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Are there instructions on how to complete the online application?
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The following instructions are provided online in order to complete the application:
- Before you begin the application process, please have the social security number (SSN) for the head of household. The SSN is being submitted over a secure environment.
- It is very important that you provide a correct mailing address/email address, and phone number so the local housing agency can contact you regarding your application. If your contact information is not correct then you will not receive information regarding the program and your name will be removed from the waiting list. You are not required to provide an email address but this is helpful as a contact source. Email is a quick tool to contact you rather than using the postal service for mail delivery.
- For the purpose of assisting the local housing agency in resolving any issues that may arise during the applicant process or to assist in providing any special care or services you may require, you have the right to include as a part of your application, the name, address, telephone number, and email address of a family member, friend, or social, health, advocacy, or other organization. This is an optional question and it not required to submit your application.
- The online application is designed to be quick and easy to complete. You have an initial 20 minutes to submit the application. If more time is needed to complete the application an additional 20 minutes is provided. The clock does not start until you enter your SSN.
- You should have paper and pen ready to write down a confirmation number provided to you once you have completed the application. This is your notice that you are on the waiting list. No letters are mailed to notify you of your placement on the waiting list.
- If you do not receive a confirmation number after you submit your application, immediately reapply before the application deadline closes. If you do not receive an online confirmation number then, your application was not accepted and your application will not be on the waiting list. If you encounter any problems receiving your confirmation number, please email HCVWaitList@vhda.com before the waiting list closes. Issues reported after the waiting list closes cannot be addressed and your application will not be on the waiting list.
- Once a voucher becomes available you will be contacted by the local housing agency either by email or by letter. Your eligibility for the voucher assistance will be verified when your name is reached on the waiting list.
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Can I have someone listed on the application as an additional contact person on my behalf?
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Yes. There is a section on the online application that asks for this optional contact information. |
Can people apply who live outside of the local housing agency’s waiting list?
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Yes. Applications are accepted from everyone. But all VHDA local housing agencies have a residency preference; therefore, applicants that live/work or have been notified to work in the waiting list area will be placed on the waiting list ahead of applicants who live/work outside of the waiting list area. |
Can someone complete an online application for me?
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Yes. Anyone can complete an application on behalf of an applicant. |
Can VHDA or the local housing agent mail/fax/email me an application?
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No. You must apply online when the waiting list is open. |
Does it cost to apply online and submit an application to the waiting list?
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There is no charge or fee to apply. |
How do I apply online if I don’t have a computer or Internet access?
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The two-week newspaper notification provides adequate time for you to contact family, friends, public libraries, your church and/or other local organizations to arrange to use their Internet to access the online application. |
How do I get an application?
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Applications for the waiting list are only accepted online. Opening and closing of the waiting list is published in the area newspaper two weeks before the waiting list is open. |
How do I know where I am on the waiting list?
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The local agencies are allowed to tell you where you are on the waiting list or what your number/position is. The waiting list is dynamic and your number/position will change, as other applicants report changes in local preferences. You certainly may contact the local housing agency but please realize that the position/number is only a number and it does not help you know how long you will wait to be called off the waiting list. |
How do I receive a Housing Choice Voucher?
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You must apply online and be placed on a local housing agency waiting list. VHDA has 32 local housing agencies; each one maintains separate waiting lists for their area of operation or waiting list area. |
How long will I have to wait before I get a voucher?
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Because it all depends on the rate of turnover (who gives up their voucher or leaves the program) and the level of federal funding available, it isn’t possible to predict how long an applicant will remain on a waiting list. |
How much time do I have to complete the online application?
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The online application is designed to be quick and easy to complete. You’ll be given 20 minutes to submit the application. If you need more time, an additional 20 minutes is provided. |
How will I know that my online application has been accepted?
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You’ll see a confirmation number displayed once you’ve clicked the “Complete Application” button at the bottom of the application screen. Print this confirmation page, or write down your confirmation number. This number is your record that your name is on the waiting list. |
How will you contact me when a voucher is available, by phone, by email, or by letter?
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You’ll be contacted either by email or by letter from the local housing agency using the mailing address/email address you provided in your online application. It is very important to keep your mailing/email addresses current at all times. Changes to your mailing/email address must be submitted in writing or by email to the local housing agency. If your mailing/email addresses are not correct or are not delivered, then you won’t receive information regarding the program and your name will be removed from the waiting list. Always follow-up with the local housing agency to be sure they have your correct addresses on file. And if you are worried that your email was not received by the local agency please call to confirm the email was received. |
If I have applied to one housing agency’s waiting list, may I apply to another open waiting list?
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Yes. You may apply to more than one waiting list. |
Is the application only in English?
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No, the online application is also available in Spanish. |
Is there a fee or charge to apply online?
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You do not pay anything to apply online to the voucher program. |
May I apply to the same waiting lists more than once?
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No. The online application will not accept your second application for the same waiting list. |
Should I apply if I do not live/work in the local agency’s waiting list area?
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This is a personal decision. Even though the online process will allow you to apply and you will be placed on the waiting list, your application will be placed at the bottom of the waiting list since you do not live/work or have been notified to work in the waiting list area (residency preference). Some applicants decide this is a waste of time to apply and other applicants elect to apply even though it will be an extrememly long wait due to the number of applicants that meet the live/work residency preference. |
What are local housing agency preferences?
