Families wishing to apply for the Public Housing Program will be required to complete an application for housing assistance. Applications will be accepted at the Tri-City Housing Authority by appointment daily from 10:00AM to 4:00PM Monday through Thursdays.
Applications are accepted at the Tri-City Housing Authority office located at 33 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Woodland, GA 31836. Applications may be taken at the Woodbury office located t 98Althea Road, Woodbury, Georgia 30293 upon request. The Tri-City Housing Authority office operates on a ten (10) hours, four (4) day work week and is closed on Fridays
Applications are taken to compile a waiting list. Due to the demand for housing in the Tri-City Housing Authority jurisdiction, the Tri-City Housing Authority may take applications on an open enrollment basis, depending on the length of the waiting list.
Applications can also be mailed to interested families upon request.Completed applications will be accepted only after the Tri-City Housing Authority verifies the submission. The completed application will be dated, and time stamped upon its acceptance by the Tri-City Housing Authority staff.
Persons with disabilities who require a reasonable accommodation in completing an application may call the Tri-City Housing Authority to make special arrangements.
The application process will involve two phases. The first phase is the initial application for housing assistance or the pre-application. The pre-application requires the family to provide limited basic information (i.e. family composition, income, etc.) establishing any preferences to which they may be entitled. The following items are mandatoryin the first Phase:
a. Birth Certificates for ALL family members expected to reside in public housing.
b. A copy of the Social Security Card(s) for ALL family members expected to reside in public housing.
c. Proof of Income for all adults that receive it, that are expected to reside in public housing.
d. Verification of Citizenship for everyone expected to reside in public housing.
e. Notarized Signature on Request for Criminal Background for all adults expected to reside in public housing.
f. An area preference for each head of household to reside in Tr-City Housing Authority.
g. Picture ID for all family members 18 years old and older expected to live in public housing.
YOUR APPLICATION(S) WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED IF THE ABOVE COPIED ITEMS ARE NOT RETURNED WITH YOUR APPLICATION(S).
1. Once your application(s) is received, with copies of the above required documents, your name will be placed on our waiting list(s). There is currently a 1-2 year wait on housing.
2. Application for Public Housing – No Income required but applicant will be on a preference list if there is working, SSI, or Disability Income This first phase results in an apparently eligible family’s placement on the waiting list.
Upon receipt of the family’s pre-application, the Tri-City Housing Authority will make a preliminary determination of eligibility. The Tri-City Housing Authority will notify an apparently eligible family in writing of the date and time of placement on the waiting list, and the approximate wait before housing may be offered. If the Tri-City Housing Authority determines the family to be ineligible, the notice will state the reasons therefore and will offer the family the opportunity of an informal review of the determination.
The applicant may at any time report changes in their applicant status including changes in family composition, income, or preference factors. The Tri-City Housing Authority will annotate the applicant’s file and will update their place on the waiting list. Confirmation of the changes will be made in writing.
The second phase is the final determination of eligibility, referred to as the full application. The full application takes place when the family nears the top of the waiting list. The Tri-City Housing Authority will ensure that verification of all preferences, eligibility, suitability and selection factors are current (less than 90 calendar days old) in order to determine the family’s final eligibility for admission into the Public Housing Program.
Applicants will be provided the opportunity to complete the information on form HUD-92006, Supplement to Application for Federally Assisted Housing at https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/92006.PDF The form gives applicants the option to identify an individual or organization that the Housing Authority may contact and the reason(s) the individual or organization may be contacted. The applicants, if they choose to provide the additional contact information, must sign and date the form.
If the applicant chooses to have more than one contact person or organization, the applicant must make clear to the Housing Authority the reason each person or organization may be contacted. The Housing Authority will allow the applicant to complete a form HUD-92006 for each contact and indicating the reason the Housing Authority may contact the individual or organization. For example, the applicant may choose to have a relative as a contact for emergency purposes and an advocacy organization for assistance for tenancy purposes.
Those applicants who choose not to provide the contact information should check the box indicating that they “choose not to provide the contact information” and sign and date the form.
