HUD Taps Columbia Housing to Assist with Hillandale Relocation

HUD Taps Columbia Housing to Assist with Hillandale Relocation

More Landlords are Needed to Speed Up Relocation Efforts

Columbia, SC----The United States Department of Housing & Urban Development Multi-Family Housing Division has asked for Columbia Housing's help in administering the Housing Assistance for families living at Hillandale Apartments in Columbia. The action comes after the apartment complex came under scrutiny this past summer because of several safety violations. HUD has since terminated the Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance contract with the owners of Hillandale Apartments and Alpha Barnes Real Estate Services, the Texas-based company that managed the property. That means the complex no longer receives federal subsidies to help low-income tenants pay for private housing.

In September of 2020, Columbia Housing was contacted by HUD's offices of Multi-Family and Public Housing to ask for the agency's help in administering 200 enhanced tenant protection vouchers.  HUD has also hired a private contractor that will provide relocation and moving assistance to the tenants. 

Columbia Housing has received funding from HUD for the enhanced tenant protection vouchers for the families at Hillandale Apartments and will begin notifying each family of the continued assistance they will receive when they secure another place to call home.

"We are happy to step in to help", says Columbia Housing CEO Ivory Mathews. "The availability of affordable housing is such a critical issue in the Midlands, the state, and the nation. Right now, there are about 75 remaining families at Hillandale."

To help assist the families, Columbia Housing needs more private landlords to work with them. Right now, the agency works with more than 2,500 private landlords to house more than 4,000 families in its Housing Choice Voucher program. But more is needed. Landlords interested in housing Columbia Housing voucher recipients should email CHCares@ColumbiaHousingSC.org.

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Columbia Housing currently provides affordable housing to 1,600+ families in its Public Housing Program and 4,000+ families in its Housing Choice Voucher Program. Columbia Housing provides housing to more than 16,000 Richland County residents.

About Hillandale Apartments

Hillandale Apartments is located 525 Alcott Drive, Columbia, SC 29203.

Hillandale Apartments is a privately owned HUD Section 8 project-based subsidized development. They are opting out of continued participation in the HUD's Section 8 project-based development subsidy program administered by HUD's Office of Multifamily Housing. When an owner (Hillandale Apartments) elects to opt-out of participating in the Section 8 project-based mortgage subsidy program, HUD will notify the housing authority located within the property's jurisdiction of the opportunity to administer vouchers for the impacted families.

About Enhanced Tenant Protection Vouchers

Enhanced Vouchers are a form of tenant protection vouchers that are provided to tenants living in properties with private, project-based Section 8 assistance. Enhanced Vouchers, in certain circumstances, allows for rent payments above the local voucher payment standard to comparable market rent to allow existing families to remain in their units even if the owner increases the rents. In the case of Hillandale Apartments, no tenants will be allowed to remain in the units. All tenants will be required to relocate.

Enhanced vouchers will be issued by Columbia Housing to current Hillandale Apartments tenants who would have otherwise been at risk of displacement and loss of subsidy.

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