Housing Programs Overview
A home is more than just a roof over your head. A home should be a place where you are able to build your future, grow your dreams, and find safety and rest. The Housing Authority of the City of Lubbock aims to do just this. We have a mission to help every resident of Lubbock find a safe place to live, dream, and grow. If you are looking for affordable housing in Lubbock, we are here to help. Whether you are looking for Public Housing, Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV), or Section 8 Project Based Vouchers (PBV), you can apply here. Learn more about the programs we administer below.
Public Housing
Public housing is only eligible for low-income households and individuals. Your eligibility is determined by the Housing Authority of the City of Lubbock based on your annual gross income, whether you qualify as a family, person with a disability, or a family, and your United States citizenship and immigration status. If you are eligible for public housing, the Housing Authority of the City of Lubbock will run background checks and contact references to ensure that you and your household will be good tenants. The Housing Authority of the City of Lubbock abides by income limits developed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. HUD has established the lower income limits at 80% and very low income limits at 50% of the median income for the county or metropolitan area in which you choose to live. It should be noted that income limits are based on where you live, so you may be eligible for public housing in one area and not eligible in another area.
Family Self-Sufficiency
Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) is a Program to assist families to achieve economic independence, Self-Sufficiency, and freedom from dependence on various governmental assistance programs.
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Who is eligible to participate in FSS?
All current Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) families are eligible to participate. The head of the household and/or family members 18 or older are eligible.
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What types of services will be provided in conjunction with FSS?
The services that may be provided include, but are not limited to, the following referrals:
- Adult Education (includes GED);
- Workshops in homemaking, parenting, skills, and financial management;
- Home buying workshops and counseling;
- Other services necessary to help participating families become self-sufficient.
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What will be my obligation if I choose to participate in FSS?
Each participating family or family member will sign a Contract of Participation (COP). Also, each family member participating will complete a Training and Service Plan (TSP). The TSP spells out the services to be provided and the obligations the families or family member agrees to undertake.
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What is an Escrow Savings Account and how does it benefit FSS families?
The escrow account offers a family or family member the opportunity to save for the future. During the term of the Contract of Participation, the Housing Authority of the City of Lubbock (LHA) will establish an interest-bearing escrow account for the FSS family. Whenever there is a rent increase due to earned income of family members, the family will pay their portion toward the contract rent and the HA will deposit part or the same amount to the family’s escrow account. Families or family members who leave the FSS Program without completing the Contract of Participation (COP) will forfeit their escrow account. Monies received from escrow accounts may be used in various ways, i.e. down payment on a home, car, college tuition, etc.
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Will I lose my housing benefits if I join?
No. Participation in the FSS program is voluntary. You will continue to receive housing benefits whether or not you complete the program. You have absolutely nothing to lose and a lot to gain by joining the program!
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Do I have to be working to join?
No. Actually, the best time to join FSS is when you are not working or when you have very little income.
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Who should I contact for information about FSS?
Contact: Susan Morales 806-776-2313
Housing Choice Voucher (HCV)
A Section 8: Housing Choice Voucher program assists very low-income families, disabled persons, and the elderly with finding safe, affordable, and accessible housing in the private market. With an HCV, eligible participants are able to find their own housing that meets the requirements of the voucher. This means participants are able to choose single-family homes, townhomes, and apartments that fall within the requirements of the program. Participants are not required to live in public housing already subsidized. Housing choice vouchers are received by the Housing Authority of the City of Lubbock and are funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. When you are issued an HCV, you are responsible for finding suitable housing that meets the requirements and where the owner agrees to rent under the program. In some cases, this even includes your current residence. Rental units are required to meet the minimum health and safety standards determined by the Housing Authority of the City of Lubbock.
HCV Eligibility
Your eligibility for an HCV is determined by the Housing Authority of the City of Lubbock. It is based on your annual gross income and family size. HCVs are limited to U.S. citizens as well as specified non-citizens with eligible immigration status. Generally your income cannot exceed 50 percent of the county or metropolitan area’s median income. The Housing Authority is required by law to provide 75 percent of its voucher to applicants whose incomes do not exceed 30 percent of the area median income. When you apply for a Section 8: Housing Choice Voucher, the Housing Authority of Lubbock will collect information on your income, assets, and family makeup. Once this information is verified, we will use your information to determine your eligibility as well as the amount of housing assistance you may receive.
