Welcome Scattered Sites’ Residents to the HCV Program!
Overview
“Scattered Sites” refers to individual public housing units located throughout Philadelphia that are owned and managed by the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA). More than 4,000 households currently live in these properties, which are located on “scattered” city blocks.
PHA is in the process of converting these Public Housing units to the Project-Based Voucher (PBV) program, a part of the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program. This transition is being made possible through Tenant Protection Vouchers (TPVs), which PHA has applied for through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The goal of this initiative is to ensure long-term affordability, protect resident rights, and allow PHA to complete necessary rehabilitation and repairs for these nearly 70-year-old homes. Once converted, residents will become participants in the PBV program, which ties rental assistance to their current unit and maintains affordability under the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program guidelines.
Scattered Sites Resident Welcome Video
FAQ’s Section
Are you a current Scattered Site Resident in the process of having your unit converted to Project Based? The below FAQ’s may answer a lot of questions you may have:
What are HCV Project-based Vouchers?
The Project-based Voucher (PBV) program is part of the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program. Under the PBV program, PHA enters into long-term contracts to provide funding so that rental units can remain affordable to low-income families.
When will my unit be converted from Public Housing to the HCV PBV program?
Before converting your unit, HCV will inspect your unit to ensure that it meets basic Housing Quality Standards (or HQS). As a result of such inspections, PHA may also need to complete additional repairs to your unit. For both the inspection and any additional repairs, the HCV Department will send you a letter to notify you when the inspection will take place and if repairs will be completed.
Will this change my lease?
Because you will be a new tenant with the HCV PBV program as your unit converts from Public Housing, you will be required to sign a new lease. Your Property Manager will schedule a meeting with you to review where you can ask questions about your new lease before signing. PHA will send you a letter to notify when this meeting has been scheduled.
I heard that you are terminating my lease. Am I losing my housing assistance?
No. PHA is converting your current rental unit from Public Housing to the HCV (Section 8) Project-based Voucher (PBV) program. This means that your assistance will be converted from Public Housing to HCV, and you will become a participant in the HCV PBV program. As noted above, you will be required to sign a new lease agreement for your rental unit with the Philadelphia Asset and Management Company (PAPMC), an affiliate of PHA.
Similar to Public Housing, your assistance in the HCV PBV program is tied to your current unit. If you need to move to another unit, you may submit a request to PHA to do so. If approved, PHA may offer you a rental unit at another HCV PBV property.
Will I need to move?
No. PHA will not require you to move from your current rental unit. However, PHA may need to make repairs on your unit before converting it to HCV (Section 8) Project-based Vouchers. PHA will provide you with written notice if they schedule repairs for your unit.
Will my rent go up?
Rent will not increase for most families, because Public Housing and HCV generally calculate your rent the same way. You will pay between 26-28% of your adjusted income towards rent.
However, if you are on ceiling rent or pay utilities, you may see a change to your rent amount:
- If you are currently on ceiling rent: The HCV program does not have ceiling rents. As a result, families on ceiling rent in Public Housing will be required to pay rent based on their income (i.e. 26-28% of their adjusted income) in the HCV program. If you were on ceiling rent in Public Housing, PHA will generally phase in an increase in your rent over three years
- If you pay for utilities: HCV will use different utility allowances to offset the costs of the utilities you are responsible for paying. Most families will see a small decrease in their rent amount as a result of the change in utility allowances.
Please note that if you are responsible for paying utilities and receive a Utility Assistance Payment (UAP) from PHA, you will receive the UAP payment on a pre-paid debit card called the US Bank Reliacard after conversion. If you qualify for a UAP, HCV will enroll you automatically to receive the pre-paid debit card by mail and will issue you your UAP monthly.
Who do I contact for maintenance or service requests?
You will continue to reach out to your Property Manager for any and all service or maintenance requests.
Will I still be able to participate in self-sufficiency programs?
If you are a current participant in an FSS program, you will still be able to participate in FSS after the conversion. You will be automatically moved from the public housing FSS to the Housing Choice Voucher FSS program. The rules for both public housing and Housing Choice Voucher FSS programs are very similar.
If you are a current participant in the Resident Opportunities and Self Sufficiency-Service Coordinators Program (ROSS-SC), you can continue to participate in ROSS-SC until program funding is used up. Once the grant funds are spent, PHA cannot apply for a new grant for a PBV property.
Will I still be able to participate in the Homeownership Program?
The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) homeownership program allows families that are assisted under the HCV program to use their voucher to buy a home and receive monthly assistance in meeting homeownership expenses.
Purchasing a home is a serious investment that requires time and planning. PHA’s Homeownership Division sponsors first-time homebuyer workshops where residents can learn more about financial planning, credit review and repair, affordability, getting pre-qualified for a mortgage, and identifying real estate agents and home inspection companies. They also have established working partnerships with financial institutions, housing counseling agencies and realtors.
For more information, contact the Homeownership Division at 215-684-8914
Who do I contact if I have more questions?
If you have additional questions about the upcoming conversion, you can contact PHA by email at [email protected] or your Property Manager by phone at (phone). Your Property Manager and the management office will continue to be your main point of contact for questions about paying rent or requests for repairs; the process of paying rent and requesting repairs will not change after conversion.
My unit was converted to the Project Based Program, How do I contact HCV?
If you have already gone through the PBV conversion process, the best way to contact the HCV program is online. Our portals are websites where you can log in to review your information and make requests to PHA. There are three portals (or websites) available to you. Each of these—listed below—is easy and convenient to use.
You can also reach HCV’s Customer Support Center at 215-684-4300 where representatives are available to assist with questions about recertification, inspection or other aspects of the HCV program. You can also request to be connected to one of our HCV Client Liaisons if you need to discuss a sensitive matter or need assistance with a landlord dispute.
- We encourage you to use the HCV Client Portal to contact your representative, as needed with any questions or concerns. The portal also allows you to submit requests to HCV; this includes reporting changes to your income and family composition and requesting an interim recertification. The HCV Client Portal also allows you to view your HCV rent and household information.
You can register by scanning this code with your smartphone, computer, or tablet:
You can also find the HCV Client Portal on PHA’ website’s at www.pha.phila.gov.
- You will continue to be required to complete a regular recertification of your household income and family composition every two years or every three years if your household is on a fixed income. In the HCV program, you can complete your regular recertification either by mail or online using the My Housing Recertification Portal which allows you to submit income and family information and upload documents! You can access this through the HCV Client Portal or at pha.myhousing.com. You’ll receive more information in the mail when it is time to process your first regular recertification.
- PHA will inspect your rental unit at least once every two years to confirm the unit continues to meet PHA’s inspection standards. You can view upcoming inspections for your unit, inspection results and photos of repairs by visiting the Inspections Portal at https://pha.hcvinspect.com