Eligibility For Admission
1. Introduction
There are five eligibility requirements for admission to public housing: qualifies as a family, has an income within the income limits, meets citizenship/eligible immigrant criteria, provides documentation of Social Security numbers, and signs consent authorization documents. In addition to the eligibility criteria, families must also meet the Tri-City Housing Authority screening criteria in order to be admitted to public housing.
2. Eligibility Criteria
A. Family Status
- 1. A family with or without children. Such a family is defined as a group of people related by blood, marriage, adoption or affinity that live together in a stable family relationship.
- a. Children temporarily absent from the home due to placement in foster care are considered family members.
- b. Unborn children and children in the process of being adopted are considered family members for the purpose of determining bedroom size but are not considered family members for determining income limit.
- 2. An elderly family, which is:
- a. A family whose head, spouse, or sole member is a person who is at least 62 years of age;
- b. Two or more persons who are at least 62 years of age living together; or
- c. One or more persons who are at least 62 years of age living with one or more live-in aides.
- 3. A near-elderly family, which is:
- A family whose head, spouse, or sole member is a person who is at least 50 years of age but below the age of 62;
- b. Two or more persons, who are at least 50 years of age but below the age of 62, living together; or
- c. One or more persons, who are at least 50 years of age but below the age of 62, living with one or more live-in aides.
- 4. A disabled family, which is:
- a. A family whose head, spouse, or sole member is a person with disabilities;
- b. Two or more persons with disabilities living together; or
- One or more persons with disabilities living with one or more live-in aides.
- For purposes of qualifying for low-income housing, does not include a person whose disability is based solely on any drug or alcohol dependence.
- 5. A displaced family, which is a family in which each member, or whose sole member, has
been displaced by governmental action, or whose dwelling has been extensively
damaged or destroyed as a result of a disaster declared or otherwise formally
recognized pursuant to Federal disaster relief laws.
- 6. A remaining
member of a tenant family. If the
remaining member of a tenant family is a minor or minors, it will be necessary
for an adult to temporarily move into a unit to serve as a guardian for
children residing in the unit. The income received by the temporary guardian
will be counted in determining family income. Although typically a criminal
background check is required before anyone can move into a public housing unit,
this requirement will be waived for a guardian in this situation. Instead, the
background check will occur after the person moves in. If the results of the
check dictate that the person is ineligible for public housing, the family
shall be given a reasonable time to find a replacement guardian or vacate the
property.
- 7. A single
person who is not an elderly or displaced person, a person with
disabilities, or the remaining member of a tenant family.
B. Income Eligibility
- 1. To be eligible for admission todevelopments or scattered-site units, the family’s annual income must be within
the low-income limit set by HUD. This means the family income cannot exceed 80
percent of the median income for the area. If the property has Low Income
Housing Tax Credits on it, a lower income cap will apply.
- 2. Income limits apply only at admission
and are not applicable for continued occupancy.
- 3. A family may not be admitted to the
public housing program from another assisted housing program (e.g.,
tenant-based Section 8) or from a public housing program operated by another
housing authority without meeting the income requirements of the Tri-City
Housing Authority.
- 4. If the Tri-City Housing Authority
acquires a property for federal public housing purposes, the families living
there must have incomes within the low-income limit in order to be eligible to
remain as public housing residents.
- 5. Income limit restrictions do not apply to families
transferring within our Public Housing Program.
- 6. The Tri-City Housing Authority may allow police officers
who would not otherwise be eligible for occupancy in public housing to reside
in a public housing dwelling unit. Such occupancy must be needed to increase
security for public housing residents. Their rent shall at least equal the cost
of operating the public housing unit.
- .7. If
there are no eligible families on the waiting list and the Tri-City Housing
Authority has published a 30 calendar day notice of available units in at least
one newspaper of general circulation, families above the applicable income
limit may be housed. They must vacate the unit if an eligible family applies.
C. Citizenship/Eligibility Status
- 1. To be eligible for public housing each member
of the family must be a citizen, national, or a non-citizen who has eligible
immigration status under one of the categories set forth in Section 214 of the
Houing and Community Development Act of 1980 (see 42 U.S.C. 1436a(a)) or a
citizen of the Republic of Marshall Islands, the Federated States of
Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau. However, people in the last category are
not entitled to housing assistance in preference to any United States citizen
or national resident within Guam.