LHA’s Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program allows for families or individuals with a voucher from another housing authority to transfer their voucher to LHA. This process is called “porting in” to LHA. The process of transferring a voucher from one city to another varies, but this page provides a general summary of information provided in LHA’s HCV Program Administrative Plan regarding porting in to LHA’s jurisdiction.
Starting the Porting In Process
The process begins when a voucher holder notifies LHA and their current housing authority (also called their “initial housing authority”) that they want to move to Lubbock, Texas. The initial housing authority must then forward the following documents to LHA:
- HUD 52665 Family Portability Information Form
- HUD 50058 Form
- Copies of supporting income verification documents
- Voucher holder’s current voucher (the voucher must not expire before 60 days or the voucher holder will be referred back to their initial housing authority)
- Family contact information, including a valid phone number and address
Any changes to income and/or household composition must be completed with initial HA
Please allow 10-15 business days for LHA to receive all required documents and follow up with your initial housing authority to find out the status of your paperwork. Questions or documents related to porting to LHA can also be emailed to portability@lubbockha.org.
Portability Application
Once LHA receives all appropriate documents, HCV Program staff will contact the voucher holder to schedule an orientation briefing. All adult household members, age 18 or older, must attend the briefing and bring the following documents so that LHA HCV Specialist can conduct the orientation:
- Current valid photo identification
- Birth certificates for all household members ages 17 years and younger
- Social Security cards for all household members
- Marriage License, Divorce Decree and/or Court Awarded Custody Letters, if applicable
- Copies of income documentation for household
LHA will conduct a criminal background check on all family members 18 years and older.
LHA may reject a portability application if there is evidence of violent and/or drug-related criminal activity, serious lease violations and outstanding balances owed to the initial housing authority or a previous property owner. If a member of the household fails the criminal background check or LHA determines that the family is not eligible, the portability application will be withdrawn and the family or individual may be subject to termination from the HCV Program.
Once the voucher holder’s eligibility has been verified, the porting family or individual must attend an orientation briefing to receive their moving papers including a Request for Tenancy Approval (RTA) packet and a LHA voucher.
Housing Search, Inspection and Rent Reasonableness
In order to use their voucher in Lubbock, Texas, the voucher holder must locate a unit and submit an RTA packet. A family’s or individual’s LHA voucher expires on the same date as their voucher from the initial housing authority. If the voucher holder does not find a unit within the allotted time period, the voucher will be withdrawn and in certain cases, the family or individual can lose their voucher. In some cases, explained in LHA’s HCV Program Administrative Plan, LHA will grant an extension. The PHA will allow an exception to this policy if the family includes a person with disabilities and the late billing is a result of a reasonable accommodation granted to the family by the receiving PHA.
Upon receipt of tenant’s RTA packet, HCV Specialist will tentatively income qualify family for unit. Family must sign off on rental amounts. Inspection process will be initiated once this is done. When unit has passed inspection. HCV Specialist will notify family, in writing, of move in date.
Completing the Process
Once the voucher holder signs a lease, LHA will notify the initial housing authority so that they can complete the necessary paperwork and ensure consistent payments to the new property owner/manager.
For questions or if you would like more information on the portability process, call Tiarra @ 806-776-2308. Phone calls will be returned with 24 to 72 hours.
Your current PHA and LHA’s team will assist you in initiating the transfer process.
Project Based Vouchers (PBV)
A component of the Housing Choice Voucher program, Project Based Vouchers are used to fund project-based units for affordable public housing. The Housing Authority of the City of Lubbock is not allocated funding by the government for PBV units. Instead, the Housing Authority uses tenant voucher funding to allot project-based units to a project. The selection for projects to receive a PBV is often competitive, though there are times where the designation is not competitive. The Housing Authority of the City of Lubbock can use up to 20 percent of the authorized voucher units to designate project-based units in a project if the owner either agrees to construct or rehabilitate the units or agrees to set aside a portion of the units in an already-existing project.
How It Works
When it comes to Project-Based Vouchers, the Housing Authority of the City of Lubbock refer families who have already applied for a Housing Choice Voucher and are on the waiting list to properties that have project-based voucher assistance when units become available. With a PBV, applicants referred by the Housing Authority of the City of Lubbock are referred to a project owner to fill vacancies with PBV funding. The Housing Authority of the City of Lubbock pays the owner of the project the difference between 30 percent of family income and the gross rent for the unit.