HCV program provides safe, affordable housing for low-income, elderly

Federal low-income housing vouchers that have gone unused in Hall County can now be used here in Hamilton County following a decision by the county commission several weeks ago. That could be a good thing for both renters and for the community at large, according to Amber Beck, executive housing director for the Central Nebraska Community Action Partnership, Inc. based in Loup City. 
Beck, along with Artena Thompson, executive director of the Hall County Housing Authority and Kathy Mesner of Mesner Development Co. of Central City, appeared at the county board meeting on July 22 to ask the board for permission to utilize unused Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCV) -- previously known as Section 8 Rent Assistance -- vouchers from Hall County here in Hamilton County. The board approved the request in a unanimous vote. 
In an interview after the July meeting, Beck explained that the program is the federal government’s major program for assisting extreme low-income families, the elderly and the disabled to afford decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market. 
“Since housing assistance is provided on behalf of the family or individual, participants are able to find their own housing, including single-family homes, townhouses and apartments,” Beck explained. “All housing receiving rental assistance must be safe and sanitary. Units must undergo inspection to ensure compliance with HUD habitability standards before assistance can be paid.”
Beck said the inspections are performed by a housing quality specialist from the local housing authority. 
“Eligibility for a housing voucher is determined by the total annual gross income and family size and is limited to U.S. citizens and specified categories of non-citizens who have eligible immigration status,” Beck said. “In general, the family’s income may not exceed 50 percent of the median income for the county or metropolitan area in which the family chooses to live. By law, I must provide 75 percent of my vouchers to applicants whose incomes do not exceed 30 percent of the area median income.”

Income guidelines
Beck pointed out that the area median income (AMI) levels are published by HUD. By example, she pointed out that the AMI for Hamilton County varies based on household size. The figures for 2024 are: one-person household -- $28,350; two-person household -- $32,400; three-person household -- $36,450; four-person household -- $40,500; five-person household -- $43,750; six-person household -- $47,000. She said during the application process information is collected on family income, assets and family composition. Then information is verified with other local agencies, the applicant’s employer and bank and the information is used to determine program eligibility and the amount of the housing assistance payment.
“If it’s determined that your family is eligible, your name is put on a waiting list,” Beck said. “Once your name is reached on the waiting list, you will be contacted and issued a housing voucher.”
At the commission meeting Thompson, whose agency runs the Aurora Housing Authority, explained why Hall County has extra vouchers and why she wants to see them used elsewhere. She said with the limited amount of housing available to rent in Hall County, versus vouchers and funding available to serve in the county, it’s a benefit to apply that funding and serve a community in need such as Hamilton County, where there are families who need them and landlords who have housing available to rent that may otherwise sit empty. She said that would be a disservice to the community.
Beck said the local HUD field office urged the agencies to get the approval and support of the county commission to use the vouchers in the county.

Benefits to the community
When asked if there was a net benefit from the program to the community, Beck was adamant. 
“Absolutely!” she replied. “This program provides stable housing while avoiding homelessness. The HCV program helps approximately 2.2 million low-income households pay for modestly-priced housing in the private market. It enables families to afford decent, stable housing, reducing the risk of homelessness.”
She said the vouchers also help provide improved neighborhoods for children, stating, “when families use housing vouchers, their children have a better chance of growing up in low-poverty neighborhoods. HCV participants have greater choice of housing units compared to traditional subsidy programs. They can select units in higher-cost neighborhoods with better amenities and services and offering vouchers to homeless families leads to benefits across various domains, including reduced homelessness, housing mobility and improved well-being for both adults and children.”
Mesner attended the meeting to say that her company has accepted the vouchers in rental units around the area with good results. She also noted that they have rental units in Aurora for which the vouchers could be used. 
“Hall County Housing Authority has over 250 people on the waiting list, and the average wait time is over 12 months,” Beck said. “HCHA is currently serving over 400 recipients of the voucher program. Aurora Public Housing Authority only has 38 units that provide decent and safe rental housing for eligible low-income families. They currently have 10 people on their wait list, and the average wait time is over 24 months. Those 10 people could be offered the opportunity to apply for the voucher. In addition, the Central Nebraska Community Action Partnership has a waiting list with no more vouchers available to issue. HCHA can also help those individuals who would like to live in Hamilton County.”
“HCHA now has jurisdictional approval from the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners to administer the voucher program within the county,” Beck concluded. “They plan on helping as many families as possible to fight against housing insecurity by impacting Hamilton County as a whole with the available vouchers. Although HCHA is crossing over the county line, the effort still aligns with our mission statement: ‘Our aim is to ensure safe, decent and affordable housing; create opportunities for residents’ self-sufficiency and economic independence and assure fiscal integrity by all program participants.’”