Taking Back the Key

1. Taking Back the Key “To provide helpful strategies for finding and maintaining affordable housing.”

2. Fair Housing

3. Define “Fair” Housing Fair housing is based upon the premise that housing should be a free choice. 1988 Federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in the area of housing based upon the following seven groups: 1. race 2. color 3. National origin or ancestry 4. Religion 5. Gender 6. Familial status 7. Disability

4. Two forms of Discrimination • Disparate Treatment: treating someone differently because of their protected status • Disparate Impact: when a neutral policy or procedure has a disproportionately negative impact on a protected class

5. What Social Workers Need to Know MOST! • Be aware of laws & policies • Be aware of who the Fair Housing Act effects • Know where to file complaints • Know the difference between tenant/landlord disputes & fair housing

6. Be Aware of Laws & Policies • Disability Laws: • Landlords are responsible to pick up the waste of seeing eye dogs on the tenants property • Landlords cannot charge pet deposits for the blind • Fair Housing Laws: http://www.hud.gov/offices/fheo/FHLaws/index.cfm • Your Rights Link: http://www.hud.gov/offices/fheo/FHLaws/yourrights.cfm

7. Be aware of who the Fair Housing Act effects • Clients with a physical or mental disability that substantially limits one or more major life activities: • Hearing • Mobility and visual impairments • Chronic alcoholism • Chronic mental illness, • AIDS -or- AIDS related complex • Mental retardation • Clients with a record of such disabilities or clients regarded as having such disabilities

8. Know where to file complaints • Indiana Civil Rights Commission • Website Link • Contact Information • Indiana Government Center North 100 N. Senate Avenue, Room N103 Indianapolis, IN 46204 • Phone: (317)232-2600 • Fax: (317)232-6580 • Human Relations Department • City of Anderson link • Contact Information • Floyd Edwards, Director • 120 E. 8th St. Anderson, IN 46012 • Phone: (765)648-6135 • Email: fedwards@cityofanderson.com

9. Difference between tenant/landlord disputes & fair housing Examples • Tenant/Landlord Dispute • Deposit is not returned by landlord • Mold issues • no law that protects against mold in Indiana • Code Violations • Contact Michael Widing, the Director of the Municipal Development Department • Fair Housing • Refer to website links and handouts

10. Information to Note • The Fair Housing Act does not protect against sexual orientation. • Lobby at the state level for policy change • Write, email, or call your legislature!! Further Fair Housing Information

11. Rental Assistance

12. Who? • The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (also known as HUD) provides the largest rental assistance program nation wide for low income families

13. What? • The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program • This program was designed to assist low income individuals and families, without disabilities, in obtaining affordable housing and increasing the housing choices available to them.

14. Voucher Program • The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program is a three way partnership between tenants, property owners, and a housing agency. • It is available to low income families for assistance with rent and utility expenses

15. How? • An individual with a Section 8 Voucher is required to pay 30% of their adjusted income towards rent and utilities • The housing agency who distributed the voucher is responsible for the remainder of that households rent and utility costs

16. Two Forms of Assistance 1. Tenant Based Rental Assistance: • allows recipients to choose housing from the private rental housing market, however the rental must meet specific criteria; this voucher is portable from one rental unit to another

17. Two Forms of Assistance 2. Project Based Rental Assistance: • Assistance is tied to a specific housing unit or building and can only be used or made available as long as the recipient is living in that housing unit or building; this assistance is not portable

18. Where? • Section 8 Vouchers are administered by local Public Housing Agencies (PHA) or Community Action Agencies (CAP) • To find the nearest PHA http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/pha/contacts/ • To find the nearest CAP www.in.gov/fssa/families/housing/cap.html

19. Eligibility • The federal government requires that at least 75% of Section 8 vouchers go to households with incomes below 30% of the area median income • However, households with an income at or below 50% of the area median income are eligible the program

20. Eligibility Continued… • Those in the household must be a U.S. citizen or a non-citizen with “eligible immigration status” • Households must also be in good standing with federal housing programs if participation occurred in the past • If a voucher program applicant is disabled they must apply for The Section 8 Housing Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities

21. Eligibility Continued… • PHAs have the authority to screen voucher applicants backgrounds for prior tenant history, criminal history, credit history, and owner references to be taken into consideration when determining eligibility

22. Section 8 Challenges • The Section 8 Voucher program has limited space for households • The program has never been funded at 100% by the federal government • Voucher programs across the nation have waiting lists that last several years before applicants can receive assistance

23. What Can You Do? • Continue to educate yourself on Section 8 Voucher policy http://www.tacinc.org/HH/Program_Policy/Section8HCVP.htm Advocate for your clients at the state and federal level. Call, email, and write letters to your representatives and legislators to advocate for funding and support of financial assistance programs.

