COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Columbia Housing Authority (CHA) met Thursday to discuss several items including the demolition and renovation of several of their properties.
The announcement of the upcoming work was made last year, but as the start date for construction gets closer, the CHA met to provide updates on the projects.
Lucinda Herrera, senior vice-president of development with the Housing Authority, said during her presentation, “We have Latimer Manor, Hammond Village, Lewis Scott Court, and Dorrah Randell.”
HUD's Rental Assistance Demonstration, also known as the RAD program, allows Columbia Housing to turn to the private market and outside investors to get money.
“Latimer Manor and Dorrah Randell are both going to be demolition with new construction, they also both have transfers of assistance,” Herrera said.
According to CHA, they are working with two development partners.
During Thursday’s meeting, proposed changes to the Housing Choice Voucher homeownership program (HAP) were approved. The program allows select families to use vouchers to buy a home and receive monthly assistance in meeting homeownership expenses.
According to the CHA, 80 families are currently receiving assistance.
Taleshia Stewart, senior vice-president of Resident and Strategic Initiatives at CHA said during the meeting, “Currently our policy indicates that the HAP payment will be paid to a mortgage company on a monthly basis, and what we’re proposing to do is to amend that policy because a lot of mortgage companies will not accept a partial payment from a homeowner.”
Stewart said another change to the program is employment requirements.
“We are suggesting that any family that’s not elderly or disabled, that we put a policy in place that they must maintain employment not to be less than 30 hours per week, in order for them to stay on the program," she said.
The agency is proposing a family’s homeownership assistance could be terminated if they refuse to adhere to, or properly document, their employment.
The approved recommendations will now be presented to the full board for approval.