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CHAPTER 2: APPLICATIONS

2-1. TAKING APPLICATIONS

a\. POLICY

\(1\) Before a PHA can put a family on the waiting list

or admit a family as a tenant, it must obtain a

written application which includes all the

information the PHA needs to determine whether the

family can be admitted, what kind of unit it will

need, what priority it will have for admission,

and what rent it will pay.

\(2\) Unless the waiting list is closed, a PHA must

accept an application from a person or family

which wants to apply, even if an informal

discussion indicates that the applicant may not be

eligible.

\(3\) The application must be dated, time-stamped, and

referred to a central tenant selection and

assignment office for processing.

\(4\) All applications must be processed to the extent

necessary to determine whether the applicant is

eligible.

\(5\) If the PHA has general occupancy projects

constructed prior to 1978, the PHA must notify

applicants with children under age seven of the

dangers of lead-based paint poisoning and whether

blood lead level screening is available for those

children. If blood lead level screening is

available, the applicant must be advised to notify

the PHA if any of the applicant\'s children under

seven who are tested has an elevated blood lead

level.

\(6\) Prior to taking applications and during periods

when application taking is suspended, PHAs may

maintain a list of names, addresses, and telephone

numbers of persons who are interested in admission

and apparently eligible. The PHA should make it

clear that this does not constitute an application

and does not determine the date and time for

purposes of position on the waiting list. (See

paragraph 2-3 for a discussion on closing and

reopening waiting lists.)

b\. DISCUSSION

\(1\) HUD does not provide PHAs with a standard

application form. The PHA may develop its own

form or other method of organizing the

information, or use a form or method that another

PHA or entity has developed.

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\(2\) The application may be filled out by the applicant

or by the interviewer. In either case, skillful

interviewing by the PHA can often provide

information which the PHA needs but the applicant

might fail to report.

\(3\) PHAs would usually need to collect the following

information:

\(a\) The names of all persons who would be living

in the unit, their sex, date of birth, and

relationship;

\(b\) The applicant\'s address and a telephone

number;

\(c\) Family characteristics (e.g., veteran) or

circumstances (e.g. , living in substandard

housing) which would qualify for tenant

selection preferences;

\(d\) Information about previous landlords and

anyone else the PHA would want to contact to

determine the applicant\'s suitability for

admission;

\(e\) An estimate of the family\'s anticipated

income for the next twelve months and the sources

of that income;

\(f\) The names of employers, banks, and any other

information the PHA would need to verify the

applicant\'s income and deductions, and to

verify the family composition; and

\(g\) The names and telephone numbers of persons to

contact in an emergency. This would be

especially important for elderly and

handicapped applicants.

\(4\) In conjunction with taking the application, the

PHA should request whatever documentation it will

need (e.g.. birth certificates, tax returns) to

verify the information the applicant has provided.

The PHA may want to make copies of the documents

or notations about their content.

\(5\) In addition to obtaining information from the

applicant, the PHA should describe the public

housing program and its requirements and provide

specific information on the distribution of units

by number of bedrooms. The PHA should also answer

any questions the applicant might have.

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\(6\) The PHA should inform applicants about other

housing assistance programs the PHA operates

(e.g., Section 8 Existing) and, if a family is

interested, advise them how to apply.

\(7\) The PHA should, where possible, provide materials

for sight-impaired and hearing-impaired persons.

\(8\) PHAs may take applications at more than one

location as long as the processing occurs at one

place.

\(a\) A PHA serving a large jurisdiction may want

to take applications in outlying areas on

specific days.

\(b\) PHAs may make special arrangements to take

the applications of persons who are unable to

come to the PHA offices, such as handicapped

or disabled persons.

\(9\) PHAs which maintain a list of names, addresses,

and telephone numbers of interested persons during

periods when application taking is suspended

should:

\(a\) Either put everyone who is interested on the

list or have clear and objective criteria for

refusing to do so; and

\(b\) Establish procedures for notifying those on

the list that they may apply once application

taking is resumed. Everyone on the list

should be notified simultaneously.

\(10\) PHAs should be careful to avoid discouraging

families from applying for public housing or

rejecting applicants out of hand based on their

\"apparent ineligibility.\"

c\. REFERENCES

Annual Contributions Contract, Section 208

Federal civil rights laws listed in paragraph 1-3(c)

24 CFR 1.4

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24 CFR 1.6

24 CFR 100

24 CFR 107.30

24 CFR 960

24 CFR 965, Subpart H (51 FR 5677)

2-2. APPLICANT AND PHA CERTIFICATION

Requirements for applicant certification to the PHA and PHA

certification to HUD are in Chapter 3 of HUD Handbook

7465.3, The Public and Indian Housing Occupancy Reporting

Handbook.

