Questions from the In‐State Transfer Webinar presented on April 24, 2014 Q: Will this webinar be available for later viewing for those of us that were not able to attend? A: The webinar will be made available on the training page of the DOH website. Until it is posted, you can access the webinar at: https://codola.adobeconnect.com/p9sdujk9b4y/ Q: If participants do not give us the 30‐day advanced notice to transfer, can the process still be done, or must they wait the 30 days in advance? A: The 30‐day advance request is a courtesy to the receiving agency, allowing them time to receive the required paperwork from the initial agency, make contact with the participant, and find time in their schedule to complete an inspection and move paperwork. In situations when participants do not complete the in‐state transfer request at least 30 days in advance, they should be informed that there might be a wait‐time in the new jurisdiction they are moving to. Q: Can a participant transfer if they are not currently in good standing with DOH (in a repayment agreement, current program violations, etc.)? A: The transfer is just like a move and a participant will be able to transfer if they are in a repayment agreement. If they require a tenant conference prior to transferring for program or lease violations, the initial agency should conduct the conference before sending them. Q: With tenant conferences, will the “three strikes” transfer over to the receiving agency? For example: Tenant has had two tenant conferences at initial agency, will the receiving agency automatically go to the next phase of tenant conferences or start at tenant conference 1? A: The tenant conferences transfer with the person. That is why it is important that the tenant conference information be sent to the receiving agency. Q: If a tenant transfers and then decides to go somewhere else is it the initial or receiving agency that is responsible for the change paperwork? A: Because the participant has not leased up at the first receiving agency they transferred to, it is still the initial agency’s voucher to administer. This means the initial agency would be responsible to complete the transfer paperwork for the next agency they will be transferring to.
Q : The receiving agency can approve the two allowable 30‐day extensions but after those two, DOH would need to approve...correct? A: Yes, that is correct. The receiving agency is able to approve an additional 60 days of extensions (bringing the voucher to 120 days post‐issue). Any extensions after 120 days must be approved as a Reasonable Accommodation by your DOH Contract Manager. Q: Are extensions on transferred vouchers required? A: If the participant requests them and they are reasonable, the receiving agency should grant requests up to 120 days. Q: Who approves the Reasonable Accommodation extension requests (beyond 120 days)? A: All reasonable accommodation requests, including the request for voucher extensions beyond 120 days, should go to your DOH Contract Manager for review and approval (or denial). Q: Does the initial agency lose the voucher after it transfers to the receiving agency? A: It is too difficult to keep track of where vouchers go and where they came from, so yes the new agency's program would grow. DOH will look at agencies that have lost vouchers and if vouchers are available try to reposition them Q: When a participant wants to transfer but they are having problems finding rentals, who should they contact? A: The participant should contact the receiving agency in this scenario as the receiving agency will know the rental market in that specific community and should have a list of potential landlord resources available. Q: If a family wants to transfer to an area in Colorado where there are no DOH agencies, then it should be treated as a port (not an in‐state transfer), correct? A: Correct. We will process these on a case by case basis. The DOH Contract Manager will determine which receiving agency is most appropriate, which might be a non‐participating DOH agency in some situations. Q: Is the out‐of‐state portability form updated as well? A: The Out‐of‐State Portability form was updated a few years ago. All current forms can be located on our forms webpage at: http://dola.colorado.gov/doh-forms. Please let Katherine Helgerson know if any of the links on this webpage are currently not working.
