My concerns and worries mounted, as my mother made the decision to come up to Oklahoma City in July. She was insisting that everything needed to be completed by the end of July. To help maintain my “sanity”, I invited my best friend to come down for a week to help. She had been going through some difficult times herself – she and I both suffer from major depression, so the visit was needed by both of us.

Finally, at the end of June, I received word that the failed inspection was not such a major thing after all – at least, not in my case. Since I needed to move, all my landlord had to do was release me from my lease, which was due for renewal in July. My mother arrived the second week of July.

Approximately two weeks after her arrival, we ***finally*** got my voucher to move. Talk about working frantically! Part of all the concern was the fact that Mom had already found me a unit in Houston, and we were already paying regular rent on the unit. This is something that many people are not aware of – if you plan to port your voucher to another location – you need to be financially prepared to “foot the bill” of regular rent for anywhere between a month to a few months, because, there is no guarantee on how long the entire portability will take.

On July 21, Mom and I loaded up her SUV, and began the long drive down to Houston from Oklahoma City. By sheer miracle, we made it to Houston by 4PM – despite the fact that we left Oklahoma City around 9AM. Hurriedly we dropped stuff and my girls – I have two dogs – a Hearing Dog and a little Deaf-Blind mix – and drove out to the duplex. And what a neat place this is! I truly thank my Mom for her exhaustive search for the “just right place”. I am now residing in my old stomping grounds – the very same neighborhood I grew up in as a little girl.

The portability process is a complicated task. First we met with my worker, received the changeover voucher, etc. In Texas, the tenant has to give the landlord the “Landlord Packet”. At least in Houston they do. If the landlord never accepted Section 8 before, as in my case, they are required to fill out paperwork, provide specific documentation, etc. My landlord was a tad slow in this – I had been in my unit a month before we finally had inspection. We failed! Fortunately, it was only one thing that really needed fixing right away. My landlord thankfully took care of it, and this time, we passed inspection with flying colors. I would like to make a notation here, especially for those of you that are Deaf – always inquire with housing how inspections are done when you port your voucher because each housing agency does it differently. I was not given the choice to ask for an interpreter at all, due to the fact that I was not informed that the housing agency communicates mostly with the landlord instead of the tenant. Fortunately the second inspection passed.

Now it is October. I am still waiting for the HAP agreement to be completed. I will be following up on this again today – there is a small problem that needs to be rectified – some misunderstanding that I had a live-in aide full time – when I only have someone here part-time as my conditions tend to wax and wane. The best advice I have for portability? Plan, plan, and plan some more. Prepare financially as well. Be prepared for anything that comes up. Portability cannot be just a “spontaneous decision” to move. The HCV program and portability varies from area to area and state to state – it may not be easy, ut the experience is very worth it for those who need it.

Today I would like to share with you my own personal experience moving from Oklahoma City, OK to my native Houston, TX utilizing the portability feature available with the HCV program. I discovered porting your voucher is nowhere as easy as it looks! In fact, it can be almost impossible. And most of all – it does not happen as quickly or as easily as it should.

For a long time, I had been considering returning back home to Houston due to health issues and missing my mom, and a couple of close friends. In April of this year, I received some very shocking and upsetting news – one of my best friends, who was my personal driver in Oklahoma City, decided to move to Nashville, TN, in order to be with his family. When they decided that he would be moving in June, I realized, the time has come for me to move, and I needed to act fast. Little did I know what was going to be up ahead!

At the end of April, my driver and I went to my local agency Oklahoma Housing and Financing Agency (OHFA) to turn in my request to port my voucher. My driver turned in a move-out notice at the same time. A couple weeks later, I received a letter from the team my case had been assigned to. I was so excited when I saw the OHFA return address that I ripped it open – only to discover that I had not been granted permission to move, because OHFA needed to complete annual inspection and  recertification of my HCV unit. When I saw that “rejection” letter I had no choice other than sit back, and wait for housing to get around to scheduling the annual inspection/recertification.

