The Centre County Housing Authority

Housing Authority

Randy 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 Wednesday August 19 at 11:30 at Crestside Terrace 602 E. Howard Street, Bellefonte PA 16823.

Program Summaries

The Housing Authority of Centre County operates a Section 8 Rental Assistance Program to help low income families/individuals with their rent, along with providing decent, safe and sanitary housing through Housing Quality Standards Inspections. The various programs available are Housing Choice Voucher Program, Family Self-Sufficiency, Family Unification, Homeless, Public Housing (Beaver Farm Apartments), and Elderly-Disabled Housing (Brockerhoff House, Crestside Terrace). The programs are based on income, and mostly managed through a waiting list. Emergency Housing is not available through the Authority. The Housing Authority has 10 homeless vouchers available. Persons needing immediate housing are referred to Housing Transitions, Inc. Housing Transitions, Inc. manages 5 of the available homeless vouchers and The Women's Resource Center manages the other 5 homeless vouchers provided by the Housing Authority. The Housing Authority was recently awarded $243,840 for 8-1-bedroom Shelter Care Plus rental vouchers for homeless individuals who are seriously mentally ill or who are dually diagnosed with serious mental illness and drug and alcohol issues.

The following paragraphs outline the different programs that are available from the Housing Authority. All the programs are tenant based (subsidy stays with the tenant) with the exception of the Public Housing and Elderly-Disabled housing which is project based (subsidy stays with the project, if the tenant moves, they move without assistance).

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Income Guidelines (Applies to all programs)

# of persons in family 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
30% of Median 13,500 15,400 17,350 19,250 20,800 22,350 23,850 25,400
Very Low Income 22,450 25,700 28,900 32,100 34,650 37,250 39,800 42,350
Low Income 35,950 41,100 46,200 51,350 55,450 59,550 63,650 67,800
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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
$616 $687 $809 $967 $997 $1147 $1296
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Certificate Program

Note: The certificate program is being merged into the rental voucher program. The merger date is 10-01-99. After that date all new participants, persons moving or entering into a new lease will be issued a housing choice voucher. Current certificate holders including special programs will be converted on or before their second examination on or after the merger date.

When a person's name has come to the top of the waiting list, the Section 8 staff will call them into verify their eligibility. 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 for the number of bedrooms they need (see chart above). The amount of rent allowable for a unit would be based on multiple factors, the payment standard minus utilities, rent reasonableness, and that the family cannot initially pay more than 40% of their gross adjusted 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 their 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.

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Housing Choice Voucher Program

The entire process is the same for the voucher program with the following exceptions. The subsidy amount is usually the difference between 30% of the family's/individuals adjusted income, and the applicable payment standard (see chart above). The minimum total tenant payment is 10% of gross unadjusted monthly income. There is no minimum total tenant payment. 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 their 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.

New regulations state that a new participant, family's moving, or entering into a new lease cannot pay anymore 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.

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FSS(Family Self-sufficiency Program)

Is a 5 year program designed to help families become free of Public Assistance through case management The major incentive of this program is an escrow account. As the families share of rent increases due to increased earned income, the Housing Authority puts this money into an interest bearing escrow account. Upon the successful completion of the program the money is given to the participant to do with whatever they please, buy a car, down payment on a house, go to school, etc. It is important to note that if a family cannot complete the program or wishes to drop out, they will be able to keep their rental subsidy unless they have violated program regulations. Available only to CURRENT Section 8 Rental Assistance participants. When initially entering the program each family/individual is given information on the program, and given the option to participate. If a client indicates they are interested, they are then forwarded to Housing Transitions, Inc. which case manages for the Housing Authority to get further information.

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FUP(Family Unification Program)

A Housing Choice Voucher form of subsidy available only through referral from Children and Youth Services. The program is designed to help families who are in danger of loosing 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 Program.

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Homeless Voucher

The Centre County Housing Authority has 10 Homeless Vouchers, which are distributed by Housing Transitions and the Women's Resource Center. Once issued a voucher the client may then choose a unit within the payment standard. Using the same criteria as the Housing Choice Voucher form of subsidy.

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Shelter Care Plus Program

The Housing Authority recently was awarded $243,840 for 8 1-Bedroom Shelter Care Plus units. The Shelter Care Plus program will be a cooperative effort between the Centre County Housing Authority and Centre County MH/MR 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 their gross adjusted income or the minimum rent ($25.00) whichever is higher. The Housing Authority received approval of a $391,440.00 second grant for this program effective June 18, 2007.

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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, along with tenant suitability standards. All utilities except telephone and cable are included in the rent. The tenant pays 30% of their adjusted income or the minimum rent ($50.00) which ever is higher. There is on site management, on site laundry, community room, bus stop, and playground.

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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 income for rent. Both complexes offer a community room, on site laundry, and management, air conditioning, bus stop, and county van service.

NOTE: The waiting lists are open at this time for Beaver Farm Apartments, Crestside and Brockerhoff House. Please contact the Housing Authority for current information on the Section 8 Waiting list open/close status. The status of this list changes periodically. When the list opens 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.

Ongoing Goals for the Housing Authority

Tax Credit Property

Currently the Housing Authority is working with S&A Homes to develop a tax credit property. The development will be (40) additional units located next to Beaver Farm Apartments. The development will consist of 2, 3, and 4 bedroom units. Rent at the development will be based on 20, 40, and 60% of AMI. Financing for the development would be done through PFHA and Penn Homes.

Contact Persons: Randy Holderman, Executive Director rwholder@aldelphia.net
Kristi Dann, Section 8 Coordinator kldann@adelphia.net
Areas Served: Centre County
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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.