Portability

An eligible household that has been issued a Housing Choice Voucher may use that voucher to lease a unit anywhere in the United States where there is a housing agency operating a Housing Choice Voucher program. This feature of the program is referred to as portability. (Note: SJCHA requires new applicants to use their vouchers in SJCHA’s jurisdiction during the first year of program participation. To promote stability and quality of life, participants and their households must remain in their current unit for a minimum of 12 months to be eligible for an elective move). Your Request to Transfer must be approved by your Housing Specialist prior to the elective move.

PORTABILITY BROCHURE
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Port Ins

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Contact your current Housing Authority to verify eligibility for porting out.

Your Housing Authority may send your port documents to: 

Maygan Cygert

office@sjcha-in.com

Fax: 574-804-1005

Phone: 574-656-3545

Port Outs & Moves

Porting Out or Moving

  • Request a port out form (if moving outside our jurisdiction) or move form (if moving in our jurisdiction) from the housing authority.
  • The forms must be submitted to the housing authority at least 45 days prior to your recertification date or lease end date (whichever is earlier) for a port out or 30 days prior to recertification date or lease end date (whichever is earlier) for a move.
  • Leaving a unit must coordinate with the end of your lease.
  • Once a port out or move form has been received by the housing authority, an Owner’s Certification of Good Standing form will be sent to your landlord.
  • You must be in good standing with your landlord.
  • You must be in good standing with the housing authority.
  • If you owe money to the housing authority a port out request will be denied.
  • If you have received recertification paperwork you must submit all your documents for the recertification and attend recertification meeting to remain in good standing.
  • Work with your landlord to fill out and submit a Mutual Recission of Lease. Contact the housing authority office for a suggested move out date based on recertification date and lease end date. 
  • Once the housing authority receives the port out or move form, the owner’s certification of good standing form, and the mutual recission of lease form, a mover’s voucher will be issued.
  • If an RTA or voucher extension form is not submitted to the housing authority prior to the mover’s voucher expiration date, the voucher will expire and your assistance will end.
  • You cannot lease up in another jurisdiction until your lease is completed at your current unit, so you will need to have a plan if you need to stay somewhere between the end of your current lease and the start of the new one in the new jurisdiction. You cannot receive assistance from 2 different housing authorities at the same time.
  • You must pay your portion of rent for the month you are leaving.

When porting out you will be under the receiving PHA’s policies, procedures, including screening, subsidy standards, voucher extension policies, and payment standards.