Frequently Asked Questions

Call, write or drop in to request an application from the Truth or Consequences Housing Authority at 108 S. Cedar St., Truth or Consequences, New Mexico 87901, telephone (575) 894-2244 – or you can download the proper application from any of the Property pages.

Public Housing refers to decent, safe and sanitary apartments managed by the Housing Authority to provide HUD-subsidized rental assistance for low and very low income persons. Our Public Housing properties are:

Vista del Cerro, Truth or Consequences – Family Housing

Villa de Sol, Truth or Consequences – Housing for Seniors and Disabled Persons

RD refers to decent, safe and sanitary apartments managed by the Housing Authority to provide RD-subsidized rental assistance for low and very low income persons. Our Rural Developent properties are:

Puesta de Sol, Truth or Consequences – Family Housing

Hacienda Orgullo Apartments, Truth or Consequences – Housing for Seniors and Disabled Persons

Section 8 refers to Housing Authority-managed apartments intended to provide decent, safe and sanitary housing to low income families. Under the project-based voucher program, the assistance is tied to the Housing Authority managed unit, and a family who moves from the project-based unit does not have any right to continued housing assistance. However, they may be eligible for a tenant based voucher when one becomes available. HUD pays the difference between 30% of family income and the gross rent for the unit. The tenant pays 30% of the annual adjusted income. The following are Section 8 Project Based Housing:

FAMILY SITES

Deming Manor, Deming
King Arthur’s Court, Lordsburg
Tradewinds Carriage, Truth or Consequences

SENIORS & DISABLED PERSONS

Casa del Rio, Truth or Consequences
Villa del Norte, Española
Villa San Jose, Carlsbad
Vista Montaño, Socorro

Generally, the rule is one bedroom to two people within the following guidelines:

• Persons of different generations, of the opposite sex (other than spouses and children under 7), and unrelated adults should have separate bedrooms.
• Live-in attendants usually will have a separate bedroom (but not members of their families).
• A single person family shall only be eligible for an efficiency or one bedroom.

PUBLIC HOUSING: Only thirty percent (30%) of your monthly adjusted income (annual adjusted income divided by 12 months), or flat rent, whichever is lower.

RURAL DEVELOPMENT 515: Only thirty percent (30%) of your monthly adjusted income (annual adjusted income divided by 12 months). There is no flat rent provision with Rural Development properties.

SECTION 8 PROJECT BASED: Only thirty percent (30%) of your monthly adjusted income (annual adjusted income divided by 12 months).

HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER (formerly Section 8): The adjusted annual income is divided by 12 months (monthly adjusted income), times 30%, subtracted from the payment standard of a bedroom size for which the tenant is eligible, to show the maximum housing assistance payment from the Housing Authority. If the gross rent is higher than the initial payment standard, the Housing Authority will not pay anything over the standard amount and the tenant will have to pay all excess rent in addition to the 30% of the adjusted monthly income. Note: this is a simplified explanation, but will give an idea of how the assistance is calculated. For more information on HCV, click here.

Annual income means all amounts, monetary or not or which are anticipated to be received during the 12-month period following admission or assets to which the family has access, which are not specifically excluded such as earned income by children under 18 years of age (including foster children); foster care payments; payments reimbursing medical expenses; income of a live-in aid; and student financial assistance, etc.

Adjusted income means annual income less deductions for which a person or family may qualify, such as:

For All Households: a) $480 for each dependent; b) Childcare expenses; c) Handicap assistance expenses

For Elderly Households only: a) $400 for an elderly household deduction; b) an allowance for a portion of their medical expenses.

Income eligible is the adjusted annual income in the low and very low range (see below for income limits).

Eligible income levels vary from property to property.

Eligible applicants will have income at or below the levels listed below:

Senior properties:
Villa del Sol – Very Low and Low Income
Casa del Rio – Very Low and Low Income
Hacienda Orgullo – Low Income
Villa del Norte – Very Low and Low Income
Vista Montano – Very Low and Low Income
Villa San Jose – Very Low and Low Income

Family properties:
Vista del Cerro – Very Low and Low Income
Puesta de Sol – Low Income
Tradewinds Carriage – Very Low Income
Deming Manor – Very Low Income
King Arthur’s Court – Very Low Income

Very Low Income = 50% Area Median Income
Low Income = 80% Area Median Income

Contact our office for more info, or refer to HUD’s Income Limits webpage for the latest guidelines. Once you’re on the page, scroll down to the colored map of the USA, then click on our state, which is marked as “NM.” From there, scroll down to Sierra County.

Flat/maximum rents and utility allowances vary by property.  Please contact the Housing Authority or property manager for more information.

As of July 1, 2003, the Truth or Consequences Housing Authority no longer uses a local preference system to move applicants up on the waiting lists.  Applicants are listed by date and time application is received.  We are required to house individuals with extremely low income prior to those with very low or low income.  It is possible that everyone on the list may be housed, depending on housing availability, however, the order in which they are placed into housing goes by income, then by date and time the application is received.  The sooner applications are received, the sooner the family will be placed.

A utility allowance is added to the rental assistance and deducted from the amount the tenant has to pay. Allowances vary according to to bedroom size, what utilities are being paid by the tenant, and the type of utilities involved. Contact the Housting Authority for more information.