When will I receive my first Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) check?
HACA's portion of the monthly rent is the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). HACA will process your first HAP check after the unit has passed inspection, the lease and HAP Contract are signed, and all documents have been returned to HACA. Initial payment should then take about two weeks to receive. This payment will include the HAP funds due from the effective date of the contract through the current month. Please contact the HACA Accounting Department at (510) 727-8529 for inquiries only after all of the above has occurred.
How do I sign up for direct deposit of my monthly HAP check?
HACA is working on having direct deposit to your account available before the end of the year. Stay tuned. We'll notify you as soon as we have this feature available .
How do I change my mailing address?
Complete and return an Owner Change Form available at http://www.haca.net/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=86&func=startdown&id=14.
Will I still receive my monthly HAP check if I submitted a Change of Address form to my local U.S. Post Office branch?
No. The U.S. Post Office will not forward a HACA HAP check. The Post Office will return the check to HACA. You will need to complete and return an Owner Change Form available at http://www.haca.net/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=86&func=startdown&id=14.
Who should I contact if I didn't receive my HAP check?
If you answer “YES” to any of the following questions, call the Accounting Department at (510) 727-8529 for further information:
- Did you change your mailing address?
- Did HACA notify you to make required repairs to the subsidized unit?
- Did you give the tenant a Notice to vacate the subsidized unit?
- Did the tenant give you a Notice of the tenant's intent to vacate?
If the payment is on hold, HACA will advise you why. If you would like HACA to reissue the payment, you will need to complete and return a Request for Stop Payment form available at http://www.haca.net/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=86&func=fileinfo&id=18.
If none of the above applies, please wait until, at least, the 10th day of the month to allow delivery by the postal service before calling the Accounting Department at (510) 727-8529. HACA will not process a replacement check until after the 10th day of the month.
What information should I have available when contacting the Accounting Department with Questions?
So that we may better assist you, please have your Vendor Account number; the first and last name of your tenant; and/or the unit address.
My tenant's portion of the lease was decreased retroactively for two (2) months. When will I receive the back payment of HACA's portion of the rent?
You should receive this payment on the next scheduled check run following the date of rent change letter. Please contact the Accounting Department at (510) 727-8529 if this does not occur.
What is unearned rent?
Unearned rent is a rent payment from HACA to which you weren't entitled (an overpayment). HACA may deduct any unearned rent (overpayment) from any active contract you have with HACA (refer to Section 7f of the HAP contract, form HUD-52641)
I didn't receive a check this month because my tenant served me with a vacate notice, but didn't move out. What do I need to do to continue receiving payment?
You and your tenant must mutually agree, in writing, to rescind the vacate notice. This rescission needs to be signed by both of you and submitted to HACA prior to the ending date of the previous notice. Upon receipt of this rescinding notice HACA will release your payment.
My HAP check was short this month because of an abatement. What does that mean?
A HAP check is abated after (1) HACA has issued an owner a Corrective Action Notice advising the owner of his/her responsibility for making certain repairs that violate Housing Quality Standards (HQS) and (2) those repairs have not been made by the date specified on the notice. Section 8 program regulations prevent HACA from paying on a unit that does not meet HQS. HAP is abated until the owner notifies HACA that the repairs have been completed and HACA has verified them.
The owner never recovers the abated payments from HACA, nor can they be charged to the resident. If the owner continues to not make the necessary repairs, HACA will cancel the contract.
