HCV Briefing LSS Complete as of June

Welcome to the Housing Authority of Champaign County HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM “GROWING & MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER”

What Will I • What is a housing choice Learn Today? voucher? HACC’s Mission Statement : • What is LSS ? “Create quality living environments as a foundation for individuals to achieve • Understand the leasing process their full potential” and how to navigate finding a unit Since 1943, HACC has provided housing assistance to the residents of Champaign • How is your income calculated County. In 2010, HACC was awarded designation • What are the program rules of “Moving to Work” which allows HACC to design and test innovative, local • Required forms strategies for providing families with affordable housing and a path to economic independence.

Meet our • Recertification Team Staff • Nikki Howard ( A-C) Lily Walton, MPA, Executive • Sarah Kern (D-I) Director/ CEO • Neoshi Gipson (J-L) • Tiffany Clark-Collins( M-R) Jennifer Clemons-Ferguson, • Diane Phillips (S-Z) Deputy Director Tiffany Robinson, HCV Program Director Debra Lee, Lead Specialist (VASH, Mod Rehab, Mainstream, Lincolnshire Vouchers, and State Re-Entry) Nicole Melton, Eligibility Specialist ( New applicants) Jakari Wrather, HQS Inspector

Housing Choice Voucher You CHOOSE your own housing ! • Types of Housing Choice Vouchers – MTW (Move to Work) Section 8 – Portability – Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHV) – RAD/Choice Mobility – Emergency Family Shelter (EFS) – Youth Build – Foster Youth Initiative (FYI) – MTW Re-Entry – MTW Ford County – Sponsored Based Voucher/Family Service Provider (SBV/FSP) – Mainstream – Veteran Affairs Supportive Housing – Mod Rehab – Lincolnshire Vouchers – State Re-Entry

Local Self SHIFT IS AN FSS PROGRAM DESIGNED TO HELP HEAD OF Sufficiency HOUSEHOLDS ENROLLED AS AN HCV PARTICIPANT AT THE (LSS) and Family Self HOUSING AUTHORITY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY BECOME Sufficiency ECONOMICALLY SELF-SUFFICIENT, REACH THEIR GOAL OF (FSS)/ Shift HOMEOWNERSHIP, RECEIVE INDIVIDUALIZED SERVICES, EARN Benefits FINANCIAL INCENTIVES, AND PARTICIPATE IN TRAINING.

LOCAL SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAM

Meet the MTW & Client Outreach Department ▪ MTW & Client Outreach Department Information (217) 378-7100 ▪ Stephanie Burnett – Director of MTW- Ext. 5009 [email protected] ▪ Kenyatta Rule– Community Outreach and FSS Coordinator- Ext. 5022 [email protected] ▪ James Zielinski – Assistant Director of MTW- Ext. 5061 [email protected]

LSS Program ▪ Participation is required. ▪ Participation in the Local Self-Sufficiency Program (LSS) is mandatory for all non- exempt Head of Household (HOH) and Adult Household Member (AHM) ages 19- 54 as a condition of continued housing assistance. ▪ The LSS Department ensures that all clients receiving housing assistance are compliant with the Educational/Employment requirements outlined below: 1. HOH/AHM earns the annual minimum earned income amount, or 2. HOH/AHM is enrolled full-time in an educational or job-training program. ▪ If a HOH/AHM loses employment, the LSS Department is going to help you devise a plan to get you back on track.

Annual Minimum Earned Income ▪ Head of household/Co-Heads/Spouses must meet the minimum earned income for compliance based on years of assistance. ▪ Adult Household Members (AHM) whom are dependents are exempt from this requirement. ➢ Must be employed and/or enrolled in an educational or job training program.

Term Limit ▪ Households who are not exempt from the MTW requirements are subject to the 8-year term limit.

LSS Program-Waivers/Exemptions Student Waiver • Waivers are provided for full-time students in good standing seeking a degree, professional license or certificate. Medical Waiver • In the event you cannot work due to medical reasons. LSS will grant a waiver to exempt you from the work requirement while you recover. Sole Care Giver Waiver • A waiver is granted in the event you cannot work due to providing care for an elderly parent, disabled or sick child, or other similar circumstances.

