Family Self-Sufficiency
Policy Statement
It is the policy of the Housing Authority of Henderson that all non-exempt adult members of a household residing in public housing and receiving welfare assistance participate in a Community Service or Economic Self-Sufficiency Program.
Definitions
Community Service – Is the performance of voluntary work or duties in the public benefit that serves to improve the quality of life and/or enhance resident self-sufficiency, or/and increase the self-responsibility of the resident within the community in which the resident resides. Political activity is excluded.
Economic Self-Sufficiency Program – Any program designed to encourage, assist, train, or facilitate the economic independence of participants and their families or to provide work for participants. Programs may include programs for job training, employment training, work placement, basic skills training, education, English proficiency, work fare, financial or household management, apprenticeship, and any program necessary to ready a participant to work (such as substance abuse or mental health treatment).
Community Service and Work Requirement
As a condition of continued occupancy, each adult resident of the Housing Authority shall:
a. Contribute eight hours per month of community service (not including political activities) within the community in which that adult resides; or
b. Participate in an economic self-sufficiency program for eight hours per month.
Exemptions
Exemptions shall be made for any individual whom:
a. Is 62 years of age or older;
b. Is a blind or disabled individual defined under section 407(d) of the Social Security Act (42 USC416(I)(1); 1382c) and who is unable to comply with this section, or is a primary caretaker of such individual;
c. Is engaged in a work activity (as such term is defined in section 407(d) of the Social Security Act (42 USC 607(d), as in effect on and after July 1, 1997);
d. Meets the requirements for being exempted from having to engage in a work activity under the state program funded under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 USC 601 et seq.) or under any other welfare program of the state in which the public housing agency is located, including a state-administered welfare-to-work program; or
e. Is in a family receiving assistance under a state program funded under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 USC 601 et seq.) or under any other welfare program of the state in which public housing agency is located, including a state administered welfare-to-work program, and has not been found by the state or other administering entity to be in noncompliance with such program.
Annual Determinations
For each public housing resident, the Housing Authority of Henderson shall, 30 days before the expiration of each lease term of the resident, review and determine the compliance of the resident with the requirements of this policy. Such determinations shall be made in accordance with the principles of due process and on a nondiscriminatory basis.
Noncompliance
If the Housing Authority of Henderson determines that the resident, subject to requirements of this policy, has not complied shall notify the resident in writing of such noncompliance. The written notification shall state that the determination of noncompliance is subject to the administrative grievance procedure and that failure by the resident to enter into an agreement, before the expiration of the lease term, to cure any noncompliance by participating in an economic self-sufficiency program for, or contributing to community service, as many additional hours as the resident needs to comply in the aggregate with such requirement over the 12-month term of the lease, may be cause for lease termination.
The Housing Authority of Henderson shall not renew or extend any lease, or provide any new lease, for a dwelling unit for any household that includes an adult member who has been determined to be in noncompliance with the requirements of this policy and has failed to attempt to cure the noncompliance.
The Housing Authority of Henderson may provide a community service or an economic self-sufficiency program to meet the requirements of this policy, however, the Housing Authority of Henderson shall not substitute participation in community service or an economic self-sufficiency program for work performed by an employee of the Housing Authority of Henderson or supplant a job at any location at which community work requirements are fulfilled.
Administration
The Housing Authority of Henderson may contract out the administration of the Community Service and Work Requirement program to a qualified agency as needed.