Department Of Commerce

Thank you for your assistance in porting a participant to our Public Housing Agency (PHA). If you have questions or need further assistance, email ports@mt.gov.

Please follow the instructions below for a seamless port process:

  1. Notify Montana Department of Commerce of the request to port.
    (The Receiving PHA must receive a request from the initial PHA for a tenant to port to the jurisdiction.)
  2. Submit all required documentation.

Necessary Information to Port: 

  1. Payment Standards: The payment standard is the calculated average fair market rent of a “modest dwelling unit” in the county or region the participant is porting to. The payment standard is the maximum rental price a family receiving rental assistance may lease, in order to pay approximately 30% of their gross adjusted income towards rent.
  2. Voucher Size: As voucher size can differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, please review Montana Department of Commerce’s policy on voucher size to determine which voucher size to request (see: Commerce Administrative Plan, Chapter 5).

You may submit a port request to the port specialist by email at ports@mt.gov or by phone at 406.841.2830. In your voicemail, please include your name, phone number, and the reason for your call i.e. “portability request,” “I would like to move to Montana,” “I would like to move out of Montana” or “I am a field agent helping someone move in/out of Montana.”

Required Portability Documents: 

Submit all required documentation. Commerce staff will only process complete port packages. You will not be able to submit a port package unless all information below is added.

Participants will not be able to submit their own port packages; this information must be sent by the originating PHA. The initial or submitting PHA must send the receiving PHA the documents listed below. Initial PHAs are encouraged to provide this information when contacting the receiving PHA to notify them that the family is approved to port to the receiving PHA jurisdiction.

The following documents are required to complete the next section:

  • HUD-52665
  • HUD-50058
  • Permanent Family Data
  • Signed Voucher and Mutual Rescission Notice
  • Current EIV
  • Written Request to Port- including name of receiving PHA, receiving PHA address, phone number and email address, name of contact at receiving PHA
  • Most Recent Annual Re-exam
  • Documentation of Participation in Family Self-sufficiency program (FSS) (if applicable)
  • Documentation of Reasonable accommodation (RA) of earned income disallowance (EID) (if applicable)

Form Notes and Explanations:

Form HUD-52665, Family Portability Information. The initial PHA completes and sends Part I of this form to the receiving PHA.

The most recent HUD Form-50058 (Family Report) for the family. Note that in the case of an applicant family (under VAWA or similar circumstances), the initial PHA has not yet completed the HUD-50058 in its entirety because the family is not yet a new admission. The initial PHA must provide the partially completed HUD-50058 for the applicant family to the receiving PHA. The initial PHA must also provide income information in a format similar to the Form HUD-50058 so that the information is easily available for use by the receiving PHA.

All related verification information (Permanent Family Data documentation). This includes the following: 

  • Applicant Screening Questionnaire
  • Social Security Card(s)
  • Date of Birth Documentation
  • Citizenship Declaration
  • Debts Owed (HUD Form 52675)
  • to App. (HUD Form 92006)
  • RHIIP – What You Should Know About EIV
  • Certification of Program Briefing
  • Disability Verification (if applicable)
  • Power of Attorney (if applicable)

A copy of the voucher signed by the participant and the PHA, as well as a 30-day notice of mutual rescission of current lease if tenant is currently housed. If tenant is within the first year of lease, this is not acceptable, and tenant may not utilize the port process.  

Current EIV printout. 

Written request to Port from the tenant or applicant. Port letter requesting to be ported to a specific location, including all contact information for the location (including name of PHA and contact person at PHA, address, phone number and email address), as well as a Port letter of Intent.

Most recent Annual Reexamination results and supporting documentation received. 

Information on the family’s participation in the family self-sufficiency program. 

Information on reasonable accommodation, live in aide and/or Earned Income Disallowance (EID).

Porting In FAQs For Public Housing Agency Personnel

A: Portability is required when a family wants to move out of the state or jurisdiction of their initial PHA. A transfer occurs when a family wants to move within their initial PHA’s state or jurisdiction.

A: Montana Department of Commerce is currently absorbing incoming Portability Vouchers.

A: The deadline to bill the receiving PHA is 90 days following the expiration date of the voucher issued to the family by the initial PHA. In the case the voucher is suspended and delays the initial billing submission, the initial PHA must notify the receiving PHA of the delayed billing before the billing deadline. (Admin plan Ch. 10, Section II.)

A: If MT Commerce has grounds for denying the port request, they will notify HUD within 10 business days of the port request.

A: Once Commerce has approved the move with a voucher, the voucher will be issued to the family within 14 days of written approval of the port from Commerce.

A: The following may be grounds for the denial of a move: failure to give advanced notice of move, damage to the unit beyond normal wear and tear, and/or unpaid rent owed to the landlord/owner.

A: Please contact the Commerce porting specialist by phone at 406.841.2830 or by email at ports@mt.gov if you have questions about porting a participant in a special population program.