An eligible family that has been issued a Housing Choice Voucher may use that voucher to lease a unit anywhere in the United States where there is a housing agency operating a Housing Choice Voucher program. This feature of the program is referred to as portability.

The public housing authority/agency (PHA) that issues a voucher to a portable family that wants to move to a different jurisdiction is referred to as the “initial” PHA. The PHA in the jurisdiction in which the family wishes to relocate to is referred to as the “receiving” PHA.

The receiving PHA has the option of (1) administering the family’s voucher for the initial PHA or (2) absorbing the family into its own voucher program. Under the first option, the receiving PHA bills the initial PHA for the family’s housing assistance payments and the fees for administering the voucher. Under the second option, the receiving PHA pays for the family’s assistance out of its own program funds, and the initial PHA has no further relationship with the family.

PORTING IN PROCESS

Housing Choice Vouchers program participants from another jurisdiction within the United States can use their vouchers to port in to the Huntsville Housing Authority’s voucher program. In order to do so, the voucher participant must notify the PHA where they currently receive assistance that they want to utilize the portability option of the voucher to transfer to the Huntsville Housing Authority.

Once the portability request is approved, the initial PHA will issue a voucher and must contact the Huntsville Housing Authority on the voucher holder’s behalf. The initial PHA must promptly notify the Huntsville Housing Authority to expect the incoming family. This means the initial PHA contacts the Huntsville Housing Authority on your behalf either by phone, fax or e-mail. Simply referring the family to HUD or to a website for information on the Huntsville Housing does not fulfill the obligations of the initial PHA.

All portability paperwork should be submitted by the initial PHA using one of the contact methods below:

• Mail: Huntsville Housing Authority, Attn: Portability, P.O. Box 486, Huntsville, AL 35804.
• E-mail: portability@hsvha.org
• Fax: 256-539-5982
• Attention: Portability 
• Phone: 256-532-5671

We are currently billing incoming portable vouchers.

The required paperwork should include the following:

• HUD-52665 Family Portability Information form
• Client’s current voucher
• Current 50058 form
• Current E.I.V report
• Client’s current income verifications
• Client contact address, email and phone number
• Birth Certificates of all members of the household
• Social Security cards of all members of the household
• Driver’s license/Photo ID for all of age (18 or older) members of the household (if applicable)

Please note, per Huntsville Housing Authority’s Administrative Plan, if any member of the household has a history of drug-related criminal activity within the last five (5) years or a history of violent criminal activity within the last years five (5) years, program assistance will be denied. The five years shall begin on the date of the last reported act, completion of sentence and/or probation period, whichever is later. Drug related criminal activity defined by HUD as the illegal manufacture, sale, distribution, or use of a drug, or the possession of a drug with intent to manufacture, sell, distribute or use the drug [24 CFR 5.100]. Violent criminal activity is activity defined by HUD as any criminal activity that has as one of its elements the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force substantial enough to cause, or be reasonably likely to cause, serious bodily injury or property damage [24 CFR 5.100]. Criminal background checks will be conducted for all families including those porting into the Huntsville Housing Authority’s jurisdiction

In addition, the voucher size the family is eligible for may change based on family composition and Huntsville Housing Authority’s occupancy standards.

The following rules shall apply in determining what size unit assistance to be issued:

• Only infants (under 1 year) will be required to share a bedroom with a parent, and that children of the opposite sex under the age of 6 may share a bedroom until the oldest child reaches the age of 6 years.
• Children of the same sex, regardless of age, may share a bedroom.
• The bedroom size assigned shall not require more than two (2) persons to occupy the same bedroom;

Before visiting or contacting the Huntsville Housing Authority, please allow our Portability Department to contact you via mail, phone or e-mail. After all the portability paperwork has been received by Huntsville Housing Authority, our Portability Department will contact you to set up an appointment to come into our office.