Eligibility

Public housing is limited to low-income families and individuals. An HA determines your eligibility based on:

1) annual gross income;
2) whether you qualify as elderly, a person with a disability, or as a family; and
3) U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status.

If you are eligible, the HA will check your references to make sure you and your family will be good tenants. HAs will deny admission to any applicant whose habits and practices may be expected to have a detrimental effect on other tenants or on the project's environment.

HAs use income limits developed by HUD. HUD sets the lower income limits at 80% and very low income limits at 50% of the median income for the county or metropolitan area in which you choose to live.

The application must be written. Either you or the a housing authority representative will fill it out. The following information is needed to determine eligibility:

(1) Names of all persons who would be living in the unit, their sex, date of birth, and relationship to the family head;

(2) Your present address and telephone number;

(3) Family characteristics (e.g., veteran) or circumstances (e.g., living in substandard housing) that might qualify the family for tenant selection preferences;

(4) Names and addresses of your current and previous landlords for information about your family's suitability as a tenant;

(5) An estimate of your family's anticipated income for the next twelve months and the sources of that income;

(6) The names and addresses of employers, banks, and any other information the HA would need to verify your income and deductions, and to verify the family composition; and

(7) The PHA also may visit you in your home to interview you and your family members to see how you manage the upkeep of your current home.

After obtaining this information, a representative will describe the public housing program and its requirements, and answer any questions you might have.

Yes, a copy of your birth certificates, social security cards, driver’s license, and proof of income of all family members that are listed on the application. You will also be asked to sign a form to authorize release of pertinent information to the PHA.

If this authority determines that you are eligible, your name will be put on a waiting list if the authority is unable to assist you immediately. Once your name is reached on the waiting list, this authority will contact you. If it is determined that you are ineligible, you will receive a letter stating why and, if you wish, you can request an informal hearing.

If you are offered a house or apartment and accept it, you will have to sign a lease with the HA. There is a security deposit due at the time of rental. The HA representative will go over the lease with you. This will give you a better understanding of your responsibilities as a tenant and the HA's responsibilities as a landlord.

Each HA has the discretion to establish preferences to reflect needs in its own community. These preferences will be included in the HAs written policy manual. You should ask what preferences they honor so you will know whether you qualify for a preference.

Your rent, which is referred to as the Total Tenant Payment (TTP) in this program, would be based on your family's anticipated gross annual income less deductions, if any. HUD regulations allow HAs to exclude from annual income the following allowances: $480 for each dependent; $400 for any elderly family, or a person with a disability; and some medical deductions for families headed by an elderly person or a person with disabilities. Based on your application, the HA representative will determine if any of the allowable deductions should be subtracted from your annual income. Annual income is the anticipated total income from all sources received from the family head and spouse, and each additional member of the family 18 years of age or older.

The formula used in determining the TTP is the highest of the following, rounded to the nearest dollar:

(1) 30 percent of the monthly adjusted income. (Monthly Adjusted Income is annual income less deductions allowed by the regulations);

(2) 10 percent of monthly income;

(3) welfare rent, if applicable; or

(4) a $50 minimum rent.

An HA is responsible for the management and operation of its local public housing program.

(1) On-going functions: (a) Assure compliance with leases. The lease must be signed by both parties; (b) Set other charges (e.g., security deposit, excess utility consumption, and damages to unit); (c) Perform periodic reexaminations of the family's income at least once every 12 months; (d) Transfer families from one unit to another, in order to correct over/under crowding, repair or renovate a dwelling, or because of a resident's request to be transferred; (e) Terminate leases when necessary; and (f) maintain the development in a decent, safe, and sanitary condition.

(2) Sometimes HAs provide other services, that might include such things as: homeownership opportunities for qualified families; employment training opportunities, and other special training and employment programs for residents; and support programs for the elderly.

In general, you may stay in public housing as long as you comply with the lease.

If, at reexamination your family's income is sufficient to obtain housing on the private market, the HA may determine whether your family should stay in public housing.

Yes we allow some pets. Please read our full policy here:

Pet Policy