24. Future Homeowners

25. Pathstone • Pathstone is a private, non-profit community development corporation working to build stronger families and revitalize communities across New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Puerto Rico. • Enhances the ability of low to moderate-income families in Blackford, Delaware, Henry, and Madison Counties to become homeowners • Partner with Anderson’s Community Development

26. What are Pathstone’s Services? • One-on-one counseling provided by homeownership counselors • Post Purchase Counseling (up to two years) helps families maintain homes and avoid predatory lenders. • Group homebuyer education sessions offer participants information on the home buying process • Sessions include: • Homeownership readiness, selecting a home, working with a Realtor, obtaining a mortgage, understanding closing, home maintenance, and being a good neighbor

27. Homebuyer Financial Assistance Program • Helps low to moderately low income families purchase their first homes. • Partnerships with the Indiana Housing Finance Authority and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis help make this happen. • Affordable mortgages are provided through Pathstone’s loan partnership with USDA Rural Development. • Homebuyers may receive up to 80% of their mortgage financed at 1% interest. Pathstone then finances the remaining 20% of the mortgage amount.

28. Money Management Program • Designed to assist families in preparing for homeownerships, building assets, and reaching other long-term financial goals • They include workshops on basic financial planning, saving and investing, understanding financial institutions and their services, building and maintaining good credit, taxes and insurance. • Also offers a Spanish based money management program called “Hablemos de Dinero” (Let’s Talk About Money)

29. Lease to Purchase • Participants with bad credit will receive assistance in order to better their credit score • Make action plan to reserve credit and pay collections • Participants are given 18 months to raise their credit score in order to receive further assistance from Pathstone

30. Contact Information • Gilda Saathoff Regional Homeownership Program Administrator • Annette Phillips Director Community Development Phone: (765)286-2162 Fax: (765)286)2163 Pathstone.org

31. Current Homeowners

32. Local Foreclosure Rates • The Statewide Foreclosure Rate is at a high of 6.7% • Anderson has the fifth highest foreclosure rate in the state of Indiana • However, Anderson is also receiving the least amount of Neighborhood Stabilization Program Grant money in the state

33. Maintenance Assistance Programs

34. Neighborhood Stabilization Program Grants • Created in 2008 “The Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) provides grants to every state and certain local communities to purchase foreclosed or abandoned homes and to rehabilitate, resell, or redevelop these homes in order to stabilize neighborhoods and stem the decline of house values of neighboring homes.”

35. Neighborhood Impact Program (NIP) • NIP doesn't work just to provide housing opportunities for low-income families; they also strive to improve entire neighborhoods. NIP revitalizes and repairs neighborhoods and homes to restore function, character, and pride. • NIP provides rehabilitation assistance to qualified homeowners on a first-come first-served basis. With a cap of $10,000 per household, NIP is well suited for emergency needs such as roofs, windows, furnaces, wheelchair ramps, and handicap accessibility issues. • http://www.fhlbi.com/housing/nipprog.asp

36. JobSource Weatherization Assistance • Applicants must currently be on the energy assistance program or eligible for energy assistance offered through JobSource.   • Weatherization of a home came help keep heat inside during the winter and out during the summer. • Weatherization Assistance includes things such as air sealing a home, checking furnace and air conditioner efficiency, installing low energy light bulbs,and lower pressure shower heads • When JobSource employees perform these tasks they also do a client education session on the updates and maintenance of energy efficiency in their home • This program is open to low income families in within the community

37. Momentive Consumer Credit Counseling “Changing lives by helping people to gain financial stabilitythrough education and counseling.”

38. Momentive Consumer Credit Counseling • Momentive is a HUD approved counseling agency offering pre-purchase, post-purchase, mortgage delinquency, and reverse mortgage counseling • The goal is to help people buying a home or refinancing their current home, and who need assistance in understanding loan documents and to assist homeowners facing foreclosure keep their homes.

39. Momentive Educational Programs • The Credit Maze: Establishing & Using Credit: This program is designed to assist adults in defining credit and identifying types of credit and advantages and disadvantages of using credit • Credit When Credit Is Due: This program presents a common sense approach to personal finances. • Get Checking: A comprehensive program designed to educate and qualify participants to have responsible access to checking account services.

40. Momentive Educational Programs • The Road Home: A specialized program to help first time homebuyers learn about the home buying process. • Financial Fitness: The “Budget Basics” made simple. Learn how to track expenses and make your money work for you. • Tough Tactics for Tough Times: This program is recommended for crisis management, potential layoffs, reduced income; goal setting, budgeting with reduced income and cutting expenses are discussed.

41. Momentive Educational Programs • Holiday Dollars and $ense: A colorful, fun, high-spirited, and energetic financial overview of preparing for the holidays. • Teaching Kids About Money: This presentation assists parents in teaching their kids about money management. • Understanding Credit Reports & Credit Scoring: This program gives an in-depth review of credit reports and scoring. • Women and Credit: This presentation covers the basics of credit and the importance of women establishing a credit history on their own.

42. Momentive Educational Programs • Stolen Identity: Learn if you are at risk for identity theft as well as ways to protect yourself. • Re-establishing Credit: In this discussion, we focus on proper ways of re-establishing ourselves with credit and how to develop and implement money management tools and spending plans. • What You Need to Know About Reverse Mortgages!: There is probably no other mortgage product that is surrounded by more mystery than a reverse mortgage. There are many myths and misunderstandings about how reverse mortgages work and this presentation will give you the facts.

43. Momentive • Contact Info: • Laurie M. JonesDirector of Education & Community Relations • MOMENTIVE Consumer Credit Counseling Service 615 N. Alabama St., Suite 134 Indianapolis, IN 46204 (317) 713-3013 phone & fax 1-888-711-7227 toll free http://www.momentive.org/