Agenda - Planning Commission - 09/04/2014

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Last revised July 24, 2014 Use federal Housing Choice Vouchers to expand housing choice for low-income residents The Council's Metropolitan Housing and Redevelopment Authority (Metro HRA) administers the state's largest HUD Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Rent Assistance Program. The program helps over 6,000 households throughout Anoka, Carver, and most of suburban Hennepin and Ramsey Counties. In total the region is served by 15 Section 8 administrators with a total of approximately 18,500 vouchers. All administrators have lengthy waiting lists of additional eligible households. Once a household receives a voucher, the family can use it to help pay the rent for its current unit or for another unit in the private rental market. The housing unit must rent within established program limits, pass a housing inspection to ensure the unit is safe, and have a landlord willing to work with the program requirements. After some initial use requirements, vouchers are useable anywhere in the region, state, or country. Research shows that information and services provided to voucher holders about housing in opportunity -rich neighborhoods reaps benefits including higher employment rates for adults and higher graduation and college attendance rates for the children. Mobility programs include landlord recruitment, pre -move counseling, housing search assistance and post move counseling to help provide families the tools necessary to be successful in locating new housing, transitioning to a new neighborhood and remaining stable and housed. Council role • Develop and provide tools, including competitive rent limits in higher -cost communities, to enable Housing Choice Voucher holders to choose the location that best meets their needs. • Encourage greater coordination and cooperation among metro agencies administering voucher programs to promote greater Section 8 mobility for voucher holders. • Develop and provide mobility counseling for participants of the Metro HRA's Housing Choice Voucher Program to help ensure access to opportunity -rich communities and neighborhoods. Mobility counseling is staff intensive and includes landlord outreach, participant recruitment, pre - move counseling, housing search assistance and post -move support. • Make project -based Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers available through the Super RFP process, helping to support project feasibility and provide stability in long-term operation for select projects. Local role • Market the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program to local landlords and provide program information when issuing rental licenses and/or conducting property inspections. • [For local governments that distribute tenant -based rental assistance, including Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers:] Implement approaches to create mobility options for recipients, including offering competitive rent limits in higher -cost neighborhoods and providing mobility counseling. 2040 HOUSING POLICY PLAN I METROPOLITAN COUNCIL DRAFT RELEASED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT Part II: Outcomes (Equity) I Page 33