FROM $153 TO $551 JUMP IN DISABLED MONTANA SEASONAL WORKER 2019 RENT

I just don't understand how a temporary, seasonal, part-time job can make your rent climb so high. I do use the Home Choice Section 8 Voucher program to help me with my rent as I became disabled in 2001, due to a physical assault on the job.

It wasn't until three, maybe four years ago could I secure a job. I only had my social security disability coming in for 16 years when I got a job as a seasonal, temporary worker doing Hunter Harvest Calls. It pays $9.50 an hour and it is a fight to get 20 hours, and I have yet to get the "core" hours, which are peak times people are home to call without having to work six days a week due to my chronic pain condition.

That is ok, the job pays about $190 gross a week, that is if I can get 20 hours in. That is about $570 take-home pay. That means for the six months I try to work up to 20 hours my rent will be $581 a month, leaving me with a grand total of $19 left from my net pay.

My SSDI is under $900 a month, and I will need to pay renter's insurance, which wasn't told to me before the lease signing, nor was it told to me that the housing authority agreed to the raising of the rent from $750 a month to $820. Granted all utilities are included, but the heat is locked in at 62 degrees and it has been in the twenty degrees to single digest numbers at night, and you don't get heat in the big bedroom or bathroom.

I had to pay a $750 security deposit and their cleaning people didn't even clean the oven the first time. The stove was present with crusted brown/black drip pans and an inch or more of precleaned oven crud that wasn't wiped out. The walls are filthy dirty, coated in dust, fuzz, and film from cooking, showering, buggers and blood on the walls along with other unidentifiable stuff. I get to clean it because they paid their cleaner for 4 hours at $20 an hour and she did little to nothing.

217 YEARS AND NO CHANGE IN OWNERSHIP NOT ALWAYS A GOOD THING

Webinar on HUD's Proposal to Raise Rents, February 28

http://nlihc.org/article/webinar-huds-proposal-raise-rents-february-28-0

AND NOW A WORD FROM THOSE MOST AFFECTED

If you would like to read an interesting little magazine put out by the National Low Income Housing Coalition called TENANT TALK.

REGISTER TO LEARN ABOUT THE BASICS OF THE FEDERAL FAIR HOUSING ACT

March 14, 2018

BASICS OF FAIR HOUSING - WEBNAR PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A WEBINAR PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A WEBINAR Seattle, WA 98104 PLEASE NOTE - This is a Webinar & All Times are Pacific Time. Housing owners, property managers, renters, housing advocates - learn the basics of the Federal Fair Housing Act, with more in depth discussion on issues such as disability, family status, sexual orientation and domestic violence. This knowledge is not only critical to prevent costly violations, it's also good business! This training will be held as a Live Webinar, with the video presentation conducted online and audio conducted using a telephone conference line. Log-in and call-in information will be emailed to registrants the day prior to the training date. The times listed are PACIFIC time. Training is Free. Questions? Contact Kristina Miller at 206-220-5328 or Kristina.Miller@hud.gov For more information visit  Contact Info:  Kristina Miller (206) 220-5328 Kristina.Miller@hud.gov Registration closes on : March 12, 2018

Closed for Registration Change My Registration

HUD IS INVESTING $35 MILLION FOR SERVICE COORDINATORS IN PUBLIC HOUSING

HUD No. 18-015 HUD Public Affairs (202) 708-0685

FOR RELEASE Tuesday February 20, 2018

HUD AWARDS $35 MILLION TO PROMOTE JOBS, SELF-SUFFICIENCY FOR PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS

WASHINGTON - In an effort to help low-income residents become self-sufficient, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded $34.9 million to public housing authorities, public housing resident associations, Native American tribes, and non-profit organizations across the nation to hire or retain service coordinators to help them find jobs, educational opportunities, and achieve economic and housing independence (see list below).

The funding, provided through HUD’s Resident Opportunities and Self Sufficiency – Service Coordinators Program (ROSS-SC) helps grantees hire or retain "service coordinators" who work directly with residents to assess their needs and connect them with education, job training and placement programs, and/or computer and financial literacy services available in their community to promote self-sufficiency.

“It’s part of our mission to help connect public housing residents to better, higher paying jobs and critical services as a means of helping them move beyond public assistance and toward self-sufficiency,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson. “This funding gives our local partners resources they can use to help residents become economically independent and achieve the dreams they have for themselves and their children.”

The purpose of HUD’s ROSS-SC program is to encourage innovative and locally driven strategies that link public housing assistance with public and private resources to enable HUD-assisted families to increase earned income; reduce or eliminate their need for welfare assistance; and promote economic independence and housing self-sufficiency. These grants provide funding to hire and retain Service Coordinators who will assess the needs of residents of conventional Public Housing or Indian housing and coordinate available resources in the community to meet those needs. In addition, ROSS-SC grants help improve living conditions for seniors, enabling them to age-in-place.

