Portability for Section 8 Voucher Holders

Graham Housing Authority is currently absorbing all Port Ins except VASH.

Porting to Graham Housing Authority: If you are porting in from another housing Authority, contact your housing authority to have your paperwork with portable voucher sent to Graham Housing Authority; we accept Port paperwork by email, fax or mail.

Email to ports@grahamhousing.com

Mail to:
PO Box 88
Graham, NC 27253
Attention: Portability

fax to 336-227-0564

Once Port paperwork is received at Graham Housing Authority, the portability specialist will contact the family within 48 business hours to discuss scheduling an appointment to issue a voucher to search in our jurisdiction of Alamance County. The family will not be seen before port papers are received from the initiating current housing authority – NO EXCEPTIONS.

Current GHA Section 8 participants wishing to Port to another County or State:

1- The participant must complete a Notice to Vacate and get the current landlord’s signature.
2- The family must complete the Portability Request form and give to their GHA case manager.
3- Your case manager will contact you and may schedule an appointment to obtain additional documentation and information to update your file. New criminal records are required for all moves; you will be given a letter to get a criminal record, at no charge to you, for all adults in the household.
4- Once your file has been updated by your case manager, your file will be given to the portability specialist.

– All portable clients will be sent a copy of their Portable Transfer Voucher by mail. All information, along with the Portable Checklist, will be faxed or emailed and also mailed to the receiving Housing Authority within three business days of the completed Portability packet being received.

Graham Housing Authority

Reasonable Accommodation Policy and Procedures

Policy Statement

Graham Housing Authority (GHA) is committed to ensuring that its policies and procedures do not deny individuals with disabilities the opportunity to participate in, or benefit from, nor otherwise discriminate against individuals with disabilities, on the basis of disability, in connection with the operations of GHA’s programs, services, and activities.

Therefore, if an individual with a disability requires an accommodation such as an accessible feature or modification to the GHA policy, GHA will provide such accommodation unless doing so would result in a fundamental alteration in the nature of the program or an undue financial and administrative burden. In such a case, GHA will make another accommodation that would not result in a financial or administrative burden.

A reasonable accommodation is a change, modification, alteration or adaptation in policy, procedure, practice, program, or facility that provides a qualified individual with a disability the opportunity to participate in, or benefit from, a program (housing or non-housing) or activity.

GHA will post a copy of this Reasonable Accommodation Policy and Procedures in the lobby of our building at 109 E. Hill St. Graham, NC 27253, on its website grahamhanc.com. In addition, individuals may obtain a copy of this Reasonable Accommodation Policy and Procedures, upon request, from the GHA 504 Coordinator.

 

LEGAL AUTHORITY

 GHA is subject to Federal Civil rights laws and regulations. This Reasonable Accommodation Policy is based on the following statutes or regulations. See Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504); Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA); the Fair Housing Act of 1968, as amended (The Fair Housing Act); the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, and the respective implementing regulation for each Act.

 

MONITORING AND ENFORCEMENT

 The GHA 504/ADA Coordinator is responsible for monitoring GHA’s compliance with this Policy. Individuals who have questions regarding this Policy, its interpretation or implantation should contact GHA’s Section 504/ADA Coordinator in writing, by telephone, by email, or by appointment, as follows:

STAFF TRAINING

The Section 504/ADA Coordinator will ensure that all appropriate GHA staff receive annual training on the Reasonable Accommodation Policy and Procedures, including all applicable Federal, state, and local requirements regarding reasonable accommodation.

 

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

A person with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation at any time during the application process, residency in public housing, or participation in the Housing Choice Voucher Programs of GHA. The individual, GHA staff, or any person identified by the individual, must submit all requests in writing.

Reasonable accommodation methods or actions that may be appropriate for a particular program and individual may be found to be inappropriate for another program or individual. The decision to approve or deny a request for a reasonable accommodation is made on a case-by-case basis and takes into consideration the disability and the needs of the individual as well as the nature of the program or activity in which the individual seeks to participate.

 

APPLICATION OF REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION POLICY

The Reasonable Accommodation Policy applies to individuals with disabilities in the following programs provided by GHA:

A) Applicants of public housing;

B) Applicants of all Housing Choice Voucher Programs including (VASH, HOPWA, FUP);

C) Residents of public housing developments;

D) Participants of the Housing Choice Voucher Program

E) Participants in all other programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance that are conducted or sponsored by GHA, its agents or contractors including all non-housing facilities and common areas owned and operated by GHA.

