The Boston Housing Authority sent the following letter to its landlord partners:
(PDF Link)
Dear Landlord/Property Manager:
Unfortunately, the Boston Housing Authority is experiencing delays in receiving the full amount of federal Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) funding for December for our Section 8/Housing Choice Voucher program. Housing authorities like ours across the country have not yet received approval of “shortfall funding”, a mechanism that covers the gap when rental inflation outstrips the original voucher budget allocations for the year. As a result of these federal approval and processing delays at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), due in part to the federal government shutdown, our ability to release payments to our Section 8/Housing Choice Voucher Program landlords on the regular schedule has been negatively affected.
At this time, we anticipate that full HAP payments may not be disbursed until approximately mid-month. However, in order to mitigate the impact of this delay, for those who receive direct deposits, BHA will send out 25% of the monthly payment, which reflects the portion of funds we currently hold. The remaining balance will be issued immediately upon receipt of full funding from the federal government. We are hopeful that HUD will approve shortfall payments at the end of this week, and funds will become available next week, but we have not yet had formal confirmation of the timeline.
Please note:
- This delay is solely related to the timing of federal funding, not to any issue with your documentation, inspections, or tenancy.
- Our finance and program teams are prepared to process the remaining payments as soon as federal funds are received.
- We will issue an update if the timeline changes further.
We understand the importance of timely payments and sincerely regret the inconvenience this temporary disruption may cause. We appreciate your patience and continued partnership during this period.
Sincerely,
Kathlin McGonagle
Chief of Leased Housing & Admissions
617-988-4000
