Proposed Housing Choice Voucher/Section 8 Administrative Plan Copyright 2014
City of Dubuque Consent Items # 19.
ITEM TITLE: Proposed Housing Choice Voucher/Section 8 Administrative Plan
Changes
SUMMARY: City Manager approval of two changes to the Housing Choice
Voucher/Section 8 Administrative Plan related to increasing the voucher
unit size and adjusting the standards on fair market rents.
SUGGESTED DISPOSITION: Suggested Disposition: Receive and File; Approve
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
❑ Housing Choice Voucher Administrative Plan Changes-MVM Memo City Manager Memo
❑ Staff Memo Staff Memo
THE CITY OF Dubuque
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Masterpiece on the Mississippi 2007-2012-2013
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Proposed Administrative Plan Changes for Housing Choice
Voucher/Section 8 for City Council Approval
DATE: November 10, 2015
Housing and Community Development Department Director Alvin Nash recommends
City Council approval of two changes to the Housing Choice Voucher/Section 8
Administrative Plan. The two changes have to do with increasing the voucher unit size
and adjusting the standards on fair market rents. Staff has determined that these
changes will give tenants better options and better quality units.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
Mic ael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:jh
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager
Alvin Nash, Housing and Community Development Department Director
THE CITY OF Dubuque
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EMasterpiece on the Mississippi 2007.2012•2013
abetter way of living
DATE: November 10, 2015
TO: Mike Van Milligen
FROM: Alvin Nash, Housing and Community Development Directors
RE: Proposed Administrative Plan Changes for Housing Choice
Voucher/Section 8 for City Council Approval
INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND
In order to make changes to the Administrative Plan, it is a requirement that the
changes be approved by the Resident Advisory Board, the Housing Commission and
final approval by City Council. The Housing Voucher staff has determined that two
changes need to be made in order to better serve individuals and families and manage
the program within budget. The two changes have to do with increasing the voucher
unit size and adjusting the standards on fair market rents. Staff has determined that
these changes will give tenants better options and better quality units.
DISCUSSION
In addition to getting approval from the Resident Advisory Board and the Housing
Commission, staff has consulted with HUD and they concur that the changes are
reasonable and will benefit our program participants.
RECOMMENDATION/CONCLUSION
Voucher Unit Size
The Administrative Plan currently reads:
The first change on page 5-12 of the first attachment, takes the language from this:
The PHA will assign one bedroom for each two persons within the household, except in
the following circumstances:
Parent(s) residing with an adult or minor child shall be allocated separate bedrooms
resulting in a two bedroom Voucher.
Parents who are residing with more than one adult or minor children shall be allocated
Voucher size allowing for two persons per bedroom.
Dubuque@Home is an initiative of the City of Dubuque Housing&Community Development Department
350 W.6t"St.,Dubuque,Iowa 52001 1 Phone:563.589.4239 1 www.cityofdubuque.org/dubuqueathome
Adding additional persons to the household shall not increase the voucher issuance
until the annual recertification or unit change, if needed, as long as adding the person
does not overcrowd the current unit. The dwelling unit must have at least one bedroom
or living/sleeping room for each two persons.
To read as follows:
Head of Household residing with an adult or minor child shall be allocated separate
bedrooms resulting in a two bedroom Voucher. Head of Household who is residing with
more than one adult or minor child under the age of 10 years old shall be allocated
Voucher size allowing for two persons per bedroom and a separate bedroom for head of
household that includes spouse/cohabitant.
In determining Voucher size for parent(s) including cohabitant, a separate bedroom
shall be allocated for the head of household/spouse/cohabitant and a separate bedroom
for more than one adult or minor children of opposite sex over the age of 10 years
old. Same sex adult or minor children shall be allocated one bedroom for each two
persons.
Voucher Payment Standards
The Administrative Plan currently reads:
The second change on page 16-2, affects Voucher Payment Standards, and is in the
second attachment. It takes the language from this:
HUD allows Housing Agencies the authority to set the Voucher Payment Standards for
units at levels between 90 percent and 110 per cent of the published Fair Market Rents
for the appropriate unit sizes. Each year HUD publishes Fair Market Rents for the
Dubuque Metropolitan Area. Each year the PHA will review the Fair Market Rent data
to ensure the Voucher Payment Standard is within the range allowed by HUD. Unless
the Voucher Payment Standards fall below 90% or over 110% of the Fair Market Rents,
the payment standards will be changed effective January 1 of the following year in an
attempt to keep the standards at 90% to 110% of the Fair Market Rents.
Changes to payment standard amounts will be effective on January 1 st of every year
unless, based on the proposed FMRs, it appears that one or more of the PHA's current
payment standard amounts falls below 90% of the FMR published. In that case, the
PHAs payment standards will be effective October 1 st instead of January 1 st.
If the PHA has already processed reexaminations that will be effective on or after
October 1 st, and the effective date of the payment standards is October 1 st, the PHA will
make retroactive adjustments to any such reexaminations if the new payment standard
amount is higher than the one used by the PHA at the time the reexamination was
originally processed.
To read as follows:
HUD allows Housing Agencies the authority to set the Voucher Payment Standards for
units at levels between 90 percent and 110 per cent of the published Fair Market Rents
for the appropriate unit sizes. Each year HUD publishes Fair Market Rents for the
Dubuque Metropolitan Area. Each year the PHA will review the Fair Market Rent data
Dubuque@Home is an initiative of the City of Dubuque Housing&Community Development Department
350 W.6`h St.,Dubuque,Iowa 52001 1 Phone: 563.559.4239 1 www.cityofdubuque.org/dubuqueathome
to ensure the Voucher Payment Standard is within the range allowed by HUD. Unless
the Voucher Payment Standards fall below 90% or over 110% of the Fair Market Rents,
the payment standards will be changed effective January 1 of the following year in an
attempt to keep the standards at 90% to 110% of the Fair Market Rents.
The standards will be determined using the most recent leasing data and success rates
of participants issued Vouchers indicating a reasonable length of time (within 60 days)
to locate a suitable unit while taking into account the Housing Assistance Payments
Budget Authority allocated to the PHA. The PHA will monitor rent burdens of families
assisted in the PHA's voucher program. If 40 percent or more of such families
occupying units of any particular unit size are paying more than 30 percent of adjusted
income as the family's share, the PHA will review the payment standard amount for that
unit size and may modify the payment standard amounts.
If one or more of the PHA's current payment standard amounts falls below 90% or over
110% of the FMR published, the PHAs payment standards will be changed as of the
published FMR effective date instead of January 1 st. If the PHA has already processed
reexaminations, the PHA will make retroactive adjustments to any such reexaminations.
BUDGETIMPACT
These changes require no additional funds, and has no impact on the approved budget.
ACTION STEP
Request City Council approval of the recommended changes to the Administrative Plan.
Dubuque@Home is an initiative of the City of Dubuque Housing&Community Development Department
350 W.6`h St.,Dubuque,Iowa 52001 1 Phone: 563.559.4239 1 www.cityofdubuque.org/dubuqueathome