 

PERSON WITH A DISABILITY

A person with a disability means an individual who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. As used in this definition, the phrase “physical or mental impairment” includes:

1) Any physiological disorder or condition.

2) Any mental or psychological disorder.

Graham Housing Authority

Notice of Occupancy Rights under the Violence Against Women Act

To all Tenants and Applicants:

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) provides protections for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.  VAWA protections are not only available to women, but are available equally to all individuals regardless of sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation.  The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is the Federal agency that oversees that Graham Housing Authority (GHA) is in compliance with VAWA.  This notice explains your rights under VAWA.  A HUD-approved certification form is attached to this notice.  You can fill out this form to show that you are or have been a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, and that you wish to use your rights under VAWA.”

Protections for Applicants

If you otherwise qualify for assistance under GHA, you cannot be denied admission or denied assistance because you are or have been a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

Protections for Tenants

If you are receiving assistance under GHA, you may not be denied assistance, terminated from participation, or be evicted from your rental housing because you are or have been a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

Also, if you or an affiliated individual of yours is or has been the victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking by a member of your household or any guest, you may not be denied rental assistance or occupancy rights under GHA solely on the basis of criminal activity directly relating to that domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

Affiliated individual means your spouse, parent, brother, sister, or child, or a person to whom you stand in the place of a parent or guardian (for example, the affiliated individual is in your care, custody, or control); or any individual, tenant, or lawful occupant living in your household.

Removing the Abuser or Perpetrator from the Household

HP may divide (bifurcate) your lease in order to evict the individual or terminate the assistance of the individual who has engaged in criminal activity (the abuser or perpetrator) directly relating to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

If HP chooses to remove the abuser or perpetrator, HP may not take away the rights of eligible tenants to the unit or otherwise punish the remaining tenants.  If the evicted abuser or perpetrator was the sole tenant to have established eligibility for assistance under the program, HP must allow the tenant who is or has been a victim and other household members to remain in the unit for a period of time, in order to establish eligibility under the program or under another HUD housing program covered by VAWA, or, find alternative housing.

In removing the abuser or perpetrator from the household, HP must follow Federal, State, and local eviction procedures.  In order to divide a lease, HP may, but is not required to, ask you for documentation or certification of the incidences of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

Moving to Another Unit

Upon your request, HP may permit you to move to another unit, subject to the availability of other units, and still keep your assistance.  In order to approve a request, HP may ask you to provide documentation that you are requesting to move because of an incidence of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.  If the request is a request for emergency transfer, the housing provider may ask you to submit a written request or fill out a form where you certify that you meet the criteria for an emergency transfer under VAWA.  The criteria are:

(1) You are a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.  If your housing provider does not already have documentation that you are a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, your housing provider may ask you for such documentation, as described in the documentation section below.

(2) You expressly request the emergency transfer.  Your housing provider may choose to require that you submit a form, or may accept another written or oral request.

(3) You reasonably believe you are threatened with imminent harm from further violence if you remain in your current unit.  This means you have a reason to fear that if you do not receive a transfer you would suffer violence in the very near future.

OR

You are a victim of sexual assault and the assault occurred on the premises during the 90-calendar-day period before you request a transfer.  If you are a victim of sexual assault, then in addition to qualifying for an emergency transfer because you reasonably believe you are threatened with imminent harm from further violence if you remain in your unit, you may qualify for an emergency transfer if the sexual assault occurred on the premises of the property from which you are seeking your transfer, and that assault happened within the 90-calendar-day period before you expressly request the transfer.

HP will keep confidential requests for emergency transfers by victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, and the location of any move by such victims and their families.

HP’s emergency transfer plan provides further information on emergency transfers, and HP must make a copy of its emergency transfer plan available to you if you ask to see it.

Documenting You Are or Have Been a Victim of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault or Stalking

HP can, but is not required to, ask you to provide documentation to “certify” that you are or have been a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.  Such request from HP must be in writing, and HP must give you at least 14 business days (Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays do not count) from the day you receive the request to provide the documentation.  HP may, but does not have to, extend the deadline for the submission of documentation upon your request.

You can provide one of the following to HP as documentation.  It is your choice which of the following to submit if HP asks you to provide documentation that you are or have been a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

• A complete HUD-approved certification form given to you by HP with this notice, that documents an incident of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. The form will ask for your name, the date, time, and location of the incident of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, and a description of the incident.  The certification form provides for including the name of the abuser or perpetrator if the name of the abuser or perpetrator is known and is safe to provide.

