Housing Choice Voucher Program
Eligibility
Families must meet income guidelines and are selected from the waiting list based on time and date of application.
Goals
- To increase the availability of decent, safe, and affordable housing.
- To promote self-sufficiency and asset development of families and individuals.
- To ensure equal opportunity in housing for all Americans.
Explanation of Services
Qualified families receive a Housing Choice Voucher and are given up to 120 days to find a house, apartment, or mobile home that is affordable based on the family’s income and size. The rental unit is inspected to ensure that it meets Housing Quality Standards. When the unit is approved, ETHRA starts a Housing Assistance Payment contract with the landlord. A lease is signed between the landlord and the tenant. The initial contract and the lease are for a one-year term. Some families meeting certain income criteria receive a payment from ETHRA to offset utility costs.
The rental unit is inspected again within one year and must continue to meet Housing Quality Standards to remain on the program. The family must be re-certified every year to determine continuing eligibility.
Families who receive rental assistance are eligible to join the Family Self-Sufficiency Program. Enrollees in FSS develop educational and employment goals which, when met, will help the family become self-supporting.
Families who increase their earned income while participating in FSS may start an escrow account allowing the participant the opportunity to build savings for the future. When the FSS participant successfully completes the program, he or she receives the escrow payments ETHRA has made on behalf of the family plus any interest earned.
Number of Persons Served
ETHRA’s Housing Choice Voucher Program serves 646 families in sixteen counties.
Source of Funding
Federal funds are received directly from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Counties Served
Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Hamblen, Hancock, Jefferson, Loudon, Morgan, Monroe, Roane, Scott, Sevier and Union.
For More Information Please Contact: Steve Bandy or Lisa Vance at (865) 681-2217. They may be reached via E-mail at sbandy@ethra.org and lvance@ethra.org.
