CHA’s Housing Choice Voucher Program, also known as Section 8, is hosting a Landlord Fair to connect Tubman residents with landlords who have properties available for rent.  Landlords are invited to bring pictures of their properties, applications, brochures and other materials for residents to review.  The fair will take place Thursday, Jan. 26, at 6 p.m. at CHA’s Central Office located at 801 N. Holtzclaw Ave.

“We’ve been meeting with small groups of residents all this month to review our phase-down plans, and explain the next steps,” said CHA Executive Director Betsy McCright. “We realize having to relocate can be quite overwhelming, so we thought a Landlord Fair – strictly for Tubman residents – would help make the process smoother for families.”

Tubman residents have the option of relocating to another CHA public housing community or receiving a Section 8 voucher.  Through the federal program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, eligible families and individuals with low incomes may receive a voucher to find their own housing in the private market. CHA, which administers the program locally, pays a subsidy to the landlord on behalf of the HCVP participant.  The family then pays the difference between the rent charged by the landlord and the amount subsidized by Section 8, CHA officials explained.

Some 175 Tubman residents are expected to request Section 8 vouchers.  CHA officials plan to issue the vouchers on Wed., Jan. 25, one day prior to the Landlord Fair.

In December, HUD approved CHA’s application for Mandatory Conversion of Tubman.  CHA officials submitted the application because the agency does not have the resources to renovate the site.  Tubman residents will receive funds to help them with moving expenses.  The relocation amounts are set by the U.S. Department of Transportation and are based on specific guidelines. It is anticipated the relocation process may take several months or up to one year to complete.

CHA’s Section 8 program administers 3,148 vouchers and has about 1,200 landlords.  The waiting list is currently closed and no new applications are being accepted for the program at this time.

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Greenwood Terrace Apartments, 3056 Dee Dr., on

• Tues., Jan. 17 from 5-8 p.m.
• Tues., Jan. 24 from 9 a.m. – noon
• Wed., Jan. 25 from 5-8 p.m.

Emma Wheeler Homes, 4900 Edinburg Dr., on

• Wed., Jan. 25 from 9 a.m. – noon

Residents are asked to call (423) 495-0875 ahead of time to schedule an appointment so that everyone may be accommodated.

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CHA officials are accepting the preliminary applications by mail or other sealed commercial delivery service that are postmarked on or before Jan. 7.  Hand-delivered applications will be accepted for one day only on Jan. 7 from 7 a.m. to noon at the agency’s Holtzclaw headquarters.

A public random drawing from the pool of eligible lottery applicants will also take place at CHA’s Holtzclaw headquarters on Friday, Jan. 13, at 10 a.m.  Applicants do not have to be present at the drawing.

The preliminary application and lottery guidelines are accessible online at www.chahousing.org.  They are also available at all of CHA’s public housing communities and its Central Office, located at 801 N. Holtzclaw Ave., from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Fairmount, located in North Chattanooga, will feature nine three-bedroom units and nine two-bedroom units, as well as walking trails and grassy play areas for children.  The development will also include solar panels on the roof that will supply about 10 percent of the residents’ energy needs.  Maple Hills is a 48-unit complex in East Chattanooga that also features two- and three-bedroom town home-style apartments. Both properties are LEED-certified.

Fairmount is scheduled to open in March while Maple Hills is set to open in September.

Dates To Remember

Jan. 7

Deadline for Mailing Preliminary Applications to:

Chattanooga Housing Authority

801 N. Holtzclaw Ave. – Chattanooga, TN 37404

OR

P.O. Box 1486 – Chattanooga, TN 37401

Jan. 7 ~ 7 a.m. to Noon

Preliminary Applications may be hand-delivered to CHA’s Central Office

(801 N. Holtzclaw Ave.)

Jan. 13 ~ 10 a.m.

Public Drawing (801 N. Holtzclaw Ave.)