Disability Housing Network - HUD Notice Should Ease Voucher Use for Individuals with Disabilities

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Steve McPeake
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President & CEO, North Coast Community Homes

Jill LaRock
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Director, Homecroft, Inc.

Jim Canney
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Superintendent, Madison County Board of MRDD

Julie Bohl
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Deb Guilford
Executive Director, Northwest Ohio Waiver Administration Council

Monty Kerr
Superintendent, Belmont, Harrison, and Noble County Boards of MRDD

Kim Linkinhoker
Associate Director, Ohio Association of County Boards of MRDD

Patrick Maynard
President & CEO,
Housing Resource Group

Robert Morgan
Superintendent, Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities

Patrick Rafter
President & CEO,
Creative Housing, Inc.

News Article

HUD Notice Should Ease Voucher Use for Individuals with Disabilities
4/30/2008

HUD Notice Should Ease Voucher Use for Individuals with Disabilities

WASHINGTON, DC (March 10, 2008) - The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has issued a new Notice entitled "Requests for Exception Payment Standards for Persons with Disability as a Reasonable Accommodation." The purpose of the notice is to facilitate the process for review and approval of special payment standards under the Housing Choice Voucher program as a reasonable accommodation for a family with a person with disabilities. It clarifies the calculation of the payment standard and the type of supporting documentation that should be included in the waiver request.

HUD emphasizes that increased payments for vouchers for persons with disabilities to use with accessible units are a "reasonable accommodation" under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. By recognizing that increased payments are often necessary to achieve equal access and equal opportunity in using vouchers, and therefore are a civil rights issue, the notice indicates to Housing Authorities that they must use their authority to increase such voucher payments up to 110% of the Fair Market Rent (FMR) or risk a discrimination lawsuit.

To increase the voucher from 110% up to 120% of the FMR, the Housing Authority (HA) must request permission form the HUD Field Office, and to increase the voucher above 120% the HA must request permission from HUD's national headquarters. In the past, this process has proven so cumbersome that units have become unavailable before permission has been granted. In an attempt to rectify this, the Notice also provides the fax number and e-mail address of a specific person in the national HUD office who can process requests for voucher payments exceeding 120% of the FMR.

The Notice provides an example of the calculation process which should be followed and lists the types of documentation that should be provided. These changes potentially will facilitate the equal opportunity for persons with disabilities to use vouchers in accessible units.

FMI: The Notice is available online at www.hud.gov/offices/adm/hudclips/notices/pih/08-13PIHN.doc.