Chapter XX: Enhanced Subsidies For Housing Voucher Conversion Actions


Section J: Miscellaneous Program Requirements

Except for the special conditions outlined in this chapter, HCV requirements also apply to enhanced vouchers. For example (including but not limited to):

  • Housing Assistance Payment (HAP): MSHDA must execute the Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) contract before issuing payments to the owner.
  • Housing Quality Standards (HQS): Each unit passes a Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspection before the HAP contract can begin.
  • Use of owner certifications for determining tenant income: During the weeks preceding conversion activities, information is requested of tenants to verify income eligibility as required by HUD. While tenants often find it frustrating to complete additional paperwork when it may have recently been completed for the former management company/owner, HA are encouraged to continue to request the information be completed. In situations where the tenant does not complete this duplicate paperwork, HUD does allow MSHDA to accept the owner’s most recent tenant income examination if it is no more than six months old. The case should then be processed using the conversion date and when newer paperwork is received, completed as an interim revision so that the annual reexamination is completed at the anniversary date as all other cases.

Portability: The enhanced voucher is tenant-based assistance and the family has no obligation to remain in the development. The family has immediate portability rights and may move outside of the jurisdiction of the administering PHA.

All out-of-state portability telephone calls should be directed to MSHDA’s Outgoing Portability Coordinator at (517) 241-3182.

Transfers between MSHDA Housing Agents (HA): The initiating HA converts the enhanced voucher to a regular voucher and informs the receiving HA via the MSHDA Transfer Packet (MSHDA 140) that the transferring family is a participant in a preservation/opt out situation. This procedure ensures that the voucher is converted from an enhanced voucher to a HCV voucher. Voucher transfers from an enhanced to a HCV require the DT to change the issuance in Elite >Resident Processing >Record>S8 Items>Alter Issue Information>Alter Current Issue>then change the issuance from “Enhanced” to “Regular.”

Delinquencies: When processing the enhanced voucher paperwork reveals that the tenant is on the MSHDA delinquency list, the amount of the delinquency must be paid in full before the voucher offer unless the HCA Coordinator approves a repayment agreement.

Turn Overs: If the enhanced voucher turns over (i.e., a preservation assisted family leaves the program), MSHDA uses the funding/voucher as a HCV and is offered to the next applicant on the applicable MSHDA County waiting list.

Inapplicability of the PHA Income Targeting: HCV income targeting (i.e., extremely low income) requirements do NOT apply to families admitted to MSHDA’s tenant-based voucher program as a result of a housing conversion action. The admission does not count in determining whether MSHDA complies with HUD’s income targeting requirement.

Applicant screening: When adding new family members, screening for lifetime criminal sex offenders and other specified criminal offenses will be completed by the HA using the Michigan State Police database.

File Maintenance: When an applicant refuses the enhanced voucher offering or is not eligible for assistance and denied assistance, the file should be closed out and merged with closed waiting list files. The applicant must put the refusal in writing.

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