Press Releases
Housing Authority of the County of Monterey is Holding an Event for Property Owners and Property Managers to Learn More About Participating in the Housing Choice Voucher Program
$500 incentive payment will be given to new qualifying landlords when they sign an approved lease with a voucher program participant
Salinas, CA - October 15, 2024 - The Housing Authority of the County of Monterey (HACM) is hosting an educational event for property owners and property managers on October 23rd from 5:30-7:00pm at the HACM office located at 123 Rico Street in Salinas. This open forum style, educational event will provide landlords the opportunity to gain valuable insight on the Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP) and the benefits of partnering with HACM to participate in the program. Attendees will also have the opportunity to hear from landlords who are currently HACM program participants.
The HCVP is the federal government's primary program for assisting very low-income families, the elderly, and people with disabilities to afford housing in the private market. Tenants can find their own housing, including single-family homes, townhouses and apartments. They contribute a portion of their income towards rent, with HACM paying the remaining balance directly to the landlord. HACM currently issues more than $75 million housing assistance payments to landlords annually in Monterey County.
Zulieka Boykin, Executive Director of HACM stated, "At the 3-day voucher distribution event we held last month HACM was able to issue 794 housing choice vouchers. We issued a total of 1,000 vouchers last month. These vouchers are not useful to recipients if the individuals and families are not able to find properties and landlords participating in the Housing Choice Voucher Program. The success of the voucher program hinges on the involvement of landlords."
The role of the landlord in the HCVP is to lease decent, safe, and sanitary housing to a tenant at a reasonable rent. The dwelling unit must pass the program's housing quality standards and be maintained up to those standards if the owner or property manager receives housing assistance payments. Landlords use their own screening criteria and screen HCVP tenants as they would screen any other tenant.
Benefits for landlords participating in the HCVP include guaranteed rental income, on time full payment of monthly rent, and the required regular inspections of the property can uncover any property maintenance needed in a timely manner. In addition, tenants participating in the HCVP are typically long-term tenants, living in a unit for 7-8 years on average. Subject to funding availability, HACM will provide a $500 incentive payment to new qualifying landlords who attend the event, after they sign a lease with a HCVP participant and housing assistance payment contract.
For more information about the event, please contact Gabriela Rivero, Executive Administrative Assistant for the Housing Authority of the County of Monterey at 831-775-5000 ext. 5014.
About Housing Authority of the County of Monterey
Created in 1941, The Housing Authority of the County or Monterey (HACM) is a locally controlled public agency that leverages funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and other sources to provide affordable housing and rental assistance to low-income families throughout Monterey County. HACM partners with a broad spectrum of community non-profits, city and county agencies, and state organizations to address affordable housing and housing shortage issues. The organization provides a variety of housing and services through: The Housing Choice Voucher Program (formerly Section 8), Farm Labor Housing and Tax Credit and other affordable housing programs. HACM is the primary provider of rental assistance to low-income families throughout Monterey County, and currently serves 7,816 individuals through the Housing Choice Voucher Program. HACM also owns and manages affordable housing properties. HACM currently owns 11 properties and manages 55 properties. The total number of units is 1,274, which serves 9,076 county residents.