Good Afternoon,



Thank you for continuing to choose a partnership with Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority. The cold temperatures mean it’s time to take a look at furnaces, boilers and other cold weather related items. “Adequate heat” means that the heating system is capable of delivering enough heat to maintain a temperature of 70 degrees when the outside temperature falls below 60 degrees. Each bedroom must have a direct heat source such as a radiator, working hot air register or baseboard heat. Carbon monoxide detectors are a requirement for units with fuel burning appliances and heat sources as well as attached garages. Portable room heaters, kitchen stoves and ranges are not acceptable as the primary source of heat. In addition, boilers must be inspected and the state tag made available for CMHA Inspectors to review. All “no heat” complaint calls will be considered an emergency when the temperature is below 40 degrees. Emergency inspections will be conducted at the units to verify there’s no heat and repairs must be made within 24 hours with no extensions.

 

We understand that the colder temperatures can create repair delays. Weather extensions for exterior work like concrete repair, painting and roofing will be permitted during the winter months. Extension requests must be submitted in writing. Extensions for correcting non-life-threatening HQS deficiencies will be granted in cases where CMHA determines that the owner or family has made a good faith effort to correct the deficiencies and is unable to do so for reasons beyond their control. All other repair repairs must be corrected by the due date. 

Your attendance at our first special session on the proposed and mandated changes for the HCV Program is appreciated. Those changes will have a significant impact on operations and how the agency continues to partner with you. Our Finance VP shared information about properly submitting W-9s so payments are not delayed. If you missed it, the next session will be on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 at the HCV Administrative Office beginning at 5:30 followed by the final session on Saturday, December 7, 2024 at 10am. Please plan to join me and some of the HCV Team Members. Registration information is on the CMHA website calendar, look for  HCV Proposed Changes Session or click here. During the sessions we will discuss the new payment standards, inspections changes and more. 

As a reminder, HUD has released the Small Area Fair Market Rents (SAFMRs) that will be in effect beginning January 1, 2025. FMRs are used to determine payment standard amounts for the Housing Choice Voucher Program and HUD has mandated the implementation of the SAFMRs for all PHAs in Ohio. CMHA has proposed to base its payment standards at 100% of the HUD determined SAFMR for each zip code in our jurisdiction. HUD defines small areas using zip codes within the metropolitan area. Using zip codes as the basis for establishing payment standards provides families with a greater ability to move into “Opportunity Neighborhoods” with jobs, public transportation, low poverty and good schools. Please keep in mind, the changes will only be for new contracts. The projected amounts per zip code can be found at this link: click here.