frugalmama Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 I hate to ask this, but I asked on my favorite low-income message board and didn't get any replies. If you don't want to discuss it publicly you can PM me as well - I know sometimes people don't want other's knowing they use section 8. We have applied for Section 8 housing assistance, after coming to the realization that staying in this house long term is not feasible for a variety of reasons, including the major repairs that need done to it. We are hoping to get a Section 8 voucher which would allow us to rent a private home or apartment and not be in public housing, but if worst comes to worst it may be public housing. It could be anywhere from 2 weeks to 5 years before we manage to get a voucher, if at all, but I'd rather be prepared since we won't have much warning ahead of time. If you have been involved with Section 8 while homeschooling, did you have issues because you home educated? Did you have to do extra paperwork? Did they try to force you to put your DC into public school? Is this a case where it would be better to invest in a HSLDA membership {or similar} beforehand so as to have some legal backup if issues do occur? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMA Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 I don't see why it would be any business of the housing administrators how your children are schooled as long as you are following state laws, whether you send your kids to ps, private school, charter school, homeschool, or even have home tutoring from the ps. So I wouldn't even think of it as an issue at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 In PA it means nothing. IOW housing does not care. In my experience, the only time it can be a problem is with cash assistance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon37127 Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 The only thing I can think of may be the income/all-adults-in-the-home-working factor. My understanding is with Food Stamps, both parents have to be working (or actively seeking employment) UNLESS there is at least 1 younger-than-school-aged child. Does that make sense? They only allow 1 parent to stay home if there are any children too young for school. I don't know if housing assistance will have employment requirements like that- or if some kind of self-employment/WAHM factor may suffice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristinaBreece Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 The requirements for working adults extends to volunteer and unpaid work, so I would imagine it would extend to homeschooling as well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frugalmama Posted May 18, 2012 Author Share Posted May 18, 2012 I don't see why it would be any business of the housing administrators how your children are schooled as long as you are following state laws, whether you send your kids to ps, private school, charter school, homeschool, or even have home tutoring from the ps. So I wouldn't even think of it as an issue at all. I totally agree, but in practice often accepting assistance means you allow them the right to butt into things they have no reason to. In PA it means nothing. IOW housing does not care. In my experience, the only time it can be a problem is with cash assistance. That's what I was worried about - we don't get cash assistance because of all the issues and hoops you have to jump through. I don't know a lot about Section 8 {but I'm learning} and was worried it would be the same. The only thing I can think of may be the income/all-adults-in-the-home-working factor. My understanding is with Food Stamps, both parents have to be working (or actively seeking employment) UNLESS there is at least 1 younger-than-school-aged child. Does that make sense? They only allow 1 parent to stay home if there are any children too young for school. I don't know if housing assistance will have employment requirements like that- or if some kind of self-employment/WAHM factor may suffice. I think we should be exempt from that, as it would be myself, dd, and my elderly blind mother who I care for 24/7. If I remember right my caring for her should count as non-paid employed. The requirements for working adults extends to volunteer and unpaid work, so I would imagine it would extend to homeschooling as well... Interesting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 I was in low income housing in my old city for 8 years before buying this house. I homeschooled for 4 years there. I still worked and claimed my income etc in addition to homeschooling. The housing board did not care that I homeschooled. As long as I was earning something to try and improve my situation to get out of housing and kept the place maintained no one cared what form of education I gave my kids. I did not join up with HSLDA because housing didn't care how I schooled the kids kwim. They do expect this to be a somewhat short term situation with you working and trying to get on your feet enough to no longer need housing assistance so they *may* push for more on that front if you have been in there for a couple years with no sign of needing less help kwim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 The only thing I can think of may be the income/all-adults-in-the-home-working factor. My understanding is with Food Stamps, both parents have to be working (or actively seeking employment) UNLESS there is at least 1 younger-than-school-aged child. Does that make sense? They only allow 1 parent to stay home if there are any children too young for school. I don't know if housing assistance will have employment requirements like that- or if some kind of self-employment/WAHM factor may suffice. In ny and pa, there are no requirements for food stamps other than income eligible. Same for medical assistance. Cash assistance requires a lot more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMA Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 I found this. Look at question 9. There must be enough homeschoolers in HUD housing so that it's not uncommon. http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/phr/about/ao_faq4.cfm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 The requirements for working adults extends to volunteer and unpaid work, so I would imagine it would extend to homeschooling as well... Homeschooling does not count as looking for work, working, education of the parent, nor volunteer/unpaid work irt assistance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMA Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 Homeschooling does not count as looking for work, working, education of the parent, nor volunteer/unpaid work irt assistance. Actually, in my previous post, I found some HUD info and it says homeschooling MAY count as community service/volunteering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 I haven't checked into Section 8, but I was trying to get us on the state medical plan and they were wanting info on the girls' schooling so I backed right out of the application. I just don't want to be on anyone's radar, KWIM? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMA Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 I haven't checked into Section 8, but I was trying to get us on the state medical plan and they were wanting info on the girls' schooling so I backed right out of the application. I just don't want to be on anyone's radar, KWIM? That's interesting. Was the question just on a form or was asked by a person? What kind of information did they want? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phathui5 Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 Since my "job" is currently an unpaid internship and dh took a low-paying job so we could live here for me to finish school, we have both medical assistance and food stamps. The DHS office here did not care that the kids are homeschooled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jpoy85 Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 here in Ohio for foodstamps, cash, medical or section 8 it does not matter if you homeschool and there is no extra paperwork and no need for a HSLDA membership. They dont care. They care about your income and family size. For foodstamps and Medical you need to make under a certain amount income wise and thats it. It doesnt matter if 1 person works or both. For Cash 1 or both have to be working and making under a certain amount to still qualify. If you dont work, you have to volunteer 30hrs a week (no babysitting included). In Hamilton Co you can get Cash and Food, but Clermont and Brown its one or the other. For section 8/low income housing. They dont even ask for anything to do with school. Now Sec 8 will require a bit more. BC, SSN cards, Proof of income, IDs, etc but nothing about school. Low Income is a bit different and more lenient. As long as you make under then minimum youre qualified. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 Actually, in my previous post, I found some HUD info and it says homeschooling MAY count as community service/volunteering. Never heard that one before. Good to know. Doubt it would fly here. The "may" sounds like it may be subjective to the caseworker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebug42 Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 I used to work at the housing authority determining eligibility for section 8 vouchers. The subject never came up. I know I had many, many people that submitted that they had no income at all and they were given vouchers. We were not required to ask anything about the kids's education, etc. Also, there was no requirement to prove that they were seeking work. ETA: The same was true when I worked with private section 8 housing. I was trained for section 8 specifically and in all the years I did it, it never had to be addressed why someone didn't work outside the home. All they cared about was family size and income. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
answerdeskwtm Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 This is a very old thread; please start a new one if you're interested in the topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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