CHANGE - Chicago Housing Authority | Relocation


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Davis Family

Under the CHA Plan for Transformation, all 25,000 leaseholders and their families are asked to relocate at least once, either to a temporary home or to a new or re-habbed permanent home. Senior residents, whose buildings are undergoing rehabilitation, will move within their current buildings to a newly rehabbed apartment. Approximately 6,000 families will be moved temporarily.

The CHA recognizes the relocation process is a disruption to residents and their families. In guiding residents through this process, the CHA provides residents with the resources and coaching needed to make the right housing choice for their families. Families who must move due to building closure, can choose to move to another public housing site or they can move to the private market using a Housing Choice Voucher.

Through a variety of supportive services, we help residents:

Locate a new apartment for residents interested in living in the private market;
Administer their physical move; and
Provide ongoing support to prepare residents for their changing surroundings.

Each resident is assigned a Relocation Counselor who guides him or her through the process.

We also monitor the status of each relocated resident through our Relocation Management Tracking System (RTMS), an information technology tool that enables us to track our residents as they undergo relocation.

Initially, many of our residents were concerned that if they moved, they would no longer have the right to return to public housing. The CHA allayed those fears by negotiating a Relocation Rights Contract with resident leadership. This contract guarantees lease-compliant residents the right to return to a public housing development once redevelopment or rehabilitation is complete.

We also created a preference system aimed at giving residents their preferred choice in public housing. This implies that the CHA will give preference to a resident who chooses to move back to their original development after it has been rehabilitated or rebuilt. However, we cannot guarantee a specific unit or development.

The CHA Relocation Process has been designed to help our residents understand their rights and responsibilities and to support them through their housing transition. The process is working and our Resident Stories share their experiences.

The following provides a step-by-step review of the relocation process, and illustrates what are the joint responsibilities of the CHA and residents in this process:

Step 1.	Relocation Rights Contract Training
	Residents learn about the moving process, their rights under the Relocation Rights Contract, and their responsibilities.

Step 2.

Housing Choice Survey

The leaseholder fills out a Housing Choice Survey to select where they would like to temporarily move during the construction or rehab of public housing, and permanently after their new or rehabbed public housing is ready.

The management office determines whether a CHA family is lease-compliant and has followed the rules of their lease. If the family is lease compliant, their lease is renewed. The Relocation Rights Contract is activated once the new lease is signed. As long as the resident continues to follow the rules of their lease, they may move back to new or rehabbed public housing.

Step 3.	Good Neighbor Workshops
	The leaseholder attends Good Neighbor Workshops. This workshop helps residents to prepare for a successful move. During this workshop residents learn about such things as lease compliance, housekeeping and money management.

Step 4.	Initial Right of Return Re-certification
	The management office determines whether a CHA family is lease-compliant and has followed the rules of their lease. If the family is lease compliant, their lease is renewed. The Relocation Rights Contract is activated once the new lease is signed. As long as the resident continues to follow the rules of their lease, they may move back to new or rehabbed public housing.

Step 5.

Resident Review of Temporary Housing Choice

The leaseholder will meet with CHA Relocation Project Manager to:

Review temporary housing choice (Section 8 or Public Housing)

In the event temporary housing is necessary, the leaseholders will also declare a pre- ferred housing development

Learn about opportunity areas

If the choice is Section 8, indicate interest in opportunity counseling and tour opportunity neighborhood.

Step 6.	Relocation Planning Meeting
	The leaseholder picks up a relocation packet at the Relocation Planning Meeting. At this meeting, CHA staff informs residents that their building is scheduled for closure, to allow rehab or redevelopment. The CHA will also explain the Relocation Process, Opportunity Counseling, Good Neighbor & Transition Workshops, and the Service Connectors program.

Step 7.	Service Connector/Relocation Counselor Assessment
	Lease compliant families that chose Section 8 will attend an appointment with the Service Connector and Relocation Counselor to review services needed to make a successful Section 8 move. The counselor should include a service plan.

Step 8.	180/120 Day General Information Notice
	The site’s property management office sends the 180/120-Day General Information Notice to the leaseholder – This is a letter telling residents that the building in which they currently reside is scheduled for closure in approximately 120 to 180 days to allow the building or the site to be rebuilt or rehabbed.

Step 9.	90 Day Notice of Temporary Housing Offer
	The management office sends residents the 90-Day Notice. This is a letter reminding residents that the building where they live right now will be closing so that it may be rebuilt or rehabbed. The letter gives residents their temporary housing address. If they choose, residents may move earlier than 90 days.

Step 10.	Move to Temporary or Permanent Housing
	The CHA family moves to a temporary Housing Choice Voucher unit (also known as a Section 8 unit) or to a temporary public housing unit. In some cases, a CHA family will move to their permanent housing choice if it is available when they are required to move.

Step 11.	Public Housing is Rehabbed or Redeveloped
	If the CHA family’s move is to temporary housing, this is an indication that they have selected a permanent housing choice, back on their former development site.

Step 12.	Property Specific Screening Requirements
	If applicable, the resident receives notice of Property Specific Residency Requirements.This letter informs residents of additional rules for living at the new or rehabbed CHA location they have selected. During any of these steps Service Connectors are available to assist residents in meeting the Property Specific Screening Requirements of their site.

Step 13.	Final Right of Return Re-certification
	The management office meets with the CHA family to determine whether the family is lease-compliant. If the family is lease-compliant, they qualify to move to a new or rehabbed public housing. Household members will also be interviewed to determine whether they meet the site’s Residency Requirements.

Step 14.	90 Day Notice of Permanent Housing Choice
	The management office sends the 90-Day Notice; that informs the residents that their permanent housing choice will soon be ready for occupancy.

Step 15.	Resident Moves to Permanent Housing
	The CHA family moves to a permanent Section 8 or public housing unit. Permanent moves will be based on the resident’s housing choice survey if possible.

Step 16.	Relocation Process is Complete
	Once a CHA family has moved to a permanent home, they have completed the relocation process.