Q: If the participant is not moving from their current unit, just transferring to a different DOH agency, does a new inspection need to be completed? If so, who completes it? A: A new inspection would not be required in this situation. The current inspection and Annual Reexamination date would remain the same for the receiving agency. Q: If a tenant is leasing a unit in another jurisdiction but wants to continue receiving services with our agency (mental health treatment), do we keep them or transfer? A: Each agency can determine whether or not they want to transfer the voucher in this situation. If you are able and willing to continue administering the housing, you may do so. Q: Can you expand on “jurisdiction”? A: The jurisdiction that DOH serves is the entire State of Colorado. Because of this, a contract agency in one county is able to administer a DOH voucher in another county. We do not require Adams County agencies, for example, to administer vouchers only in Adams County. If a participant crosses the county line into Arapahoe County (for example), the Adams County agency may choose to continue administering their voucher. Q: When we get paperwork that you cannot read (Family Reporting Form, Releases, etc.), do we get new paperwork signed? A: If the paperwork you receive from the initial agency did not scan or fax clearly, you may request that they mail cleaner copies. Q: What happens if you do not get the requested documents from the initial agency (such as the pre‐ application)? A: Please contact your DOH Contract Manager if you have not received the requested paperwork from the initial agency. Q: If the participant has just been issued a voucher from my waiting list and immediately wants to transfer, which agency should conduct the voucher briefing? A: The initial agency completes the voucher briefing regardless of whether or not the applicant intends on leaving the “jurisdiction”. Q: If the applicant applied on my waiting list, but then moved across the state, are they required to attend the briefing with my agency (the initial agency)? A: Yes, the applicant is required to attend the briefing with the initial agency. It’s most effective if the briefing occurs face‐to‐face, but in rare cases you may present the briefing over the phone or via Skype as a reasonable accommodation.
Q: If an existing participant transfers to another agency, does the receiving agency need to conduct new CBI and NSOPW background checks? Does the receiving agency need to re‐brief the participant? A: In the situation where a participant has been leased up in the program and then completes an in‐state transfer to another agency, the receiving agency is not required to re‐brief the participant or re‐run a CBI background check on them. As requested by HUD, please do run the NSOPW check on all household members 14 years and older on an annual basis. Q: If the participant has an Annual Reexamination due in the next 120 days and is requesting a transfer, do you complete the Annual Reexamination immediately and then do the transfer? A: If a participant requests an in‐state transfer and their Annual Reexamination is due within the next 120 days, please complete the reexamination immediately. If the participant is out of the unit at the time of their request, please complete an Annual Reexamination Searching. Q: If the Annual Reexamination is not due within 120 day from now, but is due 120 days from the effective date of the transfer, what should we do? A: To be safe (in this situation), please complete the Annual Reexamination at the time you complete the transfer paperwork. It is okay to process an Annual Reexamination with an earlier date. For example, if an Annual Reexamination is due 9/1/14, but the participant plans on transferring 7/1/14, you may complete an Annual Reexamination of their income, assets, and expenses effective 7/1/14.
4/23/2014
Steps to transfer a voucher participant within the State of Colorado to another partner agency
Initial Agency Steps Documents to DOH Contract Manager DOH jurisdiction is the State of Colorado Initial agency collects required forms and provides to DOH Contact Manager at least 30 days prior to effective date of transfer Required Forms: Send to DOH Contract Manager Request for In‐State Transfer Form A 30‐Day notice or Mutual Rescission of Lease signed by family and landlord Manual Voucher issued for 60 days(do not issue through elite
Initial Agency Responsibilities Agency determines if proper notice to vacate was given Agency reviews required documents for completeness New Admission:
1. Determine eligibility and issue voucher 2. Conduct Tenant Briefing Current Participant ‐ If Annual reexamination is due within 120 days from effective date of transfer, initial agency completes action Initial agency will maintain the original file for 3 years Upon approval from DOH initial agency will fax or scan by secure email family documents to receiving partner agency
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Steps ‐ DOH Contract Manager Identifies a receiving DOH partner agency Upon approval sends an email to initial and receiving DOH agencies approving in‐state transfer Attached to email will be: In‐State Transfer form Signed Voucher Updated EIV, CBMS, DOLE and FSR reports
Initial Agency sends Receiving Agency Initial agency sends receiving agency by fax or secure email: Original application All family ID documents (birth certificates, social security cards, IDs, etc.) 30 Day notice to vacate or mutual rescission of lease Current 50058
Initial Agency sends Receiving Agency continued All documents associated with last effective annual action to include: 1.
