Program Description
Eligibility
Amount of Rent Subsidy
Waiting List and Insufficient Funds
Redetermination of Eligibility
Termination of Eligibility
Application Process

FOR MORE INFORMATION

DIRECT RENT SUBSIDY

Program Description
This rent subsidy program is for youth that are aging out of foster care and participating in the Aftercare Services Program. Providing this subsidy supports the self-sufficiency goals of the youth and teaches life skills relative to renter rights and responsibilities. This program does not address homeless youth or youth at risk of homelessness; youth must be motivated to obtain and retain steady employment and sign a 12-month lease.

Eligibility
For a youth to be eligible for the Direct Rent Subsidy program he/she must meet the following criteria:

• Aftercare services participant. The youth shall be an active participant in aftercare services, making progress toward an identified goal of obtaining or maintaining stable housing. The youth must have left foster care on or after his/her 18th birthday.
  
  
• Demonstrated need. To demonstrate need, the youth must provide evidence that the youth is responsible for paying more than 30% of the youth's gross earned and unearned income for rent and that the youth cannot obtain other rental assistance because the youth has been determined ineligible or is on a waiting list for rent subsidy under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or any other available rent subsidy program or because a waiting list for the HUD rent subsidy program or any other rent subsidy program is closed. This program may not be used to substitute for any other subsidy that the youth had been receiving at the time of or immediately prior to the time of application to this program. Youth receiving rental assistance at the time of or immediately prior to the time of application to this program shall not be eligible.
  
  
• Education on renter rights and responsibilities. To demonstrate that the youth understands the rights and responsibilities of being a renter, the youth must have either lived in a transitional apartment (through the Aftercare Services Transitional Apartment program), completed a renter education and awareness program, be enrolled to participate or be currently participating in a renter education and awareness program.
  
  
• Budget. The youth must submit a budget that demonstrates that the subsidy, when combined with the youth's gross earned and unearned income, will enable the youth to cover all remaining living expenses (i.e., housing, utilities, clothing, and food).

Amount of Rent Subsidy
Assistance shall be used for rental expense directly related to the youth's lease of a rental unit. The monthly payment shall be for a rental unit with one bedroom or a proportionate share of rental costs in units containing more than one bedroom. An exception for additional bedrooms will be made for minor dependents residing in the rental unit.

The subsidy amount is the difference, not to exceed $350, between:

• The lesser of the actual rent or fair market rent under guidelines of the applicable HUD low-rent housing program in the county where the youth's residence is located, and
  
• Thirty percent of the youth's monthly gross earned and unearned income.

So long as funds remain and eligibility requirements of this chapter continue to be met, the organization shall receive an ongoing monthly payment on behalf of the youth approved for rent subsidy.

Waiting List and Insufficient Funds
If funds are not sufficient to cover payments for all youth on the subsidy, youth shall be terminated from the subsidy in the inverse order in which they began receiving payments, i.e., the last youth to be added to the subsidy being the first youth to be removed. The youth terminated shall move back to the waiting list with the original application date dictating the youth's position on the waiting list.

Youth not awarded funding who meet the eligibility requirements shall be placed on a statewide waiting list according to the order in which the completed applications were received by the authority. In the event that more than one application is received at one time, the youth shall be entered on the waiting list on the basis of the day of the youth's birthday, lowest number being first on the waiting list. Any subsequent tie shall be decided by the month of birth, with January being month one.

Redetermination of Eligibility
A redetermination of eligibility for direct rent subsidy payments shall be completed:

• At least once every 12 months
  
• When a change in circumstances occurs that affects eligibility requirements
  
• If the youth moves from the rental unit stated on the application
  
• When there is a change in income.
  
• When there is a change in the names of the people on the lease or number of minor dependents
  
• When there is an unapproved person residing in the rental unit
  
• If the youth fails to complete the renter education and awareness program within the time period stated in the application

Termination of Rent Subsidy

The rent subsidy shall terminate at the end of the month in which any of the following occurs, and a notice shall be sent to the self-sufficiency advocate which states the reason for the termination:

• The youth does not meet one or more of the eligibility criteria
  
• The youth does not meet the youth's obligations and personal responsibility as a renter, as determined by the youth's self-sufficiency advocate
  
• No additional uncommitted funds are available for the rent subsidy program

Application Process

The self-sufficiency advocate submits online application to IFA on behalf of eligible youth. Complete Form ACS-DRS and the Monthly Budget Form. Email the completed forms to: ifa_rent_subsidy_admin@iowa.gov

Program Description
Aftercare Services Network member agency rents a transitional apartment, then rents or subleases that apartment to a youth. The apartment is to be used to provide housing and life skills training to assist youth "recognize and accept their personal responsibility related to being a renter." The apartment can be used to meet a prerequisite to for the youth to obtain direct rent subsidy.

Eligibility

• The participating organization shall be a contractor or subcontractor of the department of human services' program of aftercare services
  
• The organization shall submit a statement to the authority that the transitional apartment will be used to provide housing and life skills training to assist youth to recognize and accept their personal responsibility related to being a renter
  
• The organization will lease or sublease the apartment to qualified aftercare services participants who have left foster care on or after their eighteenth birthday

Amount of Rent Subsidy
The amount of transitional apartment subsidy is based on the lesser of the actual rent or 100 percent of the fair market rent under guidelines of the applicable HUD low-rent housing program in the county where the rental unit is located.

Application Process
The agency director submits online application to IFA on behalf of the organization. Complete Form ACS-TAS and a written narrative describing the Transitional Apartment Program. Email the completed forms to: ifa_rent_subsidy_admin@iowa.gov

DOCUMENTS

• ACS-DRS Instructions for Application  
  
• ACS-DRS Application  
  
• ACS-DRS Monthly Budget Form  
  
• ACS-TAS Application  
  
• HUD Market Rents by County  
  
• Chapter 22: Iowa Aftercare Services Rent Subsidy Program  
  
• Slide Presentation  
  This presentation is from the May 10, 2005, ICN Training for the Aftercare Services Network on Aftercare Services Rent Subsidy Program.