CHICAGO HOUSING AUTHORITY Housing Choice Voucher Program Procedure Guide Chicago Housing Authority-Housing Choice Voucher Program Procedure Guide-Revised 12/09/2019 Chapter 1-Overview of the Guide ............................................................................ 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................1 Part I: The CHA ........................................................................................................................1 1-I.A. Organization and Structure of the CHA .................................................................................................... 1 1-I.B. The CHA’s Mission ..................................................................................................................................... 2 1-I.C. The CHA’s Programs .................................................................................................................................. 2 1-I.D. The CHA’s Commitment to Ethics and Service ......................................................................................... 2 Part II: The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program .................................................................3 1-II.A. Overview and History of the Program ..................................................................................................... 3 1-II.B. HCV Program Basics ................................................................................................................................. 4 1-II.C. The HCV Partnerships ............................................................................................................................... 4 1-II.D. Applicable Regulations ............................................................................................................................. 7 Part III: The HCV Program Procedure Guide ..............................................................................8 1-III.A. Overview and Purpose of the Guide ....................................................................................................... 8 1-III.B. Contents of the Guide ............................................................................................................................. 8 1-III.C. Organization of the Guide ....................................................................................................................... 9 1-III.D. Updating and Revising the Guide ......................................................................................................... 10 Chapter 2-Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity ..................................................... 11 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 11 Part I: Nondiscrimination ....................................................................................................... 11 2-I.A. Overview ................................................................................................................................................. 11 2-I.B. Nondiscrimination ................................................................................................................................... 12 Part II: Policies Related to Persons with Disabilities ................................................................ 13 2-II.A. Overview ................................................................................................................................................ 13 2-II.B. Definition of Reasonable Accommodation ............................................................................................ 13 2-II.C. Request for an Accommodation ............................................................................................................ 14 2-II.D. Verification of Disability ......................................................................................................................... 14 2-II.E. Approval/Denial of a Requested Accommodation ................................................................................. 15 2-II.F. Program Accessibility for Persons with Hearing or Vision Impairments ................................................ 16 2-II.G. Physical Accessibility .............................................................................................................................. 16 2-II.H. Denial or Termination of Assistance ...................................................................................................... 17 Part III: Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency ................. 17 i Chicago Housing Authority-Housing Choice Voucher Program Procedure Guide-Revised 12/09/2019 2-III.A. Overview ............................................................................................................................................... 17 Exhibit 2-1: Definition of a Person with a Disability under Federal Civil Rights Laws ................ 18 Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Statement ................................................................... 19 Chapter 3-Eligibility ......................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 22 Part I: Definitions of Family and Household Members ............................................................ 23 3-I.A. Overview ................................................................................................................................................. 23 3-I.B. Family and Household ............................................................................................................................. 23 3-I.C. Family Break-Up and Remaining Members of Tenant Family ................................................................. 24 3-I.D. Head of Household ................................................................................................................................. 25 3-I.E. Spouse, Co-Head, and Other Adult ......................................................................................................... 25 3-I.F. Dependent ............................................................................................................................................... 25 3-I.G. Full-Time Student .................................................................................................................................... 26 3-I.H. Elderly and Near-Elderly Persons, and Elderly Family ............................................................................ 26 3-I.I. Persons with Disabilities and Disabled Family ......................................................................................... 26 3-I.J. Guests ...................................................................................................................................................... 27 3-I.K. Foster Children and Foster Adults ........................................................................................................... 27 3-I.L. Family Absence from Unit ....................................................................................................................... 28 3-I.M. Live-In Aide ............................................................................................................................................ 28 Part II: Basic Eligibility Criteria ............................................................................................... 29 3-II.A. Income Eligibility and Targeting ............................................................................................................. 29 3-II.B. Citizenship or Eligible Immigration Status ............................................................................................. 30 3-II.C. Social Security Numbers ......................................................................................................................... 32 3-II.D. Family Consent to Release of Information ............................................................................................ 33 3-II.E. Students Enrolled in Institutions of Higher Education ........................................................................... 33 Part III: Denial of Assistance ................................................................................................... 36 3-III.A. Overview ............................................................................................................................................... 36 3-III.B. Mandatory Denial of Assistance ........................................................................................................... 37 3-III.C. Other Permitted Reasons for Denial of Assistance ............................................................................... 37 3-III.D. Screening .............................................................................................................................................. 39 3-III.E. Criteria for Deciding to Deny Assistance ............................................................................................... 40 3-III.F. Notice of Eligibility or Denial ................................................................................................................. 41 ii Chicago Housing Authority-Housing Choice