Los Angeles Section 8 Housing Voucher Program Overview
The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program in Los Angeles, administered by the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), offers rental assistance to lower-income families for safe housing. The program provides reliable payments, free property listing, and applicant screening control to landlords. The HACLA jurisdiction is limited to areas within Los Angeles city limits. Participation benefits include guaranteed payments, an owner's portal for managing information, and the opportunity to list properties for free. Contact information and additional resources are available for landlords interested in participating.
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Agenda 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) 11. Source Of Income Protections 12. State Laws-Assembly Bill-12 (Security Deposit) & Senate Bill-267(Credit History) 13. Contact Information 14. Inspections 15. HACLA Section 8 Videos 16. Additional Information 17. Questions and Answers Homeless Incentive Program (HIP) Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP) Overview Jurisdiction Participation Benefits Housing Assistance Process Small Area Fair Market Rents (SAFMRs) Contracting: RFTA, HAP Continuing Participation Fair Housing 2
Program Overview The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program is a federally funded program administered by the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA). The Section 8 program provides housing assistance to lower-income families for decent, safe, and sanitary housing by subsidizing a portion of their rent. Budget Authority Vouchers allocated Landlords Individual SEMAP $662 million 61,752 13,280 90,000 High Performer (HUD designation) 4
Jurisdiction The HACLA provides Section 8 rental assistance only within the City Limits of Los Angeles. Areas outside the City limits are serviced by other Housing Authorities agencies. If your rental property is located outside the City of Los Angeles, contact city information in the area in which the rental property is located to determine the agency responsible for Section 8 rental assistance. Arleta Atwater Baldwin Hills Baldwin Village Bel Air Beverly Glen Boyle Heights Brentwood Canoga Park Carthay Circle Castellammare Century City Chatsworth Cheviot Hills Crenshaw Cypress Park Eagle Rock El Serreno Encino Elysian Valley Fairfax Florence Glassell Park Granada Hills Hancock Park Harbor City Harbor Gateway Highland Park Hollywood Hollywood Hills Hyde Park Jefferson Park Lakeview Terrance Leimert Park Lincoln Heights Los Feliz Mar Vista Mid-City Mid-Wilshire Mission Hills Montecito Heights Monterey Hills Mount Olympus Mt. Washington North Hills North Hollywood Northridge Pacific Palisades Pacoima Palms Panorama City Park La Brea Porter Ranch Rancho Park Reseda San Pedro Sawtelle Sepulveda Shadow Hills Sherman Oaks Silverlake Studio City Sunland Sun Valley Sylmar Tarzana Toluca Lake Tujunga Van Nuys Venice Warner Center Watts West Hills Westchester West Los Angeles Westwood Wilmington Wilshire Center Winnetka Woodland Hills Please note, the HUD/VASH & EHV Programs allows for inter-jurisdiction contracts 5
Participation Benefits Reliable Payments: After entering into a HAP contract, the Housing Authority guarantees its payment to you as long as the family remains in the residence and the unit meets HQS inspection requirements. Free property listing: You may advertise your property for free at www.affordablehousing.com Applicant Screening: You retain full control over the screening and selection process. Owners Portal: You will be able to view and print HAP information, scheduled inspections, request for rent changes, and many more features. *****New link https://hacla.partnerinhousing.com/View/Security/Login.aspx 6
Participation Benefits Full Security Deposit: You may collect a full security deposit, up to the maximum permitted by state and local laws. Eviction rights: As with any other Tenant, assisted families can be evicted for lease violations. The HACLA honors all legal rights under state & local laws. Right to recover damages: You have the same rights to legal action against a Tenant who leaves damages beyond the security deposit collected. Rent Increases: The Section 8 program allows for rent increases as allowed by regulations. Inspections: As a participating Owner, your property is inspected for free. 7