- 2. Family eligibility for assistance.
- a. A family shall not be eligible for
assistance unless at least one member of the family residing in the unit is
determined to have eligible status, with the exception noted below.
- b. Despite the ineligibility of one or
more family members, a mixed family may be eligible for one of three types of
assistance (See Section 13.6 for calculating rents under the non-citizen rule).
- c. A family without any eligible members and receiving assistance on June 19, 1995, may be eligible for temporary deferral of termination of assistance.
- All adults
must be able to sign the lease. If the State of Georgiaforbids
individuals with ineligible immigration status from executing contracts (i.e.,
leases or other legal binding documents), then they are ineligible for this
program.
D. Social Security Number Documentation
Prior to admission, every family member regardless of age must provide the Tri-City Housing Authority with a complete and accurate Social Security Number unless they do not contend eligible immigration status. New family members must provide this verification prior to being added to the lease. If the new family member is under the age of six and has not been assigned a Social Security Number, the family shall have ninety (90) calendar days after starting to receive the assistance to provide a complete and accurate Social Security Number. The Housing Authority may grant one ninety (90) day extension if in its sole discretion it determines that the person’s failure to comply was due to circumstances that could not have reasonably been foreseen and was outside the control of the person.
If a person is already a program participant and has not disclosed his or her Social Security Number, it must be disclosed at the next re-examination or re-certification.
Prior to admission, every family member regardless of age must provide the Tri-City Housing Authority with a complete and accurate Social Security Number unless they do not contend eligible immigration status. New family members must provide this verification prior to being added to the lease. If the new family member is under the age of six and has not been assigned a Social Security Number, the family shall have ninety (90) calendar days after starting to receive the assistance to provide a complete and accurate Social Security Number. The Housing Authority may grant one ninety (90) day extension if in its sole discretion it determines that the person’s failure to comply was due to circumstances that could not have reasonably been foreseen and was outside the control of the person.
If a person is already a program participant and has not disclosed his or her Social Security Number, it must be disclosed at the next re-examination or re-certification.
Participants aged 62 or older as of January 31, 2010 whose initial eligibility determination was begun before January 31, 2010 are exempt from the required disclosure of their Social Security Number. This exemption continues even if the individual moves to a new assisted unit.
The best verification of the Social Security Number is the original Social Security card. If the card is not available, the Housing Authority will accept an original document issued by a federal or state government agency, which contains the name of the individual and the Social Security Number of the individual, along with other identifying information of the individual or such other evidence of the Social Security Number as HUD may prescribe in administrative instructions.
If a member of an applicant family indicates they have a Social Security Number, but cannot readily verify it, the family cannot be assisted until verification is provided. If the Social Security Number of each household member cannot be provided to the Housing Authority within 60 days of it being requested, the family shall lose its place on the waiting list and drop to the bottom of the list. During this 60 days, if all household members have not disclosed their SSN at the time a unit becomes available, the Housing Authority must offer the available unit to the next eligible applicant family on the waiting list.
If an individual fails to provide the verification within the time allowed, the family will be denied assistance or will have their assistance terminated. The Housing Authority may grant one ninety (90) day extension from termination if in its sole discretion it determines that the person’s failure to comply was due to circumstances that could not have reasonably been foreseen and there is a reasonable likelihood that the person will be able to disclose a Social Security Number by the deadline.
E. Signing Consent Forms
- 1. In order to be eligible, each member of the family who is at least 18
years of age, and each family head and spouse regardless of age, shall sign one or more consent forms.
- 2. The consent form must contain, at a minimum, the following:
- a. A provision authorizing HUD or the
Tri-City Housing Authority to obtain from State Wage Information Collection
Agencies (SWICAs) any information or materials necessary to complete or verify
the application for participation or for eligibility for continued occupancy;
- b. A provision authorizing HUD or the
Tri-City Housing Authority to verify with previous or current employers or
other sources of income information pertinent to the family’s eligibility for
or level of assistance;
- c. A provision authorizing HUD to request
income information from the IRS and the SSA for the sole purpose of verifying
income information pertinent to the family’s eligibility or level of
benefits;
- d. A statement allowing the Tri-City
Housing Authority permission to access the applicant’s criminal record with any
and all police and/or law enforcement agencies, and
- e. A statement that the authorization to
release the information requested by the consent form expires 15 months after
the date the consent form is signed.
