The Importance of a Changing Community Face: Why We Need More Opportunities for Affordable Housing for Residents in Our Community

In the Greater Rockford Area, low-income individuals and families use vouchers to help pay for privately owned housing, which has historically been referenced, and commonly known as ‘Section 8 Housing.’

With this introduction, we will cover two essential areas for clarification, what a family is and the basic working principles of the Housing Choice Voucher Program.

Unfortunately, today, many of us have fallen victim to erroneous information without questioning its accuracy or scrutinizing the motives and reliability of the sources.

Misunderstanding, misinformation, and a slew of false or content inaccuracies have provided disinformation to people who simply want to navigate the real opportunities that the Housing Choice Voucher Program provides. The Series provided here is a humble and respectful attempt to teach and empower the community to find out what HCV is and what HCV is not, and equally important, why HCV is so critical to residents within our community. 

Our goal for this News Series is to inform individuals who may not understand how the Rockford Housing Authority, or for that matter any other Public Housing Authority, are funded for the HCV Program, what real restrictions are faced in funding, or how the RHA’s mission aligns with that of the organization. We hope that this communication platform will provide a clearer understanding of the many opportunities available to Rockford residents through RHA programs and initiatives. RHA proudly serves all low-income community members, offering most services to those outside of our resident portfolio.

Just what is the purpose of the HCV program for our community residents? The underlining purpose of the HCV program is to provide rental assistance to eligible individuals and families. The rules and regulations of the HCV program are determined by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, commonly referred to as HUD. The Rockford Housing Authority, like all the other Public Housing Authorities throughout the US, is afforded choices in the operation of the program, which is included in the RHA’s administrative plan, a document approved by the RHA Board of Commissioners of the municipality. When an individual or a family is determined to be eligible for program participation and funding is available, the RHA issues a housing voucher to that person or head of household. The value of the voucher is determined by several factors based on the family’s current financial status, and acts as the family obligation contract for the participant, and all household members. The voucher is then used to secure a suitable housing unit from a private owner. Once secured, RHA will enter into a Housing Assistant Payment (HAP)contract with the unit’s owner. Each individual or family will then enter into a lease agreement with the owner. Both parties, RHA, and the participant make the respective payments to the owner so that the owner receives the total rent amount.

However, many fail to understand that even though an individual or family are determined to be eligible for the HCV Program, the owner of the prospective unit has the responsibility and obligation of approving the participant as a suitable renter. Once all leases and obligations are agreed upon and signed, RHA will begin to make payments to the owner, and will continue to do so if the individual or family remains eligible, and the housing unit continues to qualify under the program.

What is a Family?

We all have our own perception of the definition of what constitutes us as a family. Many need clarification of what a family is by governmental guidelines. HUD, over the years, has devised a set of very specific standards. It is important to note the meaningful specifics for the definition of a family. Each applicant for assistance under the HCV Program must meet HUD’s definition of family. A family includes, but is not limited to, regardless of marital status, actual or perceived sexual orientation, or gender identity, the following:

“A single person may be an elderly person, displaced person, disabled person, near-elderly person, or any other single person. A group of persons residing together, and such groups includes, but is not limited to: A family with or without children. A child temporarily absent from the home due to placement in foster care must be considered in determining family composition and size. A family that consists of a pregnant woman only, and no other persons, must be treated as a two-person family.”

The RHA Human Services Team or HCV team, will work to assist incoming clients, to navigate all HUD guidelines and requirements.

Due to the overwhelming need for affordable housing within the community, RHA must strategically plan the opening of the HCV waitlist. In doing so, the duration of the opening and the number of applications received, and the amount of time it will take to process applications must be considered. Historically, the list will remain open for one week, and more than six thousand applications will be received. Applications are then selected through a lottery process and placed on the waitlist in date and time received order, and preference points. The preference, for example, may include such things as a homeless preference, working, residency, and rent burden preference

To qualify for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program, you, as an applicant family, will be called from the waiting list and must meet HUD’s eligibility requirements. Once a selected applicant reaches the top of the waitlist the RHA Team then assesses each family’s eligibility.

Putting Part One of this Series in perspective, Vouchers sharply reduce homelessness and other hardships imposed on many families within the city of Rockford, and may lift members in the Rockford area above the poverty line, while giving families more choices on where to live in our community. Including expanding access to neighborhoods with more resources for educational opportunities, job training, health care, public transportation, and commerce. All of which are essential for healthy growth and sustainability.

The “”””choice”””” in the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program’s name refers to the opportunity tenants have to choose where they want to live. This choice, however, is heavily dependent on landlords willing to accept vouchers. Landlords are critical to the success of the HCV Program. Understanding the need for clean, healthy, and safe living environments in greater opportunity areas for recipients of the HCV program and the lack of landlord participation throughout the city of Rockford, RHA has applied for and been awarded “Moving To Work” designation from HUD under the “Landlord Incentive Cohort.” RHA can “think outside of the box” to create programming incentives for landlords through this designation. Working closely with local landlords and listening to their concerns, RHA has developed monetary incentives for new landlords entering the program and those who have remained loyal to the agency and our participants throughout the years.

A closing thought

Surround a child with secure relationships and stimulating experiences. They will incorporate that environment to become a confident, caring adult, ready to be a part of society. But suppose she/he is surrounded by violence or given little intellectual or emotional stimulation. In that case, it will be much more difficult for them to grow up successfully. Social isolation is common for a parent often struggling to figure out how to juggle a job and parenting. But it doesn’t have to be that way. We need to each ask ourselves: Are we providing and supporting programs such as HCV that will provide the kind of environment that will allow children to grow into citizens who give back to our community? Children do well when a parent does well, and parents do better when they live in communities that actively support families. We can all play a positive part, and with the added assistance of the Housing Choice Voucher Program, RHA does just that.

In the forthcoming editorials, we will cover such relevant topics as HCV portability, home ownership, locating and attracting new landlords for our residents, and income qualifications, to name a few. Stay Tuned!

Respectfully,

The RHA Leadership Team