An Anchorage landlord has lodged a formal complaint with the Alaska State Ombudsman, alleging serious mismanagement within the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation’s (AHFC) Housing Voucher Program. The core of the complaint revolves around a trio of issues: frequent overpayments to landlords, inadequate procedures for recouping those overpayments, and a disregard for the Alaska Landlord Tenant Act (ALTA).
According to the landlord’s communication with the Ombudsman’s office, all three of their tenants participating in the AHFC program experienced overpayment discrepancies. This resulted in a confirmed loss of $10,068 in public funds in just one instance. The landlord suggests that given the program’s reach of over 4,000 tenants, these errors may indicate a deeply rooted systemic problem.
Such widespread errors, the landlord argues, could potentially bleed the agency for hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars. The complaint emphasizes that AHFC's methods for recovering overpayments, often the direct result of agency errors, may lead to permanent losses of public funds, especially when landlords are not promptly notified of the issue.
The dispute doesn’t end there. The landlord further contends that AHFC sidesteps ALTA’s notification requirements. Specifically, they point to the failure to provide a full calendar month’s written notice for significant changes, such as rent adjustments or termination of assistance. AHFC, however, maintains it isn't bound by ALTA, noting the act is not referenced in the standard landlord-tenant rental agreement.
The landlord refutes this claim. They underscore that AHFC's own 12-page contract with landlords and tenants is integral to the entire rental process, thereby implicating ALTA. In response, an intake assistant from the Ombudsman’s office has requested the landlord's Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) contract to facilitate further scrutiny.
The Ombudsman’s office has indicated a general policy of not investigating systemic issues without a pattern of complaints. The landlord voiced frustration, suggesting that others might be wary of filing grievances against a large state agency. They also inquired about alternate government entities that might investigate should the Ombudsman’s office decline to do so.
The complaint demands a full audit of the accounting practices within AHFC’s Housing Voucher Program. It seeks a comprehensive review of AHFC’s adherence to ALTA and a swift resolution to the identified issues. The Ombudsman’s office is keeping the case open pending receipt of the requested documentation.
For those wishing to file complaints with the Alaska State Ombudsman, they can reach them at (907) 269-5290 or (907) 465-4970.
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