APPLICATION
Public Housing
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Frequently Asked Questions & More InformationWHO IS ELIGIBLE? Public housing is limited to low-income families and individuals. An THA determines your eligibility based on: 1) annual gross income2) 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 THA will check your references to make sure you and your family will be good tenants.•THA 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. •THA 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. •Income limits vary from area to area so you may be eligible at one THA but not at another. •The THA office can provide you with the income levels for the THA area and family size, or you can also find the income limits by visiting: http://www.huduser.org/portal/datasets/il.htmlHOW DO I APPLY? If you are interested in applying for public housing, you can contact the THA office for more details. HOW DOES THE APPLICATION PROCESS WORK? The application must be written. The THA will need to collect the following information 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 THA 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 you current home. After obtaining this information, the THA representative should describe the public housing program and its requirements, and answer any questions you might have WILL I NEED TO PRODUCE ANY DOCUMENTATION? Yes, the HA representative will request whatever documentation is needed (e.g., birth certificates, tax returns) to verify the information given on your application. The PHA will also rely on direct verification from your employer, etc. You will be asked to sign a form to authorize release of pertinent information to the PHA. WHEN WILL I BE NOTIFIED? An THA has to provide written notification. If the THA determines that you are eligible, your name will be put on a waiting list, unless the THA is able to assist you immediately. Once your name is reached on the waiting list, the THA will contact you. If it is determined that you are ineligible, the THA must say why and, if you wish, you can request an informal hearing. WILL I HAVE TO SIGN A LEASE? If you are offered a house or apartment and accept it, you will have to sign a lease with the HA. You may have to give the HA a security deposit. You and the HA representative should go over the lease together. This will give you a better understanding of your responsibilities as a tenant and the THA's responsibilities as a landlord. ARE THERE ANY SELECTION PREFERENCES? Sometimes there are. Giving preference to specific groups of families enables an THA to direct their limited housing resources to the families with the greatest housing needs. Since the demand for housing assistance often exceeds the limited resources available to HUD and the local THA's, long waiting periods are common. In fact, an THA may close its waiting list when there are more families on the list than can be assisted in the near future. Each THA has the discretion to establish preferences to reflect needs in its own community. These preferences will be included in the THA's written policy manual. You should ask what preferences they honor so you will know whether you qualify for a preference. HOW IS RENT DETERMINED? 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 THA's 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 THA 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 $25 minimum rent or higher amount (up to $50) set by an THA.What is the Community Service Requirements? Section 512 of the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 created a requirement for adult residents of public housing. Each non-exempt resident of public housing must contribute eight (8) hours of community service for each month or participate in a self sufficiency program for eight hours for each month. Community Service has been defined as the performance of voluntary work or duties in the public benefit that serves to improve the quality of life and/or enhance resident self-sufficiency and/or increase the self responsibility of the residents within the community. . Persons exempt from community service include those: 1. Age 62 years of age or older. 2. Blind or disabled individuals or primary caretakers of such individuals. 3. Persons engages in work activities such as employment, work experience programs, on-the-job training, job search programs, job readiness assistance programs, vocational educational training, job skills training or educational study programs. 4. Exempt from work activity under any other welfare program of the State. WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE THA? An THA is responsible for the management and operation of its local public housing program. They may also operate other types of housing programs. (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 THAs 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. HOW LONG CAN I STAY IN PUBLIC HOUSING? 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. You will not be required to move unless there is affordable housing available for you on the private market.
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