Resources & Services

Fraud and Program Abuse
The Department of Housing and Urban Development is seriously concerned about fraud in the Housing Choice Voucher Program. HUD has asked the Housing Authority to inform all families on the program about the consequences of committing fraud and program abuse. Section 1001 of Title 18 of the U.S. Code makes it a criminal offense to make willful, false statements or misrepresentations to any Department or Agency of the United States as to matters within its jurisdiction.

Following these simple rules will help you stay in the Housing Choice Voucher Program and help it to run fairly and honestly. Not following these rules will result in termination of your assistance and could result in referral of the matter for further investigation and penalties may be applied.

At least annually and when changes occur, we will ask for information about your income and who is living in your household. We need to make sure that you are paying the right rent to your landlord and that your house or apartment is the right size for your family. When we ask for this information, be sure to:

• Provide complete and accurate information.

Notify the Housing Authority about all income received by members of your household and income that you expect to receive in the next year. Many people forget income from second jobs, overtime, part-time jobs, income received for child support, tips, etc. Income includes non-cash contributions as well as cash payments received.

• Report all household members.

Provide the Housing Authority with the name of everyone expected to live in your household in the next year. If your family size increases or decreases, you must notify the Housing Authority immediately.

• Pay only your share of the rent.

Your rent payment to your landlord must not be more that the amount stated on your lease that was calculated at the time of our review. If you are now paying (or if your landlord asks for) any money in addition to this payment, please report this to us at once.

• Report all changes in accordance with requirements.

Housing Authority policy requires you to report the following to the housing authority within 30 days from the date it occurs:

• Zero Income Households – If a family completes a zero income survival statement at the time of the annual re-certification and later obtains other income, they must report the new income within 30 days from the date it becomes effective and an interim re-certification will be conducted.
• Changes in Employment – If a household member is not employed at the time of annual re-certification but later obtains a job; or, if a household member obtains an additional job, the family must report the new or additional employment within 30 days from the date of starting work and an interim recertification will be completed. Other changes in employment income such as a different job or an increase in salary at an existing job do not need to be reported and if reported, an interim re-certification will not be conducted.
• Other Changes in Income – No other changes in income are required to be reported and if reported, an interim recertification will not be completed. Other changes in income such as Social Security and Disability will need to be reported and if reported, file will be noted it was received and an interim recertification will not be completed. All changes in income will need to be reported with the annual recertification and 90 Day Zero Income Survival recertification.

You may choose to report a decrease in income and other changes, which would reduce the amount of tenant rent, such as an increase in allowances or deductions. If these changes are reported and it will result in a change in tenant rent, an interim recertification will be completed.

Change in Rent – Changes in rent because of reported changes will take effect as follows:

• If your rent will increase, the change will take effect the first of the second month after the change occurred.
• If your rent will decrease, the change will take effect the first of the month after you have provided the Housing Authority with all documentation needed to process the rent change, if you provided the documents by the 15th of the month. If you did not provide the documents until after the 15th of the month, the rent change will take effect on the first of the second month after you provided the documents.

The Housing Voucher is the contractual document, which outlines your family’s obligations under the program. Violations of any of the family obligations are grounds for termination of your housing assistance. If the Housing Authority becomes aware of any program violations committed by you or your family members, your assistance can be terminated.

If your assistance is terminated, you have a right to a hearing. You must submit a written request for a hearing within 10 business days from the date of the letter you receive indicating that your assistance will be terminated. Hearing procedures are conducted as described below.

General Requirements

When a request for an informal hearing is received, a hearing shall be scheduled within 10 business days. Program participants will be informed of the date and time of the hearing and the location where the hearing will be held.

Program participants have the following rights and obligations as they relate to the scheduled hearing:

• To bring evidence, witnesses, legal or other representation at the family’s expense;
• To view any documents or evidence in the possession of the Housing Authority upon which we based the proposed action and, at the family’s expense, to obtain a copy of such documents prior to the hearing;

A copy of any documents or evidence to be used at the hearing must be provided to the hearing officer. Either party must receive requests for documents or evidence no later than 12 noon the day preceding the scheduled hearing. If the family requests copies of documents relevant to the hearing, the Housing Authority will make the copies for a charge of $0.25 per copy. In no case will the family be allowed to remove the file from the office.

Rescheduled Hearings

After a hearing date is scheduled, the family may request to reschedule only upon showing “good cause,” which is defined as an unavoidable conflict which seriously affects the health, safety, or welfare of the family.

