PARTICIPANT RESOURCES

Make changes to household:

** Please note: Emailed documents MUST be in PDF format. ICS will NOT accept photos/images of documents.

HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS (INSPECTION)

• Housing Quality Standards (HQS) play an important role in the administration of the HCV Program. A passed inspection is required before entering into a Housing Assistant Payment (HAP) contract. The basic purpose of the inspection is to ensure that the unit meets all the minimum inspection standards set by HUD. If the unit fails the initial inspection, all failed items must be corrected prior to the subsidy being paid on the unit. A second inspection date and time will be emailed to the landlord and mailed to the client.

• The HAP contract becomes effective and payments can be authorized for the 1st of the month following a passed inspection on a unit. The unit will continue to be inspected annually to ensure that it remains in compliance with HQS.

• The Pre-Inspection Checklist can be used to assess whether the unit will pass the HUD-established Housing Quality Standards used in every ICS inspection. This is NOT all-inclusive but is intended to be used as a general guide.

VOUCHER PAYMENT STANDARDS

In the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, payment standards are used in the calculation of the housing assistance payment (HAP) that the Public Housing Agency (PHA) pays to the owner on behalf of the family leasing the unit. 24 C.F.R. 982.4 defines Payment Standard as the maximum monthly assistance payment for a family assisted in the voucher program (before deducting the total tenant payment by the family).

The payment standard for a family is the lower of:

• Payment standard for the family unit size indicated on the voucher; or

• Payment standard for the size of the unit leased by the family.

Payment standards take into account the contract rent amount, PLUS the tenant's assumed utility responsibility. In addition to being used in the calculation of the Housing Assistance Payment, payment standards are also used to determine if a unit will be approved based affordability for the tenant.