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2-3. MAINTAINING A WELL-BALANCED APPLICATION POOL

a\. POLICY

\(1\) PHAs must:

\(a\) attempt to get a sufficient number and

variety of applicants to fill all vacancies

as they arise;

\(b\) attempt to get a broad social and economic

mixture of eligible applicants;

\(c\) not seek more applicants than can be served

within a reasonable period of time; and

\(d\) develop procedures to identify those

applicants who would no longer qualify or are

no longer interested in being admitted to

public housing.

\(2\) PHAs can accomplish these objectives through:

\(a\) outreach to get additional applicants;

\(b\) closing the waiting list to new applicants;

and

\(c\) updating the waiting list to remove the names

of those who are no longer interested or no

longer qualify.

\(3\) PHAs should target their outreach efforts toward

getting applicants from the desired segment of the

lower income population. Examples:

\(a\) Relatively higher income families if required

to achieve a broad range of income;

\(b\) Handicapped persons needing accessible units

to fill available units of that type;

\(c\) Minority or non-minority families if needed

to overcome the effects of prior

discrimination or other conditions which

resulted in limiting participation.

A PHA should avoid outreach methods which would

likely result in receiving applicants from large

numbers of persons it could not serve.

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\(4\) PHAs which have too many applicants may close the

waiting list:

\(a\) completely;

\(b\) during certain times of the year; or

\(c\) by type of project or by size and type

of dwelling unit

\(5\) PHAs may not close a waiting list based on whether

or not the applicant would qualify for a

particular selection preference (e.g., accept

applications only from those who are involuntarily

displaced). PHAs may not close a waiting list by

income range (e.g., accept applications only from

those in the highest range).

\(6\) PHAs may not close a waiting list if it would have

a discriminatory effect inconsistent with

applicable civil rights laws.

\(7\) PHAs may not close a waiting list unless they

publicly announce any decision to suspend or

restrict taking applications. PHAs may not reopen

the list unless they publicly announce when they

are going to resume taking applications. It is

not sufficient simply to notify those people who

showed an interest in applying during the period

the list was closed.

\(8\) PHAs should update their waiting lists

periodically so that they can select tenants more

efficiently.

\(9\) PHAs must document the reason any applicant\'s name

was removed from the waiting list.

b\. DISCUSSION

\(1\) PHAs are encouraged to diversify their application

pool by conducting outreach to segments of the

eligible population which have not previously been

served by the public housing program. This could

involve taking steps to get applications from

people who might be least likely to apply because

of race, ethnicity, sex of household head, age, or

source of income.

\(2\) In conducting outreach, the PHA should consider

what methods would be most effective within the

constraints of its financial resources.

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\(a\) The PHA might want to post notices in:

o places of employment

o unemployment offices

o welfare offices

o post offices

o grocery stores

o churches

o community halts

o buses or other public transportation

\(b\) The PHA could consider advertising:

o on radio

o on television

o in newspapers

o in local publications

In some cases the PHA may be able to arrange

for a public service announcement.

\(c\) The PHA should also think about contacting

organizations involved with:

o disabled and handicapped people

o the elderly

o students

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o immigrants

o homeless people

o victims of domestic violence

In some communities, PHAs may be able to get

help in conducting outreach from certain

civil rights and ethnic organizations.

\(d\) The PHA might want to mention

characteristics of the public housing program or

of the PHA\'s projects which would help attract

applicants. For example, that:

o rent is affordable and includes

utilities;

o projects are conveniently located and

have good security;

o some projects allow pets;

o some projects have day-care facilities

and others offer community activities;

or that

o some dwelling units have accessibility

features for those with physical

handicaps.

\(e\) Some PHAs have found that conducting an open

house is a good way to attract potential

applicants, explain the program, and give

people an opportunity to see the facilities

that are available.

\(3\) Prior to closing the waiting list, PHAs should be

sure there are sufficient applicants to fill

expected vacancies for at least several months.

\(4\) PHAs way close their waiting lists by unit size

and type but not by a selection preference,

including income range, because a selection

preference would be just one factor affecting

admission, and not the ultimate limiting factor

that the size and type of unit would be.

\(5\) To help the PHA update its waiting list, PHAs may

require applicants to report, at particular

intervals (for example, annually), whether they

are still interested in being admitted to public

housing.

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\(6\) PHAs may require applicants awaiting admission to

report any changes in family composition or

circumstances and any significant changes in

income or assets which would affect the family\'s

eligibility, the type of project and size and type

of unit needed, or the family\'s priority for

admission.

\(7\) PHAs should not remove an applicant\'s name from the

waiting list unless:

\(a\) the applicant requests that the name be

removed; or

\(b\) the applicant was clearly advised of a

requirement to tell the PHA of its continued

interest by a particular time and failed to

do so; or

\(c\) the PHA has made reasonable efforts to

contact the applicant to determine if there

is continued interest but has been

unsuccessful; or

\(d\) the PHA has notified the applicant of its

intention to remove the applicant\'s name

because the applicant no longer qualifies for

public housing.

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