The Centre County Housing Authority

The Centre County Housing Authority

Housing Authority

Randall W. Holderman, Director

602 E. Howard Street
Bellefonte PA 16823
Directions: Map
E-mail: rwholder@comcast.net
Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., 12:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Monday - Friday
Voice/TDD: (814) 355-6750
Fax: (814) 355-6908

Links:

Public Hearing

The Housing Authority's Public Hearing will be held on Monday, August 13, 2012 at 11:30 at Crestside Terrace 602 E. Howard Street, Bellefonte PA 16823.

Program Summaries

The Housing Authority of Centre County operates various programs including the Housing Choice Voucher Program (also known as the Section 8 Rental Assistance Program), Family Self-Sufficiency, Family Unification, Shelter Plus Care, Public Housing (Beaver Farm Apartments), Elderly-Disabled Housing (Brockerhoff House, Crestside Terrace) and a Tax-Credit Property (Beaver Heights.) These programs are designed to ensure decent, safe and sanitary housing through Housing Quality Standards Inspections and help low income families/individuals afford their rent. The programs are based on income, and are mostly managed through a waiting list. The Shelter Plus Care rental vouchers are for homeless individuals who are seriously mentally ill or who are dually diagnosed with serious mental illness and drug and alcohol issues. Emergency Housing is not available through the Authority. Persons needing immediate housing are referred to Housing Transitions, Inc.

http://www.housingtransitions.com

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Income Guidelines (Applies to all programs except Tax Credit)

# of persons in family 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
30% of Median 14,350 16,400 18,450 20,450 22,100 23,750 25,400 27,000
Very Low Income 23,900 27,300 30,700 34,100 36,850 39,600 42,300 45,050
Low Income 38,200 43,650 49,100 54,550 58,950 63,300 67,650 72,050
Revised 12/02/2011
 
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Fair Market Rents/Voucher Payment Standards

Housing Choice vouchers
0 Bdrm 1 Bdrm 2 Bdrm 3 Bdrm 4 Bdrm 5 Bdrm 6 Bdrm
$642 $716 $843 $1007 $1039 $1195 $1351
Revised 10/03/2011
 
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Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCV or Section 8 Program)

The Housing Choice Voucher Program is a tenant based rental assistance program which requires participants to pay approximately 30% of their adjusted gross income or the minimum rent ($50.00) towards the rent. The tenant based voucher stays with the tenant when he or she moves as long as all program requirements are met. Participants are selected through waiting list management, and must meet income and occupancy guidelines, along with tenant suitability standards.

When people's name come to the top of the waiting list, the Section 8 staff will call them into a group meeting to verify their eligibility (as circumstances may have changed since date of application) and the program guidelines and regulations are explained. If determined eligible, the client will be issued a Housing Choice Voucher based on the number of bedrooms needed for the family/individual. The person has 60 days to find a unit within the Payment Standard (see chart above) for the number of bedrooms appropriate for the household members.

The amount of rent allowable for a unit is based on multiple factors, the payment standard minus utilities, rent reasonableness, and that the family cannot initially pay more than 40% of its adjusted gross income in rent if it exceeds the payment standard. The landlord must be willing to enter into a contract with the Housing Authority, and to maintain the unit to Housing Quality Standards. Housing Quality Inspections are done initially, and annually. The landlord or the tenant can request special inspections. If the unit the client has selected is not within rent reasonableness and the share of the rent exceeds 40% of their gross adjusted income they will have to select another unit. The Housing Authority will try to negotiate a lower rent with the landlord if rent reasonableness is the only issue.

The subsidy amount is usually the difference between 30% of the family's/individuals adjusted gross income, and the applicable payment standard (see chart above). Gross rent is not capped by the Fair Market Rent, but is subject to rent reasonableness. The rent may exceed the applicable payment standard, if the family is willing to pay the difference and the rent and utilities do not exceed 40% of its gross adjusted income for rent initially. Rent increases are in accordance with the lease. There is no regulatory cap. The tenant must pay any rent increases over the applicable payment standard, or move to a different unit.

Regulations state that a new participant, families moving, or entering into a new lease cannot pay any more than 40% of their gross adjusted income for rent initially. If the rent and utilities exceed the payment standard for the unit they selected the family will have to select another unit if the landlord is not willing to reduce the rent for them to meet the 40% requirement.

The status of the HCV/Section 8 waiting list changes periodically. When the list opens or closes for applications it is published in the Centre Daily Times Newspaper and advertised on TV Channels 4 and 7. This information is subject to change at any time.

Please contact the Housing Authority for current waiting list information. HCV/Section 8 office (814) 355-6750 extensions 2, 3, 4, or 9

HCV/Section 8 Applications can be obtained at the HCV/Section 8 office located at 121 Beaver Farm Lane Bellefonte, PA 16823. Applicants are given one week to complete the application and return it with income verification.

