Housing Choice Voucher

• Determination of the household’s annual or adjusted income, and the use of such income to compute the housing assistance payment

• Determination of the appropriate utility allowance (if any) for the tenant-paid utilities from Home Forward’s utility allowance schedule

• Determination of the family’s voucher size under Home Forward’s Subsidy Standards

• Determination that a participant is residing in a unit with a larger number of bedrooms than appropriate for the household size under Home Forward’s Subsidy Standards, or a determination to deny the participant’s request for an exception from the subsidy standards

• Determination to terminate assistance to a participant because of a participant’s action or failure to act according to the Statement of Family Obligations

• Determination to terminate assistance because the participant has been absent from the assisted unit for longer than the maximum period permitted under Home Forward policy and HUD rules

• Discretionary administrative determinations by Home Forward

• General policy issues or class grievances

• Establishment of Home Forward’s schedule of utility allowances for participants in the program

• Determination not to approve an extension or suspension of a voucher

• Determination not to approve a rental unit or lease

• Determination that an assisted rental unit is not in compliance with Housing Quality Standards (however, if Home Forward decides to terminate assistance for a breach of Housing Quality Standards caused by the participant, the opportunity for an informal hearing must be provided)

• Determination that a rental unit is not in compliance with Housing Quality Standards because of household size

• Determination not to exercise any right to remedy against the landlord under a Home Forward contract

If Home Forward makes a decision regarding your rent assistance benefits that qualifies for an informal hearing opportunity, Home Forward will notify you. The notice will include a deadline for requesting a hearing. The participant must submit a written request for an informal hearing by this deadline. If the informal hearing is requested by the specified deadline, an informal hearing will be scheduled.  A confirmation letter including the date, time and location of the hearing will be sent to the participant.  The letter will also include the following information:

• At his/her own expense, the participant may be represented by a lawyer or other representative

• The person conducting the informal hearing may regulate conduct at the meeting according to Home Forward’s established procedures

• Both Home Forward and the participant shall be given the opportunity to present evidence, and may question any witnesses, but the rules of evidence for judicial proceedings are not applicable

• The person conducting the hearing shall issue a written decision stating the reasons for the decision. Factual determinations relating to the individual circumstances of the tenant shall be based on evidence presented at the hearing. The decision letter will be sent to the participant within 10 business days of the hearing.