VOUCHERMANAGEMENT

Using the Section 8 VMS Gather Tool to help with your VMS Reporting

Lora Carney

Section 8 Support/ ProgrammingLiaison

877-359-5492Ext. 1229

lora@tenmast.com

Steps to Setting up the VMS Gather

Gathering for A VMS Month

Adjustments and How they Affect your VMS Gather

Re-gathering a VMS Month for Adjustments

VMS Reports

What will we cover?

The Voucher Management Systems (VMS) primary purpose is to monitor and manage PHA’s use of vouchers.

VMS collects PHA data that enables HUD to fund, obligate and disburse funding in a timely manner based on actual PHA use.

Tenmast ’s goal is to provide it’s users with a tool to accurately support the data submitted to VMS.

Maintain Vouchers The first thing that needs to take place is a thorough

review of your Voucher numbers.

If there are voucher numbers you no longer use, Retire or place on Hold so they are no longer available to be selected.

Make certain all of your Vouchers have a VMS Voucher Type assigned.

Getting Started-Step 1

CLICK ON THE TOOLS MENU TO HOLD OR RETIRE VOUCHER NUMBERS

Click Edit and Choose VMS Voucher Type

Section 8 Setup VMS Accounts Setup GL account lines for expense incurred by the

PHA for the Voucher Program which includes. Fraud Recovery FSS Escrow Forfeitures LBP Initial Clearance Tests LBP Risk Assessment FSS Co-ord. Expenses Covered and Not Covered by Grant Administrative Expenses Auditing Expenses

Getting Started-Step 2

Click on Setup

Click on VMS Accounts

Click the + to add GL Account lines.

More than one account line can be chosen for the same description.

Setup is complete!All Other Data Necessary is completed as the users

perform their day to day tasks.

Important Tips to Know

You cannot Gather for a VMS Month that you have not closed by Initializing into the new month.

The VMS Gather is a Tool to help you validate your data for the VMS month.

The Expense gathered for a VMS month will not match your check register and ledger for the same month.

Let’s Review the Process

Today is April 19th.

VMS data is due to be reported on the 20th of each month for the prior month.

Users are currently working in the month of April.

The VMS reporting month of March is closed.

The VMS gather can take place anytime once the month has been closed by initializing into the new month.

The Browse Screen will contain all of the gathers completed in the past. The records contain both the Create User and the Update User and also the date.

The Heading contains the standard Tenmast toolbar and contains a Wizard with three options.

Step 1 – Generate VMS

Generate VMS is the initial step to gather for the VMS month. Upon Initializing out of a month and into the new month the data is captured for the entire month.

Many of your historical reports function from this same data.

From that Data, for VMS purposes, the program looks for: All Tenants who have a VMS Voucher Type assigned.

All Tenants who have an Admission Date on or before the first. (with the exception of Disaster Voucher tenants)

It Will Exclude:

Tenants who are searching for a unit on the first day of the month.

Tenants who are Marked for Deletion with a Termination date before the first day of the month.

HAP EXPENSE The HAP Expense is the Total of both the HAP and

URP and pulls from the amounts listed on the Rent Calc tab in Section 8 for the Init Month. It excludes FSS expense.

It does not pull from the Check Register.

It is reported to VMS regardless if the HAP/URP was on hold and no expense was actually paid.

Click on Generate VMS

Select VMS Month and Year

Mark to Include or Exclude Data Areas

Click Start

Select VMS Month and Year

Mark to Include or Exclude Data Areas

Click Start

Click Finish to Confirm

Once you click Finish it will bring the user back to the Browse Screen.

From here you are able to access and view the data by double clicking the record or by clicking the edit button.

At the top of the screen, the user has four tabs, the first tab is the Voucher UML/HAP, this contains Vouchers Leased on the First Day of the Month

And if you scroll down, the Other Voucher Reporting Requirements

VOUCHER UML/HAP TAB All fields under the Vouchers Under Lease on the

first day of the month pull directly from the data and are not editable. These fields populate from the init data and are directly tied to the VMS Voucher Type and pull onto the gather based on the Admission Date being on or before the first.

Some fields on the gather do not pull from the data and you are able to edit. Those fields have a yellow shade indicating they are editable.

TEMPORARY HOUSING UNITS AND HA OWNED UNITS ARE AN EXAMPLE OF EDITABLE FIELDS.

THE FIRST TWO COLUMNS CONTAIN THE CONTRACTED UML AND HAP EXPENSE

These amounts do not change regardlessIf you gather again for the same VMS month.

