TBRA Requirements

This TBRA Program is funded with HOME funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide decent affordable housing to lower income households. The program must comply with applicable HOME regulations, which are found in 24 CFR 92. The HUD requirements include the following.

• TBRA may be provided only to individuals / households whose incomes are equal to or less than 60% of the median income in the Memphis Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area. (See HUD’s current income guidelines in
the Agency Profile.)

• Rents must be reasonable and cannot exceed the current HUD Fair Market Rents for Memphis (See HUD’s current Fair Market Rents Guidelines in the Agency Profile.)

• Tenants are required to pay a share of their rent and utilities. Consequently, tenants with no income are not suitable for the TBRA program.

• The program will pay the difference between 30% of the program participant’s monthly adjusted income (tenant’s share of the rent) and the monthly rent which cannot exceed HUD’s Fair Market Rent (FMR).

• TBRA rental assistance contracts with individuals / households cannot be for less than one (1) year and may not exceed two (2) years. However, contracts can be renewed at the end of the one or two-year contract pending the availability of HOME funds and the on-going need of the participant.

• TBRA is not appropriate for short-term housing.

• Assisted units must meet Housing Quality Standards and will be inspected before a lease can be signed and annually thereafter to ensure continued compliance.

• TBRA assistance is not program based. TBRA allows the tenant to choose the unit and the assistance can move with the tenant as long as any new unit complies with HQS, rent standards, and other requirements.

Eligible Program Participants

VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

A victim of domestic violence is an individual or adult with children who is homeless because of battering by an intimate partner. Documentation from law enforcement, case manager or another dependable source is required.

ELDERLY

An elderly person is 62 years of age or older. A household will be considered elderly if the head of the household is 62 years of age or older. Reliable documentation of age must be provided.

ELIGIBLE COSTS

TBRA is rental subsidy that can be used to help individual households afford housing costs which include:

• Rent

• Utility costs ( limited to eligible allowances for the
unit size and service available)

• Security deposits; and

• Utility deposits

INELIGIBLE COSTS

TBRA cannot be used for the following costs:

• Paying administrative or operating costs of applicant agencies

• Paying program based rental assistance – – agencies cannot make commitments to property owners since tenants must be free to select their own unit

• Paying application fees to apartment landlords

• Making payments to assist resident owners of cooperative housing that qualifies as home ownership housing

• Making payments to prevent displacement or provide relocation assistance to tenants as a result of activities of the HOME program

• Providing TBRA to homeless persons for overnight, temporary, or emergency shelter.

• Providing adequate subsidy to enable program participants to rent a transitional or permanent housing unit that meets HQS for a minimum of one year and a maximum of two years.

• Making payments in combination with other rental assistance programs that already reduce the tenant’s rent payment to 30 percent of income.

The following populations are given priority:

• Victims of domestic violence moving from a transitional housing program to housing independent of the abuser.

• Elderly individuals or households headed by an elderly person who are at risk of homelessness due to low income and health problems.

• Households at imminent risk of homelessness through eviction or foreclosure because of their inability to make required payments.

• Mentally ill individuals or households headed by a mentally ill person who are unable to maintain stable housing due to low income and the effects of the illness.

• Physically disabled individuals who are unable to maintain stability in housing due to low income and the effects of their disability.

• Graduates of alcohol and drug treatment recovery programs (including families as well as individuals unaccompanied by children) who require assistance in paying rent.