LSS Program- Referrals

LSS Program-Resources LSS/FSS offers workshops, resources, LSS/FSS partners with local Resources/Workshops Homeownership and one on one services to support community organizations/businesses Small Business you in your path towards economic to provide additional Personal Budgeting and Financing self-sufficiency. services/resources to meet your Financial Literacy needs and support your goals. Professional Development Mental Health Childcare Nutrition

LSS Important Information

Supportive Services Housing Search Education Utility Assistance Assistance Assistance Security Employment Credit Repair Deposit Assistance and Recovery Phone Service Transportation Assistance Assistance ▪ Required to meet with Supportive Services Coordinator at 3 and 6-month intervals after receiving assistance.



LSS Program Required Documentation Contract of Participation Individual Training and Service Plan Confirmation of Communication Authorization of Release of Information















FAMILY SELF- SUFFICIENCY PROGRAM

SHIFT ▪ SHIFT is designed to help participants become economically self- sufficient, reach their personal goals, receive individualized services and earn financial incentives. ▪ Financial Incentives will be provided in the form of a goal-based payment system. ▪ Families will be required to meet certain benchmarks of self- sufficiency and as a result, they will earn varying cash incentives with a maximum earning potential of $34,000.

SHIFT Eligibility Head of households who are Move to Work program Head of households who participants. have been voucher recipients Must be a HACC participant. of HACC for 12 consecutive (Program not eligible at other months. PHAs) Head of households who have been compliant with the Move to Work requirements for 12 consecutive months.

SHIFT Cont. Adult Household Members HACC participants are may join SHIFT if Head of welcome to participate in LSS/SHIFT(FSS) workshops Households decline to even though they may not participate. earn the financial incentives. Household must The benefit is be in compliance free learning! with the MTW requirements.

Category Pay Point Eligibility Amount Maximum EDUCATION & TRAINING Completion of training/ Certification Program 3x $500.00 $1,500.00 $500.00 $500.00 EMPLOYMENT Completion of GED one-time $600.00 $600.00 ENGAGEMENT $1,000.00 $1,000.00 FINANCIAL STABILITY Completion of Associates Degree one-time $1,500.00 $1,500.00 $250.00 $1,000 HOUSING & HOMEOWNERSHIP Completion of Bachelor’s Degree one-time $200.00 $1,200.00 Personal $500.00 $1,000.00 Completion of Master’s or Doctorate Degree one-time $100.00 $1,800.00 $100 $600.00 Obtain New Employment/Receive Promotion 4x $100.00 $2,800.00 $50.00 $2,100.00 Employment Retention for 12 Consecutive Months Annually $ 1,000.00 $3,000.00 $250.00 $250.00 Completion of Professional Development 2x $1,000.00 $6,000.00 Completion of Quarterly Progress Meeting 3x Annually $150.00 $900.00 $250.00 $750.00 Completion of Annual Progress Meeting Annually $4,000.00 $4,000.00 Attend 28 HACC Workshops or Goal Groups No restriction $500.00 $2,500.00 $250 $1,000 Engage in Financial Education and Coaching Activities 6X Annually $34,000 Improve credit score (50 pts +) 3x Open and maintain a new checking or savings account (12 Consecutive Months) one time Increase & maintain personal savings by at least $200 (verifiable over 12 Month Annually Period) Annually Increase earned Income Engage in homeownership preparation activities 3x Purchase a home one time Completion of 5 Personal SMART goals established at admissions & progress 5x meetings Refer-a-Friend 4x MAXIMUM EARNINGS

Questions? ▪ MTW & Client Outreach Department Information (217) 378-7100 ▪ Stephanie Burnett – Director of MTW- Ext. 5009 [email protected] ▪ Kenyatta Rule– Community Outreach and FSS Coordinator- Ext. 5022 [email protected] ▪ James Zielinski – Assistant Director of MTW- Ext. 5061 [email protected]

Searching for a unit • Source of Income Protection (SOI) HB 2775: Source of Income Protections for all Illinoisians – On May 23,2023 Governor JB Pritzker signed HB 2775 into law. Effective January 1st, 2023, housing providers may continue to screen tenants, but will no longer be able to turn renters away from available housing simply because of their source of income. • Finding a good place to live: – You are free to choose any house or apartment you like in Champaign County, as long as it meets certain requirements for quality. – When searching for a house or apartment, take into consideration the special needs of your family. – Every house or apartment must have at least a living room, kitchen, and bathroom. – Generally, there must be one living/sleeping room for every two family members – You should consider the overall building/unit, plumbing, heating, and health and safety – If you find a unit where the landlord doesn’t currently participate with the HCV Program, please refer them! We can assist them in getting registered as a new landlord.

