EDW I N M. L E E , MA Y O R SA N F R A N C I S C O HO U S I N G A U T H O R I T Y RE V . AM O S C BR OW N , CH A I R M A N

1815 EGBERT AVENUE, 3RD

FLOOR SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 94124

TELEPHONE: (415) 715-3951 TTY: 415.467.6754

WWW.SFHA.ORG

Questions & Answers

Housing Choice Voucher RAB

2012 Resident Advisory Board

April 3, 2012 Meeting

1. What is the procedure when it comes to medical deductions?

Medical Expenses Deduction [24 CFR 5.611(a)(3)(i)]

Unreimbursed medical expenses may be deducted to the extent that, in combination with

any disability assistance expenses, they exceed three percent of annual income.

The medical expense deduction is permitted only for families in which the head, spouse,

or cohead is at least 62 or is a person with disabilities. If a family is eligible for a medical

expense deduction, the medical expenses of all family members are counted [VG, p. 28].

SFHA Admin Plan Section 7.2 - E

2. What is title V of Older Americans act of 1985 and what does is entail?

The Older Americans Act of 1965 (Pub.L. 89-73, 79 Stat. 218, July 14, 1965) was the

first federal level initiative aimed at providing comprehensive services for older adults. It

created the National Aging Network comprising the Administration on Aging on the

federal level, State Units on Aging, and Area Agencies on Aging at the local level. The

network provides funding - based primarily on the percentage of an area's population 60

and older - for nutrition and supportive home and community-based services, disease

prevention/health promotion services, elder rights programs, the National Family

Caregiver Support Program, and the Native American Caregiver Support Program.

In 2006 congress reauthorized the act in its entirety, effective through FY 2011.

3. When going in for recertification can the following years expenses be anticipated

Anticipating Annual Income: The SFHA is required to count all income ―anticipated to

be received from a source outside the family during the 12-month period following the

admission or annual reexamination effective date‖ [24 CFR 5.609(a)(2)].

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Policies related to anticipating annual income are provided below:

1) Basis of Annual Income Projection

The SFHA generally will use current circumstances to determine anticipated income for

the coming 12-month period. HUD authorizes the SFHA to use other than current

circumstances to anticipate income when:

a) An imminent change in circumstances is expected [HCV GB, p. 5-17];

b) It is not feasible to anticipate a level of income over a 12-month period (e.g., seasonal

or cyclic income) [24 CFR 5.609(d)]; or

c) The SFHA believes that past income is the best available indicator of expected future

income [24 CFR 5.609(d)].

When the SFHA cannot readily anticipate income based upon current circumstances (e.g.,

in the case of seasonal employment, unstable working hours, or suspected fraud), the

SFHA will review and analyze historical data for patterns of employment, paid benefits,

and receipt of other income and use the results of this analysis to establish annual income.

Anytime current circumstances are not used to project annual income, a clear rationale

for the decision will be documented in the file. In all such cases the family may present

information and documentation to the SFHA to show why the historic pattern does not

represent the family‘s anticipated income.

SFHA Admin Plan Section 7.1 - C

4. What is the status of the Homeownership program?

The SFHA is working internally to produce an efficient homeownership program.

5. How do you get a tenant handbook?

The tenant should make a request to their eligibility worker.

6. What is the minimum rent?

The minimum rent for SFHA is $25.00.

7. Do hardship rules apply?

Overview: If the SFHA establishes a minimum rent greater than zero, the SFHA must

grant an exemption from the minimum rent if a family is unable to pay the minimum rent

because of financial hardship.

The financial hardship exemption applies only to families required to pay the minimum

rent. If a family‘s TTP is higher than the minimum rent, the family is not eligible for a

hardship exemption. If the SFHA determines that a hardship exists, the TTP is the highest

of the remaining components of the family‘s calculated TTP.

SFHA Admin Plan Section 7.3 – B

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8. Does the word family pertain to an individual?

