HCV Essentials-Participant Guide

Participant Guide - HCV Essentials

Pdf Summary

The document is a “Housing Choice Voucher Essentials – Participant Guide” that trains Public Housing Authority (PHA) staff on key rules and calculations in the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program through modules, scenarios, and an exam review.<br /><br />Module 2 covers Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity compliance using realistic scenarios: providing reasonable accommodations for participants with disabilities (e.g., allowing remote income reviews); ensuring meaningful access for people with Limited English Proficiency under Title VI (e.g., translation/interpretation support rather than telling applicants to find their own help); applying Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) protections for survivors seeking safety-related moves while maintaining confidentiality; and addressing Fair Housing Act discrimination such as a landlord refusing to rent to a family with children (familial status).<br /><br />Module 3 explains application intake, waiting list management, and local preference categories (residency plus factors like dependent children, work status, elderly/disabled status, veterans, homelessness; residency-only; and non-resident). It includes an exercise ranking applicants by preference category and lottery number. It also includes eligibility case studies assessing HUD requirements for family definition, income limits, citizenship/eligible immigration status, and mandatory vs. discretionary denials (e.g., prior evictions, drug-related activity, mixed-status households and possible proration/exclusion of ineligible members).<br /><br />Modules 4 and 5 provide hands-on income and adjusted income calculations, converting wages/benefits by pay frequency, handling assets and imputed income using a HUD passbook rate, and applying deductions such as elderly/disabled, dependents, childcare, and allowable medical expenses above a threshold.<br /><br />Module 6 teaches rent calculation: determining gross rent (contract rent plus utility allowance) and computing Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), tenant rent, and utility reimbursement across scenarios.<br /><br />Module 7 focuses on annual reexaminations and verification requirements for income, assets, expenses, student/disability status, and documenting discrepancies.<br /><br />The final section is a comprehensive multiple-choice exam review covering policies, fair housing, eligibility, income/rent calculations, HQS, portability, interim reexams, and family obligations.

Keywords

Housing Choice Voucher (HCV)

Public Housing Authority (PHA) staff training

Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity

reasonable accommodation (disability)

Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Title VI

Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) protections

waiting list management and local preferences

eligibility determination (citizenship/immigration, denials)

income and adjusted income calculations (assets, passbook rate, deductions)

rent calculation (gross rent, HAP, utility allowance/reimbursement)