Landlord Lines Newsletter

Inside This Issue

Policy Update: Small Area Fair Market Rents (SAFMRs)

Owner to Owner: A Place to Share Your Success

Everyday Tips to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

Break it Down: The HCV Program Move Process

Spotlight on Fair Housing

5 Fun Facts About Spring

Go Section 8

HCV Program Contacts

5 Fun Facts About Spring

1. On the first day of spring, a person at the North Pole would see the sun skimming across the horizon, beginning six months of uninterrupted daylight. A person at the South Pole would see the sun skimming across the horizon, signaling the start of six months of darkness.
2. The first day of spring is called the vernal equinox. The term vernal is Latin for "spring" and equinox is Latin for "equal night.
3. While December is the most popular time to get engaged, late spring (June) and fall (September) are the most popular months to get married.
4. During spring, birds are more vocal as they sing to attract mates and warn away rivals.
5. Children actually grow faster in the spring than during other times of the year.
LINK HERE for more Fun Facts About Spring!
Source: www.factretriever.com

Go Section 8
List Your
Properties Here!

The Housing Authority of DeKalb County is now encouraging all our landlords to list their properties on the listing service, www.gosection8.com. This site is intended to provide better service to both our landlords and families.

Link here
for a complete list of HCV Program Contacts

Policy Update:
Small Area Fair Market Rents (SAFMRs)

In accordance with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations, the Housing Authority of DeKalb County (HADC) implemented Small Area Fair Market Rents (SAFMRs) on April 1, 2018. SAFMRs are fair market rents (FMRs) established at the ZIP code-area level and replace the 50th percentile FMRs previously required by HUD. SAFMRs are intended to provide families receiving Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program assistance with access to low-poverty areas by providing rental assistance at a level that makes the higher rents in such areas affordable for them.

HADC is required to utilize SAFMRs to establish its Payment Standards. Payment Standards are used to calculate the maximum amount of Housing Assistance Payment the Housing Authority can pay on behalf of the family. HADC has developed a Tenant Rent Estimator to help families estimate how much rent can be approved for each zip code and bedroom size. The following documents are available on the HADC website: HADC 2018 Tenant Rent Estimator, HADC 2018 Payment Standards, and a listing of HADC Jurisdictions.

Please direct any questions you may have regarding SAFMRs to Katherine Cole at katherine.cole@dekalbhousing.org or Sabrina Lockhart at sabrina.lockhart@dekalbhousing.org.

Owner 2 Owner:
A Place to Share Your Success
Do you have a Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program success story that you would like to share with us? If so, we want to learn more! We may use your story in Housing Authority of DeKalb County (HADC) publications, testimonials, or for follow-up stories. We may also include your story as an article in Landlord Lines!

Examples of Success:

Positive experience you had (or are having) with the HCV Program, HCV Program Participants (your tenants), and/or HADC staff.
Tips that have helped improve your overall experience as an HCV landlord.
Creative things you tried that worked.
Please do not include the unit address or names of tenants with your submission.

Forum of Support:
Your success stories can help other HCV landlords and the HCV Program! To submit your story or request more information, please email Katherine Cole at katherine.cole@dekalbhousing.org.

Everyday Tips to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

Everyday Tips to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

On April 22, millions of Americans and people all over the world will celebrate Earth Day with classroom activities, community projects, and volunteerism. Earth Day provides an opportunity to reflect on how everyday actions can impact the planet either positively or negatively. Below are tips from the Environmental Protection Agency to help reduce and reuse, some benefits of recycling, and information about how to recycle in DeKalb County. READ MORE >

Break it Down:
The HCV Program Move Process
Six steps outline the process for participants to move with continued assistance on the Housing Choice Voucher Program. This information may be helpful for navigating the move/unit approval process and avoiding delays. READ MORE >

Spotlight on Fair Housing

April is Fair Housing month, and this year the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act. The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental and financing of housing based on seven protected classes: color, race, national origin, religion, sex, disability, and familial status. According to HUD, over 8,000 fair housing- related complaints were received last year.

