Illinois Housing Development Authority
Rental HousingSupport Program
National Alliance to End Homelessness Conference
July 10, 2007
Thank you for attending!
Rental Housing Support Program - IL Contact Information for the program
Manager – April Lasker
401 N Michigan Ave, Suite 700Chicago, IL 60611(312) 836- [email protected]
Rental Housing Support Program - IL The Rental Housing Support Program was created
in July 2005 to provide rental assistance to Illinois households by subsidizing rental housing units.
It is a Unit-Based program targeting households who are at or below 30% of the Area Median Income in their areas.
Half of the resources will be available for severely low-income households who are at or below 15% of their Area Median Income.
Rental Housing Support Program - IL After being signed into legislation in July
2005 there were a series of community meetings to have input into the rules of the program.
Many advocates and agencies gave verbal and written comments about the program rules.
IHDA responded to the comments and adjusted the rules of the program in many cases.
Rental Housing Support Program - IL Following the rule setting, IHDA staff
created the Program Guide and finalized many of the program’s documents and policies.
We are now in a 9 month RFP process that requires training sessions around the state to discuss and educate groups about the program.
Rental Housing Support Program - IL Funding comes from $10 real estate
document recording fees collected at the county level, $1 of which stays with the county.
Projected funding for the program is approximately $26 million a year.
An estimated 4,000 units will be made affordable with the annual appropriation.
Rental Housing Support Program - IL Funding was allocated using
Census data and based on the number of rent burdened low-income renters in the area as a percent of the rent burdened low-income renters in the state.
RHS Overview
GeographicRegions
Chicago – White Star Metro Chicago-Light Coloring Small Metro – Dark Coloring Rural – Medium Coloring
Ogle
Bureau
Putnam
Peoria
Rock Island/Moline
DeKalb
Jo Daviess Stephenson Rockford McHenry
CookKane
Carroll
Kendall
Boone
Lee
DuPage
Whiteside
Henry LaSalleGrundy
Kankakee
Marshall
Mercer
Stark
Warren
Henderson
Knox
Woodford
Iroquois
Ford
Bloomington/NormalPekinFulton
McDonoughHancock
Mason
Schuyler
AdamsBrown
Cass Menard
LoganDeWitt
Piatt
Champaign-Urbana
Vermilion
Edgar
Coles
Douglas
Moultrie
Decatur
Springfield
Shelby
Christian
Morgan
ScottPike
Calhoun Greene
Macoupin Montgomery
MadisonBond
FayetteEffingham
CumberlandClark
JasperCrawford
LawrenceRichlandClay
MarionClinton
Edwards
Wayne
WhiteHamilton
JeffersonWashington
Franklin
SalineJackson
PerryRandolph
St. Clair
Monroe
Jersey
HardinPopeJohnsonUnion
MassacPulaski Alexander
Livingston
WilliamsonGallatin
Wabash
Will
Lake
Rantoul
Rental Housing Support Program - IL To help coordinate the program, IHDA will
contract with agencies around the state to manage the program in their area. Each awarded agency will have three year contracts.
These awarded agencies are called Local Administering Agencies (LAAs). LAAs can be local governments, non-profits, or housing authorities.
There will be three RFP rounds, each awarding the funding for the areas outside of Chicago.
Rental Housing Support Program - IL LAAs will contract with landlords to provide
program units, do outreach for potential tenants, and will monitor the funding and compliance of the rules for the program.
Landlords will have responsibilities such as assisting with the processing of potential tenant applications, and reporting on the assistance needed.
Tenants living in program units will pay approximately 30% of their income in rent, based on a contribution schedule. There are no time limits for tenants in the program.
Rental Housing Support Program - IL The program was created through the
efforts of many advocacy groups in Illinois, ranging in their focus.
Originally the program was created for families who were at the severely low and extremely low income levels.
During the process of creating the rules for the program, IHDA made some changes to broaden the program’s potential beneficiaries.
Rental Housing Support Program - IL The RHS Program was designed to
benefit income eligible households with an equal opportunity to participate.
Rental Housing Support Program - IL The Program encourages outreach to
special needs households, but cannot require a special need to be eligible unless another funding source establishes the requirement for the unit.
So there are no set asides built into the program. It is a First Come, First Serve structure.
Rental Housing Support Program - IL Definition of Special Needs
1. Homeless or imminently at risk of being homeless2. Living in institutional settings because of lack of
suitable housing or imminently at risk of living in an institution
3. Household member with a disability Physical disability Developmental disability Mental Illness HIV/AIDS Other
Rental Housing Support Program - IL This idea of First Come,
First Serve, even though it’s good to not restrict eligibility, has been one hurdle towards implementation.
Another hurdle has been the perceived complexity in managing the program.
Rental Housing Support Program - ILLAA roles:
Perform outreach for potential tenants Contract with local landlords to provide
Program units, including negotiating rents
Work with landlords to create and follow a Tenant
Selection Plan, which includes the management of potential tenant applications and waiting lists
Assist and approve tenant income certifications and recertifications.
Rental Housing Support Program - IL LAA roles:
Perform physical inspections of units and properties, obtain lead based paint certifications from landlords.
Develop a service plan to connect tenants to services. Provide dispute resolution between landlords and
tenants Oversee funding and compliance; including
forwarding funding to landlords quarterly Maintain the Program’s books and records, and
working with IHDA staff during audits of those records Report Program activity to IHDA as it occurs On a quarterly basis, reconcile assistance sent to actual
usage.
Rental Housing Support Program - IL Since the program is not yet up and
running, we are trying to adapt the program to make it less complex for LAAs.
Less complexity also means less admin expenses.
Rental Housing Support Program - IL There are no service dollars associated
with the program. LAAs need to provide their Plan for Services, but the requirements are not strenuous.
We are finding that many service providers are very interested in the program.
This is an area to consider in designing a program, the link between rental assistance and support services.
Rental Housing Support Program - IL Other than serving income eligible
households and geographic dispersion, there are no expected outcomes.
Data from the program will be collected to see who is being served, and will be reported out to interested parties.
Rental Housing Support Program - IL If you would like to receive e-mail
updates about the program, please send an e-mail to [email protected].
Messages will include any program changes, changes to forms, and other information such as which agencies have been awarded with grants.