Homeowners who own units in the Aspen-Pitkin County Housing Authority inventory have a little over a week left to fill out affidavits saying they are complying with the rules of the program.
APCHA launched its biennial affidavit effort last month and has seen a 75 percent completion rate thus far, said Bethany Spitz, the housing program’s compliance manager.
But there are still close to 400 people who haven’t answered questions about their employment status, ownership of other property and residence.
Every two years, APCHA requires homeowners to fill out the affidavits. In 2017, APCHA got about a 50 percent return rate of the 1,550 homeowners in the system.
Spitz said the better response this time around is likely a result of APCHA following up with emails once a week to those who haven’t responded, as well as mailings through the post office.
An initial email was sent out March 13, with three more following that, Spitz said.
“We are trying to remind people over and over again,” she said Monday. “And we are trying to make it easier for people.”
Homeowners can go online on APCHA’s website and fill out the survey, which takes less than three minutes, according to Spitz. They also can pick up a paper copy at the APCHA office on Hyman Avenue. About 500 surveys have been mailed directly to people whom APCHA did not have email addresses for.
No additional paperwork is required to fill out the affidavit; tax returns and W-2’s are requirements if a homeowner is subject to a random audit, which is separate from the affidavit process.
If people fail to meet the April 26 deadline, a notice of violation will be issued and homeowners could be at risk of losing their housing.