VHA Plan to Overhaul Rent Assistance Sparks Concern

By Courtney Sherwood, The Columbian, Vancouver, Wash.

Oct. 24–A controversial proposal to overhaul rent assistance for some of Clark County’s poorest residents will be before the Vancouver Housing Authority’s board this morning, although it will likely be months before the 2,000 affected households know what changes to really expect.

If the VHA has its way, about 500 of the county’s most vulnerable families may find themselves burdened by rents that eat into half of their already meager incomes, said Greg Provenzano, an attorney who opposes plans to overhaul the voucher system.

Today, the program’s households — about 1,300 of them composed of elderly or disabled people and the rest made up of poor families — get monthly vouchers that ensure they don’t pay more than 30 percent of their incomes in rent. When household incomes go up, voucher amounts go down.

Simplified plan

Moving to Work, the VHA’s proposal, would simplify the math behind those vouchers. The goals: to encourage poor people now receiving government housing subsidies to earn more money and become less dependent on handouts, and at the same time cut down on the costs associated with running the voucher program.

Instead of basing voucher amounts on incomes, the Moving to Work program would introduce a flat subsidy of $425 for a one-person household, with an extra $50 in assistance for each additional person in the home.

When families make more money, they get to keep more of the income.

“A flat subsidy rewards work,” said David Overbay, VHA federal program manager.

And because the VHA would not have to constantly audit household income to set voucher amounts, a flat subsidy would also cut the costs of running the program, he said.

Paying more

The VHA has not done a good enough job of examining how these Moving to Work program changes will affect some very poor people, said Provenzano, who is representing VHA voucher recipients on behalf of the nonprofit Columbia Legal Services.

“Based on the analysis that we’ve done, about 30 percent of households will be paying a lot more, and 70 percent will pay the same or less,” Provenzano said.

The elderly and disabled are disproportionately affected, he said.

If the VHA insists on changing its voucher program, it should institute a hardship policy for the very poor and a transition plan for those whose rents will rise significantly, he said.

Changing plan

There is still time to make those kinds of changes, even though the VHA board expects to vote on the policy change today, said Saeed Hajarizadeh, co-interim executive director of the housing agency.

The broad plan must be approved this month because of federal deadlines, he said, but the specific details can be changed.

“There is still time to address some of (Provenzano’s) concerns,” Hajarizadeh said. “If we make the program too complex to administer, the housing authority will elect not to go forward, so we have to create a balance.”

Comments will be accepted at the meeting today at 9 a.m., and can also be sent to Saeed Hajarizadeh, Vancouver Housing Authority, 2500 Main St., Vancouver, WA 98660.

The debate

Should the Vancouver Housing Authority overhaul its rent voucher program?

– On one side: The changes will save money, make the voucher program easier to understand and encourage poor people to go to work.

– On another side: Some of the county’s most vulnerable, including the elderly and the disabled, will be hardest hit and may not be able to afford increases in their rents.

– How to get involved:

View the plan at www.vhausa.com/whatsnew.html . Attend the VHA work session today at 9 a.m. at 2500 Main St., or send your comments to Saeed Hajarizadeh, Vancouver Housing Authority, 2500 Main St., Vancouver, WA 98660.

Courtney Sherwood covers the Vancouver Housing Authority. Reach her at 360-759-8041 or courtney.sherwood@columbian.com

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Copyright (c) 2007, The Columbian, Vancouver, Wash.

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