General Information for Rental Assistance

The information provided within this document only provides a general guidance to the administration of the different rental assistance programs. All questions regarding any of this information should be referred to a Housing Authority Representative for clarification.

Section 8 Rental Assistance Programs

The Rental Assistance Program enables low-income families to rent from any landlord with rental assistance administered by the Prince George's County, Department of Housing and Community Development, Rental Assistance Division. There is no funding within the Rental Assistance Program for emergency housing services.

• Housing Authority Responsibilities
• Housing Choice Voucher Program
• Family Self Sufficiency & Welfare to Work
• Family Unification Program
• Rehabilitation Programs
• Rental Allowance Program

Housing Authority Responsibilities

• Seek expanded opportunities for assisted families to locate housing outside of areas of poverty or racial concentration.
• Affirmatively further fair housing goals and comply with equal opportunity requirements.
• Receive applications from families.
• Determine family eligibility.
• Maintain the waiting list.
• Select applicants.
• Issue vouchers.
• Provide housing information to families selected.
• Determine who can live in the unit at admission and during participation.
• Obtain and verify evidence of citizenship and eligible immigration status.
• Review family's request for approval of unit and lease.
• Inspect the unit before assisted occupancy and at least annually during the assisted tenancy.
• Determine the HAP for families.
• Determine maximum rent to owner and if it is reasonable.
• Examine family income, size, and composition at admission and during program participation, including verification of income and other family information.
• Establish and adjust PHA utility allowances.
• Administer and enforce owner compliance with HAP contract.

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Housing Choice Voucher Program

The Housing Choice Voucher Program enables low-income families to rent an apartment, condominium, townhouse, or single-family unit in Prince George's County. Families pay at least 30% but not more than 40% of their income towards utilities and rent. The level of assistance is based family size, income, and current reasonable market rents. The Housing Authority pays the remainder of the rent directly to the owner. The participant and the owner complete the necessary forms to submit the unit to the Housing Authority for approval. The unit must pass a Housing Quality Standards inspection and meet the Rent Reasonableness standard. The participant and the owner enter into a lease agreement after the unit has been approved by the Housing Authority. The Housing Authority and the owner enter into a Housing Assistance Payments contract.

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Family Self Sufficiency and Welfare to Work Programs

The Family Self Sufficiency Program (FSS) is an innovative, voluntary program that assists families receiving rental assistance to achieve economic independence. The participant signs a Contract of Participation in which the participant agrees to become self sufficient within 5 years. To guide the family towards self sufficiency, individual goals and a service plan are created with the assistance of the FSS Program staff. The participant maintains close contact with the FSS staff, who monitor the participant's training and goal plan, provide support, locate community resources, and identify needs and barriers to the participant's achieving self sufficiency.

The FSS staff networks with social service agencies, non profit organizations, other agencies, and educational institutions to identify available resources to assist participants in overcoming barriers to economic independence.

An additional benefit of the FSS program is an escrow account. While families work toward their goals, their earned income may increase. As a result, the participant's portion of rent will also increase. The Housing Authority places an amount matching the increased rent portion into an escrow account. When the Housing Authority determines that the family has become independent or completed their goals, the amount in the escrow account is disbursed to the participant. Many families choose to pursue their goal of homeownership with their escrow monies. The FSS program is a community effort. Participation and cooperation of many social service agencies and educational institutions enhance the chances of participants reaching their goals. Community volunteers are welcomed as tutors and mentors for program participants.

The Welfare to Work Program (WtW) provides Housing Choice Vouchers to families who have a critical housing need in order to obtain or retain employment. Families are initially determined eligible for WtW by the Prince George's County Department of Social Services and referred to the Department of Housing and Community Development. The head of household must be either working or enrolled in an educational or job training program on a 30-hour per week basis in order to qualify or maintain assistance. All income information is verified for eligibility prior to admission into the program. Housing assistance is combined with other resources such as job training and childcare that are provided through partnerships with other agencies.

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Family Unification Program

In partnership with the Prince Georges' County Department of Social Services (DSS), rental assistance is provided to families determined eligible for the Family Unification Program. The families are screened by DSS and referred for housing assistance when the family is in danger of their children being placed in foster care due to inadequate or insufficient housing.

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Moderate Rehabilitation/Project Based/Substantial Rehabilitation Section 8 Programs

In exchange for low interest loans, the owners of multifamily housing sites agree to allocate a fixed number of units to families who qualify to receive Rental Assistance.

The participants in these programs understand that their housing subsidies are project based, and will not transfer with them, should they decide to move to other housing. All participants must meet the income criteria set by the Section 8 Rental Assistance Program.

• Foxglenn Apartments, Capitol Heights, MD.
• Riverview Terrace, Oxon Hill, MD.
• Central Gardens, Capitol Heights, MD.
• Forest Creek, Forestville, MD.
• Pleasant Homes, Capitol Heights, MD.
• Westminster, Suitland, MD.

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Rental Allowance Program

The Rental Allowance Program (RAP) is a state funded housing program that provides fixed monthly rental assistance payments to eligible lower income homeless persons and households with critical and emergency housing needs. The assistance is on a short term basis. The goal of the Rental Allowance Program is to demonstrate that these families with critical housing needs can return to long-term housing self-sufficiency following a short-term period of RAP subsidy payments. The success of reaching this goal depends upon careful screening and selection of eligible applicants and having an effective administrative network to provide other needed social services.

The Community Development Administration (CDA), an agency in the Division of Development Finance within the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, is authorized to make grants to political subdivisions to be disbursed as RAP payments.

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