Fiscal Year 2017 ROSS-Service Coordinator Grants

STATE	GRANTEE NAME	AWARD AMOUNT	STATE TOTAL
Arizona	Pinal County Housing Department	$204,000
		Arizona Total:	$204,000
California	The Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles	$738,000
	Housing Authority of the City of Sacramento	$436,230
	Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara	$246,000
	Housing Authority of the County of Fresno	$230,660
	Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura	$246,000
	Chico Rancheria Housing Corporation & HA County of Butte	$245,000
	Madera, City of	$233,382
	Area Housing Authority of the County of Ventura (AHA)	$228,500
		California Total:	$2,603,772
Colorado	Walsh Manor Local Resident Council	$215,918
	Westridge Local Resident Council	$240,556
	Westwood Local Resident Council	$215,918
	City of Englewood Housing Authority	$207,429
		Colorado Total:	$879,821
Connecticut	Ansonia Housing Authority	$246,000
	Housing Authority of the Town of Greenwich	$246,000
	Bristol Housing Authority	$246,000
		Connecticut Total:	$738,000
Florida	Sarasota Housing Authority	$233,460
	Housing Authority of the City of Titusville	$208,832
	The Housing Authority of the County of Flagler	$246,000
	The Lee County Housing Authority	$246,000
	Palatka Housing Authority	$246,000
	Punta Gorda Housing Authority	$240,000
		Florida Total:	$1,420,292
Georgia	Thomaston Housing Authority Resident Council Inc.	$246,000
	Northwest Georgia Housing Authority	$230,000
	Housing Authority of Newnan	$246,000
		Georgia Total:	$722,000
Iowa	City of Des Moines Municipal Housing Agency	$246,000
	Eastern Iowa Regional Housing Authority	$246,000
		Iowa Total	$492,000
Idaho	Nampa Housing Authority	$241,219
	Nez Perce Tribal Housing Authority	$246,000
		Idaho Total:	$487,219
Illinois	Decatur Housing Authority	$240,725
	Rock Island Housing Authority	$216,000
	Macoupin County Housing Authority	$151,772
	The Housing Authority of the City of Bloomington	$244,500
	Rockford Housing Authority	$492,000
	Oak Park Housing Authority	$246,000
		Illinois Total	$1,590,997
Indiana	Housing Authority of the City of Kokomo	$190,395
	New Albany Housing Authority	$246,000
	Housing Authority of the City of Bloomington	$184,391
		Indiana Total:	$620,786
Kansas	Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas Housing Authority	$142,190
		Kansas Total:	$142,190
Kentucky	Bryant Way Resident Council	$178,827
	Gordon Avenue/Summit View Resident Council	$173,021
	Louisville Metro Housing Authority	$721,800
	Housing Authority of Covington	$231,000
	Housing Authority of Floyd County	$179,109
		Kentucky Total:	$1,483,757
Massachusetts	Fall River Housing Joint Tenant Council	$186,000
	New Bedford Housing Authority	$423,762
	Norwood Housing Authority	$246,000
	Quincy Housing Authority	$246,000
	Falmouth Housing Authority	$246,000
		Massachusetts Total:	$1,347,762
Maryland	Resident Services, Incorporated	$738,000
		Maryland Total:	$738,000
Maine	Portland Housing Authority	$240,756
	Lewiston Housing Authority	$213,539
		Maine Total:	$454,295
Minnesota	Northwest Minnesota Multi-County HRA	$246,000
	Moorhead Public Housing Agency	$246,000
		Minnesota Total:	$492,000
Missouri	Independence Housing Authority	$246,000
		Missouri Total:	$246,000
Mississippi	Laurel Housing Authority Beacon Homes Resident Council LLC	$246,000
	Arco Lane Site Based Resident Council, LLC	$246,000
		Mississippi Total:	$492,000
Montana	Public Housing Authority of Butte's Resident Council	$129,652
	Missoula Housing Authority	$246,000
		Montana Total:	$375,652
North Carolina	Greensboro Housing Authority	$230,415
	Housing Authority of the City of High Point	$492,000
	Lenoir Housing Authority	$246,000
		North Carolina Total:	$968,415
North Dakota	Fargo Housing and Redevelopment Authority	$246,000
		North Dakota Total:	$246,000
New Jersey	Housing Authority of the City of Jersey City	$492,000
	Housing Authority of the City of Paterson	$442,349
	Phillipsburg Housing Authority	$246,000
	Housing Authority of the City of Rahway	$246,000
	New Jersey Institute for Disabilities	$246,000
		New Jersey Total:	$1,672,349
New Mexico	Housing Authority of the City of Truth or Consequences	$246,000
	Santa Fe County Housing Authority	$246,000
	Albuquerque Housing Authority	$220,598
		New Mexico Total:	$712,598
New York	Citywide Council of Syracuse Low Income Housing Residents	$492,000
	Ocean Bay Community Development Corporation, Inc.	$738,000
	Albany Housing Authority	$492,000
	Rochester Housing Authority	$492,000
	Niagara Falls Housing Authority	$243,350
	Community Development Corporation of Long Island, Inc.	$246,000
		New York Total:	$2,703,350
Ohio	Jurisdiction-Wide Resident Advisory Board	$738,000
	Lucas Metropolitan Housing Authority	$679,331
	Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority	$702,816
	Zanesville Metropolitan Housing Authority	$246,000
		Ohio Total:	$2,366,147
Oregon	Housing Authority of Clackamas County	$246,000
	Home Forward	$492,000
	Housing Authority of Lincoln County	$246,000
		Oregon Total:	$984,000
Pennsylvania	Allegheny County Housing Authority	$682,732
	Harrisburg Housing Authority	$384,000
	Westmoreland County Housing Authority	$336,997
	Family Service Association of Bucks County	$245,449
		Pennsylvania Total	$1,649,178
Rhode Island	Chestnut Court Tenants Association	$246,000
	The Housing Authority of the City of Providence	$738,000
	Johnston Housing Authority	$220,500
	Housing Authority of the City of Pawtucket	$82,000
		Rhode Island Total:	$1,286,500
South Carolina	Housing Authority of the City of Columbia, SC	$384,255
	Housing Authority of Greenville	$246,000
		South Carolina Total:	$630,255
South Dakota	Sisseton Wahpeton Housing Authority	$177,000
		South Dakota Total:	$177,000
Tennessee	Johnson City Public Housing Authority	$246,000
	Morristown Housing Authority	$180,300
	Columbia Housing & Redevelopment Authority	$246,000
	The Crossville Housing Development Corporation	$160,722
		Tennessee Total:	$833,022
Texas	Housing Authority of the City of Fort Worth	$242,000
	San Marcos Housing Authority	$225,405
	Houston Housing Authority	$628,605
		Texas Total:	$1,096,010
Virginia	Can I Live, Inc	$738,000
	Can I Live, Incorporated	$202,033
	Cardinal Village Tenant Association, Inc.	$231,000
	Pleasant View Tenant Association, Inc.	$231,000
	Danville Redevelopment and Housing Authority	$231,000
	Chesapeake Redevelopment & Housing Authority	$246,000
	Harrisonburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority	$176,400
	Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority	$246,000
		Virginia Total:	$2,301,433
Washington	The Housing Authority of the City of Bremerton	$246,000
	Housing Authority of the City of Tacoma	$246,000
	Nisqually Indian Tribe	$228,600
	Housing Authority of Kittitas County	$208,286
		Washington Total:	$928,886
Wisconsin	S.E.T. Ministry Inc	$239,733
		Wisconsin Total:	$239,733
West Virginia	Charleston-Kanawha	$457,209
	The Huntington Housing Authority	$190,404
		West Virginia Total:	$647,613
		TOTAL	$34,973,032

