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WHAT IS HOUSING ASSISTANCE?
Do you need affordable housing in Southwest Missouri?
The OACAC Housing Assistance Program helps with rental payments so that low-income residents may live in a house, apartment, or mobile home which is decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable. We serve clients across a 10-county region that includes Barry, Christian, Dade, Dallas, Greene (excluding Springfield), Lawrence, Polk, Stone, Taney, and Webster.
Looking for our application paperwork? Click here.
How Does the Housing Assistance Program Work?
Once you receive your Housing Choice Voucher, you have 60 days to locate a rental home which passes inspection and is considered to be rent reasonable.
Please note: The program does not offer property to rent. You are responsible for finding the home of your choice.
- The rental home where you currently live may qualify.
- The owner of the property must be willing to participate in the program and accept housing assistance payments each month from OACAC.
- You will sign a one-year lease agreement with the property owner, and OACAC will sign a Housing Assistance Payments Contract with the owner.
- If needed repairs are identified, the owner will be asked to do the repairs.
If you abide by the terms of your lease and comply with all of your family obligations in the program, your Section 8 Voucher assistance will continue until you are financially able to pay all of your rent.
Your eligibility must be recertified each year and a home inspection will be done annually.
ELIGIBILITY
Who Is Eligible for OACAC Housing Assistance?
All applicants must be income eligible for placement on the Waiting List for assistance.
- Total household income must fall at or below the HUD Very Low Income Limits (50% at Area Median Income). View income limits here.
- Social Security cards are required with applications.
- Applicants will be selected from the waiting list in date and time order of their application.
- Applicants will be notified by mail when funding is available.
- A final income eligibility determination will be made at that time.
- Eligible applicants will be issued a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher as certification of their eligibility.
No person will be denied participation in the housing program on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicap, or family status.
An application may be denied for the following reasons:
- The individual owes OACAC Housing any money or has violated any Family Obligations as a previous participant;
- Owes any money to another Public Housing Agency or violated their program rules;
- Evicted from public housing or any Section 8 program in the last three years for illegal drug activity;
- Convicted of illegal drug activity in the past year or convicted of violent criminal activity in past three years;
- Convicted of manufacturing meth;
- Is required to register with any state sex offender registration program;
- All household members must furnish verification of Social Security card numbers and meet the documentation requirements of citizenship or eligible immigration status.
COST
How Much Will You Pay in Monthly Rent?
That depends on a few different factors.
- Your share of the monthly rent will be based on family size, household composition, total household income, and other factors.
- You will pay approximately 30% of your adjusted monthly income for rent and OACAC will pay the remaining balance due the property owner.
- The program does not pay security deposits or utility deposits.
A program Housing Counselor will be available to help you make important decisions about your housing.
You can also learn more by checking out the following resources:
EXPECTATIONS
What Will Be Expected of You as a Renter?
As a Housing Assistance client, you have the following responsibilities:
- Pay your rent on time each month.
- Comply with your lease agreement.
- Keep your home and surrounding area clean.
- You will be responsible for any tenant-caused property damage.
- Please report any changes in your family composition to OACAC in writing within 10 days and provide information regarding your income as requested.
- Comply with all of your program family obligations.
Restrictions on leasing to relatives:
- OACAC may not approve a property for lease if the owner is the parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, sister, or brother of the Section 8 Voucher holder that is seeking to rent the unit.
- OACAC may still approve a unit for lease, if we determine that approving the property would provide reasonable accommodation for a family member who is a person with disabilities.
Information for Property Owners
The need for decent, safe, sanitary and affordable housing continues to grow in our communities. If you own modestly priced rental housing in our service area and would like to participate in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, we welcome you. Keep in mind, the program is the Housing CHOICE Voucher Program. The family with an active voucher chooses where they wish to live. We are happy to offer a list of prospective property owners who agree to have their information provided to voucher holders who are searching for housing, but the final choice rests with the voucher holder and the property owner. Property owners are responsible for screening the prospective renter family. Once that match is made, the family will contact our office to do a final determination if the home they have chosen can be approved and if so, an inspection of the property will be scheduled.
More information and sample forms are provided in the following links. If you have any questions, please contact our office at 417-864-3444. We appreciate our partnership with participating property owners!
Click here for a copy of a sample contract.
Click here for a copy of the direct deposit authorization.
Click here for a copy of the fair housing booklet.
Click here for a copy of the VAWA notice to landlords.
Click here for a copy of the owner’s guide.
Click here to download and complete the rental survey.
Click here to learn more about how landlords are paid.
Click here for a copy of the inspection book.
How Do You Know if a Rental Unit Qualifies for Housing Assistance?
You can rent a single family house, apartment, duplex, or mobile home, but it must meet Housing Quality Standards. Please look for the following criteria when searching for a place to rent:
- If the unit is a mobile home, it must be equipped with tie downs and it must be skirted at the foundation.
- The home must be free of cracking, peeling, and chipping paint.
- The neighborhood and site on which the home is located must be free of health and safety hazards.
- A working smoke detector must be present on each level of the home.
- Each living and sleeping room must have either:
- One permanent light fixture and one electrical outlet, OR
- Two working electrical outlets.
- The home must have an indoor bathroom with an operable window or vent.
- The home must have a bedroom for every two family members.
- Walls, floors, ceilings, roof and windows must be in good repair.
- The rental home must have hot and cold running water.
- The owner must supply an adequate heating system. Not acceptable are space heaters (or room heaters) that burn oil or gas and are not vented to a chimney.
- The home must have locking windows and doors.
- There must be a kitchen with a sink that has the following:
- Hot and cold running water
- Space to store, prepare, and serve food
- A cooking stove or microwave oven
- A refrigerator
- The tenant can furnish the stove and refrigerator
Apply
HOW CAN YOU APPLY FOR HOUSING ASSISTANCE?
You can apply for the Housing Assistance Program at the OACAC Neighborhood Center in the county where you live, or at the OACAC Central Office in Springfield. Click here to download the Housing Assistance Program Application. We are now serving households who applied prior to 5/8/17.
The OACAC Housing Assistance Program offers assistance to residents in the following counties: Barry, Christian, Dade, Dallas, Greene (excluding the City of Springfield), Lawrence, Polk, Stone, Taney, and Webster.
Applicants who do not live inside OACAC’s legal service area (including people living in Springfield) will be classified as non-residents of the jurisdiction for the purposes of determining where they can lease a unit.
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