A family is two or more persons sharing residency whose income and resources are

available to meet the family's needs, and who are either related by blood, marriage or

operation of law, or who have evidenced a stable family relationship over a period of

time (not less than one year).

Family includes but is not limited to:

a. A family with or without children (the temporary absence of a child from the

home due to placement in foster care shall not be considered in determining

family composition and family size);

b. An elderly family;

c. A near-elderly family;

d. A disabled family;

e. A displaced family;

f. The remaining member of a tenant family; and

g. A single person who is not an elderly or displaced person, or a person with

disabilities, or the remaining member of a tenant family.

SFHA Admin Plan Section: Glossary

9. Who determines utility allowances?

The Housing Authority maintains a utility allowance schedule for all tenant-paid utilities

(except telephone), for cost of tenant-supplied refrigerators and ranges, and for other

tenant-paid housing services (e.g., trash collection (disposal of waste and refuse)).

The utility allowance schedule is determined based on the typical cost of utilities and

services paid by energy-conservative households that occupy housing of similar size and

type in the same locality. In developing the schedule, the Housing Authority uses normal

patterns of consumption for the community as a whole and current utility rates.

SFHA Admin Plan Section: 11.6

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10. Regarding the payment standard what is the difference between #1 and #2?

UNIT SIZE EFFECTIVE

12/01/2011

EFFECTIVE

12/01/2011

HUD Fair Market

Rent

SFHA Payment

Standard

SRO $ 893 $ 888

STUDIO $ 1,191 $ 1,185

ONE $ 1,465 $ 1,457

TWO $ 1,833 $ 1,823

THREE $ 2,447 $ 2,434

FOUR $ 2,586 $ 2,572

FIVE $ 2,972 $ 2,957

SIX $ 3,362 $ 3,344

SEVEN $ 3,750 $ 3,730

CCS Code C11 P11

HUD Fair Market Rent = #1

SFHA Payment Standard = #2

11. Regarding earned income disallowance do they give you a certain amount of EID?

Earned Income Disallowance [24 CFR 960.255]

The earned income disallowance (EID) encourages people to enter the work force by not

including the full value of increases in earned income for a period of time. The full text of

24 CFR 960.255 is included as Exhibit 7-4 at the end of this chapter.

1) Eligibility

This disallowance applies only to individuals in families already participating in the

public housing program (not at initial examination). To qualify, the family must

experience an increase in annual income that is the result of one of the following events:

a) Employment of a family member who was previously unemployed for one or

more years prior to employment. Previously unemployed includes a person who

annually has earned not more than the minimum wage applicable to the

community multiplied by 500 hours. The applicable minimum wage is the federal

minimum wage unless there is a higher state or local minimum wage.

b) Increased earnings by a family member whose earnings increase during

participation in an economic self-sufficiency or job-training program. A self-

sufficiency program includes a program designed to encourage, assist, train, or

facilitate the economic independence of HUD-assisted families or to provide work

to such families [24 CFR 5.603(b)].

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c) New employment or increased earnings by a family member who has received

benefits or services under Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (―TANF‖)

or any other state program funded under Part A of Title IV of the Social Security

Act within the past six months. If the benefits are received in the form of monthly

maintenance, there is no minimum amount. If the benefits or services are received

in a form other than monthly maintenance, such as one-time payments, wage

subsidies, or transportation assistance, the total amount received over the six-

month period must be at least $500.

2) Calculation of the Disallowance

Calculation of the earned income disallowance for an eligible member of a qualified

family begins with a comparison of the member‘s current income with his or her ―prior

income.‖

The SFHA defines prior income, or prequalifying income, as the family member‘s last

certified income prior to qualifying for the EID.

The family member‘s prior, or prequalifying, income remains constant throughout the

period that he or she is receiving the EID.

3) Initial 12-Month Exclusion

During the initial 12-month exclusion period, the full amount (100 percent) of any

increase in income attributable to new employment or increased earnings is excluded.

