The Housing Opportunity Program (HOP) provides Mobility
Counseling to assist Housing Choice Voucher Program families use
their voucher to find and move into quality housing in top-rated
communities throughout the Philadelphia region.
HOP is open to households with vouchers issued by the
Philadelphia Housing Authority. The program is a wonderful business
opportunity, helping to mitigate the biggest challenge in managing
residential property today: finding and retaining tenants who have
a source of stable income to afford and make rent.
Housing matters.
What matters to you most? If you're like most landlords, it is
steady cash flow. That is where the Housing Opportunity Program
(HOP) can help. HOP is a new initiative under the larger Housing
Choice Voucher Program (HCV Program).
The HCV Program is a federal rental assistance program that
enables low- and moderate-income households who qualify to rent
good housing in the private market. Households with vouchers are
free to search for housing virtually anywhere. Once leased, the
program pays a portion of the household's rent directly to the
landlord.
HOP offers landlords all of the traditional benefits of the HCV
Program and more.
Location Matters.
The Housing Opportunity Program (HOP) is a housing mobility
initiative aimed at assisting families participating in the Housing
Choice Voucher program to explore housing choices and move to
Opportunity Areas in Philadelphia and surrounding counties.
Here's how the program works. Rather than search for housing
completely on their own, households who volunteer for HOP are
assigned a housing counselor. The counselor works with them to
pinpoint their needs and then helps them to locate housing in
Opportunity Areas that meet those needs.
Opportunity Areas are communities that are considered
"high-performing" or that "offer exceptional opportunities" based
on criteria measuring quality of life characteristics. The
criteria include socio-economic diversity, low rates of violent
crime, job growth, school quality, and the presence of businesses
and other features such as transportation.
Inherent in this approach is the belief that housing is more
than shelter. HOP offers households with vouchers a chance to
change their address and their quality of life.
Business Matters.
Because a steady supply of units in Opportunity Areas is
critical to the program's success, HOP represents a wonderful
business opportunity for landlords with units in these areas,
offering substantial benefits. To find out if your unit(s) qualify
for HOP, call (215) 684-4050.
Benefits Matter.
For landlords with qualifying units, the benefits of
participating in HOP are tremendous. They include:
- Steady Cash Flow. The program serves as a buffer against these
uncertain financial times when no one is immune from layoffs. If
the tenant's income goes down, the HCV Program picks up that
portion of the rent and pays it directly to the landlord.
- Free advertising and marketing. Landlords enjoy free property
listings, tenant referrals, open houses and other opportunities
where they can interview and screen prospective tenants right on
the spot.
- An additional Pool of Qualified Tenants. Households in HOP must
complete mandatory training. Topics include how to be a good
neighbor and how to be a good tenant-the type of tenant that
landlords value.
- Program Liaison. Landlords are assigned a housing counselor to
serve as a program liaison before, during and after leasing to a
household in HOP. The counselor is there to answer your
questions and assist with paperwork and other tasks to expedite
leasing and minimize the time that your unit is vacant.
Information Matters.
The fine print
Steady cash flow. Free marketing and advertising. Qualified tenant
referrals. Your very own program liaison. You might be
wondering, "What is the catch?" Here it is. As a federally funded
program, there is the inevitable paperwork and the unit must also
pass inspection. At the same time, counselors will assist landlords
in navigating the housing authority's process. Below is an overview
of the leasing process.
Step 1: Tenant Selection.
The household comes to view the unit. If the household likes the
unit and passes the landlord's screening and application process,
the landlord fills out a Request for Tenancy Approval Form (RFTA)
and returns the form to the Housing Authority. The RFTA requests
basic information, including the unit's location, amenities and the
requested rent.
Step 2: Housing Inspection.
After receiving the RFTA, the Housing Authority will schedule
an Housing Quality Standards (HQS) Inspection. The HQS inspection
is based on the premise that federal funds should not be used to
subsidize substandard housing and that all households regardless of
income have the basic right to live in housing that is safe, decent
and sanitary.
Units in the voucher program must pass an HQS inspection before
the tenant moves in and maintain HQS standards throughout the
entire tenancy of the participant. In some municipalities, a
certificate of occupancy and other documentation may be required as
well.
Step 3: Rent Determination.
After the unit passes inspection, the housing authority will
review the requested rent to make sure that it is reasonable for
the area. Factors such as the unit's size, location, condition and
amenities are considered.
Step 4: Execution of Leasing Documents.
If the landlord accepts the rent amount, the household and the
landlord sign a lease; and the landlord and the housing authority
sign a Housing Assistance Payment or HAP contract. The HAP Contract
spells out the rights and responsibilities of the housing authority
and the landlord under the program.
Step 5: Payments Begin.
Once leased, households pay 30-40 percent of their monthly income
toward rent and utilities; the housing authority pays the rest,
called a Housing Assistance Payment or HAP. The HAP is
deposited directly into the landlord's account every month. Rent
from the tenant is due in accordance with the terms of the
lease.
Contact Us
The Housing Opportunity Program
2013 Ridge Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19121
(215) 684-4050
hop.mobility@pha.phila.gov
