voucher of their difficulties in locating a unit. If a family needs and requests an extension of the initial certificate/voucher as a reasonable accommodation to make the program more accessible and usable by a family member with disabilities, the Housing Authority must extend the certificate/voucher up to 120 days from the beginning of the initial term. Revised Section VIII, UNIT AND LEASE APPROVAL B. Lease Approval 3. Rent Reasonableness No unit may be approved unless the rent is determined reasonable. The following factors must be considered in determining a reasonable rent: (1) The location, quality, size, unit type and age of the rental property: (2) Any amenities, housing services, maintenance, and utilities provided by the owner in accordance with the lease. The comparable rent shall be documented in the case file of the participant and updated based on the most current rent. At no time shall the rent be approved if the rent exceeds rent for comparable assisted/unassisted units. 2 of 4 9g/?gib' 4. Portabilility A. If the Certificate/Voucher Holder resident of our jurisdiction the family/individual may receive assistance as follows: W In the jurisdiction of a housing authority anywhere in the United States that administers a tenant based program. B. If the Certificate/Voucher Holder of the household is a nonresident of our jurisdiction, the family/individual may not receive assistance outside the jurisdiction of the housing authority within the first 12 months of the initial tenancy unless they can provide documentation that they will be employed a minimum of 32 hours per week or more in the jurisdiction of the receiving PHA. The Housing Authority may disapprove portability in accordance with WCHA damage reimbursement policy. Revised Section XIII., PAYMENT STANDARD FOR HOUSING VOUCHERS AND CERTIFICATE OVER FAIR MARKET RENT TENANCY A. The Initial Payment Standard will be the Seetion 3 Certificate Fair Market Rent. The WCIIA will Sta..1u.J sd,hedulc based on private rental conditions consistent with the program budget authority.-An adjustment standard will not be adopted more than twice in a five year period. The Housing Authority shall establish the Payment Standards for the Voucher Program. The Payment Standard will be no more than the current Fair Market Rent under the Section 8 Certificate Program,nor less than 80 percent of the current Fair Market Rent. The Payment Standard shall be reviewed on an annual basis and the Payment Standard shall be modified to reflect the current market for decent, safe and sanitary rental housing. B. The Housing Authority may approve a gross rent under the provisions 3 of of an Over-FMR Tenancy upon request from a participating family under the following criteria: 1. The number of Over-FMR Tenancy approvals may not exceed 10% of the Certificates under the HUD approved budget of the Housing Authority. 2. Prior to approval, the Housing Authority staff will meet with the family to determine what the family can reasonably pay in rent, based on the family's expenses. No Over-FMR rent will be approved unless it is mutually determined by the family and the Housing Authority that the family can pay a reasonable portion of their income toward the rent. 3. A request for an Over-FMR Tenancy must be approved if the approval permits reasonable accommodation so that the program is readily accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities. 4. For Families other than those needing approval based on reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities, preference for Over-FMR Tenancy approval shall be provided to the following categories: (a) Large families needing more than three bedrooms based on occupancy standards: or L) Families who have a head of household who is employed may obtain approval of an Over-FMR Tenancy if the location of the home will alleviate a transportation problem to better access work or services to continue to work, if no access to public transportation exists. 4of4 98/ 8? Hello