Landlords

Applicants - Landlords - Landlord Tenant Issues - Tenant Based vs. Project Based Assistance

How the Program Works

HUD Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) Rental Assistance Program is the federal government's major program for assisting very low-income individuals, families, the elderly, and the disabled to rent decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market.

This program is financed through federal funds received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and is available to anyone living in or wishing to live in Dodge County that meets the program requirements.

The Voucher provides subsidy paid directly to the landlord and allows the household to choose any housing in the private market including duplexes, mobile homes, apartments, townhouses and single family homes as long as the property meets the housing quality standards. Households must not exceed the designated income limits to be eligible for the program.

Applicants complete a preliminary application to be placed on the waiting list. Applications are processed on a first come, first serve basis by the date the application is received in our office.

The household will be issued a voucher when their name has reached the top of the waiting list. The voucher is a form issued from our office to verify that the household is actively looking for housing.

Landlord screens tenants - You must screen the prospective tenant carefully to insure you are making a good selection. We only certify that the household is income eligible for the program. You should us the same screening methods that you use for all your prospective tenants.

Request for Tenancy Approval - This form is completed by you and the tenant. When we receive the form, we will contact you to schedule an inspection.

Paperwork - After the unit passes inspection and the rent has been approved, the landlord and tenant enter into a lease for an initial term of one year. The Housing Authority and the landlord will execute a Housing Assistance Payment Contract. A sample of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP Contract) is available from our office.

If at any time you have a question, do not hesitate to contact us at (920) 386-2866.

Total income including gross wages, child support received, unemployment compensation, Social Security, SSI, SSD, etc. is calculated for all household members.

Deductions from gross income include an annual dependant deduction per child and child care expenses the household pays while working or attending school. For senior citizen, handicapped and disabled households there is an annual deduction in addition to the deduction of allowable medical expenses.

Program participants pay 30% of the household's adjusted income (+ 100% of the amount over the payment standard).

The payment standard is the amount that HUD designates for rent and utilities for a unit based on bedroom size. It is important to note that the payment standard used for the household will be based on the household composition AND the actual number of bedrooms in the unit. Effective January 1, 2009 the payment standards in Dodge County are:

These limits include rent and tenant paid utilities. If the rent does not include utilities, tenant-paid utilities are calculated based on a schedule of monthly averages for Dodge County. Using this schedule we calculate the utility allowance for the unit.

The rent plus the utility allowance is the Gross Rent for the unit. If the gross rent exceeds the payment standard, the program participant pays 30% of the household's adjusted monthly income plus 100% of the amount over the payment standard. For example,

• If the gross rent (rent plus utility allowance) is at or below the payment standard, the tenant pays 30% of the household's adjusted monthly income toward the gross rent.
• If the gross rent (rent plus utility allowance) is $25.00 more than the payment standard, the pays 30% of the household's adjusted monthly income + $25.00 toward the gross rent.

The tenant cannot pay more than 40% of the household's adjusted monthly income or the unit will not qualify for the program.

We pay the landlord the difference between 30% of the household's adjusted monthly income and the payment standard. This amount is paid directly to the landlord.

Since each participant's share is the result of a unique calculation, it is impossible to quote a rental amount without applying required personal information to the formula.

HQS Inspections

When a property comes onto the HUD program an initial inspection is performed to determine whether the housing unit is decent, safe and sanitary according to Housing Quality Standards (HQS).

The unit will then be inspected annually in order for the family to continue to receive assistance.

What are the HQS standards? What are we looking for?
HUD establishes criteria for acceptable housing quality. An HQS Inspection is not a code compliant inspection.

The unit needs to have appropriate and working sanitary facilities, cooking and food preparation areas, heating system, lights and electrical systems, and water supply.

We need to have access to all areas of the unit including the mechanicals. If the water heater, furnace or electrical panel are located outside of the apartment, we need to have access to those areas during the inspection.

As the owner you should maintain the unit in accordance with HQS.

If the unit does not pass HQS inspection, you will receive an inspection repair letter. If you agree to make the repairs, a follow up inspection will be scheduled within 30 days to ensure the repairs have been made.

If you are unwilling or unable to make the repairs, the property will fail the HQS inspection and be ineligible for the program.

Common problems that are found at HQS inspections are, missing or not working smoke alarms and missing or broken hand rails. These items may have been in place initially but are not functioning now.

The other very important issue is chipping and peeling paint in a property built before 1979 where a child under 6 resides. ANY chipping or peeling paint will cause the property to fail.

The painted area needs to be stabilized. If the damaged areas is a small component and it exceeds 10% of the surface/ or an exterior area of more than 20 square feet, lead safe work practices must be used and clearance testing must be done. If you need more information about these issues you may obtain them by contacting us or by using the EPA website at www.epa.gov.

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March 2003 - Volume 1, Issue 1
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