3. Suitability
A. Applicant families will be evaluated to determine whether, based on their recent behavior, such behavior could reasonably be expected to result in compliance with the public housing lease. The Tri-City Housing Authority will look at past conduct as an indicator of future conduct. Emphasis will be placed on whether a family’s admission could reasonably be expected to have a detrimental effect on the development environment, other residents, Tri-City Housing Authority employees, or other people residing in the immediate vicinity of the property. Otherwise eligible families will be denied admission if they fail to meet the suitability criteria.
B. The Tri-City Housing Authority will consider objective and reasonable aspects of the family’s background, including the following:
- History of meeting financial obligations, especially rent and any utility payments;
- Ability to maintain (or with assistance would have the ability to maintain) their housing in a decent and safe condition based on living or housekeeping habits and whether such habits could adversely affect the health, safety, or welfare of other residents;
- History of criminal activity by any household member involving crimes of physical violence against persons or property and any other criminal activity including drug-related criminal activity that would adversely affect the health, safety, or well being of other residents or staff or cause damage to the property;
- History of disturbing neighbors or destruction of property;
- Having committed fraud in connection with any Federal housing assistance program, including the intentional misrepresentation of information related to their housing application or benefits derived there from; and
- History of abusing alcohol in a way that may interfere with the health, safety, or right to peaceful enjoyment by others.
C. The Tri-City Housing Authority will ask applicants to provide information demonstrating their ability to comply with the essential elements of the lease. The Tri-City Housing Authority will verify the information provided. Such verification may include but may not be limited to the following:
- A credit check of the head, spouse, co-head, and any other adult family members;
- A rental history check of all adult family members;
- A criminal background check on all adult household members, including live-in aides at no cost to the applicant. This check will be made through State or local law enforcement or court records in those cases where the household member has lived in the local jurisdiction for the last three years. Where the individual has lived outside the local area, the Tri-City Housing Authority may contact law enforcement agencies where the individual had lived or request a check through the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC). This criminal background check will proceed after each adult household member has signed a consent form designed by the Tri-City Housing Authority.
The information received as a result of the criminal background check shall be used solely for screening, lease enforcement and eviction purposes. The information derived from the criminal background check shall be shared only with employees of the Tri-City Housing Authority who have a job-related need to have access to the information. - The information shall be maintained confidentially, not misused or improperly disseminated, and destroyed once the purpose(s) for which it was requested has been accomplished and the period for filing a challenge to the Tri-City Housing Authority’s action has expired without a challenge or final disposition of any litigation has occurred;
- A home visit. The home visit provides the opportunity for the family to demonstrate their ability to maintain their home in a safe and sanitary manner. This inspection considers cleanliness and care of rooms, appliances, and appurtenances. The inspection may also consider any evidence of criminal activity; and
- A check of the State’s lifetime sex offender registration program for each adult household member, including live-in aides. No household with an individual registered under a State sex offender registration will be admitted to public housing. The Tri-City Housing Authority will check with our State registry and if the applicant has resided in another State(s), with that State(s)’s list.
The Tri-City Housing Authority will also utilize the US Department of Justice’s Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender website as an additional resource. The Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Database is an online, searchable database, hosted by the Department of Justice, which combines the data from individual state sex offender registries.
If an applicant is about to be denied housing based on either the criminal check or the sex offender registration program, the applicant will be informed of this fact and given an opportunity to dispute the accuracy of the information before the denial or eviction occurs.
