Moving to Work (MTW) - Housing Authority of the County of Tulare

General Information

The Housing Authority of the County of Tulare (HATC) owns or manages 714 units of conventional public housing, 449 Rural Housing Service Section 514/516 farm labor units, 2,775 Section 8 certificates and vouchers, 53 moderate rehabilitation units, 65 units of new Section 8 construction, a 105-unit 202 project, 48 Rural Housing Service Section 515 units, 131 tax credit units that are piggy-backed with state and/or HOME funds, 147 units of state rental housing, and 118 locally funded senior units. HATC's MTW program began April 5, 1999. HATC's Amended and Restated MTW Agreement was executed on February 22, 2008 and will terminate June 30, 2018.

The agency receives no operating subsidy for its public housing units. The HATC mission is "to provide affordable, well-maintained rental housing to qualified low- and very low-income families. Priority shall be given to working families, seniors, and the disabled. Tenant self-sufficiency and responsibility shall be encouraged. Programs shall be self-supporting to the maximum extent feasible."

Status

HATC began enrolling its first MTW participants May 1, 1999. As of September 2002, there were 1,909 families enrolled in the program, 1,514 in MTW Voucher and 395 in MTW Public Housing. HATC has also had several voucher families and several public housing families "graduate" from the program when their incomes reached over 120% of the area median.

Many of the current MTW participants transferred to MTW from HATC's conventional low rent and Section 8 programs. Others were referred to the MTW program by HATC's partner agencies, the Tulare County Department of Health and Human Services and Community Services Employment and Training, Inc.

Goals

Tulare's MTW program is designed to give rental assistance to families who are working to obtain self-sufficiency from all types of governmental assistance while they are in the process of achieving that goal.

Agreement

Rent Policies

• Participants in public housing will pay a flat rental amount based on the unit bedroom size.
  
• Rents will be evaluated annually and increased only as needed to cover operating costs, but not by more than 10 percent in any one year.
  
• Participants receiving Section 8 will receive a flat rental subsidy amount, depending on the unit size the family qualifies for, or the actual unit size rented, whichever is smaller.
  
• Families pay the difference between the rent charged by the landlord and the flat subsidy amount.
  
• The housing authority inspects units to be sure that they meet Housing Quality Standards and that the rent is reasonable.
  
• Incomes will be verified annually for statistical purposes only, but will not affect rental or subsidy amounts. Interim redeterminations and utility allowances are eliminated. Hardship situations will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
  
• Either public housing or Section 8 families who have members who are not citizens or eligible aliens have an increased flat rent amount or decreased subsidy amount of $25 per ineligible family member.
  

Occupancy Policies

• All new families will be housed under the MTW guidelines, except elderly and disabled families who have the option of MTW or the traditional income-based rents.
  
• Current tenants are being given the option of converting to MTW.
  
• Families in MTW will have the option of housing authority-owned public housing units as they become available, or Section 8 rental assistance.
  
• Public housing applicants will have to pass normal screening procedures.
  
• Families can continue on the MTW program for a maximum of 5 years, or until their income reaches 120 percent of the area median, at which time assistance will be terminated or they will be given 6 months to move out.
  

Support

San Francisco Regional Office
Office of Public Housing
459 Golden Gate Avenue
Ninth Floor
San Francisco, CA 94102-3448
(415) 436-6550
F (415) 436-6446

Contact

Housing Authority of the County of Tulare
5140 West Cypress
Visalia, CA 93277
P.O. Box 791
Visalia, CA 93279
(559) 627-3700

MTW Contact Staff
Ken Kugler, Executive Director
Margaret Lowe, Primary Contact
(559) 627-3700
F (559) 733-0169
hatcmaggie@aol.com