Integrated Community Services (ICS) has successfully administered the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Rental Assistance Program in Brown County for over 30 years. This could be the opportunity to lease your rental property to income-eligible clients for an initial one-year term and receive part of the market rent directly from the ICS. ICS has formed contract partnerships with hundreds of landlords throughout the years who take pride in providing safe, decent and affordable housing in Brown County. Landlord participation is a vital component to creating a better community for all of us to live. Learn more about the program that benefits Landlords as well as low-to-moderate income tenants. Please call the Housing Counselor at 448-4568 or email questions to Bill Paape at billpa@ics-gb.org anytime for details.
HOW THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM WORKS
STEP ONE - Application Process
• The 1-page Preliminary Application (PA) is filled out. The application is “date stamped” upon receipt at ICS and the appointment will be set based on the order it was received.
• All applicants 18 years and older are screened for drugs and violent behavior by obtaining criminal background reports.
• Applicant’s name is placed on our Wait List. Average time currently on Wait List is over a year for Brown County residents. Out of county applicants receive “non-preference” status and will wait indefinitely for assistance. Appointment letters for the Initial Interview are mailed to applicants when their name has come to the top of the list. The Wait List is based on the number of applications received by ICS.
STEP TWO - Initial Interview
• On the appointment day, the client receives a detailed overview of the Program in a group briefing. The Client also meets individually with a Client Service Specialist (CSS) to pre-determine if income eligible. A Voucher is issued in most cases and the Client has sixty (60) days to find a suitable housing unit. The Voucher is printed with the name of the family representative (head of household), number of bedrooms for which a family qualifies and an expiration date.
• Reminder: Clients are responsible to pay the FULL RENT until they and their Landlord are notified that their case is authorized and the landlord has received a check.
STEP THREE - Income Verification
• After the interview the CSS will work on verifying the client’s income. This includes sending a form to the tenant’s bank and employer, child support agencies, Social Security Administration, child care providers, medical providers or wherever else your tenant has income, assets, or allowable deductions.
• We cannot simply accept bank statements or check stubs. Program requirements mandate that we contact third party sources directly to verify eligibility.
STEP FOUR - Find Rental Unit
• Landlords should screen Clients like any other rental applicant based on their own tenant selection criteria. Please remember that ICS does not screen for tenant suitability, only if they are eligible financially under the Housing Choice Voucher Program.
• Before signing a lease, the client must first ask whether the Landlord is willing to accept the Housing Assistant Payments provided under the Program. Landlord participation is not mandatory. The Landlord completes the Request for Tenancy Approval (RTA) and W-9 tax forms. The forms should be returned to ICS without delay. The Client Specialist will check for two things before requesting the Housing Evaluation: (1) that the unit is not over the Voucher Payment Standard (VPS) set by the Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) based on fair market rents in Brown County; (2) that the client doesn’t pay more than 40% of their gross monthly adjusted income toward rent. NOTE: The unit must meet Rent Reasonableness as determined by the ICS Housing Evaluator in accordance with HUD regulations.
STEP FIVE - The Housing Evaluation
• Once the Housing Evaluation is requested, Landlords are notified of the date and time (typically scheduled within 2-3 weeks). The Evaluation takes approximately 30-45 minutes depending on condition. A basic checklist can be provided to help landlords prepare. These are minimum Housing Quality Standards (HQS) that are established by HUD. Landlords must also be in compliance with other state and local codes. Please keep in mind that if the unit has been maintained and is in good condition, it should pass without any problems.
• If a unit fails the Evaluation, both Landlord and Client will be notified in writing. A failed Evaluation will delay the process toward a client receiving rental assistance. The Landlord should complete the repairs and call the ICS Evaluation Department at 448-4561 to schedule a re-inspection. REMINDER: Appointments for re-inspections are not automatically scheduled; the Landlord must contact the Evaluation Department once repairs have been completed and re-inspections must be done within thirty (30) days.
• Extensions will not be allowed for repairs that require only minimal effort to complete. As long as the landlord agrees to make the repairs, the Evaluator can allow additional time to complete more extensive repairs such as floor replacement, exterior painting, concrete work, etc. The HUD Rental Assistance program cannot authorize payment (with taxpayer dollars) to fund a unit that fails to comply with minimum Housing Quality Standards. Nearly 80% of rental housing units pass the Evaluation the first time.
STEP SIX - Lease and Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Contract
•All initial Lease Terms must be for one year. A copy of the Lease must be sent to the Client Service Specialist as soon as possible in order for them to check that it contains specific HUD requirements. Responsibility for providing stove and refrigerator must be on the Lease. The dates on the Lease and the HAP Contract must match exactly. Leases should start on the first day of the month. In some cases, the Landlord and Tenant may be asked by the Client Service Specialist to make minor changes to the Lease dates, initial changes and return to ICS without delay.
• The Client Service Specialist must have the HAP Contract signed by the Landlord and in their possession in order to authorize the payment and is the final step toward receiving payment on behalf of the Client. The Landlord and ICS are legally bound to the obligations of the HAP Contract. The Contract also indicates the portion of rent that the Client pays and the amount that the Landlord receives directly from ICS for the length of the Contract.
• ICS checks are printed once a month and are typically mailed to the landlords on the first business day of each new month. (Example: if the first day of the month falls on a weekend or holiday, checks will be mailed on the following business day. Direct deposit is also available.)
PARTICIPATION IN THIS PROGRAM IS VOLUNTARY. HOWEVER, IT DOES REQUIRE THE LANDLORD AND THE CLIENT TO WORK COOPERATIVELY WITH ICS. LANDLORDS SHOULD REMEMBER TO ALWAYS COLLECT THE FULL AMOUNT OF RENT UNTIL THE CLIENT’S CASE IS AUTHORIZED. LANDLORDS WHO HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS REGARDING A CLIENT’S CASE SHOULD DIRECT THEM TO THE CLIENT SERVICE SPECIALIST (CSS) IN CHARGE OF COMPLETING THE CASE.
COMPLETION FOR EACH CLIENT’S CASE IS UNIQUE. TIMELINES WILL VARY AND ARE DEPENDANT ON THE FOLLOWING FACTORS:
•Length of Waiting List
•How quickly the Client can find a suitable unit
•Whether the unit passes Housing Evaluation the first time or requires repairs
•Whether Client has provided all required income & household information
•When the Lease and HAP Contract are returned to Client Service Specialist
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST
IN THE THE HCV RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU!
For further information or questions, please contact Bill Paape, Housing & Fraud Specialist at 448-4568.
ICS MISSION STATEMENT
Bringing People and Housing Together with Quality Services
That Promote Self-Sufficiency Throughout Northeast Wisconsin.
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