4. Grounds For Denial
The Tri-City Housing Authority is not required or obligated to assist families where applicants or members of the applicant’s household:
A. Do not meet any one or more of the eligibility criteria;
B. Do not supply information or documentation required by the application process;
C. Have failed to respond to a written request for information or a request to declare their continued interest in the program;
D. Have a history of not meeting financial obligations, especially rent;
E. Do not have the ability to maintain (with assistance) their housing in a decent and safe condition where such habits could adversely affect the health, safety, or welfare of other residents;
F. Have a history of criminal activity by any household member involving crimes of physical violence against persons or property and any other criminal activity including drug-related criminal activity that would adversely affect the health, safety, or well being of other residents or staff or cause damage to the property;
For the purpose of this Policy, if any member of the applicant family has been arrested at least three (3) times within the prior five (5) year period for this purpose, they will be determined to have engaged in criminal activity, drug-related criminal activity or violent criminal activity.
Being a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking is not an appropriate basis for denial of program assistance or for denial of admission, if the applicant otherwise qualifies for assistance or admission. The Authority will require verification in all cases where an applicant claims protection against an action proposed to be taken by the Authority involving such individual. Types of acceptable verifications are outlined in Section 20.2B of the ACOP, and must be submitted within 14 business days after receipt of the Housing Authority’s written request for verification.
G. Have a history of disturbing neighbors or destruction of property;
H. Currently owes rent or other amounts to any housing authority in connection with their public housing or Section 8 programs;
I. Have committed fraud, bribery or any other corruption in connection with any Federal housing assistance program, including the intentional misrepresentation of information related to their housing application or benefits derived there from;
J. Were evicted from federally assisted housing within the past five (5) years because of drug-related criminal activity. The five year limit is based on the date of such eviction, not the date the crime was committed.
However, the Tri-City Housing Authority may admit the household if the PHA determines:
1. The evicted household member who engaged in drug-related criminal activityas successfully completed a supervised drug rehabilitation program approved by the Tri-City Housing Authority; or
2. The circumstances leading to the eviction no longer exist (for example, the criminal household 2member is imprisoned or has died).
K. Are currently engaging in the illegal use of a controlled substance. For purposes of this section, a member is “currently engaged in” the criminal activity if the person has engaged in this behavior recently enough to justify a reasonable belief that the behavior is current;
- The Tri-City Housing Authority determines that it has reasonable cause to believe that a household member’s illegal use or pattern of illegal use of a drug may threaten the health, safety, or right to peaceful enjoyment of the premises by other residents;
- The Tri-City Housing Authority determines that it has reasonable cause to believe that a household member’s abuse or pattern of abuse of alcohol may threaten the health, safety, or right to peaceful enjoyment of the premises by other residents;
With respect to criminal activity described in paragraphs J, K, L, and M of this Section, the Tri-City Housing Authority may require an applicant to exclude a household member in order to be admitted to public housing where that household member has participated in or been culpable for actions described in paragraphs J, K, L, and M that warrants denial.
N. Have engaged in or threatened abusive or violent behavior towards any Tri-City Housing Authority staff member or resident;
- Fugitive felons, parole violators, and persons fleeing to avoid prosecution or custody or confinement after conviction for a crime, or attempt to commit a crime, that is a felony under the laws of the place from which the individual flees;
P. Denied for Life: If any family member has been convicted of manufacturing or producing methamphetamine (speed) in a public housing development, in a Section 8 assisted property, or on the premises of other federally assisted housing;
Q. Denied for Life: Has a lifetime registration under a State sex offender registration program.
In determining whether to deny admission for illegal drug use by a household member who is no longer engaging in such abuse, or for abuse or a pattern of abuse of alcohol by a household member who is no longer engaging in such abuse, the Tri-City Housing Authority may consider whether such household member:
- Is participating in a supervised drug or alcohol rehabilitation program;
- Has successfully completed a supervised drug or alcohol rehabilitation program; or
- Has otherwise been successfully rehabilitated.
For this purpose, Tri-City Housing Authority will require the applicant to submit evidence of the household member’s current participation in, or successful completion of, a supervised drug or alcohol rehabilitation program or evidence of otherwise having been rehabilitated successfully.
