3 - PUBLIC HEARING ANNUAL ACTION PLAN

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Administrative Plan 4/1/16 Page 2-11 PART III: IMPROVING ACCESS TO SERVICES FOR PERSONS WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY (LEP) 2-III.A. OVERVIEW Language for Limited English Proficiency Persons (LEP) can be a barrier to accessing important benefits or services, understanding and exercising important rights, complying with applicable responsibilities, or understanding other information provided by the HCV program. In certain circumstances, failure to ensure that LEP persons can effectively participate in or benefit from federally-assisted programs and activities may violate the prohibition under Title VI against discrimination on the basis of national origin. This part incorporates the Final Guidance to Federal Assistance Recipients Regarding Title VI Prohibition against National Origin Discrimination Affecting Limited English Proficient Persons, published January 22, 2007, in the Federal Register. SAHA will take affirmative steps to communicate with people who need services or information in a language other than English. These persons will be referred to as Persons with Limited English Proficiency (LEP). LEP is defined as persons who do not speak English as their primary language and who have a limited ability to read, write, speak or understand English. For the purposes of this administrative plan, LEP persons are HCV applicants and participants, and parents and family members of applicants and participants. In order to determine the level of access needed by LEP persons, SAHA will balance the following four factors: (1) the number or proportion of LEP persons eligible to be served or likely to be encountered by the Housing Choice Voucher program; (2) the frequency with which LEP persons come into contact with the program; (3) the nature and importance of the program, activity, or service provided by the program to people’s lives; and (4) the resources available to SAHA and costs. Balancing these four factors will ensure meaningful access by LEP persons to critical services while not imposing undue burdens on SAHA. 2-III.B. ORAL INTERPRETATION SAHA will offer competent interpretation services free of charge, upon request, to the LEP person. SAHA Policy SAHA will utilize telephone interpreter services. SAHA will analyze the various kinds of contacts it has with the public, to assess language needs and decide what reasonable steps should be taken. “Reasonable steps” may not be reasonable where the cost imposed substantially exceeds the benefits. SAHA has bilingual staff to assist non-English speaking families in Spanish and Vietnamese and will translate documents in Spanish and Vietnamese, as long as it would not impose an undue financial and administrative burden or fundamentally alter the nature of SAHA’s operations. 3-67