In mid-June, another letter arrived, giving me the date and time of my annual inspection – approximately a week and a half from the day I received the notice. Not much time, that’s for sure. So I hurriedly spent the following week cleaning the house and having the landlord do some necessary repairs. Inspection day arrives, sunny and hot, with very little breeze. To my utter surprise, this was the most complicated  inspection I ever experienced! The inspector really grilled me – asking each question no less than three times! After almost an hour of questioning, she then inspected the property – a two bedroom home, which I qualified for due to medical & disability reasons. She asked me to walk around with her as she inspected the unit. To my shock, and yes horror, she began to find faults with the home. Approximately 7 things needed to be fixed—most very minor – such as a stove burner not entirely functioning properly, a fan pull was tangled up, to one major issue – a brand new smoke alarm that decided to malfunction! Needless to say, the unit failed inspection. Inspections are a very important part of the HCV program, and I began to wonder if I would ever get to
Houston…..

Will be continued with Part 2

Have you ever received in the mail— a notice of a public meeting being held at your local PHA? Have you often wondered what these letters/meetings were, perhaps  wondered on them, then said to yourself…”I am way too busy to bother with these minuscule things!” and then you toss the notice? Maybe you have, maybe you haven’t. Well, I am a tad ashamed to admit— I am one of those “have done it” HCV program tenants. My reasons are numerous—due to my multiple health issues, and then, the concerns for transportation to/from the venue as well as needing an interpreter at the meetings.

But what are these meetings? These meetings are public meetings your PHA holds every so often – sometimes once a month, sometimes quarterly, depending on the PHA. In these meetings, the tenants, landlords, and certain PHA staff are given the opportunity to voice their opinions and make suggestions and simply talk with each other. This is your chance to voice concerns regarding the HCV program, your PHA, and even policy & procedure concerns. As more tenants and landlords choose to go to these meetings, we’ll have open dialogue with each other and changes will be made.

I strongly encourage you to go to these meetings at your PHA. We want everyone involved in the PHA programs to voice their thoughts and recommendations for better housing, more funding for all PHA’s and their programs, blending multiracial communities together, and the option of having a HCV and residing wherever we choose.

I hope to see the day come where everything is equal—no matter what your race or income status – so, how about it? Let’s help this become a reality—by going to your local PHA public meetings and advocating changes system-wide (i.e., nation-wide).  The HCV and public housing has come a long way from the housing of yesteryear. Remember, it is our job to educate, and help spread the word so that the stigma of  living in subsidized housing can come to an end, once and for all.

Greetings! It has been an extremely busy summer for me. “The Move” finally happened, and I am now blogging to you from my HCV unit in Houston. The one thing I learned this summer is that communicating with any government agency can feel somewhat scary and intimidating. I would like to share some ideas that will assist you in having effective communications with your PHA worker and other staff. These ideas are also great for those who are applying for the HCV Program. Feel free to copy/paste these into your own word processing program.
Trust me—these really do make things a whole lot easier!

1. At the very beginning, create a file for yourself. Label it any way you want—the PHA’s name, or “Housing”, or whatever—to identify what the file is related to.

2. In this folder, you will want to keep a copy of the following:

1. Copy of your Social Security Award Letter if you are disabled or on SSI (Social Security Income). Please note—you will want to keep this file in a secure, safe location as it will contain sensitive documents that protect your idenity.

2. Copy of your SS card and Drivers’ License or state photo ID card if you do not or cannot drive. If you have children, copy(ies) of each child’s birth certificate and social security cards if they have one.

3. Copies of your current pay—if you are employed. Be sure contact information to your employer is up to date.

4. Copy of most current bank statements. If you utilize E-statements, print them out.

5. There is more, but these are the “basics” you will always need to have on hand for applying to the HCV program and annual reviews.