Before the Tri-City Housing Authority denies admission to the Tri-City Housing Authority’s public housing program on the basis of a criminal record, the Tri-City Housing Authority must notify the household of the proposed action and must provide the person with the criminal record (i.e., a child) and the applicant (head of household) with a copy of the criminal record and an opportunity to dispute the accuracy and relevance of that record. The applicant will have five (5) business days to dispute the accuracy and relevance of the record in writing. If the Tri-City Housing Authority does not receive the dispute within the allotted time, the applicant will be denied. Applicants who fail to answer questions truthfully during the application process will be denied housing, because of fraudulent information and will be ineligible to reapply for 1 year from the date of verification.
5. Managing the Waiting List
1. Opening and Closing the Waiting List
Opening of the waiting list will be announced with a public notice stating that applications for public housing will again be accepted. The public notice will state where, when, and how to apply. The notice will be published in a local newspaper of general circulation and also by any available minority media. The public notice will state any limitations to who may apply.
The notice will state that applicants already on waiting lists for other housing programs must apply separately for this program and such applicants will not lose their place on other waiting lists when they apply for public housing. The notice will include the Fair Housing logo and slogan and will be in compliance with Fair Housing requirements.
Closing of the waiting list will also be announced with a public notice. The public notice will state the date the waiting list will be closed and for what bedroom sizes. The public notice will be published in a local newspaper of general circulation and also by any available minority media.
2. Organization of the Waiting List
The waiting list will be maintained in accordance with the following guidelines:
A. The application will be a permanent file;
B. All applications will be maintained in order of bedroom size, preference, and then in order of date and time of application; and
C. Any contact between the Tri-City Housing Authority and the applicant will be documented in the applicant file.
3. Families Nearing the Top of the Waiting List
When a family appears to be nearing the top of the waiting list, the family will be invited to an interview and the verification process will begin. It is at this point in time that the family’s waiting list preference will be verified. If the family no longer qualifies to be near the top of the list, the family’s name will be returned to the appropriate spot on the waiting list. The Tri-City Housing Authority must notify the family in writing of this determination and give the family the opportunity for an informal review.
Once the preference has been verified, the family will complete a full application, present Social Security number information, citizenship/eligible immigrant information, and sign the Consent for Release of Information forms.
Applicants will also be given the opportunity to update their HUD Form 92006 if applicable and if they desire.
4. Purging the Waiting List
The Tri-City Housing Authority will update and purge its waiting list at least annually to ensure that the pool of applicants reasonably represents the interested families for whom the Tri-City Housing Authority has current information, i.e., applicant’s address, family composition, income category, and preferences.
5. Removal of Applicants From the Waiting List
The Tri-City Housing Authority will not remove an applicant’s name from the waiting list unless:
A. The applicant requests in writing that the name be removed;
B. The applicant fails to respond to a written request for information or a request to declare their continued interest in the program;
C. The applicant does not meet either the eligibility or suitability criteria for the program; or
D. The applicant is housed.
Applicants will be offered the right to an informal review before being removed from the waiting list.
6. MISSED APPOINTMENTS
All applicants who fail to keep a scheduled appointment with the Tri-City Housing Authoritywill be sent a notice of termination of the process for eligibility.
The Tri-City Housing Authority will allow the family to reschedule for good cause. Generally, no more than one opportunity will be given to reschedule without good cause, and no more than two opportunities will be given for good cause. When good cause exists for missing an appointment, the Tri-City Housing Authority will work closely with the family to find a more suitable time.
7. Notification of Negative Actions
Any applicant whose name is being removed from the waiting list will be notified by the Tri-City Housing Authority, in writing, that they have ten (10) business days from the date of the written correspondence to present mitigating circumstances or request in writing an informal review. The letter will also indicate that their name will be removed from the waiting list if they fail to respond within the timeframe specified. The Tri-City Housing Authority system of removing applicant names from the waiting list will not violate the rights of persons with disabilities. If an applicant claims that their failure to respond to a request for information or updates was caused by a disability, the Tri-City Housing Authority will verify that there is in fact a disability and the disability caused the failure to respond and will provide a reasonable accommodation. An example of a reasonable accommodation would be to reinstate the applicant on the waiting list based on the date and time of the original application.
