Chapter XVI: Portability


Section C: Outgoing Portability

1. Eligibility Determination by the HA
  • MSHDA must advise HCV program applicants at their initial briefing and program participants at each annual reexamination of their portability rights.
  • Applicant families are eligible to port to another PHA’s jurisdiction upon being pulled from the waiting list if:
    1. The applicant family income qualifies according to MSHDA and the rPHA’s income limits at the time the application is pulled from the waiting list, and the head of household or the spouse had a legal residence in Michigan at the time of application to the waiting list. If the head of household or spouse did not live in Michigan at the time of application to the waiting list, they must receive assistance from MSHDA for at least 12 months on a HAP Contract before exercising portability rights.

Note: A countable error will be charged against the HA if any of the above requirements are not met.

Exception: Applicants who receive an Enhanced Voucher due to a HUD Housing Conversion Action may have outgoing portability rights at the time of the conversion. The Enhanced Voucher applicant must have lived in Michigan for the 12 months preceding the conversion or the applicant does not qualify to port.

  • A HCV participant family qualifies to port to another PHA when the HA verifies:
    1. The participant must be active on the HCV Program with MSHDA for at least 12 months prior to exercising portability rights. If the outgoing portability participant has not been on the HCV Program with MSHDA for at least 12 months, the participant is ineligible to port.
    2. The participant has maintained good standing with MSHDA.
      1. Participant has no outstanding debts (even if they are paying timely on a repayment agreement).
      2. If a participant has a delinquent debt, the participant must be denied the right to portability until the account is paid in full.
    3. That all adult members pass criminal/sexual offender screening requirements (see Chapter III, Section E for details).

    Note: A countable error will be charged against the HA if any of the above requirements are not completed correctly.

  • If the above criteria are met, the participant may port outside MSHDA’s jurisdiction. If the above criteria are not met, the participant must stay in their current county until they meet the eligibility requirements; and/or be terminated from the program if the criminal screening revealed a crime for which a participant must be terminated.
  • Exception: Participants who receive an enhanced voucher due to a HUD Preservation/ Opt-Out or other type of housing conversion action may have outgoing portability rights at the time of the conversion. The Enhanced Voucher participant must have lived in Michigan for the 12 months preceding the conversion or the participant does not qualify to port.
Go to top ↑
2. Outgoing Portability HA Procedures
  • After the applicant/participant indicates a desire to port and meets the above stated requirements, the HA provides the applicant/participant with the Outgoing Portability Briefing Form (MSHDA-613). The HA briefs the applicant/participant regarding portability requirements.
    1. Briefing must be thorough and stress the importance of finding suitable housing prior to the actual move.
    2. HA’s must encourage applicants/participants to plan ahead and thus:
      1. Allow adequate time for the transfer of information from the HA to the PC and from there to the rPHA.
      2. Locate housing or make arrangements for temporary lodging with a friend, family member or shelter in the new jurisdiction before moving to prevent homelessness. Even when the PC is able to submit portability paperwork to an rPHA immediately upon receipt from HA, delays in move-in are inevitable.
    3. If the participant is on FSS, they must encourage the participant to notify their FSS Resource Coordinator of their intent to move immediately. Failure to notify their FSS Resource Coordinator within 30 days of the voucher issuance will result in contract termination and forfeiting of the FSS escrow fund.
  • The HA verifies termination date and submits a Portability Request Form and a Voucher. The voucher issuance date must be the day after the termination date and for 60 days only. Example: Issue date is July 1, 2007 and counts as Day 1. Expiration date is August 29, 2007. MSHDA will not approve extensions of Vouchers except for reasonable accommodation.
    1. A countable error will be charged to the HA if the voucher is issued incorrectly.
  • HA determines and indicates on the Portability Request Form whether the rPHA will absorb or administer the incoming portability participant. Many jurisdictions have multiple PHA's, so the HA should encourage the applicant/participant to check all PHA's in an area to determine if any absorb incoming portability participants.
  • HA's who maintain permanent files must return the permanent file to the PC.
Go to top ↑
3. HA Procedures at Annual Re-examination (AR)
  • If the outgoing portability participant is in the process of an annual reexamination at the time they wish to port out of Michigan and within the 120 day cycle, the HA must perform an AR Searching transaction in Elite and submit AR Searching paperwork to PC. See Elite Manual for instructions on how to perform AR Searching transactions. Note: All HAs, including those who approve their own work, must submit this paperwork to PC and cannot approve their case.
  • The HA Moves Resident Out of Unit in Elite to stop payment to the current landlord;
  • All Family, Income, Assets and Expense information must be filled out in Elite for the AR Searching. Old verifications will not be accepted.
  • All HA's, including those who approve their own cases, must submit an AR Searching (1344-247) including new verifications, to the PC with the portability packet and HAP Contract termination. Accurate HUD 50058 data must be submitted to the rPHA.
  • A countable performance error will be charged to the HA if either the AR Searching transaction isn't completed in Elite or port paperwork is not submitted correctly prior to the voucher issuance date.

    Note: No inspection is needed for an Annual Reexamination Searching since the participant will not be staying in that unit.

Go to top ↑
4. HA Procedures for Income Changes during the Portability Process

If a family reports a change in income to MSHDA before the portability paperwork (MSHDA 4, 50058, etc) was submitted to the rPHA, MSHDA HA should conduct the interim re-examination. If the family remains under a HAP for the month following the month in which they reported the change to MSHDA, the HA should conduct the interim re-examination since MSHDA would have to adjust the HAP for the following month for the family's original unit. If the family reported the change after the portability paperwork has been submitted to the rPHA and the family had terminated the lease in the MSHDA's jurisdiction, the rPHA will be responsible for the interim re-examination.

Go to top ↑
5. Procedures for Portability Cases Other than at Annual Re-examination
  • The HA Moves Resident Out of Unit in Elite to stop payment to the current landlord;
  • Submit Portability Packet to the PC.
Go to top ↑
6. Portability Packet
  • The Portability Packet submitted to the PC must contain the following documents:
    1. Current Voucher for the participant;
    2. Current HUD-50058 for the participant. (Not required for an Annual Reexamination Searching);
    3. Income verification(s) corresponding to the current HUD-50058 or Annual Reexamination Searching including a copy of HUD EIV;
    4. Citizenship documentation for all members of the participant’s household;
    5. Proof of birth and Social Security number verification for all members of household;
    6. Completed MSHDA Portability Request, MSHDA 4, which must be signed by the participant. This includes completing MSHDA Use Only box and completing a new ICHAT criminal screening.
    7. Cancellation paperwork (MSHDA-95 and 30-Day Notice [or MSHDA-96] from participant.
  • If any of the paperwork listed above is not completed and submitted, a countable error will be charged to the HA for each missing document.
Go to top ↑
7. Outgoing Portability - Portability Coordinator (PC) Procedures
  • The PC performs the following processes upon receipt of the portability packet and original participant file:
    1. Verify that the participant was moved out of their current unit in Elite by the HA.
    2. Verify if the participant is on the FSS program. If yes, provide the FSS Resource Coordinator the Portability Request (MSHDA-4) form.
    3. Mails the HUD-required portability packet to the rPHA within two business days from time of receipt of the portability packet from the HA.
    4. Notifies the HA via E-mail of the date the portability packet is mailed and that PC changed increment and caseworker in Elite from HA to portability.
      1. Upon request, the HA can inform the participant when the information was mailed to the rPHA.
    5. Processes a Portability Move-Out in Elite after notification is received from the rPHA that the participant went under contract and they intend to administer the participant.
Go to top ↑