PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAM - Huntsville Housing Authority
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PROPOSED REVISIONS TO THE
ADMISSIONS AND CONTINUED OCCUPANCY POLICY
FOR THE
HUNTSVILLE HOUSING AUTHORITY
PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAM
Proposed Effective Date: January 1, 2019
PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE HELD AT:
149 MASON COURT
4:30PM
December 11, 2018
THE PUBLIC IS INVITEDProposed Revisions to Huntsville Housing Authority ACOP –
Effective 01/01/2019
Section Changes Made in ACOP
Title Page Added new effective date
Table of Contents Updated as a result of revisions
3-I.C. Family Breakup And Added Nan-McKay recommended language with protections for
Remaining Member Of Tenant family members forced to leave public housing unit as result of
Family abuse
3-I.M. Live-In Aide Require request for live-in aide to be made in writing.
Loosened requirement to submit a new written request at each
annual re-examination.
3-II.A. Income Eligibility and Added Nan-McKay recommended language about HUD publishing
Targeting over-income limits annually and updated language regarding use of
income limits.
3-III.C. Other Permitted Decreased time for denial of admission from five years to three
Reasons for Denial of years for some behaviors (excluding fraud, misrepresentation, or
Admission – Previous Behavior threats to HHA personnel)
4-I.B. Applying for Assistance Revised language to indicate that HHA will have a one-step
application process, instead of a two-step process.
Applicants with incomplete applications will have 10 days to return
the requested information to the intake staff.
4-II.F. Updating the Waiting Updated property listing to reflect consolidation of scattered
List properties
Included language that LIHTC properties will have their own waiting
list, and intake and admissions will be handled by the property
manager
Decreased the time for applicants to respond to update request
forms from 15 business days to 10 calendar days (EXPLANATION:
This is updated for administrative efficiencies – and to lease units
more quickly)
4-III.B. Selection Method – Updated the designated housing listing. Included Stoneridge Villas
Units Designated for Elderly or (coming Spring 2019)
Disabled Families
Updated language to include that applicants may be notified by
4-III.C. Notification of phone when they are selected from the waiting list (EXPLANATION:
Selection This is updated for administrative efficiencies – and to lease units
more quickly)
Added that when a waiting list selection notice is returned to HHA
with no forwarding address, the applicant will be removed from the
waiting list and must wait 6 months before re-applying for public
housing. (EXPLANATION: This is updated for administrative
efficiencies – to encourage applicants to keep HHA informed of
new address, so less time and resources are wasted in sending
notices to invalid addresses.)
Removal of language related to including contact information for
4-III.E. Final Eligibility legal services in Huntsville area. (EXPLANATION: Applicants are
Determination already very familiar with the legal services in Huntsville)5-I.B. Determining Unit Size Updated with Nan McKay recommended language reflective of fair
housing best practices.
5-III.B. Number of Offers Revised to reflect a “two offer” plan, where an applicant will
receive a maximum of two offers (EXPLANATION: This is updated
for administrative efficiencies – and to lease units more quickly)
5-III.D. Refusal of Unit Offers Revised to indicate that applicants that reject a final unit offer
without good cause will be removed from the waiting list and will
have to wait six months before re-applying (EXPLANATION: This is
updated for administrative efficiencies – to streamline the
waiting list and quicken the leasing process.)
6-III.E. and Chapter 7 Updated applicable HUD PIH notice references
7-I.B. Upfront Income Removed outdated language about EIV discrepancy reports
Verification (UIV)
7-II.A. Verification of Legal Updated verification of legal identity for children to require court-
Identity issued custody agreement and certified school records
Include Nan McKay recommended language of verification of legal
identity at time of eligibility determination
8-I.B. Overview Updated applicable HUD PIH notice reference
ALL CHANGES IN THIS
SECTION ARE HUD-REQUIRED
Revised HHA policy to read: “When HHA proposes to modify or
8-I.D. Modifications To The
revise schedules of special charges or rules and regulations, HHA
Lease
will post a copy of the notice in the central office, on its website, in
the property management offices for each siteand/or mail or
directly deliver a copy of the notice to each resident family. “
8-I.F. Payments Under The Revised to reflect rent payments are due on the first day of the
Lease month and delinquent if not paid by close of business on the
eighth day of the month; late fee is $25.00.
[EXPLANATION: These changes are for the following reasons:
Payment deadline: Change is to return the late payment date to
the 8th day of the month. It previously was changed to the 15 th, to
allow working families a chance to pay their rent without
incurring the late fee; however, since implementation all
residents have only opted to pay even later in the month or the
following month. It has had a very negative effect on our tenant
account receivables.
Late fee: Change from $35 to $25 – decreased the late fee to assit
residents while still charging a sum which will help defray some of
the administrative costs associated with processing of latepayments (i.e. staff salaries, postage, paper, ink)
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Include Nan McKay recommended language about excess utility
charges.
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Include that tenants that are not prepared for bedbug and / or
roach infestation special treatments will be charged no less than
$75 for the aggregate costs of maintenance personnel and the pest
control service technician (EXPLANATION: This is to incentivize
tenants to follow management instructions, so pest issues can be
quickly resolved.)
