Housing Applicants in Section 8

After adding an applicant to a Section 8 applicant list, you are then ready to house the applicant. To house an applicant in WinTen², you must work in the Applicant List, Occupancy and Rent Calculation (ORC), and Section 8 Tenant and Landlord (S8 T & L) programs. This process involves 13 main steps where you work with 8 wizards:

ü Enter all application details.
ü Enter household details.
ü Add income information: Add Income Wizard.
ü Add asset information: Add Asset Wizard.
ü Generate verification letters: Generate Form Letter Wizard.
ü Print/Preview rent calculation estimate.
ü Calculate waiting list ranking.
ü Issue voucher to applicant: Issue Voucher Wizard.
ü House applicant: House Applicant Wizard.
ü Verify information in ORC.
ü Create new admission certification in ORC: Begin Certification Wizard.
ü Complete new admission certification: Finalize Certification Wizard.
ü Move tenant information to S8 T & L: Move to Another Area Wizard.

Access Applicant List

1. From the Main Menu screen, click APPLICANTS. The Browse Applicants screen appears with all active applicants displayed in a table.

Search For and Select Applicant

2. Select how you want to order the applicant table from the ordered by drop-down list, enter the search criteria in the search for field and click GO. The first applicant to match the criteria will be highlighted in the table.
3. Click on the toolbar. The Applicant tab of the Maintain Applicants screen opens.

Enter Application Details

If all information on the application sub-tabs is filled out, the more information that is transferred to ORC and the less necessary it will be to have to pull the tenant file in the future.

4. Enter as much information as possible on the Application - Part 1-6 sub-tabs. Following is an overview of the information gathered on the Application sub-tabs. Please note that Parts 1-3 are required.

Note: Benefits of filling out every application tab:

Save!

5. When you are finished entering information on the Application sub-tabs, click to save your changes.

Enter Household Details

6. Return to the Application - Part 1 sub-tab, click , and select “Edit Applicant Details.”
7. Select a data area to use for rent estimation (in this case, Section 8) and click OK. The Applicant Detail screen appears.
8. Select the Household tab and click . The screen becomes available for edit.
9. Enter the applicant’s birthplace, and specify whether or not they are handicapped/disabled. Check the checkboxes of the appropriate disability/handicap from the list that appears.

Hint: The head of household designation can be changed between adult members of the household at any time. However, rent calculation could change, as well.

10. If necessary, check the alien checkbox, enter the alien registration number, and check the checkboxes if the applicant has ever been convicted of a crime and/or sold or gave away property in the last 2 years.

Note: The SSN or alien registration number must be a UNIQUE identifier number. If necessary, you can enter a unique alternate ID.

Save!

11. Click to save your changes.

Add Income

12. Select the Income tab and click to access the Add Income Wizard.
13. Select the income type, starting date (when income first began), period (when income is received), and amount per period.
14. Click NEXT to continue to step 2 of the wizard.

Enter Income Exclusions (if necessary)

15. Select the income exclusion type and enter the amount excluded. (If the income exclusion is an earned income disallowance, click EID HISTORY to enter the EID information on a separate screen.)

Note: EID and income exclusions are only applicable to those persons already admitted into a program (with the exception of excluding food stamps or other General Assistance options).

16. Click NEXT to continue to step 3.

Hint: To add food stamps as income, select “G - General Assistance” as the income type, “monthly” as the period, and enter the monthly benefit as the amount per period. On the second step of the wizard, select “food stamps” as the income exclusion type and enter the total income from step one as the amount excluded.

Enter/Select Agency

The agency is who/where the verification letters will be sent.

17. Type the agency information directly into the available fields or, to use an existing agency in your database, click GET AGENCY to access the Agency Information screen. Search for and select the agency you want to use and click INSERT AGENCY. The third step of the wizard appears again with the selected agency information displayed.
18. Click NEXT and then click NEXT again to access the confirmation screen. Review and confirm the income information you have set up and click FINISH to add the income record. The Income tab of the Applicant Detail screen appears again with the new income information displayed.

Add Assets

19. Select the Assets tab and click to access the Add Asset Wizard.
20. Enter the description of the asset, cash value of the asset, and the income received from the asset.
21. Click NEXT to continue to step 2 of the wizard.

Note: Imputed income will be added for any asset with a cash value over $5000.

Enter/Select Agency

The agency is who/where the verification letters will be sent.

22. Type the agency information directly into the available fields or, to use an existing agency in your database, click GET AGENCY to access the Agency Information screen. Search for and select the agency you want to use and click INSERT AGENCY. The third step of the wizard appears again with the selected agency information displayed.
23. Click NEXT and then click NEXT again to access the confirmation screen. Review and confirm the income information you have set up and click FINISH to add the income record. The Assets tab of the Applicant Detail screen appears again with the new asset information displayed.

Add Expenses/References (if necessary)

24. If the applicant has expenses and/or references to report, select the Expenses/References tabs, and click to access the Add Expense/Add Reference Wizards. Fill out all necessary information and click FINISH to add the expense/reference record.

Generate Verification Letters

After adding the necessary applicant/household information, you can generate verification letters at any time and from most tabs on the Applicant Detail screen. The send date of verification letters depends on the applicant’s ranking on the waiting list. Typically, when the applicant’s rank is 20th or lower, the verification letter should be sent.

25. Click on the toolbar. The Generate Form Letter Wizard is initiated.

Note: You can also generate form letters at any time from the Process Form Letters screen (Main Menu screen > Letters > Process Form Letters screen).

26. Select the template group you want to work with and click START.
27. Check the checkbox(es) of the form letter templates (such as Applicant Asset Verification) you want to generate; click NEXT.
28. Choose to either print the form letter now or later, and select the signature to use/print on the form letter. (To search for the signature, click .)
29. Click NEXT to continue to the confirmation screen. Click FINISH to generate the form letter. The Applicant Detail screen appears again.

