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Housing Choice Voucher
program
(Section 8): Information for landlords
 How does the program work?
Housing Choice vouchers allow
participating tenants to choose and rent units from private
owners. All owners who are in good standing with SHA and
have units within Seattle city limits are welcome to
participate. SHA pays a fixed amount of the rent to the
owner each month, and the tenant pays the difference between
this subsidy and the total rent, in addition to any
utilities not included in the rent.
In general, tenants pay at least 30
percent – but no more than 40 percent – of their monthly
adjusted income for rent and utilities. (Tenants may pay
more than 40 percent of their income after the first year.)
The program does not place limits on the amount of rent a
participating owner can charge, but rents must be comparable
to similar units in the same area. Owners may apply to raise
the rent after a tenant's first full year of occupancy.
Benefits of the program
Timely payments
Every month,
owners receive part of each voucher
holder’s rent from SHA. These
"housing assistance
payments" arrive at the same time
every month. The payments help
low-income families afford decent
housing and provide a dependable
source of income for participating
owners.
Flexibility and stability
If a tenant’s
income unexpectedly drops, SHA can
reduce the tenant’s portion of the
rent and increase SHA’s portion.
This flexibility helps
voucher-assisted tenants miss fewer
payments and maintain stable
tenancies.
Inspections help
maintain property value
Our
housing inspections help owners
identify and fix problems with units.
By ensuring that units are kept in good condition,
the program improves tenants’
quality of life and helps owners
protect their investments.
Advertise your
vacancies with us
While we cannot refer
tenants to specific buildings, we do
help tenants find housing by
maintaining lists of units
available for rent in the Seattle
area. The lists are updated every
Friday for posting to various SHA
offices, and they're widely
distributed to partner agencies.
Prospective tenants can view them
online and download them and print
them out. Owners
may enter as many units as they like on
these lists – free of charge.
Moving?
Selling your building?
If you're
changing your address or selling
your property, let us know promptly.
Please contact Mike Jung, Owner
Liaison, at (206) 239-1672 or
mjung@seattlehousing.org.
Free
landlord workshops
Every third
Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. from February
through November, PorchLight
hosts a workshop for owners and
property managers participating in, or
interested in, the voucher program.
Each workshop covers the basics of
working with the tenant-based
Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8)
program and addresses
participants' questions or issues.
To learn more or to sign up for a
workshop, please contact Mike Jung, owner
liaison, at (206) 239-1672 or email
mjung@seattlehousing.org.
Workshops
are held from 5:30 until 7:00 p.m.
at PorchLight
907 NW Ballard Way, Suite 200
Get
directions
Next
workshop:
Tuesday,
July 15, 2008
from 5:30 until 7:00 p.m.
The
Housing Choice Voucher program
(Section 8): An overview
-
How the Voucher program works
and why it might be a good fit
for your rental units
-
What to do when a voucher-holder
wants to lease a unit
-
How much rent can you charge?
The Voucher Payment Standards
-
Lease renewal and enforcement
issues:
How SHA can assist you
-
Your questions answered
We'll also discuss any related
topics you may choose to explore.
How to get started
Landlords do not need to sign up to
participate; they become
participants just by agreeing to rent
to a voucher holder. The best
way to get started is to list your
vacant unit or units in the Section 8
lists of units
available. Once a voucher holder
wants to rent your unit, you will
receive all the necessary
information and forms you need to get
started.
The Housing Choice Voucher program
(Section 8) department is at
PorchLight
The Seattle Housing Authority's
Housing Choicer Voucher program is
headquartered at the PorchLight
Housing Center. All Housing Choice Voucher program issues are
handled here, including waiting lists, inspections,
tenancy approvals, reviews and portability. For questions
about the Housing Choice Voucher program, call the Housing
Choice Voucher program department
directly at 206-239-1728.
More
information:
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