ATTENTION - HCV (Section 8)) Fraud Alert
We have received complaints from landlords that someone is calling them and acting as LMHA
personnel asking for Social Security Number and bank account information so
HCV (Section 8) can set
them up for direct deposit. LMHA HCV (Section 8) DOES NOT DO DIRECT DEPOSIT, we mail checks.
If you receive a call of this nature, it is not LMHA.
If you have any questions, please call Debbie Carter at the HCV (Section
8) Office @ 440-288-1600.
HOMEOWNERS - How to submit a unit for rental
assistance
LMHA encourages owners to offer rental units located outside areas
of poverty or minority concentration. Nevertheless, it is the HCV
(Section 8) participant who ultimately chooses the area in which they wish to
reside. Flexibility is key when it comes to working with our
program. We have three full-time inspectors and we try to schedule
each inspector as efficiently as possible by keeping him in a general
area each day.
The following is an account of our procedures and the timetable you
would be looking at from start to finish in leasing to a HCV
(Section 8)
participant:
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Beginning with the landlord who has a unit available
for rent. The unit is in move-in condition and all the landlord
needs is a tenant. The landlord searches for and screens any
prospective tenants interested in the rental unit. (The landlord
may contact the HCV (Section 8) office to have the unit address, owner
name and contact number put on our availability list which we
provide to participants looking for units when we issue vouchers.) |
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Once the landlord decides to lease to a suitable
HCV (Section 8) participant, the Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA)
packet must be completed by the landlord and signed by both
the tenant and the landlord. The participant will have this
form with them. The Participant may not rent from a person related
to any member of the household such as a mother, father, brother,
sister or grandparent. |
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Once the Request for Tenancy Approval packet
is completed, it is returned to the HCV (Section 8) office. |
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The HCV (Section 8) Occupancy Specialist assigned to
the participant will conduct an affordability test when he/she
receives the RFTA forms. (The tenant may not pay more than
40% of their gross monthly income toward rent and utilities.)
If the unit does not meet affordability, the landlord will be
contacted to see if the rent may be lowered. If not, the tenant
is informed to locate a different unit. |
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If the unit does meet affordability, the Scheduling
Clerk will contact the owner to schedule the inspection of the
unit. Depending on how easy it is to contact the landlord, the
inspection will be scheduled as soon as possible with consideration
of the landlord's schedule. The landlord may have another
adult (18+ years) present to meet the inspector. We try to schedule
within 7 days.
The landlord should make sure all the utilities are on in the
unit prior to the inspection. |
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The inspection day arrives. The inspection is
conducted by the HCV (Section 8) housing inspector (average 30 - 45
minutes). Within 3 days of the inspection (except for weekends
and holidays), the landlord is sent an Agency Determination
telling if there are repairs necessary or not, and whether the
rent amount has been approved. If there are repairs, the Landlord
is given 2 weeks to complete them, and will be given an additional
2 weeks if the landlord requests an extension. Housing assistance
payments (HAP) will not be made until the unit passes the inspection.
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Once the unit has passed the inspection, the
Occupancy Specialist will complete the leases and contracts.
The participant must sign the leases first as they are required
to provide a utility verification form to us showing they have
transferred the utilities for which they are to be responsible
for paying into their names. The landlord is advised of the
appointment date for the participant and may contact HCV
(Section 8) to see if the appointment was kept. |
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After the tenant signs the documents, the owner
is contacted to come to the office to sign the lease and HAP
contract. When all signatures are obtained, we will advise the accounting
department that payments may begin. |
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The rental payment is sent directly to the landlord
or the designated payee. Depending on the timing of all the
above, it is possible that the landlord will get paid for 2
months at once (the current month and the upcoming month). We
try to get the landlord payments out as quickly as possible;
however, due to the volume of checks we process each month,
the checks are only printed once a month for rental payments.
If the leases and contracts are signed early in the month, there
is usually no problem with payment on the first of the following
month. Make sure you ask the Occupancy Specialist when you can
expect your first rental payment. |
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The landlord may not collect any amount of money
more than the amount shown on the lease and HAP contract. Doing
so is a program violation and an act of fraud. |
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