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Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8)
Project Based Assistance (PBA)
Family Self Sufficiency Program
Bridges
Senior Housing Opportunities Program
Shelter Plus Care
The Housing
Choice Voucher Program (also known as Section 8) utilizes the existing
private rental market in Dakota County to provide decent, safe
and sanitary housing opportunities for low-income families, elderly,
handicapped and disabled persons at an affordable cost. The CDA
administers this federal program for all of Dakota County except
South St. Paul (the South St. Paul HRA administers the program
for that city). The CDA assists over 2,200 families and individuals
through this program.
Program participants pay a minimum of 30% of their monthly adjusted income toward rent (and may not pay more than 40% of monthly adjusted income when initially leasing a unit with voucher assistance). The program provides rental assistance which is the difference between the participants rent portion and the contract rent. The rent assistance is paid directly to the property owner on the first of each month.
Program participants choose a rental unit from the private rental market and the property owner must be willing to accept voucher-assisted tenants. All assisted rental units must pass an annual inspection based on federally established Housing Quality Standards.
The Dakota County CDA is currently accepting applications for the Housing Choice Voucher Program Preference Waiting List. The waiting list will remain open until 4 p.m. on March 31, 2010.
Preference applicants are those who live, work, are hired to work, or go to school full-time in Dakota County. To qualify, school attendance must be at a vocational school with a diploma or certificate program or an institution offering a college degree. Applications will not be accepted from non-preference applicants.
Applicants will be placed on the waiting list by the date and time application is completed.
Program Income Limits
Household Size |
Income
Limit |
1 |
$29,350 |
2 |
$33,550 |
3 |
$37,750 |
4 |
$41,950 |
5 |
$45,300 |
6 |
$48,650 |
7 |
$52,000 |
8 |
$55,350 |
How to Apply for the Housing Choice Voucher Program Applicants must appear in person to complete an application at the CDA’s office located at 1228 Town Centre Drive in Eagan, Minnesota. Applications are available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Applications are also available from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month to accomodate those who can not apply during regular business hours.
Driving directions to the CDA’s office are available by calling the CDA’s Information Line at (651) 675-4440 and are also available at www.dakotacda.org/hours_and_directions.
Applicants should bring a form of photo identification (such as a driver’s license or immigration card) and proof of a Dakota County preference. Social Security numbers must also be provided for every household member that will be listed on your application.
Examples of preference documentation include: a driver’s license, ID card or copy of a lease showing a Dakota County address, recent pay stubs for employment in Dakota County, or record of full-time enrollment at a Dakota County school.
Applicants not providing proof of a preference at the time of application will not be placed on the list. Only one application may be submitted per household. If more than one application for a household is received, all applications for that household will be discarded and will not be placed on the waiting list.
If you are currently on other CDA waiting lists, you must apply separately for the Housing Choice Voucher Program waiting list.
Voucher Program Payment Standards (as of October 1, 2009)
The maximum assistance a household is eligible to receive is equal to the difference between 30% of a household’s monthly adjusted income and the applicable Voucher Payment Standard.
Region 1: Apple Valley, Burnsville, Eagan, Inver Grove Heights, Lakeville and Mendota Heights
Region 2: Farmington, Hastings, Rosemount and West St. Paul
| |
Payment Standards |
Bedroom Size |
Region 1 |
Region 2
|
0 |
$669 |
$566 |
1 |
$790 |
$706 |
2 |
$975 |
$903 |
3 |
$1,294 |
$1,221 |
4 |
$1,412 |
$1,371 |
5 |
$1,624 |
$1,577 |
6 |
$1,836 |
$1,783 |
Manufactured Homes |
$359 |
$359 |
Voucher Program Utility
Allowance Schedule
(PDF)
(Effective
April 1, 2009)
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Similar to the Housing Choice Voucher Program, the PBA Program provides low- and moderate-income households with monthly rental assistance. However, with PBA assistance, the subsidy stays with the unit - not the tenant. The CDA administers PBA contracts on 54 units in three privately owned rental properties in Dakota County including: Hidden Ponds, Apple Valley; Grande Market Place, Burnsville; and Cedar Villas Townhomes, Eagan.
Eligible households pay 30% of their adjusted monthly income towards rent and the PBA Program pays the difference between the household’s rent portion and the contract rent.
Families must qualify for a 2 bedroom unit (based on household size and composition). The units at Grande Market Place are reserved for current MFIP recipients and for families that have received MFIP within the last 24 months.
Income Limits are $33,550 for two people, $37,750 for three people and $41,950 for four people. Applicants of the Housing Choice Voucher Program can choose to apply for the Project Based Assistance waiting lists on the same application.
The Family Self-Sufficiency
Program was established by the CDA to promote economic self-sufficiency
among participating families. This program is aimed at coordinating
and providing private and public sector support services necessary
to enable larger families to achieve self-sufficiency goals. The
CDA offers this program to participants of the Housing Choice Voucher
Program as an opportunity to build an escrow savings account to
be used by the family for a downpayment for a home, reliable transportation,
repayment of student loans, etc.
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Bridges serves persons with chronic and persistent
mental illness. The CDA administers the housing subsidy portion
of this program which is grant funded by the Minnesota Housing
Finance Agency. The Dakota County Social Services Department coordinates
the support services for the clients. Participants contribute 30%
of their income toward rent and the grant subsidizes the remainder.
This program provides a temporary subsidy that “bridges” the
gap between homelessness, treatment centers, institutional facilities
and permanent affordable housing.
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The Senior Housing Opportunities Program is a
locally funded rent assistance program for seniors age 55+ living in Dakota County.
Income Limits are $29,350 for one person and $33,550 for two people. Seniors age 55 and up who have applied for the Housing Choice Voucher Program are eligible to recieve assistance through the Senior Housing Opportunities Program.
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Shelter Plus Care provides rent assistance,
in connection with supportive services, to homeless persons with
disabilities. The program is a collaborative effort with the Dakota
County Community Services Division. The supportive services provided
by Community Services fulfill a dollar-for-dollar match requirement
for the HUD grant. The CDA assists 18 participants through this
program.
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