The Fair Housing act also requires housing providers to make reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities. A reasonable accommodation is a change in rules, policies, practices, or services so that a person with a disability will have an equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling unit or common space. A housing provider should do everything they can to assist, but they are not required to make changes that would fundamentally alter the program or create an undue financial and administrative burden. Reasonable accommodations may be necessary at all stages of the leasing process, including application, tenancy, or to prevent eviction. More information can be found regarding fair housing at www.hud.gov/fairhousing.

Everyday Tips to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
On April 22, millions of Americans and people all over the world will celebrate Earth Day with classroom activities, community projects, and volunteerism. Earth Day provides an opportunity to reflect on how everyday actions can impact the planet either positively or negatively. Below are tips from the Environmental Protection Agency to help reduce and reuse, some benefits of recycling, and information about how to recycle in DeKalb County.

Ideas on How to Reduce and Reuse

Buy used. Often, used items are less expensive and just as good as new.
Look for products that use less packaging. Buying in bulk, for example, can reduce packaging and save money.
Buy reusable over disposable items. For example, you can bring your own silverware and cup to work, rather than using disposable items.
Borrow, rent or share items that are used infrequently, like party decorations, tools or furniture.
Instead of discarding unwanted appliances, tools or clothes, try selling or donating them. Not only will you be reducing waste, you'll be helping others.

Benefits of Recycling

Reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators.
Conserves natural resources such as timber, water and minerals.
Prevents pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw materials.
Saves energy.
Helps create jobs in the recycling and manufacturing industries in the United States.

How to Recycle in DeKalb County
The DeKalb County Sanitation Division offers a free, subscription-based, curbside residential single-stream recycling program. The single-stream feature allows for recyclable items to be commingled and placed in a County-issued recycling container. LINK HERE for more information about the DeKalb County Sanitation recycling program.

*Source: www.epa.gov and www.dekalbcountyga.gov

Break it Down:
The HCV Program Move Process
Six steps outline the process for participants to move with continued assistance on the Housing Choice Voucher Program. This information may be helpful for navigating the move/unit approval process and avoiding delays.

Step 1: The Participant is issued a Voucher with an expiration date and a Request for Tenancy Approval packet (or RTA).

Step 2: The Participant locates a unit they wish to rent and provides the RTA packet to the owner or landlord. The landlord will complete the packet, and both the landlord and participant will sign the packet.

Step 3: Once the RTA packet is complete, it must be submitted to HADC. The Occupancy Team reviews and processes the RTA within 7-10 business days.

Please note that delays are caused if incomplete RTAs are submitted or if there is missing information.
The RTA will be cancelled if the unit is not ready for inspection, (for example, if the utilities are not on or the landlord is not present).
If the unit is a rent burden or if the requested rent is not reasonable, an offer will be sent to the landlord for them to accept or reject. If accepted, the unit will be scheduled for inspection. If rejected, the RTA will be cancelled.
If an RTA is cancelled by the Occupancy Team, a new RTA will be issued to the participant.

Notes:

Families moving to a new unit cannot pay more than 40% of their income during the first lease term. This amount is calculated by using information from the RTA and the participant's file along with an estimation of the utilities. Side payments for additional rent, or for items, appliances or services customarily provided to unassisted families as part of the lease are prohibited.
Units must meet a rent reasonableness test, i.e., the rents cannot be higher than similar units in the area. This test is performed on each unit before the initial Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspection and when a landlord requests a rent increase.

Step 4: If the RTA is approved, the Occupancy Department will request an inspection for the unit.

The inspector will schedule the inspection with the landlord within 15 business days of RTA approval.
Participants should not sign a lease or move in to the unit prior to the unit passing inspection. The participant will be responsible for any rent charged prior to the inspection passing.
Please note, no payments will be made to the new landlord until after the scheduled move-out date of the participant’s prior unit.

Step 5: Once the unit passes inspection, the Occupancy Team will request the lease from the landlord, advise if the lease meets HADC requirements, and determine the effective move-in date. A Housing Assistance Payment Contract will also be generated for the landlord to sign.

Step 6: Once the lease and Contract are signed, the move will be completed. A Contract Rent Notice will be mailed to the landlord and participant to notify of the Housing Assistance Payment amount and the participant portion of rent. Please note, rental amounts will not be determined until the move is completed.