1

MFP Qualified Housing

Home owned or leased Apartment with individual lease, secure

access, as well as living, sleeping, bathing and cooking areas over which you or your family has control (includes Assisted Livings)

Community-based residential setting, such as a group home, with a maximum of four unrelated people (excluding caregivers and personal attendants) (includes group homes)

2

Subsidized Housing 101

3

Why is Housing a barrier?

Affordable and Accessible Housing is hard to obtain.

Waiver and MFP participants for the most part have limited incomes.

Can’t afford rent and other needs like utilities.

It may take up to a few years for somebody to reach the top of a subsidized waiting list.

Landlords may not want to modify their rental stock to make units accessible as this process can be very expensive.

4

Is Subsidized Housing the Answer?

The answer is yes if it is an available choice, because an individual would only have to pay 30% of their adjusted monthly income.

Additionally an individual who pays medical expenses out of pocket can have these amounts deducted.

Other programs like Low Income Energy Assistance Program(LIEAP) can be used in conjunction with subsidized housing and help individuals with their heating and electric bills.

5

What are the types of Subsidized Housing

Section 8 Housing Choice VoucherPublic HousingProject Based Section 8 HousingVeterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH)811 Project Based Rental Assistance Program

(811 PRA):Section 202 Section 521 HousingLow Income Housing Tax Credit Units

(LIHTC)

6

Types of Subsidized Rents

Income based rentTenant pays 30% of their income for rentHUD/USDA pays difference between 30% and

total rentAll PHA Programs: Housing Choice Voucher

Program, Public HousingProject-based Section 8, Section 202 and 811

7

….

Flat rentTenant pays a rent that is less than market

valueOwner does not get any additional rentRent may be more than 30% of tenant’s

incomeSome HUD/USDA Multifamily Housing,

LIHTC

8

Housing Choice Vouchers(Section 8)

Tenant basedSubsidy is tied to the personSubsidy is portable and can move with the

person (within program limits)

9

Project Based Section 8 Housing

Project BasedSpecific building/unit is subsidizedPerson must live in the building/unit in

order to get assistance with rentMultifamily rental housing

10

Public Housing

Public Housing Authority (PHA) owned and operated project based rental assistance units.

Individuals must earn less then 80 percent of Area Median Income (AMI)

11

Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH)

This program combines Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance for homeless veterans with case management and clinical services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The Montana Department of Commerce's Rental Assistance Bureau provides this rental assistance for eligible veterans across the state, except Billings.

Call (406) 841-2840 or visit housing.mt.gov Billings Call (406) 245-6391

12

Section 202

Project BasedTo be eligible at least one individual must be

62 and olderSome examples around Montana are Aspen

Village (Helena), Van Ee Apartments (Kalispell), Summer Wood Apartments (Bozeman), The Portage Apartments (Great Falls).

http://www.accessiblespace.org/

13

Section 521

U.S.D.A Housing Rental Assistance programProject BasedEligibility requirements: Persons with very low

and low incomes, the elderly, and persons with disabilities are eligible if they are unable to pay the basic monthly rent within 30 percent of adjusted monthly income.

Very low income is defined as below 50 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI); low income is between 50 and 80 percent of AMI; moderate income is established by adding $5,500 to the low-income limit.

14

811 Project Based Rental Assistance Program (811 PRA):

Kalispell, Coming Soon to MissoulaProject BasedTo be eligible individuals must be between

18-61 years of age, disabled and receiving or be eligible to receive participating Medicaid waiver services and supports provided by DPHHS.

Individuals must have extremely low incomes - at or below 30% AMI.

15

Low Income Tax Credit Units (LIHTC)

The Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program (LIHTC) offers a funding stream supporting the development of new housing units.

Tax credit properties offer units that are affordable for households at 50% and 60% of median family income for the area. This is more affordable than market rate units, but is out of reach for a household living on an average SSI income of $733.

16

Reasonable Accommodation

A “reasonable accommodation” is a change, exception, or adjustment to a rule, policy, practice, or service that may be necessary for a person with a disability to have an equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling, including public and common use spaces.*

Application Issues

Tenancy Issues

Lease Violation

Individuals seeking Reasonable Accommodations should contact their housing providers.

*(As defined by the federal Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD) for purposes of the Fair Housing Act.)

17

Reasonable Modification

A reasonable modification is a structural change made to existing premises, occupied or to be occupied by a person with a disability, in order to afford such person full enjoyment of the premises. Reasonable modifications can include structural changes to interiors and exteriors of dwellings and to common and public use areas. A request for a reasonable modification may be made at any time during the tenancy.*

*(As defined by the federal Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD) for purposes of the Fair Housing Act.)

18

What is Reasonable?

Accommodation or modifications do not have to be made if they:

Result in a fundamental alteration to the program Pose an undue finance and administrative burden

Whether something is reasonable or not depends on the specific situation at the time the need for the accommodation or modification has been made.

19

Fair Housing Questions and Tenant Rights?

Local Public Housing AuthoritiesLandlord Tenant Act in the Montana Code

Annotated

montanafairhousing.orgwww.hud.gov

20

Housing Search

1. Local Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/pha/contacts/states/mt.cfm

2. Human Resource Development Councils (HRDC’s) http://housing.mt.gov/CommunityPartners/HRDC

3. Project Based Section 8 Properties http://housing.mt.gov/Renters/People/Place/PBS8Properties

4. State of Montana Housing Choice Voucher Program http://housing.mt.gov/Renters/People/Paying/S8HCV

5. Other privately owned subsidized housing http://www.hud.gov/apps/section8/step2.cfm?state=MT%2CMontana

6. Additional Housing Resources: http://www.mthousingsearch.com/index.html

21

22

Housing Tools

Moving Processhttp://dphhs.mt.gov/sltc/mfp

Housing Toolkithttp://dphhs.mt.gov/sltc/mfp

Provider ResourcesMFP Manual

Housing

23

Questions?

????

Please contact Brian Barnes for additional information concerning MFP

housing related questions.

Phone: 1-406-444-0947Email: BBarnes@mt.gov

24