Transcript Summary of the Housing Allowance/Rent Supplement Program

Summary of the Housing
Allowance/Rent
Supplement Program
December 13, 2005
Program Summary
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Hastings County can obtain funding for up
to 60 housing allowances
Average of $210/month/unit
Total of $756,000
$210/month provides assistance to lowincome households (e.g.. Rent of
$600/month: We pay $210; tenant pays
$390)
Better than paying full market rent but not
as “affordable” as rent geared-to-income
(RGI)
Currently have a waiting list for landlords
interested in rent supplement program
Mandatory Requirements
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Maximum 5-year term
Households must be on, or be eligible to be
on, social housing waiting list; no
requirement to house victims of violence in
priority
6 units dedicated to Violence Against
Women targets
54 remaining units “open”, but we can
select special designations (working poor,
OW/ODSP)
Households receiving RGI housing not
eligible
Must meet Household Income Limits (HILs)
Mandatory Requirements
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Rent cannot exceed CMHC average
market rents
Payments flow to landlords
Housing allowance Take-Up Plans must
be submitted to receive funding
May be stacked with AHP Capital
program
Program Flexibility
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Service Managers (SM’s) can decide if
applicant retains placement on waiting
list
Amount of housing allowance per
household may vary (i.e., can provide
$210 for all tenants or can be higher
for some and lower for others)
Agreement terms with landlords can
vary (1-5 years)
Administration Fees
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$15/unit/month ($900/month or
$10,800/year)
1/3 of administration fees
– Before units are occupied
– Paid when MAH approves Housing Allowance
Take-Up Plan and signs agreement with Hastings
County
– Based on # of units ($300/month)
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Full $15/unit/month once agreement signed
with landlord
Take-Up Plans
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Outlines details of how program will be
delivered
– Get units
– Move people in
– Who will be housed and how
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Must be sent to MAH no later than
March 15, 2006
Next Steps
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Review details set out in guidelines
Decide where units should be and size
of units required (most likely one
bedroom units in Belleville and Quinte
West)
This can be vetted through the
community via the Affordable Housing
Action Network
Next Steps
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Decide on some of the options for
Service Managers
– Still eligible to be on the RGI waiting list?
– Any specific targets other than violence
against women?
– $210/month for everyone or have a
variance?
– When to test income
Next Steps
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Recruit landlords
Determine unit allocations by year and
when full take-up of all 60 units is
expected
Determine quarterly expenditures until
full take-up is complete
Determine if Hastings County is
interested in more units, if available
Determine phase out plan
Important Dates
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March 15, 2006 – Last day to submit TakeUp Plan
April 2006 – Reallocation of unused funds
March 2008
– Deadline to have all units committed
– Reallocation of uncommitted funds to
Capital pool
March 31, 2013 – End of claims for program
funding