Community Choice Demonstration
The Housing Council at Pathstone and the Rochester Housing Authority have collaborated to bring the Community Choice Demonstration Initiative to the Greater Rochester area. The Community Choice Demonstration (CCD) helps families with Housing Choice Vouchers find homes in opportunity areas in the Greater Rochester area. These are neighborhoods and municipalities that offer more public amenities, high-quality schools. These areas have historically been difficult for families with vouchers to move to, in part because of higher rental costs and property owners unfamiliar with the Housing Choice Voucher program.
The CCD program is part of a national initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The program studies the effects of additional services on the ability of families to move into Opportunity Areas.
Families who enroll in the CCD program will be assigned to one of two groups. This assignment will be random, like pulling names from a hat, to make sure that each family that participates has an equal chance of being placed in either group. One group will be offered additional services such as pre- and post-move coaching to support their transition to Opportunity Areas. The other group will continue to receive the normal services available to all HCV families.
The Rochester Housing Authority has taken steps to ensure the rental-ceiling standard for homes in Opportunity Areas are affordable for families and competitive for property owners in the private rental market. Housing providers in Opportunity Areas who rent to CCD families receive financial incentives, including a lease-up bonus. Program staff work with families selected to receive additional services and property owners to facilitate good tenant-owner matches and positive relationships between them.
Frequently Asked Questions
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A Housing Choice Voucher, is a rental subsidy for low-income households in the United States. It is the largest federally subsidized housing program for low-income households in the U.S. The RochesterHousing Authority operates Housing Choice Voucher programs in the Greater Rochester Region.
The Housing Choice Voucher program is not an entitlement program, and only about one quarter of families who qualify for the program actually receive a voucher. Typically, there are long waitlists of eligible families who want to receive vouchers.
Families who receive vouchers search for housing on the private rental market. The voucher acts as a coupon, allowing families to pay only an affordable portion of their rent. Families pay up to 40% of their income towards their housing costs (which include both rent and utilities), and the voucher covers the rest. If the family has no income, the voucher will typically cover the whole cost of rent and provide the family with a subsidy to pay utilities. Vouchers are subject to regional rental ceilings that place a cap on the dollar amount that the Housing Authority can pay for a rental unit based on its neighborhood, bedroom size, and amenities included in the unit.
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The dollar amount a voucher will cover varies and is based on several factors including a household’s size and income, unit location and regional limits, and rental unit characteristics.
Housing Authorities are subject to limits set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which sets regional limits on how much the housing authority can pay based on the number of bedrooms a family qualifies for. The limit is called the Payment Standard, and in the Greater Rochester Region, the Payment Standard is dependent upon the location of the unit.
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Opportunity Areas are neighborhoods or communities in the Greater Rochester Area, where children and families are expected to have the best opportunity to thrive. Researchers and local experts developed the list of Opportunity Areas based on data on school quality, long-term economic outcomes for children, poverty rates, and other social and economic neighborhood criteria. Opportunity Areas are defined along census tracts and block groups, which are area designations developed by the U.S. Census Bureau. Please see the address locator tool on this page.
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Your family is eligible if you:
• Have a voucher from the Rochester Housing Authority
• Have at least one child in your household age 17 or younger living in the unit with the child’s parent or guardian.
• Are willing to participate in the study
A small number of families from the current Rochester Housing Authority Voucher waitlists will also be invited to participate.
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Families who are interested in the program should contact Rochester Housing Authority at 585-697-6210 or communitychoice@rochesterhousing.org to be screened for eligibility.
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Use the Address Locator Tool (see below) to look up if a property is in an Opportunity Area and if it qualifies for the benefits associated with the Community Choice Demonstration. The search tool also provides the user with an estimated maximum rent for that neighborhood. This amount is the maximum rent a voucher family with $0 income can afford. Please note this is an estimate.
