QUESTIONS ABOUT HUD AND 24 CFR 5.609

Sometimes I can't help ask the question, especially when it takes everything I made from a part-time, temporary job, plus one thousand dollars in savings to pay the rent and get groceries. If I did not have the money in savings, I would not have been able to pay my rent for the month of June 2019. Why you ask?

Well, to tell you the truth I can not explain what happened. After all, I reported that my temporary, part-time, seasonal job with Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks would be ending May 24, 2019, on May 14, 2019, to the Montana HCV counselor that was assigned to me when I moved here, to the Capital City, Helena.

I was disappointed when the paperwork for the reduction in rent was not handled until June 24, 2019, which forced me to pay from income that I did not receive for half of May and for the entire month of June. I was told this was based on their need to turn the paperwork in by the 19th of the month, and I did not quit working until the 19th of May. Be that as it may, I turned in my end of employment in time for the Housing Authority to have gotten the correct paperwork to me in a timely manner.  I informed them through email and did not hear anything back from them until I called to find out what my rent would be for the month of June.

I was quite upset when I found out that I would have to continue to pay 30% from income that I was no longer receiving. I have tried to have the Housing Authority explain to me why this is? Why do I not qualify for the EID? Why medical bills that I now owe on were not taking into consideration when recalculating my income? I believe my income should have been disallowed under the 24 CFR 5.609 which speaks of income derived from a 12 month period. HUD has a special calculation they are to use for part-time work, which is generally also calculated for a 12 month period, you need to ask for recertification of income when you only work six months out of the year, or when you stop working.

Because I am disabled, I believe I should have at least qualified for the Earned Income Disallowance for Disabled Tenants, as I have used this benefit in the past two years, as I worked my part-time seasonal job and should have at least qualified for a 50% disallowance as this would be my third 12 month period, with only one more year that I could work and use this disallowance to keep my rent lower so that I could save some money.

Yet Helena Housing Authority Home Choice Voucher Counselor refuses to communicate through email to explain why I do not qualify or understand these rules. She insists we meet in person, and I would like a witness, but the Disability Rights CAP program does not seem interested enough in helping me, as they have not called back in response to my request for a witness in this instance.

I have contacted Senator Tester on this matter as he sits on the Appropriations Committee and helps to decide how much money HUD gets for these programs. His people sent me back to the Montana Department of Commerce Housing Division, and I sent the Agent there an email and have not heard back from them why I do not qualify for a fair hearing on this rent issue.

If anyone out there in internet land can tell me why I do not qualify for the EID, or why my income was not excluded under the 24 CFR 5.609 laws, and why I had to pay a higher rent with a lower income, why my own Housing Authorities will not allow me a fair hearing or even a complete answer to all my questions, then please email me with this explanation at snakewomanspeaks@gmail.com.

I do not understand, I thought I had a right to a fair hearing? I thought my Senator was to deal with Federal Issues and not sweep the poor under the carpet just because it's an election year. I guess I thought wrong. Does anyone have a van for sell that I might purchase because I can not afford to work and be a contributing citizen to society if the landlord gets every extra cent I earn and then some? But I can afford gas, a van, insurance and best of all I could work and be a productive member of society even though I am disabled. When does it pay to keep people locked into poverty?
It is sad when someone wants to work, but can only work a certain number of hours, can't work because the cost to get a job compatible with their disability will cost them more than they can make working.