1. H.E.L.P. Forward Tips
Are you a low-income citizen moving forward to a higher-income bracket such as low middle-income? Or a low middle-income household who is trying to remain in income bracket or higher?
You truly have reached the right organization for guidance.
Suggestions to becoming or maintaining a household in the middle-income socio-economic status.
a. If you are over-scaled or do not qualify for SNAP (U.S. food stamps) than visit your local food pantries. The savings could be at least $30 - $100 a month, including other community connection resources that your neighboring food pantries may have.
b. Shop for birthday and Christmas gifts all year around instead of waiting until October - December.
c. Purchase a personal vehicle that will give you quality, but affordable for your habits (ex., gas mileage, space, etc.). A lot of middle-income household are downsizing their homes and vehicles based on current patterns of the economy.
d. If you must attend college for your career path or job training, apply for scholarships and complete FAFSA.
e. Use public transportation or ride share, if available in your community.
f. Use shopping coupons for items that you want to try or already use at your household.
g. Purchase food items that are on sale for meals. Shop daily, if necessary. If you are going to purchase items that are about to expire use it the same day. Do not refreeze whenever possible.
h. Shop at consignment or thrift stores, if available in your community: or online (items prices are generally cheaper than at your favorite store). Sign up at shopping reward programs (online, or local store).
i. Have two main credit cards: gas charge card and traditional credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express). Clothing charge cards are very tempting for Moms of households.
j. Try to pay off the balance of your charge card each month or each usage.
k. Plan your shopping trip or errands to decrease transportation costs.
l. Avoid wearing gently-worn shoes or prescription glasses from thrift stores. Children should never wear used or too small shoes, their feet continue to grow until around the age of 21.
Applying for a Rental Unit.
Do you have or know the following information "before" arriving to a leasing company or applying for a unit?
- Size of apartment needed and wanted.
- Date of birth of all applicants and occupants.
- Employer name, phone number and address for all applicants and occupants.
- Salary/hourly wage/stipend/consistent monetary gifts of more than $50.
- Prior employer(s).
- Bank accounts and bank balances.
- Credit references.
- Rental references of present and previous landlords (their name and contact information).
- Personal references, at least two references.
- Birth certificate(s).
- Social Security card (s).
- Driver's License or State ID.
- Present address.
- Former address(es) up to 10 years.
- Vehicle tag number(s), make and model.
2. Security Deposit Fee Facts.
a, Most local social service programs do not provide security-deposit monetary assistance--to anyone.
b. Most community social service programs or housing charity programs do not offer customer service to Housing Choice Voucher Program or Public Housing customers.
c. Landlords are required to return security deposit fees (with interest) to the tenant within a specified timeframe based on landlord and tenant laws of your specified state area.
d. There are landlord opportunities in your specified state area that may not require you to pay a security deposit fee before move-in, ask!
e. Most landlords do not allow you, the tenant, to use your security deposit fee as your monthly rental fee.
f. A Time To Learn Academy does accept donations to help our customer tenant clients with security deposits for rental relocation.
3. Option to Make Payment and Maintenance Request Transaction Online.
a, Many modern leasing companies now allow their tenants to reach them online to make their rental payments , and any maintenance requests.
b. Online Rental Payment.
i, Online rental payments may be made as a "one-time payment" (you pay once a month via credit/debit card, or bank account), or,
ii. "automatic monthly payment" (payment is withdrawn automatically each month) from your bank account per your consent).
iii, To make certain that your payment is accepted be sure to refer to your renter's profile of your recent activity.
iv. If your payment remains in the pending activity status for more than one day (24 hours), contact the leasing company.
c. Online Maintenance Requests.
i. Give as much detail of the request as possible. Specify the room or area space of the issue that needs repair.
ii. It normally will take at least 24 hours for the rental company customer service to respond to your concern., unless an emergency.
iii. If a repair is an emergency, call 911. Vacate the rental unit if necessary or if suggested by police, local government, fire, or
appropriate health care staff. Be sure to get the name of the person if such request is suggested to you.
4. Lease-up Activities.
There are several leasing-term choices: month-to-month, 3-months, 6-months, 12-months, 24-months, or on-going until notified.
Always keep a copy of your official lease agreement for future reference.
a. Traditional Renter. Make sure that you read over and sign and date a lease agreement. Keep a copy of any and all rental documents.
b. College-Student Renter. Make sure you have an idea of how long you would like to stay at the rental unit. No matter the length of time, you should request a lease. A lease is an official document.
c. Affordable Housing Renter (Voucher or Public Housing tenant).