• A record of a Federal, State, tribal, territorial, or local law enforcement agency, court, or administrative agency that documents the incident of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.  Examples of such records include police reports, protective orders, and restraining orders, among others.

• A statement, which you must sign, along with the signature of an employee, agent, or volunteer of a victim service provider, an attorney, a medical professional or a mental health professional (collectively, “professional”) from whom you sought assistance in addressing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, or the effects of abuse, and with the professional selected by you attesting under penalty of perjury that he or she believes that the incident or incidents of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking are grounds for protection.

• Any other statement or evidence that HP has agreed to accept.

If you fail or refuse to provide one of these documents within the 14 business days, HP does not have to provide you with the protections contained in this notice.

If HP receives conflicting evidence that an incident of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking has been committed (such as certification forms from two or more members of a household each claiming to be a victim and naming one or more of the other petitioning household members as the abuser or perpetrator), HP has the right to request that you provide third-party documentation within thirty 30 calendar days in order to resolve the conflict.  If you fail or refuse to provide third-party documentation where there is conflicting evidence, HP does not have to provide you with the protections contained in this notice.

Confidentiality

HP must keep confidential any information you provide related to the exercise of your rights under VAWA, including the fact that you are exercising your rights under VAWA.

HP must not allow any individual administering assistance or other services on behalf of HP (for example, employees and contractors) to have access to confidential information unless for reasons that specifically call for these individuals to have access to this information under applicable Federal, State, or local law.

HP must not enter your information into any shared database or disclose your information to any other entity or individual.  HP, however, may disclose the information provided if:

• You give written permission to HP to release the information on a time limited basis.

• HP needs to use the information in an eviction or termination proceeding, such as to evict your abuser or perpetrator or terminate your abuser or perpetrator from assistance under this program.

• A law requires HP or your landlord to release the information.

VAWA does not limit HP’s duty to honor court orders about access to or control of the property. This includes orders issued to protect a victim and orders dividing property among household members in cases where a family breaks up.

Reasons a Tenant Eligible for Occupancy Rights under VAWA May Be Evicted or Assistance May Be Terminated

You can be evicted and your assistance can be terminated for serious or repeated lease violations that are not related to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking committed against you.  However, HP cannot hold tenants who have been victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking to a more demanding set of rules than it applies to tenants who have not been victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

The protections described in this notice might not apply, and you could be evicted and your assistance terminated, if HP can demonstrate that not evicting you or terminating your assistance would present a real physical danger that:

1)  Would occur within an immediate time frame, and

2)  Could result in death or serious bodily harm to other tenants or those who work on the property.

If HP can demonstrate the above, HP should only terminate your assistance or evict you if there are no other actions that could be taken to reduce or eliminate the threat.

Other Laws

VAWA does not replace any Federal, State, or local law that provides greater protection for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.  You may be entitled to additional housing protections for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking under other Federal laws, as well as under State and local laws.

Non-Compliance with The Requirements of This Notice

You may report a covered housing provider’s violations of these rights and seek additional assistance, if needed, by contacting or filing a complaint with the Greensboro HUD field office

For Additional Information

You may view a copy of HUD’s final VAWA rule at Federal Register link https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/11/16/2016-25888/violence-against-women-reauthorization-act-of-2013-implementation-in-hud-housing-programs

Additionally, HP must make a copy of HUD’s VAWA regulations available to you if you ask to see them.

For questions regarding VAWA, please contact Graham Housing Authority 336-229-7041

For help regarding an abusive relationship, you may call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or, for persons with hearing impairments, 1-800-787-3224 (TTY).  You may also contact the following local organization(s). Family Abuse Services Main Office, 336-226-5982.  24/7 Crisis Line, 336-226-5985, Hispanic Outreach Line, 336-228-9040.

For tenants who are or have been victims of stalking seeking help may visit the National Center for Victims of Crime’s Stalking Resource Center at https://www.victimsofcrime.org/our-programs/stalking-resource-center.

 

For help regarding sexual assault, you may contact Crossroads Sexual Assault Response and Resource Center Crisis Line: (336) 228-0360 & North Carolina Council for Women/Domestic Violence Commission (919) 733-2455 & United States Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (202) 307-6026

Victims of stalking seeking help may contact  Crossroads Sexual Assault Response and Resource Center Crisis Line: (336) 228-0360 & North Carolina Council for Women/Domestic Violence Commission (919) 733-2455 & United States Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (202) 307-6026