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General Policy Statement

The Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 requires that all public housing residents who are 18 years of age and older are not exempt as defined in the 24 CFR Part 960.6 shall be required to perform eight (8) hours of community service each month. The service can be provided at any local community, charitable or civic organization. Residents may also choose to enroll in a self-sufficiency program.

Definitions

Community Service:

The performance of voluntary work or duties that are a public benefit that serve to improve the quality of life, enhance resident self-sufficiency or increase self-responsibility of a resident within the community in which the resident resides. Community service is not employment and may not include political activities.

Exempt Individuals:

• Age 62 years or older
• Blind or disabled (as defined under 216(i)(1) or 1614 of the Social Security Act
  (42 U.S.C. 416(i)(1); 1382c) and who certify that because of this disability they
  are unable to comply with the service provisions; or primary caretakers of such
  individuals.
• Engaged in work activities as defined in section 407(d) of the Social Security Act
  (42 U.S.C.607 (d), specified below:
1. Unsubsidized employment
2. Subsidized private-sector employment
3. Subsidized public-sector employment
4. Work experience (including work associated with the refurbishing of publicly assisted housing) if sufficient private sector employment is not available
5. On-the-job-training
6. Job-search and job-readiness assistance
7. Community service programs
8. Vocational educational training (not to exceed 12 months with respect to any individual)
9. Job-skills training directly related to employment
10. Education directly related to employment in the case of a recipient who has not received a high school diploma or a certificate of high school equivalency
11. Satisfactory attendance at secondary school or in a course of study leading to a certificate of general equivalence, in the case of a recipient who has not completed secondary school or received such a certificate
12. The provision of childcare services to an individual who is participating in a community service program
• Meet the requirements for being exempt from having to engage in a work activity
  under the State program funded under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act
  (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) or under any other welfare program of the state in which
  the PHA is located, including a State-administered welfare-to-work program.
• If a member of a family receiving TANF assistance, benefits, or service under the
  State program funded under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42
  U.S.C. 601 et seq.); or under any other welfare program of the State in which the PHA is located, including a State administered welfare-to-work program and has not been found by the State or other administering entity to be in non-compliance with such program.

Service Requirements

Each Adult resident family member of a public housing development shall contribute eight (8) hours of community service.

Economic Self-Sufficiency Program:

Any program designed to encourage, assist, train, or facilitate the economic independence of HUD-assisted families or to provide work for such families. These programs include job training, employment counseling, work placement, basic skills training, education, English proficiency, workfare, financial or household management, apprenticeship, and any program necessary to ready a participant for work (including a substance abuse or mental health treatment program) or other work activities.

Community Service Program Administration:

The Community Service Program will be administered by the Housing Department. The Department will provide compliance monitoring. As part of the annual recertification process.

Compliance Requirement

Each adult (18 years or older) non-exempt household members is required to:

1. Perform eight (8) hours of community service each month.
2. Participate in eight (8) hours of Economic Self-Sufficiency each month or,
3. Participate in a combination of the both.

Community Service maybe satisfied by participating in one or more of the following:

• Volunteer at a local institution including but not limited to: school, childcare center, hospital, hospice, recreation center, senior center, adult day care center,
  homeless shelter, indigent feeding program, cooperative food bank, etc.;
• Volunteer with a non-profit organization that serves PHA residents or their children such as: Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Boys or Girls clubs, 4-H program, PAL, Garden Center, Community clean-up programs, beautification programs, other youth or senior organizations;
• Work at the Housing Department to help improve physical conditions;
• Work at the Housing Department to help with children’s programs;
• Work at the Housing Department to help senior programs;
• Helping neighborhood groups with special projects;
• Working through resident organization to help other residents with problems, serving as an officer in a Resident organization, serving on the Resident Advisory Board; and
• Caring for the children of other residents so they may volunteer.

NOTE: Political activity is excluded.

Self Sufficiency Activities: activities that include, but are not limited to:

• Job readiness programs;
• Job training programs;
• GED classes;
• Substance abuse or mental health counseling;
• English Proficiency or literacy (reading) classes;
• Apprenticeships;
• Budgeting and credit counseling;
• Any kind of class that helps a person toward economic independence.

Each Adult non-exempt household will be required to complete a Community Service Compliance Certification each year at re-examination. The Certification will state that the adult resident have received and read the Community Service/Self Sufficiency Policy.

Each Adult non-exempt household member will be required to complete a Resident

Community Service Timesheet. This timesheet will include a brief description of the service performed, number of hours performed and the date performed.

The head of household will be responsible for lease compliance and is responsible for providing information and documentation as may be requested by the Housing

Department to determine compliance.

The Housing Department will maintain Community Service records for each adult household member.

Notification

All residents will be notified in writing of the requirements to participate in community service and self-sufficiency activities.

Each household will receive a written notice explaining the requirements and instructions regarding compliance and penalty if they fail to comply.

Exemption

1. The Housing Department will provide exemption status to any resident that request such status and who meet one of the following qualifications as defined in CFR Part 960.6.
2. A person 62 years or older.
3. A person with vision impairment.
4. A person with disabilities as defined under 216(i)(10 OR 1614 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 416 CT) (1): 1382 c) and who is unable to comply with this Section (or is a primary caretaker of such individual.
5. Employed.
6. Participating in an economic self-sufficiency program.
7. Participate in a state welfare to work program or who is required by law to participate in such a program.

Request for Exemption

A resident wishing to be exempt from service requirements must make the request in writing.
The Housing Department will review the request and make a determination. The resident will be notified in writing as to the determination of the request.

Reporting a change in status

The head of household is responsible for reporting any change in status between annual re-examination. The Housing Department will process the change in status and make a determination in writing to the resident.

Annual Re-examination and Compliance

Prior to the Annual re-examination all non-exempt adult residents shall be required to report and certify as to their compliance with the Community Service or self-sufficiency requirements under the lease. The Housing Department may require a third party verification of compliance.

If an Adult resident is found to be non-compliance, the Housing Department may not renew the lease unless the following conditions are met:

• The head of household and the non-compliance adult family member enters into an agreement with the Housing Department.
• All family members who are subject to the service requirements are currently complying with the service requirements or no longer resides at the residence.

Grievance

All residents shall have a right to a grievance hearing upon requesting a hearing in writing to the Director of Housing as a result of any action taken by the Housing Department as it relates to the implementation of the Community service and self-sufficiency requirement of CFR part 960.6.

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