3. Always keep a copy of every document you submit to your PHA in this folder. In addition, you will want to put correspondence your PHA sends to you in this folder as well. This will help you be able to quickly and efficiently communicate with your PHA.

4. When your PHA asks for specific information, it is very important to submit it all as quick as you can.

5. Most important of all, keep every PHA appointment. Most PHA’s today have very stringent rules regarding late arrivals, cancellations and no-shows. So it is imperative that you are at least 15 minutes early, if at all possible to every appointment.

For my next entry, I will talk about the one thing so many of us hate—annual inspections. As always, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions you would like to see answered here.

In my last posting I talked about the PHA’s (Public Housing Authorities) and public housing. Today I would like to talk about the Housing Choice Voucher program, otherwise known as Section 8.

When a dear friend told me about the HCV program, I felt like I had “hit the jackpot”. For many years I had resided in Senior Citizen/Disabled units owned by a PHA. I had never in my life had a house or anything like that. The more I learned, the more I was impressed. Under Section 8, you have a lot more flexibility. You can choose where you want to live, choose from an apartment, condo, townhouse, or even house. The only restriction, per se, is that you must choose your home based on the bedroom size that your PHA assigns to you. Most singles and couples are assigned a one bedroom—unless you require someone to live with you, to assist you with your every day needs. (I will go more in-depth on this issue another time).

The HCV program, as you probably know, consists of PHA’s, landlords who own private properties, and tenants. One of the best things about the program is that once you are “in the system,” you can stay as long as you desire. Yes, there are a lot of rules and requirements. But I think it is SO worth it! Need to move to another state? NO PROBLEM. Go to your PHA and ask the procedures for portability.

What is portability? Portability is the ability to transfer your voucher from one city/state to another city or state. I really wish that my best friend Andy would have done this. Yes it can be a pain to deal with all the steps you have to take, but, to me, it’s entirely worth it, because now I can move back to
Houston so that I can be near my Mom as I have a lot of health issues. Being in the HCV program can be a big plus, because the motto of the program is to provide affordable, decent and safe housing for those in need.

One very important item that I must strongly suggest here: Whenever you have a voucher, please, please, PLEASE make sure you keep it in a safe place. Do not EVER lose your voucher for any reason. The procedures to replace it are very lengthy, and sometimes, even impossible. Guard it as if it is worth a million bucks! No, I know it’s not, but I am sure you know what I mean….

Being in the HCV program has its plusses and it’s minuses. The one thing that is a necessity yet a “pain in the neck” requirement of the program is HUD’s requirement of an annual inspection and recertification process. This is similar
to a standard lease renewal, yet involves a lot more. To attempt to make things easier for everyone, I would like to provide some tips to assist you in having a hassle-free inspection/recertification process. Again, feel free to copy-paste or print these ideas.

1. Go over everything in your unit—place requests for repairs, if needed, to your landlord, as soon as you receive your annual inspection/recertification notice. Even those minor non-fixed maintenance issues will most likely fail an
inspection—it happened to me.

2. Gather all necessary documents—such as award letter from SSA if you are on SSI or disability, SS if retired and so on. It is not always necessary to have a current, up-to-date one, because your PHA is usually required to obtain it from
SSA themselves. Make sure all bank statements are current and up to date. Be sure to have birth certificates and SS cards for all members of the household—including school aged  children. Most importantly, driver’s licenses or ID cards for each adult in your household.

3. Tip: You can get a reduction on your rent if you spend more than $250 a year on prescription medications and medical needs.

4. Tip: A clean and reasonably neat home always, I repeat, always, is a plus.

5. Keep your inspection appointment. Contact your PHA if the scheduled appointment does not work for you. Missed appointments result in losing your HCV assistance.

