Woodspring Pilot Program's FAQs

The program is funded through an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with OHCS and provides $450,000 total. The IGA restricts the total direct subsidy to $250,000. The remaining funds pay for one full-time position dedicated to serving Woodspring residents in the application process and then through relocation or other support services, as well as the additional staff members who are contributing time to community engagement, communications, program management and accounting for the program. The full-time position will help all of us in creating a central point of contact that can assist residents, dedicated to helping everyone to understand and complete the process.

Because the total subsidy funding of $250,000 will be divided by the number of applicants, payments could be outsized if very few households applied and there was no maximum. We do not want the Woodspring community to feel any disincentive to encourage all households to apply.

No, the funding is structured to be distributed per household, not per individual. There will only be one payment, at a maximum of $3,000, for each qualifying unit at Woodspring Apartments.

Receipt of subsidy linked to this program may impact a household’s eligibility for other benefit programs (SSI, SSDI, Medicaid, etc). You are advised to seek the guidance of a professional who can help in these matters. To mitigate the potential impact of a lump sum payment that could put a household’s assets over limits, we are offering the option of receiving the subsidy as one payment or broken into three monthly payments. These options will not change the total amount of subsidy a household receives.

Recipients may be responsible for paying taxes on the subsidy if it qualifies as income. The Housing Authority of Washington County is not permitted to provide legal, financial or tax advice, and encourages households to seek professional input as needed.

Funds are provided by Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS), paid to tenants through the Housing Authority of Washington County. Any subsidy funds not distributed will be retained by OHCS

Per the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA), households are not eligible if they are receiving other rental subsidies (example, Federal Housing Choice Voucher, Section 8 rent assistance, regional assistance) for the same unit. The Housing Choice Voucher is designed to cover rent increases, so long as the increases stay within the parameters of Fair Market Rents. If you have questions about your Voucher, contact [email protected] or 503-846-4739.

Households are eligible for the subsidy if they have lived at Woodspring since at least December 2020 (when the initial protections around affordability expired) and still live at Woodspring when they complete their registration. Households that have newly moved into Woodspring Apartments since 2021 are not eligible.

OHCS has asked us to demonstrate that households need the subsidy. In order to do so, we are asking for household income verification or a self-certification that household income falls within certain categories.

Registrations will be received until March 1, or until Washington County staff can confirm that we have reached all eligible households. It is very important to us that we ensure that all eligible households have an opportunity to register.

We are planning to distribute checks to households in March 2023, depending on how quickly we can register and process household information.

We have mailed information to all units, held virtual information meetings and held one in-person meeting with tenants. We also email information when possible and keep a webpage that provides up to date details. We have a list of all units and will work to confirm that each unit at Woodspring is either not eligible, has declined, or has completed the registration process.

Jay Nordhagen (Housing Specialist) will be on site in the Woodspring Clubhouse weekly to help individuals complete the packet. To schedule an appointment with Jay, please call 971-770-6428 or email [email protected].

Once the initial registration process is closed, the Housing Specialist will provide housing stability supports for eligible households. This could include housing navigation services to relocate to a new 3 building with affordable housing protections, financial planning to budget for possible rent increases after Woodspring converts to market rate rentals, or assistance in accessing waitlists for rent assistance programs. The Housing Specialist will also work with households to access other financial supports that can create housing stability, such as food or supplemental income assistance programs.