WHAT IS PUBLIC HOUSING
WHO IS ELIGIBLE
HOW DO I APPLY
HOW DOES THE APPLICATION PROCESS WORK
WILL I NEED TO PRODUCE ANY DOCUMENTATION
WHEN WILL I BE NOTIFIED
WILL I HAVE TO SIGN A LEASE
ARE THERE ANY SELECTION PREFERENCES
HOW IS RENT DETERMINED
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY
Service
HOW LONG CAN I STAY IN PUBLIC HOUSING
WHO MUST DO COMMUNITY SERVICE
WHAT IS FAMILY CHOICE OF RENTAL PAYMENT
WHAT IS EARNED INCOME DISREGARD
WHAT IS PUBLIC HOUSING?
Public housing was established to provide decent and safe rental housing for eligible low-income families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. Public housing comes in all sizes and types, from scattered single family houses to highrise apartments for elderly families. There are approximately 1.3 million households living in public housing units, managed by some 3,300 HAs. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) administers Federal aid to local housing agencies (HAs) that manage the housing for low-income residents at rents they can afford. HUD furnishes technical and professional assistance in planning, developing and managing these developments.
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WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
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. Income limits vary from area to area so you may be eligible at one HA but not at another. The HA serving your community can provide you with the income levels for your area and family size, or you can also find the income limits here on the internet.
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HOW DO I APPLY?
If you are interested in applying for public housing, contact
The Muncie Housing Authority main office at 409 E. First St
or any of our communities. If you have trouble contacting
the HA, contact the local HUD Field Office.
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HOW DOES THE APPLICATION PROCESS WORK?
The application must be written. Either you or the HA representative will fill it out. An HA usually needs 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 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 you current home.
After obtaining this information, the HA representative should describe the public housing program and its requirements, and answer any questions you might have.
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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.
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WHEN WILL I BE NOTIFIED?
An HA has to provide written notification. If the HA determines that you are eligible, your name will be put on a waiting list, unless the HA is able to assist you immediately. Once your name is reached on the waiting list, the HA will contact you. If it is determined that you are ineligible, the HA must say why and, if you wish, you can request an informal hearing.
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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 HA's responsibilities as a landlord.
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ARE THERE ANY SELECTION PREFERENCES?
Sometimes there are. Giving preference to specific groups of families enables an HA 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 HAs, long waiting periods are common. In fact, an HA may close its waiting list when there are more families on the list than can be assisted in the near future.
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.
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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 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 minimum rent amount (up to $50) may be set by the HA.
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WHAT
IS THE ROLE OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY?
An HA 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 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.
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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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WHO MUST DO COMMUNITY SERVICE
Community Service is a requirement for residents of public housing. Please contact the Family Services Coordinator at 764-288-9242 ex 31 for details.
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FAMILY CHOICE OF RENTAL PAYMENT
Families living in public housing may pay either a flat rent or an income-based
rent. Families may elect annually whether their rent will be a flat
rent or an income-based rent. Families who chose a flat rent and
cannot pay it because of financial hardship as determined by the housing
agency can switch to an income-based rent. In these situations, the
housing authority must immediately provide for the family to switch to
an income-based rent. Housing authorities may establish a rent structure
that requires a portion of the rent to go into an escrow or savings account,
impose ceiling rents or adopt income exclusions.
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EARNED INCOME
DISREGARD
For purposes of rent calculation for public housing residents, increased
income from new or greater employment is disregarded for 12 months after
the income increases. (Housing authorities may choose to operate
the earned income disregard for longer than 12 months). A rent increase
will then be phased in over a two-year period after the initial 12 month
disregard. During the first year of the phase-in, no more than 50
percent of the increase can be applied to the rent calculation; by the
second year after the initial 12 month income disregard, the resident will
be paying their full rent. Section 8 residents could potentially
take advantage of the earned income disregard if adequate appropriations
are allocated in future year HUD budgets.
Expansion of who is eligible for the income disregard: someone whose
income increases who was previously employed for one or more years; someone
whose earned income increases during a family self-sufficiency or other
job training program; someone who, during the previous 6 months, was assisted
under any state temporary assistance to needy families program. Instead
of disregarding earned income, and at the family’s request, a housing authority
may establish an individual savings account for that family.
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