§ 26-30Introduction.
§ 26-31Overview of the application-taking process.
§ 26-32Opening/closing of application-taking. [24 CFR 982.206, 982.54(d)(1)]
§ 26-33Initial application procedures. [24 CFR 982.204(b)]
§ 26-34Applicant status while on waiting list. [24 CFR 982.204]
§ 26-35Time of selection. [24 CFR 982.204]
§ 26-36Completion of full application.
§ 26-37Requirement to attend interview.
§ 26-38Verification. [24 CFR 982.201(e)]
§ 26-39Final determination and notification of eligibility. [24 CFR
982.201]
The policy of the WHA is to ensure that all families who express an interest in housing assistance are given an equal opportunity to apply and are treated in a fair and consistent manner. This article describes the policies and procedures for completing an initial application for assistance, placement and denial of placement on the waiting list, and limitations on who may apply. The primary purpose of the intake function is to gather information about the family, but the WHA will also utilize this process to provide information to the family so that an accurate and timely decision of eligibility can be made. Applicants will be placed on the waiting list in accordance with this chapter.
The purpose of application-taking is to permit the WHA to gather information and determine placement on the waiting list. The application will contain questions designed to obtain pertinent program information.
Families who wish to apply for any one of the WHA's programs must complete a written application form when application-taking is open. Applications will be made available in an accessible format upon request from a person with a disability.
The application process will involve two phases. The first is the initial application for assistance (referred to as a "preapplication"). This first phase results in the family's placement on the waiting list.
The second phase is the final determination of eligibility (referred to as the "full application"). The full application takes place when the family reaches the top of the waiting list. At this time the WHA ensures that verification of all HUD and WHA eligibility factors is current in order to determine the family's eligibility for the issuance of a voucher.
The WHA will utilize the following procedures for opening the waiting list:
When the WHA opens the waiting list, the WHA will advertise through public notice in newspapers, minority publications and media entities, the location(s) and program(s) for which applications are being accepted.
The notice will contain:
Limitations, if any, on who may apply.
The notices will be made in an accessible format, if requested. They will provide potential applicants with information that includes the WHA address and telephone number, how to submit an application, information on eligibility requirements, and the availability of local preferences.
Upon request from a person with a disability, additional time will be given as an accommodation for submission of an application after the closing deadline. This accommodation is to allow persons with disabilities the opportunity to submit an application in cases when a social service organization provides inaccurate or untimely information about the closing date.
If the waiting list is open, the WHA will accept applications from eligible families unless there is good cause for not accepting the application, such as denial of assistance because of action or inaction by members of the family for the grounds stated in Article XV, Denial or Termination of Assistance, of this chapter. [24 CFR 982.206(b)(2)]
Closing the waiting list.
The WHA may stop applications if there are enough applicants to fill anticipated openings for the next 24 months. The waiting list may not be closed if it would have a discriminatory effect inconsistent with applicable civil rights laws.
The WHA will announce the closing of the waiting list by public notice.
The open period shall be long enough to achieve a waiting list adequate to cover projected turnover and new allocations over the next 24 months. The WHA will give at least 30 days' notice prior to closing the list. When the period for accepting applications is over, the WHA will add the new applicants to the list by separating the new applicants into groups based on preferences and ranking applicants within each group by date and time of application.
Limits on who may apply.
When the waiting list is open. Any family asking to be placed on the waiting list for Section 8 rental assistance will be given the opportunity to complete an application.
When the application is submitted to the WHA, it establishes the family's date and time of application for placement order on the waiting list.
The WHA will utilize a preapplication form. The information is to be filled out by the applicant whenever possible. To provide specific accommodation for persons with disabilities, a staff person may complete the information over the telephone. It may also be mailed to the applicant and, if requested, it will be mailed in an accessible format. Translations will be provided for non-English-speaking applicants by staff in Spanish and French.
The purpose of the preapplication is to permit the WHA to preliminarily assess family eligibility or ineligibility and to determine placement on the waiting list. The preapplication will contain at least the following information:
Ineligible families will be placed on the waiting list.
