HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM OWNERS
GHA’S OWNERS HANDBOOK
Owners play a central role in the Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP) by supplying decent, safe, and sanitary housing for participating families.
Owners have numerous responsibilities under the program, including screening and leasing to families, maintaining the dwelling unit, enforcing the lease, and complying with various contractual obligations. However, this chapter is not meant to be an overview of all aspects of owner participation in the HCV program.
OWNER RESPONSIBILITIES
The basic owner responsibilities in the HCVP are outlined in the regulations as follows:
- Complying with all of the owner’s obligations under the housing assistance payments (HAP) contract and the lease
- Performing all management and rental functions for the assisted unit, including selecting a voucher-holder to lease the unit, and deciding if the family is suitable for tenancy of the unit
- Maintaining the unit in accordance with the National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE), including performance of ordinary and extraordinary maintenance
- Complying with equal opportunity requirements
- Preparing and furnishing to the PHA information required under the HAP contract
- Collecting from the family any security deposit, the tenant’s contribution to rent (that part of rent to owner not covered by the housing assistance payment from the PHA), and any charges for unit damage by the family.
- Enforcing tenant obligations under the dwelling lease
- Paying for utilities and services (unless paid by the family under the lease)
- Allowing reasonable modifications to a dwelling unit occupied or to be occupied by a disabled person
- Complying with the Violence against Women Act (VAWA) when screening prospective HCV tenants or terminating the tenancy of an HCV family.
REQUEST FOR TENANCY APPROVAL (RFTA) FORMS:
https://ghams.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Dear-Prospective-Owner.doc
Briefing\Request for Tenancy\52517
Briefing\Request for Tenancy\fw9
Briefing\Request for Tenancy\Owner Certification of No Improper Activities
Briefing\Request for Tenancy\AFFIDAVIT OF OWNERSHIP
Inspections
Inspections are a critical tool for helping the Greenwood Housing Authority and landlords ensure that they provide safe and sanitary housing for assisted housing tenants. In the final rule published in May 2023, the National Standards for the Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE) rule replaces Housing Quality Standards (HQS) and updates HUD’s inspections process by implementing inspections that better reflect the true physical condition of the property.