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Update fire loss repayment language to reflect that a resident has a
first instance of fire loss of a unit due to negligence, they will be
required to pay up to $500 toward the cost of damages incurred by
HHA and the remainder will be forgiven. (EXPLANATION: This is to
help HHA recoup some of the costs it will incur as a result of fire,
and also incentivize tenants to be more attentive when it comes
to fire.)
Removal of the fire-prevention community service requirement.
8-II.B. Types of Inspections Revised to reflect that HHA will provide the former resident with a
statement for damages beyond normal wear and tear within 30
calendar days of conducting the move-out inspections.
8-II.C. Notice and Scheduling Revised to allow families to give HHA 24 hours’ notice of the need
of Inspections to reschedule an inspection.
8-II.D. Inspections Results Removed requirement for residents that receive a housekeeping
lease violation notice to attend a housekeeping class within 30 days
of the notice. Revised to indicate that a re-inspection will be done
within 7 days of the lease violation notice.
Added HUD required language about minimum heating
requirements, per PIH Notice 2018-19.
Chapter 8 Added a copy of the HHA Smoke-Free Housing Policy, Lease
Addendum and House Rules Amendment.9-I.B. Streamlined Annual Re- Include Nan McKay recommended language regarding the
Examinations streamlining options available to PHAS and that HHA will require
third-party verification of non-fixed income will be obtained
annually regardless of the percentage of family income received
from fixed sources.
9-III.C. Changes Affecting
Revised to reflect that if an increase in income is verified to be less
Income or Expenses
than $150 per month, an interim will not be processed and if a
decrease will be temporary, less than 30 days, the interim will not
be processed. (EXPLANATION: This is revised for administrative
9-III.D. Changes Affecting efficiencies)
Income or Expenses
Revised to reflect that families must notify HHA of changes in
writing using the Report of Change form.
Revised to reflect that a change in income results in a decrease of
rent, changes reported on or before the 20th of the month will
result in the rent going down the first day of next the month.
Income changes reported after the 20th day of the month will be
processed the following month. (EXPLANATION: This is revised for
administrative efficiencies and to allow HHA staff time to
thoroughly verify the information provided by the family)
10-I.B. Approval of Assistance Include Nan-McKay recommended language reflecting HUD FHEO
Animals guidance related to assistance animals
10-II.C. Standards for Pets Include Nan-McKay recommended language reflecting HUD
guidance that PHAs cannot require pet owners to obtain or carry
liability insurance, nor can they required that cats be declawed.
related to assistance animals
12-V.B. Transfer List Revised to reflect that HHA will maintain site-based transfer lists
13-III.A. Termination by HHA – Revised to reflect latest HUD guidance on termination of over-
Other Authorized Reasons – income families – resulting from HOTMA legislation
Overview
13-III.C. Other Authorized Include Nan McKay recommended policy language about tracking
Reason for Termination of over-income families over two years from the time they become
over-income, and the rent that will be charged if the family stays
over-income for two or more years. HHA will not evict or terminate
the tenancies of families whose income exceeds the income limit
for program eligibility as described at 24 CFR 960.261
13-III.F. Terminations Related Include HUD PIH Notice 2017-08 language that VAWA perpetrators
to Domestic Violence, Dating are not to be given more than 30 days’ notice of termination in
Violence, or Stalking most cases.14-III.C. Applicability (of
Revised to reflect that grievance procedures to do not apply if an
Grievance Procedures)
eviction occurs because of any criminal activity that resulted in felony
conviction of a household member
14-III.E. Procedures to Obtain Revised to reflect that HHA may choose to establish expedited
a Hearing grievance procedures to evictions that occur because of any criminal
activity that resulted in felony conviction of a household member (HHA
has not opted to provide expedite grievance procedures in any
situation)
15-I.A. Preventing Errors and
Updated applicable HUD PIH notice references
Program Abuse
Chapter 16
Updated applicable HUD PIH notice references
Replaced “Environmental Intervention” Blood Lead Level with
“Elevated” Blood Lead Level
16-II.B. Flat Rents Updated applicable HUD PIH notice references
Included Nan McKay recommended language regarding flat rent
implementation and requests to HUD for exception flat rents
16-III.B. Repayment Policy Include language reflecting that HHA will only enter into a repayment
agreement once with a family. If a second instance of repayment is
required, the family will be required to pay all monies owed within 30
days of receiving notice from HHA, or eviction action will be taken.
Included Nan McKay recommended policy language that before
executing a repayment agreement with a family, HHA will generally
require a down payment of 10 percent of the total amount owed. If the
family can provide evidence satisfactory to the PHA that a down
payment of 10 percent would impose an undue hardship, the PHA may,
in its sole discretion, require a lesser percentage or waive the
requirement.
Revised that payments made under the retroactive rent repayment
agreement are due by close of business on the 8th day of the month.
Updated with Nan McKay recommended language of conditions where
HHA will not enter into a repayment agreement with a familyYou can also read
