Guidance for RHA Residents – COVID-19 Update

March 26, 2020

In response to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak, Reading Housing Authority has closed our program and administrative offices to the public until further notice, with some employees on-site and others working remotely to continue critical functions.

Below please find an update on some of the significant operations by program.

Housing Choice Voucher (HCV/Section 8) and other voucher programs

• RHA plans to continue to make all Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) to landlords.
• Utility Assistance Payments (UAPs) will be continued to be processed by bank deposit and/or U.S. mail.
• Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspections will be postponed, except for emergency issues.
• RHA will temporarily suspend all voucher termination proceedings.
• RHA will process income changes that result in a decrease in the participant’s share of the contracted rent. Participant households who has experienced a loss in income must immediately contact the Section 8 HCVP Coordinator at 610-373-5088 between the hours of 8:30am – 4:30 pm Monday – Friday. Communication by telephone will be the only acceptable way to report your change of income. Households will be notified of any new rent amount and effective date by telephone.

Please have the following information available at the time of your call:

1. Name of Head of Household
2. Address of Head of Household
3. Valid phone number of Head of Household
4. Email address if available
5. Name of the family member who lost employment or income
6. Name of employer; phone number of employer
7. Last date of employment

• Participants remain bound to all terms of their voucher agreement.
• Urgent questions can be directed to 610-373-5088 or by email to section8@readingha.org .

Public Housing

• RHA has instituted an enhanced cleaning protocol across our public housing highrise properties, which includes daily disinfecting of common areas, including ‘high touch’ surfaces such as elevator buttons, door handles and hand rails.
• Routine work orders may be submitted online at https://df7.052.myftpupload.com/request-work-order/. Note that routine work orders are not currently being conducted but will resume at a later date.
• Emergency work orders will continue to be addressed. (See Resident Handbook for description of emergency work items.) Calls must be directed to the RHA answering service at 610-378-1800, which is available 24-hours a day, 7 days a week until further notice.
• RHA inspections will be postponed, except for emergency inspections.
• Routine extermination will continue to be scheduled, with the RHA-contracted exterminator wearing gloves and mask at all times, but service will be optional. If you are scheduled for routine inspections and are not home but wish to cancel your service, you must call your Property Manager with 24-hour advanced notice. Otherwise, the exterminator will enter and treat. If you are home at the time of the service, you may receive or refuse the treatment.
• RHA will temporarily suspend all eviction actions.
• Rent statements will continue to be mailed without interruption. Rent payment requirements remain unchanged. Please continue to use PayLease or USPS mail to pay your rent.
• Maintenance statements will not be mailed during this period, so advance notice may not be given prior to charges appearing on rent statements.
• RHA will process income changes that result in a decrease in rent. Households who experience a loss in income must immediately contact their Property Manager between the hours of 8:30am – 4:00pm Monday – Friday. Communication by telephone will be the only acceptable way to report your change of income. Households will be notified of any new rent amount and effective date by telephone.

Please have the following information available at the time of your call:
1. Name of Head of Household
2. Address of Head of Household
3. Valid phone number of Head of Household
4. Email address if available
5. Name of the family member who lost employment or income.
6. Name of employer; phone number of employer
7. Last date of employment

• Households remain bound to all terms of their lease agreement.
• Urgent questions can be directed to the Property Management office or the general email box (glenside@readingha.org; oakbrook@readingha.org; centercity@readingha.org).

Affordable Rentals (Sylvania Homes, River Oak Apartments, Emma Lazarus Townhomes, and other scattered sites)

• RHA has instituted an enhanced cleaning protocol and will clean RHA-provided laundry facilities in the River Oak Apartments, which includes daily disinfecting of the laundry room.
• Routine work orders may be submitted online at https://df7.052.myftpupload.com/request-work-order/. Note that routine work orders are not currently being conducted but will resume at a later date.
• Emergency work orders will continue to be addressed. (See Resident Handbook for description of emergency work items.) Calls must be directed to the RHA answering service at 610-378-1800, which is available 24-hours a day, 7 days a week until further notice.
• RHA inspections will be postponed, except for emergency inspections.
• Routine extermination will continue to be scheduled, with the RHA-contracted exterminator wearing gloves and mask at all times, but service will be optional. If you are scheduled for routine inspections and are not home, but wish to cancel your service, you must call your Property Manager with 24-hour advanced notice. Otherwise, the exterminator will enter and treat. If you are home at the time of the service, you may receive or refuse the treatment.
• RHA will temporarily suspend all eviction actions.
• Rent statements will continue to be mailed without interruption. Rent payment requirements remain unchanged. Please continue to use PayLease or USPS mail to pay your rent.
• Maintenance statements will not be mailed during this period, so advance notice may not be given prior to charges appearing on rent statements.

Resident Services

• The Centro Hispano Senior Community Center services provided at Kennedy Towers, O’Pake Community Center and Berks Community Health Center in Oakbrook Homes have been suspended. Limited home- delivered meals are currently being provided to residents 60 years of age & older through funding from Berks County Area Agency on Aging.
• Helping Harvest Food Bank & the Resident Services Department will determine on a weekly basis whether monthly supplemental food can continue being delivered, based on state & federal recommendations.
• Youth program activities provided by Olivet Boys and Girls Clubs have been suspended. Please contact the OBGC at 610-373-1314 for further information and for student meal distribution sites and locations.
• Chore Service program services continue to be provided to eligible residents.
• All Resident Council functions, including monthly general meetings and social events have been suspended at this time.
• The application deadline for the Stokes Stitt Scholarship has be extended until April 30, 2020.
• Community agencies continue to provide assistance in personal care, mental health and substance abuse services. Residents that already have any support services from community agencies are encouraged to contact those programs for assistance.
• Many program renewal application processes have been extended, with benefits continuing despite deadlines.
• The PA Rent Rebate Program applications are not being completed by the PA State Revenue office, nor by the Resident Services Department, at this time. Note that applications are due on June 30, 2020 and have historically been extended until December 30th, so there is time to complete this process at a later date.
• RESIDENTS MAY CONTINUE TO CALL THE RESIDENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT For further help, information and direction. Staff may be reached at 610-376-8413. PLEASE LEAVE A MESSAGE AND YOUR CALL WILL BE RETURNED.
• Residents may also dial 211 for free confidential, non-emergency information and referral services in Berks County.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL INFORMATION PROVIDED IS IN EFFECT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

PLEASE BE SAFE.

Our staff at Reading Housing Authority