6. When your inspector arrives, or better yet, even before, arrange to have your pets—dogs, cats, any four –legged creatures—to be in a safe environment. Most inspectors are NOT comfortable entering a  home with pets—due to the risk of getting bitten. Cats, dogs, can be placed in a crate for a brief time. Your back yard will work also—providing it is fenced, gated, has shaded areas for them, along with fresh water. Service animal? Sadly, same thing. These inspectors enter thousands of homes a year. Tip: might be a good idea to inform your PHA in advance that you have a service animal and need them to remain with you, providing they are  leashed or harnessed, and remain at your side during the inspector’s visit. This way the inspector is forewarned of
the situation, and most likely will be more accepting.

That’s it. Good luck with your annual inspections and re-certifications. As always—feel free to contact me if you have any questions or suggestions. Questions will be answered individually as soon as possible – one question per blog entry please.

Today’s technology is so advanced that oftentimes it is becoming difficult to distinguish the real thing from the bogus. The reality of such a scam or bogusness is especially true on the World Wide Web. This harsh reality was faced by me when I went to a website that I thought, at the time, was GO8 ‘s website. At this website, I was asked to pay a small fee of $8. This fee I was told at the time, was utilized as a “processing fee” of sorts or rather, if you want to look at it this way a “membership fee”. In other words, this fee entitled you to be able to qualify for a small grant from the site to assist you with groceries, utility bills, or any other household expenses you might be incurring as a Section 8 housing resident. Well, I submitted my friend’s debit card and all of that to process it because I did not have enough in my account to cover it. The thought of a little grant to help me out was like….awesome news.
 
 Life got busy with this and that. A few months later I attempted to get back to that website. I could not remember the URL entirely. I tried to type it out and was directed somewhere else. So, I decided to Google the words “Section 8”. This was when I was led to GO8. As I explored the website I began to notice that there were significant differences between sites. I thought that maybe some changes had just been made. So I tried to log in, and could not. Stumped, I sent an email off to GO8’s administration. As we passed a few emails back and forth, we realized a few things that had happened. I was faced with the harsh reality that I had been scammed at the other site. I began to be grateful that my friend’s credit card had not gone through anyway. I also felt deeply embarrassed because I had recommended the site to a couple of very close friends!!!!! Through our correspondence, my knowledge of Disability Advocacy, Housing rights/ advocacy as well as a love of writing and helping others began to shine through.
 
 The moral of this story-always double-check, and even triple-check anything and everything in life. When in doubt, ask someone you trust to look it over for a second opinion, contact support as I did, or, best of all, just simply reject the questionable decision or object.
 

Summer is time for swimming, camping, family & neighborhood cookouts, etc. Summer, for me, usually consists of swimming, reading books, hanging out with friends. This summer, however, is going to be so very different— looks like I will be spending the majority of the time alone, packing, and communicating with the Public Housing Authoritys (PHAs) involved in my move.
 
 My experience with housing began in 1989, when I moved into my first Public Housing apartment for Senior Citizens and Disabled residents. This first unit was maybe 450 sq ft, and was a one bedroom near Downtown Dallas, under the DHA—Dallas Housing Authority. At the time, I was attending Richland College, a community college that is part of the DCCCD—Dallas Community College District. This unit was nowhere near school—I had to get up at 4 AM, to be ready for my 5:30 AM (Paratransit) van pick up. Classes did not start until 9 AM! At first I didn’t care—it was my FIRST place of my own—I was FINALLY independent, at the age of 23. However, the early daily commutes soon took its toll. A mere 8 months after I moved to Dallas I was diagnosed as hypoglycemic. Upon learning about the extreme stress I was going through—with the early hours, my doctor at the time said I needed to live closer to school.
 