Areas where you can utilize your HACC Voucher

Reviewing your Request for Tenant Approval 120 days to submit a Must be submitted If needed, the family Households will RFTA packet to the before the voucher may request an complete the RFTA expires. Application will office be removed, and family extension ( before the sheet, Drug Free will have to reapply voucher expires). It may Addendum and Lead or may not be approved Based Paint Addendum

Visiting your unit • Be your own advocate – Take pictures of the unit – Ask questions – Negotiate with the landlord regarding items such as new carpet or fresh paint • When in the unit, check everywhere – Flooring, carpet, walls and ceilings – Appliances, countertops and cabinets – Check the water pressure in the bathroom and kitchen – Check the plugs to make sure there’s an electric charge – Check the doors to make sure they lock and check the windows to make sure they open and close with ease

Inspections HQS Standards • Housing Quality Standards (HQS) are the HUD minimum quality standards for tenant-based programs. HQS standards are required both at initial occupancy and during the term of the lease. HQS standards apply to the building and premises, as well as the unit. HACC is required by HUD regulations to inspect the unit to ensure that is \"safe, decent and sanitary. No unit will be placed on the Section 8 program unless these standards are met. Units must also meet HQS as long as the family resides in the dwelling. Additional information on Inspections

RFTA After the completed RFTA is received, HACC will check code violations Processing and make sure property taxes are current. Once the RFTA is approved the Landlord will be contacted about an inspection. If any deficiencies are found during the inspection the Landlord has 2 weeks to make repairs. The reinspection will be scheduled as soon as the Landlord calls to report that all repairs have been completed. Don’t sign your lease before the unit passes inspection or before your Specialist gives the “OK”! Otherwise, you could be responsible for the FULL contract rent if you move in without approval!!

Rent • HACC will review all sources of income including, but not limited to : Determination – Gross Earned Amount of Wages/Salary – SSI/SSA – Child Support – Alimony – Unemployment – Regular Contributions, from an agency or an individual • Enterprise Income Verification System (EIV) – EIV system is a web-based computer system that contains various household information, employment and income information of individuals who participate in HUD rental housing programs. – HUD obtains information from HACC, Social Security Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, and IL Department of Employment Security. – EIV compares income reported by family and income reported by IL Department of Employment Security.

Payment Payment Standards Standards and Utility Allowances

Reasonable Rent The PHA must determine the rent If the gross rent (total rent + utilities) is amount the owner is requesting is more than the payment standard, reasonable tenant is responsible to pay the difference. HUD prohibits the family to pay more If the gross rent is more than 40% of the than 40% of it’s monthly income participant/applicant income the PHA will offer the owner a lower rent amount. If the owner does not accept the lower rent amount the unit will be denied, and the participant/applicant must find a new unit.

Determining • A maximum of two people are allocated one bedroom. Voucher Size • Children under age 2 years old living with a single parent are allocated one The voucher size determines the subsidy the bedroom. family receives. However, it does not dictate • Children of the same sex are allocated one bedroom. the size of unit the family must lease or • Unit bedroom size must be equal to or less than your voucher. determine who within a household will share a bedroom/sleeping room. • Multi-generational family members will not share a bedroom or share a bedroom with a child: o A parent, brother, or a sister to the HOH will not share a bedroom with a child of the HOH ➢ Exception – a brother or sister to the HOH may share a room with a child to the HOH if they are a minor under foster care or legal guardianship, of which qualifying paperwork must be provided. • Adding individuals to the voucher o Birth of a child, fostering/adoption, marriage, or a live-in aide o Request must be submitted in writing before adding household member ➢ The live-in aide and his/her family members will not be classified as family members. A live-in aide will not be required to share a bedroom with another family member of the household and the live- in-aide’s family members are restricted to one bedroom.

How does the PHA, Tenant and Owner partnership work?