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Family Unification Program (FUP)

The Family Unification Program is a Housing Choice Voucher form of subsidy available only through a referral from Children and Youth Services. The program is designed to help families who are in danger of losing their children, or who have lost their children, and will be able to remain or get back together if they have safe, decent, and sanitary housing. Program participants must complete a service contract with Children and Youth. Once they have completed the service contract they will be switched to a regular Housing Choice Voucher.

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Shelter Plus Care Program

The Shelter Plus Care program is a cooperative effort between the Centre County Housing Authority and Centre County Mental Health/Intellectual Disabilities/Early Intervention and Drug and Alcohol to provide housing and supportive services to homeless individuals with serious mental illness, or who are dually diagnosed with serious mental illness and drug and alcohol issues. The tenant pays 30% of his/her gross adjusted income or the minimum rent ($50.00) whichever is higher. The Shelter Plus Care program is a Housing Choice Voucher form of subsidy available only through a referral from Centre County MH/ID.

More information is available from a client's MH/ID/EIDA case manager or contact the Housing Authority (814) 355-6750 X 0

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Public Housing

The Housing Authority owns and operates 20 townhouse units known as Beaver Farm Apartments. The apartments are located in Bellefonte close to town, schools and shopping. All the units are 3 bedrooms. Tenants are selected through waiting list management, and must meet income and occupancy guidelines (families with 2 children or more,) along with tenant suitability standards. All utilities except telephone and cable are included in the rent. The tenant pays 30% of their adjusted gross income or the minimum rent ($50.00) whichever is higher. There is on site management, on site laundry, community room, bus stop, picnic area, and playground. Public Housing is a project based subsidy (subsidy stays with the project, if the tenant moves, they move without assistance.)

Applications can be obtained at 121 Beaver Farm Lane Bellefonte, PA 16823 Please contact the Housing Authority for current information.

Robert Masorti, Director of Housing Management bmasorti@windstream.net

Phone: 814-355-6750 X 1

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Elderly/Disabled Housing

The Housing Authority owns and operates two Elderly Disabled Housing projects, Crestside Terrace, 40 one-bedroom units, and Brockerhoff House, 28 one bedroom and 5 efficiency units. Both complexes are located in Bellefonte. Tenants are selected through waiting list management, and must meet income and occupancy guidelines, along with tenant suitability standards. All utilities are included in the rent except telephone and cable. The tenants pay 30% of their gross adjusted gross income for rent. Both complexes offer a community room, on site laundry, and management, air conditioning, bus stop, and county van service. Brockerhoff House and Crestside Terrace are project based (subsidy stays with the project, if the tenant moves, they move without assistance.)

Please contact the Housing Authority for application and current information.

Brockerhoff House 814-355-6750 x 8

105 S Allegheny St, Bellefonte, 16823

Crestside Terrace 814-355-6750 X 7

602 E. Howard Street, Bellefonte PA 16823

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Tax Credit Project

The Housing Authority of Centre County operates a tax credit project (Beaver Heights Townhomes) located at Beaver Farm Lane, Bellefonte PA 16823. The development consists of (9)- 2 bedroom, (24)- 3 bedroom, and (7)- 4 bedroom units. Rent is based on 20, 50 and 60% of AMI.

Tenants are selected through waiting list management and must meet income and occupancy guidelines. Beaver Heights Townhomes offer a community room, on site laundry, site management, bus stop and county van service.

Please contact the Housing Authority for application and current information.

Randall Holderman, Executive Director rwholder@comcast.net

Phone: 814-355-6750 X 5

Robert Masorti, Director of Housing Management bmasorti@windstream.net

Phone: 814-355-6750 X 1

2011 Income & Rental Limits (tax credit)

  1 person 2 person 3 person 4 person 5 person 6 person 7 person 8 person
20% AMI 9,440 10,780 12,120 13,460 14,540 15,620 16,700 17,780
50%AMI 23,600 26,950 30,300 33,650 36,350 39,050 41,750 44,450
60% AMI 28,320 32,340 36,360 40,380 43,620 46,860 50,100 53,340

Maximum Rents

Maximum Gross Rents
Unit Size 2 - bedroom 3 - bedroom 4 - bedroom
20% AMI $303 $350 $390
50% AMI $757 $875 $976
60% AMI N/A $1012 $N/A
Tenant paid utility allowances
  (-$148) (-$178) (-$209)
Maximum Net Rents (After tenant paid utility allowances)
20% AMI $155 $172 $181
50% AMI $609 $697 $767
60% AMI N/A $834 N/A
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Affordable Home Ownership Opportunities

The Housing goal for Centre County is to ensure decent, safe and sanitary housing for every individual regardless of age, sex, income, religious or ethnic background. This website serves as the home for a wide range of affordable home ownership opportunities in Centre County. We invite you to explore these opportunities by clicking on the links to these housing programs.

Housing program eligibility requirements and contact information may be obtained through each individual link or email address.