If the family misses the scheduled hearing appointment or deadline ordered by the Hearing Officer, the action of the Housing Authority shall take effect and another hearing will not be granted.

Hearing Procedures

The informal hearing shall be conducted by the Hearing Officer who is neither the person who made or approved the decision, nor a subordinate of that person.

During the hearing, families have the right to:

• Present written or oral objections;
• Examine the documents in the file, which are the basis for the action, and all documents submitted to the Hearing Officer;
• Present any information or witnesses pertinent to the issue of the hearing;
• Request that Housing Authority staff be available or present at the hearing to answer questions pertinent to the case; and
• Be represented by legal counsel, advocate, or designated representatives at their own expense.

The Housing Authority has a right to:

• Present evidence and any information pertinent to the issue of the hearing;
• Have its attorney present; and
• Have staff persons and other witnesses familiar with the case present.

The hearing shall concern only the issues for which the family has received the opportunity for a hearing. Evidence presented at the hearing may be considered without regard to admissibility under the rules of evidence applicable to judicial proceedings.

No documents may be presented which have not been provided to the other party before the hearing if requested by the other party. “Documents” include records and regulations.

The Hearing Officer may ask the family for additional information and may adjourn the hearing in order to reconvene at a later date, before reaching a decision.

Hearing Decision

The Hearing Officer will determine whether the action, inaction or decision of the Housing Authority is legal in accordance with HUD regulations and the Administrative Plan based upon the evidence and testimony provided at the hearing. Factual determinations relating to the individual circumstances of the family will be based on a preponderance of the evidence presented at the hearing.

A notice of the hearing findings shall be provided in writing to the Housing Authority and the family within 10 business days and shall include:

• A clear summary of the decision and reasons for the decision;
• If the decision involves money owed, the amount owed; and
• The date the decision goes into effect.

Special Needs, Requests, and Accommodations

If you have any special needs or have family members with special needs, you may request a reasonable accommodation in order to have equal access to the programs and services of the Housing Choice Voucher Program.

Some examples of reasonable accommodation are as follows:

• TDD or TTY Devices
• Interpreter for hearing impaired
• Housing Agency correspondence in an accessible format
• Home visits for clients that are critically ill or disabled
• Assistance to persons with limited written comprehension
• Language translation

If you have a special need due to a disability, you will be asked to submit a written request for reasonable accommodations and if not otherwise obvious, to provide us with documentation of a disability from a reliable medical source. We will make every effort to meet your needs pursuant to federal regulations and to provide any reasonable accommodation.

Moving with Continued Housing Assistance

One of the great advantages of the Housing Choice Voucher is that it enables you to move to another housing unit and continue to receive assistance. There are two types of moves in the voucher program:

• Mandatory Move – A mandatory move is when you are required to move to another unit because your landlord fails to make the repairs required under the Federal Housing Quality Standards or the landlord has violated some other program requirements.
• Voluntary Move – A voluntary move is when you choose to move to another unit. It is the policy of The Greenville Housing Authority that voluntary moves can only occur one time each year and only at the time of your annual recertification.

Regardless of which type of move, you are required to attend a Program Move briefing before we issue you a new voucher to start your search for a new unit.

• New Requirements – The Housing Choice Voucher Program is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The federal government has changed many of the regulations and the Housing Authority has changed many of its policies for the voucher program.

A great feature of the Housing Choice Voucher Program is that families may choose from a broad variety of housing types and locations. This is important because where you live can also affect your access to job opportunities, transportation, medical care, training programs and schools, shopping, and community services. Think about where you want to live and make an informed choice when you select your next home.

https://www.affordablehousing.com/

PORT-IN INSTRUCTIONS

If a family is interested in transferring their voucher to the Greenville Housing Authority (TGHA), they must first contact their Initial Housing Authority (IHA) and request to port. The Greenville Housing Authority jurisdiction covers Greenville County with the exception of the City of Greer limits.

