Home Forward Increases Payment Standards in Some Zip Codes; Excludes High Poverty Census Tracts.

In advance of proposed changes (prior post HERE) to encourage landlords in low poverty neighborhoods to rent to voucher tenants, Home Forward has implemented other changes to expand housing choice in the HUD voucher program.  

Their announcement is HERE. 

The announcement indicates that some zip codes will receive higher 1 and 2 bedroom payment standards; however units leased in some census tracts with higher poverty rates in those zip codes will not qualify for the higher payment standards. A map of those census tracts where higher payment standard DO apply is HERE; the announcement also includes a listing of Census Tracts that do not qualify within the otherwise eligible zip codes receiving payment standard increases.

In addition 6 month leases at initial lease up, instead of 12 month leases, will now be permitted. 

Originally created and posted on the Oregon Housing Blog.

One Homeforward Amendment to FY 2013 Moving to Work Plan Would Provide One Time Incentive to Landlords Leasing Voucher Units in Low Poverty Census Tracts.

All Homeforward proposed amendments can be found HERE.

Among the proposed amendments is this one which eliminates some restrictions and changes the area of focus from zip codes to census tracts: 

 

Home Forward will implement a landlord incentive program to attract new landlords and units in low poverty areas to the Housing Choice Voucher program. In its initial year of testing, the program will offer a one time, $100 incentive payment for each eligible unit a landlord leases to a Housing Choice Voucher participant. A landlord will be eligible to receive up to ten incentive payments per multifamily complex. Eligible units must be located in zip codes census tracts considered low-poverty areas and not have had a Housing Choice
Voucher tenant in the prior 24 months.

• There will be a public hearing on the proposed amendment on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, at 6:15 p.m. at Humboldt Gardens, 5033 N Vancouver Ave, Portland, OR.
• You may send written comments before May 15, to Melissa.Sonsalla@homeforward.org or by mail to Home Forward, 135 SW Ash St., Portland, OR 97204, Attn: Melissa Sonsalla.

The full FY 2013 plan being amended can be found HERE.

Originally created and posted on the Oregon Housing Blog.

Home Forward Board Meeting Packet Updated with April 17th Meeting Materials.

Link in right pane, homeforward YTD Board Packages, has been updated to include next Tuesday meeting materials. 

Updates include New Columbia crime analysis and update on Urban Institute demonstration project. Director's report also indicates that HF recently received 60 VASH vouchers for homeless veterans, bringing HF VASH total to 305.

Originally created and posted on the Oregon Housing Blog.

Homeforward Jan 17 Meeting Includes Hillsdale Terrace/Stephens Creek Hope VI Updates.

The homeforward January 17 Board meeting package has been posted. The link in right pane (and HERE) has been updated to include CY 2012 board meetings.

Materials include:

• Hillsdale Terrace/ Stephens Creek Crossing Update starts on Pg 23 and includes summary of where people moved (Pg. 29) and forward looking 6 Month schedule (Pg 37).
• The Dashboard report starts on Pg 43 and on page 44  indicates that in December 2011 homeforward served 14,697 households including 10,175 MTV households.

Board meeting packages for CY 2011 are HERE and for CY 2010 HERE.

Originally created and posted on the Oregon Housing Blog.