After you have received your voucher from the local housing authority,
i. Have your potential landlord complete the Request for Tenancy Approval Packet (RFTA or commonly known as RTA). You can mail the RTA to the landlord and the local housing authority, if necessary. Make sure the unit is convenient for your specific household's needs and wants. Do you have a list of rental needs and wants vs. HAP payments budget allowance?
ii. You can lease up with a landlord only if they are "willing to become" an immediate bonafide HUD-landlord vendor. Otherwise, HAP (housing payments) will not be made on your behalf for on-going non-approved landlord activity.
iii. After receipt of the RTA to the housing authority (of your choice), you and your potential landlord will be contacted of denial or acceptance for HAP payment budget standards and to make a reservation for an initial inspection of the unit.
iv. It normally takes 15 - 30 days to complete the initial inspection. Your housing authority will contact you as to whether the unit failed, approved pending repairs, or passed the inspection.
v. Once the unit passes the initial inspection, you, then, can sign the landlord's lease. Most often, the landlord will suggest that they drop of the lease to your housing case worker. Your caseworker may want, both, you and the landlord to come in for an initial lease-up meeting to sign any additional documents if necessary. At that time, the caseworker will discuss the HAP payment and the tenant's portion of the rent and utilities if applicable.
vi. Once you are a bonafide tenant under a specific, local, housing authority you will have an official lease with the landlord, official HAP contract with the housing authority, and HAP payments will be made to the landlord on your behalf.
vii. Any rent and utility payments must be consistently paid as an Affordable Housing tenant-customer. And maintain property and its appliances, too.
viii. Your HUD-landlord and tenant relationship will be similar to participating with a housing case worker. Your landlord is the Lessor and you are the Lessee.
viiii. Your landlord must comply with any and all "your specific" state and city housing laws (housing codes and regulations), while you are a tenant for health and safety reasons.
x. You may be required, by your landlord, to have renter's insurance which vary in price based on preference (avg. $25 a month).
5. Move-in Activities.
Take pictures and list things that you and your landlord notice during the walk through of the unit before and during move-in. Make sure to give a copy of said challenges to the rental company's customer service. Keep any and all original documents of rental activities.
6. Portable Vouchers.
Contact us for any questions that you may have in regards to your port (to a different housing authority or state area) or the overall porting process. Make certain that you have a portable voucher before requesting relocation. Never move into a unit without having gone through the RTA and initial-inspection process. Most of your porting contact will be with a portability specialist at, each local housing authority, your current housing authority and your requested forwarding housing-authority agency.
7. Move-out Activities.
a. Traditional Renter. Request a move-out walkthrough. before officially vacating the unit. If the landlord is not around, take pictures of each room and important spaces and household appliances that will remain in the unit after you vacate.
b. College-Student Renter. You may be allowed to find someone take over your lease if necessary.
c. Affordable Housing Renter. Request an Intent to Vacate within 30 - 60 days of actual vacate from your housing authority caseworker.
8. Rental Unit Challenges Not Addressed by Landlord.
Are challenges only occuring at your unit? Or is it a problem at all units owned by the landlord?
a. Independent Actions. You may want to write phone and write a letter to your landlord. Send letter via e-mail, fax, or certified mailing.
b. Group Actions. The group may want to form a housing group at the rental-space area. Send a letter and have all tenants involved sign it. Send letter via e-mail, fax, or certified mailing.
c. Legal Actions. A housing code inspector or official goverment staffperson may request some type of action to be performed involving your unit. You may be required to allow such person into the dwelling upon official document request. The landlord must comply or they may receive a fine or penalty via the state, county, city, or local agencies involved. If there is no response to your written document, you may want to seek legal representation. There is free legal counseling that may be available in your area, pro bono legal counseling. Such counseling service typically has a large demand of underserved tenant-clients. There are also advocacy or religious groups that may be able to help, have specific details when contacting them
Other Options.
Write a letter to the City Department of Licenses and Inspections, rent in escrow, seek alternative housing, or personally pay for repairs to make unit livable without health and safety dysfunctions.
d. Most states (housing laws) require that their landlords provide at least 30 days before an actual tenant-eviction event.
As a renter, in America, you have the right to pursue and live in safe and decent housing.
Housing is a Need and Not a Want!
As of 2017, A Law Proposal: The Affordable Rent Act