6. Tenant Selection and Assignment Plan
1. Preferences
The Tri-City Housing Authority will select families based on the following preferences within each bedroom size category based on our local housing needs and priorities:
A. Displaced person(s): Individuals or families displaced by government action or whose dwelling has been extensively damaged or destroyed as a result of a disaster declared or otherwise formally recognized pursuant to Federal Disaster Relief Laws.
B. Applicants with an adult family member who either lives or works full time or has been hired to work full time in the municipality of the Tri-City Housing Authority.
C. Applicants with an adult family member enrolled in an employment training program, currently working 20 hours a week, or attending school on a full-time basis. This preference is also extended equally to all elderly families and all families whose head or spouse is receiving income based on their inability to work.
D. All other applicants.
Based on the above preferences, all families in preference A will be offered housing before any families in preference B, preference B families will be offered housing before any families in preference C, and preference C families will be offered housing before any families in preference D.
The residency preference will not have the purpose or effect of delaying or otherwise denying admission to the program based on the race, color, ethnic origin, gender, religion, disability, or age of any member of an applicant family.
The date and time of application will be noted and utilized to determine the sequence within the above prescribed preferences.
Not withstanding the above, families who are elderly, disabled, or displaced will be offered housing before other single persons.
Accessible Units: Accessible units will be first offered to families who may benefit from the accessible features who reside in the development that has the vacancy. If there are no families needing the accessible unit residing in that development, it shall then be offered to families residing in other developments who may benefit from the accessible unit. If there are no families residing in the other developments needing the accessible unit, it shall then be offered to applicants on the waiting list who may benefit from the accessible features. Applicants for these units will be selected utilizing the same preference system as outlined above.
If there are no applicants who would benefit from the accessible features, the units will be offered to other applicants in the order that their names come to the top of the waiting list. Such applicants, however, may be requested to sign a lease rider stating they will accept a transfer (at the PHA’s) if, at a future time, a family requiring an accessible feature applies or requires a transfer from a non-accessible unit. Any family required to transfer will be given a 30 calendar day notice.
2. Assignment of Bedroom Sizes
The following guidelines will determine each family’s unit size without overcrowding or over-housing:
| Number of Bedrooms | Number of Persons | |
| Minimum | Maximum | |
| 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 4 | 4 | 8 |
| 5 | 5 | 10 |
These standards are based on the assumption that each bedroom will accommodate no more than two (2) persons. Zero bedroom units will only be assigned to one-person families. Two adults will share a bedroom unless related by blood.
In determining bedroom size, the Tri-City Housing Authority will include the presence of children to be born to a pregnant woman, children who are in the process of being adopted, children whose custody is being obtained, children currently under a 50% or more joint custody decree, children who are temporarily away at school, or children who are temporarily in foster care.
In addition, the following considerations may be taken in determining bedroom size:
A. Children of the same sex will share a bedroom.
B. Children of the opposite sex, both under the age of six (6), will share a bedroom.
C. Adults and children will not be required to share a bedroom.
D. Foster adults and/or foster children will not be required to share a bedroom with family members.
E. Live-in aides will get a separate bedroom.
Exceptions to normal bedroom size standards include the following:
A. Units smaller than assigned through the above guidelines. A family may request a smaller unit size than the guidelines allow. The Tri-City Housing Authority will allow the smaller size unit so long as generally no more than two (2) people per bedroom are assigned. In such situations, the family will sign a certification stating they understand they will be ineligible for a larger size unit for one year or until the family size changes, whichever may occur first.
B. Units larger than assigned through the above guidelines. A family may request a larger unit size than the guidelines allow. The Tri-City Housing Authority will allow the larger size unit if the family provides a verified medical or disability related need that the family be housed in a larger unit.
C. If there are no families on the waiting list for a larger size, smaller families may be housed if they sign a release form stating they will transfer (at the family’s own expense) to the appropriate size unit when an eligible family needing the larger unit applies. The family transferring will be given a 30 calendar day notice before being required to move.
- Larger units may be offered in order to improve the marketing of a development suffering a high vacancy rate.
- In no event will a single person who is not an elderly person or a displaced person, or a person with disabilities be provided with a unit that is larger than one-bedroom.