 Moving closer to school was not an easy task. My lease was not up for renewal yet, and, as I quickly discovered, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and PHA’s tend to have a lot of rules and regulations to work around! In my case, I was told I could not request a transfer to another property unless I had a medical necessity. This I had, so, no problem—got the Doctor’s letter/statement. I thought that was the end of it. Nope—I had to sit and wait, and constantly call DHA to see where they were on my paperwork. I am sure the poor workers got sick of me—I called, utilizing a Teletype Device for the Deaf (TDD) and a relay service, every week! Sometimes, I would call more than once. Often I would have to wait on hold, or go through several transfers to different people within the agency. I just would not take “NO” for an answer. When I was given another “roadblock”, I would then request a supervisor, or do the necessary additional task—depending on what was needed, for I had found the property I wanted—it was a much nicer property—and only a mile from school. Add to that, I was not about to give up since I was working so hard to fight for what I needed. Well, it took 6 weeks, but my persistence finally paid off. When the approval came to move to the new unit, a property called Forest Green Manor, I jumped for joy. I remained in the new public housing unit for a year and a half.
 
 At this time, I knew nothing about section 8, or vouchers, waiting lists, etc. I thought that “housing” consisted of public housing apartments, otherwise known in the old days as “The Projects”, such as Chicago’s Cabini Green or Houston’s Cuney Homes. The “projects” of yesteryear were often built on a large scale. A good example is Cuney Homes. Built in 1938, it was Houston’s first public housing development. It consists of 553 units, and is situated in Houston’s historical Third Ward district. These large-scale developments were owned and operated by the city’s public housing authority, or PHA. Later on, in the 1960’s and 1970’s, many PHA’s began to introduce Senior Citizen and Disabled developments. This change came about after many Seniors had encouraged the government to establish Senior housing, with additional features than “the projects”. This was mainly to help those with severe health issues to be able to reside more comfortably. Unlike the “projects”, these units, in the early days, were considered to be a “luxury”, with heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems (HVAC) available in every unit. Some were even carpeted. It was this type of development that I resided in prior to becoming a voucher holder. I later moved out of the unit in Dallas, residing in standard apartments with my former spouse. When I first moved to Oklahoma City in 1998, I again turned to a PHA, and was given a public housing unit. I had to wait three months for my turn on the waiting list, though.
 
 When I was researching for this article, I discovered that today, many public housing developments are often managed by apartment management companies. In addition, the developments are a far cry from the “projects” of yesteryear. Today, many have community centers on the premises. For example, they may have health clinics available, staffed by an RN or LPN. At least one of the Houston developments has something called a police storefront. The police storefront is geared towards effective communications among residents, merchants in the area, and law enforcement. Safety courses are sometimes offered and up on request, could be possible to have a police escort during nighttime hours. The units are very well-built, well-lit, oftentimes remodeled with all new amenities, appear to be larger in size with nice landscaping on the grounds, play centers for the children, and so much more.
 
 While this site is mainly geared towards Section 8 housing, I wanted to give a glimpse of “the other side”. Not everyone is fortunate enough to know about Section 8 the first time they go to a PHA. In fact, I thought that Section 8 was similar to a “luxury” because in so many places the waiting lists are extremely long, or, in some cases, closed. All of my personal views of the Housing Choice Voucher program changed when a very dear friend of mine here in Oklahoma City encouraged me and my driver/close friend of many years to apply for section 8 housing in 2002. Next time I will share with you my own personal experience being a voucher holder. As for the article after that, it’s going to have to be a surprise!

       Welcome to the NEW GoSection8 Blog!  I am sure many of you are pondering what this is all about.   I will get to that, however, today, I want to introduce y’all to me—just WHO am I? Before I share about myself, I wanted to let you know that we at GoSection8 decided to establish this blog as a means of a safe online environment that is free of spam and all that stuff. In the beginning I will cover various topics that are of relevance to Section 8, renting, first time ownership under the program, and so on. It is my desire to help others to be more informed of what their options are. I plan to talk a bit about what your rights are as a Section 8 tenant, as well as many other topics.  I also will sometimes invite readers to contact me with various questions, which I will then answer here on the blog.  Enough of that…I think you are all dying to know just WHO I am, right?