Nothing More To Lose

There comes a time in some people's lives, when fear paralyzes their every move, dominates their every thought and leads them into a place of complacency and conformity and that is ok. When fear around my housing situation first gripped me back when I was a young divorced, mother of two I just put my head down worked hard, followed all the rules and was very great full my two kids had a roof over their heads.

Until recently, if your income increased anywhere from $20 to $200 dollars you had to tell them and your rent went up accordingly. Now, I hear rumors of those who utilize Federal Housing Programs may find that some of them will be paying 35% of their income or perhaps their Home Choice Voucher like mine, is on the chopping block (click here to learn more). My rent has already gone up allegedly because of a mistake that was made, but it is funny the correction took me to 35% of my income for rent.

Affordablehousingonline.com has a very interesting take on what could become a reality in the world of government housing waiting lists. " However, it is impossible to know exactly what Trump plans to do as he has not mentioned Section 8 or other housing programs specifically. We hold out hope that he realizes that these programs are not being abused and help keep millions of hard working American families out of homelessness." The article goes on to say.

Hope, what is that? Anymore in my mind hope is just another fantasy just like waiting for my knight in shining armor to come and save me; at least where being a recipient of government housing is concerned.

"Families in every state could face rent increases that could total $300 a year or more (see Appendix 1)." The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities article brings a suspicion of truth to some of the rumors I have been hearing about people's rent are possibly going up to 50% of their income. The thought of this not only squashes any hope I might have coned myself into holding on to; confirming it would be cheaper and more reliable if I bought a

camper to live in. The loan payments would then be 25% of my income.

The National Low Income Housing Coalition reminds us, "Research shows that when people have a stable home that they can afford, they are better able to find employment, achieve economic mobility, age in place, perform better in school, and maintain improved health." 

The tenants in the United States are not the only ones facing the surge in rents; the BBC reports "While containing the cost to taxpayers, it leaves housing benefit vulnerable to becoming increasingly irrelevant with respect to its purpose - maintaining the affordability of adequate housing for those on low incomes."

When you have nothing to lose, fear is no longer a problem. Fear has become a motivator. I was afraid to speak up because I live on the crack of the floorboards that President Trump is prying up because he can just feel there is a quarter under there. The more he pries pulls and tugs the wider that crack gets and more people will find themselves falling through the cracks regardless of whether they speak up or not.

So before we all go free-falling here, Call your members of Congress and urge them to SUPPORT full funding for affordable housing programs and OPPOSE any proposals that increase rents and impose arbitrary, administratively burdensome and wasteful work requirements on federal housing assistance programs.