HACoLA has set up a Customer Relations Operation Center, which is committed to promptly answering all incoming calls, accurately responding to program questions, and providing professional, friendly, courteous and effective customer service.  The Customer Relations Operation Center staff is available Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M.  You may reach a Call Center staff person at (562) 347-4663 or TOLL FREE (800) 347-4663 or TDD (562) 906-4928.

If you are a current Section 8 participant and know who your case worker is, you may contact that person at their extension.

You can report suspected Section 8 crime or fraud to the Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles (HACoLA) Fraud Unit. 

E-mail: fraud@lacdc.org, 
Crime/Fraud Tip Line: (877) 881-7233. 

The tip line is confidential, and you can remain anonymous.

If you prefer you may send a letter anonymously to HACoLA.
Attention: Fraud Unit
P.O. Box 2129
Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670

NOTE: Even if you provide your name, we will never disclose it to the person you are reporting.  Also, because of confidentiality, we cannot update an informant or provide outcomes of any investigations.

When making a report, please provide as much information as possible about the suspect (name, address, social security number) and the activity.  HACoLA looks into all reports of suspected crime/fraud in its programs.

Please call 911 for emergencies or crimes in progress, and contact the local Law enforcement agency of any illegal activity.

If you are a voucher participant who is interested in moving to Los Angeles County, you should have your housing authority send your paperwork to:

Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles
Attention: Portability Unit
P.O. Box 2129
Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670

The rules and policies of this agency, including payment standards,  income limits, and utility allowance will apply to you.  If you are currently receiving a higher level of assistance than provided under HACoLA, you will be downsized.

Also, HACoLA conducts criminal background checks for all adult household members, therefore, you must complete a consent form.

After receiving your paperwork, HACoLA will confirm your income and eligibility.  You will be required to submit a Request for Tenancy Approval for a unit in this jurisdiction.

You may live in a bigger unit if it is affordable, but the subsidy is still based on the unit size on the voucher.  The subsidy is based on the actual unit size only when it's smaller than the size on the voucher.

If a person is added to the household, the family may stay in the unit so long as it is not overcrowded.  If the family moves, a voucher will be issued based on the current household composition.

HACoLA may approve another bedroom that accommodates the needs of a disabled person, as a reasonable accommodation.

HACoLA's payments start on the effective date of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contract, which is not until:

- HACoLA approves the unit rent;
- The unit passes inspection;
- You and the owner sign the lease; and
- You take possession of the unit and get the keys from the owner.

If you move into a unit before the HAP contract effective date, you are responsible for the full amount of rent.

To learn more about the steps in approving a new contract, see the Voucher Holder Instructions pamphlet.

HACoLA provides an internet-based housing locator service through the Los Angeles County Housing Resource Center, the nation's leading affordable housing listing and locator service.  To search listings of available properties throughout Los Angeles County that accept Section 8 vouchers, please click here or you may call (877)428-8844.

To request an extension on your voucher, you must contact your case manager, by phone or in writing.  Your request must be received before the voucher expires.

The rent amount paid by most Section 8 participants is between 30% - 40% of their monthly income.

HACoLA determines a participant's income in compliance with regulations at 24 CFR Part 5.  Income from all sources is included, unless specifically excluded by program regulations.  Income is any amount, monetary or not, that go to or are on behalf of the family head or spouse or to any other family member, or all amounts anticipated to be received from a source outside the family.

To estimate your income, you may try the calculator at:
https://webapps1.hud.gov/hfc/calculator/.

Note: HACoLA does not assume responsibility for the calculations or definitions on these pages; they are for personal reference only.

Use the Calculator

- What is your rental assistance program?
- How many people are in your household?
- How many people in your household are eligible (citizens/nationals) to  receive assistance?
- What size unit are you looking for?
- What size is your voucher (if known)?
- What is your family's income?

Remember - You may pay the owner only the rent determined by HACoLA.

You must report all income, received from all sources, for all family members.  You must report all changes in income, in writing, within 30 days.

All income includes amounts you receive for internships, child support, job training and alimony.  It also includes the value of any expenses - such as groceries, utilities or car payments - that someone else regularly pays for you.  Any income from a job - even a job you are not sure you will keep - must be reported.

A good rule of thumb: if you are not sure, report it.  HACoLA will determine if you are eligible for any income exclusions and/or allowances.

HACoLA has tools to check and verify that you are reporting all your income, such as EIV, as discussed above.

If you fail to report all income and income changes, your assistance may be terminated and you may be required to repay any rent that HACoLA has overpaid on your behalf.

What happens when I report a change in income?

When you report a change in income, HACoLA re-determines how much rent you pay.

If you report a decrease in income, the contract is adjusted for the first day of the month following the month in which you provide all required documentation of the decrease.

You are not required to report increases in your income except for your annual reexamination.