Housing Assistance Process Voucher Payment Standard Eligibility interview: * Income * Family Composition Voucher issuance * Subsidy standard * Voucher payment standard Contracting: RFTA, inspection contract rent *Contract rent = HAP + TTP *Rent reasonableness Annual reexamination Biennial inspection Waiting list Bedroom Size VPS 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 $2,132 $2,407 $3,052 $3,915 $4,320 $4,968 $5,616 8
Tier Small Area Fair Market Rent (SAFMR) determined by ZIP Code Bedroom Size 2 The Section 8 Department implemented Small Area Fair Market Rents (SAFMRs)for families in the Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP) in over 70 higher opportunity zip codes. The chart depicts the SAFMR s that will be effective October 1, 2023, for New Admissions/Recontracts and Effective January 1, 2024 for Annual Reexaminations. *Highlighted Zip codes=City of L.A. Studio 1 3 4 1 90005; 90012; 90013; 90020; 90027; 90028; $2,184 $2,460 $3,120 $3,996 $4,416 90038; 90039; 90071; 90240; 90623; 90638; 90701; 90715; 90807; 91001;91006; 91007; 91008; 91010; 91020; 91024; 91104;91107; 91108;91303; 9 1 3 2 1 ;91324;91325;91335; 91345;9 1 3 5 1 ;91356;91384; 91387;91411; 91506; 91601;91607; 9 1 7 1 1 ;91722; 91724;91740; 91775; 91780; 91790; 9 1 7 9 1 ;91792;93551 90010; 90015; 90034; 90035; 90045; 90046 90056; 90064; 90066; 90068; 90211;90230; 2 $2,448 $2,760 $3,504 $4,488 $4,956 90232; 90245; 90263; 90278; 90402; 90603; 90712; 90713; 90732; 90746; 90808; 91030; 91214; 9 1 3 1 1 ;91316;91326; 91344; 91350; 91355;91362; 91381;91390; 91403; 91423; 91505; 91602; 91604; 91608; 9 1 7 4 1 ;91765;91773 90014; 90024; 90025; 90036; 90048; 90049; 3 $2,796 $3,216 $3,948 $5,280 $6,036 90067; 90069; 90073; 90077; 90094; 90210; 90212; 90254; 90265; 90266; 90272; 90274; 90275; 90290; 90291; 90292; 90293; 90703; 9 1 0 1 1 ;91105;91301;91302; 91307; 91361;91364; 91367; 91436; 91789 Voucher Payment Standard (VPS) All Other ZIP Codes $ 2,132 $2,407 $3,052 $3,915 $4,320 9
Contracting 1. Request For Tenancy Approval (RFTA) 2. HAP Contract 3. Inspection 10
Forms Prior to Contracting 1. Request For Tenancy Approval (RFTA): HAPP-2 2. Joint Owner/Tenant Pre-Inspection Walk-Through: HAPP INPS-7 3. Lead-Based Paint Disclosure: HAPP RLA-12 4. Security Deposit Amounts and Claim Liability: HAPP-172 5. Owner Checklist and Certified Statement: HAPP RFTA13A 6. Certification of No Conflict of Interest: HAPP RFTA-13 7. Property Owner Letter of Authorization 8. HAP Contract Direct Deposit Information 9. IRS Form W-9 Contracting, Lease 1. Sample Lease: HAPP-67 2. Housing Assistance Payments Contract: Form HUD-52641 3. Tenancy Addendum: HAPP V-4 (form HUD-52641-A) Forms can be found online at: hacla.org/formsdocuments 11
Contracting: RFTA RFTA packet is given to a family when looking for a unit. When completing: Indicate date the unit will be ready for inspection; NOW is not an answer. Make sure Utility Responsibility is accurate and complete. If the property has more than four units, you must certify rent charged for the other units. You must provide requested certifications. Provide legal property ownership name. If represented by an Agent or will have a different payee, you must identify the individual(s). Landlord should make a copy of forms for their records before giving to prospective Tenant to return to the HACLA. 12
Contracting: HAP Tenant moves into the unit after: The unit passes the Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspection, and The Owner agrees to the contract rent HACLA is able to pay, and HACLA authorizes move in, and The Owner and Tenant sign and date the lease. The Owner is responsible for providing a copy of the lease to the contracting Eligibility Interviewer (HACLA) immediately. HAP assistance will be calculated from effective date of the lease 13
Contracting: HAP Contract is between HACLA and the Owner. The contract must be executed within 60 days of the lease effective date. HACLA will complete the HAP Contract and send it to you for signature. Owner must return the contract to HACLA immediately after signing or the contract will be cancelled. A copy of the contract will be mailed to the owner with a cover letter that provides the Section 8 Advisor s name and contact information. 14
Contracting: HAP Review names, unit address, contract rent amount, lease dates for accuracy. Never make hand-revisions on the contract. Never sign a contract that contains errors. Make corrections on a separate piece of paper and attach it to the contract for reprinting. Contracts with unauthorized changes will not be processed. Contract reprints may cause payment delays. The participant is responsible for the security deposit, but if not able to the HACLA might be able to assist. The initial term of tenancy must be for at least one year. The start date of the tenancy must allow sufficient time for the family to move out of the current unit. 15
