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D.C. Municipal Regulations (Last Updated: September 13, 2017) |
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Title 14. HOUSING |
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Chapter 14-91. HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM: RENT REFORM DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM |
Section 14-9100. PROGRAM PURPOSE
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9100.1The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is conducting the Moving to Work (MTW) Housing Choice Voucher Program Rent Reform Demonstration program (Rent Reform Demonstration or Program), designed to implement and evaluate an alternative rent policy, implemented by several MTW agencies. DCHA has been selected to participate in the demonstration, and as such, shall modify its policies and rent calculations for a group of program participants (study group), and shall compare the results to a group of program participants who are assisted under the rent policies used for all other DCHA assisted households (control group). The HUD Rent Reform Demonstration Program is designed to implement and assess an alternative strategy to standard HUD operating rules for HCVP. The proposed alternative rent policies shall include the following five key features:
(a) Simplify income determination and rent calculation of the household’s Total Tenant Payment (TTP) and subsidy amount by:
- Eliminating deductions and allowances,
- Changing the percent of income used to calculate the total tenant payment from 30% of adjusted income to a maximum of 28% of gross income,
- Ignoring income from assets when the asset value is less than $25,000, and
- Using retrospective income, i.e., 12-month “look-back” period and, in some cases, current/anticipated income in estimating a household’s TTP and subsidy.
(b) Conduct triennial income recertification rather than biennial recertification with provisions for interim recertification and hardship waivers if income decreases.
(c) Streamline interim certifications to eliminate income review for most household composition changes and moves to new units.
(d)Require that the family rent to owner is the greater of 28% of gross monthly income less any applicable utility allowance or at least the minimum rent of $75.
(e)Simplify the policy for determining utility allowances.
(f)Additionally, the program shall offer appropriate hardship protections to prevent any participant in the study group from being unduly impacted as discussed in Section 9118.
(g)Prior to issuing a recommendation for termination, DCHA will exercise its discretion on a case-by-case basis in issuing a recommendation for termination based solely on a study group Family’s failure to pay a new higher rent due to the program rent calculation.