Title
To Approve Amendments to the Housing Choice Voucher Administrative Plan regarding Waitlists
Memorandum
The Ann Arbor Housing Commission's Housing Choice Voucher Administrative Plan details its policies and procedures for the management of its Section 8/Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program. The AAHC periodically revises the Plan to reflect changes in HUD policies and changes in AAHC policies.
The following language revisions are recommended regarding the waitlist because the language was confusing, no policy changes are recommended:
1. Section 4LB: (added other PBV eligible tenants to clarify that this includes all tenants) Applications will only be received through the online application process unless the household is applying through the special waitlists for homeless households or RAD PBV or other PBV eligible tenants.
2. Section 42B: (moved open waitlist for homeless households to 43B since this is established through preference section, clarified language about merging HCV and Public Housing waitlists, removed specific PBV waitlists and made it general)
The AAHC will maintain at least 4 waitlists:
• Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) tenant based waitlist which will not be merged with any other waitlist until
o The AAHC will combine the public housing/RAD PBV waitlist with the Housing Choice Voucher waitlist once there are no longer any public housing units.
• Existing RAD PBV tenants that are eligible for an HCV. The AAHC must offer any family in a RAD PBV unit that terminates its tenancy any time after the first year of occupancy the opportunity for continued tenant based assistance with an HCV.
o A separate waitlist will be established for this purpose.
• Project-based voucher waitlist for each PBV property not owned by the AAHC that has requested a separate waitlist.
• Public Housing/Project Based Voucher waitlist for the AAHC’s RAD and any other AAHC project-based vouchers (including public housing units that will be converting to PBV under RAD)
o This waitlist is currently administered through the ACOP and once the AAHC no longer has any public housing units, it will combine this waitlist with its HCV waitlist.
3. Section 43C: (REMOVED because HUD does not allow) Under Medicaid Waiver Eligible Population as approved by HUD, homeless families referred by the Area Agency on Aging 1-B (AAA 1-B)
o Under a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), AAA 1-B will designate an agency to provide follow-up / support services
o The PHA will ensure 12 such families are utilizing vouchers in a supported assisted living facility at any given time
4. Section 43C: (MOVED from Section 42B) Open waitlist as a preference for homeless households that the AAHC has contracts with local service providers to provide services to these households
5. Section 43C: (MOVED from Section 42B and added 1st bullet point regarding RAD based on HUD RAD notice revision) As HCV vouchers become available, the AAHC will first fill those voucher slots from any commitments to homeless households through the Homeless preference, then the AAHC will pull an equal number of waitlist applicants from the HCV waitlist and an equal number from the RAD PBV and other PBV tenants that are eligible for an HCV.
• The PHA may not select more than three-quarters of its turnover vouchers in any single year to the residents of Covered Projects under the RAD PBV program.
• The VASH voucher waitlist is administered separately by the VA and VASH vouchers will be provided as they become available.
6. Section 42C: (Language clarified) The PHA will close the waiting list when the PHA estimates there are a sufficient number of applicants to fill anticipated openings for one year. Where the PHA has particular preferences or other criteria that require a specific category of family, such as homeless or project based vouchers (PBV), the PHA may elect to continue to accept applications from these applicants while closing the waiting list to others.
7. Section 176C: (Removed reference to specific PBV projects and made it general) The PHA will establish and manage separate waiting lists for individual projects or buildings that are receiving PBV assistance. The PHA currently has waiting lists for several PBV projects.
Staff
Prepared and Approved by Jennifer Hall, Executive Director
Body
WHEREAS, The Ann Arbor Housing Commission's Housing Choice Voucher Administrative Plan details its policies and procedures for the management of its Section 8/Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program; and
WHEREAS, The AAHC may periodically revise its Administrative Policy staff are recommending clarifying the language in the sections referring to the waitlist because the language was confusing to the language below:
1. Section 4LB: Applications will only be received through the online application process unless the household is applying through the special waitlists for homeless households or RAD PBV or other PBV eligible tenants.
2. Section 42B: The AAHC will maintain at least 4 waitlists:
• Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) tenant based waitlist which will not be merged with any other waitlist until
o The AAHC will combine the public housing/RAD PBV waitlist with the Housing Choice Voucher waitlist once there are no longer any public housing units.
• Existing RAD PBV tenants that are eligible for an HCV. The AAHC must offer any family in a RAD PBV unit that terminates its tenancy any time after the first year of occupancy the opportunity for continued tenant based assistance with an HCV.
o A separate waitlist will be established for this purpose.
• Project-based voucher waitlist for each PBV property not owned by the AAHC that has requested a separate waitlist.
• Public Housing/Project Based Voucher waitlist for the AAHC’s RAD and any other AAHC project-based vouchers (including public housing units that will be converting to PBV under RAD)
o This waitlist is currently administered through the ACOP and once the AAHC no longer has any public housing units, it will combine this waitlist with its HCV waitlist.
3. Section 43C: (REMOVED) Under Medicaid Waiver Eligible Population as approved by HUD, homeless families referred by the Area Agency on Aging 1-B (AAA 1-B)
o Under a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), AAA 1-B will designate an agency to provide follow-up / support services
o The PHA will ensure 12 such families are utilizing vouchers in a supported assisted living facility at any given time
4. Section 43C: Open waitlist as a preference for homeless households that the AAHC has contracts with local service providers to provide services to these households
5. Section 43C: As HCV vouchers become available, the AAHC will first fill those voucher slots from any commitments to homeless households through the Homeless preference, then the AAHC will pull an equal number of waitlist applicants from the HCV waitlist and an equal number from the RAD PBV and other PBV tenants that are eligible for an HCV.
• The PHA may not select more than three-quarters of its turnover vouchers in any single year to the residents of Covered Projects under the RAD PBV program.
• The VASH voucher waitlist is administered separately by the VA and VASH vouchers will be provided as they become available.
6. Section 42C: The PHA will close the waiting list when the PHA estimates there are a sufficient number of applicants to fill anticipated openings for one year. Where the PHA has particular preferences or other criteria that require a specific category of family, such as homeless or project based vouchers (PBV), the PHA may elect to continue to accept applications from these applicants while closing the waiting list to others.
7. Section 176C: The PHA will establish and manage separate waiting lists for individual projects or buildings that are receiving PBV assistance. The PHA currently has waiting lists for several PBV projects.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of the Ann Arbor Housing Commission approves the revisions to the Administrative Plan for the Housing Choice Voucher Program listed above to take effect immediately.