"We made these vouchers available through two
special programs that help to extend our reach into the low-income
community," commented Lisa Cipollone, SHA's director of housing
advocacy and rental assistance. "They also help us to meet the goals
of the Committee to End Homelessness in King County."
Working with the City of Seattle's Office of
Housing, 209 vouchers were awarded through a jointly-administered
proposal process to 12 Seattle nonprofit housing developers. These
"project-based" vouchers are assigned to units within buildings
owned and managed by the nonprofits. The tenants residing in these
units pay 30 percent of their income for rent and utilities, and the
nonprofit agrees to rent according to these guidelines. These
tenants receive the rental assistance as long as they live in that
unit and continue to qualify for the program.
"The Project-based Voucher Program is an example
of our commitment to being a full partner at the table with the
nonprofit housing developers," said Cipollone.
SHA has designated more than 1,600 vouchers for
the project-based program. There are currently 1,250 of these
vouchers in use, and that number will increase to nearly 1,500 with
the recent awards, as follows:
|
Agency Name
|
Building Name
|
Vouchers Awarded
|
|
Plymouth Housing Group
|
Gatewood Hotel
|
15
|
|
Plymouth Housing Group
|
Pacific Hotel
|
15
|
|
Four Freedoms House
|
Four Freedoms
|
25
|
|
Low Income Housing Institute
|
Lakeview
|
6
|
|
Low Income Housing Institute
|
Julie
|
4
|
|
Capitol Hill Housing Improvement Program
|
Oleta Apartments
|
4
|
|
Capitol Hill Housing Improvement Program
|
Lincoln Court
Apartments
|
4
|
|
AIDS Housing of Washington
|
The Lyon Building
|
12
|
|
YWCA
|
YWCA Women’s Residence
|
30
|
|
Archdiocesan Housing Authority
|
Josephinium Apartments
|
15
|
|
Plymouth Housing Group
|
Colwell Building
|
30
|
|
Hilltop House, Inc.
|
Hilltop House
|
30
|
|
Plymouth Housing Group
|
Haddon Hall (conditional award)
|
19
|
Unlike project-based vouchers, agency vouchers
are awarded to low-income residents who retain the rights to take
the voucher with them if they choose to move. They differ from other
tenant-based vouchers only in that they are assigned through a
nonprofit service agency rather than through the Housing Authority.
The goal of the program is to increase the success of disabled
individuals and families with language or cultural barriers in
finding and maintaining housing with a voucher.
According to Cipollone, "Often, the nonprofit
agencies who work with these populations are better equipped to help
them through the application and leasing process than we are." SHA
provides training in how to administer the vouchers and requires
that each agency maintain a waiting list for their vouchers. SHA
awarded 246 new vouchers in April, and is currently in the process
of signing contracts with the nonprofits. Most of the new vouchers
will be assigned to families who will then lease their new housing
by July.
With the recent awards, there will be a total of
890 agency vouchers in use. The following agencies received vouchers through
this program:
|
Agency
|
Program
|
Vouchers Awarded
|
Targeted Population
|
|
CPC
|
Community Psychiatric Clinic
|
20
|
Homeless adults and
families
|
|
Family Services of King County
|
Transitional Assistance
Program
|
10
|
very low income, homeless
|
|
S.A. Wm. Booth Center
|
Transitional Living Program
|
8
|
Homeless men
|
|
The Compass Center
|
Transitional Housing
Program
|
20
|
Homeless individuals
|
|
KCDDD
|
Disability Division
|
20
|
Disabled adults and
families
|
|
Church Council of Grtr
Seattle
|
Self-Managed
|
20
|
Homeless adults and
families
|
|
Youthcare
|
Straley House, Isis,
Passages
|
3
|
Homeless youth
|
|
Plymouth Housing Group
|
Shelter Plus Care
|
20
|
very low income and disabled adults
|
|
LIHI
|
Resident Services
|
20
|
low income, homeless
|
|
Harborview
|
Mental Health
|
7
|
adults with mental health
issues
|
|
ACRS
|
Behavioral Health Program
|
7
|
low income
|
|
YMCA
|
Independent Living Program
|
7
|
Adults raised in foster
care
|
|
Harborview
|
Addictions Program
|
7
|
Individuals with substance
related disorders
|
|
LIHI
|
Martin Court
|
7
|
Homeless adults and
families
|
|
Central Youth Family
Services
|
Pro Youth
|
7
|
Homeless youth
|
|
Evergreen Trtmt Srvc
|
REACH Program
|
7
|
Homeless adults with
chronic medical conditions
|
|
Fremont Public Association
|
Solid Ground
|
7
|
Homeless families
|
|
Fremont Public Association
|
Broadview
|
7
|
Homeless families
|
|
DESC
|
Shelter Plus Care
|
5
|
Homeless/formerly homeless
individuals
|
|
LIHI
|
Sand Point Family Housing
|
5
|
Homeless adults and
families
|
|
Seattle Assoc for Jews with
Disabilities
|
Independent Living Program
|
3
|
Adults with cognitive
disabilities
|
|
New Beginnings
|
Comm. Advoc. Prgm (CAP)
|
5
|
Adult victims of domestic
violence and their children
|
|
Archdiocesan HA
|
Noel House
|
4
|
Homeless women
|
|
YMCA
|
Young Adults in Transition
|
5
|
Homeless youth
|
|
Church Council of Grtr
Seattle
|
Homelessness Project
|
5
|
Homeless adults and
families
|
|
YWCA Sea/KC/Sno
|
Project Self-Sufficiency
|
5
|
Homeless adults and
families
|
|
Lifelong AIDS Alliance
|
Housing Program
|
5
|
low income/homeless adults
affected by HIV/AIDS
|
