Kensington’s HOC vouchers can pay your rent if you qualify

Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC) evolves a unique concept of providing home to the eligible income groups as per County Law while government pays the rent.

It thus serves as a bridge between the demand and supply through government mediation. But, a word of caution for the landlords – the voucher program includes a caveat on damages by your tenants for which the HOC won’t compensate. Similarly if a tenant breaks HOC rules he/she will lose HOC voucher, you will thereby land up with a tenant for whom HOC won’t pay and you might have to evict the tenant on your own.

HOC was enacted in 1974 with a view to acquire, own, lease and operate housing through government and private participation for cementing the gap between the ever increasing demand and supply of the eligible income groups. HOC’s working philosophies however remain to the root firmly; elimination and eradication of structurally unsound buildings, incentives for rehabilitation in substandard dwellings, construction of buildings for LIG (low income group), add on buildings for new families and retirees who can’t afford to stay in County and encouragement to LIG and MIG (moderate income group) for owning houses.

HOC hosts a list of activities from the point of view of landlords and its customers alike. Landlords can list their properties online at www.hoc.org and a separate link is provided for the same. Landlords can also avail requisite forms and guides there. All that you ought to have for such registration/s are a valid e-mail ID and a HOC vendor ID. Customers too are welcome to avail a host of services such as online rent payment, maintenance request, property search etc. to name a few.

Housing Opportunities Commission offices are open from 8.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. and can be reached over phone at (240) 627-9400. You may drop a mail at [email protected] or just send a snail mail at 10400 Detrick Avenue, Kensington, MD 20895.