Landlord & Property Owners

• Landlord & Property Owners
• CHA Responsibilities

The Need for Affordable Housing in Columbia

Our current waitlist of over 1500 families reflects a great need for affordable housing in Columbia, MO.  Currently, the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program serves approximately 1, 136 families a month. With the help of the Columbia rental community, we will continue to reach our goal of providing safe, decent and affordable housing to Columbia families!

Benefits of Participating in the Housing Choice Voucher Program:

• You will be providing affordable housing to Boone County families
• Guaranteed housing assistance payment for a portion of the rent
• You are able to use your own lease
• Free advertising for your available properties
• Free annual inspections of your unit
• Units receive payments at market rate rents

Responsibilities of the housing authority, owner and assisted families:

The HCV Program depends on a cooperative relationship between the housing authority, assisted family and owner or property manager. The program is designed to maintain the regular owner and tenant relationship. Our main purpose is to subsidize families’ rents; all other aspects of the lease agreement must be resolved between the landlord and the tenant. The following summarizes the responsibilities of each party.

The Housing Authority’s Responsibilities:

• Reviews all applicants to determine families’ eligibility for the program.
• Explains the rules of the program to families and property owners/managers.
• Issues vouchers to families.
• Inspects the housing assisted units for compliance with housing quality standards.
• Approves the unit, owner, and lease.
• Makes housing assistance payments to the owner in a timely manner.
• Re-examines the family’s income and composition annually and adjust the rent and process changes in rent portions when the income of the family composition changes.
• Ensures owners and families comply with the program rules.
• Provides prompt, professional service to owners and tenant families.

The Owner:

• Thoroughly screens and interviews families who apply.
• Maintains the property by making necessary repairs in a timely manner.
• Collects application fees, security deposits, and the tenant’s monthly rent portion.
• Manages the property and enforces the lease.
• Complies with the terms of the Housing Assistance Payment Contract and HUD Tenancy addendum.
• Complies with all fair housing laws and not improperly discriminate against any family.
• Notifies the housing authority if a tenant vacates the unit and return the housing assistance payments received after a family vacates a unit.
• Notifies the housing authority of any owner change immediately so payment to the new landlord will not be delayed.

The Family:

• Provides the housing authority with complete and accurate information pertaining to the family income and composition.
• Reports changes in income and family composition that happens throughout the year.
• Locates a suitable unit and pay the security deposit and application fee to the owner.
• Attends scheduled appointments and return documents on time.
• Maintains the property and minor repairs.
• Complies with the terms of the lease and Lease Addendum for Crime Free Housing.
• Pays their portion of the rent on time to the owner.
• Complies with all family obligations under the Housing Choice Voucher Program.

Each family is assigned a housing eligibility specialist. If any repeated issues or problems occur with the tenant, contact the appropriate housing eligibility specialist first.  If your questions are not resolved, feel free to contact the Director of Housing Programs.  If you have specific questions about the program, contact Tawanda Edwards (573)443-2556, Extension 1440.

Contact CHA:

Columbia Housing Authority

201 Switzler Street

Columbia MO 65203

(573) 443-2556

Property Owner Responsibilities

• Perform all management and rental functions for the assisted unit, including screening and selection of tenants and lease enforcement.
• Maintain the unit in accordance with Housing Quality Standards (HQS), including performance of maintenance.
• Comply with equal opportunity/fair housing requirements.
• Prepare information required under the Housing Assistance Payments contract and furnish the information to CHA.
• Complies with the HAP contract and the lease.
• Collect from the renter: security deposit, tenant portion of the rent, any charges for damages to the unit.
• Enforce the tenant obligations under the lease.
• Pay for utilities and services agreed upon in the lease.
• May not collect side payments or collect any extra money from HCV renters or charge more than approved by CHA.