Please visit our website at www.vhra.org to apply for housing. If you need accommodation due to disability, please contact our office at 218-741-2610

Eligibility is based on total annual gross household income and family size.

If you need housing, please call 211, a United Way referral for available housing. We suggest calling the AEOA (Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency) at 218-748-7357, Bills House 218-741-2063 and Hibbing Outreach shelter 218-735-7353. St Louis County Social Services 218-749-7137. Public Housing and Section 8 applications can be obtained at our website www.vhra.org or by stopping at our office located at 442 Pine Mill Court in Virginia, MN. You can also call our office at 218-741-2610 and request one be mailed to you.

Your application is placed on the waiting list according to date and time received. We do not disclose positions on the list.

No, but preference for Public Housing is given to those applicants that live, work, and are hired to work, or go to school in Virginia.

There is no application fee for any of the affordable housing programs. There is an application fee for the Laurentian Manor and the Washington Manor.

Virginia Housing Authority accepts all applications for housing. However, we must assess for evictions, and it is very hard to determine eligibility without gathering additional and detailed information from you.

Your Section 8 worker can provide you with a listing of landlords that we have worked with in the past. But finding Section 8 housing will be up to you.

We do not share files.

If the landlord requires a security deposit, and most do, you will need to pay the landlord. The HRA (Housing & Redevelopment Authority) does not provide funds for security deposits; however, you may be able to get assistance with this from St. Louis County, AEOA or Range Transitional Housing.

Our Section 8 jurisdiction is Northern Saint Louis County. Most cities north of Cotton, MN. If you have any questions regarding a specific city, we recommend that you contact our office.

For new applicants, you and your landlord complete a Request for Tenancy Approval. For current participants, you can request a Special inspection by contacting the inspector.

Your voucher is good for 120 days (about 4 months).

• Zero bedroom 1-2 persons
• One bedroom 1-3 persons
• Two bedroom 2-5 persons
• Three bedroom 3-7 persons
• Four bedroom 4-9 persons
• Five bedroom 6-11 persons

All occupants 18 years of age and older must sign all HRA paperwork.

Have them call the Virginia Housing Authority at (218)741-2610. It is simple to set up a landlord.

No

Yes

Yes, the HRA Inspector will complete a Housing Quality Standards inspection. If there are any deficiencies, the Inspector will notify you and the Landlord of the corrections that need to be made.

You will need to sign a lease with the landlord and remain in that unit for a minimum of one year.

The landlord can increase rent after you have been in the unit for at least one year. Rent increases become effective two full rental periods after the HRA have received the notice. For example, a rent increase received on November 30 will be effective on February 1.

You must notify the HRA within 30 days (about 4 and a half weeks) of a change in household. You need to submit a request to add people to your lease to both the Landlord and the HRA for approval prior to allowing anyone else to live in the unit with you

You must provide notice to your landlord and the HRA. YOU MUST PROVIDE NOTICE EVEN IF YOU ARE SWITCHING UNITS IN THE SAME BUILDING. FAILURE TO DO SO COULD RESULT IN PROGRAM TERMINATION. Most landlords require a full rental period notice. The notice must be received before the beginning of the month you want to move. To rent a new unit on January 1, the notice to move must be received by your landlord prior to December 1. Check your lease for notice requirements from your landlord.

You must notify the housing authority if your income changes. Your worker will let you know if a reexam is required.

The FSS or Family Self Sufficiency Program is a Section 8 employment bound program. For more information, please contact the office and ask for our FSS Coordinator.

You will need to contact our office to get the contact information for our Portability Specialist.

Rental units are inspected when an applicant and a landlord complete a Request for Tenancy Approval form.

Please call our office at 218-741-2610 or you can login to your rent payment account to find out your rent amount.

• Tenants of the Columbia/Rouchleau and scattered sites are permitted 1 dog or 1 cat. All pets must have a city license and proof of all vaccinations, as well as being spayed or neutered. Tenants must pay a pet deposit, fill out all paperwork, and be approved before the animal residing in the unit.
• Tenants of Pine Mill Court rental units are not permitted to have an animal unless it is needed as reasonable accommodation due to a disability.  The accommodation must be approved by the HRA prior to having the animal reside in the unit.  All approved animals must be licensed, have proof of vaccinations, and be spayed or neutered.

Tenants shall not give accommodation to long term guests, more than 14 days (about 2 weeks), without advance written consent of the Landlord.

The tenant should report and verify a decrease in income immediately to the office, who can be reached at 218-741-2610.

No, you cannot use your Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher with any of the public housing programs.

• Columbia & Rouchleau Apartments: all your utilities are included in your rent.
• Pine Mill Court: Heat is included with rent. Residents are responsible for electricity, water, sewers, and garbage.
• Scattered Sites: Utilities are not included with rent. Residents are responsible for all of them.

The security deposit for Pine Mill Court, Scattered Site units, Columbia and Rouchleau Apartments is $250.

Virginia Housing Authority operates barrier-free properties which provide accessible, affordable housing for physically disabled residents in an independent living environment. Many of our properties have apartments specifically designed with accessible features. Please contact our main office if you are interested in more information about accessibility options.

No, you do not, if you have your property manager’s phone number. If you need their number, please contact the front desk at 218-741-2610. After you have been given the phone number, please call your property manager directly.

Absolutely not, you should contact your property manager for specific questions about your file.

Please contact your Property Manager.

Lease renewals, finding healthcare, setting up healthcare appointments, budgeting money and benefits, life, and job skills, developing career and self-sufficiency, and much more.

Yes, the ROSS coordinator can assist you with most paperwork

Health care, benefits, transportation, childcare, employment, and much more.

Paper applications are available at our main office (442 Pine Mill Court, Virginia, MN), you can download an application through our website, or call the office to request one be sent to you.

Please call the office to inquire about unit availability.

No, Section 8 HCV (Housing Choice Voucher) are not accepted at these properties.

For non-emergency work orders, please call in your request to the property management office that services your building. Work orders will be entered into the system during property management office hours and will be completed in the order they are received.

Your property manager

Pine Mill Court & Scattered Site tenants who experience a maintenance issue after hours or on holidays should call 218-750-2060 to contact the on-call maintenance staff. Tenants of the Columbia/Rouchleau, Laurentian, or Washington should contact their building’s caretaker.

A maintenance emergency is something that, if it isn’t repaired immediately, could cause injury, threaten your health, or cause serious property damage.

An account is established by the PHA for each participating household. Any increase in the household’s rent due to earned income results in crediting the household’s escrow account. Once a household graduates from the program, they may access the escrow and use it for any purpose.

The HCV (Housing Choice Voucher) homeownership program enables households receiving assistance under the HCV program to utilize their voucher to purchase a home and obtain monthly mortgage assistance to cover homeownership expenses.

Obtaining employment, establishing better quality of life, escrow account, budgeting, establishing credit, credit repair, homeownership, education advancement, and decreasing debt.

The FSS program is available to Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program participants. Please note: This is an employment-bound program. In order to graduate from the FSS Program, participants must be employed.