All income, expenses, and asset verifications
2. All releases (including the HUD 9886) 3. All 214 forms 4. Any approved reasonable accommodations 5. Any tenant conferences, violation documentation, etc.
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Receiving Agency Steps DOH and initial agency will send by fax or secure email family information and current reports to Receiving Agency Obtains updated income, asset, and expense verification Obtain a RFTA from family and inspects new unit Completes the move/annual action
Receiving Agency Responsibilities Tracks voucher clock Grants voucher extensions Notify DOH Contract Manager if participant never makes contact Notify DOH Contract Manager if voucher expires If participant never leased‐up with receiving agency within voucher timeframe, Initial agency will process/complete the End of Participation (EOP). Turnover voucher to initial agency waiting list.
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In-State Transfer Process
1. Initial agency completes the following with participant and provides to DOH Contract Manager at least 30 days prior to effective date of transfer: Request for In-State Transfer (ISF) Form 30-Day Notice to Vacate or Mutual Rescission of Lease Manual voucher issued for 60 days (do not issue through Elite) If the participant’s Annual Reexamination is due within 120 days from the effective date of the transfer, the initial agency must complete the Annual Reexamination action. Initial agency provides participant with receiving agency’s contact information.
2. DOH Contract Manager identifies a receiving agency and, upon approval, sends an e-mail to the initial agency, the receiving agency, and the DOH Contract Manager for the receiving agency regarding the in-state transfer. Attached to that e-mail will be:
Completed and signed IST form (including the contact information for both agencies) Completed and signed voucher EIV, DOLE, CBMS, and FSR (DOH will run these updated reports)
3. Initial DOH Contract Manager changes the caseworker, puts future payments on hold, moves participant out of their current unit, and issues the voucher in Elite using the new increment. 4. Upon receiving approval of the in-state transfer, the initial agency will fax or scan the following to the receiving agency (initial agency will maintain the original file for 3 years):
Original application All family ID documents (birth certificates, social security cards, IDs, etc.) 30-day notice to vacate or mutual rescission of lease All documents associated with the last effective annual reexamination 50058 All income, expense, and asset verifications All releases (including the HUD 9886) Any approved reasonable accommodations Any tenant conferences, violation documentation, etc.
5. Receiving agency tracks the voucher clock and is responsible for granting extensions as necessary. 6. Receiving agency will complete the move action (which makes it extremely important that they receive the in-state transfer request at least 30 days in advance of the transfer). This may require obtaining updated income, asset, and expense verifications from the participant. 7. If the participant does not lease up with the receiving agency within the voucher timeframe, the initial agency completes the End of Participation (EOP) action and turns over the voucher to the next person on the initial agency’s waiting list.
FAMILY REQUEST FOR IN STATE TRANSFER Housing Choice Voucher Program
This form must be submitted to Division of Housing (DOH) a minimum of 30 days before anticipated move date
PART I: COMPLETED BY INITIAL AGENCY AND FAMILY Head of Household
SSN
Current Address Phone
Allocation Size
Anticipated Date of Move
Destination City
Initial Agency
Phone
Residential Coordinat or (Name)
Fax
Head of Household (Signature)
Date
Residential Coordinator (Signature)
Date
----------------------------------------------------------PART II: DOH USE ONLY Receiving Agency
Phone
Residential Coordinat or (Name)
Fax
Initial and Receiving Agency notified by: Fax ____________________________________ DOH Staff Signature
Email
Phone
Mail
____________________ Date
G:\DOHCOM\SHHP\HOUSING PROGRAMS\SECTION 8\S8 FORMS\NEW FOLDER\TRANSFER FORM - IN STATE.DOC 4/17/13