3. Selection From the Waiting List
The Tri-City Housing Authority shall follow the statutory requirement that at least 40% of newly admitted families in any fiscal year be families whose annual income is at or below 30% of the area median income. To ensure this requirement is met we shall quarterly monitor the incomes of newly admitted families and the incomes of the families on the waiting list. If it appears that the requirement to house extremely low-income families will not be met, we will skip higher income families on the waiting list to reach extremely low-income families.
If there are not enough extremely low-income families on the waiting list we will conduct outreach on a non-discriminatory basis to attract extremely low-income families to reach the statutory requirement.
4. DECONCENTRATION POLICY
The Tri-City Housing Authority is not subject to the deconcentrating requirements according to 24 CFR 903. Nevertheless, the Tri-City Housing Authority will affirmatively market its housing to all eligible income groups.
5. Offer of a Unit
When the Tri-City Housing Authority discovers that a unit will become available, we will contact the first family on the waiting list who has the highest priority for this type of unit or development and whose income category would help to meet the income targeting goal.
The Tri-City Housing Authority will contact the family first by telephone to make the unit offer. If the family cannot be reached by telephone, the family will be notified of a unit offer via first class mail. The family will be given five (5) business days from the date the family was contacted by telephone or from the date the letter was mailed to contact the Tri-City Housing Authority regarding the offer.
The family will be offered the opportunity to view the unit. The family will have two (2) business days to view and accept or reject the unit. This verbal offer and the family’s decision must be documented in the tenant file. If the family rejects the offer of the unit, the Tri-City Housing Authority will send the family a letter documenting the offer and the rejection.
6. Rejection of Unit
If in making the offer to the family the Tri-City Housing Authority skipped over other families on the waiting list in order to meet their income targeting goal and the family rejects the unit, the family will not lose their place on the waiting list and will not be otherwise penalized.
If the Tri-City Housing Authority did not skip over other families on the waiting list to reach this family, and the family rejects the unit without good cause, the family will forfeit their application’s date and time. The family will keep their preferences, but the date and time of application will be changed to the date and time the unit was rejected.
If the family rejects with good cause any unit offered, they will not lose their place on the waiting list. Good cause includes, among other things, reasons related to health, proximity to work, school, and childcare (for those working or going to school). The family will be offered the right to an informal review of the decision to alter their application status.
7. Acceptance of Unit
The family will be required to sign a lease that will become effective no later than three (3) business days after the date of acceptance or the business day after the day the unit becomes available, whichever is later.
Prior to signing the lease, all families (head of household) and other adult family members will be required to attend the Lease and Occupancy Orientation when they are initially accepted for occupancy. The family will not be housed if they have not attended the orientation. Applicants who provide prior notice of an inability to attend the orientation will be rescheduled. Failure of an applicant to attend the orientation, without good cause, may result in the cancellation of the occupancy process.
The applicant will be provided a copy of the lease, the grievance procedure, utility allowances, and the current schedule of routine maintenance charges. These documents will be explained in detail. The applicant will sign a certification that they have received these documents and that they have reviewed them with Housing Authority personnel. The certification will be filed in the tenant’s file. Information provided to the family shall also include the resident’s rights and responsibilities under the Violence Against Women Act.
The signing of the lease and the review of financial information are to be privately handled. The head of household and all adult family members will be required to execute the lease prior to admission. One executed copy of the lease will be furnished to the head of household and the Tri-City Housing Authority will retain the original executed lease in the tenant’s file. A copy of the grievance procedure will be attached to the resident’s copy of the lease.
The family will pay a security deposit at the time of lease signing. The security deposit will be $250.
In exceptional situations, the Tri-City Housing Authority reserves the right to allow a new resident to pay their security deposit in up to two (2) payments. One half shall be paid in advance, and one half with their third rent payment. This shall be at the sole discretion of the Housing Authority. Failure to pay the security deposit in accordance with the security deposit agreement shall be considered a lease violation and may result in eviction from the premises.
In the case of a move within public housing, the security deposit for the first unit will be transferred to the second unit.
In the event there are costs attributable to the family for bringing the first unit into condition for re-renting, the family shall be billed for these charges.