TANF-ACF-IM-1999-01 (The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 8 Welfare-to-Work Rental Voucher Initiative)

Publication Date: January 27, 1999
Current as of:

TO:

STATE IV-A AGENCIES ADMINISTERING OR SUPERVISING AN APPROVED TANT (IV-A) PROGRAM AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES

SUBJECT:

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 8 Welfare-to-Work Rental Voucher Initiative

PURPOSE:

To provide States and other interested parties with information regarding the housing voucher initiative contained in recent legislation, including the fact that HUD will be developing a competitive solicitation proposal. Further, given the requirement that Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) must develop their proposals in cooperation with TANF and Welfare-to-Work agencies funded by the Department of Labor (DOL), we are encouraging you to cooperate with PHAs in this important initiative.

HUD's Section 8 Welfare-to-Work rental vouchers provide an affordability subsidy to families which will support local welfare-to-work activities. Because the rental subsidy follows the family, the Welfare-to-Work rental vouchers will enable families to move to decent housing that is closer to employment and training opportunities or service sites such as day care facilities, without requiring the family to incur an excessive rent burden. Welfare-to-Work rental vouchers could benefit a large portion of families striving to move from dependency to self-sufficientcy, including those that are hardest to serve. Further information on the Welfare-to-Work rental voucher program may be obtained from the Public and Indian Housing and Resource Center at 1-800-955-2232.

BACKGROUND:

The Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act of 1999, Title II - Department of Housing and Urban Development was signed on October 21, 1998. Highlights of the Act are as follows:

General

  • $283 million (50,000 vouchers) is available to help eligible families transition from welfare to work.
  • The initiative will be administered by Public Housing Agencies, including Indian Tribes and Tribal housing entities
  • The funds are available until expended.

Family Eligibility

  • The vouchers will be available to families who are eligible to receive, currently receive, or have received TANF within the preceding two years
  • The administering entity must determine that tenant-based housing assistance is critical to the family's obtaining or retaining employment.
  • Families must not already be receiving tenant-based assistance.

Application Requirements

  • Describe the proposed program.
  • Program developed by the PHA in cooperation with TANF and Welfare-to-Work agencies.
  • Demonstrate that tenant-based housing assistance is critical to success of families to obtain or retain employment.
  • Specify the criteria to be used in selecting families.
  • Describe the strategy for tenant counseling, housing search assistance and landlord outreach.
  • Request necessary waivers of HUD requirements.
  • Include certifications from TANF and Welfare-to-Work agencies that they support the program and will cooperate with it to assure that assistance is coordinated.
  • Include other information that the Secretary of HUD may require.

The Secretary of HUD, after consultation with the Secretaries of DHHS and DOL, shall select PHAs on a competitive basis taking into account:

  • The need for and quality of the proposed program, including innovative approaches;
  • The extent to which assistance will be coordinated with welfare reform and welfare-to-work initiatives;
  • The extent to which the application demonstrates that tenant-based assistance is critical to the success of assisting eligible families to obtain or retain employment; and
  • Other criteria set by the Secretary of HUD.

Other Provisions

  • One percent of the total ($2.83 million) is available to conduct an evaluation of the effectiveness of the initiative.
  • Approximately 700 vouchers ($4.00 million) are available to each of the following locations to support local self-sufficiency/welfare-to-work activities: San Bernardino County, CA; Cleveland, OH; Kansas City, MO; Charlotte, NC; Miami/Dade County, FL; Prince George's County, MD; New York, NY; and Anchorage, AK.

ATTACHMENT:

Conference Report summary of the statutory provisions.

INQUIRIES TO:

If further information is needed, please contact the appropriate regional office.

 

/s/
Alvin C. Collins
Director
Office of Family Assistance

Conference Report to accompany H.P. 4194

October 5, 1998

Title II Department of Housing and Urban Development

For tenant-based assistance under the United States Housing Act of 1937 to help eligible families make the transition from welfare to work, $283,000,000 from the total amount provided under this heading, to be administered by public housing agencies (including Indian tribes and their tribally designated housing entities, as defined by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development), and to remain available until expended: Provided, That families initially selected to receive assistance under this paragraph: (1) shall be eligible to receive, shall be currently receiving, or shall have received within the preceding two years, assistance or services funded under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act or as part of a State’s qualified State expenditure under section 409(a)(7) (B) (i) of such Act; (2) shall be determined by the agency to be families for which tenant-based housing ’assistance is critical to successfully obtaining or retaining employment; and (3) shall not already be receiving tenant-based assistance under the United States Housing Act of 1937: Provided further, That each application shall: (1) describe the proposed program, which shall be developed by the public housing agency in consultation with the State, local or Tribal entity administering the TANF program and the entity, if any, administering the Welfare-to-Work grants allocated by the United States Department of Labor pursuant to section 403(a)(5) (A) of the Social Security Act, and which shall take into account the particular circumstances of the community; (2) demonstrate that tenant-based housing assistance is critical to the success of assisting eligible families to obtain or retain employment; (3) specify the criteria for selecting among eligible families to receive housing assistance under this paragraph; (4) describe the proposed strategy for tenant counseling and housing search assistance and landlord outreach; (5) include any requests for waivers of any administrative requirements or any provisions of the United States Housing Act of 1937, with a demonstration of how approval of the waivers would substantially further the objective of this paragraph; (6) include certifications from the State, local, or Tribal entity administering assistance under the TANF program and from the entity, if any, administering the Welfare-to-Work grants allocated by the United States Department of Labor, that the entity supports the proposed program and will cooperate with the public housing agency that administers the housing assistance to assure that such assistance is coordinated with other welfare reform and welfare to work initiatives; however, if either does not respond to the public housing agency within a reasonable time period, its concurrence shall be assumed, and if either objects to the application, its concerns shall accompany the application to the Secretary, who shall take them into account in this funding decision; and (7) include such other information as the Secretary may require and meet such other requirements as the Secretary may establish: Provided further, That the Secretary, after consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Labor, shall select public housing agencies to receive assistance under this paragraph on a competitive basis, taking into account the need for and quality of the proposed program (including innovative approaches), the extent to which the assistance will be coordinated with welfare reform and welfare to work initiatives, the extent to which the application demonstrates that tenant-based assistance is critical to the success of assisting eligible families to obtain or retain employment; and other appropriate criteria established by the Secretary: Provided further, That the Secretary may use up to one percent of the amount available under this paragraph, directly or indirectly, to conduct detailed evaluations of the effect of providing assistance under this paragraph: Provided further, That of the amount made available under this paragraph, at least $4,000,000 each shall be made available for local self sufficiency/welfare-to-work initiatives in San Bernardino County, California; Cleveland, Ohio; Kansas City, Missouri; Charlotte, North Carolina; Miami/Dade County, Florida; Prince Georges County, Maryland; New York City, New York; and Anchorage Alaska.