Admission and occupancy policies — See Ch. 4.
Section 8 existing housing program — See Ch. 26.
§ 8-1Introduction.
§ 8-2Project profile.
§ 8-3Objective I: Outreach to lower-income families.
§ 8-4Objective II: Promoting greater housing opportunities for families
outside areas of low-income and minority concentration.
§ 8-5Objective III: Ensuring equal opportunity to applicants for
participation in PHA's existing housing, moderate rehabilitation
and voucher programs and in selection of certificate holders or applicants
to be referred to owners of vacant moderately rehabilitated units.
§ 8-6Objective IV: Provision of services and assistance to families
that allege they have encountered discrimination during housing search.
§ 8-7Objective V: Utilization of local fair housing organization
or organization serving the handicapped.
§ 8-8Objective VI: Promoting employment opportunity in PHA's
employment practices in existing housing or moderate rehabilitation
programs.
§ 8-9Certifications in connection with operation of Section 8 existing
housing program.
§ 8-10Objective VII: Maintenance of well-organized complete records
to facilitate less monitoring and review of PHA operation in particular
as they relate to PHA actions to fulfill the PHA's objectives
of the Equal Opportunity Housing Plan.
The Woonsocket Housing Authority has adopted guidelines setting forth the method which will be administered on a nondiscriminatory basis in the selection of program participants and the provision of services and will provide assistance for affirmative action to any participants who have been discriminated against on the basis of their race, color, creed, national origin, handicap or sex.
| The Housing Authority of the City of Woonsocket, Rhode Island | |||||
| WHA Station 5 679 Social Street Woonsocket, Rhode Island 02895 | |||||
| Number of bedrooms | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Section 8 units | 23 | 71 | 58 | 41 | 4 |
| Moderate rehab units | 0 | 3 | 13 | 18 | 0 |
| Voucher program units | 0 | 29 | 38 | 27 | 3 |
| Totals | 23 | 104 | 111 | 89 | 11 |
The following actions are to be taken. The following items are applicable to the existing housing and moderate rehabilitation programs and also housing vouchers in support of the rental rehabilitation program.
Other suitable means to be used to publicize programs and for special outreach groups:
Public welfare office.
Senior services.
(Reserved)
(Reserved)
City Hall.
Northern Rhode Island Community Mental Health Center.
Northern Rhode Island Association for Retarded Citizens.
Local real estate agents.
Posted notices in family projects and high-rise buildings.
The following actions are to be taken:
The following items are applicable to the existing housing, moderate rehabilitation and voucher programs.
Actions to encourage participation by owners of units outside low-income and minority areas (not applicable to moderate rehabilitation programs if targeted to a specific neighborhood):
Actions to explain program requirements, including equal opportunity, to owners:
Briefing sessions by the Occupancy/Leasing Administrator.
Information on local, state and federal fair housing laws and use of Form HUD-903 to be provided as follows (packets to be distributed with pertinent data incorporating the following):
Federal fair housing laws included in the packet.
Form HUD-903 is explained thoroughly to the applicant.
Excerpt from the Federal Register regarding conflict of interest law barring anyone renting from any member of state, local or federal government as well as employees of PHA.
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
These items are applicable only to the existing housing program.
Information on general locations and characteristics of neighborhoods and on listings, to be provided to certificate holders, as follows:
From general knowledge of the Authority, indicating schools, day care and health care, as well as maps showing general neighborhood locations.
The following actions are to be taken:
System for taking, processing and filing applications; establishing waiting list.
Establish date to begin taking applications.
Allow time prior to taking applications to conduct special outreach efforts to persons less likely to apply.
Verification of application data.
Determine eligibility.
Place on file by bedroom size and proper priority in accordance with administrative plan.
Preference or priority categories in order, if any, for issuance of certificates and method used for selection of certificate holders or applicants to be referred to owners of vacant moderately rehabilitated units:
Preferences.
First preference.
The following will be considered with equal weight:
The applicant has been involuntarily displaced and is not living in standard, permanent replacement housing or, within no more than six months under § 4-4C(2) or verification under § 4-4C(3) (as appropriate), the applicant will be involuntarily displaced; the applicant is living in the jurisdiction of the PHA at the time of application or who is working or who has been notified that he/she has been hired to work in the jurisdiction.
The applicant is living in substandard housing; the applicant is living in the jurisdiction of the PHA at the time of application or who is working or who has been notified that he/she has been hired to work in the jurisdiction.
The applicant is paying more than 50% of family income for rent; the applicant is living in the jurisdiction of the PHA at the time of application or who is working or who has been notified that he/she has been hired to work in the jurisdiction.
Since equal weight is delegated to the above preferences, they are to be ranked, once all verifications are received and they are verified to be first preferences, by date of application.
Second preference, with equal weight.
The following will be considered with equal weight:
The applicant has been involuntarily displaced and is not living in standard, permanent replacement housing or, within no more than six months under § 4-4C(2) or verification under § 4-4C(3) (as appropriate), the applicant will be involuntarily displaced.
The applicant is living in substandard housing.
The applicant is paying more than 50% of family income for rent.
Since equal weight is delegated to the above preferences, they are to be ranked, once all verifications are received and they are verified to be first preferences, by date of application.
Third preference. The applicant is an eligible disabled veteran who was disabled while serving in the armed forces of the United States during any conflict or war, whether declared or undeclared, as stipulated in the General Laws of Rhode Island No. 45-25-18.10.
Fourth preference. Elderly applicants who are living in the jurisdiction of the PHA with specific medical needs, after a majority vote of the Board of Commissioners.