Contracting: HAP Utilities and Appliances. The lease and the HAP contract must specify what utilities and appliances are to be supplied by the Owner, what utilities and appliances are to be supplied by the Tenant, and who is responsible to provide or pay for the utilities and appliances. Proration of the First Month. The HAP for the first month of the HAP contract term will be prorated for a partial month. Family Payment to Owner. The family is not responsible for the HAP payment, the Housing Authority is responsible. Failure by the HA to pay HAP is not a violation of the lease. Family Moves Out. The HA will not pay a housing assistance payment to the Owner for any month after the month when the family moves out. 16
Continuing Participation After the contracting process is complete, the Tenant file is assigned and transferred to a Section 8 Advisor for ongoing case management and for servicing your HAP contract and lease. It is good practice to create a file folder for each Section 8 Tenant. Use one side for your HAP contract, lease, addendum, and notices from the Section 8 Advisor. Use the other side for inspection reports and notices. A well-organized folder will enable you to easily access Section 8 Tenant information. 17
Fair Housing When appropriate, you must provide Reasonable Accommodations for families with disabled household members. An Owner must not discriminate against any person based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, familial status, or disability in connection with the HAP contract. The Owner must cooperate with HACLA or HUD in conducting equal opportunity compliance reviews and complaint investigations in connection with the HAP contract. 18
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Protects Tenants and family members (who are victims of domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking) from being evicted or terminated based on acts of such violence against them. For additional information reference Part C of the HAP Contract: Tenancy Addendum, Part 8. Termination of Tenancy by Owner, Section E. Protections for Victims of Abuse or go to: https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=52641-a.pdf 19
Source Of Income Protections California has a law called the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) that protects people from housing discrimination based on categories including race, color, national origin, religion, disability, gender, gender identity, familial status, and sexual orientation and some source of income. The latest amendment to the law regarding source of income protections adds people using a federal, state, or local housing subsidy to this list of protected groups. This means, beginning on January 1, 2020, housing providers, such as landlords, cannot refuse to rent to someone, or otherwise discriminate against them, because they have a housing subsidy, such as a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, that helps them to afford their rent. All housing providers must comply with the FEHA s new source of income protection law. This includes private landlords, property management companies, homeowners' associations, corporations, and others who rent residential property in California. Beginning January 1, 2020, it is unlawful to make, print, publish, advertise, or disseminate in any way, a notice, statement or advertisement that indicates that a tenant will be declined because their source of income includes a Section 8 voucher subsidy. Housing providers still have the right to screen all applicants according to their lawful tenant screening criteria. All fair housing laws still apply. Visit https://calcivilrights.ca.gov/ for more information. 20
