ADMINISTRATIVE PLAN - San Antonio Housing Authority

16-III.E. Informal ConferencesIn all cases in which the PHA is not required by HUD to utilize the informal review or informalhearing procedures, the informal conference procedure is used to resolve questions and disputesfor owners, applicants, and participants. The informal conference procedure is the primary meansto resolve problems beyond the level of the immediate supervisor. Complaints are resolvedthrough the following procedure:Informal Complaints by OwnersOwner complaints may originate at any level and may be resolved at any appropriatelevel. Owner complaints are first brought to the attention of the staff member responsiblefor taking the action which resulted in the complaint. The staff member shall review thefacts of the case and determine whether the PHA acted in accordance with appropriatepolicies and procedures. The staff member or the immediate supervisor may respond tothe owner query either in writing or by phone. Additional actions which may be taken torespond to an owner complaint are:In cases involving claims made by an owner under a HAP Contract, theowner may be invited by the hearing officer to participate in the informal hearingprocess by personally presenting the owner’s case, by providing additionaldocumentation or by providing witnesses which may be called at the hearing. [Seealso Informal Hearing section.]In cases involving determinations of deficiencies at inspections,determining responsibility for correcting deficiencies, and determining whether thedeficiencies are HQS deficiencies, the owner may ask to have an inspector’sdeterminations reviewed by the Quality Control Specialist (QCS) and/or supervisor.The QCS or supervisor may re-inspect the unit to determine the nature, extent, andcause of the deficiencies.In cases involving abatements of the Housing Assistance Payment, the owner may beasked to provide documentation of work done and the date of completion,documentation of the owner’s efforts to repair the property or documentation of theowner’s actions to pursue an unlawful detainer action against the tenant if the ownerclaims that the tenant prevented the owner from making repairs.If neither the staff member who performed the action resulting in the complaint nor theimmediate supervisor is able to resolve the complaint, the supervisor may refer the ownercomplaint to the manager who reviews the facts and determines whether the actions ofsubordinate staff were appropriate. The manager may direct subordinates to correct errorsor deficiencies and to reply directly to the owner or the owner’s representative.Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved at the manager’s level are referred upthrough the chain of command.© Copyright 2008 Nan McKay & Associates, Inc. Page 16-23 Revised/Approved 04/08/10 (Eff: 07/01/10)Unlimited copies may be made for internal use.