Print/Preview Rent Calculation Estimate

30. Select the Totals tab to preview the rent calculation estimate for the applicant. Click to print the totals.

Calculate Waiting List Ranking

31. Click to return to the Maintain Applicants screen; click YES to update the application information.
32. Select the Lists Applied for tab, select the appropriate waiting list, and click on the toolbar. A message appears stating the position of the applicant on the selected waiting list.

Note: You can also get an accurate applicant ranking on the Applicant Ranking Report (Main Menu > Reports button > Applicant List Report screen > List Management tab).

Issue Voucher to Applicant

33. Return to the Main Menu screen and click WAITING LISTS. The Process Waiting List screen opens.
34. Select the waiting list you want to work with. The applicant’s who have applied for the selected waiting list will display in a table.
35. Search for (if necessary) and select the applicant you want to work with in the table, click , and select “Issue Voucher.” The Issue Voucher Wizard is initiated.
36. Specify the date the voucher was issued, edit the number of bedrooms (if necessary), and click START.
37. Make sure “Section 8” is the selected data area and click NEXT.
38. Enter the voucher number of the open unit. To search for the voucher on the Select Open Vouchers screen click .
39. Click NEXT to continue and check the print voucher checkbox to print the voucher after finishing the wizard.
40. Click NEXT and then click FINISH to confirm the voucher issue. The Process Waiting List screen appears again.

House Applicant

41. From the Main Menu screen, click APPLICANTS and search for and select the applicant you want to house on the Browse Applicants screen.
42. Click to access the Maintain Applicants screen.
43. Select the Lists Applied for or Unit Offers/Vouchers tab, select the waiting list you want to work with, click , and select “House Applicant.” The House Applicant Wizard is initiated.
44. Proceed through steps 1-3 of the wizard and review and confirm the application information you previously set up.
45. On step 4 of the wizard, enter the housing unit number where the applicant will be housed. To search for the unit on the Browse Housing Units screen click .

Note: You can click on the Browse Housing Units screen if you need to add a housing unit to the database.

46. Enter the name of the landlord who will be housing the applicant; or, click to search for the landlord on the Select a Landlord screen.

Note: If you need to add a landlord to the database, you must do so in the Section 8 T & L program.

47. Click NEXT to continue, select the tenant type, specify the date the applicant will be housed, and click NEXT again.
48. Review and confirm the information you just entered and click FINISH to house the applicant. After an applicant is housed, the following actions occur:

Access ORC

49. Open the Occupancy and Rent Calculation program and select the Section 8 data area.
50. On the Main Menu screen, click TENANT. The Browse Tenants screen appears with all current tenants displayed in a table.

Search For and Select Tenant

51. Select how you want to order the tenant table from the ordered by drop-down list, enter the search criteria in the search for field and click GO. The first tenant to match the criteria will be highlighted in the table.
52. Click on the toolbar. The Main tab of the Tenant Detail screen opens.

Create New Admission Certification

53. Select the Certifications tab and click . The Begin Certification Wizard is initiated.

Note: You can also add certifications by clicking CERTIFICATION on the Main Menu screen. The Browse Certifications screen appears with all your agency’s "In Process" certifications displayed in a table. Click on the toolbar, select to add an Existing Tenant Single Certification, select the tenant for whom you are creating a certification, and then enter the certification information in the Begin Certification Wizard.

54. Select “1 - New Admission” as the transaction type, specify the effective date (this is the date the lease and rent begins), and uncheck the new to unit checkbox, if necessary.

Caution! The effective date will always need changed from the default date provided by the system.

55. Click START to continue to step 2 of the wizard.
56. Verify that the unit and landlord information is correct. (If not, click to select a different unit from the Browse Housing Units screen, or to change the landlord on the Select a Landlord screen.) Click NEXT to continue.
57. Enter all necessary dates into the available date fields. (The admission date should be the same as the effective date, and the next reexamination date should be one year from the effective date.)
58. Click NEXT to continue.
59. Select an FMR code (fair market rent code) and enter the welfare rent, if necessary. Also, enter the security deposit, payment standard, and utility allowance amounts, as necessary. Click NEXT.
60. Check the checkboxes of the documents you wish to print and click NEXT. Enter any additional tracking notes (such as “new move in”) and click NEXT again to access the confirmation screen.
61. Review and confirm the certification information you have set up and click FINISH to create the certification. The Certifications tab appears again with the new admission certification (with a status of “in process”) displayed.

Finalize New Admission Certification

62. Select the new admission certification you previously created and click on the toolbar. A message will appear stating if errors were found in the eTrans record. If any errors are found, they will display on the eTrans tab and you can review and correct, as necessary. If no errors are found, the Finalize Certification Wizard is initiated.

Confirm and Print

63. Review and confirm the certification information/status and click START to continue to step 2 of the wizard.
64. Select the certification documents you want to print after finishing the wizard and click NEXT.
65. Click NEXT through the confirmation screen to continue to step 4 of the wizard.

Review and Finish

66. Review and confirm the certification’s details. You may also enter an optional reason(s) for the certification in the space provided.
67. Click FINISH to finalize the certification and return to the Certifications tab on the Tenant Detail screen. The status of the certification is now “completed.”

Transfer Tenant Information to S8 T & L

68. Select the Main tab of the Tenant Detail screen and click on the toolbar. The Move to Another Area Wizard is initiated.
69. Make “Section 8” is the highlighted data area to which you are moving the tenant, click START, click NEXT, and then click FINISH to complete the transfer of information. The housed tenant is now an “active” tenant in S8 T & L. You have successfully housed an applicant in Section 8!

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