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Frequently Asked
Questions
Where
is the Housing Authority’s main office located?
We are located at
13032 Jones Street, Lavonia, GA 30553
Our mailing address is P.O. Box 453, Lavonia, GA 30553
Jones
Street is also known as Hwy.
17. The office is located
between the I-85 Interstate
and the red light in
Lavonia on Hwy. 17 (Jones St.). Look for the brick sign with our name and
black awnings on a red brick
building.
What
is your telephone number or
contact information?
Phone
number 706-356-8224 Fax
number 706-356-1000
Email
addresses:
Richard Whitworth, Executive Director
rwhitworth@lavoniahousing.com
Sabrina Weaver, Office Manager
sweaver@lavoniahousing.com
Janis Dailey, Housing Specialist
jdailey@lavoniahousing.com
What
are your office hours?
Office
hours are Monday through
Friday, 8:30 am until 5:00
pm. The office is closed for
most federal holidays.
Your call will be answered by a friendly, competent staff member. If we
are unable to answer your
call, our
answering service will take your message and your call will be returned as
soon as possible.
Is
the Lavonia Housing
Authority (LHA) part of the
City of Lavonia?
The
Housing Authority’s Board of
Commissioners is appointed
by the Mayor of the City of
Lavonia. The LHA is
a quasi-governmental agency, authorized under federal and state law,
assisted by the federal
government and
was established by the City of Lavonia in 1950. The LHA Board of
Commissioners is responsible
for
establishing policies in accordance with the Code of Federal Regulations
(24 CFR) and guidance from
the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The
LHA works cooperatively with
the city governments of
Lavonia, Carnesville and
Canon, to improve the
Housing Authority and the city’s jurisdiction. The cities do not
establish policy nor operate
the LHA. We are all
responsible partners that work together to provide safe, quality housing
assistance while improving
the city and
surrounding areas.
How
can I apply for housing
assistance?
This
Housing Authority manages
housing assistance through
the Public Housing Program.
To apply, please
contact our main office at 706-356-8224, or visit the office between the
hours of 8:30 AM and 5:00
PM,
Monday through Friday. You may also obtain an application by clicking
here.
Is
there an application fee?
No.
Is
there a waiting list?
Yes.
How
does the waiting list work?
The
LHA keeps one waiting list
for all three cities
(Lavonia, Carnesville and
Canon). The waiting list is
maintained according to the date and time a person applies, the family
size, and by any local
preferences for
qualified applicants. A local preference list and the corresponding
qualifications are in the
application packet.
How
can I find out where my name
is on the waiting list?
The
waiting list is dynamic and
does not follow a
progressive method. Public
Housing is determined by
bedroom size, application date and time, and any local preferences the
applicant qualifies for. As
units are
filled, an applicant’s place on the waiting list will change according to
a variety of factors. The
waiting time is
difficult to predict and also depends on unit availability and an
applicant’s timely response
to an offer.
Our
policy dictates that an
applicant may reject an
offer for an apartment for
any reason and still retain
their
place on the waiting list. Upon the third rejection, the applicant reverts
to the bottom of the waiting
list.
Applicants are encouraged to have funds readily available to be able to
accept an offer and move
forward
quickly.
How
much rent will I have to
pay?
A
family’s rent is currently
determined by HUD
regulation. Normally, a
family will not pay more
than 30% of their
monthly adjusted income for rent and utilities. Because of the complexity
of rent calculation, the
rent amount of a
family will pay is determined after an offer for a specific apartment is
accepted.
What
is the difference between
the “Income Based” and the
“Flat Rent” option?
Income
based rent is determined by
Federal Regulation and based
on the adjusted income of
your household,
less any authorized deductions.
Flat
rent is a term that means
the maximum rent you will
pay. Flat rent reflects more
of what competitive non-
subsidized markets in the area offer. LHA will monitor and analyze their
flat rents with the market
annually and
adjust as necessary.
A
resident/tenants’ rent is
calculated using the income
based method. The
resident/tenant is then
assigned a
flat rent amount. The resident/tenant has the option of choosing the
lesser of the two amounts as
their monthly
total tenant payment (TTP).
Which
utilities do I pay and which
utilities does the Housing
Authority pay?
The
LHA pays for the water,
sewage and garbage pick up.
The resident (tenant) pays for the gas and electricity usage.
Our Lavonia apartments are furnished gas by the City of Toccoa Gas
Department.
Our Carnesville and Canon apartments are furnished gas by the City of
Royston Gas Department.
All three
cities use Georgia Power for our electrical service. Some
apartments are total
electric while others use a
combination of gas and electricity.
Can
I have family or friends
stay with me?
Guests
are generally welcome and
fall under limited
authorization. Residents are
allowed to have overnight
guests. However, under the lease, guests are not allowed to stay more than
14 days within any one
consecutive
year period. Violations of this rule would cost the LHA and the American
taxpayer excessive water and
sewage fees. It is mandatory that LHA have certain records on all persons
living in publicly
subsidized housing.
Once
I am housed, can I move to
another location or
jurisdiction?
No.
Portability is not offered
in the Public Housing
program. Under certain
circumstances, you may be
transferred to another unit within the LHA’s jurisdiction.
How
much money will I need to
move in?
The
Lavonia Housing Authority
has set the following rate
for security deposits. The
housing authority has
established a policy that allows for payments to be made on security
deposits.
0-1
Bedroom Units = $200 total
2-4
Bedroom Units = $300 total
Will
I get my security deposit
back if I move?
The
Housing Authority requests a
30 day notice to vacate. If
proper notice is given, rent
is current, and the
apartment is left in clean condition with no damages (less any normal wear
and tear), security deposits
will be
returned. If there are legitimate charges, they will be deducted from the
security deposit.
Can
I have pets?
We
have a Pet Policy that
allows for one authorized
pet per household.
Registration and a separate
pet
deposit will need to be established with our office prior to admitting any
pet into the household.
Please call our
office for more information or see the Pet Policy in the
Policy’s link of this
web site.
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