The Longmont Housing Authority

December 15, 2008                                                                                                            

Dear Section 8 Landlord:

As you may know, Longmont Housing Authority is offering direct deposit for housing assistance payments (HAP) to landlords who participate in the Section 8 Rental Assistance Program.  If you haven’t already signed up, we want to encourage you to do so. 

Direct deposit is safer, easier, and more convenient than getting a paper check in the mail.  The convenience of direct deposit eliminates trips to the bank, delays in receiving your check by mail, the risk of stolen checks, and also allows you access to your funds sooner.  Your money will be deposited into your account even if you are away from home, and holds on out of state checks won’t be a concern.  We will mail you a direct deposit advice of the payment made and the dollar amount deposited into your account.   

Attached is a direct deposit form.  Once you have filled out the form, please attach a voided check for deposits into checking accounts, or a deposit slip for deposits into savings accounts. We must have one or the other in order to process your direct deposit. 

Return the attached form along with the appropriate voided check or deposit slip to Longmont Housing Authority, 1228 Main Street, Longmont, CO 80501.  Once we receive your form, your next HAP payment will be processed electronically.   If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at 303-651-8581, Ext. 26.  Thank you.

Sincerely,

Zenaida Delgado

LHA Housing Coordinator

HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER (SECTION 8)
The federally funded Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program is voluntary for both landlords and tenants. It helps eligible, very low-income families with their monthly rental housing payments.

Read further to learn how it works, whether you’re eligible, and how to apply.

HOW IT WORKS
A family whose household income is 30% or less of the area's medium household income is certified to participate in the program from the Longmont Housing Authority.

Through a Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contract, direct monthly payments are made to the landlord/property owner for the amount of rent that the family cannot afford. After allowances are made for utilities not included in the rent, the HAP makes up the difference in total amount due.

For example, if 30% of a family's gross monthly income is $100, and the rent (including utilities) for the selected apartment is $350 per month, the tenant pays the landlord $100 and the remaining $250 is paid to the landlord by the Longmont Housing Authority through the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program.

REQUIREMENTS

A family may either remain in their present rental unit or move to another. The following guidelines are applicable:

1. Under the Housing Choice Voucher Program, the family's share of gross rent (rent to owner plus tenant-paid utilities) must not exceed 40 percent of the family's monthly-adjusted income. This rent restriction will not apply to a family that rents a unit for a gross rent at or below the Payment Standard for the family. The Longmont Housing Authority will not approve a tenancy for initial occupancy of a unit if the family's share would exceed 40 percent of adjusted income. There are  Payment Standards for calculating subsidies for the Voucher Program based on the size of the household.
2. The unit must be in decent, safe and sanitary condition (meets relevant HUD housing quality standards).
3. The minimum lease length is one year (the majority of leases under the program are written for this length of time).
4. Owners determine the security deposit. The security deposit cannot exceed one month's rent.

The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher waitlists are currently closed, and we are not accepting applications.

LANDLORD/OWNER BENEFITS
Aside from the retention of good tenants perhaps otherwise unable to afford the unit, the program provides an owner or landlord with many advantages:

1. Guaranteed rent, together with an opportunity to fill vacant units.
2. Rent increases have to be requested 60 days prior to the anniversary date of the lease.  A Rent Reasonableness test is performed to determine if rents are reasonable as compared to unassisted units. Approved rental increases are not always the responsibility of the Authority, but may be the responsibility of the tenants.
3. Contribution to the community by addressing a portion of very low-income housing needs through the utilization of existing housing stock.

In exchange for these benefits, the landlord is requested to:

• Agree to an annual inspection by the Authority confirming housing quality standards. 
• Notify the tenant in writing of a proposed eviction with a copy to LHA.  
• Comply with standard nondiscrimination and affirmative marketing requirements.

Please note that there are NO requirements to renegotiate lease after its expiration if the owner or landlord is dissatisfied with the program. There are NO requirements to lease additional units under the program after leasing one.

Any type of rental housing qualifies (single-family homes, apartments and mobile homes) provided it meets applicable program standards.

Thank you for your interest in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program. The success of the program depends on our agency’s ability to contract with property owners and managers who have safe, decent and sanitary rental housing units. Many low-income families in the community rely on property owners such as you, who are willing to participate in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program. The subsidy that comes with the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program helps families to rent in many different neighborhoods. Participating families include, elderly persons, persons with disabilities and working families who do not earn enough to keep pace with the rising rental housing costs.

Please request an informational packet, which will provide a brief overview of the program and an excerpt of the HUD Inspection form, which will define inspection requirements. We welcome your participation as a property owner or manager and look forward to working with you as we strive to maintain a successful program. Should you decide to participate in the program and have an available property, you may request the “Available Unit” form and return it to our office. We will include your listing on our housing referral list, which is provided to our participants to assist them in their housing search.

If you should have any questions regarding the informational packet or would like additional information about the program, please contact Zenaida Delgado, Housing Coordinator at 303.651.8581 ext 26 or email zenaida@longmontha.com

Again, we thank you for your interest in Longmont Housing Authority’s Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program.

��Inspections: The rental units must meet HUD’s Section 8 Housing Quality Standards.
 

In preparation of the Section 8 inspection, the property owner must ensure that utility services are on and the unit should be “move in” ready. (Tenant paid utilities can be transferred from the owner to the tenant at tenancy.)

��Rent Reasonableness: At the time of the Section 8 inspection, the inspector will also evaluate the rent reasonableness of the unit. The proposed rent will be compared to rent for other comparable units on the market. Rental amounts will be approved prior to the inspection. If the requested rent cannot be approved, Section 8 staff will contact the property owner and tenant with a rental offer based on the inspection report and rental market information.

��Disapproval of Tenancy: If the family chooses a unit with a gross rent greater than their approved payment standard and their share of the rent exceeds 40% of their monthly-adjusted income, Longmont Housing Authority is not permitted to approve tenancy. (Gross rent = contract rent + utility allowance). However, landlord may choose to negotiate a lesser rent to meet compliance with program guidelines.

��Approval of Tenancy: If the unit passes inspection and the rent is reasonable or a negotiated rental offer is accepted, we will approve tenancy to begin the following day. The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Contract will be prepared with the date of approved tenancy and an appointment will be scheduled with the landlord and tenant to execute the HAP Contract and landlord’s lease.

��Security Deposit: The tenant is responsible for the payment of the security deposit to the landlord and cannot exceed one (1) month’s rent.

��If the landlord should allow and the tenant agrees to move in prior to the effective date of the HAP Contract, (beginning of Section 8 Rental Assistance) the tenant must be prepared to pay the portion of the rent incurred for unapproved occupancy (prior to effective date of contract).

Thank you for your interest in the Section 8 Program. We are looking forward to working with you as a participating property owner. If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our Section 8 Staff: Zenaida Delgado, Housing Coordinator 303.651.8581 ext 26, Sandra Orona, Housing Specialist, ext 23, Marcia Miller, Housing Specialist ext 24 or Margaret Chacon, Housing Inspector, ext. 29.