California law and program regulations require owners to give their tenant and the HACoLA a 60-day advanced notice of intent to increase the rent.  HACoLA will conduct a rent reasonableness test.  If the rent increase is justified, HACoLA will determine your portion of the rent and will notify you in writing of any approved changes to your rent payment.

Section 8 participants must pay only the amount of rent authorized by HACoLA.  Any additional amount of rent other than what is authorized by HACoLA is considered a "side payment."  Unauthorized side payments are grounds for program termination.

The only people allowed to live in the unit are those included in your family composition according to HACoLA's records and in your lease agreement with the owner.

Guests
Anyone who stays in the unit for more than 30 consecutive days, or a total of 60 days in a 12-month period, is considered to be living in the unit as an unauthorized household member.  This is a program violation that may result in the termination of your assistance.

New Family Members
You must report changes to family composition due to birth, adoption or court-awarded custody in writing within 30 days.  You should also notify the owner and comply with any lease requirements to obtain owner approval.

You must request approval from the owner and HACoLA before any other person is added.  The best way to request HACoLA's approval is in writing - include the person's name, age, relationship, and social security number.  HACoLA has a form that you can use to request owner approval of the new member.

HACoLA will conduct a criminal background check, and possibly a credit review, on all adults (age 18 and over) before they can be added to the household.  You will receive a written notice from HACoLA if the person is approved or disapproved.

Failure to report changes in family composition may result in the termination of your assistance.

Reporting Absences
When a family member leaves the household, the absence must be reported to HACoLA, in writing, within 30 calendar days of the occurrence.  In your letter, state whether the person's absence is temporary or permanent.  When available to do so, the adult family member who is leaving the household should remove him/herself in writing from the lease and voucher family composition.

Failure to comply with the family obligations is grounds for termination of housing assistance.

If you or any family member violates the family obligations, you may be terminated.  You may also be terminated if your family owes money, and/or breaches an agreement to pay amounts owed, to HACoLA (or any other housing agency).

HACoLA is required to terminate your assistance if any family member fails to sign and submit required consent forms for obtaining information.

Lease Violations
If you or any family member violate the lease, it is the owner's responsibility to enforce your lease obligations, which may include evicting you from the unit.  Also, serious and repeated lease violations are a violation of your family obligations and grounds for termination of your assistance. 

HACoLA randomly requests credit reports for household members age 18 and older in applicant and participant families.  HACoLA will also check credit reports when a family reports having no income.

Credit reports are used solely to confirm income, employment and other eligibility information you provide, and to verify that you are receiving the right level of assistance.

If HACoLA finds any discrepancies between what you have reported and what is in your credit report, you will have a chance to review the information and provide supporting documents to resolve the discrepancy.  If HACoLA discovers that you have withheld information or supplied false information, your assistance may be terminated.

Third Party Verification
Beginning January 1, 2006, HACoLA has access to a federal Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) System to look at reported and unreported income from participants.  EIV is a system provided by HUD that allows HACoLA to look at your employment information, wages, unemployment compensation and social security benefit information.  The EIV system also compares this information to the income you have already reported to HACoLA.

HACoLA also has an agreement with the Department of Social Services to use their LEADER System to verify CalWORKs, General Relief benefits, and food stamps information.

Landlords and owners cannot discriminate against you because of your race, color, national origin, sex, religion, handicap or disability, or family status (households with children under 18 years old).

Also, in California, landlords and owners cannot discriminate based on age, medical condition, marital status, source of income or sexual orientation.

If you believe you are a victim of illegal discrimination or harassment, you should write down as much information as possible about the situation or incident, and file a complaint within one year, with either:

California Department of Fair Employment and Housing
Website:www.dfeh.ca.gov
Phone: (800) 233-3212

HUD Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity
Website:www.hud.gov/offices/fheo/index.cfm
Phone: (800) 347-3739

Except when you have moved out of the unit, abandoned it, or in an emergency, the landlord or their agent must give you reasonable advance notice in writing before entering the unit, and can enter only during normal business hours (generally 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays).  The law considers 24 hours advance written notice to be reasonable in most situations.  See the California Tenants Guide  for more information.

During the first year of the lease, the owner may only terminate your tenancy for reasons such as serious or repeated lease violations, violations of tenant laws, criminal activity or alcohol abuse, or other good cause such as disturbance of neighbors, destruction of property, or habits that damage the unit or property.  In these cases, the owner is responsible for giving you a 30-day notice.  Under your family obligations, you are responsible for making sure that the Housing Authority receives a copy of this notice.

After the initial lease term, the owner can terminate your tenancy for reasons other than lease violations by giving you a proper 90-day notice.  You should make sure HACoLA gets a copy of any such notice.