THE 3RD AND 4TH COLUMNS ARE USER ENTERED ADJUSTMENTS FOR THE VMS MONTH

As Users enter adjustments that affect the VMS month these fields can change uponupdating for adjustments.

THE 5TH AND 6TH COLUMNS ARE FOR TOTALS, CONTRACTED PLUS OR MINUS ADJUSTMENTS

THE SECOND TAB ON THE GATHER IS FOR INCOME/EXPENSES

This tab contains theMemorandum Reporting,Administrative Expenses,And Financial Status. Some of these fields pull from the S8 VMS Setup GL Expense lines but are also modifiable. None of the Financial Status fields pull automatically because they are calculated from multiple accounts.

THE 3RD TAB IS FOR DISASTER UML/HAP

This screen will contain any Disaster Voucher tenants Administered in your jurisdiction. These tenants are not included in any other category.

THE 4TH TAB IS REPORTS

This tab now contains the VMS Detail Report that was previously In the Section 8 Reports menu and a newly designed VMS Adjustment Report.

THE VMS DETAIL REPORT IS ACCESSED BY CLICKING ON THE PREVIEW BUTTON

Clicking the Preview Icon will bring up the same Wizard as the Generate VMS.

YOU WILL NEED TO SELECT THE SAME DATA AREAS AS USED TO GENERATE THE VMS

Then click Start, and then Finish

THE TOTALS ON THIS REPORT WILL DIRECTLY CORRESPOND TO THE CONTRACTED UML/HAP ON THE VOUCHER UML/HAP AND DISASTER UML/HAP

VMS DETAIL REPORT

Step 2 – Update VMS Adjustments

As the users enter adjustments throughout the month, either from ORC or from Section 8 Tenant and Landlord, those adjustments can potentially affect a prior month’s reporting.

This is when the Update VMS Adjustments feature can be used.

HOW WILL THE USER KNOW IF ADJUSTMENTS NEED TO BE UPDATED?

When you gather for a new month and any other prior month becomes highlighted, that is an indication to the user that adjustments exist that need to be gathered that affects a prior month’s reporting.

When this happens click on the Highlighted Month and then click the Wizard Hat to Gather for VMS Adjustments.

THE UPDATE VMS ADJUSTMENTS WIZARD FUNCTIONS IN THE SAME WAY AS THE GATHER AND THE VMS DETAIL REPORT IN THAT YOU MUST RESELECT THE SAME DATA AREAS

Then Click Start and then Finish.

This will bring you back to the Browse Screen and you will see that the month of January is no longer highlighted.

To view the Gather, click the Edit Button or double click the VMS Record.

You can now see that I have adjustments added to the Adjustment Columns for the VMS Types affected.

TO SEE THE ADJUSTMENTS, CLICK ON THE VMS REPORTS TAB

CLICK ON THE VMS ADJUSTMENT REPORT, THEN CLICK THE PREVIEW BUTTON

THIS AGAIN WILL BRING UP THE SAME WIZARD STEP TO SELECT THE CORRESPONDING DATA AREA

Click Start and then click Finish

The Report is grouped by VMS Voucher Type Code and then Alphabetically by Tenant name.

Step 3 – Exclude Adjustments

If for any reason an adjustment was entered by a user that needs to be excluded from the VMS gather, the user has the option to exclude the adjustment from the gather.

This is when the Exclude Adjustments feature can be used.

WHEN YOU CLICK ON THE EXCLUDE ADJUSTMENTS FUNCTION IT AGAIN BRINGS UP THE SAME WIZARD TO

SELECT THE CORRESPONDING DATA AREA

Click the Start button

THIS WILL PREVIEW ALL OF THE ADJUSTMENTS FOR THE VMS MONTH IN A GRID FORMAT

Here I can click to exclude any adjustment that I do not wish to include for the VMS month.

Choosing to exclude will exclude the adjustment from the report and also the Gather.

It is not necessary to Re-gather for Adjustments to see the change.

THE ADJUSTMENT FOR DEBORAH MCKOY HAS BEEN EXCLUDED.

Click Close and you will be returned to the VMS Browse.

DOUBLE CLICK THE JANUARY GATHER

NOW YOU WILL SEE I HAVE TOTAL ADJUSTMENTS OF $400 INSTEAD OF $50 FOR ALL OTHER VOUCHERS

This concludes the VMS process.

What Questions would you like to ask?

Lora Carney

Section 8 Support/ Programming Liaison

877-359-5492, ext 1229

lora@tenmast.com