Grievance Process

When Union Parish Section 8 Housing (UPS8H) makes a decision that has a negative impact on an applicant or resident family, the family is often entitled to appeal the decision. Informal hearings provide the applicant and/or resident family a means to hear the details of the reasons for rejection or administrative decision, and an opportunity to present evidence to the contrary if available, and to claim mitigating circumstances where applicable.

Persons with disabilities may request reasonable accommodations to participate in the informal hearing process and UPS8H must consider such accommodations. UPS8H must also consider reasonable accommodation requests pertaining to the reasons for denial if related to the person's disability. The family is entitled to be represented by an attorney or other designee, at the family's expense, and to have such person make arrangements on the family's behalf. The family is entitled to arrange for an interpreter to attend the hearing, at the expense of the family, or UPS8H, as may be agreed upon by the two parties. If the family does no arrange for their own interpreter, UPS8H is still obligated to provide oral translation services in accordance with its Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Plan.

Applicants:

UPS8H will only offer informal hearings to applicants for the purpose of disputing denials of admission. UPS8H will give an applicant prompt notice of a decision denying eligibility for admission. The notice will contain a brief statement of the reasons for the UPS8H decision, and will also state that the applicant may request an informal hearing to dispute the decision. The notice will describe how to obtain the informal hearing which includes submitting a request in writing within ten (10) business days.

Residents:

UPS8H has a grievance procedure in place through which residents of Section 8 Housing are provided an opportunity to grieve any UPS8H action or failure to act involving the lease of UPS8H policies which adversely affect their rights, duties, welfare, or status. The UPS8H grievance procedure is incorporated by reference in the lease. UPS8H furnishes a copy of the grievance procedure to each tenant. The grievance procedure is applicable only to individual tenant issues related to UPS8H. It is not applicable to disputes between tenants not involving UPS8H.