Completed Portability Packets can be sent to:

The Greenville Housing Authority
122 Edinburgh Court
Greenville, SC 29607

Attn: Portability
Phone: 864-467-4250
Fax: 864-467-2613
[email protected] (preferred method)

Once the completed portability packet is received from the Initial Housing Authority, the family will be mailed a packet to complete and return to TGHA with all requested documentation. Once completed packet and all documentation is received, a voucher briefing date will be scheduled and letter mailed to the family. The family must attend a briefing class in Greenville to receive a voucher. Should the family move from their currently assisted unit, they will need to contact TGHA and fill out appropriate paperwork to update their contact information. TGHA must have the following for all household members:

• Copies of Birth Certificates
• Copies of Social Security Cards
• Copies of Driver’s License/picture ID for anyone 18 and older in the household

The Receiving Housing Authority (RHA), TGHA, abides by the issue and expiration dates of the voucher that was issued by the family’s Initial Housing Authority. TGHA will automatically extend the expiration date of the voucher an additional 30 days in accordance with HUD portability policies. Please use voucher time wisely and be aware of the expiration date. The family will need to contact their Initial Housing Authority (IHA) to request any additional extensions on their voucher and the IHA will need to send TGHA the updated paperwork. If there are any special needs, the family may request a reasonable accommodation. Please be sure to inform TGHA, in writing, if you move from your current unit in your leased jurisdiction and provide current mailing information.

TGHA is not responsible for any rental assistance until the unit has passed inspection and the Dwelling Lease and Housing Assistance Payment Contract have been executed.

PORT-OUT INSTRUCTIONS

If a family is interested in porting their voucher to another jurisdiction, they must submit their request for portability in writing at the time of their annual re-certification. When a family requests portability, the location where they intend to port must be identified in the request and a 30 day notice to vacate will need to be submitted. TGHA will contact the receiving PHA in that jurisdiction and advise them of the family’s intent and to determine if the receiving PHA is administering or absorbing portable vouchers. Once response is received, TGHA will determine if the portable voucher will be issued. Portability will only be approved if the receiving PHA is absorbing the portable voucher or if the payment standard is less than the payment standard of TGHA for the voucher size. If the portability is approved, a voucher and corresponding portability documents will be issued to the family. The family’s portability packet will then be sent to the receiving PHA. The family is responsible for contacting the receiving PHA regarding their portability once paperwork has been sent. The family must comply with the receiving PHA’s procedures for portability. Please use voucher time wisely and be aware of the expiration date.

Applicants must reside within the jurisdiction of TGHA for a period of one year prior to exercising portability options.

TGHA will not permit families to exercise portability if there exists ground to deny a move because of the family’s action or failure to act including violations of family obligations under their Housing Choice Voucher; the family owes money to TGHA; or the family has vacated the assisted unit in violation of the lease agreement.

Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)

Dating violence is violence committed by a person:

The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA 2013) expands housing protections for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking. Changes under VAWA 2013 include extending protections to survivors of sexual assault; allowing survivors who remain in the unit to establish eligibility or find new housing when a lease is bifurcated; providing survivors with emergency transfers; and additional notification to applicants and tenants of housing rights under VAWA. While these changes substantially extend VAWA’s coverage to include most affordable housing programs, they provide no protection to tenants in private market-rate housing but do apply to tenants with vouchers in private market-housing.

TGHA will provide all protection under VAWA 2013 as described below to program participants and family members of program participants who are victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking from being evicted or terminated from housing assistance based on acts of such violence against them.

Parties whom VAWA protects – VAWA 2013 expands the housing protections to cover survivors of sexual assault and protects anyone who:

Is a victim of actual or threatened domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking, or an “affiliated individual” of the victim (spouse, parent, brother, sister, or child of that victim; or an individual to whom that victim stands in loco parentis; or an individual, tenant or lawful occupant living in the victim’s household); and,
Is living in, or seeking admission to, any of the covered housing programs.
VAWA 2013 eliminates the requirement that the household member be related by blood or marriage to the victim. Therefore, VAWA 2013 protects individuals who simply live in the victim’s household, regardless of whether they are related by marriage or blood to the victim.

Definitions – The new law revises the definition of “domestic violence” to include crimes of violence committed by an intimate partner of the victim or by a person who has cohabitated with the victim as an intimate partner. VAWA 2013 further amends the definition of “stalking” by including a more general definition than had been provided by VAWA 2005. VAWA 2013 defines the terms in the following manner:

Domestic violence includes felony or misdemeanor crimes of violence committed by:

A current or former spouse or intimate partner of the victim;
A person with whom the victim shares a child;
A person who is cohabitating with or has cohabitated with the victim as a spouse or intimate partner;
A person similarly situated to a spouse of the victim under the domestic or family violence laws of the jurisdiction receiving grant monies; or
Any other person who committed a crime against an adult or youth victim who is protected under the domestic or family violence laws of the jurisdiction.
Dating violence is violence committed by a person:

Who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim; and
The existence of such a relationship is determined based on the following factors:
Length of the relationship
Type of relationship
Frequency of interaction between the persons involved in the relationship.
Sexual assault means any nonconsensual sexual act proscribed by Federal, tribal, or State law, including when the victim lacks capacity to consent.

