September 2002 Owners Update

Owner Update “Question Of The Month”

Question of the Month: TMHA contacted me about a possible “unauthorized live-in” in the assisted unit. What is this?

An unauthorized live-in is a person residing in the assisted unit without the permission of TMHA or the landlord. As the agency assisting with rent on the unit, we have the final say on who can reside in the unit. Tenants who allow others to move in and freeload won’t be tolerated. We often get information about live in’s. If we can prove it, we will seek a solution,
either requiring the tenant to remove the live-in, by going through the steps to add the person to the unit, or as a last resort, by terminating assistance.

The situation usually goes like this. Someone, often a relative or “friend,” calls with a tip. Sometimes the landlord calls because he has reason to believe other people are there. We then do some investigative work that may include speaking with you the landlord to see if you have noticed evidence of other people who have exceeded the “visitor” stage. We’re trying to substantiate or refute the claim.

At some point we will speak with the tenant to see what their story is, and then we try to find a resolution. Sometimes the tenant will admit to the extra(s). Maybe it was a friend who came to visit and just stayed. We will try to work with the tenant to solve the problem by getting rid of the
extra(s) or adding him/her/them on to the lease. To do this, the first step the tenant must take is to contact you the landlord to see if you will OK the extra. We won’t add anyone to the unit until we know the landlord approves it. If you will, either by written statement or phone OK, we’ll
then have the extra(s) go through our addition process by verifying birth, citizenship, and income. We’ll do a records check. If the extra(s) passes this step, he/she/they are added to the paperwork and become part of the household.

What often happens is that the tenant will admit that another person(s) comes to visit a day or two a week, but they certainly don’t live there. The dispute boils down to when a person “is just visiting” and when they “reside” in the unit. TMHA uses some definitions to sort this out. For
us, a person is “living” in the unit when they:

have been there for more than 14 consecutive days, when they establish a pattern of living with the family a few days at a time on a consistent basis, such as a month or more.

“Living in the unit” is defined as spending time there and performing basic residential tasks, such as preparing and eating meals, storing possessions, washing and bathing, sleeping, receiving mail and deliveries, and using the unit facilities in a way that exceed that which a casual visitor would do. Under this definition, a person could have one address that is used to
receive mail, and another that is used for the daily tasks of living. At some point in the investigation, TMHA will have to make a determination as to the status of the extra person(s), and it can be a fine line. We don’t want to prohibit tenants from having legitimate visitors, but we don’t want to allow freeloaders either. As you might guess, an investigation may sometimes takes months to determine the truth.

One last note on this subject: TMHA tenants are informed about our “live-in” policy when they receive their Voucher. We revisit the live-in rule at every annual recert. This policy does not apply to children who become a part of the family because of birth or adoption. In that case, we
just require that tenants verify the change to the family composition.

In the past year, a renewed sense of patriotism has swept across America unlike I have seen in my lifetime. We have all been reminded of the importance of family, friends and loved ones, and the value they bring to our everyday lives. A nation spending more time with and appreciating family is a healthier nation.

As time further distances us from the pain of September 11th and our lives continue to return to normal, we must remain dedicated to ensuring that our children and grandchildren can grow up in a stronger and more peaceful world, the way we knew it before September 11th, 2001. We owe it to them, and we owe it to all those innocent people and heroes who lost their lives on that fateful September day.