Month: May 2020

Notice is hereby given in accordance with MGL Chapter 30A, §20 that the Regular Meeting of the Commissioners of the Northampton Housing Authority will be held virtually on Monday,May 18, 2020 at 4:00PM. Due to social distancing guidelines related to the COVID-19 state of emergency, this
meeting will be held remotely, not at the Northampton Housing Authority offices. The public is invited to listen to the meeting via phone, computer, laptop or tablet. To do so call the conference line 646- 558-8656 at 4:00PM on May 18, 2020, enter the meeting ID which is 871 5131 4232, and then enter pass code of 051820 followed by the # sign. A participant ID is not required, you can press # to skip/continue if prompted. The board chair will instruct participants on the appropriate time and manner for resident and public comment during the meeting.

There have been some recent changes by the Housing and Urban Development and Department of Housing and Community Development that change how we manage and oversee the daily operations of the programs we manage. 

Summary of Programs

• • • • Federal Programs – Florence Heights, McDonald House, and Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program
      • State Programs – Tobin Manor, Forsander, Walter Salvo House, Cahill Apartments, Hampshire Heights
        • • • • If you are unsure what program you participate in, call our main line at (413) 584-4030 and any of our managers can help you at option 3 through 6.

Federal Programs Highlights

Rent Calculation

• • • Annual Recertification’s are currently on hold, Interim Requests/Changes are still happening. You can do this by clicking here.
    • The $1200 per individual and $500 per child one-time federal stimulus payments are excluded from income for the purposes of the rent calculation.

Rental Payments

• • • Public Housing tenants must still pay rent; Please contact your Property Manager if you need to discuss payment arrangements or any concerns.

Inspections

• • • Inspections are currently on hold, we will notify everyone when they are scheduled to start again for the safety of all.

For the full list please click here of waivers that have been adopted by Northampton Housing Authority effective May 1, 2020 following board of directors vote on April 30, 2020, please click here.

State Program Highlights

Rent Calculation

• • • • Annual Recertification’s are currently on hold, Interim Requests/Changes are still happening. You can do this by clicking here.
        • The Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD) is hereby temporarily waiving its regulations at 760 CMR 6.04(4) (annual redetermination of rent) and 6.04(5)(a) (interim redetermination of rent) to require Local Housing Authorities (LHAs) to limit rent increases in state-aided public housing for the months of April, May, June and July, 2020.
        • We will still process interim rent determinations (also known as changes) but we may not increase rents charged to any tenant above the amount charged on March 1, 2020 until after July 31, 2020 or such later date as published by the Department.
        • Additionally, the Department is waiving the provisions of 760 CMR 5.06(1) regarding the income eligibility of applicants for state-aided housing in order to exclude from an applicant’s income the $600.00 the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation provided under Section 2104 of the CARES Act.. This benefit also shall not be counted as income in the calculation of rent for applicants who sign a lease with an LHA between March 29, 2020 and July 31, 2020.
      • The $1200 per individual and $500 per child one-time federal stimulus payments are excluded from income for the purposes of the rent calculation.
      • For information on the DHCD Waiver for Rent Increases, Click Here. 

Rent Payments

• • • Public Housing tenants must still pay rent; Please contact your Property Manager if you need to discuss payment arrangements or any concerns.
    • We will not be charging late fees at this time.  
      • • • For information about resources that may help you pay your rent, you can contact your regional Housing Consumer Education Center. For a list of agencies, see https://www.masshousinginfo.org/regional-agencies/. Additional information about resources for tenants is available at https://www.mhp.net/news/2020/resources-for-tenants-during-covid-19-pandemic.
      • For information on the DHCD Waiver for Late Fees, Click Here, 

Inspections

• • • Inspections are currently on hold, we will notify everyone when they are scheduled to start again for the safety of all.

If you have any questions, please call our main line and select the option that best pertains to you or head to our contact us page.