Family Obligations of the Program THE FAMILY MUST… THE FAMILY MUST NOT… o Supply any information that HACC or HUD determines to be necessary • Own or have any interest in the unit o Disclose and verify SSNs and sign and submit consent forms for obtaining • Transfer the unit to anyone else, including other household members • Commit any repeated violations of the lease information. • Damage the unit or premises or allow any guest to damage the unit o Supply any information requested by HACC to verify that the family is living in or premises beyond normal wear and tear the unit or information related to the family’s absence from the unit. • Engage in or threatened abusive or violent behavior toward Housing o Your family MUST use the residence that is attached to your Voucher for your Authority personnel physical AND mailing address • Above items, are not limited, but ground for termination or denial of o Promptly notify HACC in writing when the family is away from the unit for admission longer than 30 days. o Notify HACC and the owner in writing before moving out of the unit or terminating the lease agreement. o Allow HACC to inspect the unit at reasonable times and after reasonable notice. o Request HACC’s written approval to add any other family member as an occupant of the unit o Give HACC a copy of any lease violation notices or owner notice of eviction o Comply with Housing Voucher and your Lease

Owner • All management and leasing functions including... Obligations o Tenant selection o Enforcement of tenant obligations under the Lease o Termination of tenancy; eviction procedure, according to the Lease o Collection of any security deposit, and other monies according to the Lease such as costs for utilities, trash collection, parking, etc. o Tenant contribution and any charges for unit damage by the family, unless they deem it to be normal wear and tear • Provision of all utilities and services, at no cost to the Tenant, required under the Lease • Abide by HACC/HUD inspection rules and regulations • Lease the unit only for the family specified in the lease for use solely as their principal place of residence • Although we do not enforce the Lease, it must be approved by HACC

HACC’s Obligations Explain the details of how the Voucher works during a Voucher Briefing including, but not limited to, informing the Participants/Tenants of their family obligations to the Voucher Program Process the Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA) in a timely fashion to assist in the unit being occupied as swiftly as possible. This includes… Reaching out to the City once a completed Providing the Inspector with the RFTA once the Utilizing the current year’s recommended payment standards, coupled with the flat-tiered RFTA is received City has approved everything or minimum rent schedule, to calculate the Tenant rent portion and our HAP payment once the Inspector has approved everything Assure that the Landlord receives their HAP payments on time Process rent increases in a timely fashion

Reasonable • Reasonable Accommodation Accommodations – A change, exception, or adjustments to a rule, policy, practice, or and VAWA service that may be necessary for a person with disabilities – PHA is required to attain information that is necessary to evaluate if a requested reasonable accommodation may be necessary because of a disability – PHA can deny a request for a reasonable accommodation if the request was not made by or on behalf of a person with disability or if there is no disability related need for the accommodation • VAWA ( violence against women’s act) – Protect applicants, tenants, and program participants (women or men) from being evicted, denied housing assistance, or terminated from housing assistance based on acts of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. – VAWA Reauthorization of 2013: https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/VAWA

Hearings and Informal Reviews INFORMAL HEARING INFORMAL REVIEW • Participants may request an Informal Hearing upon receipt • Participants may request an Informal Hearing upon receipt of an Intent to Terminate or other limited grievances of an Intent to Terminate or other limited grievances • Not all requests will be approved as the PHA is not • Not all requests will be approved as the PHA is not required required by HUD to grant ( such as evictions for by HUD to grant ( such as expiration of the voucher) nonpayment of rent from federally assisted housing) • A written notice of determination will be mailed if approved • A written notice of determination will be mailed if to confirm your date for the scheduled hearing approved to confirm your date for the scheduled hearing • Generally, a determination by staff will be made in 2 weeks. • Generally, a determination by the hearing office will be made in 2 weeks.

Portability The ability of a family to move from one housing authority’s jurisdiction to another and continue to receive assistance Allows you to move anywhere in the USA with tenant-based assistance You must live in a unit within the Housing Authority of Champaign County’s jurisdiction for 12 months prior to requesting to port out The PHA will not allow portability if debt is owed to the PHA or if you moved out of your assisted unit in violation of the lease Request must be made in writing Once your request is sent to the receiving PHA, the receiving PHA will contact you for more details

Final Housing Choice Voucher Program Certification Documents to HACC’s Move In Policy Complete Applicant / Tenant Certification 8-Year Term Limit Letter Notification Move Request Form Portability Moving To Work Requirements Moderate Rehabilitation and Public Housing Program Privacy Act Notice

The HACC’s • We are open to the public HCV/MTW again! Call or email us if you’d Team wishes like to make an appointment. you success in Walk-In day is Thursday from locating your 8:30 am until 4:30 pm. new home! • Contact us by phone @ (217) 378-7100, by fax (217) 378- 7113, by mail, OR you can use the Drop Box in front of the office. • Address: 2008 N. Market St; Champaign, IL 61822 • Contact : Nicole Melton, Eligibility Specialist, by email ([email protected]) with additional questions about today’s Briefing