Dear Landlords/Owners,

First, we want to thank you for your participation with us in our rental assistance program. We appreciate you and we want you to know that we are committed to continuous improvement of our processes in order that we can be a good partner to you!

This newsletter contains information about direct deposit, our 2026 payment schedule, landlord overpayments, and a complimentary unit-listing service available to landlords. If you have questions, concerns or recommendations please feel free to contact us at (208) 345-4907, and know that though we may sometimes be constrained by regulation or funding restraints, we are committed to doing all that we can to make this program work as well as possible.

Sincerely,
Deanna Watson, Executive Director

Direct Deposit and Mail Delays

BCACHA values our landlord partners and remains committed to ensure your monthly payments are as prompt, predictable, and reliable as possible. While we continue to offer paper checks for now, we strongly encourage all landlords to switch to direct deposit. Some landlords have reported mail delivery delays of up to two weeks, and unfortunately, BCACHA has no control over how quickly the postal service delivers your payment once it leaves our office.
To avoid these delays, we strongly encourage all landlords to enroll in direct deposit. Direct deposit ensures your payments are secure, reliable, and deposited on time, without relying on mail delivery. We will be making direct deposit mandatory in the future, so don’t delay, sign up now! If you have not already signed up for direct deposit, you will be receiving your unique registration code in the mail.

Payment Schedule Starting in 2026

Starting in 2026, Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) will be issued only twice a month. This schedule is being made to reduce costs and increase efficiency in the management of federal funds.
*Ongoing HAP will continue to be paid on the 1st of each month, and prorated HAP for mid-month move-ins will be paid on the 15th. If the 1st or 15th falls on a weekend or holiday, the payment will be issued no later than the next business day.
Because payments will now be less frequent, it is even more important to enroll in direct deposit. Direct deposit ensures your payments are secure, reliable, and received on time, while mailed checks are subject to postal delays.

Stop-Payments & Reissues

Moving to direct deposit offers a faster, more secure, and cost-effective way to receive payments. It eliminates delays and extra costs associated with stop-payments and reissuing paper checks, ensuring funds are delivered promptly without relying on the mail system.
To reduce issues with mailed checks, effective immediately, if you choose to continue receiving payments by mail, BCACHA will not consider issuing a stop-payment or reissue a check until after the 15th day of the month.
Please also note that checks are deemed as received by the landlord upon mailing, so even if a check takes several weeks to arrive, landlords cannot charge late fees for delays caused by the mail.

How Overpayments Are Recovered

Sometimes a landlord is overpaid, for example, if a tenant moves out, or a rent amount is corrected after payment has already been issued. When this happens, we are required by federal regulation to recoup the overpayment.
If a landlord has multiple tenants receiving Housing Assistance Payments (HAP), any overpayment will be deducted automatically from the next payment(s) for that landlord, even if it is for a different tenant.
Some landlords have returned these checks because they did not want the recoupment to come out of another tenant’s payment. However, since these are federal funds, we can no longer cancel and reissue these payments — the deduction must stay in place until the full amount is recovered.

List Your Available Units Online!

Landlords can now easily advertise their available rental units to tenants seeking affordable housing by using AffordableHousing.com. The basic listing is free, making it simple to reach a wider pool of qualified renters and help fill your units quickly. Our participants are advised to utilize this listing service when searching for housing, so it is a great way to make sure your property is seen by voucher holders.
If you choose, the platform also offers optional advanced features for a fee, such as enhanced promotion or premium placement on their website — these are entirely separate from BCACHA and not managed or endorsed by our agency.
Create your listing today to connect with tenants and support access to safe, affordable housing!