State Laws AssemblyBill-12 (AB-12) Tenancy: Security Deposits Effective July 1, 2024 this law will prohibit a landlord from demanding or receiving security for a rental agreement for residential property in an amount or value in excess of an amount equal to one month s rent, regardless of weather the residential property is unfurnished or furnished, in addition to any rent for the first month paid on or before initial occupancy. The bill, unless the prospective tenant is a service member, as defined, would prohibit a landlord from demanding or receiving security for a rental agreement for residential property in an amount or value in excess of 2 month s rent, in addition to any rent for the first month, if the landlord (1) is a natural person or a limited liability corporation in which all members are natural persons and (2) own no more than 2 residential rental properties that collectively include no more than 4 dwelling units offered for rent. Senate Bill-267 (SB-267) Credit history of persons receiving government rent subsidies Existing law (effective January 1, 2024), California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), prohibits, in instances in which there is a government rent subsidy, the use of a financial or income standard in assessing eligibility for the rental of housing that is not based on the portion of the rent to be paid by the tenant. FEHA requires the Civil Rights Department to enforce specific provisions of the act, including described above. This bill would additionally prohibit the use of a person s credit history as part of the application process for a rental housing accommodation without offering the applicant the option of providing lawful, verifiable alternative evidence of the applicant s reasonable ability to pay the portion of the rent to be paid by the tenant, including but not limited to, government payments, pay records, and bank statements, in instances in which there is government subsidy. 21 **HACLA encourages its owners & clients to seek professional legal advice for their particular circumstance, as HACLA staff cannot provide legal advice to its clients.
Contact Information When sending an email to the employee, please be sure to include: *Your name and Vendor number. *Your telephone number/email address *The nature of your inquiry. *Tenant name and Entity I.D. number (Client number). *Address of rental unit. *Give the employee 48 hours (2 business days) to respond. Owners Portal: Owners.Portal@hacla.org Inspections: S8.Inspections@hacla.org Owner Services: Owner.Services@hacla.org Customer Contact Center: (833) HACLA-4-U or email info@hacla.org 22
Contact Information The Housing Authority has Ombudspersons on staff to address issues after attempts to address those issues with the department. Each one is responsible for providing support in a different area of the Section 8 Department. Section 8 waitlist, EHV and Special Programs Administration (SPA): Serina Cannon (213)252-1613; Serina.Cannon@hacla.org Special Programs Operations (SPO) and Project Based Voucher (PBV): Norma Rosas; Norma.Rosas@hacla.org Section 8 Administration: Angelina Zargaryan (213)252-5420; Angelina.Zargaryan@hacla.org Participant families: (West & South) Billye Fairley (213)252-2668; Billye.Fairley@hacla.org (East & Valley) Jose Gutierrez (213)252-2596; Jose.Gutierrez@hacla.org 23
Inspections Objective: To enforce housing quality standards (HQS) and ensure decent, safe and sanitary conditions. 24
Types of Inspections Initial Annual/Biennial Inspections Re-inspections Maintenance complaint Move-out inspections Quality Control Inspection Overview The inspection encompasses the whole building, interior, exterior and all common areas that will be accessible to the tenant driveway and parking facilities. 25
Initial First inspection conducted by the Housing Authority. Prior to Tenant moving in or prior to contracting. Unit must be vacant and in move-in condition. All utilities must be on. The inspector will call you on the morning of the inspection with a 2-hour window time of arrival. If the unit fails inspection, the owner must contact the Eligibility Interviewer to schedule a re-inspection. The tenant cannot move in until the unit passes inspection and HACLA approves the move in. 26
Annual/Biennial Inspections Inspections are conducted on a biennial basis; some continue to be annual. Owner and tenant are notified by mail usually 30 days prior. An adult 18 years or older must be present. If immediate health and safety hazards exist, 24-hour abatement will occur. May be done by Remote Video Inspection (RVI) or In-person (*Available platforms: Google Meet & What s APP) 27
