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A DMINISTRATIVE P LAN

Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program

Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz

The Administrative Plan contains those policies of the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz that

have been adopted by the Board of Commissioners, as required by 24CFR 982.54, governing the

establishment and administration of a waiting list, the issuance of Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, the

equal opportunity housing plan, and overall program administration.

September 2013

Please note that the electronic copy of this document contains hyperlinks to applicable HUD regulations

and other references. An electronic copy of this document is available at the following website:

http://www.hacosantacruz.org/agency.htm. If you cannot access the electronic copy of this document,

copies of the referenced links and regulations will be available upon request.

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Table of Contents

Section Page

I. Selecting applicants from the waiting list; targeting; preferences; closing and opening waiting

list

4

II. Issuing or denying Housing Choice Vouchers, term of the Housing Choice Vouchers,

extensions or suspensions of the term

6

III. Special Programs

Family Unification Program

Mainstream Housing Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities

Medicaid Waiver Program

Welfare to Work Program

Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation Single Room Occupancy (SRO)

Program for Homeless Individuals

7

IV. Occupancy policies, including definition of a family, and definition of when a family

“continuously assisted” and definition of a guest

11

V. Encouraging participation by owners outside areas of low income or minority concentration 13

VI. Assisting a family that claims illegal discrimination 13

VII. Providing information about a family to prospective owners 14

VIII. Disapproval of owners 14

IX. Subsidy standards 14

X. Family absence from dwelling units 17

XI. How to determine who remains in the program if a family breaks up 17

XII. Informal review procedures for applicants 18

XIII. Informal hearing procedures for participants 19

XIV. The process for establishing and revising payment standards, including affordability

adjustments

21

XV. The method for determining that rent to owner is a reasonable rent 22

XVI. Policies regarding special housing types

Shared Housing

Congregate, Cooperative, Group Home, Mobile Home

Section 8 Homeownership

Project Based Voucher Program

23

XVII. Payment by a family to the Housing Authority of amounts the family owes to the Housing

Authority

29

XVIII. Interim redeterminations of family income and composition 29

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XIX. Restrictions, if any, on the number of moves by a participant family 31

XX. Approval by the Board of Commissioners or other authorized officials to charge the

administrative fee reserve

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XXI. Procedural guidelines and performance standards for conducting required HQS inspections. 31

XXII. Screening of applicants for family behavior or suitability for tenancy. 31

XXIII. Voucher Suspension policy 32