My name is LeAnn Cayer, otherwise known as DeafEskie on the net.  How I got the handle “DeafEskie” is rather special.  I was born deaf-blind due to CRS (Congenital Rubella Syndrome), which means my mother was sick with the German measles, or Rubella, while she was pregnant with me.  This is where the “Deaf” part is from. I was raised orally, which means I did not know any sign language, until I was 17.  I was educated under the mainstreamed education method, attending public schools.  The “Eskie” is Miss Blossie, my 14-year-old Hearing Dog.   Right now I reside in Oklahoma City, OK, but soon will be moving to Houston, Texas, because I need to be closer to my Mom, as I have developed many health issues over the last few years. These health issues, which include a sleep disorder, heart condition and several autoimmune disorders, are serious.  I deal with chronic pain issues daily, and need a lot more help than I did in the past.  Despite the ongoing challenges that I face,  I always strive to maintain a positive outlook on life and that is what keeps me going. It also helps to have my friends and Mom’s support..  Since Mom, Spidey and many of my friends do not reside in Oklahoma City, it’s time for me to return home to my native Houston.   I have been receiving Section 8 assistance for 5 years.

 My hobbies and interests include, but are not limited to, enjoying shows on HGTV or Animal Planet, and sometimes Food Network.  Just about the only other T.V. for me, is ER, for I am a die-hard ER fan.  All my life I have been an avid animal lover. While I like cats and all other animals, my absolute favorite is dogs—especially American Eskimo Dogs, or Eskies, as they are affectionately by their owners.  So it is no surprise that I have been doing volunteer work for Heart Bandits American Eskimo Dog Rescue for the past 7 years. I am their nationwide railroad coordinator. You may have learned about Heart Bandits and our rescue/transport work on Animal Planet’s “Pet Story: Eskie Railroad”.  Among rescue circles I have been affectionately called “The Eskie Railroad Lady”. I also am an avid bookworm—am always reading books, magazines, stuff on the net, etc. You name it—I am probably reading it.  

 Professionally, I am an alumnus of the University of Central Oklahoma, with a B.A. in Political Science/Public Administration.  My AAS is in Public Service Organization. Due to the multiple health issues I mentioned above, I receive disability benefits, and operate part-time as an independent contractor. My company is called “The Cayer Package.”   The majority of my work consists of working with non-profit or government organizations.  I primarily do advocacy and referral work, providing professional writing and research services (such as resumes, cover letters, presentations, and I also write grants.

My family consists of myself, my companion, Tim “Spidey” Sherrie, his two cats, Boo & Bailey, and, of course, my two girls, Blossie, my Hearing Dog, and little Meriko, a deaf-blind Eskie mix that we call “Babee”.  The only other family I have is my Mom, and she and I are very close. I suppose, when Daddy was killed in an auto accident 10 ½ years ago, it helped us to grow even closer.  She does not realize it—but Mom really, truly is one of the greatest Moms in the world!  One more “family” member that I cannot ignore—is Andy, my best friend of 20 years, who is the brother I never had. This move is going to be a difficult one, because Andy is moving to Nashville, while I am moving to Houston. Don’t have much of a choice—Andy needs his family’s help right now, just as I need mine.  Perhaps in a year or two he will move southbound to be closer to me again. It is always hard when your closest friends decide to relocate. I am thankful for the internet, my wireless device, and most of all, the videophones for the deaf, which will enable Andy and I to remain in touch daily.  It will help, but still isn’t going to be the same.

Well, I think that just about wraps this up.  Watch for my next entry in a couple of days…I am going to be out of town this week to Sioux Falls, SD, therefore I may be a bit slow.   

DEAFESKIE is a our HCV resident blogger. Literally. DEAFESKIE is a remarkable, compassionate, well-educated woman who just happens to be an HCV tenant, who just happens to be deaf, who just happens to be vision impaired and who, to our great fortune, has consented to host a blog that we hope will inspire property owners to become involved with the Section 8 program, enlighten HCV tenants, and provide a venue for safe dialogue for all Section 8/PHA-related topics. This woman has the answers you’re looking for. Ask her…she really can help!