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Landlord Frequently Asked Questions
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Thank you for your interest in the Fort Worth Housing Authority Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP) formerly known as Section 8, and the Shelter + Care Program (S+C). The HCVP provides rental assistance to families who have placed their name on the waiting list and have subsequently been determined eligible for assistance. The Shelter + Care Program provides rental assistance to homeless disabled individuals and families who are receiving Supportive Services from other community agencies. THINGS YOU
SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE LANDLORD ORIENTATION: The Fort Worth Housing Authority (FWHA) only serves those Landlords whose rental properties are within the city limits of Fort Worth. A current MAPSCO is the best resource in determining which housing authority would serve your rental property. If your property is outside the city limits, you may wish to call the Tarrant County Housing Office at 817/531-7640 to list with them.
1) Q. How do I get my property added to the “Property Availability” list you have for your clients? A. Landlords attend a one and a half hour Landlord Orientation hosted by FWHA to obtain all necessary paperwork and information to become a knowledgeable participant in Assisted Housing. 2) Q. Once my property is on the list how do the clients know my property is available? A. The “Property Availability” list is updated and available for clients each Thursday in writing and Friday on the website. If you attend a Landlord Orientation you will be provided the “Property Description Form” to fill out. This “Property Description Form” is what is used to add your property to our “Property Availability” list. Clients are aware of where to obtain this list. 3) Q. How do I sign up for your Landlord Orientation? A. You can sign up for the Orientation by filling out the on-line “Request for Participation” form or by calling (817) 333-3664 and leaving your name, phone number and the date of the orientation you would like to attend. Orientation dates are always the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 9:00 a.m. (with the exception of December; there is no orientation). 4) Q. How much does this Orientation cost? A. There is no cost to a potential landlord. This orientation is offered as an informational tool to benefit you and your potential tenant. 5) Q. How do I know if someone is a voucher participant? A. A participant, whether HCVP or S+C, will be in possession of paperwork provided by the housing authority that will verify their participation in FWHA Programs. 6) Q. What is the Shelter + Care (S+C) program? A. A HUD program similar to HCVP that serves only homeless and disabled individuals and families. All participants have Case Managers who make regular home visits to check on them and provide necessary supportive services. Landlords are given the name and number of the Case Manager to contact in the event of problems with the tenant. 7) Q. What is the process for becoming a S+C landlord? A. It is the same as stated above for the HCV program.. 8) Q. How does S+C differ from the Voucher Program? A. RFTAs or Requests For Inspection (RFI) are faxed to the landlord by the S+C office S+C Participants are given an Approval Letter (rather than a Voucher) which gives the size unit for which the are approved and what the participant portion will be in an All Bills Paid unit. S+C Participants cannot pay over amount of our Payment Standard AND Rent Reasonable. Rental assistance payments will come separately from the HCVP payment, but on the same schedule/direct deposit procedure. S+C does maintain a separate property listing, updated monthly for Participants and Case Managers 9) Q. How is the voucher size determined? A. A voucher participant is issued a “voucher” for rental payment subsidy by FWHA based on the number of family members in their home. The number of family members determines the bedroom size. The number of bedrooms determines the maximum Payment Standard. 10) Q. Can a voucher participant rent my property if it is a larger bedroom size than their voucher? A. Yes; however, this can only happen if: 1. Your property is priced within the Payment Standard of the client’s voucher size or 2. If it is authorized through FWHA. An internal calculation must be completed to determine if the client can financially afford to pay for a larger, more expensive unit. ***Please note that accepting additional money from a client which has not been authorized by FWHA is illegal. It is a Federal offense and is prosecutable by the Attorney General’s Office. This is explained in detail during the Landlord Orientation. 11) Q. How much rent may I charge for my property? A. Many factors affect the final rent amount approved by FWHA. The property must be compared to other similar properties in the area; Fair Market Rent (FMR), a guideline established by HUD of maximum fair rents by unit size, must be considered; a Rent Reasonable study to determine the individual property’s value on the open market is conducted. In addition, if the tenant is paying the utilities, a Utility Allowance must be deducted from the FMR to establish a rent amount. The Landlord Orientation answers this question extensively. 12) Q. How can I find out if my property will pass your inspection? A. In the Landlord Orientation you will be provided an overview of what is necessary for your property to pass inspection. FWHA follows HUD Housing Quality Standards Guidelines as well as city and state rental property requirements to ensure that all accepted properties are safe, sanitary and secure. 13) Q. After I have attended the Landlord Orientation, when will my property be inspected? A. Inspections are never scheduled until the inspections department has received the HCVP Participant’s Request for Tenancy Approval (RFTA). Once a client has expressed an interest in your property and you have selected that client as a tenant, both of you must complete and submit the RFTA form. Once that form has been received a FWHA inspector will contact you to schedule the inspection. 14) Q. Where can I get a Request for Tenancy Approval? A. The Request for Tenancy Approval is only provided to the FWHA client. Landlords can not obtain this form from anyone other than their prospective HCVP renter. (Please note: S+C clients will not receive an RFTA; it must be requested from the S+C office.) 15) Q. After the inspection, when can the client move in? A. The client can move in the day the property passes inspection, you have received the Move-In Approval form from the housing authority, and the client’s current lease has expired. 16) Q. How long does this process take? A. Inspections are scheduled as soon as possible following the date you have put on the RFTA as to when the unit is ready for inspection (box 8 of the RFTA). This is, of course assuming all of your paperwork has been received by the FWHA and you have been assigned a vendor number – it’s all up to you and your renter. Attending the Landlord Orientation and submitting all of the required paperwork prior to selecting a Housing Choice Voucher Participant definitely shorten the length of time it takes to get your inspection. 17) Q. Can a client move in before the inspection is done? A. No payment will be made for a client until the property has been inspected and you as the property owner have received your move-in approval from the housing authority. 18) Q. Do I need to bring anything to the Orientation? A. No. However, if you want to get ahead of the game you may bring a copy of your ownership documentation and the process to set you up as a vendor can begin that day. Acceptable ownership documentation: 1. A copy of your Warranty Deed (this copy must have the seal/stamp on it from the courthouse in which it was filed to be acceptable) OR 2. A copy of your Settlement Statement/HUD 1 (this copy must have the signature of the seller as well as your signature as the buyer to be acceptable.) To find out more about participation as a Fort Worth Housing Authority Landlord please submit a “Request for Participation” form indicating which Landlord Orientation date would be most convenient for you to attend. It is necessary for you to register so we can be sure to have enough information packets available and enough seating. ***Please note that due to the number of
interested property owners, we will be unable to provide confirmation
we have received your Request for Participation form. You may leave a
message that you have sent the paperwork and we will call you if it
was NOT received. |
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