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A local housing agency can adopt local preferences. Some examples of local housing agency preferences include: being homeless, living in substandard housing, being defined as elderly, or a person with a disability, etc. The online application will allow you to select the preferences that you qualify for and the preference determines your position on the waiting list. View all local housing agency preferences. |
What are the definitions of the local preferences?
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Definition of Local Preferences
Client with agency services - services provided by a local housing agency to a special needs population.
Applicant family - a family, defined by the local housing agency, which is applying for assistance.
Disabled family - a family whose head, spouse, or sole member is a person with disabilities; or two or more persons with disabilities living together; or one or more persons with disabilities living with one or more live-in aides (24 CFR 5.403).
Elderly family - a family whose head, spouse, or sole member is a person who is at least 62 years of age; or two or more persons who are at least 62 years of age living together; or one or more persons who are at least 62 years of age living with one or more live-in aides (24 CFR 5.403).
Homeless - Any person or family that: (1) lacks a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence; or (2) is living in a shelter or utilizing shelter resources that provide temporary living arrangements; or (3) is exiting an institution where the person resided 90 days or less and was homeless prior to being institutionalized; or (4) is fleeing any type of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking or other dangerous or life-threatening situation.
Homeless with children under age 18: Any family that has children under age 18 and: (1) lacks a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence; or (2) is living in a shelter or utilizing shelter resources that provide temporary living arrangements; or (4) is fleeing any type of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking or other dangerous or life-threatening situation.
Preference for singles - single persons who are age 62 or older, displaced, homeless, or persons with disabilities are given preference over other single persons (24 CFR 982.207(b)(v)(5)).
Rent burdened - a family paying more than 50 percent of monthly family income for rent and utilities.
Waiting list area - a jurisdiction identified as the VHDA local agency’s area to operate and provides services.
Working family - a family where the head, spouse or sole member is employed OR where the head and spouse, or sole member is age 62 or older, or is a person with a disability.
Substandard housing is defined by HUD if it:
- is dilapidated. A housing unit is dilapidated if it:
- does not provide safe and adequate shelter AND meets the criteria in either paragraphs 2, 3 or 4
- endangers the health, safety or well being of a family in its present condition
- has one or more critical defects; OR
- as a combination of intermediate defects in sufficient number or extent to require considerable repair or rebuilding. (The defects may involve original construction, or they may result from continued neglect or lack of repair or rebuilding).
- does not have operable indoor plumbing;
- does not have a usable flush toilet, bathtub or shower inside the unit for the exclusive use of a family;
- does not have electricity or has inadequate or unsafe electrical service;
- does not have safe or adequate source of heat;
- should, but does not, have a kitchen;
- OR, has been declared unfit for the habitation by an agency or unit of government.
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What happens when my name reaches the top of the waiting list?
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The local housing agency will send you a letter or an email requesting you complete the formal application process. Once the information is verified and your application is determined eligible, a voucher will be issued. If you do not respond to the letter or the email your name will be removed from the waiting list. |
What if I have special needs?
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If you or anyone in your family is a person with a disability, and you require a specific accommodation in order to fully utilize our programs and services, please contact the local housing agency in your area to request an appointment to submit an application during the application acceptance period. |
What if my circumstances change while my application is on the waiting list?
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There are two important changes to report in writing or by email: all mailing/email address changes (so the local housing agency can contact you) and report any changes that may qualify your family for the local agency preferences (so your application is on the waiting list in the correct position). It is not necessary to report family composition or income changes as this information is not a question on the online application. Report all change of circumstances to the local housing agency not VHDA. |
What is a local housing agency’s waiting list area?
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A local housing agency serves a specific area known as their area of operation or waiting list area.
For example: Pembroke Management, Inc. administers the voucher program for the counties of Craig, Floyd, Giles, Montgomery and Pulaski. The area served by Pembroke Management is their waiting list area. |
What is a local residency preference?
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A residency preference is given to an application based on a member of the applicant family living, working or being hired to work in the waiting list area served by the local housing agency. The residency preference puts applicants that live/work in the waiting list area ahead of applicants that are outside of the waiting list area. All of VHDA’s local housing agencies have a local residency preference. |
What is the website to apply online?
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What questions do you ask on the online application?
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To view the sample online application please click here. |
What should I do if I do not receive a confirmation number when I apply online?
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If you do not receive a confirmation number after you submit your application, immediately reapply before the application deadline closes. If you do not receive an online confirmation number then your application was not accepted and your application will not be on the waiting list. If you encounter any problems receiving your confirmation number, please email HCVWaitList@vhda.com before the waiting list closes. Issues reported after the waiting list closes cannot be addressed and your application will not be on the waiting list. |
When will a waiting list open?
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It is not possible to predict when a waiting list will open. VHDA and the local agency will open the waiting list when there are not enough applicants to fill anticipated vacancies. |
When will you be taking applications in the area where I live?
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All announcements regarding the date and time to open and close a waiting list are published in the local newspaper. |
Why do you ask for an email address?
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You are not required to provide an email address but this is helpful as a contact source. Email is a quick tool to contact you rather than using the postal service for mail delivery. If you do not have an email account you will be contacted using your mailing address. |