Preapplications will not require an interview. The information on the application will not be verified until the applicant has been selected for final eligibility determination. Final eligibility will be determined when the full application process is completed and all information is verified.
Applicants are required to inform the WHA of changes in address. Applicants are also required to respond to requests from the WHA to update information on their application and to determine their interest in assistance.
If, after a review of the preapplication, the family is determined to be preliminarily eligible, it will be notified in writing or in an accessible format, upon request, as a reasonable accommodation.
The notice will contain the approximate date that assistance may be offered and will further explain that the estimated date is subject to factors such as turnover and available funding.
This written notification of preliminary eligibility will be mailed to the applicant by first class mail.
If the family is determined to be ineligible based on the information provided in the preapplication, the WHA will notify the family in writing (in an accessible format, upon request, as a reasonable accommodation), state the reason(s), and inform it of its right to an informal review. Persons with disabilities may request to have an advocate attend the informal review as an accommodation. See Article XIX, Complaints and Appeals.
When funding is available, families will be selected from the waiting list in their determined sequence, regardless of family size, subject to income-targeting requirements.
When there is insufficient funding available for the family at the top of the list, the WHA will not admit any other applicant until funding is available for the first applicant.
Based on the WHA's turnover and the availability of funding, groups of families will be selected from the waiting list to form a final eligibility "pool." Selection from the pool will be based on completion of verification.
The qualification for preference must exist at the time the preference is claimed and at the time of verification, because claim of a preference determines placement on the waiting list.
After the preference is verified, when the WHA is ready to select applicants, applicants will be required to:
Complete a personal declaration form prior to the full application interview.
Participate in a full application interview with a WHA representative during which the applicant will be required to furnish complete and accurate information. The applicant will sign and certify that all information is complete and accurate.
The full application will be mailed in advance and completed when the applicant attends the interview.
The WHA utilizes the full application interview to discuss the family's circumstances in greater detail, to clarify information that has been provided by the family, and to ensure that the information is complete. The interview is also used as a vehicle to meet the informational needs of the family by providing information about the application and verification process, as as to advise the family of other WHA services or programs that may be available.
All adult family members are required to attend the interview and sign the housing application.
Exceptions may be made for students attending school out of state/for members for whom attendance would be a hardship.
It is the applicant's responsibility to reschedule the interview if he/she misses the appointment. If the applicant does not reschedule or misses two scheduled meetings, the WHA will reject the application.
Applicants who fail to appear and want to reschedule a missed appointment must make the request to reschedule no later than 15 calendar days from the original appointment date.
Reasonable accommodation will be made for persons with a disability who require an advocate or accessible offices. A designee will be allowed to participate in the interview process, but only with permission of the person with a disability.
If an application is denied due to failure to attend the full application interview, the applicant will be notified in writing and offered an opportunity to request an informal review. (See Article XIX, Complaints and Appeals.)
All adult members must sign the HUD Form 9886, Release of Information, the application form and all supplemental forms required by the WHA, the declarations and consents related to citizenship/immigration status and any other documents required by the WHA. Applicants will be required to sign specific verification forms for information that is not covered by the HUD Form 9886. Failure to do so will be cause for denial of the application for failure to provide necessary certifications and release as required by the WHA.
Every adult household member must sign a consent form to release criminal conviction records and to allow the WHA to receive records and use them in accordance with HUD regulations.
If the WHA determines at or after the interview that additional information or document(s) are needed, the WHA will request the document(s) or information in writing. The family will be given 10 calendar days to supply the information.
Information provided by the applicant will be verified, using the verification procedures in Article VII, Verification Procedures. Family composition, income, allowances and deductions, assets, full-time student status, eligibility and rent calculation factors, and other pertinent information will be verified. Verifications may not be more than 60 days old at the time of issuance of the voucher.
After the verification process is completed, the WHA will make a final determination of eligibility. This decision is based upon information provided by the family, the verification completed by the WHA, and the current eligibility criteria in effect. If the family is determined to be eligible, the WHA will mail a notification of eligibility. A briefing will be scheduled for the issuance of a voucher and the family's orientation to the housing program.