Stalking is defined as engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to:

Fear for his or her safety or others; or
Suffer substantial emotional distress.
Denials of Admissions, Termination of Tenancy or Assistance – An applicant or tenant shall not be denied admission to, denied assistance under, terminated from participation in, or evicted from housing on the basis that the applicant or tenant is or has been a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. An incident of actual or threatened domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking will not be construed as a serious or repeated violation of the lease by the victim and will not be good cause for terminating the assistance or tenancy of the victim.

Criminal Activity Directly Related to the Abuse – No person shall be denied assistance, tenancy or occupancy rights to housing solely on the basis of criminal activity, if that activity is directly related to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking engaged in by a household member, guest or any person under the tenant’s control, if the tenant or affiliated individual of the tenant is the victim.

Actual and Imminent Threat – TGHA may terminate assistance to a victim if TGHA can demonstrate an actual and imminent threat to other tenants or employees at the property in the event that the tenant is not evicted or terminated from assistance.

An actual and imminent threat shall include a physical danger that is real, would occur within an immediate timeframe, and could result in death or serious bodily harm. In determining the existence of an “actual or imminent threat,” TGHA will consider the duration of the risk, the nature and severity of the potential harm, the likelihood that the potential harm will occur, and the length of time before the potential harm would occur. Termination of a victim’s assistance under this provision will occur only when there are no other actions that could be taken to reduce or eliminate the threat, including, but not limited to, permitting a participant to move to another location, barring the perpetrator from the property, contacting law enforcement to increase police presence or develop other plans to keep the property safe, or seeking other legal remedies to prevent the perpetrator from acting on a threat.

Victims Held to Same Standard – For program violations unrelated to the abuse, TGHA, will not subject a participant who is a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking to a more demanding standard than other participants in determining whether to terminate assistance.

Bifurcation – TGHA may bifurcate voucher to terminate assistance to any tenant or lawful occupant who engages in criminal acts of violence against an affiliated individual or others. This action may be taken without penalizing the survivor who is also a tenant or lawful participant.

If TGHA terminates assistance to a participant because of criminal acts of violence against family members or others, and that individual is the only family member eligible to receive the housing assistance, then any remaining family member will have the opportunity to establish eligibility for the assistance. If no family member can establish such eligibility, then TGHA will provide the participant 60 days to find new housing.

Portability – TGHA will permit a family with a Housing Choice voucher to move to another jurisdiction if the family has complied with all other obligations of the program and is moving to protect the health or safety of an individual who is or has been the victim of domestic violence, dating violence or stalking. TGHA will permit the family to move even if the family’s lease term has not yet expired.

Court orders – TGHA will honor court orders addressing rights of access to or control of property, including civil protection orders issued to protect the victim, as well as orders addressing the distribution or possession of property among household members in a case.

Certification – TGHA will request that an individual certify via the applicable HUD form or other such written documentation as defined in this section. This certification will: (1) state that an applicant or tenant is a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking; (2) state that the incident that is the ground for protection meets the requirements under the statute; and (3) include the name of perpetrator, if the name is known and safe to provide. In lieu of the certification form, the applicant or participant may provide:

Documentation signed by the victim and a victim service provider, an attorney, a medical professional, or a mental health professional in which the professional attests under penalty of perjury to his or her belief that the victim has experienced an incident of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking that meets the grounds for protection under the statute; or
A federal, state, tribal, territorial, or local law enforcement, court or administrative record.
Timeline – After TGHA has requested certification in writing, an applicant or participant shall have 30 days to respond to the request. If an individual does not provide the documentation within the 30 days, TGHA will deny admission or terminate assistance.

Conflicting Certification – In situations where TGHA receives documentation with conflicting information, TGHA will require an applicant or participant to submit any of the above-mentioned third-party documentation.

Confidentiality – TGHA will keep confidential the information an individual provides to certify victim status, including the individual’s status as a victim. This information will be entered into a shared database or disclosed to another entity or individual, unless the disclosure is: requested or consented to by the individual in writing; required for use in a termination proceeding to determine whether the incident qualifies as a serious or repeated violation of the lease, good cause to terminate assistance or tenancy, or criminal activity directly relating to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking; or otherwise required by law.

No TGHA employee shall access the information regarding domestic violence unless they are specifically and explicitly authorized to access this information because it is necessary for their work.

Greenville Food Resources

*Section under construction