Re-inspection This takes place when the annual/biennial inspection fails. Automatically scheduled 25 days after failed annual/biennial. Notice mailed to tenant and Owner of the failed items as well as the re-inspection date. If the items cited on the report are not completed at the time of the re-inspection, the unit will be abated, meaning the HACLA will stop payments to the Owner until the work is completed. If the unit is abated and once the work is completed, the Owner must contact the Inspections Department via email at S8.Inspections@hacla.org or call 833-HACLA-4-U to schedule another inspection. Payments will resume when the unit passes inspection. Abated funds are forfeited. 28
Maintenance Complaint Request must be made to the Section 8 Advisor and can be a complaint from either Owner or Tenant. In addition to the items of concern, a full inspection of the unit will be completed Responsible party given 25 days to complete repairs. If immediate health or safety hazard exist, 24-hour abatement will be processed. (Owner notified by phone and report by mail) Inspector will return in 24 hours to verify completion. If repairs remain uncorrected the HAP payment will be abated. 29
Move-out Inspections HACLA should be notified of pending eviction or if the Tenant vacates the unit within 2 business days of vacate. Tenant can be terminated if damages are in excess of $2,000. Security deposit has no bearing on the $2,000 threshold. 30
Owner/Tenant Responsibility Both Owner and Tenant are responsible for maintaining the unit. Owner is responsible for normal wear and tear and general maintenance. Tenant is responsible for deliberate or accidental destruction and/or misuse and abuse of property. If there is a question regarding any aspect of the inspection, please call 833-HACLA-4-U. 31
Rent Reasonableness The HACLA uses the service of a third-party vendor and its rent reasonableness calculation model which has been customized and made unique to the HACLA s local rent market. The inspector will document type and condition of building, amenities, bedroom size, number of bathrooms, square footage, including appliances, etc. 32
LBP-Lead Based Paint Any deteriorated, chipping, peeling paint will be cited for correction. The HACLA recommends routine inspection of property to ensure no peeling, chipping paint is present. Unit will be cited for possible Lead Based Paint hazard if: * unit was built before 1978 * occupied by child under 6 * peeling paint exceeds 10% total interior are and 20% of exterior(De Minimis levels) Affected areas must be stabilized (remove all chipping, peeling paint) using safe work practices as required by HUD/EPA guidelines. HACLA inspector conducts visual assessment/inspection to ensure no defective paint present. In addition to the visual assessment, owner must provide a copy of a passed lead- based clearance exam obtained from the EPA certified lead-based paint contract, risk assessor or lead based paint inspector. 33
Abatement Cited deficiencies that remain uncorrected at the re-inspection (25 days after) HACLA will stop the payments to the Owner. Abated monies are forfeited. Owner must contact the inspection department to reschedule an inspection by email at S8.Inspections@hacla.org or call 833-HACLA-4-U. Payment resume when the unit passes inspection. To avoid abatement, ensure that repairs are completed before re-inspection date. 34
Inspection Extension(s) Request for extensions must be in writing to the supervisor or sent to S8.Inspections@hacla.org at least 2 weeks prior to the scheduled re-inspection date. Extensions are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Extensions will not be granted for normal wear and tear. Owner must receive confirmation from the inspection office of approved extension. 35
Section 8 Videos https://www.hacla.org/en/about-section-8/section-8-tutorial-videos What is Section 8 Finding a Rental Unit How Rent is Calculated Submitting Your Section 8 Documents Creating an Email Address How to Get in Touch with HACLA Complete Reexaminations Using the MyHousing Website Accessing the MyHousing Website for Applicants Accessing the MyHousing Website for Participants Accessing the Owners Portal Housing Choice Voucher Issuance Remote Video Inspections Recertification Portal Guide Landlord Orientation 36
AdditionalInformation Owner Booklet and Presentation available at: http://hacla.org Click on Landlord for drop down menu Click on Landlord Information Scroll down to review seminar content and click directly on: Presentation PowerPoint Materials - Landlord Guidebook Owner Booklet - HCV finalized 2023-08-29.pdf California Civil Rights Department https://calcivilrights.ca.gov/ Fair Housing and Source of Income Protection FAQ sheet https://calcivilrights.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2020/02/SourceofIncomeFAQ_ENG.pdf 37
