Owner Update “Question of The Month”

Q: How does TMHA decide when to take family names off the waiting list?

A. The TMHA waiting list is an “on hold” status for families requesting assistance until funding is available to serve them.

Deciding when and how many names to “pull” is a numbers and tracking game. The amount of available funding is the paramount factor. TMHA also tracks the number of families who go off the program for one reason or another. Their leaving opens up funding for someone else. We project what we think the End Participation number will be, and use that information to project how much freed up funding may be available in the next few months.

The PUC or “per unit cost” is tracked. If the program is serving a greater number of larger families, the PUC is generally higher, thereby using more of the subsidy from HUD. Other factors, such as family income, also affect unit cost. When families’ income goes down, their subsidy goes up.

Voucher utilization is also tracked. Utilization refers to how many families who get a Voucher actually are successful in finding a unit. If we know we will probably be able to support 10 new units on the program, we will put more Vouchers than that on the street – called over-issuing – to assure that we do use the funds available. However, the trick is to issue enough Vouchers to maximize funding without going over.

TMHA also factors how long it takes to get a family ready to receive a Voucher from the time their name is taken off the list. We generally remove names in a group, and work with a number of families at once in completing the step called Formal Application. At this stage, we get all needed identification, and verify all income. Verifying income can be time consuming, because we must “3rd party verify,” which means that we go to the source of the income, and ask them to give us the information in writing. If the verifier is less than cooperative, the process is slowed down.

The application process can take several months. When TMHA has enough applications ready to go, we hold a group meeting, called a briefing where we explain the rules of the program, and then issue the Voucher. At that point the family starts the unit search, and has a maximum 120 days to do this before the Voucher expires.

Currently, TMHA accepts new names to the waiting list on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s from 1:30 till 4:00 pm. The current average wait is about 18 months.


Homeless Shelter Director Needed

Friends of the Homeless of Tuscarawas County, Inc. is seeking a Director to operate their homeless shelter located in New Philadelphia, Ohio. The Director will be responsible for all aspects of operations and coordination of efforts to address the needs of the homeless and help residents obtain housing. The ideal candidate will possess superior social skills. A degree in social work or equivalent work experience is desired. Additionally, the homeless shelter will also be seeking two part-time employees to work in the shelter. Qualified candidates are invited to submit their resume and salary requirements to Friends of the Homeless of Tuscarawas County, Inc., P.O. Box 466, New Philadelphia, Ohio 44663.

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