The 12 months are cumulative and need not be consecutive.

The initial EID exclusion period will begin on the first of the month following the date an

eligible member of a qualified family is first employed or first experiences an increase in

earnings.

4) Second 12-Month Exclusion and SFHA se-In

During the second 12-month exclusion period, the exclusion is reduced to half (50

percent) of any increase in income attributable to employment or increased earnings. The

12 months are cumulative and need not be consecutive.

5) Lifetime Limitation

The EID has a four-year (48-month) lifetime maximum. The four-year eligibility period

begins at the same time that the initial exclusion period begins and ends 48 months later.

The one-time eligibility for the EID applies even if the eligible individual begins to

receive assistance from another housing agency, if the individual moves between public

housing and Section 8 assistance, or if there are breaks in assistance.

During the 48-month eligibility period, the SFHA will conduct an interim reexamination

each time there is a change in the family member‘s annual income that affects or is

affected by the EID (e.g., when the family member‘s income falls to a level at or below

his/her prequalifying income, when one of the exclusion periods ends, and at the end of

the lifetime maximum eligibility period).

SFHA Admin Plan Section: 7.1 E

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12. Can a resident continue to receive paratransit assistance funding for medical reasons?

This program is separate from the Housing Choice Voucher Program. It is recommended

you contact the administrator of the assistance for further information.

13. Are there vouchers for Public Housing and HCV and are John Stewart residents

locked in if project based?

There may be Project Based Vouchers for Public Housing (Modernization Department

working on application). There are HCV Vouchers. John Stewart residents may/may not

be be locked in if project based; this is dependent on the building.

14. Regarding Annual Exclusions does this mean that it does not have to be reported?

All income/assets must be reported annually.

15. Are the PHA Requirements for Recertification documents change from 30 to 60 days?

No. Documentation must be 30 days current.

16. If a tenant pays someone to get his groceries for him should this be deducted from

rent?

No.

17. Is financial aid counted as income? What is the age limit? How is it included and

impacted?

Yes, financial aid is counted as income and may subsequently be excluded. There is no

age limit. The full amount of student financial assistance is paid directly to the student or

to the educational institution [24 CFR 5.609(c)(6)].

SFHA Admin Plan Section: 7.1 L

18. Can written verification be a letter?

HUD‘s Verification Hierarchy [VG, p. 11-14]

HUD authorizes the SFHA to use five methods to verify family information and specifies

the circumstances in which each method will be used. In general HUD requires the SFHA

to use the most reliable form of verification that is available and to document the reasons

when the SFHA uses a lesser form of verification.

In order of priority, the forms of verification that the SFHA will use are:

-front Income Verification (―UIV‖) using HUD‘s Enterprise Income

Verification (EIV) system

* Up-income Verification (UIV) using a non-HUD system

-Party Verification (may be provided by applicant or participant)

* Written Third-party Verification Form

* Oral Third –Party Verification

-Certification

SFHA Admin Plan Section: 8.1 B

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19. If the surrounding area of a property is messy do they fail inspection?

The Housing Quality Standards (HQS) manual labels the following as fail items for site

and neighborhood conditions:

1. Other buildings, on or near the property, that pose a serious health

hazard or safety hazards (dilapidated shed or garage with potential to

collapse).

2. Evidence of flooding or major drainage problems

3. Proximity to open sewage

4. Fire hazards

5. Abnormal air pollution or smoke which continues through the year

6. Continuous or excessive vibration caused by vehicular traffic

It’s not necessarily a messy surrounding area that will fail but one that poses a serious

observable hazard will.

20. Does an apartment have to include heat in kitchen or bathroom?

The HQS manual indicates, in the area designated for adequacy of heating equipment,

that heat is not required in secondary rooms (rooms not used for living).

21. What is the notice requirement is for pesticide spraying?

These laws may be state or federal but are not part of the HQS.