I support the guidance as drafted.   Those who have rental assistance or housing choice vouchers should be able to take that assistance wherever they desire to use it.  Unfortunately, to limit where rental assistance or vouchers can be use may undermine our public investment in housing assistance.

Legal sources of funds, such as the Housing Choice Voucher program, are administered by third-party entities who directly pay a portion of the tenant’s rent to the housing provider.  These third-party payments are guaranteed and present less risk to a housing provider than other sources of income, such as employment income, which are not guaranteed. Furthermore, because these sources of income are guaranteed, the relevant factor for a housing provider’s risk assessment is the tenant’s portion of the rent, and not the total rent.  

Therefore, this guidance is vital to enable a clear understanding of how source of income protections should work, and it represents the legislative intent of the General Assembly.  By adopting the proposed guidance, you will provide a great service to the housing community.