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 high-rise apartments for elderly families. There
are approximately 1.2 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 your
local HA. 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.
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 $25 minimum rent or higher amount (up to $50) set by an HA.
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WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE HA?
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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The Housing Authority of
the city of Muncie does not discriminate on the basis of race, color,
sex, national origin, familial status, age, religion or handicap, in
compliance with the Fair Housing Act, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act
of 1964 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
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