If your family is in good standing and has given proper notification to HACoLA, you will be scheduled for a voucher issuance session and will receive a voucher to search for a new unit.  However, if the owner is terminating your lease for reasons that are violations of your family obligations, HACoLA may terminate your assistance.

Details on when the owner can terminate your tenancy are on page 2 of your Tenancy Addendum (#8 Termination of Tenancy By Owner).

If you are served with an unlawful detainer/eviction notice, you should get legal advice or assistance immediately.  Tenant organizations, tenant landlord programs, housing clinics, legal aid organizations or private attorneys can provide you with advice and assistance if you need it.

You must promptly give HACoLA a copy of any owner eviction notice.

If the reason for the eviction notice is also a violation of your family obligations, HACoLA may terminate your assistance.

HACoLA inspects units to make sure they comply with HUD's housing quality standards (HQS).  The unit must meet HQS and be safe and sanitary to pass the inspection.

See the HUD pamphlet A Good Place to Live for details on HQS.

Some common reasons units fail the inspection include:

- Garage cannot be accessed
- Appliances that don't work when the utilities are on
- No straps on the hot water heater and TPR/drainpipe missing
- Infestation or evidence of rodents, cockroaches or termites

Units are inspected before a new contract is entered, annually while you live in the unit, and occasionally at other times.

When is the follow-up inspection if the unit fails?

If the unit fails an inspection, HACoLA will do a follow-up inspection after the deficiencies are fixed.  New contract inspections are usually scheduled within ten days of the first inspection.  For annual inspections, the follow-up is conducted within 30 days.

Who fixes the item(s) that fail?

At the inspection, the inspector determines if the owner or tenant is responsible for correcting the deficiency, based upon his findings and questioning of how a condition occurred.

Common tenant-related deficiencies:

- Damage due to excessive wear and tear to the unit
- Failure to pay for utilities specified in the lease
- Failure to provide and maintain operable appliances specified in the lease

If you are responsible for the failing condition, it will be noted on the inspection report and you will be responsible for correcting the condition. Failure to correct tenant-caused deficiencies may result in counseling and/or termination of assistance.  To prepare for your next inspection, you may download theself-inspection checklist .

What is abatement?  How much do I pay the owner?

If, at the annual inspection, a unit fails two consecutive inspections because of owner-related deficiencies, HACoLA withholds or abates payments to the owner.  Abatement begins on the first day of the month following the second consecutive inspection that fails for owner-related deficiencies.

Abatement will also occur if the unit fails a lead-based paint visual assessment and the owner fails to meet applicable requirements within the 30-day timeframe.  In this case, payments will be withheld or abated starting on the first of the following month.

HACoLA payments will not be refunded to the owner for the period that the unit is in abatement.

You are still responsible for paying your share of the rent while the unit is in abatement.  You are not responsible for paying the balance of the rent - you must continue to pay only the portion of rent authorized by HACoLA.

What if I'm unable to be present at a scheduled inspection?

It is your responsibility - and a family obligation - to ensure that the inspector is able to gain entry to the unit.  If you cannot be present, you are responsible for finding another person 18 years old or older who can be present, so the inspection can be conducted.  HACoLA may also reschedule your inspection if you have good cause, but you must call to reschedule before the day of the inspection.  Failing to ensure the inspector gains access to your unit for your scheduled HQS inspection may be grounds for termination of your assistance.

HACoLA strongly recommends that you and/or the owner are present at the inspection to address questions that the inspector may have about specific deficiencies.

Why do you need to see inside the unattached garage?

The inspection must include the unit site and any common areas of the property.  HACoLA is obligated to ensure that the property does not pose a threat to the health or safety of assisted families.  Therefore, the garage must be accessible for the inspection, even if it is being used by the owner.  Once accessed, inspectors will evaluate the garage for HQS.

When can I get new paint, carpet, or other upgrades?

Unless an inspector finds health or safety concerns because of the condition of the paint or carpet that cause the unit to fail the inspection, HACoLA will not require new paint, carpet or other upgrades.  However, if you or your family are responsible for excessive damage, you may be held responsible for making the corrections, with the owner's approval.  In most other cases, upgrades are between you and the owner or landlord.

Something is seriously wrong with my unit, what should I do?

Your first point of contact is your owner or property manager.  Owner and tenant communication is vital to resolving property related concerns.

If you are unable to resolve a matter with your owner or property manager, you may contact HACoLA and request an interim or emergency inspection of the unit.

When will I have my new contract inspection?

New contract inspections are usually scheduled approximately two weeks from the receipt of the Request for Tenancy Approval form, based on the Inspections Unit's earliest calendar date.

What time is my inspection?

If you call HACoLA on the day of the inspection, the Inspections Unit can usually provide you with a window of time when the inspector might arrive.  Because of the high volume of inspections, HACoLA is unable to provide you with a specific time.