Fifth preference. The applicant is living in the jurisdiction of the PHA at the time of application or who is working or who has been notified that he/she has been hired to work in the jurisdiction, and the applicant has an income range required in order to maintain the PHA's broad range of income and has not within the last year refused an offer of an apartment from the PHA.
Sixth preference. The applicant is living in the jurisdiction of the PHA at the time of application or who is working or who has been notified that he/she has been hired to work in the jurisdiction, and the applicant is next in sequence on the waiting list in accordance to the date the applicant became eligible to be placed on the waiting list.
Seventh preference. The applicant is next in sequence on the waiting list in accordance to the date the applicant became eligible to be placed on the waiting list.
Handicapped/disability unit preferences.
Eligible individuals whose disability/handicap requires accessible features of the particular disability/handicap unit will be offered such unit prior to that unit's being offered to nondisabled or nonhandicapped applicants.
All other preferences will apply to handicapped/disabled applicants.
The Authority reserves the right in applying the federal preferences in providing for circumstances in which applicants who do not qualify for a federal preference are provided assistance before other applicants who are so qualified. Not more than 10% of the applicants who initially receive assistance in any one-year period may be applicants referred to in this section. As of August 1, 1988, the Authority establishes the beginning of its first full year.
Once an offer of a unit has been made to an applicant who falls into one of the first five preference categories and that offer has been refused, the applicant would lose all preference and would be placed at the end of the sixth preference category on the waiting list if the applicant is living in the jurisdiction of the PHA at the time of application or who is working or who has notified that he/she has been hired to work in the jurisdiction, or would be placed at the end of the seventh preference category if the applicant is not a local applicant; the applicant would be given a new date, the date of refusal.
Elderly families will be given a preference in admission to projects for the elderly.
The following actions are to be taken.
Services to be provided in finding a unit under the existing housing/voucher programs.
Briefing of applicants.
Assistance in setting up appointments with owners and certificate holders.
Keeping list of owners and potential units.
If the applicant encounters discrimination in his housing search, the PHA shall assist the applicant in completing Form 903 or refer the person to a local fair housing organization or the HUD area office, from which such assistance can be obtained.
If requested, the program will be explained to any potential landlord.
Assistance to be given to certificate holders or applicants referred to owners of vacant moderately rehabilitated units in the exercise of their rights under federal, state and/or local law and the name of persons responsible for giving assistance; training of these persons: N/A.
The PHA will subcontract with a fair housing organization or organization serving the handicapped in its existing housing, moderate rehabilitation or voucher programs.
| YES ______ | NO X |
The Housing Authority of the City of Woonsocket, Rhode Island:
| Position | Race/Ethnicity | Gender | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Director | White | Male | |
| Deputy Director | White | Male | |
| Director of Admin. and Personnel | White | Female | |
| Director of Security | White | Male | |
| Systems Admin. | White | Male | |
| Sec. 8 Specialist | Hispanic | Female | |
| Intake Specialist | White | Female | |
| Finance Director | White | Male | |
| Housing Manager (3) | White | Female | |
| IT Specialist | White | Male | |
| Procurement Officer | vacant | ||
| Receptionist / W.O. | White | Female | |
| Sec. Act. Coordinator | White | Female | |
| Security Officers (7) | White and Hispanic | Male | |
| Security Lead | vacant | ||
| Answering Serv. (3) | White | Female | |
| Sr. Hsng. Data Clerk (5) | White and Black | Female | |
| Hsng. Data Clerk (4) | White | Female | |
| Tennant Selectors (3) | White and Hispanic | Female | |
| Accountant | White | Female | |
| Accounting Admin. | White | Female | |
| Accounting Clerk | White | Female | |
| Maintenance Foreman (2) | White | Male | |
| Maintenance Men (18) | White | Male | |
| Resident Service Cord. | White | Female |
| The Authority adheres to its affirmative action policy on file. |
Actions to be taken to promote equal opportunity in employment practices.
Advertising in newspapers.
Designating the Authority as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer in all advertisements.
The Authority has adopted and has on file an affirmative action plan setting forth guidelines for equal employment opportunity.
The applicant agency hereby assures and certifies that:
It will comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (P.L. 88-352) and regulations pursuant thereto (Title 24 CFR Part 1) which states that no person in the United States shall, on the grounds of race, color or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity for which the applicant receives financial assistance, and will immediately take any measures necessary to effectuate this agreement. With reference to the real property and structure(s) thereon which are provided or improved with the aid of federal financial assistance extended to the applicant, this assurance shall obligate the applicant or, in the case of any transfer of property, the transferee for the period during which the real property and structure(s) are used for a purpose for which the federal financial assistance is extended or for another purpose involving the provision of similar services or benefits.
It will comply with Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (P.L. 90-284) and P.L. 100-430, as amended, which prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin, and administer its programs and activities relating to housing in a manner to affirmatively further fair housing.
It will comply with Executive Order 11063 on equal opportunity in housing, which prohibits discrimination because of race, color, creed or national origin in housing and related facilities provided with federal financial assistance.
In establishing the criteria for the selection of tenants, the PHA or owner will not utilize preferences or priorities which are based on the identity or location of the housing which is occupied or proposed to be occupied or upon the length of time the applicant has resided in the jurisdiction. The PHA or owner shall treat nonresident applicants who are working or have been notified that they are hired to work in the jurisdiction as residents of the jurisdiction.
If the proposed project is to be located within the area of a local housing assistance plan (HAP), the applicant will take affirmative action to provide opportunities to participate in the program to persons expected to reside in the community as a result of current or planned employment.
| November 16, 2010 Date | Executive Director Title | Robert Kulik Signature |
The Housing Authority has computerized its records and maintains a well-organized complete system.
