Applicant Eligibility & Screening

To be determined eligible, the applicant, and other members of the applicant’s household must demonstrate through verified information of past and present conduct, the ability, either alone or with a reasonable accommodation, to meet the resident selection criteria found in this policy, including compliance with the terms of Fall River Housing Authority (FRHA) lease, and any other FRHA rules governing tenancy. In determining final eligibility, FRHA will, in all cases, consider mitigating circumstances including and not limited to incidents of domestic or dating violence or stalking, and any request for a reasonable accommodation on account of a disability.
There are six (6) eligibility requirements applicants must meet for admission to public housing:

For Applicants

1. FAMILY STATUS The FRHA definition of “family” is consistent with 24 CFR 5.403 and includes, but is not limited to the following, regardless of actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status.
 
A. TWO OR MORE PERSONS – A household of two or more persons related by blood, marriage, adoption or affinity intending to share residency whose income and resources are available to meet the family’s needs which includes but is not limited to:
 
• A family with or without children. A child who is temporarily away from the home because of placement in foster care is considered a member of the family.
• An elderly family
• A near-elderly family
• A disabled family
• A displaced family
• A remaining member of a tenant family.
 
B. SINGLE PERSON – A single person who may be an elderly person, displaced person, disabled person, near elderly person or any other single person.
2. ANNUAL INCOME
A. THRESHOLD REQUIREMENTS To be eligible for admission, the family’s annual income must not exceed the income limits for occupancy established by HUD. Specifically, the family income cannot exceed 80 percent of the area median income for that family size at the time of admission. Below are the HUD Income Limits for Fall River, Massachusetts, which went into effect for FRHA for Public Housing and HCVP Programs on April 1, 2022:
# Persons in Household
Low (80% of AMI)
Very Low (50% of AMI)
Extremely Low (30% of AMI)
1
$54,150
$33,850
$20,300
2
$61,900
$38,700
$23,200
3
$69,650
$43,550
$26,100
4
$77,350
$48,350
$29,000
5
$83,550
$52,250
$32,470
6
$89,750
$56,100
$37,190
7
$95,950
$60,000
$41,910
8
$102,150
$63,850
$46,630
B. APPLICABILITY Income limits apply only at admission and are not applicable for continued occupancy or for transferring within the FRHA’s federal portfolio of public housing. However, families already residing in assisted housing administered by FRHA (or another housing authority) must meet the applicable income guidelines when applying to one of the FRHA’s other assisted housing programs. Similarly, if FRHA acquires or converts a property for federal public housing purposes, the incumbent families must meet the incomes guidelines for admission to maintain tenancy.
3. CITIZENSHIP AND ELIGIBLE IMMIGRATION STATUS
Housing assistance is available only to those individuals who are U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or noncitizens that have eligible immigration status. To be eligible for federally aided housing, at least one (1) family member must be a citizen, national or noncitizen with eligible immigration status for the family to qualify for any level of assistance. When a family consists of those with citizenship or eligible immigration status, and those without eligible immigration status, assistance to the family must be prorated according to the Mixed Family formula.
4. SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER REQUIREMENTS
A. APPLICABILITY Families must for each participant, except those age 62 or older as of January 31, 2010, whose initial determination was begun before January 31, 2010, disclose and provide verification of Social Security Numbers (SSN) for all family members prior to admission, if they have been issued a number by the Social Security Administration. This includes foster children, foster adults and live-in aides. This requirement also applies to persons joining the family after admission to the program.
 
B. PENALTIES Pursuant to CFR 5.218 and Notice PIH 2012-10, FRHA must deny admission or terminate the family’s assistance, or both, if the family submits falsified SSN documentation. The Head of Household may not remove a household member from the family composition to avoid these penalties. Prorated assistance is not permitted in this situation.
 
C. EXEMPTIONS Individuals who do not contend eligible immigration status (“non-contending” family members in a mixed family paying prorated rent) are exempt from the Social Security Number requirement.
 
D. YOUTH A child’s SSN must be disclosed within 90 days of the child’s addition to the household. An additional 90 days will be granted if FRHA determines that failure to comply was outside the control of the resident or was due to unforeseen circumstances.
5. SIGNED AUTHORIZATIONS
A. AUTHORIZATION FOR RELEASE OF INFORMATION AND PRIVACY ACT NOTICE All adult members (and head and spouse regardless of age) of both applicant and tenant households are required to sign Federal Privacy Act Statement/HUD Authorization for Release of Information (HUD Form 9886) as a condition of initial or continuing eligibility (24 CFR 5.230). Any request for third-party verification on an applicant or tenant will not be released unless there is a signed release of information. This form contains:
 
• A provision authorizing HUD or the FRHA 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; and
• A provision authorizing HUD or the FRHA to verify with previous or current employer’s income information pertinent to the family’s eligibility for or level of assistance;
• 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; and
• A statement that the consent form expires 15 months after the date it was signed
 
B. SUPPLEMENT TO APPLICATION FOR FEDERALLY ASSISTED HOUSING. To provide applicants the option to include information on an individual or organization that may be contacted to assist in providing services or special care to those who become tenants, and to assist with resolving any tenancy issues, the FRHA includes form HUD-92006 as part of the application for federally assisted housing.
6. SUITABILITY
A. SCREENING POLICY In selection of families for admission to public housing program, a FRHA is responsible for screening family behavior and suitability for tenancy. The FRHA 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 tenants, FRHA 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. The same suitability criteria used for applicants are used for a person or persons joining a family already in occupancy.
 
B. SUITABILITY CRITERIA • History of meeting financial obligations, especially rent;
• Ability to maintain (or with assistance would have the ability to maintain) their housing in a decent and safe condition;
• 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 tenants 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.
• Debts owed to FRHA or other housing authorities.
FRHA Equal Housing Opportunity
Fall River Housing Authority does not discriminate against any person because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, children or pregnancy in the household, veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information , ancestry, marital status, national origin, public assistance or use of a housing voucher or because the person is a member of the armed forces.
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