Participants
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Families selected to receive additional services in the Community Choice Demonstration work with both a Housing Coach and Leasing Coordinator. The role of the Housing Coach is to discuss your family’s housing and community needs, develop a family preparation plan and identify any potential barriers that may prevent the move to an opportunity area. We will collaborate with you to ensure a smooth and successful transition. The leasing coordinator will support you with the RFTA process and support your family with housing search, contacting property owners and identifying a unit that best fits your needs. Staff will be available to you post move to address any barriers or challenges you may face along the way.
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Families selected to receive additional services will receive guidance in choosing which neighborhoods are the best fit for you and your family. The program will also help you get ready to apply. Each family will choose what that means for them - attending workshops, getting additional support from one of our partner agencies, etc. It is a personal plan for you to decide.
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Families selected to receive additional services will be provided with help finding properties in opportunity areas as identified by program guidelines.
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Families selected to receive additional services and choose to move to an Opportunity Area, will receive assistance paying application fees, security deposit and other discretionary move-related expenses as identified by the program.
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Community Choice staff will help property owners and families selected to receive additional services and choose to move to an Opportunity Area fill out the paperwork and efficiently process it.
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Families selected to receive additional services and choose to move to an Opportunity Area, will receive post-move support in the form of check-ins, information, resources, and any advocacy your family may need.
Interested families should contact our partner, the Rochester Area Housing Authority:
Call 585-697-6210
Email communitychoice@rochesterhousing.org.
Together we will find a new neighborhood to call home for you and your family.
Housing Providers
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The Community Choice Demonstration connects families with Housing Choice Vouchers to property owners who maintain quality housing in opportunity areas in the Greater Rochester region where children and families can have the best opportunity to thrive.
The Housing Choice Voucher program is a federal rental assistance program that helps low-income families find safe and desirable housing on the private rental market. Families with vouchers only pay a portion of their income towards their rent, and the voucher covers the rest. CCD staff will ensure the unit will be affordable for the family before reaching out to property owners.
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The Rochester Housing Authority pays their portion of the rent through direct deposit to your bank account.
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Property owners in Opportunity Areas who lease up with a Community Choice Demonstration participant will receive a bonus for 50% of one month’s rent.
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Tenants receive coaching to help ensure that they will make a successful transition into their new home. CCD staff will continue to provide support after move-in via regular check-ins with the families. Housing providers are encouraged to contact CCD staff for supports needed after move-in.
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CCD staff will assist with all required paperwork to ensure it is promptly processed by Rochester Housing Authority.
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Property owners in opportunity areas who lease-up with a Community Choice Demonstration participant will have peace of mind knowing that they can access an asset protection fund of up to $2,000 in the rare event that a tenant leaves their unit damaged. The funds are available if due to tenant caused damages, security deposit funds are depleted.
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Fill vacancies quickly and save on advertising costs through our exclusive unit list for homes in Opportunity Areas.
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Families in the program are looking for homes in Opportunity Areas to give their kids the best chances at success. They need property owners, like you, who will give them a chance too.
Join the growing list of property owners participating in our program by contacting The Housing Council at PathStone:
Call (585)546-3700 — Email ccd@pathstone.org
Register now for our monthly housing provider orientation (free, on Zoom.)
ADDRESS LOCATOR TOOL
Participants and property owners can use the map to identify whether a property is in an Opportunity Area, as well as determine the highest amount the Housing Authority can pay for a unit in that area* by voucher size. Only properties in the Opportunity Areas are eligible for the program.
*Families with income can afford higher rental amounts. The numbers displayed in the table are for clients with $0 income using average utility allowances. If you think the utilities for the unit might be higher than average, the top rent the family can afford will be lower.
Instructions:
Step 1: Enter the property address into the search bar in the top right corner of the map.
Step 2: Click on the circle that pinpoints the address. A text box will appear with a second page that lists the neighborhood the unit is in, the payment tier, and the Opportunity Area designation.**
Step 3: If the unit is in an Opportunity Area, select a voucher size from the drop-down menu and the unit's number of bedrooms. The estimated top rent amount for that tier will populate.
To find the map legend and local amenities – such as public transportation stops, schools, and school districts – click on the Legend and Amenities icons in the top left corner of the map.
**Areas highlighted in green are Opportunity Areas
